Friday, March 29, 2013

9 Differences Between the Male and Female Brain

Most people are intrigued by the thought processes of the opposite sex. Despite rumors to the contrary, men and women are from the same planet. However, there are many differences between the brains of men and women. I have listed nine of them below. There is bound to be some respectful discourse about this topic, so please feel free to comment or provide alternative points of view below.
1. Brain size: The male brain is typically about ten percent larger than the female brain. Although the extra mass does give males more processing power, this doesn’t make men more intelligent. Rather, science believes the reason for the increased brain mass is to accommodate the bigger body mass and muscle groups of the male (human).

2. Brain hemispheres: Many men are sharply left-brain dominant, while women tend to be more evenly balanced between left and right-brain processing. Women are therefore  thought to be slightly more intuitive, and sometimes better communicators. Men are often less socially adept, and are more task-oriented thinkers than females.

3. Relationships: Women are purported to have better communication skills and emotional intelligence than men. Women tend to be group-oriented, and apt to seek solutions by talking through issues. Men can have trouble picking up on emotional cues unless they’re clearly verbalized – making for tricky communications between the sexes.

4. Mathematical skills: The inferior-parietal lobule, which controls numerical brain function, is larger in males than in females. On standardized tests, men often score higher on mathematical tests than women.

5. Stress: When faced with stressful situations, men usually employ ‘fight or flight’ tactics, while women use a ‘tend or befriend’ response that is rooted in their natural instincts for caring for their children and establishing strong group bonds.

6. Language: Women often excel at language-based tasks for two reasons: two brain areas that deal with language are larger in females, and females process language in both hemispheres while males favor a single brain half.

7. Emotions: Since women tend to have a larger deep limbic system then men, they’re more in touch with their feelings and are better at expressing their emotions. This makes women better at connecting with others, but unfortunately also more prone to different types of depression.

8. Spatial abilities: The parietal region is thicker in the female brain, making it harder for them to mentally rotate objects – an important spatial skill. Women often report difficulty with spatial tasks, both on tests and in real life. Want to test this theory with a loved one? Play HAPPYneuron’s visual-spatial game Points of View and test each others ability.

9. Susceptibility to brain function disorders: Men are more likely to be dyslexic or have other language disabilities, since they’re more often left-brain dominant. Males are also more prone to autism, ADHD and Tourette’s Syndrome, while women are more susceptible to mood disorders like anxiety and depression.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

5 Simple Tips to Remove Pimples

Here are 5 simple tips for you to remove pimples if you are suffering from pimples and acne, which is one of the most disgusting thing on your beautiful face. No Iframes
Rule 1:
Wash your face 2-3 times daily with warm water and also make sure that you do not use soap or any other facial creams. Doing so will make your skin clean and bacteria free.  The main reason for pimples are bacteria, so keep your skin free from bacteria. Vapor treatment is also advisable.

Rule 2:
In case if you are using soaps, use only pure antiseptic soap or cleansing agent. If this is not possible then use soaps that contain minimum cosmetic agents like bleaching chemicals or aromatic elements. Whatever you use, make sure that they contain only gentle antiseptic agents and minimum additives. You can also use cosmetics made from petroleum jelly.

Rule 3:
If you are against nature, then you can use natural face packs or homemade face packs with herbs and natural ingredients. You can also try some home remedies for curing pimples and they will surely benefit you. Home remedies for curing – Use pure turmeric paste mixed with milk weekly. Mix dried and powdered orange peel with water and a few drops of  lemon can help in curing pimples.

Rule 4:
Drink plenty of water. It will keep you hydrated and also help you flushing out unwanted things from body and making your skin clean.

Rule 5:
Last but least, have a balanced diet. This will also prevent you from getting pimples. Diet to be avoided  to reduce pimples and the problems related to it - foodstuffs containing oil, cheese, butter, mayonnaise, chilly, spices and preservatives. Avoid mangoes and poultry products. They increase the heat levels in your body.

If these Simple Tips to Remove Pimples do not work for you, the you can opt for laser surgery and for this you need to consult a skin doctor in your locale.

How to Burn Calories

1-Fidget. Studies show that lean people fidget for about 150 minutes a day more than obese people do. That kind of low-grade activity (tapping feet and fingers, twirling hair, gesturing while speaking, etc.) can burn 350 calories a day, which translates into 10-30 pounds a year! It's called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), any movement that isn't intended as exercise. You can burn an extra 100-150 calories an hour by increasing NEAT. Here are some ideas:

  • Standing burns 50% more calories than sitting. Stand while talking on the phone, using the computer, or reading the paper.
  • Pacing is even better. By pacing, you can burn 90 more calories an hour than if you were sitting still. Make it a habit to pace whenever you use the phone.
  • Buy a work station or desk that you can stand at or, if you can, set up a desk over a treadmill. By walking 1 mile an hour while you work, you'll burn an additional 100 calories per hour which, if you do this for 2-3 hours a day, you could lose 44-60 pounds in a year. It's recommended that you start slowly, though, walking 15 minutes every hour and then increasing gradually. Alternatively, you can use a mini-stepper under a tall desk, or while watching TV to achieve the same results.
  •  

2-Reach for the caffeine, pass on the sugar and cream. Caffeine tends to increase the number of calories you burn, probably because they stimulate thermogenesis — one way your body generates heat and energy from digesting food and because the boost in energy means you move around more (which means more calories burned). Having 250 milligrams of caffeine with a meal can increase the calories spent metabolizing the meal by 10%. Green tea, in particular, seems to be especially conducive to burning calories. So instead of having soda or any other calorie-laden drink with your meals, go for an unsweetened cup of coffee or tea. Skip the sugar, milk, cream, or any other caloric enhancements so that you don't replace the extra calories you're burning. Drinking coffee or tea plain will take some getting used to, but purchasing high-quality beans or tea leaves will certainly help.








3-Increase your after-meal burn by eating more vegetables and phasing out meat and dairy products. Your body expends around 200 calories to digest your food. People who eat fibrous fruit, vegetables, complex carbs, and low-fat meat burn even more calories after they eat. In fact, vegetarians generally have a bigger after-meal burn than their omnivorous counterparts. And no matter what you eat, adding 5g of Tabasco sauce to any meal can raise your metabolism by 12-20 percent for up to two hours after you're done. This is caused by capsaicin - the nutrient that makes chile peppers hot.



4-Drink ice water. The colder the water you drink, the more calories you burn, since your body expends more energy warming up the water. If you have 8 glasses (64 oz) of ice-cold water in a day, you'll burn 70 more calories than if you drank 8 glasses of a body temperature beverage. In fact, this principle will work with any calorie-free beverage, as long as it's ice cold, so you might want to ice up that coffee and tea mentioned earlier for cumulative calorie-burning effects. Keep in mind, however, that the weight loss impact of this one particular practice isn't drastic: It would take 435 glasses of ice water (about two months, assuming 8 glasses a day) to lose one pound. And, don't go overboard. There's such a thing as water toxicity. Follow the guidelines in How to Drink More Water Every Day

5-Chill out. Shivering burns calories, so if you can spend more time outside when it's cold, you'll crank up the calorie furnace. Even if you don't shiver, though, you can get a 3-7% increase in calorie burn just from your body warming itself (similar to the principle at work when you drink ice water). Just don't run away with this idea and get yourself sick!




6-Calories burnt is proportional to your lean body mass. So, consume a good amount of protein, 20-30 grams, within ten minutes of your workout and you will be on your way to increasing you lean body mass and burning better calories.


7-
Eating a small meal every 2 hours will keep your metabolism fired and keep your calories burning.
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Herbal Tea Benefits

Herbal teas are renowned for their benefits but what benefits do herbal teas actually have and why are they so advantageous to our health?  Read on to find out more.

What is Herbal Tea?

Herbal tea looks like tea and is brewed in the same way as tea, but it not actually a tea at all.  This is because they do not come from the Camellia Sinensis bush, the plant from which all teas are made.  Herbal teas are actually infusions, and are properly called tisanes.  Tisanes are made from mixtures of dried leaves, seeds, grasses, nuts, barks, fruits, flowers, or other botanical elements that give them their taste and provide the benefits of herbal teas.
Unlike other forms of tea, herbal teas contain no caffeine.  They also taste great and are easy to drink.  Your herbal tea may consist of one main herbal ingredient or it may be a blend of herbal ingredients, designed to bring about a specific purpose, such as relaxation, rejuvenation, relief from a specific condition, amongst other things.

Noted Benefits of Herbal Teas

Firstly, it is important to note that there is a huge array of herbal teas available on the market – each one designed to have a specific therapeutic or medicinal benefit.  However, there are some general benefits that can be obtained from herbal teas, and these include:
  • achieving a more calm and relaxed state of mind
  • supporting heart health
  • aiding with stomach and digestive problems
  • providing cleansing properties for the body
  • promoting energy and wellness
  • nourishing the nervous system
  • strengthening the immune system
  • providing antioxidants to the body
  • boosting energy levels and invigorating the body
  • relieving stress
  • helping to avoid colds
  • stimulating the internal organs
  • promoting a good night’s sleep
  • it is caffeine free and tastes great

Some Common Herbal Tea Ingredients

There are many different herbs that can be found in an herbal tea, each with a different use.  Some common ones include:
  • Allspice – helps to soothe the common cold and relieves upset stomachs
  • Anise seed – aids digestion and freshens the breath.  It can also soothe a cough and improve bronchitis.
  • Chamomile – is renowned for its calming properties and is also said to be anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic
  • Chrysanthemum – is sweet-tasting and is able to reduce body heat resulting from fever.  It also helps protect against liver damage and neutralises toxins.
  • Cinnamon – is calming and helps to support healthy circulation and digestion.
  • Ginseng – stimulates vitality and helps the body stay healthy.
  • Ginger root – is excellent for improving circulation, and is one of the best herbs for improving digestion, nausea, lung congestion, and arthritis.
  • Hawthorne – strengthens the heart and increases blood flow.
  • Lemongrass – is frequently used due to its calming properties.
  • Parsley – is a diuretic and helps with kidney function.
  • Pau d'arco - has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity against a wide variety of organisms including bacteria, fungi, yeasts (including Candida albicans), viruses (including herpes simplex types I and II, influenza virus, poliovirus and retroviruses) and parasites.
  • Peppermint – is good for stress relief.  It also helps with stomachs and digestive issues and helps to freshen the breath.
  • Red Clover - use as a medicine for menopausal symptoms, cancer, mastitis, joint disorders, asthma, bronchitis, psoriasis and eczema. It is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  • Rose hips – are a natural source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids.  They are a liver, kidney, and blood tonic, and are a good remedy for fatigue, colds, and cough.
  • Sarsaparilla – promotes energy and healthy skin.
  • Slippery elm – helps to relieve stomach cramps and other gastrointestinal problems.

Making Herbal Tea

When you are making your herbal tea, use fresh, cold water.  Do not use aluminium cookware as it can affect the taste.  Use glass, cast iron, or stainless steel where possible.  A tea strainer is very helpful as it lets you create your own blends of teas or herbs, and stops the leaves and flowers from escaping into the drink.
Once the water has boiled, add one heaped teaspoon of herbs for every cup of water.  Cover and let the herbs steep for ten minutes.  Do not over-steep the herbs as the flavour may become too strong and taste more medicinal rather than pleasant.  If you want to enhance the flavour of your tea, honey or lemon can be great choices.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

How to Naturally Whiten Skin at Home

Instead of using harsh chemical-based products for skin lightening, try the most effective home-made recipes that are free of side/after-effects and are reliable for Skin Whitening. Make your own Skin Whitening Night-cream at home (you can use it as a mask too).

1-Acquire plain organic Yogurt. Take a tablespoonful of yogurt. 


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2-Add 3-4 drops of freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice in it.

3-Add a tiny droplet of Lavender/Rose or Jasmine flower oil. You can also use Vanilla essence in place of the above-mentioned oils.

4-Mix all the ingredients well, cover them and leave to settle for two minutes. 

5-Now, apply this mixture as a night-cream before you go to bed. Or alternatively, apply this paste on your face and neck as a mask.

6-In case of using it as a night-cream, wash your skin with a mild soap in the morning. If you have used this paste as a mask, wash after 20 minutes with lukewarm water, without using soap.








Melasma Natural Treatment

What is melasma? This is a skin disorder that interferes with the natural color of the skin. A person affected with melasma shows formation of brown patches that are generally seen on the facial area. As we all know, the pigment melanin that is being produced in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin) is responsible for giving color to the superficial skin. However, when there is too much of melanin production, it can lead to the development of brown spots on the face. When it comes to curing this skin disorder, people prefer treating it naturally, instead of prescription medicines.

Causes

Hormonal imbalance is common during pregnancy, which can cause excess production of melanin. This eventually brings discolored skin and hence melasma is usually observed in pregnant women. Also, when skin is exposed to sun for prolonged periods of time, it may respond in the form of melasma. Thyroid problems such as overactive thyroid gland or side effect of certain medications such as oral contraceptives or estrogen and progesterone pills, are some of the factors that can cause melasma.

Natural Remedies

Lemon Juice
This is considered to be the best way to clear melasma naturally. Regular application of fresh lemon juice on the affected area can gradually disappear those ugly patches. Daily usage of lemon juice has shown considerable amount of improvement in the appearance of skin. With lemon juice, to lighten or fade away melasma is no big deal. Squeezing the lemon on the affected skin area, is the most sought after treatment for melasma. An important constituent of lemon juice is citric acid. Being acidic in nature, lemon juice scraps the outermost layer safely, thus helping to remove the discolored skin. After 10-15 minutes, washing your face with warm water is recommended. Keeping the lemon juice for over 20 minutes can do more harm than good to the skin.

Onion
This is yet another melasma natural treatment that can work wonders to heal this skin condition. First, chop the onion into very small pieces. Make slices of onion and immerse them into vinegar. Now, apply these onion slices dipped in vinegar on the affected skin. Onion juice can also be helpful to eliminate these brown spots. In order to extract onion juice, one will require a cheesecloth. First chop the onion into very small pieces and then wrap it in a cheesecloth. Tie the two ends of a cheesecloth and allow the cheesecloth to hang freely anywhere in the house. The onion juice will be seen oozing out from the cheese cloth. One can keep a container below the cheesecloth to collect the onion juice. Now mix it with vinegar in equal amounts. Now, use a cotton ball to apply this solution two times in a day. However, it may take several weeks, before the brown spots completely disappear. After 10-15 minutes, it is advised to wash your face with lukewarm water.

Grape Seed Extract
Use of grape seed extracts can also play a very important role to reduce the appearance of melasma. Grape seed extracts are known to support skin health by protecting it from free radical damage, hence their usage is helpful in treating melasma. Studies have revealed that grape seed extract can lighten melasma triggered by hormonal disturbances and UV radiation. In one animal study, guinea pigs who had patchy brown pigmentation due to excessive exposure to UV rays were put on grape seed extract. The dark skin discoloration on guinea pigs decreased noticeably due to oral dosage of grape seed extract taken for a stipulated period of time. In another study, about a dozen women affected with hyperpigmentation were given grape seed extracts for about a year. After evaluating the skin problem, just after 6 months, the patchy hyperpigmented skin improved considerably.

Oil Combination
Both lavender and tea tree oil display skin healing properties and so their mixture can also contribute effectively to treat melasma. Applying a mixture (3-4 times daily) that is made by combining lavender and tea tree oil in equal amounts can also help to lighten melasma. A combination of chamomile and lavender essential oil is yet another effective home remedy for the treatment of melasma.

Cucumber
Say goodbye to melasma with cucumber. Use of cucumber juice or cucumber mask has also been helpful in getting rid of melasma. These skin blemishes respond quite well to this natural remedy. Dark spots associated with melasma will soon fade away with regular application of cucumber juice or mask.

Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, an item found in almost every household can also be effective to remove melasma. Mix half a cup of apple cider vinegar in equal amounts of water. The solution thus prepared is then used for washing the face. Vinegar is basically an astringent that causes contraction of superficial skin. This action helps to make the skin look better and smoother. Use of apple cider vinegar has been long regarded as one of the beautiful skin remedies. Once you have applied the solution on the affected area, wash it with water after a few minutes. Allow the affected area to dry naturally and do not use a towel. For a bright clear skin free from melasma, use of this solution is certainly recommended.

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera promotes a healthy looking skin, involves usage of aloe vera gel, hence it is an active ingredient of most skin care products, due to its ability to alleviate skin problems. You can directly apply cold aloe vera gel to the discolored region of the skin. Massage the gel on the affected area with soft hands and one will see dark spots fading away within a couple of weeks. Application of a solution made by mixing aloe vera oil with vitamin E and primrose oil, once a week is also effective to reduce pigmentation.

Turmeric
Use of turmeric also comes in the list of melasma natural cures. A turmeric paste made by mixing lemon juice with turmeric powder, when applied on the affected region is helpful to eliminate melasma. This is because turmeric stops excessive production of melanin, which helps to reduce those brown spots. Once applied, let the paste remain for 10-15 minutes and then wash the affected part with clean water.

Melasma is a temporary skin problem that generally goes away after delivery. However, one has to follow any of these treatment options daily to restore healthy look of the skin at the earliest.

Home Remedies For kidneys

The kidneys and the bladder play important roles in the body. The main function of the kidneys is to remove excess fluid and waste products from the body through the urine. They also regulate the body's potassium and sodium levels, as well as its pH balance, and produce hormones that affect other organs, including erythropoietin (which stimulates red blood cell production) and renin (which helps blood flow). Since the kidneys are such a vital body organ, any injury or disease that interferes with kidney function has the potential to be very serious. Kidney disease is actually a catch-all term that includes diseases ranging from kidney stones and urinary tract infections to more serious disorders such as glomerulonephritis and polycystic kidney disease. Although each kidney condition has its own unique characteristics, certain symptoms are associated with the majority of kidney problems.
These include a frequent urge to urinate, chills, fluid retention (puffiness in the face and limbs or resulting weight gain), back pain (felt just under the ribs), vomiting, fever, pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and a burning sensation during urination. The urine may be cloudy or bloody. Both kidneys are usually affected by any kidney disease. If the ability of the kidneys to filter blood is seriously damaged, excess fluid and wastes may build up in the body. This causes symptoms of kidney failure and severe swelling.

The bladder is a hollow organ with muscular walls that is part of the urinary tract. Urine continuously drains into the bladder from the kidney. In an adult, the bladder can hold about two cups of urine. As the bladder fills, it causes discomfort and, hence, the urge to urinate.

Bladder infections and inflammation can occur in any area of the bladder and servicing tissue. The most common bladder disorder, cystitis, is an infection or inflammation of the bladder. Symptoms of cystitis include a frequent urge to urinate (even though the bladder may be empty), excessive night urination, and dark or cloudy urine with an unpleasant or strong odor. Lower abdominal pain and a painful, burning sensation on urination may accompany the infection. There may be blood in the urine, and you may suffer chills, fever, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and back pain.
In addition to the herbs listed below, other beneficial herbs include barberry, bilberry, horsetail, marshmallow, sarsaparilla, and speedwell.

Home remedies for kidneys

 
Home remedies for kidneys #1:
1 teaspoon Oregon grape root
1 teaspoon wild cherry root
2 cups water
Place the above herbs in a pan and cover with the water; bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3o minutes; cool and strain. Place a tablespoon of the resulting tea in an 8-ounce glass of water and stir well. Drink one to two tablespoons at a time, up to one cup a day.

Home remedies for kidneys #2: TO IMPROVE URINE FLOW
1 teaspoon horseradish root
1 teaspoon queen of the meadow
1 teaspoon parsley
1 cup boiling water
Combine the above herbs and cover with the boiling water; steep for 3o minutes; strain. Take one tablespoon of the mixture in a glass of apple juice, three or four times daily.


Home remedies for kidneys #3:
1 teavoon black currant
1 teaspoon pipsissewa
1 cup boiling water
Combine the above herbs and cover with the boiling water; steep for 15 minutes; strain. Use two to three times daily for inflammation of the bladder, up to three cups a day, for no more than three days.


Home remedies for kidneys #4:
1  
teaspoon uva urei leave and atente
1 teaspoon Oregon grape
2 cups water
Place the herbs in a pan and cover with the water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3o minutes; strain. Take as needed.