Woman Smiling

The ‘beauty’ of these tips is that unlike quick-fix ones that instruct women how ‘not to look old,’ these can be applied throughout life and are for all women.

By: Dr. Vivian Diller and Dr. Jill Muir-Sukenick

We are often asked how the psychological six steps we describe in our book, Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change, translate into practical ways to feel and look more attractive. So, we put together some tips that once were useful to us in our former careers as models. They are even more useful more so now as our own looks are changing! They were designed in conjunction with the internal changes suggested in Face It and work best if you have learned what it really means to be attractive at any age. The ‘beauty’ of these tips is that unlike quick-fix ones that instruct women how ‘not to look old,’ these can be applied throughout life and are for all women.

1. Show Confidence Inside and Out
We learned first hand that models who walked in with an air of confidence tended to get the jobs. It wasn’t about being the prettiest — everyone was. Or about being perfect — no one was. It was about how you carried yourself. Some models were known for their great legs or long necks and used these assets to feel beautiful. Sometimes only one’s hands or feet were considered marketable material. Instead of focusing on features you don’t like about yourself, take the ones you do and embellish them. Delicate wrists? Wear an eye-catching watch. Thick hair? An elegant headband or jeweled clip can make your statement. Posture is a feature all women can enjoy if they keep their bones healthy. Hold your head up with poise and self- assurance and people will see what you feel.

2. A Radiant Smile Can Work for You
There are models who are not perfectly shaped who have successful careers because of their great smiles. Think of a baby’s smile. Does anything bring more pleasure to the eyes of others than that spontaneous toothless grin? Sure, we can whiten and straighten our teeth, but regardless of how they look at any particular moment, smiling with a sparkle in our eyes goes a long way to convey beauty.

3. Reinvent Your Look
As models we had to constantly change our ‘look.’ It taught us to be capable of adjusting our appearance to the circumstances. Instead of feeling anxious about change, have fun as you reinvent a look with each stage. Those short skirts might not work, but other styles may. Letting go of your former self-image doesn’t mean neglecting yourself. Try walking instead of jogging; take yoga, in place of spin class. Adjust your attitude as you adjust your look.

4. Sexy at Sixty
We may have left behind unlined faces and bright teeth, but we never have to leave behind our ability to connect to others sensually. As models, we were sometimes told to ‘make love to the camera.’ With safety pins pulling at our clothes, fans blowing in our faces, that was a challenge. But the more we let ourselves get into it, the more alluring we felt. A model can be absolutely exquisite, but her photos can look cold, sexless, and dull. It’s not about the perfect body or the skimpy clothes she’s wearing or not wearing. It’s about the connection to the viewer. So it can be for you.

5. Accessories Can Say A Lot
A woman who has interests that go beyond age-defying remedies is one who conveys a vital approach to life. Sport the cap of your local baseball or football team, or a T-shirt with a meaningful saying, “Save the Whales” or “Free Tibet.” Use these ageless accessories and you may end up having fun rooting for your team or supporting a new cause.

6. Work Out and Work With Your Friends
Models are dressed, undressed and styled with other people coming and going all around them. (Nothing like outfit changes with stage hands in full view!) At best, we learned to laugh to make the work fun. Instead of sneaking off alone to color your hair, make it fun by passing the time chatting with a friend in the next salon chair.  Go to a spa with friends. Take a power walk with a buddy. Tell one another how attractive you each are. We’re in this together.

7. Get up close and personal.
An essential tool for models to inspect imperfections is a magnified mirror. It’s like wearing glasses while you attend to your face. You can pluck the white hairs if you don’t want them, rub creams on brown spots if you want them to fade, and apply makeup where it belongs. How many of us have left smudges of mascara above and below our eyes thinking they made it on to our lashes?? By seeing yourself up close and personal, you can choose among the plethora of products available to adorn your beautiful self.

8. Leave Competition Out of Beauty
As models, competition was a necessary part of the work. At our age, we don’t need to be the best, but rather look our best for our age, which is about looking as healthy, robust, and vital as we possibly can. There is no race for the smoothest skin, the thinnest or the youngest looking body, nor is looking good about a race with time. Let’s get out of the competition we’ve imposed on ourselves. We’ll all feel like winners.

9. Take the Plastic out of Plastic Surgery
We are not anti taking steps to feel better about how you look. We are not anti- anything, except recklessness. Cosmetic surgery aimed at altering physical features so they appear more in sync with your self image — like removing dark circles under your otherwise sparkling eyes — can surely bring increased pleasure. However, surgery performed with the hope of changing your self-image often leads to the opposite result. How you look is based on how you experience yourself, no matter what you do or don’t do to your face and body.

10. See Yourself as an Example for the Next Generation.
At social and professional gatherings, you have the opportunity and responsibility to show younger women what beauty at midlife can be. Demonstrate the kind of poise and grace you want your daughters and younger colleagues to emulate. Remember, those who admire and respect you are the people you influence most. Let’s provide the next generation with the kind of role models we weren’t lucky enough to have. We owe it to them to look forward to — rather than dread — the years that lie ahead. Live them with confidence that you can look and feel beautiful at any age. It will benefit both the body and the soul.

© 2010 Dr. Vivian Diller and Dr. Jill Muir-Sukenick, authors of Face It: What Women Really Feel as Their Looks Change

About the Authors:
FACE IT: What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change by Vivian Diller, Ph.D, with Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D. and edited by Michele Willens is a psychological guide to help women deal with the emotions brought on by their changing appearances. As models turned psychotherapists, Diller and Sukenick have had the opportunity to examine the world of beauty from two very different vantage points. This unique perspective helped them develop a six-step program that begins with recognizing “uh-oh” moments that reveal the reality of changing looks, goes on to identify the masks used to cover deeper issues, defines the role beauty plays in a woman’s life, and ends with bidding adieu to old definitions of beauty so women can enjoy their appearance — at any age!

For more information on the book, authors, and events, please visit Face it the book or visit their fan page on Facebook.

Photo: Macrj

Memory Loss

People refer to memory loss by many names: forgetfulness, impaired memory, amnesia, loss of memory, and mild cognitive impairment.

By: Gillian Eadie

So there I was feeling like a complete idiot sitting in the restaurant by myself, thinking everyone was staring at me with pitying looks – sad middle aged woman who’d been stood up. It had only been about 30 minutes but it felt like hours, so I gave in and sent my friend a text to see where she was.

Next minute the Cossack tune blared from my mobile, and it was Sally.. She’d forgotten all about meeting me. She’s sorry, can’t think what happened, how could she forget, so on and so on ….

That’s a classic baby boomer in action, and if I’m honest, I’ve forgotten some things, too, of late. My memory specialist sister, Dr. Allison Lamont, tells me that there’s a heap of reasons why it might be happening, not many of them good news!

People refer to memory loss by many names: forgetfulness, impaired memory, amnesia, loss of memory, mild cognitive impairment but basically it refers to any forgetting that is out of the ordinary. And it seems that boomers are getting more and more worried about it because it’s not fun to miss appointments, forget birthdays, leave your dear friend sitting in a restaurant on her own for half an hour or forgetting to take medication. That last one could even be dangerous.

There are loads of causes of memory loss, and getting older is one of them. But boomers can push back against forgetting by consciously helping the brain to remember, so that’s a comfort for me and my friend – next time it might be her sitting alone waiting for someone who has forgotten to show up! More significant memory loss, however, occurs, when diseases are involved. There’s a whole list of those and I’ll put some of the most common of them for you at the end of this article. You’ll need to visit a doctor to be sure if you are worried that your memory loss is more serious than just standing me up for lunch.

The doctor will ask you all kinds of questions to help understand what kind of memory loss it is. Can you remember recent events? (is there impaired short-term memory?) Can you remember events from further in the past? (that’s about your long-term memory) Have you just forgotten what happened before or after a specific experience? (amnesia) Do you make up stuff to cover gaps in memory? (my elderly mother is renowned for this)

The doctor will also want to know about whether your moods affect your concentration and whether the memory loss has been getting worse over years, weeks or months. Knowing if you’ve had a head injury in the recent past, surgery that needed anesthetic, seizures or an emotionally traumatic event will also be taken into consideration. You probably know that alcohol and illegal/illicit drugs are bad news for memory, so you’d better be honest with the doctor about that.

Other symptoms might have something to do with your memory loss so knowing if you have been confused or disoriented, whether you can eat, dress, and generally look after yourself will be on the check list of questions. Of course, they’ll do all the normal things you would expect, like blood tests looking for low vitamin B12 or thyroid disease, maybe take a CT scan or MRI of the head, cognitive or psychometric tests, an EEG etc.

So, memory loss shouldn’t be taken lightly, particularly if you have other worrying symptoms.

For most boomers, though, actively challenging and training your perfectly normal brain will overcome memory loss. Why not try our free memory test and see how you do? It doesn’t replace a doctor’s visit, but it will be a start. Give It A Go!

Common Causes of More Serious Memory Loss

• Alcoholism
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Brain damage due to disease or injury
• Brain growths (caused by tumors or infection)
• Brain infections such as Lyme disease or syphilis
• Depression or emotional trauma
• Drugs such as barbiturates or benzodiazepines
• Encephalitis of any type
• General anesthetics
• Head trauma or injury
• Hysteria, often accompanied by confusion
• Illness that results in the loss of nerve cells
• Nutritional problems (vitamin deficiencies such as low vitamin B12)
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Temporal lobe brain surgery

About the Author:
Gillian Eadie founded the Brain and Memory Foundation. Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow. For more free help and personal advice on diet, exercise, brain food and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation. You’ll find lots more information and tips like these in the great new book by Allison Lamont PhD and Gillian Eadie,Seven Second Memory.

Sleeping

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.

While we often consider sleep to be a “passive” activity, sufficient sleep is increasingly being recognized as an essential aspect of health promotion and chronic disease prevention in the public health community.

Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression—which threaten our nation’s health. Notably, insufficient sleep is associated with the onset of these diseases and also poses important implications for their management and outcome. Moreover, insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related crashes, causing substantial injury and disability each year. In short, drowsy driving can be as dangerous—and preventable—as driving while intoxicated.

More than one-quarter of the U.S. population report occasionally not getting enough sleep, while nearly 10% experience chronic insomnia. However, new methods for assessing and treating sleep disorders bring hope to the millions suffering from insufficient sleep. Fundamental to the success of all of these efforts is the recognition that sufficient sleep is not a luxury—it is a necessity—and should be thought of as a “vital sign” of good health.

Sleep Hygiene Tips:

1. Go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning.
2. Make sure your bedroom is a quiet, dark, and relaxing environment, which is neither too hot or too cold.
3. Make sure your bed is comfortable and use it only for sleeping and not for other activities, such as reading, watching TV, or listening to music. Remove all TVs, computers, and other “gadgets” from the bedroom.
4. Physical activity may help promote sleep, but not within a few hours of bedtime.
5. Avoid large meals before bedtime.

What Should I Do If I Can’t Sleep?

It’s important to practice good sleep hygiene, but if your sleep problems persist or if they interfere with how you feel or function during the day, you should seek evaluation and treatment by a physician, preferably one familiar with assessing and treating sleep disorders. Before visiting your physician, keep a diary of your sleep habits for about ten days to discuss at the visit.

Include the following in your sleep diary, when you—

• Go to bed.
• Go to sleep.
• Wake up.
• Get out of bed.
• Take naps.
• Exercise.
• Consume alcohol.
• Consume caffeinated beverages.

 
For more information visit: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Photo: Starush

Free Range Chickens

It can be impossible to tell what Green Food Labels really mean and whether anyone’s even monitoring them for accuracy. Here’s a breakdown of some of them.

By: Adria Vasil

Is it just me or has grocery shopping grown seriously confusing? There’s a maze of food labels out there, all trying to convince you that a pack of cookies or a bag of breaded chicken tenders is healthier for you than its competition. Trouble is, it can be impossible to tell what they really mean and whether anyone’s even monitoring them for accuracy. So which ones are government regulated and which ones are whipped up by anyone with a brick of tofu and a dream? Here’s a breakdown of some of them.

Natural: Think this term is regulated? Guess again. You could sell a box of cereal loaded with chemicals, put the word natural on the front and no one would stop you. Unless you’re talking meat. Animal products labeled with the term can’t have artificial flavoring, coloring or chemical preservatives but it can still be raised pretty unnaturally on factory farms.

Naturally Raised (meat): You’d assume naturally raised meat would imply that a cow/pig/chicken was raised the way nature intended (unconfined, eating a “natural” diet). Well, the federal government’s new voluntary standard only guarantees that no growth hormones or antibiotics were used and that no animal by-products were fed to the animals. Of course, some “naturally raised” meat is also free range, but it’s not mandatory.

Certified Naturally Grown: Like organic but more grassroots. A band of small farmers that couldn’t afford the big bucks it takes to go certified organic started this indie label. Its standards are pretty on par with the USDA organic program though some of its standards are actually stricter.

Organic: Unless you see a little certification symbol on there, there’s no way to know what you’re eating is truly organic (a.k.a. free of chemical pesticides/synthetic fertilizers/hormones/antibiotics/genetically engineered ingredients and other big baddies).

USDA organic: Food products with this government seal have to be at least 95% certified organic. That means 5% of ingredients can come from an approved-list of synthetics, including the latest controversial addition: synthetic fatty acids in organic baby food.

100% Certified Organic: The purest in the country. No synthetic inputs should be snuck in.

Certified Pesticide Residue-Free: This doesn’t mean pesticides weren’t sprayed on fields. No, no, it just tells you that any traces of chemical bug killers have to fall below a set level for each pesticide.

Biodynamic: A lot like certified organic except a dollop more new agey. Farmers plant and pick in line with the cycles of the cosmos and prepare crystal tinctures for their crops. Definitely legit when certified by overseers like Demeter.

Cage-free: No outdoor access for cage-free hens, though they should be allowed to run around open-concept barns with wire-grid floors. Of course, it’s all hypothetical since no one’s overseeing this label.

Free-range: These cluckers might get to see a little daylight but for how long? One hour last month? The USDA hasn’t created a minimum standard.

Certified Humane Raised and Handled: This label comes courtesy of the SPCA (Society for the Protection of Animals) so you can bet your chicken wasn’t caged and that your dairy wasn’t pumped full of growth hormones. All farms are inspected.

United Egg Producers Certified (formerly Animal Care Certified): You’ll spot this label on 80% of egg cartons, but animal advocates say that birds are still subject to crammed laying cages, beak trimming and forced molting (underfeeding birds to prolong egg laying). No wonder the Federal Trade Commission forced United Egg Producers to drop its misleading Animal Care Certified logo back in 2005.

For a complete breakdown of even more food labels, pick up a copy of Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products and Services.

©2009 Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products & Services

About the Author:
Adria Vasil, author of Ecoholic: Your Guide to the Most Environmentally Friendly Information, Products & Services, is a best-selling author and journalist for Canada’s NOW, where she has been writing the “Ecoholic” column for five years. She lives in Toronto.

For more information please visit Ecoholic.

Photo: Allie’s.Dad

Losing Fat Belly

Liposuction used to be the only alternative for people who wanted to get rid of belly fat. Liposuction works, but like all surgical procedures it has its risks.

By: Dr. Debra Jaliman, M.D.

For most people, January is a time for good resolutions that will make up for the dietary excesses of the holidays. It’s hard to say no to all those delicious cookies and treats, which is why after New Year’s Day, waistbands seem tighter than they were in November. Going on a diet and getting more exercise are excellent ideas for getting in shape, but why stop there? The latest technologies available at a dermatologist’s office can redefine waists, get rid of love handles, and even tighten sagging bellies.

Liposuction used to be the only alternative for people who wanted to get rid of belly fat. Liposuction works, but like all surgical procedures it has its risks.  Scars, bruising and numbness are not unusual, and recovery takes several weeks. Two new technologies accomplish much of what liposuction does, but without the risks and downtime.

CoolSculpting, also known as cryolypolisis or fat freezing, is rapidly becoming a popular and mostly pain-free in-office procedure. Patients lie down for one to two hours while a fat freezing device is targeted at specific areas. Most patients feel so little discomfort that they read or watch a movie during the procedure. When it’s done, usually the only sign that the procedure has been carried out is a little redness which soon disappears. Immediately after the procedure, people can go to the theater or to a party.

The amazing thing is that without the patient doing anything else, the frozen fat in the belly and love handles is going to break down and be eliminated through urine. The process is gradual, usually taking four months, but at the end, people have usually lost at least one dress size. The difference is especially dramatic in the waistline. “I’ve got my waist back!” is the constant refrain I hear from patients. Menopausal woman, whose bodies seem to thicken no matter how much exercise and dieting they do, love CoolSculpting.

CoolSculpting has been around for less than two years, but already it has competition from a technology that was just approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Instead of freezing the fat, Liposonix machines break it down through ultrasound vibration. As with CoolSculpting, the fat is eliminated in the urine over the course of several weeks. Liposonix has been safely used in Canada and Europe for several years. It seems to be both more expensive and more painful than CoolSculpting, but according to patient accounts, the results are seen more quickly, something to consider for people who want to look trimmer for a big event.

Finally, there is Thermage CPT, which uses radio frequency to stimulate collagen production and tighten skin. I can speak with authority on Thermage CPT, because it has become a runaway success in my practice, by far the most popular procedure I perform. Unlike CoolSculpting and Liposomix, which so far is only approved for use on the abdomen, Thermage CPT can be used anywhere on the body or face. It is truly remarkable when it comes to lifting sagging bellies without plastic surgery. Many people use it in conjunction with CoolSculpting, because fat freezing contours the body, while Thermage CPT firms the skin.

Unlike CoolSculpting, Thermage CPT is a painful procedure, and patients do need to take painkillers before having it done. But afterwards there is no pain or swelling, or indeed any sign that it was done. Like CoolSculpting and Liposonix, Thermage CPT’s full benefits do not become apparent for several months. Anybody who wants to look taut and firm on the beach in July should have Thermage, CoolSculpting or Liposonix done in January or February, before the groundhog is dragged out to see his shadow.

© 2011 Debra Jaliman, MD, author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist

About the Author:
Debra Jaliman, MD, author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets from a Top New York Dermatologist, is a board certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York City. Internationally recognized for her research and work in clinical and cosmetic dermatology, Dr. Jaliman has a reputation for using cutting-edge technology and the latest in skin care, as well as for being the “last stop” doctor, the one who fixes what others can’t. She is an assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a member of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery. She is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology and is regarded as an authority in her field by journalists and cosmetics industry, appearing frequently on television and in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Allure, Glamour, Self, andInStyle.

For more information please visit liposuction, coolsculpting, Dr. Debra Jaliman, M.D and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: coveplasticsurgery

Organic Herbs

Herbs and spices such as garlic, dandelion leaf, nettle, and parsley. The most potent spice is curcumin from the turmeric plant, a staple in Indian cuisine.

By: Dr. James Forsythe

Caution: Avoid genetically modified foods, whose long-term safety is unproven; GMOs are becoming especially common in soybeans and corn.

• * Greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli, beet tops, and all dark green leafy vegetables in both whole and juice form; also nopal cactus, nettle leaf, and cabbages
• * Maca root from the Andes and maca root juice
• * Mushrooms, in particular these: reishi, cordyceps, maitake, chaga, mesima, lion’s mane, turkey tail, shitake
• * Spirulina and chlorella: these include Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae
• * Herbs and spices such as garlic, dandelion leaf, nettle, and parsley: the most potent spice is curcumin from the turmeric plant, a staple in Indian cuisine
• * Bee pollen and royal jelly
• * Dark red and purple fruits and berries: these include blueberries and raspberries. Also, goji berry juice and Hawthorne berry
• * Kelp and sea plants
• * Taro root, orange tomatoes, carrots, and orange vegetables

Other additions to the super foods list include cacao (raw chocolate), sweet mesquite pod, beetroot juice, and sprouted flax.

I also urge our patients to consume healthy smoothies that they prepare at home on a regular basis. Most of these recipes include soy milk, nonfat yogurt, berries such as blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries, bananas, and a raw egg, plus a couple of tablespoons of flaxseed oil and whey protein. Many patients consider such smoothies delicious, and they’re also good for digestion.

Copyright © 2011 Dr. James Forsythe, author of Anti-Aging Cures: Life Changing Secrets to Reverse the Effects of Aging

About the Author:
James W. Forsythe, M.D., H.M.D., author of Anti-Aging Cures: Life Changing Secrets to Reverse the Effects of Aging, has long been considered one of the most respected physicians in the United States, particularly for his treatment of cancer and the legal use of human growth hormone.

In the early 1960s, Dr. Forsythe graduated with honors from University of California at Berkeley and earned his Medical Degree from University of California, San Francisco, before spending two years’ residency in pathology at Tripler Army Hospital, in Honolulu. After a tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned to San Francisco and completed and internal medicine residency and an oncology fellowship.

Dr. Forsythe is a world-renowned speaker and author. He has co-authored and written chapters in numerous bestsellers. Today, in Reno, Nevada, Dr. Forsythe maintains a conventional medical clinic, the Cancer Screening and Treatment Center, and a homeopathic practice, Century Wellness Clinic. A former associate professor of medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Dr. Forsythe has conducted numerous original clinical outcome-based studies on many natural substances. For more than twenty years, he has been interested in integrating complementary and conventional medicine.

For more information please visit antiaging cures, and follow the author on Twitter.

Photo: Hari Prasad Nadig

Multigrain Bagel

This is not just a test of your knowledge of calories but also a test of your confidence in your own knowledge. Most of us think that we know more than we actually do.

By: Alexander Chernev,

Below you will see a list of 10 meals from popular fast food chains. Write down your estimate of the calorie content of each meal. No need to come up with a precise number; instead just provide a low and high estimate of each meal’s calorie count.

For example, if asked to indicate the calorie content of a Big Mac, you might think that it most likely has somewhere between 300 calories (low estimate) and 600 calories (high estimate).

Your goal is to identify high and low estimates such that the right answer falls between the two numbers you write down 90% of the time. In other words, this means that you should get at most one answer (10% of responses) wrong.

 
Now, let’s find out how you did

Answers:
Dunkin’ Donuts multigrain bagel with lite cream cheese:  490
Chili’s citrus fire chicken and shrimp fajitas:  1,360
Denny’s smoked sausage scramble:  1,480
Krispy Kreme’s whole wheat glazed donut:  180
McDonald’s Quarter Pounder (without cheese):  410
Panera Bread’s broccoli cheddar soup (8oz) in a sourdough soup bowl:  880
Romano’s Macaroni Grill grilled salmon teriyaki:  1,230
Ruby Tuesday’s turkey burger (with fries):  1,393
Starbucks’ grande 2% white chocolate mocha and a bran muffin with nuts:  900
Uno Chicago Grill’s classic deep dish pizza (individual):  2,310

If you got all answers right or made only one mistake, you are an exception. If you did not — don’t get depressed. Most people don’t. On average only half of the answers to this quiz are correct, significantly below the 90% target.

As you might have guessed by now, this was not just a test of your knowledge of calories but also a test of your confidence in your own knowledge. As this quiz shows, most of us are overconfident, thinking that we know more than we actually do.

© 2011 Alexander Chernev, author of The Dieter’s Paradox: Why Dieting Makes Us Fat

About the Author:
Alexander Chernev, author of The Dieter’s Paradox: Why Dieting Makes Us Fat, is a psychologist who is studying how people make choices. He holds two doctoral degrees: a Ph.D. in Psychology from Sofia University and a second Ph.D. in Business Administration from Duke University. He is a marketing professor at Northwestern University, where he teaches behavioral decision theory, marketing management and strategy, and consumer research.

Dr. Chernev has won numerous awards for his teaching and research, including the Early Career Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association for his contribution to consumer psychology. His research has been published in leading psychology journals, and a recent survey ranked him as the most prolific scholar in the top marketing journals in the past 20 years. He has been widely quoted in the business and popular press, including Scientific American, Business Week, Forbes, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, andHarper’s Magazine.

He is not on a diet but often adds a healthy option to his meals.

For more information please visit Dieters Paradox, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo: Oliver Wilke

Improve Your Memory

When you forget something important, your confidence can take a serious hit. Taking a few easy actions can quickly provide certainty in your memory, every day.

By: Gillian Eadie

This is really hard to believe so pay close attention; Our brains are actually designed to forget!

And before you ask – No, I haven’t lost my mind – all day our brains are working hard to forget things so we don’t get overloaded and have a brain meltdown. Can you even imagine what our heads would be like if our memory remembered every single detail, from every sense – smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste – from every moment of every day? Let’s not even go there!

So how does your brain know what you want and need to remember?

We need to give our brains clear signals about the things we want to remember, and that is a huge topic to cover, so I’ve outlined 4 easy ways to ensure you never forget again:

1. Downsize – only use ONE diary.

Put everything in there so that you are not looking through several places each time you want to check something.

2. Focus, concentrate, remember

Looking or listening for a second or so isn’t long enough for your brain to remember. You need to concentrate for seven seconds if you want to remember something later. Initially, it will seem a long time but, if you spend this time repeating, connecting or visualizing the data, you will remember it.

3. Organize your surroundings.

Establish places for all of the items that you regularly lose, and use them! Hooks for your keys, drawer for your wallet, mobile, glasses and diary – all need a defined place where you put them. Concentrate while you place them there – this will avoid that all too familiar last minute dash about the house looking for your glasses in the morning!

4. Give your brain some help!

Remembering appointments ahead of time is much easier if you give your brain as many ‘hooks’ as you can. In your mind, embed the details of the appointment in as many ways as you can:

I’m meeting the accountant on Thursday at 9.30 am.
What is his/her name?
Where will I park the car?
Which floor of the building is it on?
What do I need to take?
What questions will I ask?
Where will I go once I have left that appointment at 10.30?

Use as many senses as you can:
Visualize the clock, the building and face of the accountant
Hear the questions you will ask
Feel’ the papers you will need to take, and so on

I bet you are already thinking that you haven’t a spare seven seconds to do this. Well, just think of how many minutes you waste trying to remember the time, day, location and name if you committed them to memory. It’s a no-brainer!

Forgetfulness can ruin your confidence and your life.

When you forget something important, you feel all at sea and your confidence can take a serious hit. This does not have to be the story of life. Taking a few easy actions can quickly provide certainty in your memory, every day.

About the Author:
Gillian Eadie founded the Brain and Memory Foundation in 2008. Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow.

About the Brain and Memory Foundation:
Memory loss and being taken into care are the Number One fears of Baby Boomers in the USA and UK. The cost of dementia care in the USA is greater than the whole operation of Walmart and Exxon!

Experiencing firsthand the devastating impact Alzheimer’s has on families, motivated Gillian Eadie and Dr. Allison Lamont, sisters, to urge all people aged 50+ to take action to protect their memory skills. Baby boomers themselves, they established The Healthy Memory Company Ltd. to ensure that everyone realizes that brain and memory improvement is possible at any age. Their articles, books and memory programs are scientifically based on Dr. Lamont’s internationally acclaimed research findings, and they focus on the key skills needed to keep brains active, alert and growing, even into old age. Building brain resilience and memory confidence will provide the memory buffer needed to protect against memory loss and enable independent living so important to everyone later on in life.

For more free help and personal advice on diet, exercise, brain food, improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation. You’ll find lots more information and tips like these in the great new book Seven Second Memory by Allison Lamont PhD and Gillian Eadie.

Photo: runran

Two Happy Women

Have you noticed the interesting phenomenon that when you chase your ego desires and fulfill them, soon after always arises further dissatisfaction?

By: Jaden Rose Phoenix

As we all move into this wonderful new age of creating our lives in amazing ways, I spent a moment pausing over the question of how to best create this life of mine. If anything were possible — and we are waking up to realize that much more is possible than we ever thought before — then what do I want? What do I really, really want at the core of my being?

It seems like an easy answer at first.  Don’t we all want fortune, fame, love, and happiness?  I paused and considered for a moment what my life would be like if I created a life of renown. A part of me would like that. People would know my name. In that life I would have made an impact in my field. And what’s interesting is that I can see the path to that life. It does exist in my set of possibilities.

I considered further what my life would like, traveling most of the year, speaking at big events, and signing books and shaking hands. Wouldn’t that be a good life?

But then I drew my attention away from my ego just long enough to ask my heart, what does it want in this life?  And the answer was clear: A sustainable life doing work I love with plenty of time to spend with the people I love. Ahhh! I felt myself fully sink into that feeling. This heart-life is not one of fame and fortune but of simple connection and a pace that provides lots of peace and some variety. It brings joy as I serve others in my work.

But it is not fast, furious, and famous.

As I feel myself turn into alignment with this heart-life I choose to create, I can feel my ego throw a little temper-tantrum in the background. But from this place of heart, it cannot compete with the fullness and love of a path well-taken.

Have you noticed the interesting phenomenon that when you chase your ego desires and fulfill them, soon after always arises further dissatisfaction? Sometimes we need to achieve the life our ego wants to find that, in the end, that is not where our peace lies. There is no problem with taking a path through ego, as long as you eventually arrive at your heart.

So ask yourself the question . . . are you chasing the life the ego pushes you towards or the one that fills your heart?

Copyright © 2011 Jaden Rose Phoenix, author of Beyond Human: Claiming the Power and Magic of Your Limitless Self and founder of Alchemy Wisdom.  You may report this as long as you post it in its entirety and include a link to http://alchemywisdom.com/

About the Author:
Jaden Rose Phoenix, author of Beyond Human: Claiming the Power and Magic of Your Limitless Self, internationally-respected master teacher and alchemist, is founder of Alchemy Wisdom, a healing arts center focused on creating life-changing transformation for clients. A student of ancient and modern alchemy and consciousness technologies, her workshops and classes are prized for their simple, down-to-earth approach to exploring and harnessing the potential of consciousness.

For more information please visit Alchemy Wisdon and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

Photo: tengtan

Lustrous Hair

Herbs are a better option for healthy and glossy hair. They not only keep your hair looking beautiful but can be used for treating scalp related problems.

By: Brenda Lyttle

Have you noticed how dull, dry, and lifeless your hair has been looking lately? Are you sure that you are doing the right things for your hair? Many shampoos and conditioners contain chemicals that harm your hair. Though they cleanse it well of all dirt and impurities, they can deprive your scalp and hair of natural oils.

Herbs are a better option for healthy and glossy hair. Although beauty brands like Shahnaz Herbals have now established their hold in the market as a herbal cosmetic brand, you may choose to use herbs in their pure form.

Herbs not only keep your hair healthy but are also used for treating hair or scalp related problems, such as dandruff. Herbs do not really have any side effects but some people may be allergic to them. So, be sure to test yourself for allergies before using any herbs.

Below are top six herbs that will help restore the missing luster in your hair:

1. Horsetail –Make your own horsetail shampoo at home and give your hair a diet rich in silica. Silica is known to restore the shine of hair and strengthen it. For your homemade silica shampoo, mix baby shampoo to ½ cup of hot water in which 3 tablespoons of horseradish has been added. Use this shampoo to wash your hair regularly.

2. Rosemary – This herb is known to stimulate the growth of hair. Inclusion of rosemary in your diet has been known to clear hair of dandruff and make it shiny. You can add it to your food or use it to make a hair rinse. Just simmer rosemary leaves in a pot of boiling water. Strain and let it cool. Use this rosemary water to rinse your hair after shampoo.

3. Aloe Vera- The gel from this succulent controls frizz and conditions hair naturally.

4. Birch – This can help with dry and itchy scalp.

5. Sage, Mulberries – Both of these herbs are known for their ability to stop hair from greying.

6. Licorice – Use this herb to stop hair loss.

When you are using herbs, check for allergies. All these herbs are relatively safe but some people, especially pregnant women can be allergic to some of them.

Other herbs that can be used to improve the health of your hair, are burdock, marigold, parsley and chamomile. Herbs have varying uses such as preventing grey hair, moisturizing and conditioning. You can purchase them at most health stores. Go herbal this season and give you hair a treat.

About the Author:
Brenda Lyttle is a beauty expert who began writing for publications in her community in 2005 and has become a leading authority on beauty tips, anti-aging, and costume wigs related topics.

Photo: neomation 2001