The Healthy Bee

Many individuals have serious concerns about flying, serious enough to avoid airplanes altogether. At some point, though, almost everyone has some reason to fly either for work, to see family or just to vacation somewhere too far to reach conveniently by other means. If someone is not comfortable with the idea of travelling in an airplane to a destination, they can generally do one of two things: either somehow overcome their fear of flying, or avoid airplanes altogether and utilize other forms of transportation, if possible. There is no doubt though that getting past a fear of flying does have advantages. Believe it or not there are ways to overcome this fear. A bit of research or a brief conversation can help an individual gain trust in the highly trained professionals who make the airline industry function. There are certainly ways to at least become comfortable enough to begin travelling on shorter flights. Try relaxing to music or talk with some of the airline’s employees; do some research and make your own decision if airline travel is safe enough for you. Or, if someone is really serious of conquering the fear of flying, joining a clinic or counseling group is always a possibility.

With proper research, you can alleviate some of your anxiety. Find out exactly how many hours the pilots are required to log in the air before they are allowed to fly a commercial airplane. Chances are that number will astound you. The pilots are highly trained with extraordinary amounts of experience. The system of heavy training does not stop there. Look up the requirements that a flight attendant must meet before being hired. Find out how much they need to know about the plane, about emergency procedures and about taking care of the passengers. It can also beneficial to research the plane itself. What is the performance record of the type of jet you will be flying in? Looking up this sort of information can yield findings such as the number of years and amount of intensive testing and scrutiny pilots undergo and how the airline industry reduces the chance of mechanical errors, as well as figure out easy ways to solve and deal with mechanical errors when they happen unexpectedly. Commercial planes are kept under painstakingly close maintenance and supervision. Hopefully this knowledge would put most fears to rest, or at least help to remove some of the pressure.

Other ways to help soothe your anxieties about flying deal with how time is spent on the flight itself. Wear clothes that are designed to be comfortable. Wear sturdy shoes so that you can more easily move around the cabin. Bring a small pillow to rest your head on. It is also important to bring headphones. If you have a portable music player, then choose your favorite soothing, relaxing songs and let your mind drift away from the fact that you are on a flight. If you do not have a music player, bring the headphones anyway. If you airline offers in flight movies, TV shows, games or any other services of that sort they will often not include headphones and you may have to pay for them. If none of those ideas would keep you amused enough to overcome your anxiety, then bring a good book. Bring whatever you need in order to distract yourself from the flight.

Another method many individuals have used to reduce the fear of flying is to join a group. A clinic which deals with matters such as these can help calm you down and ensure that everything is going to be ok with your flight. You will not be along during this process because fear of flying is very common and many others will be there with the same goal. Make sure to research which clinics are available in your area because they have helped many people. It is important to understand what it is about flying that scares you and with the help of your peers and a trained instructor; this fear will be conquered or reduced substantially. This is a great step to take when finally deciding to rid yourself of this fear, because flying is a great experience and you do not want to miss out because of your fear. Knowing what you are getting into before your flight can help to curb your anxiety. But that takes more then just knowing statistics. Many other resources are available to conquer this fear, such as joining a group at a local clinic or learning information about your airline and the airline industry in general. Embrace methods which can help you to alleviate this fear. Flying on an airplane is a great way to conveniently travel to the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. On the flight, be ready to distract yourself to help reduce stress. Before you know it, you will be at your destination, ready to enjoy your stay.



By: Nick Kakolowski

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Mineral makeup is popping up everywhere - from the cosmetics counter, to the shopping on TV, people are talking about it. So what’s all the hype about and what really is the difference between mineral and traditional cosmetics? Read on to find out…

Mineral makeup has become extremely popular in the past few years. You can’t help but turn on the TV and catch an infomercial for a popular mineral makeup brand or walk past a mineral makeup shop. Mineral makeup is not only sold on TV or in specialty shops, but is now carried by many popular makeup brands and can be found in almost any makeup counter and online. So why is it such a sought after product?

There’s no doubt that mineral makeup is becoming the rage. And there’s a reason for that: women are finding these powder foundations to be easy to apply, actually fun to apply, and able to provide a smooth, flawless finish. In addition, women appreciate the fact that they contain natural sun protection. And many have noticed that over time their skin has fewer breakouts, and a decrease in any redness (which some call rosacea) - even with no makeup on!

The latest trend in cosmetics is pure mineral makeup. These minerals actually come from the earth and are healthy for your skin. Times are changing and let’s face it, do we want to have that pasty look from liquid or pressed powder foundations? I should say not. Mineral foundations will give you better coverage, even out skin tone, and give your skin a healthy glow.

Environment and health has become an important component in all walks of life and makeup is no exception to it. Mineral makeup has been around for 30 years in countries such as Egypt, Morocco, India, Algeria etc but it has seize the attention of make up industry just recently. It was originally developed for plastic surgeons and dermatologists to be used on patients after various cosmetic procedures to cover the redness and soreness.

Supporters of this type of make up believe it is purer than normal products, which contain perfumes and chemicals and its natural products create no allergies. Cynics argue that the ingredients are present in conventional make up and no particular benefits (health wise) can be found in this type of make up.

You love looking glamorous, and that includes wearing makeup designed to make you look gorgeous. But when that makeup causes your skin to break out in an itchy rash, it kind of defeats the purpose. One way that those with skin allergies can reach their beauty mark is to use mineral makeup.

While most mineral cosmetics claim to be made with natural or safe ingredients, it is still important to read the ingredient list as some companies may include some chemical compounds. If at all possible, avoid paraben preservatives and choose only 100% certified organic mineral makeup.



By: peterhutch

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Finally, a new skin lightening cream that works amazingly well on age spots, liver spots and blemishes on skin.  It is absolutely safe and effective.  The issue of safety should be important to anyone, but even more so to an older person.  Damage that occurs when you’re older is more likely to be permanent damage.  My goal, with this article, is to help you understand how to improve your skin’s appearance, while protecting its health and reducing your risk of cancer.

Age Spots & Sun Exposure

It is commonly accepted that age spots are caused by overexposure to the sun.  The body normally produces melanin in response to exposure to sunlight and the result is a tan.  Overexposure causes burning.  An outer layer of cells peels off as a result of the burn and new cells, usually with more melanin, take their place.

Vitamin D Necessity

When you pass 40, your skin’s natural regenerative processes slow down.  Fewer new cells are produced.  Sun exposure often causes the appearance of age spots, rather than an overall tan.  If a burn occurs, it takes longer to heal.  But, a few minutes of exposure everyday is necessary to prevent vitamin D deficiency. 

Researchers have found that an increased rate of various forms of cancer caused by insufficient intake of vitamin D.  If you avoid the sun all together, you should take a supplement that contains vitamin D3, every day.

Limit Sun Exposure

A skin lightening cream increases your sensitivity to sunlight and increases your risk of burning.  If you are used to spending quite a bit of time outdoors, you’ll need to severely limit that exposure.  When you do go out, use a zinc oxide sun block on exposed areas, particularly your face.  Zinc oxide is not one of the creams that are absorbed by the skin.  The ones that are reduce your risk of burning, but increase your risk of cancer, because they cause free radical production within the skin’s cells. Free radical damage to DNA is the underlying cause of various types of cancer.

The only safe and effective skin lightening cream is one that contains extracts from the nut grass root.  It is a medicinal root that has been used for centuries.  Scientists recently prepared a formulation that reduced irritation caused by injuries or allergies and learned that the formula would also lighten age spots.  It works by inhibiting melanin production.

Skin Lightening Cream That is Safe & Works

By adding it to a form of bioactive keratin, researchers were able to produce a skin lightening cream that also speeds up the cell turnover rate; more new cells containing less melanin are produced, resulting in a reduction in age spots and more even pigmentation.

By also including a form of coenzyme Q10 that is readily absorbed by the skin’s cells, the creams repair damage done by free radicals over the years and prevent further damage from occurring.  So, now you know what to look for in a skin lightening cream.  You won’t find it in your local drugstore, but you can order it online.  For more information see my website.  -Margaret Bell



By: Margaret Bell

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Starting a diet doesn’t have to be a total change in the food you normally eat, but by making healthy food substitutions you can get started the next time you go to the grocery store. I’ve met many people who believe that low fat foods are going to taste terrible, but from my experience many are very difficult to tell from the original. In this article I’ve listed some suggestions that I use often on how to start making healthy food substitutions in your diet.

Try a turkey or a veggie product instead of the of the beef or pork version. I’ve been doing this for many years now and the alternatives are quite good as well with less than half the calories and fat, sometimes even less than that. Products out there are sausage, bacon, burgers, pepperoni, and so many others.

If you drink milk try to scale down from whole milk. Switch to 2%, 1%, or if you like the taste skim milk. I’ve been drinking skim for a long time to and now I really don’t like the fat in the others, it’s just too thick. There is enough fat in the foods most people eat every day that having fat in your beverage is unnecessary.

Switch to diet soda or cut out soda all together if you can. Let’s say you drink 5-6 12 ounce cans a day, that can be anywhere between 500 and 700 calories in regular sodas. That is a large portion of your calories for the day, and it is all sugar. If you will cut out soda and you will see some weight lost.

Try eating salsa instead of other fatty dips or cream based spreads. Salsa is delicious and comes in about countless different varieties. Most types have no or little fat, low calories and contain vitamins. Next time you are at the store compare a container of french onion dip to a jar of salsa. Salsa is much better for you.

Deep frying foods can turn something healthy into something very bad for you. Take a chicken breast for example, naturally they are quite healthy, but all that oil used in frying just won’t allow it. Instead of deep frying take that that same piece with some lemon juice, garlic, and black pepper, bake it and now it’s still tasty as well as good for you.

If you buy canned produce make sure you read the label first. Many of the vegetables will have salt added to them and many of the fruits have additional sugar. When in doubt buy fresh or frozen produce. Frozen produce can be just as beneficial as fresh with the bonus of having a longer shelf life. If you buy canned tuna make sure to get the kind packed in water not oils, as the oil adds plenty of extra fat and calories that are unnecessary.

These are just a few substitutions you can use in your diet to replace some foods that aren’t very good for you. Remember don’t change everything at once; try to find substitutions you really do like, and then experiment with new ones. Start making these healthy food substitutions and your body will thank you for it down the road.



By: Michael Marquette

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