5 Ways to Plump Your Lips...

What woman doesn't want full lips? Celebrities such as Angelina Jolie have shown off their plump, pouty smiles. Full lips can make your whole look complete. Everyone knows full lips are considered sexy. Most cosmetic enhancement relies upon injections. These fixes are short lived and expensive. Before spending money subjecting yourself to a knife and a needle, think about the following steps to get fuller, plump lips without the injections.

Follow these surgery-free tips to give your mouth sexy fullness and a glossy pout

1 Use a Nightly Lip Rejuvenator

Give your lips a twice-daily dose of peptides and hyaluronic acid—ingredients that improve hydration and elasticity as well as soften lines. Smooth on Dermalogica AGE Smart Renewal Lip Complex

2. Exfoliate with a Washcloth

Before putting on lip color, lightly run a damp washcloth over lips. this increases circulation to boost fullness and provides a smooth canvas for color to adhere to

3 Define Your Lips

here’s a right (and a wrong!) way to apply lipliner. “You want to ‘fence in’ lipstick with a lip pencil,” says Sydney-based make-up artist Vanessa Collins. First, slick on your lipstick as usual; second, define lips with the pencil; and third, use a brush to blend pencil inwards into the lipstick. This creates a barrier on the lips that keeps lippie from bleeding and feathering. 

4 Opt for a Soft Pink Gloss

this universally flattering hue and shiny, moisturizing formula reflect the most light, so lips look bigger. For best results, pick a plumping version, which is made with ingredients derived from menthol that slightly swell lips for a few hours.

5.Give SPF a Kiss

Use a balm with a built-in SPF of at least 30 before putting on gloss or liner and reapply when touching up. UVA rays can degrade collagen, making lips look thinner.

Top foods that typically dismissed by dieters can help you happily slim down.

Bread:

Bread contains carbohydrates, which boost brain chemicals that curb overeating Bread is an excellent source of carbs, which your brain needs to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of comfort and satisfaction, says Nina T. Frusztajer, MD, a Boston-based physician who specializes in nutrition and is coauthor of The Serotonin Power Diet. “As your body digests carbohydrates, it releases insulin, which helps channel tryptophan—an amino acid—into the brain. Tryptophan then gets converted to serotonin,” she explains.When serotonin levels are optimal, you feel calm and happy and have fewer cravings; when they’re low, you feel depressed and irritable, making you more likely to overeat. Breads containing whole grains are healthiest, and one serving equals one slice of bread, half an English muffin, or a small roll

Pasta:

pasta a high fluid content keeps you satisfied longer Cooked pasta and rice are about 70% water—and eating fluid-rich foods keeps you fuller longer, compared with dry foods, according to research from the British Nutrition Foundation. Like bread, the carbs in pasta boost serotonin to help curb overeating. The proper portion of pasta is 1⁄2 cup cooked, or about the size of an ice-cream scoop. Choose whole grain varieties for filling fiber, and add grilled chicken and lots of veggies to bulk up your dish even more.

Potatoes:

potatoes Form resistant starch, a fiber that burns fat These veggies may be one of our most misunderstood foods. Fried or doused in sour cream, they’re not going to help you lose weight. But when boiled or baked, a potato’s starch absorbs water and swells. Once chilled, portions of the starch crystallize into a form that resists digestion—resistant starch. Unlike other types of fiber, resistant starch gets fermented in the large intestine, creating fatty acids that may block the body’s ability to burn carbohydrates. In their place, you burn fat. A healthy potato serving is about the size of a fist.

Peanut Butter

peanut Butter rich in healthy fats that help banish belly flab Studies show that diets high in monounsaturated

fatty acids (abundant in peanut butter and nuts) prevent accumulation of fat around the midsection,

boost calorie burn, and promote weight loss. In fact, women who eat one serving of nuts or peanut butter 2 or more times a week gain fewer pounds than women who rarely eat them, according to recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health. One reason: A snack that includes peanut butter helps you stay full for up to 2 1⁄2 hours, compared with 30 minutes for a carbonly snack such as a rice cake, finds research from Purdue University. (Carbohydrates satisfy a craving, while nuts keep you feeling full.) Peanut butter and nuts are high in calories, so stick with a 2-tablespoon portion—about the size of a golf ball.

cheese great source of calcium, which burns calories and fat At about 100 calories and 5 g of fat per ounce, cheese usually tops the no-no list, but its calcium improves your ability to burn calories and fat, according

to a recent research review. Not getting enough of this mineral may trigger the release of calcitriol, a hormone that causes the body to store fat. Scientists at the University of Tennessee found that people on a reduced calorie diet who included an extra 300 to 400 mg of calcium a day lost significantly more weight than those who ate the same number of calories but with less calcium. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why,but eating calcium-rich foods is more effective than taking calcium supplements— and cheese has about 200 mg per ounce. Just stick to 2-ounce portions, and choose light varieties to get health benefits for half the calories.

Dark Chocolate:

Dark chocolate satisfies a common craving to prevent bingeing Up to 97% of women experience cravings, and chocolate is the most common and “intensely” craved food, according to a recent study. Having an occasional small serving of a favorite treat is better than depriving yourself, which may lead to a binge, says Greaves. In fact, people who tried to not think about chocolate ate two-thirds more of it than people who were told to talk about it freely, according to British research. Dark varieties are more satisfying than milk chocolate, say scientists at the University of Copenhagen, but measure your portion, and be mindful when you eat. Slowly savoring one or two squares of a high-quality dark chocolate bar will satisfy a craving more than wolfing down M&M’s in front of the TV.

How to Make Your Period Lighter

Periods can be a pain in the - well, you get it. Heavy periods (also known as menorrhagia) can be a sign of your luck in the genetic draw, a result of what you're experiencing in life (giving birth, giving up the pill, etc.), or they can be something more serious from a health perspective, such as a disease, disorder, or a miscarriage. When seeking to lighten a period, it's important to deal with the possible health or lifestyle issues involved first, just to be reassured that there's nothing wrong with you. 

Heavy or prolonged periods can be uncomfortable, but for some women they may be downright disabling, making it difficult to do everyday activities. If you experience heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding, you may have wondered what could be causing your condition, known as menorrhagia.

What Is Menorrhagia?

Menorrhagia is the medical term doctors use to describe heavy menstrual bleeding or periods that last an unusually long time. It's normal to lose about 2 to 3 tablespoons of blood during your period. And the average woman's period lasts 4 to 7 days. But losing twice as much blood as normal or having a period that lasts longer than 7 days may be a sign of menorrhagia.

What Are the Symptoms of Menorrhagia?

• Women who suffer from menorrhagia may experience one or all of these distressing symptoms:
• Blood clots in menstrual flow
• The need to change tampons or pads every hour for several hours
• The need to get up at night to change tampons or pads
• The need to double up on products (e.g., wear a tampon and a pad at the same time)
• Fatigue from anemia due to excess blood loss

What Causes Heavy Periods?

• Menorrhagia can be caused by a variety of factors, many of which aren't serious. Causes of menorrhagia may include:
• Hormone imbalances
• Implantable birth control devices
• Disorders of the reproductive system, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, uterine polyps, endometriosis
• Pelvic infections or tumors
• Liver or kidney problems
• Pregnancy complications
• Thyroid disease
• Bleeding disorders (rare)

If you try to see lightening your heavy period as being about making it more bearable, and managing it well, then it might be a bit easier for you to cope with heavy periods. While there are a number of things you can do try and lighten heavy periods, sometimes it may be about changing your approach to it.

How to Make Your Period Lighter

No woman enjoys having her period, but having a heavier period generates an even larger groan from women across the world. The medical term for a period that entails excessive bleeding is menorrhagia. A heavy period is one that lasts longer than a week, interferes with your daily life and includes blood clots. Luckily, there are some things a woman can do to lighten her menstrual flow.

Visit your doctor to rule out other health problems that may be causing heavy bleeding during your cycle. Fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease are some conditions associated with heavy periods.

Talk to your doctor about going on birth control. Birth control pills help to regulate your period and cause you to have shorter, lighter periods.

Exercise consistently. The healthier your body is, the more regular and lighter your period will be.

Take vitamins. Vitamins will also make your body healthier, and in turn regulate your period.

Change your pad or tampon every 2 to 3 hours. While this will not actually make your period lighter, you will feel as if it is lighter.

Consider a hysterectomy. Some women with heavy periods opt for this surgery to eliminate their period. However, this surgery is for women who are finished having children or do not wish to have any.

7 Weight Loss Challenges and Tips for Women

Men and women were created equal, but they are different. Especially when it comes to weight loss. Women face some unique challenges in getting the bathroom scale to budge. And these challenges are both medical and emotional in nature. So whether you're trying to lose 5 pounds or 50, it’s important to understand your weight loss challenges. 

7 Healthy Permanent Weight Loss Tips for Women

Is healthy permanent weight loss possible for you? Do you know what it takes? Are you willing to make the necessary lifestyle changes?

In our super-size, eat-on-the-run, death-by-chocolate society, healthy permanent weight loss can be a real battle. And winning the battle of the bulge takes weight loss strategies that work and die-hard commitment.

By now, we all know that nobody wins with fad diets and quick fixes. So, what are healthy permanent weight loss strategies that work? Here's the strategic battle plan you need to stick with it through thick and thin.

Healthy Permanent Weight Loss for Women in 7 Simple Steps 

These healthy weight loss strategies that work are based on studies of people who lost weight and kept it off to maintained healthy permanent weight loss for at least seven years.

1. Start keeping good records. To face the challenge, you need to know what's going on. Mindlessness will get you nowhere. Write down everything you eat and drink and exercise times. At first you won't like what you see, but clarity and awareness can gradually move you forward.
2. Make a long-term commitment. "Permanent" means you won’t be done in twelve weeks or even twelve years. Healthy permanent weight loss is about making a commitment to lifestyle changes for the long haul.
3. Plan your strategy and do it. What are you going to eat tomorrow? How can you handle family meals, work lunches and travel? What about emotional cravings? List your challenges and create solutions.
4. Pay attention to your calories. To lose a pound a week requires cutting about 500 calories a day. Almost everyone who achieves permanent weight loss counts calories – usually by writing them down.
5. Increase your physical activity. Exercise burns calories. Most people who lose weight and keep it off exercise between 30 minutes and an hour a day. If you're squirming over those figures, realize you can start out slowly. Any amount of exercise is better than none at all
6. Keep yourself motivated. Maintaining motivation is the biggest challenge. You can't be at the affect of your moods, failures or the numbers on the scale. Take time to nurture yourself, get enough rest and find healthy entertainment that doesn't involve food indulgence.
7. Eat a healthy high fiber diet. People who lose weight and keep it off tend to eat a healthy, moderately low-fat (25-30% of calories) high fiber diet. Here are more eating guidelines for healthy weight loss.Eat early and often. A healthy breakfast and 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day will jumpstart your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar and ward off hunger pangFocus on vegetables. The low calories and high fiber, water and nutritional content of most vegetables make them more fulfilling and nutritious at a lower food calories cost.

• Upgrade your carbs. Switch from refined carbohydrates to whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds. They provide sustained natural energy and have much more fiber, so you feel fuller longer.
• Pad with protein. High protein foods help keep you feeling full, so include some with every meal. Choose omega 3 fish, lean poultry, beans, whole grains and nuts.
• Drink more water. By replacing soda, coffee and alcohol with water, you can easily reduce your calorie intake.
• Take a multivitamin. Good quality supplements (not weight loss products) can fill the nutritional gaps in your diet and contribute to better natural energy and health.Success in using these healthy permanent weight loss strategies will make you look and feel better and reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, arthritis, some cancers, diabetes and many other health problems.

7 Weight Loss Challenges

1.Do you feel stressed?

Almost everyone feels stress at some point in the day. But research shows that women are more prone to feeling stress as they juggle the demands of their work commitments, their family lives, and their social ties.

She kicker in all of this? Research shows that high levels of a stress hormone called cortisol increases appetite. Uh-oh. And cortisol makes people crave foods high in fat and sugar. Double uh-oh.

The solution: To help keep stress from sabotaging your waistline, one of the best weight loss tips for women is to spend at least a few minutes every day practicing a simple stress reduction strategy. Like one of these:

Walk for 10 minutes. 

Breathe deeply 10 times.

Tense and then relax each muscle group. 

Find a quiet place to meditate for 10 minutes. 

2.Are you getting enough sleep?

Most people don't get enough sleep. But women have more sleep struggles than men do. In fact, about 70% of women get fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night. Women have more trouble falling and staying asleep, and they also suffer from more daytime sleepiness compared with men. Some of the top factors in women's sleep troubles include work and family stress, health problems, and uncomfortable beds.

The solution: Sleep in. Go to bed early. Makeover your bedroom until it resembles a veritable sleep-fantasy suite. Do whatever you need to do to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours a night. Especially if you're trying to lose weight.

3.Feeling sluggish

A sluggish thyroid -- also know as an underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism -- is much more likely to develop in women than in men, especially after menopause. And that spells trouble for waistlines. Here's why: In addition to fatigue and sluggishness, an underactive thyroid can also cause weight gain.

The solution: If you have unexplained fatigue and weight gain, have your thyroid levels checked. An autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's disease is a frequent cause of hypothyroidism, and it's more common in women than in men. Another underlying cause of hypothyroidism in women: pregnancy.

4.How much muscle do you have?

Blame this one on Mother Nature. Women's bodies are built differently than men's -- women have more fat and less muscle. And less lean body mass means they have lower resting metabolic rates compared with men. Women burn fewer calories on a baseline level.

The solution: Avoid super-low-calorie diets that'll put you into starvation mode and make it harder for your body to burn calories and lose weight. Eat small meals throughout the day so your metabolism stays fired up. Also, focus more of your workout on strength training -- to help you keep the muscle you have.

5.Feeling hormonal?

As women age, estrogen levels drop and metabolism slows down. And, as a result, women lose muscle and gain fat, especially around the abdomen.

The solution: Amp up your activity. Research shows that as women reach the age of menopause, they tend to exercise less. Make it a priority to walk at least 30 minutes a day most days of the week, rain or shine, year in and year out.

6.Got a craving for cookies?

Studies suggest that women cave into food cravings more easily than men do. Women are also more likely to eat when they are sad or depressed and, in those moments, tend to reach for comfort foods that are high in fat and sugar. It's a recipe for disaster when it comes to trying to lose weight.

The solution: Relying on sheer willpower to curb cravings may not be the way to go. Instead, research suggests you might be better off using a practice called mindfulness meditation -- where you actually spend time acknowledging the craving. By recognizing, experiencing, and feeling the craving, you may be more likely to resist it than if you'd tried to suppress or ignore it.

7.Feeling bad about yourself?

Those pretty magazines with the skinny models? Get them out of your house. Those TV shows with the preternaturally preserved faces? Turn them off. Those success stories about women who lost 20 pounds in 1 month? Ignore them. Media images of stick-thin women and unrealistic weight loss goals cause many women to become frustrated and give up their own diet and exercise plans when their results don't match up.

The solution:Be kind to yourself, and don't beat yourself up if you have an occasional treat. Give yourself time to see results. If it took 3 years to put those extra pounds on, it's not unreasonable to give yourself 3 years to get them all off. And if you fall off the wagon, don't throw in the towel. Slips are bound to happen occasionally. Feeling guilty about it is only going to make losing weight harder

Natural Remedies for Migraine Relief

A migraine is a severe pounding or pulsing headache that commonly starts in the forehead and moves toward the side of the head and around the eyes. It is a form of vascular headache which affects about 28 million Americans, with women being affected more often than men in the general population. Migraine headaches are caused by a combination of the enlargement of blood vessels and the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the blood vessels. During a migraine attack, the temporal artery, which is found just under the skin of the temples, enlarges and causes nerves to stretch around the temporal artery. The tension of nerves then triggers the release of chemicals that cause inflammation, pain and even more enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the artery intensifies the pain. 

There are a variety of triggers, including:

- Fluorescent lights

- Coffee

- Dehydration

- Smoking or alcohol abuse

- High blood pressure or hypoglycemia

- Vitamin B or D deficiency or mineral imbalances

- Reaction to food additives such as MSG, sugar, colorings, or preservatives

- Oral contraceptives or prescription medication

- Food allergies or intolerances

Common symptoms of a migraine attack are:

• Moderate to severe, throbbing head pain, most commonly on one side of the head.
• Head pain that worsens with physical activity.
• Sensitivity to light and/or sound.
• Nausea or vomiting.

Untreated attacks most commonly last from four to 72 hours, and may persist for weeks. If your headache is accompanied by convulsions, fever, severe mental confusion, or any type of acute pain around your face or ears, you should contact your doctor immediately. 

11 Home Remedies for Migraine Headaches

And the best thing about these remedies? They aren't gender-specific.

1. Drink water

“Dehydration can be a big cause of headaches,” .

2. Drink caffeine

Caffeine is a double-edged sword – it can help and hinder headaches.

“Caffeine can restrict blood vessels, it can lessen pain, it’s a constituent of some pain over-the-counter pain medicines, but it can also trigger headaches for some people,” Grosberg said. “If someone uses caffeine excessively, it can cause a rebound headache, making existing headaches worse.”

3. Tying a headband around the head

this is a practice that's been done since ancient times, and he’s not sure how it came about, but some people claim it works.

4. Fish oil

Enthusiasts claim that fish oil reduces inflammation and works by restricting the blood vessels in your temples. Grosberg said there's no sound evidence, but he recommends trying it.

5. Peppermint oil

Rub it on the part of your head that hurts.

“There’s been no literature to support this, but again, people say it works,” Grosberg said.

6. Eat ginger or take ginger capsules

“No one really knows how this works either,” Grosberg said. “It clearly reduces nausea, but other than that ..."

7. Magnesium

Grosberg said this has been studied and when taken in doses of 400 to 600 milligrams per day, magnesium is effective for menstrual-associated migraines and migraines associated with auras.

The downside: Magnesium may cause diarrhea, if you take too much, Grosberg said

8. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

In doses of 400 milligrams a day, vitamin B2 can also act as a preventative for migraines, Grosberg said. It can cause some people to urinate more frequently or have darker urine, so the dosage may have to be adjusted.

9. CoEnzymeQ10

Grosberg said that taking 300 milligrams per day has proven to be effective in reducing head pain. The downside: It can be expensive.

10. Butterbur

The most effective "natural medicine," Grosberg said, is called butterbur, or petasites.

Butterbur is a plant grown in Germany, and extensive studies have proven that in pill form, it is very effective in treating migraine pain and asthma, as well as alleviate upset stomachs. Butterbur is safe, although it can only be ordered online.

11. Cold (or hot) compress

This is another remedy that no one knows why it works, but it some swear by it.

It's hard to study something like that," Grosberg said. "It can have a placebo effect, or it can have a distracting effect on the patient. But a lot of patients swear by it."

Natural treatments

There are lots of ways to treat a migraine headache with natural remedies that have a better success rate and far fewer health risks than prescriptions, including herbs, supplements, acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, and aromatherapy.

Herbs- 

Feverfew is effective at preventing migraines, but not stopping them once they've begun. The plant's active ingredient, parthenolide, inhibits the chemicals in the brain that cause the blood vessels to dilate. Another preventative with a lot of recent success in blind trials is butterbur extract. Used medicinally since the middle ages, butterbur extract can be taken daily as a preventative to reduce the number and severity of attacks. It is available commercially in capsules, powder, tincture, or other forms and is thought to have both antispasmodic effects and anti-inflammatory properties. It should be taken for 2 to 3 months until the migraine sufferer experiences a period "free of migraines."

Self help techniques -

 There are several things a migraine sufferer can do after the onset of a migraine to help ease the pain. Hydrotherapy is easy, and it works. Contrast showers help with many ailments. Stand in water as hot as you can stand for two minutes (this increases blood flow to the skin), then as cold as you can stand for two minutes (this sends blood to the core of the body). Alternate back and forth for 20 minutes to increase blood flow and circulation, bringing nutrients to organs and carrying away toxins. Another way to use water to help with a headache is to put your feet in very cold water and a hot rag on the back of your neck. This helps bring the blood down out of your head, by sending it to your feet.

Working acupressure points such as pinching the soft tissue between your thumb and forefinger can help alleviate pain as well. Another technique is to put your thumb in your mouth on the same side as the migraine pain, reaching up to find the cheekbone. Press that bone up and out. Repeat on the other side. Then place both thumbs on the upper palate (inside the mouth) and press the sides out. Several repetitions may be necessary. Relax and breath deep. Slowly inhale and exhale all the way out.

Last but probably most important, make the necessary diet corrections. There is no substitute for water. When you are thirsty, it is not for coffee or soda, but water and only water. When you drink anything else, you need more water to flush that out. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Eating more vegetables and juicing are the best ways to correct nutritional deficiencies and correct your body's pH. Supplements help.