The skin is the outermost organ of the human body which is flexible and soft. For the sake of the healthy skin, every day people clean, moisturize and protect skin, especially women. What are the facts behind the human skin?

As quoted from HowStuffWorks, by understanding the skin, we can help place them in a perspective of how the skin fills all the space in the body.

1. The skin protects the internal organs from external elements such as extreme temperatures, ultraviolet rays from the sun and harmful chemicals.

2. The skin also helps retain water, prevent infection and produce essential proteins and vitamins. To perform all the tasks, a large amounts of skin is required.

3. Adults have an average of about 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) or approximately 22 square feet (6.7 square meters) of skin.

4. Not all skin can be seen by the eye. Human skin consists of three layers: the epidermis, dermis and fat layer under the skin, or hypodermis. And each layer has a different purpose.

Epidermis is the outer layer of skin that gives pigment-cells and produce new skin cells to replace cells that have died.

Dermis is the middle layer, is a place to feel pain and has touch receptors like blood vessels, hair follicles, collagen and elastin.

While subcutaneous layer consists of collagen and fat, which helps absorb shocks and protect the body and internal organs.

5. The skin is an organ which keeps on developing and constantly changes throughout our lives. Even humans shed about 40,000 skin cells per minute.

6. Skin experienced renewal every 35 days. This means that when a person aged 20 years, he has experienced skin turnover of 200 times.

Sex activity now is growing beyond the physical aspect. The study has found that the key to be looked young and vibrant is a healthy sex life and satisfying.

Sex is a physical action that stimulates the body and mind. With proper diet, regular exercise, take vitamins, and healthy sex life, you could  get older with a healthy process. So as confirmed by Carefair.

Young skin is influenced by a healthy body. It is widely known that sex is very effective for  muscles activity, increase heart rate, and even help you sleep better after having sex. Having regular sex is also very good for increasing stamina, muscle, and liver.

One of the most important reasons to have sex regularly, is to lower stress levels. We know that stress can effect you in various ways, including your skin elasticity. How often stress produces a bad effect on your skin? With the stress level decreases, your skin will appear healthy and fresh.

Sex is not limited to the energetic young age of 20-30s. Having a regular sex life and health should also be a focal point for the middle age. Studies show that physical and mental health should be improved and maintained by people aged 50 years, also the older.

Lack of sexual activity makes you more vulnerable to diseases, such as joint pain, heart attack, and even prostate cancer. Sex health benefits, including releasing toxins or substances causing cancer, heart health, and reduce the chances of heart disease.

For middle-aged or older, you may want to add a multivitamin to keep your sex life. Additional benefits of certain vitamins and minerals is very important in keeping your sexual performance in bed.

For an example vitamin B could  maintain energy levels and stamina, increase iron and improve the immune system, vitamin E carries oxygen to the muscles and liver, and the fight against radical antioxidant flavonoids and maintain lung function properly.

Breastfeeding does not just have benefits for the baby to be healthier and gives some very useful antibodies. Breastfeeding also helps the mothers stay slim until the next few years.

Researchers find more benefits that can be obtained by a woman who gives milk to her child. A recent study showed that women who breast-feeds can help reduce abdominal fat she owns, even for several decades into the future.

Research results have been reported in the medical conference of the American Heart Association in San Francisco shows, middle-aged women who breastfeed their children consistently have a waist circumference of an average 2.6 inches (6.6 cm) smaller than women who never breast-feeds.

“Fat in the stomach is the most unhealthy spot to store fat for women and breastfeeding can be really useful to eliminate these bad fats,” said Candace McClure, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, as quoted from MSNNews, Sunday (7 / 3 / 2010).

Recent research shows that women who breastfeed their children have a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Experts have suspected that breastfeeding not only helps spending excess calories, but also help women to get rid of abdominal fat faster. Because excess fat in the abdomen can also be a risk factor for heart disease.

To see the long-term effects, McClure and colleagues analyzed 351 women who joined in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation Heart.

This study took place since the year 2001-2003. Participants are divided into 29 percent of women who never breast-feeds, 29 percent are not consistent 42 percent of breast-feeding and breast-feeding her child consistently.

It was found that women who never breast-feeds has a 28 percent of excess abdominal fat than women who never breast-feeds. While the non-consistent breast-feeders has a belly fat 2.6 inch (6.6 cm) and larger waist-hip ratio of 4.7 per cent higher than the consistent breastfeeding women.

“This is very interesting, because in addition to making women stay slim, breastfeeding can also protect women from heart disease. But of course it should be supported with a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives,” said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, director of the Women’s Heart Program at New York University Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Therefore, women who breastfeed their children consistently not only does something good for the baby but also for herself.

The latest research shows that a nap proved to make a person smarter. Napping can refresh and boost the capacity of the brain’s ability to learn dramatically.

Maybe for you who too busy, it is difficult to use the time for a while for a napping. However, from now on that activities should be prioritized. A recent study states that a person who can nap to revive their brain is able to learn more. Your body will be fresher.

Researchers who are also assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, United States, Matthew Walker, PhD said, the results of this study showed participants who did nap brain perform better in the afternoon. This discovery he presented last week at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Diego, United States.

“The brain’s ability to learn a new information was not stable throughout the day. Part of the brain that stores memory can be blocked in one day, like a full e-mail inbox in your computer, “he said as quoted by WebMD.

The researchers found that napping for an hour is enough to increase the brain’s ability to learn new facts in the next hours. On the other hand, the longer we stay for literacy, the more sluggish minds.

These new findings support previous data from the same research team that stayed up all night can reduce the ability to incorporate new things almost as much as 40 percent. This is due to the closure of parts of the brain during sleep we lose time.

When the brain’s ability to absorb the lessons continue to deteriorate in the middle of the day, the light of Walker, with a nap activities known to remove the old brain memory is not very important in order to make room for new information. “Sleep is not just for the body. It is also useful for the brain, “he said.

Some of the most influential figures in the world also known as “day sleepers”. Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once claimed that he only slept four hours each night, but always take a nap during the day. Meanwhile, Bill Clinton was also always taking the time to sleep for half an hour after lunch.

In this study, Walker and his colleagues asked 39 young participants, an average of 21 years. They were given a test that aims to find out how much memory in the hippocampus of absorption of the human brain where the memory stores the information-they. Tests carried out by matching a person and his image. This activity is carried out in the afternoon, after naps.

The researchers divided the participants into two groups namely the nap group and does not nap group. At two o’clock in the afternoon, the first group were given the opportunity to take a nap for 90 minutes. While the rest is left intact.

Then, at six o’clock, the test starts. The result, people who fall into the group did not nap decreased about 10 percent on their learning abilities during the day. While the group that slept in the daytime, even increased to 10 percent.

The study also found that total sleep time during the day either for 90 minutes or more is not too affected human brain performance. Interestingly, the phase of non-dreaming sleep were able to increase the memory to be better.

From the results of this study can be concluded that prior to learn, you should sleep first. Just as some studies say that sleep after learning is also important to strengthen the absorption of information that has been learned.

In a previous study, Walker and other colleagues have discovered the fact that all of our memory that the information can be stored in the hippocampus are then sent to a part of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex, an area suspected to have larger storage.

“Maybe this happened during the hippocampus is actually a transit station for the memory in the brain,” Walker said. Hippocampus could absorb all the information in large numbers, but a time due to excess weight, “he” also need to transfer the information to the prefrontal cortex.

Someone who sleep before learning, the light of Walker, can help clean the hippocampus from a number of memory and sends the data to the prefrontal cortex, allowing him to receive the new information.

“The new and interesting, this study shows that sleep, in addition to helping the process of memory consolidation, also helps the brain to learn new information,” said Jessica Payne, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States, which also examine this issue.

According to him, a memory has three stages. First, accept the initial memory, after you learn something new. Second, memory storage or consolidation. And last, the memory retrieval.

Payne says, most research is focused on sleep over the consolidation process, although the new study looks at how sleep affects memory revenues in the early stages. The findings of this new study, he added, may be the perfect answer for older people who has a short memory. Short nap can help them learn and remember things in the future.

Both Walker and Payne admitted that 90 minutes of sleep during the day may be considered inappropriate for many people. “But maybe at some point a short nap in the middle of the day will become a habit that ultimately profitable,” said Payne.

Next time you have a headache, you may want to skip the pain relievers and try acupressure. It’s safe and can be surprisingly effective.

What Is Acupressure?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, pain and illness are viewed as an interruption in the flow of qi (energy). Acupressure and acupuncture aim to balance and restore the flow of qi through the body. Acupoints are places on the body where the flow of qi can be influenced (e.g. via needles, electrical stimulation, & pressure) to regulate bodily functions and relieve pain.

How to Perform Acupressure

To perform acupressure, use direct pressure to the indicated point with your finger or thumb. Press the point lightly, increasing slowly to a firm pressure. (Of course, if you’re working with a delicate area such as the face, use light pressure.)  Hold the point until you feel some relief, or up to a minute. Breathe deeply as you hold the point.

Acupressure Points for Headache Relief

Below are some acupressure points for headache relief. You can do all of them as a routine, or just experiment and find the ones that work best for you.

* The “Hoku point” (LI4) is excellent for headache relief. It is located on the back of the hand, in the webbing where the thumb and index finger meet.  Find the exact point by bringing your thumb and index finger together.  The muscle will bulge a little–that’s the spot.

Squeeze the point by putting your thumb on the point, and your index finger on the palm side of your hand.  Angle the pressure toward the bone that connects with the index finger. Hold for one minute and switch hands.

Do not use the Hoku Point if you are pregnant.

* Use your thumbs to firmly press the back of the neck underneath the base of your skull into the indentations on either side of the spine, two to three inches apart, depending on the size of your skull. Slowly tilt your head back and firmly press up underneath the skull. These are the GB20 points. This technique is one of my personal favorites for headache relief.

* Press the top of the feet, in the web between the big and second toes.  You can either use your hands for this, working both feet at the same time, or you can use the heel of the opposite foot to work one foot at a time.  This point is Lv3.

* With the palms of your hands together, let your head tilt downward and place your index and third fingers on the point directly between the eyebrows, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead. (Or just use an index finger or thumb.)  This point is called GV24.5.

* Apply steady pressure to the top of head, where lines drawn to the top of the head from the ears and nose would intersect.  This is GV20.  Do not use this point if you have high blood pressure.

* Use your thumb and index finger to press the indentations on either side of the nose, where the bridge of the nose meets the ridge of the eyebrows. This is B2.

* Use the middle and index fingers of both hands to gently press up underneath the cheekbones, directly below the center of the eye. This point is St3.

Many of these suggestions are taken from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points by Michael Reed Gach, which I highly recommend.

“Red Flag” Headaches: See Your Doctor Immediately

While you can safely treat most headaches yourself, some need medical attention. The following headache symptoms are signs of potentially serious, even life-threatening health problems. Please consult your medical doctor immediately if:

* you experience extremely intense head pain (i.e. it feels like the worst headache of your life)
* the headache comes on very suddenly and severely (like a “thunderclap”)
* your headache is accompanied by mental confusion
* your headache is accompanied by unusual symptoms such as passing out, loss of vision, or difficulty walking or speaking
* your headache is accompanied by a high fever (over 100 degrees F) and/or stiff neck
* you are over 50 and the headache is a new kind of headache for you
* your headache was preceded by head trauma.
* you have a family history of brain aneurysms