How to Sleep Soundly

Get into a routine
Having a routine bedtime and number of hours of sleep each night trains your body to be ready for bed and ready to wake up.

Obviously the nature of our busy lives doesn't allow this to be the case each day, but implement this tactic generally throughout the week and you will enjoy a fuller, more productive sleep

The bedroom is for sleep
Sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many people use their bedroom as a place to eat, watch TV, work on the laptop or listen to loud music — all of which is usually conducted while on the mattress itself.

It's not that you shouldn't do things like listen to music, but the bedroom should be a place to relax, so save your bed for love and sleep — a haven to go to after a long day that instantly instils calm, happiness and essentially, gets you ready to nod off!

The correct bed
Probably the most important factor in a good night's sleep is your bed — we spend a third of our lives in there! Take time to select a mattress that suits you (and your partner) in terms of comfort and support — you are on the highway to sleep-land if you take extra care and attention on this. Also invest in good, comfortable bedding and a pillow that is right for you

Tea, coffee and alcohol (Stimulants)
Any stimulant is a no-no before bed! Sometimes you might think alcohol makes your sleep better... it most definitely doesn't and these stimulants actually prevent you from reaching that deep sleep phase when your body repairs and recuperates from the stresses and strains of the day.

A milk drink or herbal tea is a much better choice and some herbal teas like chamomile can even help you to relax. Lavender oil is also is also a great (and cheap) herbal relaxant, so put a few drops on your pillow

Exercise
Having a healthy lifestyle that incorporates daily exercise is a key part of a good sleep, so I encourage all of my patients to make time for exercise. A walk in your lunchbreak counts, too! Not only does it help with sleep but it gives you more energy and alertness throughout the day, too

Switch off your mind before bed
This will be a process of trial and error and individual preference, but do whatever it is that helps you to turn your mind off from work and daily life in order to rest and sleep. Try something like reading, a yoga class, a bath or even writing down your thoughts on paper to release them. Then go to bed. And never go to bed on an argument — this a sure fire guarantee of a poor nights' sleep

Go to bed when you're tired
Sounds obvious and while I have already advised that routine is important, which it is, if you're not tired, you will struggle to nod off, so save heading to bed until your body tells you it needs to. Similarly, if you are struggling to fall asleep, don't fight it and get frustrated, get up, do something else and go back to bed when you're ready

Eating before bed
If you are hungry before bed, there is nothing wrong with a small, healthy snack, but overeating before bed can really disturb your sleep, so take extra care what you eat

Quit smoking
In addition to the clear health benefits to this tactic, many smokers don't realise how much smoking can affect your sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep and smokers can actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it even harder to sleep.

Daytime napping
Try to avoid long, daytime naps as it will only contribute to disturbing a full, rested night's sleep at night time. Sleep is essential, but it should also be enjoyable, so savour it for twilight hours! For additional info: (http://health.ninemsn.com.au/pamper/relaxation/8381895/top-10-tips-for-a-good-nights-sleep)

Yogurt Helps Fresh Breath?

Let’s be honest. Having bad breath stinks. It makes everyone uncomfortable. The person with bad breath suffers. The people who are exposed to the bad breath suffer. It’s just an annoying problem that leads to feelings of self consciousness for everyone involved.

We all know that taking good care of our teeth and gums can help control halitosis (chronic bad breath). Some of us even try additional means of beating this nuisance, such as brushing our tongues or using special mouthwashes, mints and chewing gum. All of those techniques can be helpful. But there’s also a common food that we can include in our diets that just may help solve our bad breath blues and improve overall oral health as well. That food is yogurt.

Good Bacteria vs. Bad Bacteria

A study was presented at the International Association of Dental Research that examined the role that “live yogurt” could play on the presence of halitosis. Live yogurt refers to yogurt that contains live cultures. These are the healthy bacteria that provide many of the health benefits associated with yogurt consumption.

In this particular study a group of 24 healthy individuals were asked to avoid eating any cultured foods for two weeks prior to the study. Foods such as natural cheese, kefir, pickled vegetables, sour cream and, of course, yogurt, were to be avoided.

After the two weeks, researchers took samples of the volunteers’ saliva and from their “tongue coating”. They measured the bacterial quantities and the levels of volatile substances like hydrogen sulfide (which is a major player in the game of bad breath).

For a period of 6 weeks, the 24 participants ate about 3 ounces of unsweetened yogurt, two times a day. At the end of the 6 week trial, the researchers again tested for bacterial counts and took samples of the tongue coating. Here’s what they discovered:

• There was approximately an 80% decrease in hydrogen sulfide and other odor promoting compounds in the mouths of the yogurt eaters.
• There was also an improvement in symptoms of gum disease and a reduction in the amount of plaque.

This research is supported by another study that was published in February of 2009. But, there may be another reason for the breath-improving effect of live yogurt. In the past, it’s been noted that yogurt may improve our breath by supporting healthier digestion. Poor digestion is a lesser known factor in halitosis. So it could very well be that yogurt impacts halitosis in a multi-faceted way.

But wait there’s more!

In the above information, it appears that the probiotic (healthy bacteria) content of yogurt is largely responsible for the benefits. But there’s more to yogurt than just probiotics. For instance, yogurt also contains a group of proteins called Casein Phosphopeptides (CPPs). According to a group of Italian researchers, “CPPs contained in yogurt have an inhibitory effect on demineralization and promote remineralization of dental enamel.” In other words, yogurt may help to make teeth stronger! How cool is that?!

In the breath study, the live yogurt used contained two specific strains of healthy bacteria: Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilis. I have a container of organic, whole milk yogurt in my refrigerator. It contains both of these strains and others as well. If you are interested in trying to use yogurt to improve your breath, make sure the brand you choose contains these two helpers, is sugar-free and clearly states that it contains “live cultures” (living, healthy bacteria). (http://www.healthyfellow.com/133/yogurt-for-fresh-breath/)

How To Keep Your Teeth White

Every other aspect of your appearance may be ideal. The only problem is that your teeth aren't quite white enough, so you may feel a lack of confidence. The following article will give you some simple ideas that will show you how to go about giving your teeth a whiter look.

Fruits and vegetables that are crunchy are great for whitening teeth. They can actually wear away stains and discoloration. Some great food examples for helping your teeth stay white are carrots, apples, and even celery.

Eat a diet that is rich in fresh produce. Don't eat a lot of processed junk food, or fast food items. You should also keep snacking to a minimum. Changing what and how you eat can reduce your cavities and help brighten your smile.

Dark food can cause staining and should be avoided where possible. This includes foods like darkly coloured raspberries and blueberries. Coffee and soda drinks are also teeth staining beverages. Staying away from such foods and drinks is a great way to preserve white teeth.

You can use strawberries to whiten your teeth. Because of the organic compounds in strawberries, they may whiten the teeth without having to use harsh chemicals. Make strawberries a paste and use it to brush your teeth, leaving it on for a little while. You could take a piece of strawberry and smear it over your teeth when you are just hanging out.

If your mouth starts hurting, do not keep on whitening your teeth. Whitening products can sometimes increase sensitivity and cause inflammation. If you have these conditions, stop whitening your teeth until you can talk to your dentist about products that might work better for you, or getting a procedure done to give you the results you are looking for.

Consume larger quantities of dairy foods. Your teeth will be healthier and stronger if you consume vitamins found in milk, cheeses and sour cream. With stronger tooth enamel, your smile will be more resistant against discoloration. Adding these delicious foods to your diet will help you gain healthy white teeth.

Once you have taken the time to whiten your teeth, you should always keep them clean by brushing regularly throughout the day. Food particles can cause the growth of bacteria on your teeth. If your teeth haven't yet been cleaned, they can be damaged by bacteria growth, so remember to brush them.

Although many say it is, hydrogen peroxide is not a safe teeth-whitening method. Using this product is not safe, it can make discoloration worse, and it could even leave the teeth a multitude of shades. Be careful when you use products that contain hydrogen peroxide.

Flossing is important. By flossing, you remove plaque. Plaque is responsible for a lot of the discoloration on teeth. Keep floss with you so you can always floss your teeth after you eat. Flossing, prior to sleep, is essential because it rids sensitive areas of bacteria that will form plaque if not removed.

Routine dental visits are a great way to improve the whiteness of your teeth. Regular cleanings is among the most effective methods you can include in your teeth whitening regimen. See your dentist at least twice a year for cleanings.

Use a straw to help minimize the impact of drinks on your teeth. Cold drinks with lots of artificial colours, such as cola or grape juice, have the potential to stain teeth. Sipping them through a straw will keep away the staining liquid from the surface of the teeth, and that means healthy white teeth for you.

Since the advent of whitening solutions, no-one needs to suffer with yellowing, stained teeth. Home kits, whitening toothpastes and professional whitening treatments are among the various solutions available. It won't take long or cost too much to have a better looking smile

This content is provided by www.360dentalcare (This article is free for republishing Source: http://www.articlealley.com/get-teeth-that-are-white-with-these-tips-2435936.html)

Excessive Abdominal Fat is a Serious Health Issue.

It is a well known fact that many people have excess abdominal fat. Most people think that this additional abdominal fat is primarily a self conscious cosmetic issue, which prevents their abs from being visible.

In reality, this excess abdominal fat is not just unsightly, but is also a very significant risk factor to your health. It has been clearly shown through scientific research that although it is unhealthy to have excess general body fat, it is especially dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

Your abdominal area has two types of fat. The first, that prevents your abs from being visible, is called subcutaneous fat. This is on top of the abdominal muscles and directly beneath the skin.

Visceral fat is the second type of fat in the area. This lies further down in your abdomen, beneath your muscle and around your organs. This type of fat gives some men a “beer belly” appearance, when their abdomen sticks out abnormally but still feels firm if pushed.

Excessive subcutaneous and visceral fat are both considerable health risks, but it has been proved that having excess visceral fat is more dangerous. The risk of heart disease is greatly increased by both types of fat, as is the risk of some degenerative diseases, including  diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea and some forms of cancer.

Visceral fat is especially dangerous partly because it is apparent that it consistently releases more inflammatory molecules into the system.

There is no escaping the fact that reducing your abdominal fat should be a top priority if you are concerned about the quality of your life and care for your loved ones. Happily a great side effect of correcting the situation is that your stomach will flatten and with loss of sufficient stomach fat, those attractive six pack abs will appear!

So how do we achieve this? Is there a practical solution away from all the gimmicks and hype seen in many ads and commercials for “miraculous” fat loss products?

You must firstly realise that there is no quick fix solution. There aren’t any pills or supplements that will reduce your abdominal fat more quickly. None of the gimmicky ab belts, rockers or rollers will help reduce abdominal fat either.

There is one solution to losing your abdominal fat permanently and that is to have both a sound nutritious diet, full of unprocessed natural foods and a correctly designed exercise programme that stimulates the correct hormonal and metabolic response in your body. Both are important to achieve your aims.

A particular study has shown that thousands of participants divided into a diet only group and an exercise and diet combined group, produced significantly different results. Both groups made good progress, but the diet only group lost less abdominal fat than the other group.

It’s not just any old exercise programme that will suffice. Most people who try a good exercise routine do not work out effectively enough to sufficiently stimulate the loss of persistent abdominal fat.

Many people will try typical ineffective cardio routines, supplement this with some outmoded body-part style weight training, pumping away with crunches and side bends and think they are effectively reducing their stomach fat. Frustration sets in after several weeks or months of no results and a realisation that they are going wrong somewhere.

Here’s the good news. This topic has been scientifically researched for over a decade and the conclusions have proved what really works and what successfully stimulates abdominal fat loss. It is now possible to finally help you get rid of that excessive abdominal fat, which is not just ugly but also dangerous.

I would urge you not to waste another confidence draining day, allowing that nasty abdominal fat to possibly contribute to your risk for major diseases.

Most people, even with good first intentions, fail in their fitness goals to adopt a new lifestyle. After just a few weeks or months, they cast aside their good intentions and relapse into old bad habits that generated the excess body fat initially.

Get the solution, to finally eliminate for life, this abdominal fat problem, by reading more details in the free report below.
How to Lose Flabby Abdominal Fat