Best Self Help

Fraxel Laser Therapy: The Basics

Have you ever desired the skin of your youth back again? Well, science has developed a process that says you can restore elasticity and firmness that has been lost to your skin. It is the science of fraxel laser therapy.

As we age, so does our skin. It is constantly bombarded by free radicals just like the internal organs of our body. Free radicals come from environmental sources (pollution, the sun), smoking, stress, food and other places. For the skin, free radical damage means that skin loses its elasticity.

Elasticity is its ability to stay tight and toned. Special fibers in the second layer of skin, the dermis, form a lattice network that strengthens skin. These are two proteins called collagen and elastin. Weaknesses in that network can lead to wrinkles and other conditions, such as age spots.

Now, no one wants to develop wrinkles. And, we certainly don’t want to look old before our time. Some people will inherit the type of skin that stays tight as they age and others will show signs of wrinkling. It’s the luck of the draw, but now there is fraxel laser therapy to even the odds.

What lasers can do

Lasers are made up of different wavelengths of light that can penetrate the surface of the skin. With fraxel laser therapy, areas of the skin are treated with many columns of laser light. The laser penetrates to the dermal layer of the skin where the protein fibers are forming collagen.

Each laser light makes a tiny wound in the skin. When the skin is wounded, cells rush to the sight of the wound to speed healing. In the event of dermal injury, this means that a new network of collagen and elastin is formed. The result is a tighter look to your skin just as you once had when you were younger.

Fraxel laser therapy is not just for wrinkles. It can be used for other skin conditions. The laser is set to penetrate the skin at the level of the problem like age spots or even acne. Surface problems are targeted and removed, leaving a clearer layer of skin.

Depending on your condition, you may need one treatment or several to return your skin to a smooth and blemish-free look. Fraxel procedures are performed in a doctor’s office by trained professionals. It rejuvenates the skin by speeding healing. Most patients are able to receive their treatments without further wound care.

Most skin colors respond well to the treatment, but ask to be sure. Traditionally, ethnic groups with more melanin in their skin have experienced scarring with lasers. This procedure is different and offers a safer approach.

If you are interested in fraxel laser therapy, talk to your skin care professional. They can perform a skin evaluation and explain the possibilities of fraxel being right for you.

Top Tips to Stop Smelly Feet

Feet work very hard. The last thing you want is for them to smell when you take off your shoes. If you have the embarrassing odor of smelly feet, here are a few things that you can do to come out smelling like a rose.

What causes foot odor? There can be a number of causes. First of all, feet can sweat just like underarms. And unlike your underarms, feet are trapped in socks and shoes. If those socks are made of material that doesn’t breathe, the moisture becomes trapped inside. When shoes don’t allow for breathing either (like dress shoes), bacteria can cause odor.

Foot odor can also be caused by infections. Fungal infections can lead to odor for the same reason. The moisture has become a haven for bacteria to grow. They release odors as a by-product of their activity.

So, what’s a person to do?

* Wash your feet frequently – You may take a shower in the morning but you’ll need to give your feet a second washing when you come home. After you remove your socks and shoes, give your feet a good scrubbing before odors have time to spread. Be sure to dry your feet thoroughly afterwards. Good old soap and water usually works, but you may need to use baking soda and water to pull odors from your feet.

* Use foot powders – Medicated powders can dry out and prevent moisture. Spray or sprinkle your feet after washing but before bed. If you don’t have a powder like Gold Bond, you can use cornstarch as a moisture barrier.

* Freshen up your shoes – If you wear the same shoes to work every day, like dress shoes, you will end up with the same smelly problem. Place a dryer sheet in your shoes to help eliminate odor at night. There are also odor-eliminating powders that you can use in your shoes.

* Change your socks daily – You’ll have to beef up your sock collection for this one. Wearing a different pair of socks each day can go a long way to eliminating odor. If you can, switch to cotton socks. They will allow air to circulate around your feet. Any moisture will be wicked away from your feet. Keep an extra pair of socks at your desk in case you feel the need to change them.

Try these above tips to eliminate the odors from your feet. If this doesn’t clear it up, the cause may be an out-of-control infection. Seek a doctor’s help to treat the bacterial infection and subsequently eliminate the odor.

Flatulence Remedies: Natural Ways to Treat Gas

It is something that most people don’t even want to talk about in mixed company or otherwise. We all do it but in public it can be embarrassing. We are talking about flatulence or passing gas. If you have this problem in excess, here are a few ways that you can treat it naturally.

Our first instinct is to reach for over-the-counter medication for everything. But, there are some problems that can be solved without the pharmacy. If you are dealing with a gas problem, start with your kitchen. Here are some tips:

* Change your diet. Certain foods give us gas more than others. We all know about beans. Sometimes, even soaking them in salt water before cooking them won’t take away their ability to give us the bloat and the flatulence. You may want to take it easy on them as well as cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage – to name a few.

* Watch out for dairy products.  If milk and ice cream are setting you in fits, it could be that you are lactose intolerant. One way to eliminate the flatulent smell is to switch to soy milk.

* Eat fresh peppermint. This is not the candy. Fresh peppermint leaves or peppermint tea can help with your gaseous nature. It is the menthol in the peppermint that does the trick. Don’t overdo it. Just chew on a leaf for a few minutes, or brew a cup of tea.

* Hot water. For a long time, people have used hot water to help relieve the bloat and gas. Don’t add any sugar or lemon, just try to drink a plain cup of hot water and see if it helps.

* Try a bit of apple cider vinegar. This lovely concoction has many uses in the body. Who knew that it also worked for flatulence? Add a couple of teaspoons to a cup of warm water and drink.

* Decrease your alcohol consumption. When we drink, we often take in a lot of air as well. It is the air that we swallow that creates the trapped gas we have to get rid of in some situations. Excess gas may be due to drinking too much alcohol and swallowing air. For some reason, beer often brings on cases of gas.

* Monitor your fiber intake. Eating more fiber is a good thing, but while your body is flushing itself out, it can be a nuisance. Your gas may increase until the intestines are properly working. If you can’t handle it, lower your fiber intake for a little bit.

* Eat more frequent meals – Eating larger meals can overwhelm the digestive system and produce more gas as the enzymes in the intestines work to digest and absorb it all. Smaller meals may be easier on your body and quieten the gas problem.

* Try a homeopathic remedy - If the lifestyle changes listed above don’t help (or don’t help enough), here are a couple of homeopathic gas relief remedies to try:

Hyland’s Natural Relief Gas Tablets
Price: $7.19
homeopathic, Homeopathic, homepathic, homoepathic, natural medicine, homeopathy, Natural Relief for Gas and Stomach Upset
From Drugstore.com

Native Remedies GSR001 Gasolve Relief for Preventing Flatulence, Gas and Belching 50ml
Price: $30.98
Promotes digestive calm and comfort after meals to alleviate gas and bloating. Maintains healthy comfortable digestion. Supports routine amounts of gas in the digestive system. Promotes avoidance of common gas and wind after meals. Supports digestive calm after meals naturally. Encourages overall digestive health and supports all body systems involved in digestion. 50ml. The Products on this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to cure treat or prevent any disease.

Hyland's Natural Relief Gas Tablets $7.99 homeopathic, Homeopathic, homepathic, homoepathic, natural medicine, homeopathy, Natural Relief for Gas and Stomach Upset Native Remedies GSR001 Gasolve Relief for Preventing Flatulence#44; Gas and Belching 50ml $30.98 Promotes digestive calm and comfort after meals to alleviate gas and bloating. Maintains healthy comfortable digestion. Supports routine amounts of gas in the digestive system. Promotes avoidance of common gas and wind after meals. Supports digestive calm after meals naturally. Encourages overall digestive health and supports all body systems involved in digestion. 50ml. The Products on this site have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to cure treat or prevent any disease.

Louise Hay’s Experience Your Good Now

Hello Dear Ones, I often ask people to look into their own eyes and say something positive about themselves every time they pass a mirror. These positive statements are affirmations. Are you willing to change your self-talk into positive affirmations? A lot of what we normally say and think is quite negative and doesn’t create good experiences for us. Notice the way that lonely, unhappy, poor, sick people talk. What words do they use? What have they accepted as the truth for themselves? We have to retrain our thinking and speaking into positive patterns if we want to change our lives. That’s why I’m so pleased to introduce you to my new book, Experience Your Good Now! I love this book because it’s all about affirmations and how you can use them in your own life. Do you always begin a conversation with a complaint? Do you realize that every complaint is an affirmation of something you think you don’t want in your life? Every time you get angry, you’re affirming that you want more anger in your life. Every time you feel like a victim, you’re affirming that you want to continue to feel like a victim. If you feel that Life isn’t giving you what you want in your world, then it’s certain that you will never have the goodies that Life gives to others. Positive affirmations are solutions that will replace whatever problem you might have. By repeating these affirmations over and over, you’ll be planting new seeds in the fertile soil of your subconscious mind, and they’ll become true for you. I’m delighted to include a CD in the back of my new book. Do listen to the CD for at least 30 days. If you drive a car, it’s a perfect companion on the road. If you have an iPod, it’s the perfect companion when you walk and exercise. Let these ideas permeate your consciousness until they become a part of you. I dedicate my new book to my ever-growing audience and, as a special gift, I am giving away a spot on the next Hay House cruise to the Caribbean in January 2011! This is a unique opportunity to explore the beautiful Caribbean along with eight Hay House authors, each a visionary of our time. Enter to Win »

Brain Training Software for Seniors

You may have heard the saying “Use it or lose it.” What most people don’t realize is just how true those words are when you’re talking about your mind. It’s important to take the time to challenge your brain each day. The following are some brain training software for seniors to use so they can stay mentally sharp.

In recent years, there seems to be an explosion of software created with the senior citizen in mind. With so many seniors developing dementia or other conditions affecting the intellect, companies are not only creating software which will improve one’s memory, but may actually help them stay physically and mentally fit.

InSight software by Posit Science is one example of software being tested to see how it improves a senior’s safety behind the wheel. Some insurance companies are offering the opportunity to help evaluate the software to determine how much it can help seniors have reduced accidents. If the program is successful in what it purports to do, those using the software may receive auto insurance discounts.

While the software isn’t inexpensive, $395 for a single user, it promises to be beneficial. Each person using the software “plays” computer games which will help them notice things easier as well as stay engaged as they drive. Previous research claims that dangerous driving was reduced by nearly 40 percent among people using this brain training software for seniors.

Health insurance companies are also jumping on the “brain training” bandwagon as are assisted living homes throughout the nation. Do you have to shell out a lot of money to get the benefits of the brain training software? Absolutely not!

When the Nintendo DS Lite first came out, one of the few games you could get was called Brain Age. This software is a series of games which helps the user stay focused while playing, and this could translate to improved mental health. In fact, there are studies being conducted which indicate these brain games can actually help delay the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Nintendo also offers Flash Focus for the DS. Along with improving memory, this game may also improve vision. Brain Age 2 picks up where the original game left off and puts forward additional games which can help bolster a senior’s brain power.

Critical thinking skills can be improved by finding Sudoku software games. Mah Jong Quest II is another game which can build stamina and improve a senior’s observation ability. These are readily available on the internet, as are many other such games.

People of all ages might want to try the online brain training program by Lumosity, comprised of games and exercises desgined to improve memory, attention and processing speed. The games are easy to use and fun. Plus, you can get started for free.

Doctors will explain the importance of keeping seniors engaged in activities which will fend off dementia when it first begins. Of course, the traditional method of treating it with medication is also available if the doctor prescribes it. However, playing some of the brain training software for seniors is fun and can assist in keeping seniors mentally active as well.

Get Some Zeo Sleep: Introducing the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach

You’ve heard of the BodyBugg – the revolutionary calorie management system that allows you to monitor your diet and exercise in a whole new way.

Now there is a personal tracking product that might be able to help you sleep.

The Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is the first product (developed with the help of leading sleep scientists) that allows you to easily and accurately track your sleep phases at home – and then it uses that data to deliver personalized advice and tips to help you get better sleep. Zeo sleep.

How It Works:

You’ll simply wear the Zeo wireless headband while you sleep. In the morning, you’ll see the quantity and quality of your night’s sleep on the bedside display.

Then, you can upload your personal sleep data to the myZeo website so that you can see the sleep trends over time. The site also allows you to keep a journal of your daytime activities so you can see how your lifestyle is affecting your sleep.

You’ll also receive customized coaching emails with more advice based on your sleep data! Here are Zeo reviews from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Today, you can get a risk-free in-home trial of Zeo!

Click here to learn more >

Do You Need a Life Coach?

You may be at a point in your life when nothing is wrong. Congratulations! But, you may still feel unfulfilled in some way. Could you be in need of a life coach?

What Are Life Coaches?

These are people who seem to know how to get their life going after it stalls. A stall doesn’t have to be a problem. It could be that you have gotten into a rut and are getting bored with your life. You want to move in new direction but don’t know how.

Life coaches are people who have learned strategies to explore new options and keep their life fresh. They want to share those tools and techniques with you in an effort to enhance your life. There are many aspects to life and therefore, many types of life coaches.

Some are general in scope and other do specific areas. You may have a life coach that specializes in business development. There are others that coach seniors through retirement. Still others work with teaching parents how to parent better. You can find a life coach for almost any niche of life.

It is important to know that all life coaches are not licensed professionals. The profession is still relatively new. There is an international accrediting body, the IFC (International Coach Federation), but you don’t need to attend an accredited institution to call yourself a life coach. You can take courses to deal with the business aspect of coaching as well as how to draw information from your clients to enhance their lives.

How Can They Help?

A life coach is not a therapist. They work with individuals that have an idea of where they want to go and need help getting there. Through their personal experience and coursework that they have done, they can teach you how to go about setting goals and meeting them.

Life coaches are meant to help jumpstart your thinking. Most of us are reluctant to think “outside the box.” A coach can help you to see possibilities you may not have considered before. They also give you a boost of self-confidence as they mentor you through different processes designed to identify what you want to change or enhance about your life.

Life coaching is not for those who are seeking to get at the root of a problem in their life. This is an issue that requires a therapeutic approach in most cases. Life coaches without proper training can stray into the realm of therapy and do a disservice to their clients who have issues outside of their scope.

When choosing a coach, it is important to remember a few things. First, find a coach with credentials and client testimonials. Secondly, ask for a free consultation to see if you are a good match and if they understand what you need. If you basically have things together but need more motivation or more direction, a life coach can help.

Top Sleep Boosters

When you’re having problems sleeping, the only thing you want is to drift off into peaceful, uninterrupted sleep. You could use an over-the-counter sleep aide, but you can also try one of these more natural methods to help you fall asleep. They are considered to be the top sleep boosters and one of them is sure to ease you into dreamland.

* Follow a routine. One of the best things you can do to enable you to get the sleep you need is to follow a bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. Your body will fall into a rhythm, which may make falling asleep easier each night. Even if you’re tempted to change your sleeping patterns on the weekend, avoid that temptation. It may take until Wednesday for your body to get back into the groove of sleep.

* Avoid watching television prior to going to bed. Television stimulates the mind and that’s not conducive to getting to sleep at a decent time. And you definitely don’t want to have a television in the bedroom.

* Drink some herbal tea prior to bedtime. This will calm your nerves and enable you to relax. Certain herbal teas such as chamomile, lemon balm, and valerian are good for helping you fall asleep. Here are some herbs that may help you sleep.

* Warm milk has long been given to people to help them sleep. Rather than having plain warm milk, add a teaspoon or so of honey to it. The warm milk relaxes you and the honey has recuperative properties.

* You may have been told to avoid eating prior to bedtime. However, some research indicates that having a high-carbohydrate snack can help. You may want to eat two cups of air-popped popcorn, fresh strawberries over a slice of angel food cake, half of a whole-wheat English muffin with honey drizzled over it, or a baked potato with salsa. These foods contain nutrients which help induce sleep.

* Take a bath as part of your bedtime routine. Use two to three drops of lavender, chamomile, rose, or sandalwood essential oil in the water. Not only will the oils help you relax, you’ll also smell nice when you do drift off to sleep. Combine a couple of the essential oils to create your own special mixture.

* Put a few drops of lavender or ylang ylang essential oil directly on your pillow case if you’re having an especially difficult time falling asleep. These essential oils will help you fall asleep quicker and sleep more restfully than without them.

* If you have a lot of things weighing down on your mind, keep a notebook and pen near your bed. This will enable you to write down everything you’re afraid you’ll forget during sleep, will help you plan your day, and give you a place to jot down things in the middle of the night if you happen to wake up. Once you have written down everything you think you need to remember, it will allow your brain to relax and you’ll be asleep before you know it.

* Try a natural sleep booster in the form of a calming meditation CD or mp3. You might like Tranquil Sleep Now – a CD for sleepiness

You may be tempted to reach for an over-the-counter sleep aide if you’re having problems falling asleep. These may be good occasionally, but they can become addictive. Using one of these natural top sleep boosters should bring you the sleep you need without using unnatural or synthetic means.

Emotional Freedom Technique

Created by Gary Craig, the Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is a non-invasive procedure similar to acupuncture. The process requires you to tap on specific points of your body with your fingertips. Electrical impulses are sent through your body which enables the body itself to rebalance and unblock the various energies of the body. When verbal affirmations or sayings are added, the results are considered by some to be amazing.

People have been learning and using the Emotional Freedom Technique for a variety of maladies ranging from anxiety to weight loss to insomnia. Yes, it is possible to use this technique if you’re having problems getting to sleep. The process is easy to learn and once learned will take little time when needed.

The best place to learn how to use it properly is by visiting emofree.com/download to get a free copy of the EFT manual. The manual describes the process of tapping in order to affect your body in a positive way. The website also has information which will enable you to learn more about EFT and other health-related topics.

Of course, it is also helpful to know the cause of your sleep problems. If you can determine the cause of your problems with sleep, this will help you address it when performing EFT and thus improve your chance of solving your sleep problem entirely. What thoughts do you concentrate on as you’re trying to go to sleep? Is your life too full and you’re not able to stop thinking of all you have to do the next day, or is your problem that you worry?

While doing the Emotional Freedom Technique, you will tap on various points on your face and torso while making a statement which recognizes the problem, allows you to verbalize it, and then move past it. Here’s an example:

You’re worried about a situation at work, so you begin tapping the following points while saying, “Even though I’m worried about this situation at work with Jane, I choose to be calm, relaxed, and pleasantly drowsy.” Of course, you’d make statements based on your own situation.

1. Start at the top of the head with finger tips on the center of the head.

2. Next you move to just above the eyebrows on either side of the nose.

3. Following that area, you’ll tap on the bone to the side of the eye.

4. Then tap under the eye about an inch below the pupil.

5. Next you’ll tap under the nose between the tip of your nose and your upper lip.

6. Find the midway point between your chin and the bottom of your lip and tap there.

7. An inch under your collar bone is the next place you’ll tap.

8. Under the arms, about four inches below the armpit, is then tapped.

9. Finally, you’ll tap the insides of your wrists together.

Going to the website will enable you to watch videos of people doing EFT and will allow you to see exactly what the process is, how long it takes, and all for free. Whether your problem is weight loss, anxiety, or insomnia, the Emotional Freedom Technique might be the answer you’ve been searching for.

More resources:
Adventures In Eft – The World’s Best Selling Book On Eft
Dr Silvia Hartmann’s Best Selling E-Book On Eft Emotional Freedom Techniques. With Foreward By Gary Craig, Creator Of Eft.

Overcoming Perfectionism: 8 Tips for a Happier You

Perfectionism can rob you of your self-esteem, undermine your relationships, and keep you from enjoying life. It’s often a lifelong habit that is hard to break, but a little bit of effort can go a long way toward changing the perfectionist pattern. Here are some tips if perfectionism applies to you:

1) Weigh the cons. List all of the ways in which your perfectionism is hurting you, your family and friends. This exercise will help motivate you to make a change.

2) Take note. Try to document your perfectionist, negative thoughts throughout the day. If this is impractical, then at the end of the day think back on your day, remember any feelings of failure or inadequacy, and write down your thoughts at the time. That way, you’ll become more aware of these detrimental thoughts when they resurface.

3) Think positive. Mitigate your tendency to focus on the negative by making a conscious effort to notice all that is good about your own and others’ efforts. If you notice something negative about yourself or your work, find five or so positive qualities to counterbalance those thoughts.

4) Change your inner voice. Silence (or at least muffle) that negative self-talk by taking some concrete steps to change your focus. For example:

* Keep a journal of your thoughts and examine them later

* Stop negative thoughts in their tracks by literally saying “stop” in your head when such a thought arises

* Keep a rubber-band around your wrist and snap it when negative self-talk starts

* Replace negative statements with milder, neutral or positive statements

* Change negative statements to questions – for example, “I can’t do this!” could become “How can I do this?”

5) Take baby steps. Instead of setting unreasonable goals as perfectionists tend to do, reduce your big goals into smaller, bite-sized objectives, and reward yourself when you meet them. This will help you forgive your mistakes more easily, helps you to enjoy the process, and actually increases the likelihood that you’ll achieve your big goal.

6) Stop and smell the roses. Focus less on results and more on the process of reaching your goals. Some ways to do this might include joining a group working toward the same goal or keeping a journal of your feelings and what you learn along the way. Even if you don’t meet your goal, you can look back and see what you have gained in just working toward a goal.

7) Take criticism constructively. Instead of perceiving criticism as an attack and reacting defensively, receive it as a helpful suggestion for improving your performance. Then your less-than-perfect performances can become stepping stones toward achieving excellence.

8 ) Look at the big picture. Concentrate less on the little imperfections and more on what matters. For example, giving a birthday party for a friend matters much more than the fact that your dishes didn’t match your tablecloth.

So give yourself a break, embrace your gifts and talents, and correct those little lies that run through your head. A concerted – but not necessarily perfect! – effort to change your perfectionist habits will go a long way toward achieving your ultimate goal: a happier you.