Smart Healthy Regime

A good thing about going through a bad mood swing is that you can always boost it or improve it with little effort. You need to have a desire to improve your mood first of all. Sometimes we just prefer to wallow in sadness and depression and don’t make much effort. So realize that you’re going to through a bad mood and decide to change it for good.

01. Decide to improve your mood. This is the very first step you need to take if you want to boost your mood. Make a conscious effort. Recognize your problem and only then you can deal with it.

02. Write to a family member. See my advice above regarding email. Choose someone with whom you haven't corresponded in a while and tell them how much you love them, or appreciate their being a part of your life. Or, tell them a joke. Whatever cheers you up.

03. Talk to somebody you love. Call up your mom, or you sibling, or your best friend, or your lover and have a nice talk. if that’s not possible, talk to your anonymous Internet stalker through chat. You can also talk to your dog.

04. Forgive yourself. Write down one thing you think you did "wrong" in the past, or one way in which you think you are falling short, and let it go. Completely. If you aren't convinced that you should be forgiven for the alleged transgression, then pick an easier item for self-forgiveness.

05. Stay away from emotional suckers. Stay away from people who are always unburdening all their troubles on your shoulders. It doesn’t mean not being there when your fiends need you, but if it becomes a long-winded litany of woes that never seems to end, make it clear that you need some break to get your energies back.

06. Take a bath or a shower. Maybe you already cleaned up once in the morning, but a soothing bubble bath or a quiet afternoon shower can be just the ticket to a fresh outlook on the rest of the day.

07. Be in the company of positive people. You don’t need to be alone after politely distancing yourself from emotional suckers. Seek the company of those that have positive outlook towards life, their surroundings and their work. They will immediately cheer you up and help you improve your mood.

08. Don’t look down upon yourself. If something bad has happened and if you feel you are to blame for it, then blame yourself for a while, learn from your mistake and move on. Self-flagellation is OK for a while but too much of it is counter-productive.

09. Stay away from emotional suckers. Stay away from people who are always unburdening all their troubles on your shoulders. It doesn’t mean not being there when your fiends need you, but if it becomes a long-winded litany of woes that never seems to end, make it clear that you need some break to get your energies back.

10. Get organized! Sometimes clutter can make one feel overwhelmed and mildly depressed. If you are at the office, use your lunch hour to tackle some of the piles and stuff crammed in your desk drawers. At home, take on one room, or space at a time. Perhaps your entry area where the bills/keys/coats get left would be a good place to start. Getting things in place can ease your mind and bring a smile to your face too!

11. Seek God. Yes, the word invites a smirk but this does help, if your religious feelings haven’t completely evaporated. The thoughts of God are normally pure, clean and full of light. They immediately lighten your dark mood and helps you see your surroundings in a positive light.

12. Plan a lunch or dinner date. Put something on the calendar a few days ahead of the present - with a friend or with a date. This will give you something to look forward to, not only to share the company, but maybe to try a new restaurant, as well?

13. Change your routine. The same routine, although increases your efficiency and expertise, also gets tedious and boring after a while and this consequently affects your mood adversely. Try to change your routine. Do something different. Get up late or early and try to do old things in new ways.

14. Set small, achievable goals. Oftentimes, if our busy lives are broken down into more manageable tasks, we can feel happiness at minor accomplishments. Instead, so much of our days may seem like endless loops without end or reward. So tell yourself that you will complete 3 reports at work this week, or that you will cook 2 homemade dinners. Gold stars when you do!

15. Exercise. It helps you detoxify your body and brain and boost blood circulation. Go for a jog or a long walk or take your dog to the nearby park (while making sure you don’t give your dog a heatstroke). You can also try yoga but be careful what yoga postures you can easily manage.

16. Start a journal. It can be a gratitude journal, recommended by Oprah, or any kind of writing in which you relate your thoughts of the day. Sometimes just getting it out releases some of the negative energy. This brings me to...

17. Do deep breathing. Deep breathing fills your body up with lots of oxygen. This energizes both your brain and your body.

18. Forgive someone. You can start by privately forgiving a person that may have hurt you, but try to take this a step further by writing a letter and offering forgiveness, as well. Unless you desire to put 100% of the disagreement behind you - this means no hint of accusations, etc. - tread very carefully to make sure that all involved understand that the white flag has been raised and the battle is over.

19. Have a nice sleep. You may also feel depressed and drained if you’re not well-rested. Have a nice sleep and before going to sleep switch off all your phones and the alarm clock. Don’t wake up unless your body wakes up on its own. You will feel rejuvenated.

20. Smile along the way. Gas station attendants, taxi drivers, baristas, grocery clerks - all of these people enter our lives each day and we have an opportunity to try to brighten their day and just possibly have the favor returned. A genuine smile and "thank you," seem to be endangered species in our rush to get the dry cleaning and pick up something for dinner before 7:00 p.m. Slow down and reconnect, from time to time.

21. Watch some comedy serials and movies. This is for short-term improvement for your mood. No matter how silly that sitcom is and doesn’t matter if you have to deny in front of others that you watch it, if you like it, watch it.

22. Laugh. The simple act of laughter releases endorphins and is shown to improve your mood. Even smiling will have that effect. I like to save some of the funny email jokes that get forwarded to me for just these times. If you need a nudge, here's a few links to get you started. I've included my personal favorite comedian, Ellen DeGeneres. You simply can't keep a straight face listening to her. For more fun, check out:

23. Re-read an old book. Do you have book you really enjoyed reading many years ago and it really made you feel good? Read it again. Reading a book you fell in love with once can really draw you away from your current mental disposition and alter your mood for better.

24. Paint your nails or shine your shoes (or both!) Buff what you've got. Put a little shine on. Take a little extra time in the morning getting ready and be proud of the results. I recall reading in some trivia that one purchase that women invariably make to improve their mood is a tube of lipstick. Well - get out there and buy some "Paradise Pink" or "Rhumba Red," then! For those of you that believe a suntan is pretty, then let's do it safely, ladies! Fake (in this instance) is good!

25. Indulge in your favorite hobby. Do you love pottery or painting, or making crank calls to your neighbors. Although due to caller IDs making crank calls isn’t any more possible, you can indulge in other hobbies. Your mood gets a boost when you look at your creations and feel satisfied about them.

26. Tell someone that you love them. This is best accompanied by a hug and a kiss. Start with your spouse, significant other, boyfriend, girlfriend, and kids, if you have them. Include parents, siblings, and other relatives. Continue on to other important people in your life. Pets too! You can always get a positive reaction from your dog. I can't really promise as much from a cat, though. But try!

27. Stick to healthy eating habits. Like of vitamins and other minerals can cause dark moods too. Carefully analyze your food intake. Does it contain all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc. that your body and brain need to keep you fit and energized? If possible get an appointment with a nutritionist to create a healthy menu for yourself and your family.

28. Brighten up your house. Draw the curtains aside and let the sunshine come in if it’s not very hot in your area. Natural light helps you improve your mood and kills the staleness inside the house. You will immediately feel a change of surroundings. Things and objects that were looking dark and gloomy we suddenly lighten up.

29. Meditate. Find a quiet place and about 10 minutes all to yourself at the beginning or end of the day. Unplug your cell phone and avoid or limit any other interruptions, if you can. This would be a good time to practice the breathing exercises above. Just sit by yourself and listen to your breathing. "Observe" your thoughts, but try not to judge them during this quiet time.

30. Compliment someone. Give an honest, heart-felt compliment, in person, to someone deserving. It has to be given to them directly, or it won't have the same uplifting effect for both of you. Trust me.

Pining for long, shiny locks, but don’t know where to start? Long, thick hair looks beautiful worn naturally or pulled back in an up-do for special occasions. Trouble is, some people struggle to grow long, thick hair because they don’t know where to begin. Here’s how to grow the long, thick hair you’ve always wanted.
It takes a huge commitment to grow your mane amazing lengths. But it can be done! Below, are the top 10 tips to achieving length in the least amount of time.

 
 
01. Keep it clean, but not too much. Wash your hair every few days — do not overwash. Washing hair too often pulls the strands, damages the scalp, and rids your hair of the natural oils that are essential for growing long, thick hair.

02. Wear protective styles every single day. No exception. This means French rolls, buns or other types of updos where your hair ends are not exposed to the air.

03. Use moisturizing products only. Learn about the ingredients in shampoos and stay away from harsh shampoos. Try brands by Neutrogena, Nexxus, Keracare.

04. Use hair irons and curlers sparingly. Avoid using curlers, hot rollers, curling irons, or straightening irons. They all cause hair to dry out, and hair can’t grow longer than its damaged ends.

05. Treat your hair like super fine lace! Be gentle and take your time when combing, detangling, and styling.

06. Trim it up. It may seem counterintuitive, but as your hair grows in, return for regular trims every 6 to 8 weeks to keep hair healthy, strong, and in the best condition to grow long. Ask your stylist to apply a salon-quality conditioner to keep hair smooth and strong.

07. Eliminate any and all types of heat. Put away the curling iron. Hide the flat iron. Put the blow dryer in the back of the closet. They will not help you reach your goal.

08. Tie it back. At night, tie back hair in a ponytail or braid, then roll into a bun and tie it up. This protects hair from pulls and knots while you toss and turn in your sleep. Use soft cloth hair ties — never elastic! — and secure gently.

09. Do not play in your hair. Style it for the day and leave it alone. Constantly fussing with it will only make it dry which leads to split ends.

10. Go for the natural look. Skip permanent waves or straightening treatments. While these may give the illusion of long, thick hair temporarily, they damage hair and prevent it from growing thick and long on its own.

If you're serious about growing long hair fast, I hope these tips will be a reference guide for how you can do it. Remember, it takes a commitment and is not something that can happen overnight. You must commit to taking better care of your hair for a long time and not give up because you don't see results as quickly as you'd like. Stick with it and I can guarantee you'll see results!

Dark circles are a very common skin problem, which is troubling every second person in today's stressful lifestyle. People get rarely any time to get proper sleep and they lack of nutritional diet also, which is one of the many reasons of getting dark circles. Many people inherit this dark circle problem where they get it for no other reason. People can face this dark circle problem, try some simple home remedies to reduce dark circles, but none of them promises to reduce solid circles. Someone has to sleep properly and eat a healthy diet for reducing dark circles from the face. Some cosmetic creams promise to reduce dark circles, but you can swelling around your eyes.
Here are a few tips to help you out:

01. Drink plenty of fluids at least 2 liters of water a day to keep the skin smooth and supple.
02. Get plenty of sleep at night. A restless time in bed will produce the proverbial eye bags – and will make you look horrible in the morning. If you’re the type to toss and turn in bed at night, try creating a relaxing environment in your bedroom to help give you more adequate sleep.
03. Tea water too reduces the puffiness and dark circles of the eyes and rejuvenates the eyes by refreshing them. You can boil tea in water and restrain the leaves. You can refrigerate this water in the freeze to make ice cubes. Keep these ice cubes on the eyes in a cotton cloth for 20 minutes.
04. You can hide your dark circles with a lighter shade of conceler when putting make up on your skin.
05. Determine if you have a skin allergy which may have caused those dark circles under your eyes. Removing the allergens (the cause of skin allergy) might help. If all else fails, secure a blood test with your physician. They can determine whether the condition runs in your family – in which case it might be a bit more difficult to get rid of dark circles under the eyes.
06. Overnight face and under-eye creams with Vitamin K and retinol can reduce the dark circles under your eyes. Because dark circles under your eyes, and other skin problems, can indicate a vitamin deficiency, skin creams containing vitamin K and retinol (vitamin A) can repair and restore your skin and reduce the appearane of dark circles under your eyes. Applying such a cream overnight is an effective way of treating your skin for longer periods of time.
07. Eat healthy nutritional diet. Include dairy products in your diet and consume green vegetables and fruits in your daily diet. Food rich in iron helps in reducing dark circles because eat times one gets them because they lack iron in their body and consuming sufficient iron and reduce the dark circles.
08. Potato juice has bleaching agents in it, so you can take potato juice out and apply it on your skin. You can soak cotton balls in the juice and can keep them on your eyes for at least 20 minutes while having rest. It helps in reducing the dark circles.
09. You can hide your dark circles with a lighter shade of conceler when putting make up on your skin.
10. Take a teaspoonful of milk powder and apply honey to it. Put this paste on the skin on the dark circles. It helps in reducing the dark circles.
11. Potato juice has bleaching agents in it, so you can take potato juice out and apply it on your skin. You can soak cotton balls in the juice and can keep them on your eyes for at least 20 minutes while having rest. It helps in reducing the dark circles.
12. Always go out in sun wearing sunglasses and after applying sunscreen lotion on the skin around the eyes.

Cleaning up your diet and eating healthier is often just a matter of knowing where to start. Unfortunately, many people think that a healthy diet is only about removing foods, not adding them in.
This healthy food list consists of foods that are nutrient dense. That is, they have more nutrients per calorie than most other foods. They have also been proven to contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that prevent disease: from cancer to heart disease to arthritis, and many more.
All of the foods below are nutritionally-dense and are loaded with either antioxidants, lean protein, fiber or heart-healthy fats. In some cases, they’ll have all four. Even better, most of the foods on this list are low in calories compared to their volume, which means you’ll feel fuller and more satisfied after eating them.

01. Beans:
Canned, dried or re-fried, it doesn’t matter, beans are wicked good for you.
Like oatmeal, beans are extremely high in fiber, which keeps you regular and may also reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

Beans are also very versatile and come in a wide range of varieties, all with slightly different textures and flavors. The best approach is to eat a variety of different beans, including black beans, pintos, kidney beans, cannellini beans and Garbanzos (chickpeas).

Why?
Because along with that protein and fiber, beans are also very high in antioxidants, the chemicals which give beans their distinctive color and may help neutralize free radicals that can cause cellular damage in the body. By eating plenty of different colored beans, you are taking advantage of the full spectrum of phytochemicals unique to each variety.

Beans are very versatile and can be added into all kinds of recipes. Including them alongside grain-based foods (like pasta) or rice results in a complete protein. Beans can be added to pasta dishes, rices, soups and even made into salads.

02. Nuts:
Walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a special type of fat that is essential for our bodies, but that the body cannot produce. Omega-3 essential fatty acids protect us against heart disease.
Almonds are also known for their ability to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.

03. Turkey:
Turkey is one of the leanest protein foods and is low in calories, making it an excellent healthy food choice. Turkey also contains selenium which has been shown to inhibit cancer development, improve the immune system, and aid in the metabolism of our thyroid hormone.

04. Berries:
Berries are extremely rich in antioxidants which help protect the cells in our bodies from damage and therefore from diseases like cancer. Among other things they are also an excellent source of Vitamin C and soluble fiber. Blueberries might help reverse the short term memory loss that often comes with aging.

05. Fish:
However, aside from canned and frozen fish, fresh fish wasn’t widely available to landlubbers until a few decades ago, when improvements in shipping made it possible for even people in Kansas to get fresh fish at the grocer.

What’s so great about fish?
Fish is high in polyunsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids — specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)– a class of healthy fats that research has shown may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. These healthy oils in fish can also improve circulation, discourage blood clots, reduce blood pressure, alleviate some symptoms of acute and chronic inflammatory disease, as well as possibly improve mood.
While fresh fish is preferable, don’t forget about frozen fish as well as canned varieties like salmon, tuna and mackerel which can make it easier and more convenient to include more fish in your diet. Canned fish is higher in sodium, so if that’s a concern go easy on the canned, and opt instead for frozen or fresh.

06. Spinach:
Spinach's secret weapon, lutein, makes it one of the best foods in the world to prevent cataracts, as well as age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of preventable blindness in the elderly.

07. Oats:
Oats also help reduce cholesterol. Research shows that one bowl of oatmeal per day can reduce cholesterol by up to 23%. Oats are also considered an excellent grain for diabetics as they have less impact on blood sugar levels than some other grains.

08. Garlic:
Numerous studies have shown that regular consumption of garlic can lower our blood pressure. It also prevents the blood from being overly sticky and decreases LDL cholesterol (the "bad" one) while increasing the good HDL cholesterol.

10. Salmon:
The Omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish may help prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the body's rate of blood clotting.