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Four Awesome Ways To Get Rid Of Stretch Marks

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Stretch marks can occur anywhere on the body for a variety of reasons. Some people find that they get stretch marks as they gain weight or as they work out and grow bigger muscles. Others do not notice their stretch marks until they have lost a substantial amount of weight. And many women get stretch marks as a natural by-product of being pregnant. But no matter what the reason is for stretch marks, those who have them want to get rid of them.

If you are tired of looking at your unsightly stretch marks, continue reading for some tips that will help you get rid of them at last.

Natural Home Remedies

cocoa-bean-63177_640

There are a variety of natural remedies that you can try at home in order to remove stretch marks, but nothing is guaranteed, so you may need to try a few different options if you find that the first one you attempted did not give you the results that you desired.

Cocoa butter is one of the most famous remedies available for stretch marks. You can purchase natural cocoa butter and mix it with vitamin E oil, apricot kernel oil, and wheat germ oil to increase the effectiveness of this tried-and-true remedy. Or you can instead just purchase a lotion that contains high amounts of cocoa butter, along with other beneficial ingredients, such as shea butter, that will help rejuvenate your skin.

Other natural remedies include pure vitamin E oil, aloe vera, lemon juice, and olive oil. Just rub these remedies into the areas of your skin that are affected by stretch marks at least once every day in order to see results.

Microdermabrasion

Using tiny crystals on the surface of the skin, microdermabrasion does a great job of smoothing out the skin and removing everything from acne scars and age spots to stretch marks and wrinkles. Many women, including celebrities, regularly have microdermabrasion treatments done in order to appear more youthful. By getting rid of the layers on the outermost surface of the skin, this method promotes new growth that is healthier and smoother, thereby eliminating older stretch marks that you have been battling with for years.

Laser Therapy

If you have fairly new stretch marks, you can attack them right away with laser therapy at a facility that specialises in stretch mark removal. The laser will rebuild and smooth out the skin by promoting the production of elastin and collagen in the skin. But, again, the stretch marks should be relatively new in order for this treatment to be effective.

Glycolic Acid

Glycolic acid is a chemical that is applied to the skin in order to purposely wound it in order to promote new growth. This professional method can work on both new and old stretch marks.

Stretch marks are embarrassing, no matter where they are on your body. But because so many people suffer with stretch marks, there are also plenty of remedies that you can try in order to finally eliminate them and get the clear skin you deserve.

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This post has been authored by Penelope Jones, a receptionist at Laser Medical Centre, a clinic specializing in laser hair removal in Toronto. She enjoys her job and she indulges in cooking and baking when she gets free.

15 Foods To Avoid While Pregnant

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There are a many myths associated with pregnancy. It can be hard to sort the fact from the fiction, but there are some foods doctors recommend you avoid while pregnant.


Seafood
Seafood

 

1. Seafood With High Mercury Levels: This includes shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel. 12 ounces or less of tuna a week is safe.

2. Certain Freshly Caught Fish: Check with your local Environmental Protection Agency office to determine if there are local pollutants contaminating the water supplies you get any local fish from.

3. Raw Fish: Always avoid raw fish when you are pregnant. No matter how much of a sushi buff you are, you’ll need to say no to dragon rolls and try a nice California roll for a bit.

4. Deli Meat: Legally delis must follow health codes, but cross contamination between raw meats and your order is still possible.

5. Undercooked Or Raw Meat And Poultry: Pregnant women can be especially susceptible to food poisoning and other bacterial infections, so stay away from refrigerated pâtés and potentially undercooked meats.

6. Undercooked Eggs: Salmonella is a concern for both you and your baby. The good news is that there are super tasty cookie dough recipes out there that don’t require any eggs for your times of need.

7. Smoked Meats: Should be avoided for the same reason. Cross contamination or poorly processed meats are a concern.

8. Unpasteurized Food: This is going to be a painful section for some. Cheese can still be your friend, but you’ll want to stay away from blue cheese, brie, feta, and Mexican cheeses unless they’re clearly labeled as pasteurized.

9. Unpasteurized Drinks: Fruit juices are the most common manifestation of this. Fresh squeezed juice is fine but some store bought brands shouldn’t be drunk. The same applies to fresh milk.

10. Unwashed Fruits And Vegetables: If you aren’t sure of their cleanliness rewash them. Fruits and vegetables can have bacterial growth if they are overripe; cut out the bad spots prior to eating. Also be aware of potential chemicals. You are much less sensitive to pesticides than your baby.

11. Raw Sprouts: These can also contain bacteria. Steam or boil any sprout you wish to eat.

12. An Excess Of Vitamin A: This can be tricky as relatively small quantities of meat can contain large amounts. Your daily recommended level is 2,565 international units, or IU. Liver is especially high in this vitamin, so eat only very small portions.

13. Heavily Caffeinated Drinks: Caffeine has the same effect on your child it does on you. If you can’t give it up entirely, about 200 milligrams a day is safe.

14. Herbal Teas, Even Those Marked For Pregnancy: Some herbs haven’t been extensively tested, particularly not concerning their long-term effect on pregnancy. Unless your doctor recommends a specific blend it’s best to not experiment.

15. Alcohol: Alcohol should be avoided in all forms. No amount of alcohol has been proven to be safe during pregnancy.

Being pregnant can seems like a massive lifestyle shift. Just remember to stay positive and keep a basic idea of the foods to avoid in mind, and nutritionally you’ll be fine!

Alicia Lane has worked for a maternity clothing store for the past 4 years. She recommends checking out this article to learn more about compression clothing and its medical benefits.

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Tips For Keeping Your Home Tick-Free

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Ticks are very common pests. They can be found just about anywhere, especially if you live in a woodsy area. If you have pets and they are carrying ticks, then there is a higher likelihood that your home will also have some ticks hiding in the cracks and crevices of the building.

Ticks are pests, but if you consider them harmless, think again. They cause harm not only to your pets but to humans as well. Ticks carry deadly pathogenic organisms that can cause severe diseases in humans. They are carriers of Borrelia burgdorferi, a type of bacteria that causes Lyme Disease. Ticks are also known to cause Relapsing Fever as well as Colorado Tick Fever. They also cause allergic reactions that, in people with very weak immune system, could be very disastrous.

It is for these reasons that you need to keep your home tick-free. Below are some tips for keeping your home free from ticks.

Check Your Pets for Ticks

Your first-line of defense against a tick infestation is to see to it that your pets are tick-free. Dogs love to play outdoors and cats spend as much time as they can outside the house. Because they love exploring, it will be so easy for them to pick up ticks that crawl on the ground. These ticks can easily crawl off their hosts and invade your home.

To avoid this, you need to give your pets a thorough inspection for ticks. In addition to checking for ticks, you also need to give them regular grooming. Just be careful though when you are picking ticks from their bodies. Make sure that you wear protective gloves and use tweezers, too, to pick them up.

Clean Surroundings

Another way to prevent tick infestation is to maintain a clean home and garden. As mentioned earlier, ticks are can be found even on the ground, waiting for unsuspecting victims that they can hitch a ride on. They are hiding in tall grasses and bushes, and they are hiding in shady places, since they love humidity.

You can minimize tick population by making sure that your home and garden are always clean. See to it that there are no cracks in the foundations that ticks can crawl through, and see to it, too, that the grass is always cut short and the shrubberies are well-maintained so they will not have many hiding places. If you live in a woodsy area, make sure that there is a fence keeping wild animals out of your property. Remember, wild animals are also carriers of ticks as well as other parasitic and pathogenic organisms. You do not want them near your property, so you have to build a fence around your home.

Already Infested with Tick?

If your home is already infested with tick, the best thing that you can do to get rid of them is to call your local pest control company. Ask them if their products are green and organic, so the treatment will not pose any health risks to you and your pet. After the treatment, see to it that you always maintain a clean home and garden and that your pets are always tick-free.

Jennifer Dallman is a guest blogger for pest control blogs where she shares tips and advice to prevent pest infestation. If you have tick problems at home, she recommends you to visit Preventive Pest Control for consultation.

How To Keep A Positive Mental Attitude When You’re Recovering From An Injury

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and the instep (which didn't even hurt at the time)

Recovering from an injury is something that can really tire your body out and which requires your full dedication. Try to ignore your injury and you will find that it quickly gets worse, while ‘giving up’ and spending all your time in bed feeling sorry for yourself will only cause your body to give up too.

Recovery takes dedication in the form of exercise, correct nutrition and research. Throughout all this it’s crucial to maintain a positive attitude which has been shown to have proven benefits for the body and to help speed up healing. This can be difficult of course when you’re lying injured in bed, unable to move and in a lot of pain but there are several things you can do to keep your levity. Here we will look at how you can stay looking on the Brightside even when you’re body it failing you.

Get Support From Your Friends and Family

Getting support from your friends and family is rarely as important as when you’re struggling in bed after an accident. Of course you will be reliant on their good nature to an extent but just make sure that you are open to their help and their offers for support. If the support doesn’t come right away then don’t be afraid to reach out either; call up your friends, ask them to come round and generally try to stay sociable.

Treat Yourself

When you’re feeling sorry for yourself with your leg in cast or your ears ringing, there has seldom been a time that you were more deserving of a treat. Now is the time to finally let yourself buy that new computer, or to treat yourself to some new magazines and computer games. Whatever your particular weakness, this can give you something to take your mind off your situation and get you looking forward to things.

Monitor Your Progress

No matter what is wrong with you, there will be times when you see improvement. Perhaps it’s the first time you are able to stand, or perhaps it’s when your arm comes out of the cast. Whatever the case, focus on these mile stones as positive improvement and get a sense of progress from it. It can also help to come up with a plan for your recovery so that you feel proactive rather than helpless.

Get Even

If you are angry after your accident because you feel it was someone else’s fault then this isn’t going to help with your recovery at all. In this case you may want to try using a personal injury attorney who can help you to get compensation. Once you at least feel everything is fair you can focus on getting better rather than on feeling resentful.

CBT

Sometimes being injured can have serious psychological impacts on a person. If you find yourself really struggling with serious feelings of depression or stress, then you might want to get help from a specialist. Using CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) you should be able to change your thought processes and improve your mood.

Attached Images:
  •  License: Creative Commons image source
  •  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2012/04/25/00/23/icon-41335_150.png

Jack Blake is a physiotherapist is Atlanta. A happy go lucky guy, he treats his patients with a broad smile on his face, as he believes that it gives them confidence and helps them recover quickly. An avid blogger, he spends his free time writing articles on health issues.

3 Ultimate Chill-Out Zone Ideas For Your Home

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Ah, the woes of modern life! We all seem to be caught up in an endless sequence that involves juggling work pressure, dealing with financial issues, family, and other social obligations, all at the same time. All these factors cause a lot of physical stress and mental strain, majorly due to lack of adequate sleep and poor eating habits – basically, a rather unhealthy lifestyle. In such situations it is imperative to take some time out to relax, unwind and refresh yourself. But once again, by the time your weekend off approaches, you’re hardly left with any energy to go for an outing, isn’t it? You’d rather stay indoors and laze around. Not a problem. If you don’t have the energy to step outdoors to loosen up a bit and indulge in some fun and recreation, why not bring the fun and recreation home to you instead? Yes, it is possible. Have a look at the following few home recreation ideas to build your very own chill-out zone at home!

A bar in the basement

Have you got a basement at your property? Has it been lying neglected and abandoned for as long as you can remember? Why not give it a brilliant makeover and turn it into an amazing bar! Imagine chilling in your basement with your mates over the weekend, enjoying a few pints and watching your favorite sport on television. You could utilize your personal bar to host small parties and gatherings to socialize with family members or close friends. Or maybe on a weekday, after a tiring day at work, you could just unwind in the bar with a soothing glass of wine. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?

Swimming pool in the yard

Swimming in color

If you have a large backyard or even if you have an extended terrace, you could consider getting a swimming pool constructed. Depending upon the amount of space available there are plenty of interesting swimming pool designs you could choose from. Whether you want to relax in the pool on a hot Sunday afternoon, have a pool side barbecue party with your friends in the evening, or just have a fun session in the pool with your kids and wife, getting a swimming pool constructed at your property is one decision you will never regret. Moreover, it will also go on to add to the aesthetic value of your home.

A gaming room – up in the attic or out in the garage

wall invaders

When it comes to relaxing and unwinding, nothing comes close to the ultimate chill-out zone – a gaming room! How about cleaning up your attic and turning it into a fantastic gaming room? Or maybe you could take up the same project in your garage instead, if that’s more convenient. Having a personal gaming zone at home can be epic – an ideal way to escape from daily stress, office tensions and pesky partners! The main things that could go into your game room would be a pool table, darts, a television set for gaming and movies, a couple of cozy sofas, a mini fridge to store soft drinks, milkshakes or beers, and a few table games like Checkers, Uno, Jenga and Monopoly.

So say goodbye to stress and anxiety by investing in these incredible home relaxation and recreation ideas – a permanent solution to all your modern life woes.

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Jennifer Atkinson is a house wife and loves to keep her home neat and tidy. Along with the usual activities that she undertakes to keep her house clean she also has a chill out zone i.e a swimming pool in her house where she unwinds after the days work. She suggests using the services of Sunbreaker pools if you want to construct a swimming pool at your place. She also likes to blog about various household issues.

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