home, living and lifestyle for the modern world

Don’t eat that — you’ll get zits! We’ve all heard it; from parents, friends or even the family doctor.

But the fact is, even after extensive study, scientists have not found a connection between diet and acne. Not chocolate. Not french fries. Not pizza. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “A healthy diet is important for improving raw materials for healthy skin,” but they also note that greasy or sugary foods do not cause acne. Likewise, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concurred, “Diet plays no role in acne treatment in most patients…even large amounts of certain foods have not clinically exacerbated acne.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should make a habit of eating foods high in sugar or fat. The skin is the body’s largest organ, so what’s good for the rest of you will be good for your skin, too. There are a number of nutrients found in everyday foods that are known to promote a healthy body — and therefore healthy skin. Get wise to these substances, and you’ll increase your chances of conquering your acne.

Vitamin A. Naturally occurring Vitamin A, or retinol, is found in fish oils, liver and dairy products. The Vitamin A produced by plants is known as Beta-carotene, and is found in yellow/orange fruits and vegetable such as carrots, yams, apricots and cantaloupe, as well as green vegetables like parsley, kale and spinach. Extremely high doses of Vitamin A are toxic, so don’t overdo it.

Vitamin B-2. Stress has been known to aggravate existing cases of acne, and Vitamin B-2 is often helpful alleviating stress. Foods with a high concentration of B-2 include whole grains, fish, milk, eggs, meat and leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin B-3. Found in peanuts, eggs, avocados, liver and lean meats, Vitamin B-3 improves circulation, promoting healthy skin. It also reduces the cholesterol level in the blood and helps you metabolize protein, sugar & fat — increasing your energy through proper utilization of food.

Vitamin E. Vitamin E is found in almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, wheat germ and vegetable oils. A powerful antioxidant, it protects your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism.

Zinc. Even in trace amounts, the antioxidant zinc is known to boost the immune system, improving overall health — which of course is reflected in the skin. Zinc can be found in eggs, whole grains, nuts and mushrooms.

Know your own triggers. Since acne cures is different for everyone, there may be certain foods that cause flare-ups in your skin. Clearly, these foods should be avoided. You may also want to check your vitamin supplements for their iodine content; while normal amounts of iodine have not been shown to affect skin, amounts greater than the RDA of 150 mcg may aggravate your acne. Overall, use your common sense. Drink lots of water and eat a healthy, balanced diet — but don’t be afraid to indulge your cravings every now and then. For more information on acne treatment and acne solutions, check out AcneZine.

What a great way to spend the summer holidays with a game of Orlando golf for the men’s group of a Sunday weekend? My hubby just informed me that he will be planning another golf breakaway trip with his old classmates this coming September.

I always believe that everyone of us should have a passion in life. Whether it’s shopping, craft making, health matters, reading, gardening or knitting, it should be something you truly enjoy. Passion and interests will keep you young, happy and motivated. Not only will you be inspired but you will continue to stay active mentally which is good for your overall health. And in this modern world, updating yourself regularly with technology helps to move you forward too. Keep moving!

Fitness is the essence of a man. Fitness is the ability of a person to do his normal everyday tasks with full alertness and vigor without worrying about fatigue afterward and with extra energy in reserve which can be useful when emergencies arise or during leisure and recreation. Overall fitness must be the primary goal every man must try to achieve. In fitness, no one is ever too young or too old for improvement. For instance, if you are physically fit, handling your child’s Bob stroller will be a breeze! So fitness is for all - old and young, men and women!

One’s fitness can be improved by engaging in aerobic exercises and through strength training. There are three components of overall fitness that every man must focus on working out in order to be in healthy, tip-top shape. These are cardiovascular work, strength training and of course, these should be coupled with a healthy diet. CONFUSED by all those SUPPLEMENT INGREDIENTS? Get your Free Supps eBook at Bodybuilding.com. Start decoding them now!

It’s amazing how time flies. Just a twinkle of an eye and we are already in mid July - what have you done this year? If you have set goals in the early start of the year, it’s high time that your goals be reviewed and evaluated. How much have you achieve thus far?

If you find your goals forgotten, it’s still not too late to review them. If weight loss is your primary goal, get down and find out how to shed those extra pounds. Exercise, change your dieting patterns, get a fitness buddy, examine your lifestyle and if needed, buy diet pills. maybe you are losing hair and want to find ways to curb this concern. Start your research, talk to a hair consultant and most importantly, find a solution leading to your hair restoration goals! Whatever it is, it’s all about getting started and not waving the white flag. Be persistent in your efforts and soon, you will be glad that you have done your best to achieve your resolutions.

Tired of wasting your time shaving? Would you like to go for weeks, even months, without having to shave? Find out how!

So I need a new cell phone. Here’s another need - a compact laptop. It’s hard to make shopping choices these days when technology is emerging in bullet train speed. People don’t choose computer based on computer memory anymore. That is passe. Computers are bought and chosen based on aesthetic qualities and ultimate performance. Every computer manufacturer aims for lighter weight, stylish features, sleek appearance and a cool overall performance. Carrying a laptop is a lifestyle. Just visit a Starbucks cafe with wifi facilities and you will soon definite the modern lifestyle of our modern world. Basically, if you don’t move forward, you are behind times and labeled as being traditional and old fashioned. Then again, do we perceive and embrace technology as a blessed invention to improve our lifestyles or have we become too overtaken by its offerings and deliveries?

I need a new cell phone. Yesterday, my cell phone crashed again during the most unexpected hour when I needed to return some urgent calls to my clients. It was frustrating. The screen was blank and I couldn’t activate any keys. For a long time, I have been eyeing at the Nokia n95 but my brother has repeatedly told me how bad the review was. Regardless of what had been said, I still like the 5 megapix camera phone features found in the n95.

Another new nokia model, the Nokia N82 Black is a cool one to check out. This is probably a more sleek choice compared to the n95 series but I would need to find out more on the reviews before deciding if that’s what is worth for. Cell phones have become more than a necessity for us modern human beings these days. What will happen if cell phones are removed completely from us tomorrow? Will we ever get used to recording numbers in printed books and depending on public phones? This is the effects of a prosperous lifestyle of the 21st century?

It feels nice to walk into a house with fresh flowers. For that reason, I love to have a garden when we move to a new house. But for now, receiving a bouquet of romantic flowers can be a nice touch from hubby when the day is blue. I’m very particular with ambience and setting when we have guests in our house. From the little details of positioning the table lamp at the right location to using the right table cloth, I’ll make sure that everything on the dining table coordinates nicely. Don’t blame me for my fussiness. My color theory teacher in art school had influenced me greatly in color picking and coordination!

Placing a live aquarium in the home can be a therapeutic experience. It can refresh the tired mind and rejuvenate the weary  soul. But the first thing the aquarium enthusiast needs to know is, how to purchase an aquarium. If you have visited a pet store, you will know that aquariums do vary in sizes. The larger the tank the more time you’ll spend cleaning and maintaining the aquarium.

Many owners of tropical saltwater aquariums like to add to the ambiance of their aquarium by painting a back ground on the tank, this must be done before filling the tank with water. Also make sure that you purchase a filter that is large enough and powerful enough to filter your tank. You will also need to get a heater that is capable of warming the water in your tank, remember tropical fish and tropical coral mean are accustomed to warm water (check out: http://www.aquariumguys.com/aquarium-heaters.html).

And since you like your aquarium to be well maintained, you should also purchase a spare filter. While your doing that you should also buy a replacement filter media that is like activated carbon and filter floss. Purchasing a replacement filter right away can save you a lot of time and money if your original filter abruptly stops working.

Decorating a home can be so much fun for the family. I love shopping in home decoration stores and check out what’s new and innovation for the season. It is so inspiring and refreshing to behold new ideas and new designs. In fact, it is therapeutic for me, much like retail therapy! My favourite section would be the curtains and bedding section where creative prints and fabrics can churn out new ideas for the home.

For a while, I’ve been thinking about adding a nice touch to my child’s room. Kids are often attracted to cute animal illustrations and colourful shapes and pictures. I’m impressed with these Zoo Animals Wall Mirrors (set of 4) which can add a spatial illusion to the room, to make it look larger. This set of four square wall mirrors features a the head of a different zoo animal in different colors printed on each mirror. The lion head is printed in green, the hippopotamus head is printed in pink, the giraffe head is printed in yellow, and the monkey head is printed in light blue. Create a variety of looks with multiple display options.

For kitchen lovers, Find Your New Stylish Aprons, Mitts, and Towels here at Wrapables.

The internet line has been rather unstable in our office. It is frustrating when the line is cut off every few moments. This is affecting our work flow and it seems to be untimely that this is happening. I figure that surfing in a wi-fi cafe may be a good idea. Only thing is, I have to make sure that there is sufficient laptop memory so that I can stick around and get my tasks completed. Sometimes, surfing in public places can be distracting, thus slowing down my work performance. But this is better than figuring out what is going on with the internet connection in the office.