Tahukah anda? – 2

Kalau kita sembur racun ke arah semut, serangga itu mesti akan tumbang ke sebelah kiri.

6 Makanan terbaik untuk kulit sihat

Kulit yang sihat dan cantik menjadi kegilaan orang sekarang ini. Siapa yang tidak hendak kulit yang putih licin bercahaya tanpa jerawat, tanpa parut, dan tanpa penyakit kulit yang kronik?

Kulit yang sihat tidak terlalu berminyak dan tidak pula terlalu kering. Kalau kulit terlalu berminyak, ia akan mudah tumbuh jerawat. Kalau kulit terlalu kering, ia akan menyebabkan kulit cepat berkedut sebelum tiba masanya.

Sesetengah orang sanggup membelanjakan wang yang banyak hanya untuk mendapatkan rawatan kulit secara luaran. Rawatan luaran sahaja tanpa disertai dengan pemakanan yang berkhasiat untuk kulit, kecantikan kulit tidak akan bertahan lama. Oleh itu, rawatan dalaman dengan cara mengambil makanan yang terbaik untuk kulit yang sihat adalah penting.

Pakar pemakanan telah mengenalpasti 6 jenis makanan terbaik untuk mendapatkan kulit yang sihat.

6 Best Foods for Healthy Skin

By David Zinczenko
Aug 16, 2010

Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, and Lindsay Lohan: What do these women have in common? They’ve all been embroiled in tabloid-worthy scandals. But what else? They all look good, even when the press isn’t. That’s because they have what so many of us strive for: Perfect skin.

So, what’s the secret? How do some of us achieve the golden hue of Halle Berry while the rest of us get stuck with a scaly patchwork of blotches, pimples, and dry spots? Some of it’s genetic, sure, but that’s not the whole story. If you listen to the conventional wisdom coming from the pharmaceutical companies, you might think the problem is that you just haven’t discovered the right cream, ointment, or alcohol-soaked cleansing pad to clear up your face. But those are solutions of last resort. What you need is a preventive strategy, one that involves nurturing the complex balance of nutrients that feed your skin and nurture your inner glow. In other words, if you want the kind of skin that looks good even through a Hollywood scandal, you’ve got to eat right. Here are six foods that will have you looking your best.

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for more quick-hit health tips that draw on everything I’ve learned in more than a decade as editor for Men’s Health and Women’s Health.

1. SALMON

Salmon is an ideal food for many reasons, but as far as your skin’s concerned, there’s only one that matters: It’s among the world’s greatest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are the essential fats that, along with bolstering the cognitive powers of your brain, concentrate in the walls of your epidermal cells to help lock in moisture. Plus, in one study, researchers supplemented two groups of mice with either omega-3 or omega-6 fats. After two weeks, the skin of the omega-3-fed group exhibited a 20 percent faster recovery rate from exposure to ultraviolet light. That gives salmon two crucial skin boons: keeping your skin from looking dry and helping it battle the dangers of excessive sunlight.

Other omega-3 foods: sardines, walnuts, flaxseed

Bonus Tip: Sushi is one of my favorite ways to eat salmon. Use our Ultimate Sushi Selector to make sure your sushi roll doesn’t turn into a belly roll.

2. CARROTS

Carrots are teeming with tiny orange pigments called beta-carotene, and when you ingest those pigments, you’re inviting them to nestle into your skin, fill in blotches, and give you a healthy glow. And what’s more, research shows that this can actually help prevent premature aging from sun damage. But is the accumulation of orange in your skin going to make you look like an extra from Jersey Shore? Well, hopefully not. But eating excessive loads of carotene-rich foods can lead to a condition called carotenosis, wherein your skin stops looking healthy and starts looking, well, orange. But the conditions is rare, so unless you notice yourself turning into a prison jumpsuit, feel free to chow down.

Other beta-carotene foods: sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, red grapefruit

3. AVOCADO

One study published by The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people with higher intakes of olive oil had fewer wrinkles than people with higher intakes of butter. The reason: Butter is loaded with saturated fat, while olive oil is rich in monounsaturates, the same essential fats that make up more than 50% of the calories in an avocado. So why eat avocado over olive oil? Both are good, but avocados have the added bonus of B vitamins, which also help to keep your skin looking vibrant and smooth.

Other monounsaturated-fat foods: olive oil, almonds, peanut butter

Bonus Tip: These foods are only the tip of the super-food iceberg. Click here for 15 more Foods that Cure.

4. BEANS

Legumes, to be more precise. This is the class of plants that includes black beans, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, and peanuts. And how do these puny pods protect your face? By smoothing out wrinkles. Australian researchers analyzed the diets of more than 400 elderly men and women and found that high intakes of legumes—alongside vegetables and healthy fats—resulted in 20% fewer wrinkles over time. The effect is likely a result of isoflavones—potent antioxidants—concentrated in the beans.

Other isoflavone-rich foods: alfalfa, tempeh, tofu

5. GRAPES

Besides providing protection from heart attack and stroke, antioxidants called polyphenols found in grapes can also help keep middle-aged skin from sagging. That’s because polyphenols improve skin’s elasticity by strengthening collagen, the primary protein in skin’s innermost layer.

Other polyphenol-rich foods: grape juice, blueberries

Bonus Tip: Here’s another easy way to tighten your skin and improve your looks: Lose 5 pounds. Start here: 10 simple weight-loss strategies that work.

6. WATER

Okay, it’s not as fun to drink as wine, but water is the strongest weapon you have against lifeless skin. That’s why they call it “moisturizing”—because you’re trying to lock moisture, aka water, into your skin. To put it broadly, all the body’s processes rely on hydration, so if you’re not sipping throughout the day, you’re likely to have a slower metabolism, groggier head, and, yes, drier skin. One study suggested that it takes a mere half-liter of water to create a measurable increase in the capillary blood flow to your body’s outer layer. That’s just over 16 ounces. Try doing that a few times a day and you’ll have a face like a baby’s bottom in no time.

Other water-rich foods: watermelon, peaches, celery

Bonus Tip: Certain foods can fortify your heart, bones, muscles, and brain as well.

Source

Putihkan gigi secara semulajadi, jauhi fluoride…

Sebagaimana kita semua tahu, semua ubat gigi mengandungi fluoride iaitu suatu bahan kimia pemutih gigi dan pencegah gigi berlubang yang sangat toksik dan memberi kesan buruk kepada kesihatan kita, seperti menganggu sistem enzim, merosakkan sistem pertahanan badan, meningkatkan arthritis, dsb. Dari segi toksiknya, fluoride lebih bahaya daripada plumbum (lead) dan hanya kurang sedikit daripada arsenik, dan dalam tempoh jangka panjang ia berkumpul dalam tulang kita.

Sedikit fakta asas tentang ketoksikan fluoride seperti di bawah ini…

The Dangers of Fluoride and Fluoridation

by Michael Schachter M.D., F.A.C.A.M.

Approximately half of the United States’ drinking water supply is fluoridated in an attempt to reduce dental cavities in children. Is this state of affairs justified? Is it safe?

Most Americans are unaware of the dangers of ingesting fluoride. Most dentists, physicians and scientists are unaware of the dangers of fluoride and water fluoridation. According to a 1988 article in the prestigious Chemical and Engineering News, scientific voices of opposition to fluoridation have been suppressed, since 1950 when the U.S. Public Health Service first endorsed fluoridation. Power tactics including threats, ridicule and frank censorship aimed at scientists and clinicians knowledgeable about fluoridation have prevented the truth about fluoride to be disseminated to the science world as well as to the public. Whenever a public agency is charged with objectively evaluating the safety of a procedure while at the same time endorsing and recommending it, a serious conflict of interest is set up. This is exactly the position of the U.S. Public Health Service for the past 44 years.

Facts About Fluoride

So, what are some of the facts about fluoride? According to the handbook, Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, fluoride is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. It is a cumulative poison that accumulates in bone over the years. According to the Physicians Desk Reference, “in hypersensitive individuals, fluorides occasionally cause skin eruptions such as atopic dermatitis, eczema, or urticaria. Gastric distress, headache, and weakness have also been reported. These hypersensitive reactions usually disappear promptly after discontinuation of the fluoride.”

From 1990 to 1992, the Journal of the American Medical Association published three separate articles linking increased hip fracture rates to fluoride in the water. In the March 22, 1990 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic researchers reported that fluoride treatment of osteoporosis increased hip fracture rate and bone fragility.

A study by Procter and Gamble showed that as little as half the amount of fluoride used to fluoridate public water supplies resulted in a sizable and significant increase in genetic damage. Epidemiology research in the mid-1970′s by the late Dr. Dean Burk, head of the cytochemistry division of the National Cancer Institute, indicated that 10,000 or more fluoridation-linked cancer deaths occur yearly in the United States. In 1989, the ability of fluoride to transform normal cells into cancer cells was confirmed by Argonne National Laboratories. Results released in 1989 of studies carried out at the prestigious Batelle Research Institute showed that fluoride was linked to a rare form of liver cancer in mice, oral tumors and cancers in rats, and bone cancer in male rats. Since 1991, the New Jersey Department of Health found that the incidence of osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, was far higher in young men exposed to fluoridated water as compared to those who were not.

In addition to the well documented toxic effects of fluoride, fluoride even at dosages of 1 part per million, found in artificially fluoridated water, can inhibit enzyme systems, damage the immune system, contribute to calcification of soft tissues, worsen arthritis and, of course, cause dental fluorosis in children. These are unsightly white, yellow or brown spots that are found in teeth exposed to fluoride during childhood. In 1993, the Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride of the National Research Council admitted that 8% to 51% and sometimes up to 80% of the children living in fluoridated areas have dental fluorosis. Malnourished people, particularly children, usually targeted for fluoridation, are at greater risks to experience fluoride’s harmful effects.

Surprisingly, the most recent studies do not even show that water fluoridation is effective in reducing tooth decay. In the largest U.S. study of fluoridation and tooth decay, United States Public Health Service dental records of over 39,000 school children, ages 5-17, from 84 areas around the United States showed that the number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth per child was virtually the same in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. Dr. John Colquhoun, former Chief Dental Officer of the Department of Health for Auckland, New Zealand, investigated tooth decay statistics from about 60,000 12 to 13 year old children and showed that fluoridation had no significant effect on tooth decay rate.

Given all of this scientific information, what is behind this push for universal fluoridation? Prior to 1945, fluoride was properly regarded as an environmental pollutant. It was responsible for many lawsuits against industries, such as the aluminum industry and the phosphate fertilizer industry, whose waste products contain large quantities of fluoride. This fluoride destroyed crops and animals, leading to the lawsuits. The limited public view was that fluoride was an environmental pollutant that needed to be reduced or eliminated from the environment.

As a result of clever public relations campaigns, fluoride was transformed from an environmental pollutant to an essential nutrient necessary for producing healthy teeth. The science was poor, but the P.R. campaign was great. Being against fluoride was like being against motherhood or apple pie. Industries not only made millions from selling this environmental pollutant to water companies and toothpaste companies, but more importantly, it saved billions of dollars that would be required to clean up this environmental pollutant.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from fluoride?

First, avoid fluoridated water. Much of the metropolitan area, including New York City water is artificially fluoridated. Boiling water removes chlorine, but concentrates fluoride. Water filters do not remove fluoride, unless there is a reverse osmosis component. Children should avoid fluoridated vitamins and fluoride treatments at the dentist. Everyone should avoid fluoridated toothpaste. The concentration of fluoride in water is 1 ppm, in toothpaste 1,000 ppm and in fluoride dental rinses 10,000 ppm. Work on your legislators to get fluoride out of the water supplies.

Source

Oleh itu, untuk mengelakkan kita tertelan fluoride setiap hari melalui ubat gigi, kenapa tidak kita berubah kepada ubat gigi yang dibuat secara semulajadi. Walaupun agak remeh, kerana perlu disediakan sendiri, tetapi berbaloi kepada orang yang sangat prihatin menjaga kesihatan masing-masing. Orang-orang dulu menggunakan arang yang ditumbuk halus untuk memutihkan gigi, sebelum ada ubat gigi (paste) seperti sekarang ini.

Terdapat 10 cara untuk memutihkan gigi secara semulajadi yang boleh diamalkan oleh sesiapa yang tidak mahu menggunakan ubat gigi yang mengandungi fluoride, seperti di bawah ini….

10 Natural Ways to Get (or Fake) Whiter Teeth

Get a brighter smile with these chemical-free tricks

By Amanda Greene Posted April 27, 2010 from WomansDay.com

When it comes to saying “cheese,” do you suddenly find yourself tight-lipped? Yellow teeth—whether they’re from too much coffee, smoking or just bad genetics—can feel like a serious beauty setback. But you’re not alone: There are tons of whitening products on the market now, from creams to gels to miniature capsules, all devoted to teeth bleaching. If applying peroxides and other chemicals seems a bit too harsh, though, don’t worry. There are plenty of other natural ways to score a gleaming grin. Check out these 10 ideas to help make your smile appear brighter, au naturel.

1. All-Natural Formula

Combine 1/2 tsp baking soda with ½ tsp table salt to make a teeth cleanser, says Dorie Byers, author of Natural Beauty Basics. Add one drop of breath-freshening peppermint essential oil to the mixture. Wet your toothbrush, then dip it into the mixture and brush. The particles in the baking soda polish the surface of your teeth, while a chemical reaction with the water lightens stains. To avoid damaging your enamel, don’t use this method more than once a week.

2. Teeth-Saving Snacks

“Snack on saliva-producing foods like apples, pears, strawberries, celery and carrots,” says Thomas Connelly, DDS, a New York City cosmetic dentist. The additional saliva they produce helps remove bacteria from your mouth and whiten your teeth.

3. Mineral Magic

According to Byers, kaolin clay delivers a gentle abrasive action to teeth and can be used as a natural whitening agent. For breath freshening, a drop of peppermint or clove essential oil can be added. Dampen your toothbrush and dip it into the mixture, then brush. To avoid damaging your enamel, don’t use this method more than once a week.

4. The Wonders of Water

“Swish water in your mouth for 30 seconds right after eating,” says Dr. Connelly. “It will help prevent the food you just ate from staining your teeth.”

5. Creamy Goodness

Dr. Connelly also recommends adding a splash of cream or milk to black coffee or tea—it changes the chemistry of the beverage, which makes it much more difficult for stains to adhere to the tooth’s surface.

6. Think Outside of the Tube

Try a brightening toothpaste that uses all-natural ingredients. Dental hygienist and manager of Tom’s of Maine’s Oral Care Division Susanne Kuehl recommends Tom’s of Maine Simply White toothpaste, which removes stains with sodium fluoride (sourced from fluorspar, an ore) and silica (purified from the earth). You won’t find any chemical thickeners in Tom’s products: They use seaweed instead.

7. Organic Option

Another smart pick for an all-natural toothpaste—and a favorite of Dr. Connelly’s––is Miessence Organic Mint Toothpaste. It uses bicarb soda, a mineral component, to brighten your teeth, and spearmint, peppermint and cinnamon to freshen breath.

8. Another Reason to Eat Your Greens

Load up on spinach and other dark green veggies, like broccoli and kale. These leafy greens contain a mineral compound which produces a film that covers teeth and protects against stains.

9. Pass On the Pop

Avoid soda, which contains acids––like phosphoric, citric, malic and tartaric acids––that can strip your teeth’s enamel. If you have to indulge once in a while, use a straw. It’ll help keep your teeth stain-free.

10. Lipstick Trick

Kuehl recommends this quick trick to fake whiter teeth: Wear a blue-tinted lipstick; the cool undertones will make teeth gleam in comparison. We like CoverGirl Wetslicks Amazemint glosses: They were designed for this very purpose, plus they contain breath-freshening peppermint oil.

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Today’s Quote – 17

Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence ~ Hal Borland