Will a weight loss plan involving Glycaemic Index (GI) Diet make any difference?

If this seems complicated, you can purse your lips slightly. As you exhale, make sure that you also produce sound at the same time. Then close your mouth and inhale softly through your nose, counting to four. Hold your breath for seven seconds and then exhale, only through your mouth for eight seconds. This is one cycle. After completing the first cycle, inhale again, and repeat the cycle 3 more times. This breathing exercise helps calm the nervous system naturally. Shock horror. Moisturiser is not something I feel we need by day. Yet there are countless moisturisers on the market. In truth, we get everything we need from our serums and SPF, but, at night, when we don't need SPF, most of my clients will opt for a moisturiser purely because it feels delicious, soft, supple on their skin - and yet it does not serve a full purpose beyond that unless it mirrors the good fats, ceramides, in the skin. I can understand why a low-in-lipids, dry-skinned people or an over-exfoliating individual would use a moisturiser as it provides instant comfort to the skin, but usually that all it does. The molecules in it are too big to penetrate the skin, which is why it can manage to stay in the upper layers and soften and condition them. You will notice a lot of SPFs now marketed as moisturisers as people want to buy moisturisers more than SPF: the IMAGE Prevention is a good example. Unfortunately, we have all been conditioned to over-exfoliate. We are obsessed with the need to exfoliate away our skin cells and feel that instant gratification of soft, supple, baby-soft skin. Companies teach us that for lighter, brighter and hydrated skin, exfoliation is the solution. The effect of this breathing exercise will increase after prolonged practice. Do this exercise at least twice per day. During the first month, do a maximum of 4 cycles, and gradually increase to 8 cycles.

You can do the exercise whenever you are stressed, have insomnia, or experience a rush of anger. Exhalation counting Exhalation counting is a Zen breathing exercise. It is simple exercise, but requires concentration. Sit in a comfortable position. Keep your spine straight and tilt your head slightly forward. Close your eyes, and take several deep breaths. Short-term perhaps, but not long-term. Certainly not to the extent we've been led to believe. The skin should be exfoliating itself, but because of lifestyle and chronological ageing, it tends to slow down from top to toe. We then lean on scrubs and grits to pummel the bejesus out of ourselves, stepping out of the shower all lobster like and congratulating ourselves on how clean we are - I call it raw. It's psychologically rewarding, but your skin won't thank you. If you over-exfoliate, you deplete the natural oil levels that should be there. Oil is a friend to the skin, you may dislike it, but it is indeed a positive. With acne, if you over-exfoliate you may only further spread the bacteria. It is comparable to sandpapering and scouring an area that needs to be dissolved and the lumps and bumps can be removed from the inside out. Furthermore, with over-exfoliation, you also make the skin more prone to dehydration, to light sensitivity and oiliness (as your skin will just over-produce oil as a result). After that, allow the breathing to flow naturally and try not to interfere. It is ideal to breathe quietly and slowly with deep sighs at different rhythms. To start the exercise, count the first exhalation as one.

Count the second exhalation as 2 and continue until you reach 5. Then start a new breathing cycle from 1 to 5 (counting exhalations). Never work one cycle for more than five exhalations. It is advisable to do this for a total of 10 minutes. Another very useful tool is relaxation techniques and they will be a great benefit for you. Relaxation techniques for controlling anxiety and stress may be the best tool, so read this carefully. At the heart of any program to overcome anxiety, phobias or panic attacks is the ability to relax. There is no positive to over-exfoliating. How often should we exfoliate? From the age of twenty-five, you should exfoliate no more than three times a week, leaving a night in between to enable your skin to rest! Exfoliation isn't as necessary in those under twenty-five, as the skin's natural rate of exfoliation is doing A-OK, but, again, it depends on the individual's skin. Maybe once or twice a week is enough, or using an active cleanser alone would do the trick for most under twenty-five year olds. However, if your skin looks bright, not dull, and you don't have problems with acne or anything else, don't fret if you're not exfoliating. When it comes to exfoliator types, I recommend a total ban on microbeads to save not just the fish but also your face. Microbeads are going to be banned in Ireland as fish and birds are eating them and it is causing them harm as they do not decompose in the digestive systems of the fishies and birds. We don't need to use chunky gritty formulas to exfoliate properly. No exfoliating scrubs. Relaxing with TV, or a hot bath at the end of the day are examples of activities that can help us relax the mind. The type of relaxation required to reduce anxiety, is regular exercise that incorporates some form of deep relaxation. Deep relaxation refers to a specific physiological response that opposes your body's reaction to the stresses that you might experience in a panic attack or, a fight-or-flight scenario.

This condition was first described by Herbert Benson in 1975 as a relaxing response. What is a relaxing response? It consists of a series of physiological changes, such as slowed breathing, lowered blood pressure, reduced muscle tension, slowed metabolic rate, reduced oxygen consumption, minimized analytical thinking, increased physiological resistance of the skin, and increased bio-electric alpha wave activity in the brain. Practicing deep relaxation for 20 to 30 minutes a day can have positive effects over time. After a few weeks of daily deep relaxation, you will be more relaxed when engaged in other activities. Over the past 20 years, other beneficial effects of deep relaxation have been documented, such as relief from generalized anxiety. Many people have found that performing this exercise regularly reduces both the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. Think of the top layer of your skin as tiles on a roof, then think of beads or grains constantly chipping away at the tile until eventually it cracks the grout. Bringing that analogy back to skin the grout being removed is comparable to the seal being broken and the protective layer being exposed. The skin then becomes dehydrated. Think of a glass of water left on a table, eventually the water will evaporate. The skin is comprised of water and so if the seal is left exposed that water too evaporates. Your skin is acidic so applying a mild, skin-suited acid is okay. Much kinder than a scrub, in fact. The only exfoliators I recommend are acids or enzymes, or lightweight granules that don't remotely scratch the skin. Acids and enzymes don't chip off the tile, they drip through the cracks so they get in without causing damage and prompt the cells to slough off on their own from down below. In this sense, they are much more skin-friendly when used correctly. Prevention of stress accumulation Stress builds up over time. Getting daily physiological rest provides your body the opportunity to recover from the effects of stress.

Even sleeping does not halt stress buildup unless you have allowed yourself to relax deeply when you are awake. Increased energy and productivity. Improved concentration and memory. Regularly engaging in deep relaxation exercises can increase your ability to concentrate and calm your mind. Reduced bouts of insomnia and fatigue. Learning to relax leads to deeper dream sleep. Prevents and/or reduces incidences of psychosomatic disorders such as high blood pressure, migraine, headache, asthma, ulcers, etc Examples of exfoliators I recommend include glycolic acid, lactic acid, polyhydroxy acids, salicylic acids and enzymatic exfoliation products that contain bromelain (pineapple enzyme) and papain (papaya enzyme) usually. In terms of exfoliator rules, follow the box, bottle or packet. Exfoliators are all different and come in different formulations and percentages, so you really have to speak to the person who sold it to you. For the most part, it is best to use them post-cleansing and pre-seruming so that your pores are most receptive to the next products and they will penetrate deeper into the epidermis. It's best to exfoliate at night, which is what I do, so that you can then give your skin some respite while you sleep. I believe acid-based exfoliators should only ever be retailed by those providing guidance. People will come to us saying they bought a peel solution online and it is clear that their skin's barrier has been compromised to the point of scaliness and flakiness all day, every day. The Skin Nerd approved exfoliators: Masks are important to a skincare routine as they help us to get more actives onto our skin, and sometimes they perform a specific function as a boost to the skin that perhaps doesn't exist in your regular routine. Maybe your focus in your routine isn't hydration but one week you need a boost of hydration and this is where a mask may come in to play. Strengthens confidence and self-esteem. For many people, stress and self-criticism go hand-in-hand. When relaxed, you will feel better and function more efficiently.