When your skin is prone to pimples and blackheads, you can turn to cleaners and exfoliants, but that may not necessarily do the trick. You may still have to deal with embarrassing break outs. But, a lot of people are able to get their acne under control by changing their diets.

What Does Science Have to Say?

Multiple scientific studies have demonstrated again and again the link between specific food and acne. The general rules can be summarized as:

• Avoid low-fat dairy options, if you eat dairy.
• Foods with a high glycemic index, like starchy and sugary ones should be avoided. They cause blood sugars to rise rapidly.
• Consume as many colorful produce and plants as you can.

The Dangers of Foods with a High Glycemic Index

The most consistent scientific findings have to do with high glycemic foods and their relationship to acne. Diets with a lot of white bread, pasta, sugar, white rice, pasta, and other simple carbohydrates are a problem. Also, beware refined and highly processed carbohydrates, which cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

Although the exact link between these foods and acne hasn’t been pinpointed, researchers do think the hormones released when you consume high glycemic foods exacerbates acne. Cutting back on these foods has been shown to clear up skin and keep it healthy.

The Dangers of Low-Fat Dairy

Although there is some evidence that all dairy can cause acne, it is the low-fat varieties that have shown the strongest causal relationship. This could also be related to hormones. A lot of dairy contains growth factors, and these can cause acne. The supposition is that levels of these hormones increase when the fat is reduced. If you are going to have some yogurt or cheese, pick the full fat varieties.

Look for Foods with High Water Content

You should be drinking a ton of water already because it is important to the functioning of your body and the health of your skin. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your wellbeing. To really get the hydration that you need, look for foods that have a lot of water in them as well. Studies have shown that water-rich foods can hydrate your body two times more effectively than water. Keep an eye out for the following:

• Cucumber—96 percent water
• Lettuce—96 percent water
• Zucchini—95 percent water
• Radish—95 percent water
• Celery—95 percent water
• Tomato—94 percent water
• Green cabbage—93 percent water
• Watermelon—92 percent water
• Strawberries—92 percent water
• Grapefruit—91 percent water
• Cantaloupe—90 percent water
• Pineapple—87 percent water
• Oranges—87 percent water
• Raspberries—87 percent water

Look for Foods That Are High in Magnesium

Sadly, 50-80 percent of people aren’t getting the recommended daily allowance of magnesium— 400 milligrams for men and 310 milligrams for women. Most get just enough to keep the body going. Magnesium works hard to balance out the hormones that cause breakouts, which makes it excellent for maintaining clear, healthy skin.

It also improves sleep. When your sleep is bad, the inflammation on your face increases, you have worse insulin resistance (meaning foods with a high glycemic index are more likely to cause pimples), and it weaken your immune system, undermining its ability to fight off the bacteria that causes unhealthy skin.

Look for the following magnesium-rich items:

• 1 cup spinach—157 milligrams (40% DV)
• 1 cup chard—154 milligrams (38% DV)
• 1 square dark chocolate—95 milligrams (24% DV)
• 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds—92 milligrams (23% DV)
• 1 ounce almonds—80 milligrams (20% DV)
• ½ cup black beans—60 milligrams (15% DV)
• 1 medium avocado—58 milligrams (15% DV)
• ½ cup figs—50 milligrams (13% DV)
• 1 cup yogurt or kefir—50 milligrams (13% DV)
• 1 medium banana—32 milligrams (8% DV)

Look for Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids

One of the biggest contributors to acne severity is inflammation. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, according to research. This means that any breakouts you have to deal with won’t be as red. When you eat pro-inflammatory foods, they make your immune system go crazy. This can mean that every clogged pore your immune system stumbles over will become swollen and inflamed. People believe foods that are rich in these fatty acids can give skin a natural glow.

There are no recommended daily allowances of omega-3 fatty acids, so speak with a doctor to get an accurate guideline for a person of your size and gender. Then, look for the following foods.

• Flaxseed oil—12059 mg
• Seeds, flaxseed—8543 mg
• Fish oil, salmon—7828 mg
• Seeds, chia seeds, dried—7164 mg
• Agutuk, fish with shortening (Alaskan ice cream) (Alaska Native)—6851 mg
• Oil, bearded seal (Oogruk) (Alaska Native)—6353 mg
• Fish oil, menhaden—6236 mg
• Fish, caviar, black and red, granular—5388 mg
• Fish oil, sardine—5341 mg
• Fish oil, cod liver—4375 mg

Bio: Mary Seaburg is a writer and nutrition expert who is working to help people eat well. Her current project is helping people in treating meth addiction and letting them know the advantages of food on overcoming addiction.

Cancer is a serious disorder that can become extremely dangerous if left untreated. Knowing and detecting the early warning signs can lead you to get treatment earlier and actually save your life. Keep in mind that the early stages of cancer do not always present obvious symptoms, but signs and symptoms will get more obvious as the disease progresses.

General Early Symptoms

Some general early signs of cancer include unusual weight loss or gain, a change in appetite, nausea or vomiting, skin changes, pain in various parts of the body, a fever, or feeling tired all of the time or more often than usual.

Early Symptoms of Specific Types of Cancers

Hematology oncology is the study of cancer of the blood. Early signs of hematologic cancers are often very similar to symptoms of the flu. These symptoms can include a high fever, an aching feeling in the joints or bones, as well as chills, breaking out in sweat during the night, easy bruising or frequent bleeding, and headaches. Additionally, you might experience anemia, swelling of the lymph nodes, pain in the stomach, or an increase in the amount of infections you are being diagnosed with. Some types of cancers of the blood include leukemia, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Lung cancer is another common form of cancer that may present early symptoms and changes to the body you can detect. Some of these symptoms include an extremely persistent cough, chest pain, coughing up blood or finding blood in your phlegm or mucus, shortness of breath that can also include wheezing, and swelling in the facial area. Additionally, lung cancer patients may also experience headaches in the early stages of this disease.

Why is early detection important?

Detecting and diagnosing cancer in the early stages can be very beneficial for your prognosis and treatment. The more cancer progresses and the farther it spreads throughout the body makes it more difficult to send into remission. In the simplest terms, early diagnosis increases your chances of recovery and survival. For example, when it comes to lung cancer, almost 70 percent of patients are likely to live for at least a year after the initial diagnosis if it was caught in the earliest stages of the disease, compared to only 14 percent of those who were diagnosed at the later stages.

Revolutionizing Early Detection

New technology is being developed that could assist in the early detection of cancer. This is exciting news for the medical community and the entire population, in general! This new technology, known as “liquid biopsies”, would allow doctors to detect early stages of cancer just by drawing your blood. Cancer mutations are evident in tiny fragments of DNA in a patient’s blood. These tests are now being used in cancer clinics all over the world.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or just have questions, it is important to speak with your medical provider immediately.

This guest post is courtesy of Teton Oncology, practicing cancer treatment in Idaho Falls, ID with the latest techniques and a state of the art clinic to ensure the best care for patients.

Freshly made yogurt has ample amount of beneficial bacteria to kill harmful viruses. The same benefits can’t be obtained from yogurt that has been sitting on the shelves catching dust! It’s suggested that you go for freshly made yogurt than commercial yogurt.

The health benefits are also reduced in store-bought yogurt due to its lower bacteria level. Commercial yogurt is fermented for a short duration using thickening agents. This technique makes them look as if they were fermented for a long duration. Doctors suggest using freshly made yogurt that’s fermented at least for 24 hours.

Making your own yogurt can save you a lot of money. Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about the numerous chemical additives used to increase the shelf life and taste of your yogurt. It’s a win-win for both value for money and your health. The two types of yogurt culture base for a familiar taste and consistency are thermophilic and mesophilic culture. Warm temperature is the main requisite of a thermophilic culture, while mesophilic culture can be obtained at room temperature.

The two cultures in the making of a yogurt

The store-bought yogurt is usually made with thermophilic culture. It reduces the growth of unwanted bacteria as a result of warm temperature. Thermophilic culture’s ability to grow faster is an added advantage over the mesophilic culture.

A temperature between 105 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for the development of thermophilic cultures. Mesophilic yogurt cultures, on the other hand, are formed at room temperature. The typical room temperature required for its formation ranges from 70 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes twice as longer than thermophilic yogurt.

If you want a thick-textured yogurt or Greek-style yogurt, thermophilic starters might be the preferred option. You’ll be pleased with mesophilic cultures if you want to have runny yogurt that’s easy to prepare. Depending on your need you can choose either of the cultures. Rest assured, you’ll have a quality yogurt free from unwanted ingredients at a minimal cost. You’ll have the freedom to choose your favorite flavors and fruits.

The initial yogurt-making process can be performed with standard kitchen equipment. The fermentation stage is the tricky part of the yogurt preparation because it requires controlled heat for long durations. An electric yogurt maker comes to your rescue, since you can avoid the guesswork and leave the rest to the yogurt maker!

A review of the different yogurt makers can also be of great help. The below guide can help you choose your yogurt makers:

Design and the capacity of your yogurt maker

Capacity and the ease of maintenance are factors to watch out for while considering the design of your yogurt maker. If you plan to produce a large quantity of homemade yogurt, don’t overlook the commercial yogurt makers which are designed for bulk production. There are yogurt makers with small jars to accommodate multiple flavors. It’s suggested that you consider your preferences and shop accordingly.

A yogurt maker’s temperature control and pricing

Controlled temperature and fermentation time required are important while purchasing your yogurt maker. Live bacterial cultures can survive only within certain temperature ranges. Once the temperature is beyond the threshold, the yogurt becomes thick and tastes sharp. Precise timing and meticulous temperature levels in a controlled environment decide the quality of your homemade yogurt. Consider the temperature and timing options available in all the contending yogurt makers before purchasing your yogurt maker.

Some of the budget-priced yogurt makers provide a stable and controlled temperature and a preferred environment for fermentation. The mid-range yogurt makers provide improved timing features and a water bath, which is not the case with budget-priced models. Furthermore, you must transfer the finished product to a cold storage unit.

The high-end yogurt makers provide masterful temperature controls. You needn’t transfer the finished product to a cold storage; the self-contained refrigeration in high-end yogurt maker enables it to be fully automatic.

Review the best available yogurt makers to help you choose the right yogurt maker. You can either compromise with the limited features for a lesser price, or go for a high-end product with additional automatic features.

Athletic performance always creates an oxidative stress on the body resulting in the rise of metabolic activity. This increased metabolism is the result of a 10 to 20 fold increase in the intake of oxygen. Professional athletes and bodybuilders make up for the increased oxidative stress through the production of anti-oxidative secretions in the form of enzymes, protecting the body cells against damaging free radicals. This process is actually performed by Pycnogenol to prevent the damage of bodily cells due to excessive workout routines. Research investigations have shown the effects of this supplement to increase endurance levels during recreational activities protecting the cells from harmful radicals and aiding in better performance.

Pycnogenol – The King of Anti-oxidants

Several research studies have been conducted over the years to establish the beneficial effects of anti-oxidants. Out of the available options that are used as an anti-aging supplement Pycnogenol turns out to be a trustworthy and effective compound in countering problems of premature skin aging. Extensive research work on this supplement has proved the powerful effects of this antioxidant to provide significant results on rejuvenating the skin when taken topically or even orally.  This super antioxidant is 50 times more effective than Vitamin E and 20 times more effective than Vitamin C in fighting free radicals and maintaining a healthy skin.

In addition to the anti-oxidation benefit of Pycnogenol its exhibition of anti-inflammatory properties aids in supporting microcirculation. The active anti-aging ingredients in such compound help to protect the skin from the harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun preventing premature aging of the skin through photo-aging. It counters the effects of chronic inflammation, sun damage, smog, damaging free radicals and pollution. This extract is extensively used in wrinkle and anti-aging creams to neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidation.

The right concentration of Pycnogenol in skin cream

Like other active anti-aging ingredients, the right concentration of this herbal extract is essential in combating anti-aging problems. This ingredient must be included in sufficient quantity in skin products in order to be effective for protection of the skin. Just claiming the presence of such ingredients in the skin care products by manufacturers won’t serve its purpose. Out of the various ant-aging products available in the market, very few of them contain the right amount of this compound because of it being quite expensive.

Although there is no pre-specified level of this compound to be included for topical applications, the recommended amount to be used in skin-care products and serums should range between 0.1% and 0.2% in order to be used as an anti-aging supplement. The easiest way to detect the appropriate content of this active- ingredient in the skin care product is by taking a look at the color. The color of the original extract being brown should provide a brownish appearance to the skin cream or serum that contains it. Any product that claims to contain this ingredient but does not provide a brown look has an insignificant presence of this compound. The ingredients label printed on the package should also have its name enlisted there.