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Archive for May, 2009

Boost Your Skin’s Collagen Through Natural Collagen Production

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Breakthroughs in medical science have made it possible for us to live longer, healthier lives. One area that scientists continue to focus on is aging. Experts are working with the body’s powerful ability to heal itself. They know that collagen is a protein that play a critical role in healing and supporting the structure and strength of the body…including skin, bones and joints.

The skincare industry has never been larger and companies have the potential of reaching record profits, even in times of crisis. You probably noticed that each producer will use a somewhat different formula and claim that this is the perfect solution against wrinkles. Wrinkle cream producers will argue on any subject, but they will agree on one thing: wrinkles are created by lack of collagen.

So, what do you need to do to regain youthful skin? Simple, you can boost your skins collagen by such natural substances that boost the natural collagen production.

Collagen is nature’s most fundamental and abundant building block. In fact, collagen makes up 70% to 80% of the skin’s dermis, providing structure, strength, and support. Collagen depletes naturally over time as we age, leading to a tired or aged appearance. This happens through the formation of new wrinkles and folds, and changes in facial contour and structure. The natural pace of collagen loss can be accelerated by such factors as sun exposure, genetics, hormonal changes, and smoking. By replacing lost collagen with an advanced collagen compound, EVOLENCE® dermal filler can help enhance and maintain the structure, volume, and naturally younger-looking appearance of your skin.

EVOLENCE® dermal filler represents a breakthrough in treating the effects of aging by replacing the collagen you’ve lost with collagen that lasts. A truly novel dermal filler, EVOLENCE® can immediately improve and refresh your appearance by smoothing out and softening unwanted wrinkles and folds, and restoring structure and facial contour in volume-depleted areas. The visible, natural-looking results are achieved immediately, with minimal-to-no downtime, so you can get right back to your daily activities. These immediate results last for at least 6 months, so you can avoid the costly repeat treatments often associated with other fillers.

EVOLENCE® is injected by a trained physician or aesthetic professional, and your desired results may be achieved in just 1 visit. Only your physician or aesthetic professional can determine the best treatment approach for achieving your desired results.

Introducing collagen to our bodies is one way of attempting to slow down or even reverse this aging process. Some turn to facial injections of collagen to prevent wrinkles. Bovine collagen is usually used for this. It can plump the skin for a few months but is eventually metabolised by our bodies and so the procedure needs to be repeated. If the procedure is not done well the patient can end up with a rather bloated or distorted face. A much less intrusive form of skincare is collagen supplements. Collagen supplements not only help the anti wrinkling of our skin but also help our joints. But you should choose wisely. You may not always be getting the type or quality of collagen that you think you are.

Facts on Yoga

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Yoga started out in the East as a spiritual practice focusing on meditation, but in the West it is normally seen as a physical practice, for the benefit of staying healthy and in shape. Hatha yoga is the variation of yoga that describes exercise. It is estimated that around sixteen million North Americans practice this form of yoga. These yoga classes focus on breathing exercises, physical exercises and meditation, which are especially beneficial for people with back, heart, or breathing problems.

In studies, yoga has helped young and old people alike who have heart problems. The studies have shown that yoga helped to lower blood pressure and increase resistance to psychological stresses. Yoga aids to improve physical flexibility, strength and endurance, which is particularly beneficial to people with back problems. The yogic breathing and meditation assists those people to better manage their back pain.

A male who practices yoga is referred to as a yogi or yogin, whereas a female who practices yoga is called a yogini. The word yoga means to yoke and it can loosely be translated as “to join” or “unite”. It can also be taken to mean as “union” or a method of discipline. Yoga is believed to be made up of eight limbs: the asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), dharana (concentration), dhyani (meditation), yamas (restraints), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), niyamas (observances) and samadhi (absorption). The goal of traditional yoga is to achieve samadhi, which is a state of inward enlightenment.

Most people who practice yoga today are involved with the limb asana. They use these physical postures to increase physical strength and flexibility, while purifying the body at the same time. These asanas or postures are known as the increasingly popular hatha yoga. The word hatha can mean forceful or willful and can be translated into “ha”, which means “sun” and “tha” meaning “moon”. Hatha yoga is the physical exercises and postures of yoga that allows the free-flow of energy throughout the body, as well as creating balance and inner peace and harmony.

When some people picture someone doing yoga, they have an image of a person sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, thumb and fore finger pressed together, chanting the word “Om”. What is Om and what does it mean? Repeating the word Om is a mantra; it is a vibration of the universe around us. Everything has a pulse and ancient yogis created Om to represent that universal pulse. Chanting Om at the beginning and end of a yoga session brings the person a sense of connection to the entire universe and is meant to be soothing and uplifting.

Yoga is beneficial no matter how much or how little of it you can fit into your weekly schedule. It is recommended to start practicing yoga two or three times a week for an hour each time and work your way up from there if possible. However, any time that you can find for a yoga session will work too. Nothing special is required to begin a yoga session. The only things that are needed for a yoga session are your body, mind and comfortable, well-fitting workout clothes. Then you are ready for your first yoga experience!