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    Articles Tagged with: wellness
    The Myths and Truths of Anti-Aging Vitamins
    Photo Credit: Pexels

    Various vitamins that claim to be the “fountain of youth” are everywhere in today’s beauty and healthcare market.

    From skin creams to supplements, many products claim to be packed with the goods to keep you looking great and the signs of aging at bay. How good are they, though, at preventing these effects of aging?

    This article offers some truths surrounding anti-aging vitamins to make you a bit more informed on essential ingredients and to help you sidestep mythic claims.

    Vitamins

    Marketers might state that a wide variety of vitamins can help slow the effects of aging. There are, however, only a handful of vitamins that have been shown to have positive effects.

    Here are some of the winners:

    Vitamin A

    Vitamin A is one of the most popular ingredients in many wrinkle-fighting potions. This antioxidant is amazing in that it helps to boost the skin’s thickness, which is important because one of the realities of aging is that our skin begins to thin and makes us more prone to wrinkles.

    Vitamin C

    Prevalent in citrus fruits and some vegetables like tomatoes, vitamin C has been shown to help in combating the free radicals that make us age so quickly. Keep those vitamin C levels high, and you can help keep aging away.

    Vitamin E

    Considered an antioxidant powerhouse by some, vitamin E helps to reinforce cell membranes and also boosts the associated enzymes. It may also help combat the effects of free radicals and, in the right dosage, might even be able to reduce skin damage from the sun.

    Minerals

    Minerals also have important benefits in preventing the impacts of aging. If you are looking to boost your mineral intake in hopes of looking younger, you might want to try the following:

    Zinc

    Zinc has been shown to have remarkable curative properties. It also gives us unrivaled protection for the sun as it shields its harmful rays.

    Copper

    This mineral is noted for its impact on collagen and elastin production. With copper at play, your skin can be both firmer and appear fuller to diminish the appearance of thinning, sagging skin.

    Selenium

    Similar to copper,Selenium can add to skin’s elasticity. At the same time, selenium can help your skin sidestep the hardening associated with oxidation.

    How To Add These Anti-Agers To Your Life

    Incorporating these various vitamins and minerals into your regimen can be accomplished in several ways. You can try them in:

    Foods

    Many of the foods we eat come packed with these essential vitamins and minerals. Grains, for example, come filled with antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium.

    Meanwhile, vegetables like sweet potatoes and kale are abound with vitamin A, and vitamin C is prevalent in citrus fruits. Eating a balanced diet can ensure that you are giving your body access to these essential age-fighters.

    Supplements

    You can also seek out supplements that target specific antioxidants. Zinc comes in a supplement form, for instance, as does collagen peptide (a swap for that essential copper peptide).

    Not to mention, you can take a combination supplement that pairs several of these key ingredients, but be mindful of the actual contents. Keep in mind as well that some of your supplements may be covered by your insurance plan, which can save you money in the long run. 

    Topical Cream

    Another avenue is to seek out a prescription topical application. One popular example is retinol and its various versions, as its potent concentration of vitamin A can make it a super skin booster.

    If you choose an over-the-counter cream, however, buyer beware: you again need to be very knowledgeable about the contents and concentration of the product. It is also important to keep in mind that topical applications often have the lowest antioxidant absorption into the skin, so they might not produce the same effects that a stronger dosage would.

    None of these vitamins or minerals come with the promise that they will keep you looking younger; however, the good news is science is on our side. As research does suggest they can have an overall impact on slowing the aging process and potentially improving your overall skin tone and condition.

    Tap into these truths and see what they can do for you.

    Author Bio: Christian Worstell is a health and lifestyle writer living in Raleigh, NC.

    5 Ways Exercising Boosts Your Sex Life

    It’s no surprise that there are many benefits of consistent exercise.  Working out is a vital part in staying healthy (both physically and mentally), promotes weight loss, and boosts energy.  But along with a healthy diet and the right amount of sleep, exercise can be part of a balanced lifestyle that leads to…. wait for it… better sex.

    Curious? Let’s dive deep into ways exercise really does boost your sex life!

    Body Language

    If you like to be adventurous in the bedroom, sex oftentimes involves holding unusual positions for a given amount of time. Don’t forget, sex is exercise. If we want it to keep feeling good for both ourselves and our partner, the muscles we need for it should be worked and toned regularly. If your workouts include manipulating your own bodyweight, strengthening the pelvic muscles, and weightlifting, you could see an improvement in your ability to hold the positions you’re used to – and even the new ones you and your partner have talked about — leading to more frequent, and comfortable sexual encounters. 

    Additionally, sex can get your heart racing in more ways than one, but let’s make sure it’s not because you don’t have enough stamina – exercising should not only significantly improve your ability to hold positions but allow you to be intimate for extended periods of time.

    Improved confidence

    Body confidence comes with better health and fitness. Feeling better about your body can also improve your personal sense of self-worth and your ability to overcome challenges you may have thought impossible. Working out regularly challenges participants to overcome mental and physical obstacles, and often boosts mental health and confidence along the way.

    Scientifically speaking, regular exercise also boosts the production of endorphins, which increases your happiness and self-esteem. Remember, confidence is sexy. You might be surprised with how often people crave more confidence in a sexual partner.

    Increases Blood Flow

    Consistent bouts of exercise can help increase your libido and lower the amount of erectile dysfunction that you could encounter. According to one study conducted by the University of California, exercise helps improve “reliable sexual function” while also making you more likely to experience orgasms — and better ones. Ladies who regularly work out are more likely to be turned on than their counterparts who don’t work out. The increased blood flow that comes from working out sets us up to have easier, more intense climaxes with heightened sensitivity in our nether regions.

    Reduces Stress and Anxiety

    Exercising is a great way to cope with stress and anxiety. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with something, working out can help you work through it and lower your overall stress levels. The reason for this has to do with our bodies natural reaction to stressors, called the Fight or Flight response. When our bodies are triggered, we feel stress or anxiety which is meant to fuel our fight or flight response. For instance, if you receive a stressful email at work that triggers you, our natural response is stress which is meant to give us energy to be extremely active and survive. If we do not act upon our triggers and manifest them into a workout or another healthy release, we will feel built up anxiety or stress.

    If that’s not enough of a reason to workout, remember… no one is ever “in the mood” when they’re stressed out. If you have a lot on your mind, and the idea of sex sounds like a chore, exercising can help clear your mind, lower your stress levels, and in turn, boost your mood.

    Also note, that exercise reduces symptoms of depression. So, if you or your partner are struggling with dark moods, exercise can help you feel better, and see the world in a more positive light, and likely help your relationship.

    Helps You Sleep Better

    Sleep and sex are closely related and there are a few different reasons for this. In an article published on The Conversation, sex therapist and author, Dr. Laurie Mintz, writes, “It is now clear that a hidden cause of sex problems is sleeplessness and that hidden cause of sleeplessness is sex problems. Additionally, Dr. Mintz explains, “Conversely, a good night’s sleep can lead to a greater interest in sex, and orgasmic sex can result in a better night’s sleep.” The reason for this is that sleep helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, causing you to feel more relaxed and able to get in the mood, while also improving energy levels; effects that are boosted by consistent physical activity.

    Keep It Up!  

    Once you get in your workout groove, don’t stop! The only way you will see results in the gym, and in the bedroom, is with consistency. And it’s likely that the reason you are drawn to exercise is not initially for its sexual benefits, but for its ability to boost your mood, promote weight loss, and an overall better quality of life and well-being. The benefits of working out are endless, but remember that physical, mental, and sexual transformations take time. Turn your exercise into a habit, and your body (and your partner) might just reward you in more ways than one.

    Guest Post by: Stephanie James
    A Set Back Can Be A Great Set Up For A Great Comeback

    If you are going to attract exactly what you want in life, it is important you learn how to sharpen your focus and follow through. A comeback is necessary when we pigeonhole ourselves. The problem with goals setting and why goals may go by the wayside has to do with how we approach our goals. If we don’t have a realistic plan or know how to handle obstacles we may not be able to bounce back if we are derailed. Setting a goal opens a door to a new adventure. We must have strategies for how we will handle obstacles along the way. Without a game plan and a sound approach a goal remains just that, only a goal. The fact is that many of us get derailed. Our goal does not always happen at the very time we said it would. We start out of the gates strong, fizzle out, maybe dust ourselves off once or twice, only to find yourself once again setting the very same goal. What is that determines the fate of your goals? It is one thing to set a goal and another thing to be able to execute it from beginning to end. It is also another thing to know how to make a comeback if you do get derailed. What needs to shift and change in order for you to keep moving ahead and not lose sight of your vision?

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