Archive for March, 2009

March24

Coping with Acne

By: RirianProject

I’m sure everyone is well aware that there are emotional effects caused by acne, and sometimes those effects are severe and far-reaching. More than those obvious red bumps on your face, there are effects of acne that could not just be healed by any cream or acne solution and that is the emotional scars left by acne. The simple answer is that there is simply no doctor or any expert dermatologist that can provide you with the best answers to this problem on acne.

There have been many studies done, and all agree that acne is very common when one is on his teenage years. For teenagers experiencing the pains of acne, it is very difficult to face the social impacts of acne. There are these marks of shame, depression and even self-pity. As a parent of a teenager who faces this problem, you could be one of the greatest helps. What could you do? The good news is that you can do a lot.

Remind your child that acne is temporary.

As a parent, you need to be there and give the encouragement to your child. You would probably see him or her so down due to the way people and criticisms pinch him or her. Tell that it will not last for long and that it would be successfully surpassed. Never stop to explain the importance of moving on despite the negative reactions from others for their words are not that important at all.

Bring your teen to a good dermatologist

Do not wait for your teen’s acne problem to get worse before you go and see a dermatologist. The earlier the better, this may be cliché but very true for this matter and you could realize the truth behind this. You need to find the dermatologist who deserves your trust. Be with your teen as you have visits to the dermatologist. Also, help your teen follow the reminders and instructions of the dermatologist.

Guide your child to do the right things

There are some things or acts that may worsen acne. See to it that you are near your teen to remind that those are not the right thing to do and it would just cause bad effects. Explain the cause and effect of acne problems and be sure t answer questions that your teen has.

Boost your teen’s self-confidence

Self-confidence plunges down when all those mocks and teases arise. The effect to your teen would be bitter. Be there to boost the esteem he or she has inside. Be generous with praises but do not use them just to flatter. Tell your teen about how wonderful his or her talent is. This would be a lift to his/her morale.

You are a parent, and you could help out your teen feel better through the misjudgments of the society towards people with acne. This is just a stage; it would surely be put to an end. Be there and support your child like no one could.

OTC Medication

There are many over the counter medications that you can try. If you have already seen a dermatologist, he or she can likely recommend something for you to try. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want to avoid scrubbing the face or applying products that are overly drying.

Additionally, if you have acne, be sure to maintain a healthy diet – including water – to keep your skin (and body) as healthy as possible.

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March24

Supplements for Building Muscle

By: RirianProject

If you were to walk into your local health and nutrition store looking for supplements that build muscle, you’ll probably find yourself confused and amazed at just how many products there are to choose from. With so many supplements available, it can be a little on the tricky side to decide which ones will help you with your goals. There are a lot of supplements out there to help you build muscle, although some may not be ideal for your goals.

The first thing to keep in mind is the fact that you may not actually need the specific muscle building supplements in order to achieve your goal – though they often do go hand-in-hand with helping you to achieve your goal. These types of supplements can help you increase muscular development, providing you are working hard to build those muscles. This is definitely not a means to develop muscle without the work. They can aid you in both muscle growth and the recovery of your muscles. Among the many products available, the most popular are protein, creatine, and multi-vitamins.

Protein is a preferred supplement among bodybuilders and those who exercise. It contains many amino acids which help you to build muscle. No matter what type of diet you are or on or supplement you select, you should pick one that contains a lot of protein. Doctors agree that the ideal amount of protein is 2 grams per pound of body weight. You can get protein in pill form, powder, or even bars. When you select your protein supplement, you should also make sure that the supplement contains whey, soy, and eggs. Whey protein is the ideal supplement, as it contains everything you need to start building muscle.

Creatine is another beneficial supplement, as it will help you increase your muscle mass and improve the recovery time for your muscles. Creatine also helps you to increase your muscle pumps which mean you will be able to do more repetitions with more weight. Normally, you will need to go through a loading period of creatine, which is usually a week. Once you have loaded it, you should use in cycles, a few weeks using it and a few weeks off. To get the most from creatine, you should always follow the instructions the manufacturer has provided on the label.

Vitamins are another great supplement, as they work great for those who aren’t getting enough minerals and vitamins with their normal diet. Although you may have the best of intentions, a busy or hectic schedule can make it very hard to get a healthy meal. If you are looking to build muscle, you should always take the proper supplements, and use protein bars and shakes if you aren’t able to eat a healthy meal.

Building muscle is something we would all like to do. Even though it requires a lot of exercise and commitment on your behalf, you should also have the necessary supplements as well. If you use the right supplements, you’ll notice the muscle growth in a matter of weeks. Supplements will help you to build muscle, by speeding up the process.

There are a lot of brands and manufacturers to choose from, including Weider and MuscleTech. You can find these supplements locally or online, giving you plenty of great deals to take advantage of. If you exercise and are looking to add more muscle mass to your body, you should give muscle building supplements a try. They work extremely well, they taste great, and they will greatly assist you in your quest to build muscle and live a healthier life.

Photo Credit: Stefan Krilla

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March23

Relieve Back Pain with Exercise

By: RirianProject

Research shows that nearly 80% of Americans will, at one time or another, experience some type of back pain in their lives. Back pain can be the result of weak muscles, so often the treatment is simply to increase core strength.

Core muscles – those between your hips and your shoulders can become “imbalanced” resulting in pain that can send you straight to bed rest. It’s important to remember to work both sides of your muscles to prevent this imbalance from occurring. For example, if the back of your thighs are weaker than the front of your thighs, there can be an uneven pull on the front of your spinal column causing pain within your back.

The good news is that there are some very effective ways that you can integrate core strength training exercises into every workout session you perform. One way – which is extremely simple – is to breathe effectively. Deep breathing uses your diaphragm muscles which help to support the spinal column and lengthen the spine. This is great for your lower back and helps to support you when you walk or run.

Tummy Tuck and Bridge Lift

These two exercises can help you to reduce back pain and increase core strength as well. The tummy tuck exercise is a simple pelvic tilt that draws the abdominal muscles away from the floor. To perform this exercise, simply lie face down on the floor and squeeze your glutes. Rather than pressing into your thighs, you should try to reach your tailbone down towards your heels.

For the bridge lift, place your feet on a bench, or on the floor, and scoop your pelvis upward. Remember to keep your ribcage lowered to reduce any irritation or strain on your spinal muscles. This exercise will help to relieve stress on your back and focus the muscle contractions into your glutes and hamstrings.

You can alternate between these exercises doing 15 repetitions until you have completed two sets of each exercise.

Other exercises that are great for lower back pain are the lumbar side stretch, the hip flexor stretch, and calf stretches. These will all help to alleviate the pull on your spinal column.

Hip flexor stretch

When doing a hip flexor stretch, lay on your back and bring one foot forward while bending your knee at a 90 degree angle. Your other leg will be on the floor behind you with your foot pointed upwards toward the ceiling. The hip flexor stretch will help to open up the muscles of your back on the side of the spine near your hips. You can also squeeze your glutes as well to deepen the stretch with each breath you exhale. You should begin to feel a stretch in your back leg, in the thigh front and the hamstrings on your front leg.

Lumbar side stretch

For this stretch you will bring your legs wide with your knees bent while you sit or stand. Simply bring one hand down towards your foot on the inside of the thighs and your other hand behind your head.

Calf Stretch

This last stretch will open up your Achilles tendon, which is the most distant pull on the spine. Place an object under your foot and lean the weight of your body forwards. Be sure to breathe normally while you hold stretches for 30 seconds. You should begin to feel a stretch behind your knee and shin.

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March19

Spring has Sprung!

By: RirianProject

Now that spring has officially begun, it’s time to start thinking about gardening! Although there are many theories on what makes up the best soil mixture, this is a tried and true form in this neck of the woods. You will need to ensure that you have a good mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Personally, I use 40 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and 20 percent clay. I was always taught that a good soil mixture will hold it’s shape if you press it into your hand and try to form a ball. If you find that your ball crumbles before your eyes, you most likely have too much sand in your mix. If the ball holds it shape very well and won’t crumble when you poke it with your finger, your soil likely has too much clay.

Another neat trick I have picked up along my journey is to put a cup or two of sand from your garden into a jar of water. Shake the jar until all the soil is suspended in the water. As it settles, you’ll see 3 separate layers – the top layer will be your clay, the next layer is the silt, and the bottom layer is the sand. This will give you a good idea of what’s in your soil now and if necessary you can take steps to correct any problems.

For example, if you have too much silt or sand in your garden, you can add some peat moss or compost to the mix. If there is too much clay, then adding both peat moss and sand to the garden should fix it nicely.

Another consideration to keep in mind when preparing your soil is the water content. You will need to take steps if your garden should fall in a less than desirable place in your yard. For instance, if it’s at the bottom of an incline, it will likely absorb way too much water and drown your plants. You can alleviate the problem by raising the garden a few inches above the rest of the ground to allow for better drainage.

Adding nutrients to the soil is also going to be a vital part of starting your garden. Urban soils today have almost no nutrients in them naturally. A few weeks prior to planting your garden, you should add some fertilizer to the garden. Be sure to mix this into the soil already in your garden very well.

Once the seeds are planted, you will still need to monitor your soil. In the first few weeks after the seeds are planted, they are soaking up all the nutrients around them in order to sprout out of the ground. If they run out of food, they may not grow as tall or strong as they should. You can check with your nursery for specifics on your plants, but generally you should add fertilizer to the garden a week or so after planting the seeds. You will continue to fertilize throughout the growing season, but not nearly as much as in the first few weeks. I generally add a small amount of fertilizer every 3-4 weeks after the initial planting.

Taking a trip into the nursery with a soil sample and layout of your yard will be a great learning experience. The nursery staff are very knowledgable and can explain what plants should go where in your yard.

As an added bonus – gardening can burn approximately 230-350 calories per hour!

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March18

Mind Mapping

By: RirianProject

Mind mapping is a concept that has been gaining popularity and with just cause! For those of you who are not familiar with the concept, a mind map is a diagram that is used to represent anything from ideas to tasks and is arranged around one central thought, keyword, or idea. When you put your tasks or ideas in a radial manner (as opposed to just a list) you are encouraging yourself to enter a brainstorm in order to plan and organize your tasks. It is also much more in tune with the way your brain naturally plans

It’s interesting to note that mind mapping has been used for centuries by educators, engineers and other professionals and has many uses in our world today. Mind mapping actually goes hand-in-hand with the Getting Things Done series we’ve been writing about this week because when you mind map, you actually trigger the different thoughts and next actions you have hidden inside your brain. As you start placing branches on your map, you’ll begin to remember all the little details of projects and plans.

Aside from aiding you in your GTD lifestyle, it can also help with studying, memorization, planning projects, preparing presentations, and consolidating information. There’s no real limit on what areas a mind map can help you: family, education, business, or personal.

Starting a mind map is very easy – in the middle of a blank page write a keyword or idea of what you intend to map. You’ll begin to connect this central topic with subtopics which will connect to the center of your map with a line. Then you can repeat the same process for each of the subtopics which will allow you to generate lower level subtopics as well.

Creating something that is very visual will help you immensely so please don’t allow yourself to think that you can’t be graphic because you aren’t an artist. Use colour and drawings whenever you can. Adding thickness to lines could mean that the subtopic is a very important one.

As you move through the sub-topics, be sure to keep the labels as short as possible. If you can keep them to a single word (or picture!) you will find your map to be much more effective.

If you are interested in software or purchasing pre-made map templates, here are a few good places to start your search – but remember, the only thing you truly need is a blank page and a pen!

• Grove Store
• Mind Systems
• Free Mind

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