How To Remove Birthmarks Naturally

Birthmarks are considered as the discolored skin patches that can happen anywhere on the human body. Most birthmarks are developed before birth. Only some of them appear after birth. Source

Eat well…especially when you’re busy…to maintain your energy and balance!

Eat well…especially when you’re busy…to maintain your energy and balance!
� � When things get crazy in my life it’s easy to forget to eat at all, let alone to eat well. And because I normally put a lot of time into preparing healthy, delicious meals for my family, when I don’t have a lot of time it is SUCH a temptation to just grab

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© Emma Levez Larocque

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When things get crazy in my life it’s easy to forget to eat at all, let alone to eat well. And because I normally put a lot of time into preparing healthy, delicious meals for my family, when I don’t have a lot of time it is SUCH a temptation to just grab “whatever” – and that might be a pre-made veggie burger, or rice cakes and almond butter, or bready things that help to fill me up without a lot of effort. This week I’m having such a week. I am organizing a big event here in my hometown on Friday – it’s Family Literacy Day, and in my  “other life” I am the local Literacy Outreach Coordinator. So I’m up to my eyeballs in details at the moment. But I’ve been doing pretty well this week of being mindful of what I’m eating, and I’ve been feeling grateful for this mindfulness because it’s helping me keep up my energy, and also the balance I need to stay calm and organized in the midst of stress and chaos.

There was a great image I saw on Facebook recently – a road sign that said “Fruit is Fast Food” – and it keeps coming to my mind this week. So when you’re busy and getting buried by your obligations, remember:

1) Take a few minutes to eat well – it will pay you back by keeping up your energy in this busy time.

2) Eating well doesn’t have to mean eating fancy – eat raw fruits and veggies, hummus and salads – easy wraps. Smoothies!

3) If you can find a little time for meditating and/or exercise – even a few minutes a day – again, time well worth spent, that will come back to you tenfold.

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FitLinks: How Staying Fit Can Help You Become CEO

While staying fit with a busy job is no easy task, it may help you get to the corner office. The WSJ reports a correlation between lower BMI’s and executive positions. This may not be too surprising given the demands of leadership can be very strenuous. We also have a cool article about new studies [...]

The post FitLinks: How Staying Fit Can Help You Become CEO appeared first on BuiltLean.com.

While staying fit with a busy job is no easy task, it may help you get to the corner office. The WSJ reports a correlation between lower BMI’s and executive positions. This may not be too surprising given the demands of leadership can be very strenuous.

We also have a cool article about new studies done on the correlation between specific nutrients and muscle preservation & a scary one about what energy drinks can do.

Please Note: The articles and videos listed below are informative, popular, newsworthy, or a combination of all three Just because we have included an article within FitLinks does not necessarily mean that BuiltLean supports, or agrees with its contents or views. If you have a question about our position on any article, please leave a comment and we will be happy to respond!

TRENDING NEWS

1. Americans Unaware Of Health Risks Associated With Obesity (Medical News Daily)

2. ER Visits Tied To Energy Drinks Double (USA Today)

3. Which Nutritional Factors Preserve Muscle Mass & Performance? (Science Daily)

TRENDING ARTICLES

1. Want to Be CEO? What’s Your BMI? (Wall Street Journal)

2. Body Request: Give Me Back My Fitness Data (The Verge)

3. Restaurant Meals Go To ‘Xtremes’ (USA Today)

TRENDING VIDEOS

How Much Cardio Is Enough? (CNN)

The post FitLinks: How Staying Fit Can Help You Become CEO appeared first on BuiltLean.com.

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Are Food Allergies Making You Fat?

Are Food Allergies Making You Fat?

About a year ago, I decided enough was enough. I had a tiny rash on my right thumb for years and it itched like crazy—I couldn’t take it anymore. My doctor recommended an anti-itch cream, but I didn’t want to fight the symptoms, I wanted it to disappear—for good.

I took it upon myself to start researching possible sources. After scouring many books, articles, and websites, I made the decision to start eliminating foods.

Related articles: 

The No. 1 Way to Kill Cravings

Food Sensitivities that Can Make You Fat

10 Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes

Top 6 Secrets for Amazing Skin

read more

Are Food Allergies Making You Fat?

Are Food Allergies Making You Fat?

About a year ago, I decided enough was enough. I had a tiny rash on my right thumb for years and it itched like crazy—I couldn’t take it anymore. My doctor recommended an anti-itch cream, but I didn’t want to fight the symptoms, I wanted it to disappear—for good.

I took it upon myself to start researching possible sources. After scouring many books, articles, and websites, I made the decision to start eliminating foods.

Related articles: 

The No. 1 Way to Kill Cravings

Food Sensitivities that Can Make You Fat

10 Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes

Top 6 Secrets for Amazing Skin

read more

What Is IPL Photo Skin Rejuvenation?

What Is IPL Photo Skin Rejuvenation?
IPL Photo Rejuvenation facials can improve your problems of finer wrinkles, blood vessels, brown pigmentation spots and sagging skin. Photo rejuvenation system will not leave the user with scabbing or sores, which mean you need not to take leisure from everything to set right. It does require some treatments before your skin tightening as well as re-shaping can be seen.
Source: EzineArticles.com

New Weight Loss Products: The Good, the Not-So-Bad, and the Ugly

If you are waiting for that special product that will make weight loss effortless, you might be waiting a very long time.  But there are a few products on the market that are interesting and innovative.  Of course, there are also a few new products that make me squirm. Here are three products that I found particularly notable.

...

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Here is the full post.

Everything You Need to Know About Ulthera

Everything You Need to Know About Ulthera
Due to aging or weight loss, the skin on the chin, neck, eyes, eyebrows, and on the forehead may sag because of the loose skin. In addition to the loose skin, the muscles are also lax and there is not enough collagen to tighten up the muscles. During a facelift, certain procedures will be done so that the muscles will be tone up so that the sagging skin would be remedied and a younger looking appearance will be seen.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Respect everyone’s place in the world

Respect everyone’s place in the world
My husband and I were in Morocco a couple of years ago, and one of my absolute favorite memories of that trip was the day we found this funky vegan restaurant in the midst of the medina in Marrakesh. Besides delighting in the wonderful vegan food, and varied options (we were about 4 weeks tired of couscous and

My husband and I were in Morocco a couple of years ago, and one of my absolute favorite memories of that trip was the day we found this funky vegan restaurant in the midst of the medina in Marrakesh. Besides delighting in the wonderful vegan food, and varied options (we were about 4 weeks tired of couscous and vegetable tagine at that point), and enjoying the warm, offbeat atmosphere of the place, when we went upstairs to find somewhere to sit, we found that one of the chairs of the last available table was occupied by a cat who was fast asleep. Instead of shooing the cat away, the host told us that she would get an extra chair, and we sat with the cat, who snored his/her way right through our meal. We had found a truly vegan restaurant, where everyone’s place in the world was respected!! Needless to say we went back every day we were in that fascinating city.

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Plant-Based Homeoplasmine Properties and Usage

Homeoplasmine is a plant-based, homeopathic remedy in pomade form intended for skin irritations. It is only officially available in France. This article clarifies Homeoplasmine's uses as part of individual's skin care regiments. Read more

Now Foods Is One of the Major Distributors of Jojoba Oil and Products Containing Jojoba Oil

Now Foods is not only one of the major distributors of jojoba oil and products containing jojoba oil, they may well be the largest. They do not sell directly to the consumer but to retail outlets which then sell through the internet or at their physical stores. Complete article

Increasing Demand for Spray Tanning and Spray Tan Course

Increasing Demand for Spray Tanning and Spray Tan Course
Spray tans are one of the most popular beauty treatments for women who desire to have a tanned look or golden glowing skin. In general, tanning is a natural process which occurs instinctively when our skin is exposed to sun rays. But this natural process has turned out to be a harmful one in the recent years because of the increased exposure to harmful UV rays.
Source: EzineArticles.com

The Egg Industry’s Forgotten Victims

The Egg Industry’s Forgotten Victims
In the discussion about “ethical eggs” it is rare to hear much about the cruelty inherent in hatcheries, or of the smallest victims of the industry: male chicks

A dumpster full of discarded male chicks at egg-laying facility. Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary.

In the discussion about “ethical eggs” it is rare to hear much about the cruelty inherent in hatcheries, or of the smallest victims of the industry: male chicks.

Roughly half of all the chicks born each year are males, approximately 200 million in the US alone. A rooster of the egg-laying breed is of no financial value. He is too slow growing and lightly muscled to be used as a “meat bird”. He is unable to produce eggs and is not needed for breeding hens.

The industry standard is to macerate chicks in wood chippers or to gas them. Statistically, for every laying hen, including those in “free-range” or “cage-free” facilities, one male chick has been killed in the hatchery.

Intentional “euthanasia” is just one way chicks may die in a hatchery. Shortly after they are born, chicks are sent via conveyor belt for debeaking and sexing (separating males from females) shortly after hatching. Some chicks end up trapped amongst the shells and eggs in the hatching trays. These chicks suffer intense pain as they are sent through the scalding water spray intended to clean and disinfect the trays.

Debeaking is the amputation of the tip of the beak, which is full of sensitive, nerve-rich tissues. This is a routine procedure that female chicks go through at hatcheries. Many chicks suffer grave injuries to their tongues and/or have trauma to their mouths. Chicks can die after the procedure, either due to a botched debeaking that causes extensive bleeding or trauma, stress from the procedure or starvation and dehydration from being unable or unwilling to eat or drink due to the pain in their mouths.

The most textbook debeaking leaves chicks wounded, in pain and with a greatly reduced ability to use their beaks. Chicken’s beaks are equivalent to our hands – they are used to interact with the world. Debeaking robs chickens of a major source of sensory input.

Female chicks who survive the first few hours of their lives are shipped off to farms and consumers. They can be shipped via the United Postal Service. There are no laws in the United States regulating poultry transport. The fatality rate during transport is so high that hatcheries use extra chicks as “packing peanuts,” thus avoiding too much open space in boxes and ensuring the minimum ordered amount of chicks arrive alive.

Male or female, no chick born in a hatchery is spared from experiencing some form of fear, pain, or discomfort. No matter how “humane” the farm where your eggs are purchased, you must ask, “where do they get their chicks? What happens to the males?”

See more about the problems and cruelties involved in the commercial hatcheries at the following sites. Warning: some pictures and videos may be graphic.

Mercy for Animals

Animal Legal Defense Fund

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7 Ways To Avoid Creases In The Skin Around Your Lips

7 Ways To Avoid Creases In The Skin Around Your Lips
Developing wrinkles is a natural result of getting older, but thank goodness it's not an unavoidable result! One of the most noticeable signs of aging is developing creases and wrinkles around the lips and mouth. While you could avoid these creases through Botox injections and other fillers, here is how to age gracefully and prevent lip creases without resorting to Botox or other cosmetic surgery procedures.
Source: EzineArticles.com

Being mindful of your words

Being mindful of your words
Have you ever said something you wished you could take back, but couldn’t? If so (and who among us hasn’t), you have peeked at the power of words. There are so many words and expressions that humans use regularly that feature animals in a derogatory way. Think, “what a pig!”, “what are you – a chicken?”,

Have you ever said something you wished you could take back, but couldn’t?

If so (and who among us hasn’t), you have peeked at the power of words. There are so many words and expressions that humans use regularly that feature animals in a derogatory way. Think, “what a pig!”, “what are you – a chicken?”, “she’s such a cow”, “he’s a weasel”, etc etc. It can be difficult to eliminate this type of use of words, but if you are mindful, it gets easier. Afterall, the derogatory behavior we often associate with animals is not described by the actual animals at all! Today, notice if you go to use one of those words, and find an alternate way to say what you want to say. It’s all habit and with a little effort and perseverence, the use of animal names as derogatory insults can and will be eliminated.

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Ask Healthy Living: How Much Water Should I Drink?

Ask Healthy Living: How Much Water Should I Drink?

Welcome to Ask Healthy Living -- in which you submit your most burning health questions and we do our best to ask the experts and get back to you. Have a question? Get in touch here and you could appear on Healthy Living!

"Ask Healthy Living" is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a qualified health care professional for personalized medical advice.

How much water am I meant to drink? Is it really eight cups a day?

-- Lily

The notion that we must all drink eight cups of water per day to improve our health is an old one, but it isn't exactly accurate. Although the suggestion dates back to at least the 1940s, the latest to carry the mantel are, unsurprisingly, bottled water companies. Writing in the medical journal BMJ, Glasgow doctor Margaret McCartney pointed out that much of the current recommendations come from events sponsored by Danone, which owns bottled water lines Evian, Volvic and Badoit.

The "8x8 advice" may also endure because, cost aside, it's harmless. And being over-hydrated sure beats dehydration, which can cause headaches, light-headedness, fatigue and other, more serious complaints. Water is essential for proper digestion, kidney function and brain function and is required by every cell of the body. But that doesn't mean we need to sip on it all day.

There may be another reason we've stuck with an inaccurate eight cups -- and that answer isn't nearly so straight forward: the right amount of water to drink is the amount that quenches your thirst.

"When you think about the way that the body handles water, you pee it out. The body regulates water very carefully and doesn't allow it to accumulate. Extra water is immediately excreted," says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a professor of medicine at University of Pennsylvania and an expert on fluid management.

What's more, our bodies tell us when we require water -- that's what the thirst mechanism does. Thirst doesn't mean you've reached a dire level of dehydration either. Explains Goldfarb: "When you get thirsty, the deficit of water in your body is trivial -- it's a very sensitive gauge. It might be only a one percent reduction in your overall water. And it just requires drinking some fluid."

Or food: about 20 percent of the fluid we receive each day comes from water-heavy foods like fruits and vegetables.

There is, however, one exception: for those who suffer from kidney stones -- masses of crystals that form in the urine and pass painfully through the urethra -- staying overly hydrated is very beneficial, as it dilutes the concentration of material that forms into the clumps.

The typical U.S. adult downs about four cups a day, which is shy of the Institute of Medicine's recommendation to drink about three liters of fluid for men and 2.2 liters for women. But others disagree with this assessment -- if that's the amount of water a person naturally drinks in response to thirst, that's fine. But there is no benefit to forcing extra water.

Just to reiterate, we're talking exclusively about over-hydration. Beware dehydrating factors like exercise, salty foods and hot weather, and be sure to replace the fluid you've lost. A surefire way to tell if you've replaced your water sufficiently? It's all in your urine. If you're producing pale yellow pee, you've reached a hydrated status. You can keep drinking, but why?

Have a question? Ask Healthy Living!

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Featured Interview: Shaping your Vegan Life with Lani Muelrath {NEW BOOK!}

Featured Interview: Shaping your Vegan Life with Lani Muelrath {NEW BOOK!}
At Vegan Mainstream, we have had the pleasure of working with Lani Muelrath for the past year as our Health & Fitness Expert. Lani is a wealth of information and an information that we are proud to call part of our team. And now she is coming out with a new book! So we turned the tables a bit and had Lani in for an interview to tell us all about her new book, what's in it, who it's for...just to whet your imagination and interest for the big release at the beginning of February!

At Vegan Mainstream, we have had the pleasure of working with Lani Muelrath for the past couple of years as our Health & Fitness Expert. Lani is a wealth of information and an information that we are proud to call part of our team. And now she is coming out with a new book! So we turned the tables a bit and had Lani in for an interview to tell us all about her new book, what’s in it, who it’s for…just to whet your imagination and interest for the big release at the beginning of February!

Vegan Mainstream: So, give us a teaser; what is this new book about? 

Lani Muelrath: This is really a Trojan horse book because it is essentially 3 books in one.  The exercise is there, yes. And so is the all-important whole food plant-based diet and attention to mindset mastery. I call these the 3 pillars of success and you need them all – which is why I focus on all three in the Official Book Trailer.

So, the title of the book doesn’t tell the whole story.  Fit Quickies:  5 Minute Targeted Body-Shaping Workouts starts with a powerful collection of exercises I developed to challenge those muscles most responsible for the shape and strength of your body in concise moves that you can do anywhere, anytime.  I needed something quick, effective and portable that I could take on my travels to stay in shape.  I also burst through the confusion about exercise, looking at the latest guidelines to explain what you really need to consider for healthy fitness and vitality.  It’s really quite simple but the fitness industry has made a mess of things by making it very confusing and it’s no wonder people just throw up their hands and abandon exercise.  I also want to encourage people with the good news that short, intermittent workouts are just as good as longer workouts – and in some cases even better.  Let’s make it easier for people to get moving!

From there I tell my personal story of struggle – even as a fitness professional – with weight.  I describe in detail how with the whole foods, plant-based vegan diet solution  I’m now 50 lbs lighter than I was 15 years ago and have maintained that easily for almost as many years.  I wrote the book so that anyone else who has struggled like I have has solid steps to take to overcome the weight challenge.

My publisher has also made a free chapter available – the Introduction chapter to the book can be downloaded for free at lanimuelrath.com.  Open any blog article and you’ll see the place to grab a copy there.

VM: Why did you decide to focus on this subject matter?

LM: It’s not only my area of expertise with education and training, it’s my passion – what I am writing and speaking to all the time.  The subject matter has decided me!  I wanted to tell the details that made such a personal transformation for me possible – and to show how anyone can do it.  You just need to get the simple tools in alignment.

Luckily I was approached by a publisher (Penguin) who totally got my vision. They were really, really interested in shining a spotlight on my plant-based connection with fitness because it really is unique in the fitness world.  And here’s a bright nugget for all of us in the veg world – plant-based is seen as ‘hot topic’ right now.  It’s been ‘hot’ for us for years, right?  This is good news!

VM: Can you talk about the process you have gone through to write this book? What was the experience like?

LM: Writing the book has proven to be the biggest experience of personal growth I could ever have imagined.  All entrepeneurs are on a huge personal growth trajectory, and when it comes to book authorship there’s a whole new level to authentic voice, pulling back the curtain, and being genuine. Especially when it involves something so personal as your body and facing your thought processes. And you can’t just go in and edit it any time like you can with a blog article.

The publisher asked me to get the project done within 3 months.  Three months!  I wasn’t going to say no.  It was quite demanding, especially as we already had several trips planned before the book contract came across my radar.

VM: Who are you hoping to reach with this book? Who needs to read it?

LM: This book provides a solution for anyone who has ever struggled with their weight and longs for the day when they can be full without being fat and knows there must be a way to be trim without exercising like a maniac, but who just hasn’t found it, or been able to stick to a plan, yet.

It’s also a perfect guide for understanding the simple basics of what a whole-foods, low-fat, plant-based diet looks like, and how to get started. I’ve also created a companion to the book called the Plant-Based Blueprint which is guide over 60-pages long that you can grab as a free gift upon purchase of the Fit Quickies book.  There’s a free sample version too.

VM: How will you be publicizing it – do you have any media tours planned?

LM: The response has been amazing and quick – starting with the endorsements so generously given for the Fit Quickies book from Dr. Neal Barnard from PCRM, John Robbins, and Dr. John McDougall for example. I am honored and humbled by these – you can see them on The Book page of my website. Book tour and book signings, blog tour, facebook groups, radio, and big events such as Vegfest are all filling up my dance card and I couldn’t be more excited about it.   I also have a page at lanimuelrath.com inviting readers to contact me if they’d like to see their city, blog, or group as a stop on the tour, whether as book giveaway or speaking presentation.  I encourage readers to come by and tell me what’s going on in their area that would make it a good place to connect.

VM: When does it come out, and what’s the easiest way for people to get their hands on it?

LM: It’s available everywhere now and my publisher tells me it is doing extraordinarily well in pre-orders.  It’s scheduled for official release February 5, 2013, but you can pre-order and grab your special thank you gift now  - the Plant-Based Blueprint. It’s easy to find all the details at my website on The Book page.

Intrigued? Get involved today – and show that you are part of the movement by downloading this Plant-Based Adventure badge from Lani’s site. Watch for Vegan Mainstream’s live interview with Lani in February, which will feature YOUR questions, and give you a chance to win a copy of the book!

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Discover great new vegan recipes!

Discover great new vegan recipes!
One of the best ways to get (and stay) really excited about being vegan is constantly finding and trying great new recipes. Here are three of my favorite vegan recipe sites for you to check out in the New Year, if you’re not already hooked that is! Plant Powered Kitchen - I’ve never made a

One of my favorite go-to meals – water stir-fried veggies with baked tofu on rice, and Braggs sauce to top it all off!

One of the best ways to get (and stay) really excited about being vegan is constantly finding and trying great new recipes. Here are three of my favorite vegan recipe sites for you to check out in the New Year, if you’re not already hooked that is!

Plant Powered Kitchen - I’ve never made a recipe from Dreena’s site or cookbooks that I haven’t loved!

Oh She Glows - a wonderful site with great recipes, and lots of good “go veg” inspiration too!

Vegan Feast Kitchen – Bryanna is SO innovative and comes up with delicious healthy vegan alternative recipes of all kinds!

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