All that glitters are not always gold, sometimes it's MINERAL.

                                            

With so many make-up brands now competing for sales in the make-up industry, women try to look for something new, something that will fit better than their previous brands. I already tried a lot of different brands of make up. Unfortunately, there are lot of cosmetics that aren’t even worth for my money until my friend introduced me to a new stuff – Mineral Makeup. Mineral makeup has been quietly creating a revolution in the cosmetics industry. If you've never used it before you may be asking "What is Mineral Makeup"?

What is a Mineral Makeup?

Mineral Makeup generally refers to the foundation, but there are many other mineral makeup products - finishing powder, face color, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, etc. The minerals generally come in a loose powered form. It is made from pure crushed minerals and consists of ingredients such as micronized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, silk mica or mica in any form and hydrated silica. Micronized titanium dioxide is an ingredient found in most sunblocks and is beneficial for those with damaged skin. Silk mica or mica creates the smooth texture that makes mineral foundation so appealing. For women with allergies or sensitive skin, mineral makeup and foundations are the best choice as they contain no dyes or perfumes. Additionally, no fillers or other talcs are added that may also irritate the skin.

Minerals have beneficial properties for the skin and when you have the correct color for your skin and it is applied properly (which can take some practice) can make your skin look natural, glowing and beautiful. So, you would now be asking “What are the benefits of Mineral Makeup?”

Benefits of Mineral Makeup

• Nourishing healthy skin formulations derived from natural organic plants, plant sources, cosmetic grade minerals and mineral pigments.
• No harmful additives, harsh dyes or man-made fragrances, thus limiting the risk for skin allergies and other associated problems. The allergen risk is nearly 0%.
  Ingredients usually considered organic, vegan, and earth-friendly.
• It looks great and feels great.
• It covers imperfections perfectly, yet it allows the skin to "breathe".
  Ideal for all skin types, all skin tones and women of all ages.
  Feels like you're wearing no makeup at all
• It is a natural and effective sunscreen
• They protect the skin from wrinkles both from its natural sun protection and added antioxidants
• Loose minerals offer long-lasting coverage
• It also protects skin against environmental pollutant by creating a safe barrier that prevents toxins from being absorbed.

So, just in time many cosmetic brands are offering discounts on Makeups. You're question now would be “How to choose the right Mineral Makeup?”.

Tips on How to Choose a Mineral Makeup

• Consider the number of ingredients the brand has in their mineral make up.
• Choose a mineral makeup recommended by physicians. Physicians recommend mineral makeups that are mica, silk, talc, boron, and bismuth free.
• Stay away from Bismuth Oxychloride
• Test mineral foundation samples according to the enclosed instructions. Not all mineral makeup brands are applied the same.
• Choose the brand that majority of women trust
• Choose a mineral makeup that is healhty and safe for the skin. Mineral foundation ingredients that are FDA approved. This is important to prevent breakouts and/or ingredient allergies.
• Read all mineral makeup foundation labels prior to purchasing any full sized products.
• Ask mineral makeup companies about any upcoming sales or check mineral makeup reviews and news websites.

WARNING : It is recommended to follow the instructions on how to apply for each brand used. Not every brand will need to be applied in the same way, though most are applied using a good quality makeup brush. A low quality brush will not give the proper effect.

More,more Ice cream!

Are you eager to eat ice cream with mind-boggling taste? But, you’re hesitant due to confusions regarding health problem. Don’t worry, ice cream has numerous health benefits and it really it taste good! Chocolate, Double dutch, Banana Split, Cookies and Cream, Coffee crumble, Marble Fudge, Mint Chocolate Chip and a host of other ambrosial flavored brands - harmful? How so? Ice cream is so innocent! Children love ice cream! What's so bad about Ice cream? Well, let's look at it. First of all ice cream is a dairy product. Dairy products contains Calcium. Numerous laboratory studies have shown that ice-cream is healthy because it is a perfect source of calcium. It contains 100 substances that are very useful for an organism: 25 amino acids of protein, 25 aliphatic acids, 30 mineral salts, 20 various vitamins and ferments that are important for metabolism. Our ice-cream’s main advantage is that it appeases the nervous system and “charges” brains.

Health Benefits of Ice Cream

Ice cream makes you happy

Ice-cream stimulates the thrombotonin (a hormone of happiness, which protects from stresses and raises one’s mood) development by an organism. Thus our ice-cream amateurs are more satisfied with their lives, calm and happy. In addition to it, milk, of which ice-cream is made, contains L-triptophane, an effective natural tranquilizer, which soothes the nervous system and helps coping with insomnia. Only one portion of ice-cream produced by the company enlivens the happiness zones in the brain and makes us happy.

Strenghtens your bone tissue

Dairy products in general have the benefit of helping to keep your bones strong. Other benefits are lower blood pressure and a boost to the immune system


Low Glycemic Index


There is less chance you’ll have blood sugar spikes and drops associated with most carbohydrates. t takes a longer time for your body to digest ice cream and frozen yogurt, so you don’t get a quick carbo-high and then feel sleepy.


Now, are you still confuse whether to eat or not to eat ice cream? Here are some flavors of Ice cream I'm sure you wouldn't hesitate to taste.

Banana Choc & Peanut Butter Ice Cream Terrine

Pistachio Ice-Cream Pastries with Orange & Date Salad

7 Layer Ice Cream cake

Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream

Cheesecake Ice-Cream

                                   

Poppy Seed Ice-Cream with Orange Sauce

                                  
In closing, ice cream is a treat. You treat yourself to a treat or special delight as a reward or for a special occasion. You don't treat yourself to a treat such as ice cream every single day. The treat is a reward for something - hard work, accomplishment of a goal, good grades in school, promotion, etc. You would be wise to start reserving your special delights or sweet treats for the weekend, rather than engaging in them every single day during the week. Give yourself something to look forward to. That ice cream isn't going anywhere!

GAME OVER

"I'm really bored."

"I don't know what to do, I just want to relax"

"I want to do something that's challenging and entertaining at the same time."

Are these some of the excuses that you come up to keep yourself from playing your favorite video games? Have you ever felt that video games holds so much drawing power that you can't even get up and leave the game for just a minute? Well, if you're not into big games, you may think that playing video games is just a waste of time. And you might look for some reasons why playing video games are bad for you. But if you are a gamer, you will totally disagree. Actually, there are good and bad effects of video games. It is clear that playing video games can have both negative and positive influences in your life. Most often, people are engage with video games simply because it's their hobby. Just like reading, watching T.V , or playing sports, it's their chosen medium of entertainment.

Here are some of the risks that video games may glorify :

• Sleep deprivation - disrupts sleep patterns due to playing many hours a day
• Substance Abuse -It has to do with the elevation of dopamine and other neural chemicals that your

body makes. When it overproduces that for too long, the body makes

adjustments which we call tolerance. And when you're not engaged in

that stimulating behavior or ingestion of those chemicals, the body goes

into withdrawal.

• Neglects personal hygiene - an unexplainable "magnetic force" that keeps them attach to the certain game

• Skipping meals
• Reckless driving

• Gambling -When they play, their brains produce endorphins, giving them a high similar to that experienced by gamblers or drug addicts.

Anyone who has experienced it knows all too well – video game addiction is real. But of course, all gamers are not addicts. Playing action video games can make people faster and more accurate in other settings that require complex actions.

Here are some other reasons why people are engage in playing video games :

• Entertainment and fun
• Boredom

• Emotional Satisfaction

• Challenge
• Escapism

• Improve self esteem
• Pent up frustrations
• Forget about mundane
• Stress Relief

A game can be more fun when you actually chose a character that acts likes your ideal self. Perhaps, video games are a representation of life. Many games are accompanied by a storyline or game challenges that engage a gamers capability to decide either mentally or emotionally. And this is what keeps them from coming back. There's a specific goal that they want to achieve that may take a period of time. Sometimes, there are things that they want to achieve where it's more possible in games than in real life.

With video games, you can escape the perpetual boredom of the real world, and provides us the opportunity to adopt pieces of protagonist's identity, giving us a glimpse of a life we'd secretly dream of. Gamers were able to trace that attraction back to childhood, by using their imaginations to project themselves as all sorts of things: an athlete, a rock star, a superhero—the list goes on. You can practice or learn life skills like organize, prioritize, create context, make friends, lead strangers, make hard choices, feel empathy, and give mercy.

And of course, each video game needs to be evaluated individually. In fact, playing video games cannot be intrinsically categorized as "GOOD" or "BAD". Like for example, did you ever asked, "How can video games help you in your living?" , there are many benefits in playing video games that can even be helpful in real life. But what do you think? Determining the line between enthusiasm and addiction can be very difficult, but if it seems to affect your daily life really bad then it must be the time to say "GAME OVER".

COFFEE - A Friend or a Foe?

"I can't start a day without it!"

"If I stop drinking coffee, I'll die!"

"There's no other drink for me than coffee!"

I wasn't a coffee drinker at all until my friend introduce me to the stuff. And then, "Wow! It taste great! It keeps me alive!". You know, the smell that perks me up before I take a sip, and ofcourse the flavor itself, makes it my favorite beverage. Since then, I can't imagine a morning without a delicious cup of coffee. Nonetheless, I always feel slightly guilty about drinking it, you know, in a "it's so good, it must be bad".There are, ofcourse, risks and benefits of drinking coffee.

Aside from containing important antioxidants, polyphenols, proteins and fiber, coffee's main ingredient is caffeine which is the source of the most controversy.

RISKS (Why is coffee bad for you?)

Adrenal Functions, Hormonal Impacts, and Nutrient Absorption

You can feel the effects of caffeine in your body within a few minutes of ingesting it and stays over a few hours. While in your body, caffeine affects the following hormones:
adenosine – can inhibit absorption of adenosine, which calms the body, that can make you feel alert in the short, but may cause sleep problems later.
Adrenaline – caffeine injects few adrenaline in your body casing a temporary boost, but possibly making you fatigued and stressed later. If you take more caffeine, you end up spending the day in an agitated state making you jumpy and edgy by night.
Cortisol – can increase the level of Cortisol, the "stress hormone" in your body , which can lead to toher health consequences

Hydration

Regardless of the preparation, coffee is also a known diuretic, which limits the body’s ability to absorb water. For every cup of coffee a person should drink at least the same amount of water to make up the difference.

To Decaf or Not to Decaf?

Switching to decaf is not always the safer choice. One commonly used chemical in the decaffeination process is Methylene Chloride, which some argue is unsafe, even at the levels touted as safe by the FDA.

Even Ethyl Acetate, used in the most commonly, and ‘natural decaffeination’ touted process, is a manufactured chemical that mimics the naturally occurring one. Water and CO2 decaffeination are the safest, with no byproducts, but are much less commonly used.

Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

Studies have indicated a link between consumption of over 300 mg of caffeine per day by expectant mothers and low birth weight, miscarriage, and some birth defects.

In addition, a fetus or infant’s liver is not developed enough to process caffeine and so it remains in the body for up to 4 days. Therefore, nursing mothers should avoid caffeine as well.

BENEFITS (Why is coffee good for you?)

It protects your heart


Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee's antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee's antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.

It diverts diabetes

Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells' sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

It boosts your brain power

Coffee might help your mind as much as your body. One study found that sleep-deprived rats were much calmer after simply inhaling roasted coffee beans. It is also believe to reduce the risk of having Parkinson's disease due to the high levels of antioxidant contains in the coffee. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

Your liver loves it

OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it's those antioxidants-chlorogenic and caffeic acids-and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.


The Verdict on caffeine

With potential negative and positive health consequences, caffeine can be your friend, but in controlled doses. Here’s what you should remember about caffeine:

• Don’t Take Too Much - Because of the health risks associated with higher levels of caffeine, as well as the risk of physical dependence that can come with four cups of coffee or more each day, it’s wise to limit your caffeine intake.
• No Caffeine After 2pm - Because sleep is important to proper physical functioning, and caffeine can stay in your system for 8 hours or longer, you should cut off or limit your caffeine intake to the first part of the day to ensure that your sleep isn’t disrupted.
• Enjoy Caffeine With Physical Activity - Caffeine is best ingested before exercise—that way your performance is enhanced and the stress-management benefits of exercise can keep you healthy and feeling less stressed throughout the day.

So have you decided, to drink or not to drink coffee? Is it a friend or a foe?