Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Plastic Surgery Versus the Injectable Thread Lift

If you have been looking into plastic surgery in the past few months, you have probably heard about the thread lift. Some believe that this is a better alternative when compared to an actual operation, helping it to earn the title of "lunchtime facelift." But is this the right option for you? Before you make a decision, consider looking into both procedures and talking with a cosmetic surgeon.



Cost :

There is a real difference in cost between traditional plastic surgery and the thread lift. The cost of a facelift is much higher. However, much like anything involving industries that deal with cosmetic changes, there is no doubt that patients tend to get what they pay for. The cost of a thread lift may draw a patient into the office to discuss the options, but he or she will not always follow through with the non-surgical option.
Time
The thread lift can usually be completed in about an hour. Once the work is complete, someone will need to drive the patient home. For the next 24 hours, most normal activities should be kept to a minimal. Once home, the diet is usually limited to soft foods for about a week with over the counter pain medications used as the best option for pain management. After about a week, patients are back to their normal routine. In about three weeks, most patients begin to feel completely confident in their appearance and ready to take on social situations.
On the other hand, plastic surgery can often take hours to complete and then the recovery stretches out for several weeks with the final results not always being complete until months after the procedure. Activities tend to be limited for a bit longer, and there is some bruising and swelling that takes time to heal.
Choosing One Over the Other
So if plastic surgery costs more and takes longer to recover from, why are patients still choosing it more often than the thread lift procedure? While the thread lift can address certain concerns, it cannot create a the complete transformation that something like a facelift offers. It can make changes and improve upon certain areas but it is not as thorough as other operations.
The best way for a patient to figure out which option is best is to meet with a cosmetic surgeon and discuss both options. While it may be nice to pay a little less and even get back to a regular routine quickly, it is important that a patient make sure to choose the best procedure for the desired results. After an initial consultation, the patient should go home and look over the benefits and the drawbacks of both and then come to a decision that he or she is comfortable with.

Simple Approaches To Make Yourself More Beautiful

For those who are like many people, you desire to be much better looking. The good news is that you don't need a dramatic makeover to look more beautiful. In fact, you may very well not have to do the sort of things you expect. Beauty is a lot more than makeup. It's really a way of life. Below are a few basic actions you can take to make yourself look beautiful.
1. Set goals towards your beauty. Exactly which celebrity do you wish to look more like? Do you really need a fresh hairstyle? Consider what else needs to be done when upgrading your look. The reality is that you almost certainly need less work than you would imagine.
2. Picture an ideal you. This sounds simple, in fact it is. Think about the person you desire to view in the mirror and see yourself becoming her. If you feel that sounds silly, take into consideration that a lot of celebrities do that.
3. Trade with your friends and family. Should your friends have learned to style hair, perhaps you could have them do the hair once or twice monthly so that you look especially gorgeous. Have trade parties along with your friends for which you trade clothes; using this method, you have new items in your closet.
4. Improve your diet. Everyone understands you should follow a healthier diet, quite a few individuals do not listen. You must know that what you place in your body it will show on your face and skin. Unless you provide your body with the correct fuel to use, how will you expect anything rather than dull, inflamed skin?
5. Hit the gym. This can be something else you certainly know already that you have to do. In the event the gym just isn't something that appeals to you, obtain your physical exercise someplace else. There are numerous activities to help you shed extra pounds and become stronger. As an example, it is possible to take dancing classes. You may also go on hikes right after lunch or dinner. Incorporate your friends therefore it may certainly be a time for the women so you can get together, which can make you certainly take action.
6. Laugh and smile more frequently. Everyone enjoys somebody who makes them feel good about themselves. You are much more beautiful with a big smile on your face than if you're grumpy on a regular basis. If you wish to lessen your stress, do this by taking up a meditation lesson or applying various deep breathing exercises. This is usually a great tip as it not just allows you to look better, even so it assists you to feel much better.
7. Stay away from things which will harm your state of health. Tend not to smoke, don't do drugs or drink a lot of alcohol. These products leech nutrients from your body leaving you looking less than desirable. Skip them and maintain yourself looking healthy, that's beautiful.You should not do a great deal of expensive treatments or facial peels to be more beautiful. You simply need to look after yourself and your beauty will glow through.

With Foot Pain, Can Orthotics Get Rid Of My Neuropathy?

Can orthotics get rid of my neuropathy?


Many people suffer from neuropathy, or an impingement of nerves located in the back, hips and legs. Neuropathy is characterized by a tingling and prickly sensation in the lower extremities, which is most commonly seen in the legs and feet. The individual may also experience a burning sensation or a numbness in these areas as a result of the condition.

While many forms of treatment are available for this condition, some may consider the use of orthotics for relief. But is this a viable treatment option?

What is orthotics?

Orthotics is the field of medicine that uses devices to help straighten or align a body part. The main areas of the body where orthotics are utilized is the back and feet.

Orthotic devices are worn externally and are meant to correct an area that is not functioning properly, such as a back that has become twisted due to the effects of scoliosis. They are also used to rehabilitate an area after a cast has been removed to allow sufficient time for the area to return to its intended positioning and to allow it to strengthen and stabilize.

Can the use of orthotics relieve neuropathy?

Unfortunately, no. Since neuropathy deals with nerves which are being pinched or damaged, wearing a confining orthopedic device would only aggravate the condition that much more. Since neuropathy requires blood flow and nerve circuitry to be restored, you need to focus on allowing less restriction for the affected area, and not more.

What can be done

One of the best ways to treat neuropathy is to start with your shoes. Wearing shoes which do not fit properly or are too tight will exacerbate the symptoms of neuropathy. Shoes that do not provide adequate support for the feet can also be an issue.

When you wear shoes that are too tight or fail to provide enough of the right kinds of support for the ball and heel, nerves become impaired and neuropathy symptoms will increase in intensity. Switching out your shoes helps to allow blood and nerve flow to be restored back to normal.

Sitting for long periods of time or sitting in chairs which do not provide adequate support can also increase the severity of symptoms.



Calorie Counting: 8 Tips To Help You With Your Weight Loss Diary

When someone decides to make positive changes in their life and live healthier, at some point they will need help. Learning how to do calorie counting properly is an extremely important to successful weight loss. Writing down what you eat in a weight loss diary is an excellent way to do that.

Eat to lose weight, don't diet to lose weight. Diets don't work, but eating right and exercising does. If you want a proven way to lose weight then count your calories.

Here are 8 tips to help you get better results with your calorie counting.

1) Figure Out How Many Calories You Should Eat - This of course is very important to your success with calorie counting. If you don't know how many calories you need to take in then how are you going to know how many to count?

To figure out how many calories you should be taking in just Google "calorie calculator" and that will get you started.

2) Count Calories You Eat and Burn - You want to have a calorie deficit by the time you go to bed. Basically burn off more calories than you have taken in. Counting the calories you have burned off will help you figure out your calorie deficit.

3) Portion Sizes - Eating correct portion sizes can be the difference between losing and gaining weight. The saying in Texas is, "everything is bigger in Texas." This should not be the case with your portion sizes.

A good rule of thumb should be, make your portions about the size of your fist. If you come to the kitchen table with a mountain of food it is probably safe to say that your portion size is a bit too big.

4) Visualize Your Goals and Write Them Down - Visualizing your goals is great but without writing them down you are wasting your time. There is something about putting goals down on paper that make them more achievable for some reason. Put your weight loss goals on ink and paper to help them become more possible.

5) Exercise - This one should not come as a harsh shock at all. Burning off extra calories is essential to get to a healthy weight and staying there. Plus exercising has so many benefits on top of burning calories.

6) Drink Your Water - Just like number 5 this should not be a surprise either. But for some reason a lot of people neglect to consume enough water everyday.

If you want to feel fuller longer after meals, try drinking a glass of water 30 minutes prior to a meal and 30 minutes after a meal.

7) Have A Support System in Place - You need to have support to help you meet your weight loss goals. Having someone in your corner to keep you going is an awesome feeling.

8) Scale Beware - It is tempting to weigh yourself when you first get up in the morning. But don't do it, you might not like what you see. Even when you are losing inches off your waistline the scale still might be fluctuating. Pick a day and time to weigh yourself once a week.



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Today IS the Day: 4 Fitness Mistakes to AVOID

Have you ever woken up and decided that TODAY was the day to make a change in your life? Did you do well that particular day of your decision only to find that, the next day, life still looked the same so you abandoned your resolve? Unfortunately I have found this happen, time and time again, with my clients who make the decision to improve their health & fitness. I have discovered that, when all of the excuses are stripped away, there are 4 main fitness mistakes that people make in their initial decision. Making these mistakes will greatly decrease the chance of truly being successful and meeting your goals. Let's examine each of these because you may be making these choices unconsciously. As you read, I want you to be brutally honest with yourself.

Fitness Mistake #1. People are looking for a quick fix.

Yep, it's true. In today's "instant" society, people are still looking for that quick way to lose 10 lbs without working out or eating healthy. They want to simply pop a pill, take some drops, drink 2 artificial shakes per day, or put a body wrap on. I'm going to be straight with you.There isn't a quick, healthy fix to good fitness. You must put in the time and the sweat. Think about it. How long did it take you to get to the point where you are at today? I can take a pretty good guess that it wasn't overnight. Don't expect, in a healthy manner, to lose the excess weight or gain additional muscle in a week either. You are setting yourself up for failure with this mindset.

Check in: Is this YOU?

Fitness Mistake #2. People don't know where to start, so they just DON'T start.

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed with life that you just sit in the middle of the floor in the midst of all the "stuff" because you don't know where to begin? I hear from so many folks who reach out wanting help but simply don't know where to begin. They feel paralyzed. After all, we are barraged daily with health & fitness options on the TV, in magazines, and in our community. It can be overwhelming especially when you've been down this path before unsuccessfully.

Check in: Is this YOU?

Fitness Mistake #3. People aren't willing to invest in themselves.

OK let's talk straight. I hear this excuse, and yes it IS an excuse, all the time. You may not like what I'm going to say, but I'm going to say it anyway because I feel obligated. Someone has to say it.You absolutely, without a doubt, CAN afford to take care of yourself. You CAN find the money needed for a fitness program. Unless you are on the streets, you DO have disposable money. Granted you may not realize it, but if you were completely honest and really looked at your finances, you would find it. Stop eating out for a month and use that money. Sell some of your old clothes that you no longer wear. Get rid of your cable for a few months. Replace a healthier meal option, such as Shakeology, and decrease your typical grocery bill.If you truly honestly want to find the money, you will. If you don't, you'll find a reason to not be willing to invest in yourself. It happens all the time.

Check in: Is this YOU?

Fitness Mistake #4. People try to go at it alone.

Often times people successfully maneuver around the first 3 landmines only to hit a roadblock here. We are proud people. Most of us don't like to ask or admit that we need help. Unfortunately this last mistake can make or break you. Support is incredibly important, yet often overlooked, piece of the fitness puzzle.To be on your journey while surrounded by people who won't let you fail is an incredible motivator when you've had a rough day and want to throw in the towel. Whether you team up with a friend or join a coaching group of some kind, stay engaged.

Check in: Is this YOU?

In short, I want you to meet your goals. I want to see you successful. I want you healthy, happy, and fit.I want to see you have the energy to keep up with your family and do the things that you want to do. I don't want to see you fall into the trap of any of these fitness mistakes and be derailed once again. It's time to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Are you ready?

After all:

Fitness + Nutrition + Support = SUCCESS FOR LIFE

Give yourself a gift this holiday season. All wrapped up into one, give yourself the gift of fitness, nutrition, AND support by joining my Post-Holiday Challenge Group TODAY! Don't wait. We will be starting on January 2. You are worth it.