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Although smoking is best known for causing lung cancer, this habit is also among the biggest threats to your skin. Next to sun and chemicals, tobacco is one of the major accelerators of your skin natural aging process, and it is thought to be one of the fastest acting threats. Young people start showing signs of early skin aging after as little as 10 years of smoking. If you think this is a long period of time, you should keep in mind that many young people start smoking in their teen years (16-19 year olds) and are still below 30 when the first signs appear.

Smoking causes the narrowing of blood vessels throughout your body, including those that supply the outermost layers of the skin with oxygen and nutrients. Thus, your skin is slowly starved of vital oxygen and other substances, such as immunity-boosting Vitamin A. Alcohol has a similar effect by destroying the body supply of Vitamin A. This will lower the role of skin as the first line of defense against bacteria and infections.

The same Vitamin A is used in the skin turnover process to help generate the new cells that replace the dead ones. The vitamin provides a temporary boost in the production of collagen and can lend the skin a more youthful appearance for a while.

Over time, the lack of oxygen and nutrients would allow the formation of harmful free radicals that slowly damage the elastic fibers and collagen, which keep the skin strong and flexible. The result is usually the appearance of premature wrinkles. It is also thought likely that the repeated pursing of lips when inhaling smoke helps build wrinkles around the mouth, while the heat of the burning cigarette tip is also damaging the skin.

Seven Tips For Healthy Skin

Healthy skin is a sign of good health. The skin is the largest vital organ in our body, which is comprised of about two billion cells and has a surface area of around two square meters. Although only very few people can actually have the perfect skin and complexion, we can do something to bring out the best in our skin.

Here are quick and simple ways that we can care for our skin.

1. Nourish your skin by eating the proper foods. This means a healthy and balanced diet. A healthy and balanced diet promotes general well-being and optimizes the body to function at its best. To have healthy skin, eat plenty of seed food, i.e. fruits that contain seeds, and vegetables - organic is better as it contains additional nutrients.

2. Drink plenty of water. The recommended eight glasses of water a day is essential in maintaining the elasticity and suppleness of skin. Water also clears your skin and aids in the proper elimination of waste. Remember, less waste products in your body, more beautiful skin you would have.

3. Exercise regularly. Exercise is good for our hearts and bodies. Even our skin benefits from exercise since blood circulation is increased, thus bringing enough oxygen and nutrients to the rest of our bodies. Exercise also triggers the body to produce more sebum which is natural moisturizer for body.

4. Be smoke- and alcohol-free. Smoking tends to destroy the Vitamin C in your body and damage the elastic tissues that keep the skin tight. Drinking liquor on the other hand tends to expand your blood vessels causing red spots and itchiness on your skin.

5. Cleanse it. Cleaning plays an important part in the overall wellness of your skin. Experts agree that we should gently clean our skin, tone it, moisturize it, and exfoliate it.

6. Protect your skin. Harsh elements can severely damage your skin and can lead to irritation and infection. Wear sunscreen with at least SPF 15 every time you go out in the sun. For higher levels of activities, use SPF 45 because you will be perspiring, which dilutes the sunscreen. For those who are very fair, have red hair, blue eyes and freckles, add a total block that contains titanium or zinc.

7. Rest. Get plenty of rest. You are giving your skin a time to rejuvenate and heal while you rest. Stress is extremely bad for your skin and body. It indirectly creates instability in your hormonal system, which in turn leads to more skin problems like breakouts and acne.

The bottom line is that every person who wants to enjoy healthy skin for as long as possible should refrain from alcohol and tobacco consumption and should also take the basic steps in skin protection. There is no reason to harm yourself with unhealthy smoking and drinking and to damage your face with premature wrinkles. It is so simple to stay healthy.

Misty McDowell reviews top acne products in the market. Be an educated consumer and find out what works and what doesn't. Save your time and money by knowing what you are buying.

Almost all fitness programs advertise with hulk like muscular men and slender, well toned beautiful women. If you can get those results from any fitness program, why not choose the first one you come to or the cheapest program?

For one, there is no way of knowing a muscular person solely used their program to achieve great fitness. Secondly, for every program there are lots of people who tried it and for one reason or another gave up on it. If you read the fine print on advertisements, most will say the results shown are exceptional. Thirdly, all fitness programs do not exercise with the same equipment or even at the same place. Some are only useful in a gym. Others may require you to purchase their equipment, which you can use almost anywhere. Lastly, there is no fitness program I know of that is the best at everything. Fitness programs have strengths and weaknesses. For instance, one program may be great at burning fat, but neglect a certain muscle group.

Before Buying list

1. Have specific goals for the results you want (Do you want great abs? Do you want to lose weight?).

2. Decide how much time you are willing to set aside each week to achieve those goals.

3. Can you achieve your goals spending that amount of time per week using this program?

4. If the program requires equipment is it affordable?

5. Does the program have customer support if you have questions?

6. Are you comfortable with how and where you will be exercising (if you're not sure what you will be doing then look for a contact email address and ask for more information)?

7. Does the program include proper nutrition (nutrition is an important part of fitness)?

8. Does the program's routine change monthly (results will not increase after your body gets use to a certain routine)?

9. Is the program guaranteed? If so, for how long?

10. Read the disclaimer (It will give you an idea of what can go wrong)!

Take your time searching for a quality, affordable, fitness program that will help you achieve your fitness goals. Make sure the program or product is guaranteed at least a few weeks. A few days before the guarantee runs out, evaluate the program and your results. If the program isn't working for you, then take it back.

For great ideas on how to improve your fitness youre welcome to visit Jays Free Weight Loss Exercise Program

The comedian Lenny Bruce entitled his autobiography, How to Talk Dirty and Influence People. A comic title referencing the hugely popular book at the time, How to Make Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Carnegie went on to make a fortune selling self-help programs and Lenny died of a drug overdose.

But success is fleeting, today Carnegie is largely forgotten yet Lennys legacy lives on. The humor in Lennys title was that he did indeed talk dirty and indeed did influence people. Lenny was the first truly modern comedian; he didnt just tell jokes about his mother in law or about how fat his wife was. His comedy was of current events and it was biting and sarcastic and sometimes even those who loved Lenny were offended by it. Lenny could be a comedic Rorshach test as he discussed the issues of race, nuclear weapons, homosexuality and even incest.

But Lenny never learned where the edge was or at least never let on he knew where it was and always took his audience just a little further. Arrested one night for asking an audience member if hed ever had his dick sucked. He returned the next night with police lining the back wall of the theater by asking, Pardon me sir, have you ever had your blah blahed? And Maam have you ever had your blah blahed? The audience roared with laughter because Lenny Bruce had exposed our hypocrisy. A government fighting civil rights, building weapons to destroy humanity but deeply offended by a man-saying dick sucked in a room full of grown adults.

They government destroyed Lenny, his legal cases took all his money, club owners feared legal repercussions and bad press if they hired him. But Lenny went down swinging and of all they things he was accused of having said no one ever said, that mans lying.

Telling the truth and using street vernacular to do it is obscene, while lying and murdering while using euphemisms is considered just good politics. Lenny would be busy, were he here with us today, but he would be use to it as well. The government had tapped his phone and followed him and opened his mail. The government considered Lenny Bruce a subversive element, a threat, he was indeed talking dirty and influencing people.

Mother always used to say, if you always tell the truth you never have to remember what you said. After the first gulf war the UN passed sanctions against Iraq to disclose its weapons of mass destruction. These intelligent and well-informed people were quite aware that chemical weapons have a shelf life measured in months and in some cases only weeks. Iraqs nuclear program and biologic programs were in shambles its reactor destroyed along with all of its support facilities.

Defectors had already disclosed to the west that Iraq had discontinued its nuclear program but Saddam was still considered a bad man. So a convenient and comfortable lie seemed justified. Iraq must allow inspectors to view all of its remaining WMDs or how long have you been beating your wife Saddam? But the lie was designed to put Iraq in a box where it could be controlled. Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive, the deception however noble its original purpose most certainly helped to cause the deaths of almost one million children and made the US invasion of Iraq possible.

The world body found it self hoisted by its own petards, it had helped to create the myth that Iraq was hiding weapons so then when someone even more deceptive arises and says those weapons are a direct threat to us, what can they say? The UN played the stutter step of more inspections, quick to add more sanctions in a cynical ploy to buy time but refusing while being backed into the corner and acquiesce to military action. The Bush hunta quickly grew tired of playing diplomatic games invaded anyway, but what could the UN say? Uncle George had them by the short hairs or as Lenny might have put it, hes got their dick stuck in a light socket.

The lies we tell even with the best of intentions can sometimes come back to haunt us and in an ironic twist the lies told with cynical intentions can bite back even harder. The Bush hunta is firmly entrenched in an anti environmental war. It begins by saying that there is no proof of global warming, that science is unsure of the cause. While encouraging the use of fossil fuels and redacting reports which run counter to the stated political positions.

But now they are caught in the teeth of their own lies, Canada, Russia and Denmark are staking claims to the mineral resources found along their new coastlines in the Arctic Ocean. Once known as the polar ice cap, Canada is building new port facilities to serve the future year round ocean freight traffic. Russia and Canada are both increasing their naval presence but navies are not needed if theres nothing of value to guard.

On Hans Island and Island disputed by Canada and Denmark the Canadian government has issued a permit to prospect for diamonds. The Canadians also erected a large Canadian flag. Which prompted a call from the Danish ambassador expressing his displeasure. The Danes responded by sending a warship of their own to plant the Danish flag. Meanwhile the Russians have planted flags below the ocean to bolster their own claims.

The Russians hold to the position of, "The Arctic is Russian," so says Artur Chilingarov noted arctic explorer. "We must prove the North Pole is an extension of the Russian coastal shelf." Russia is claiming that an underwater mountain known as the Lomonosov Ridge is actually an extension of the Russian landmass.

The US geological survey estimates that one quarter of the worlds undiscovered energy resources lies in the arctic region. A team of international researchers in 2004 estimated that melting ice would soon open new shipping routes and simplify mineral exploration. But if youre the Bush hunta its hard to elbow your way up to the table and demand your fair share when you refuse to admit the problem exists in the first place. In effect proclaim to the world that Moon Men dont exist but that we want whats in their pockets!

The US and Canada argue over rights in the North-west Passage, Norway and Russia differ over the Barents Sea, Canada and Denmark are competing over a small islands off Greenland, the Russian parliament is refusing to ratify an agreement with the US over the Bering Sea and Denmark is claiming the North Pole itself.

The UN as early as 1982 came up with the "median line method" dividing the Arctic rights according to the length of its nearest coastline. But Republicans in Congress decried, they would not have their hands tied by UN bureaucrats and declined in signing the treaty. The treaty would have granted up to 25% of the resources in the region to the United States. In May of this year Senator Richard Lugar unaware of how deal or no deal is played pleaded for ratification in the light of the Russian moves, saying that an American voice was needed at the negotiating table.

As simple as picking up a pen and signing a piece of paper, no more difficult than endorsing a check but the administration has another alternative plan. The US Congress is considering a proposal to build two new heavy polar ships. No doubt to be followed by an increased military presence to guard the ice thats not melting and to sail the still frozen seas. Instead of realizing that the melting seas might be signal our own eventual demise and might by its very existence be our death warrant. The administration instead intends to militarize it as a last lavish funeral pyre.

A celebration of recklessness and excess and the degradation of mankind. But thats not how Lenny would say it! I can imagine how he might say it but I couldnt repeat it here, and by God he would be right!

If you've ever spent a long time in a vehicle with children then you've probably had to come up with some quick, creative ideas on how to keep them occupied. I have spent countless hours playing travel games with children. Here are a few of the family travel games that I have found perfect for passing the time.

Travel Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of things you might see as you're travelling (this will vary depending on your location). Some good examples would be... an airplane flying overhead, a lamb, a cyclist, an ambulance, a yield sign, litter, a train, etc. Make a list for everyone or play the game as a group. If children are playing individually, the first person to call out an item gets to check it off their list. If the item appears another time at a different location on your route another child may call it and check it off of their list. Whoever gets all of their items first or whoever has the most items when you reach your destination wins.

Travel Bingo
Make up some blank bingo cars and purchase some automobile, street sign, animal or any combination of applicable stickers to put in the blank spaces. Just be sure that any stickers you buy are of items you might see in your travels. Have the children choose and place one sticker in each square (kids love stickers, so even that part is fun). As you're driving children call out and check off any items on their card that they see along the road. The first one to get a full diagonal, horizontal, or vertical line checked off wins. In a pinch, children can draw their own bingo card on a piece of paper and either write in or draw items they might see on their trip.

Category Cards
Buy a package of blank index cards and either write one category name or draw one category picture on each card. You should make up at least sixteen cards. Categories should reflect things you might see on your travels. Be creative with your ideas and the possibilities are limitless. Some good examples would be... street signs, emergency vehicles, transportation, animals, restaurants, sports, etc. When the cards are complete, shuffle them and turn them upside down. When traveling, the first player must draw a card and find something that fits the category picked. When an item is found the next card is picked up and an applicable item is found. All players take turns until all cards are used up. Cards can then be reshuffled and the game can continue, however, if a 'car' was found for the vehicle category on the first round, a different vehicle (eg. truck, train) must be found on the next round. Play for fun or set a time limit for each item and score a point only for items found in the given time.

Licence Plate Spell
Have each child choose a different 5 letter word. When driving each player must find the first letter of their word on a licence plate. When the first letter has been found, they must find the second letter of their word on a different licence plate. This continues till someone completes their word. Then, players choose new words and start again. The player who completes the most words first by the end of the trip wins.

The author has hosted hundreds of kids', youth, ladies', and community programs and events, showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, and camps over the last 25 years. She also directs local theater productions and teaches drama at a small private school. If you are planning a party, shower, scavenger hunt or any other gathering or event visit http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com for party games and ideas.

Remodeling a kitchen is one of the best investments a homeowner can make. For most homeowners it is the most important room in the house. It is used for cooking, eating, and gathering, and is typically a focal point in the home. Consequently, though a great investment, a kitchen-remodeling project can be very disruptive to the family. And the length of the disruption can take as long as two or three weeks.

The Planning Stage

Planning is absolutely essential in remodeling a kitchen. The homeowner should first identify the main objectives of their future kitchen. They should next research the latest products on the market including: cabinets, countertops, appliances, and flooring. If the kitchen is more than 5 years old, there are a lot of new products to choose from. For example, Silestone is quickly surpassing Granite and Corian, as the premier countertop surface as it is extremely hard, elegant in appearance, and comes in many colors. For cabinets, the trend appears to be towards lighter colors as they help the appearance of lightening and enlarging a room. In regards to appliances, the Stainless Steel look appears to be in. And for flooring, vinyl or wood is the trend. Tile looks nice, however, it can be unforgiving in a room where things tend to get dropped. In addition, if there is no radiant heating planned for the floor, tile has the tendency to feel cold on the feet.

Sketch out some plans

After the main objectives of the future kitchen have been identified and the homeowner has an idea on the products for it, they should next sketch some plans. I would suggest developing two or three sketches, keeping in mind three important points. First, professional kitchen designers like to think of a triangle when starting a new design. The three points of the triangle include the Sink, Refrigerator, and Stove. Make sure your sketches consider this as it will ensure a good functional kitchen. Second, consider adequate walking areas and space for an eating area, such as a table or center island, with applicable space included for chairs. I would suggest that the walking areas be wide enough for two people to walk through at the same time. The sketches should also include dimensions, as these will be needed when meeting with the Kitchen Designer. Finally, consider where the existing outlets and power for the stove are, and assess if additional outlets will be needed or old outlets relocated.

Visiting the Kitchen Design Center

Once sketches have been created, bring them to a Kitchen Design Center or Home Improvement store. A certified Kitchen Designer will then take the sketches and goals and incorporate them into a formal set of plans. Once the Kitchen Designer has formally generated the plans, typically someone from the Kitchen center will visit your home and take very precise measurements so that the plans can be finalized. In fact, make sure that they do visit your home; otherwise unexpected costs and delays could occur when the wrong size cabinets arrive on your doorstep.

When the cabinets do arrive at your doorstep, ensure that they match the list of materials generated by the Kitchen Designer. Again, this will help ensure that no delays or unexpected costs arise during the actual remodeling process.

Cabinets: Out with the Old and In with the New

Once the cabinets arrive, the cabinet installers will remove the existing cabinets and countertops, unless the homeowners decide to do this themselves, and install the new cabinets. If new flooring is planned, I would suggest installing the flooring between removing the old cabinets and installing the new ones, as this will save time and money. In addition, particularly with Linoleum, you will get a better end product, as the Linoleum will be unable to lift-up over time, if the material goes under the cabinets. If new flooring does get installed prior to the cabinet and countertop installation, additional care will be needed to ensure the floors are not damage during this process.

Installing the Countertops

After the new cabinets have been installed, measuring and templating for the new countertops will be required if Silestone, Granite or Corian are to be used. This task should be planned in advance so that it can be performed the same day the cabinets are installed. This will help to reduce the disruption time. Once the templating has been completed, expect several days to a week for the countertops to actually be cut and installed. During this interval the Kitchen Design Center should install a temporary countertop and faucet so that your kitchen remains operational.

Though remodeling a kitchen can be a huge disruption to the homeowner, the finished product will quickly erase the brief inconvenience. Between its new and contemporary look and features, and the knowledge of making a sound investment, the homeowner will swiftly forget about the disruption as they fully enjoy their new kitchen.

me_Donovan@comcast.net
http://www.homeadditionplus.com
http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. Mr. Donovan's formal education and profession has been as an Electrical Engineer and Marketing Manager.

The notebook is a fantastic accessory in modern life, used both for work and for play. It has the ability to produce and store a wide variety of high quality documents, play top quality games, download and run films, utilize the internet and also run business quality software essential for presentations and productivity in the modern business world. The device is designed to be portable, functional and meet the requirements of a busy modern life. However, the type of notebook chosen affects the usability levels. Many features are an unnecessary addition, depending upon what the notebook is used for. Though the quality of the machine may be unbeatable, it may not necessarily fully meet your requirements.

For instance, if the notebook is used by a travelling businessman then it needs to be highly portable. The device needs to be used in a variety of scenarios and places, and must perform to the utmost standard each time. Many elements can affect the portability of a notebook such as screen and product size, inbuilt systems and processor size. A 12 to 14 inch screen should be big enough for the travelling businessman, and the DVD player can be bought as an attachment for when it is required rather than being inbuilt. This will keep the weight of the device at the lower end and make it more accessible for travel.

If the notebook is used for recreational purposes only then portability is less of an issue whilst graphics performance and memory space become much more important. In this instance the size of the device, the graphics card, and inbuilt DVD player and rewriter will affect the choice. Also the screen will need to be at the larger end of the scale to enable better quality gaming and cinema experiences.

The notebook is generally sold with either scenario in mind, and the standard range is fantastic. But what if these general features do not fit your requirements? Every user is unique, and in the modern age people are used to being able to receive bespoke products and services. For instance, a business man may need excellent DVD features for presentations, yet still have portability a key concern. In this scenario, the best option is to build your own notebook.

To build your own notebook, you simply choose a supplier that will combine the elements that you need to create a bespoke notebook. This is usually an online provider as they can react better to supply and demand. Physical shops do not have such a good market for this type of service, as consumers go by sight to a large degree when physically shopping. A notebook in pieces does not look very attractive.

Building your own notebook entails knowing exactly what you want from your machine, so make sure you do your research and fully understand what the different elements are and whether they fit your purpose. However, it is not an option only for the completely computer literate. All sites that provide this service will be easy to navigate, with in depth explanations. The customer support team is also trained to be able to assist you with this type of information. They will be able to explain different components and also advise whether your choices will be beneficial to your needs. The notebook builder will put together all the required elements, to create a machine that will provide the optimum performance for you.

The price of your tailor made notebook will depend upon the components that you require, rather than an overall predetermined cost. Therefore, it will completely reflect the device that you require and be cost effective. Another advantage is that because it is completed online, it can be built from anywhere in the world and delivered direct to your door.

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

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Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for GetSmartArticles