Dark Circles under Eyes

I have been always worried about my dark circles. I started using glasses since I was really young. And since then I am seeing the dark circles below my eyes. Now when I am not using glasses anymore, they are still present. Stress must be the reason!

Everybody is really very keen about beauty of their eyes. No wonder then there are innumerable products to enhance the beauty of the eyes. Mascara, eyeliners, artificial eye lashes, makeup colors no makes your eyes more attractive. But should you have dark circles under your eyes, then chances are that none of the above products can help you. Dark circles make you look tired and pale.

Though many believe that the dark circles under eyes can be hereditary, there’s no conclusive evidence as such. Lack of sleep, mental stress, lifestyle habits, and bad diet can contribute to dark circles. Whatever be the reason, it’s best to work on the problem before it aggravates.

Preventing all these from happening is actually the best thing that should be done. What can be done to prevent getting dark circles?

1. Loving and giving yourself time to slow down and unwind will really make a difference, which will be translated by the glow in your eyes. Give yourself a break and take time to rest and sleep. If you want to remove dark circles under eyes, try to have sufficient amount of sleep. Notice that when you do not have much sleep, dark circles start to form under your eyes. Get rid of that then by getting the amount of sleep you need and want. Get a lot of sleep. Sleeplessness is a culprit for most health problems. Have a set routine and have regular sleep timing. Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep.
2. Dose up with eight to ten glasses of water every day and eat healthy foods especially fruits and vegetables. You Are What You Eat – the skin, amazingly, is the largest organ in your body. If you aren’t providing your skin with adequate nutrients, you will start to see signs of premature aging such as dark circles. When you eat a well-balanced diet with very specific protein, vitamins and minerals, those powerhouses combine to heal and regenerate damaged tissue. Include a lot of green leafy veggies in your diet. Also include food rich in Vitamin A and E. Reduce salt intake in your food. Excess salt encourages fluid retention and leads to puffy eyes.
3. Avoid drinking too much alcohol and too many sweets. Quit smoking. Extreme alcohol drinking is another factor that can contribute to dark circles under eyes, so if you want to get rid of it, stay away from drinking too much alcohol. Also, you should stay away from consuming plenty of foods that are loaded with sugar because sweets are considered as stimulants that can lead to sleepless nights.
4. Avoid caffeine and stress as well. Just like sugar, caffeine is another stimulant that can reduce sleeping hours. Since lack of sleep is one factor that can contribute to dark circles under eyes, you have to stay away from having too much caffeine. Likewise, avoid being stressed too much because it may lead not only to dark circles under eyes but to a lot of health problems as well.
5. Choose right skin products. Try using skin products that contain avocado oil, sesame, Vitamin K and Vitamin E on the dark circles area to help lessen its appearance. Using a white or green colored makeup on the dark circles will help reduce its look.
6. Moisturize, cool and stimulate the skin under your eyes. Moisturizing is useful in getting rid of dark circles under eyes because of its dehydration effect. Cooling the skin aids by alleviating the stress in the region of your eyes. Stimulating the skin transports proper blood surge in the region of your eyes so that it will look lively.
7. Indulge in some kind of exercise like walking, jogging. Yoga, especially Pranayama is known to improve skin health.

Exercising Your Facial Muscles IS A MUST! - Your face is supported by a muscular system; neglecting to strengthen and tone your face can increase age-related symptoms such as dark circles under your eyes. While skin creams may add necessary nutrients to targeted areas of your face, eye creams do not have the ability to rebuild and tone your facial structure and, at best, provide only a temporary solution. In addition, some creams may actually harm the structure of your skin, creating a boomerang effect where you actually end up with worse dark circles than before.

If you already have dark circles under your eyes, this problem can be eliminated by some forms of treatment that are extremely natural and basically simple. Here are tips on how to remove dark circles under eyes naturally.

Home remedies are always convenient and almost all things you can find in your kitchen can be used to eliminate dark circles.

• Puffy eyes and dark circles can also be treated naturally by applying some raw potato juice or cucumber juice below the eyes with the help of cotton balls.
  • Grate raw potato, squeeze the juice and apply the juice under your eyes for 10 minutes.
  • Alternatively, you can also place thin slices of potato on your eyes (with them closed) every night before you retire. This is one of the most popular and time-tested home remedies for dark circles.
  • Take two thin slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes. This removes the puffiness and cools the eyes
• Dip cotton in rose water and place them on your eyes for some time.
• Never use chemical bleach as the area under your eyes has very sensitive skin.
• Avoid exposing your skin to harsh rays of the sun. Especially for the eyes, wear sunglasses whenever you step out in the sun.
• Prepare a mixture of tomato puree and lemon juice. This should be applied daily twice a day for best results.
• Another simple remedy to reduce dark circles under eyes is to place cold tea bags on the eyes which help in soothing the eyes and also tend to help in getting rid of dark circles and puffy eyes.
• Another natural treatment to reduce dark circles under eyes is to consume at least 8 – 10 glasses of fresh drinking water every day as it helps in keeping the body hydrated and the skin supple.
• A home remedy to reduce dark circles under eyes is to squeeze the juice of a grated cucumber and then refrigerate this juice for some time. One should then prepare a mixture of lanolin cream, lemon juice and cucumber juice and apply this mixture around the eyes, allowing it to remain for at least 15 minutes before washing it off with some cold water.

• You can also grab a spoon and put it in the freezer for ten minutes then put the frozen spoon on your eyes. This will create a relaxing sensation through your eyes. Leave it on your eyes until the spoon is warm.
• Another great home remedy for dark circles under eyes is almond oil. Use almond oil to massage your eyes everyday for three weeks. Massage Vitamin E or almond oil around the eyes without touching the eyes (massage must strictly be external). This improves blood circulation.
• Apply a paste made from a teaspoon of tomato juice, half teaspoon lemon juice, a pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of gram flour. Keep it for 10 minutes. This is very effective and one of the famous home remedies for dark circles under eyes.
• Drink tomato juice with some mint leaves, lemon juice and salt. This is a good diet for dark circles.
• Apply a paste of turmeric powder with pineapple juice for treatment of dark circles under the eyes. This is very effective home remedy for dark circles under eyes.
• Apply crushed mint leaves under the eyes for 20 minutes. This is a very effective dark circles cure.
• Sarvangasana is the best yoga posture to reduce puffiness and dark circles of the eyes and it should be performed daily. Among yogic kriyas, Jal Neti is the most beneficial and should be done 5 times a week.
• The cream applied under the eyes should not be left for longer time.
• Vitamin C and iron together help to reduce the dark circles under your eyes. Eat skinless chicken and red, yellow and orange peppers. These are rich in both and will help in reducing dark circles.
• Make a mixture of crushed almonds with a few drops of milk to form a paste. Apply the same under eyes every morning for ten minutes.
• As a quick fix during parties, use a makeup concealer to hide the dark circle. But remember this is only a temporary solution.

These natural remedies will help soothe and relieve your eyes from tension and stress and thus eliminating dark circles under eyes. By keeping yourself reminded of all the tips on how to get rid of dark circles under eyes naturally, you will be assured to have a better and fresher look.

If you have dark circles under eyes, try to remove it first through natural ways before undergoing more abrasive treatments. That way, you can try all options possible before indulging in more expensive alternatives to get rid off dark circles.

 

About GM Diet Plan

 

 

General Motors Diet plan has been developed to help you cleanse your body and as a side effect, lose
some weight too. There are reasons why GM diet plan works. Just have a look at it.

GM Diet Day One

You are preparing your system for the upcoming program. Your only source of nutrition is fresh
or canned fruits. Fruits are nature’s perfect food. They provide everything you could possibly want to
sustain life except total balance and variety.

GM Diet Day Two

Start with a fix of complex carbo-hydrates coupled with an oil dose. This is taken in the morning
for energy and balance. The rest of day two consists of vegetables which are virtually calorie free and
provide essential nutrients and fiber.

GM Diet Day Three

Eliminates the potato because you get your carbohydrates from the fruits. You system is now
prepared to start burning excess pounds. You will still have cravings which should start to diminish by day
four.

GM Diet Day Four

Bananas, milk and soup sound the strangest and least desirable. You’re in for a surprise. You
probably will not eat all the bananas allowed. But they are there for the potassium you have lost and the
sodium you may have missed the past three days. You will notice a definite loss of desire for sweets. You
will be surprised how easy this day will go.

GM Diet Day Five

Beef and tomatoes. The beef is for iron and proteins, the tomatoes are for digestion and fiber.
Lots and lots of water purify your system. You should notice colorless urine today. Your allowance calls
for the equivalent of five “quarter ponders”. Do not feel you have to eat all this beef. You must eat the six
tomatoes.

GM Diet Day Six

It is similar to day five, Iron and proteins from beef, Vitamins and fiber from vegetables. By now
your system is in a total weight loss inclination. There should be a noticeable difference in the way you
look today, compared to day one.

GM Diet Day Seven

Finished off the program like a good cigar used to finish off Victorian meals, except much
healthier. You have your system under control and it should thank you for the flushing and cleaning you
just gave it.

I hope this info will give you more insight to GM Diet Plan, All the best !!!

Everybody has many questions when they read about GM Diet Plan. I am just consolidating the additional pointers about GM Diet which will help you to understand do’s and don’ts of GM Diet Plan.

GM Diet Plan additional pointers

• This is not a diet to follow for life. This is more of a cleansing diet, to be done once in a while. You have been given a recipe for the WONDER SOUP which can be eaten in unlimited quantities. This soup is a supplement while you are on the program and it should be a pleasure to
  eat.
• You may substitute vegetables in the wonder soup according to your taste. You may add any
  vegetables you like: asparagus, peas, corn, turnips, green beans, cauliflower, etc. Try to stay
  away from beans (lima, pinto, kidney, etc.), however, because they tend to be high in calories
  even though they are very good for you.
• Vegetables may be taken in the form of a salad if desired. No dressing except malt, white or wine
  vinegar, squeezed lemon, garlic, herbs.
• No more than one tea spoon of oil in a day during GM Diet Program.

 

Beverages you may consume while on GM Diet program are as follows:

•  
  • Water (flavored with lemon/lime if desired).
  • Club Soda is OK.
  • Black Coffee. No cream or cream substitute. No sugar or sweetness.
  • Black Tea = Herb or Leaf.
  • Absolutely nothing else except the fruit juices which are part of Day Seven. No fruit juices before day seven.
• If you are underweight or right weight, you might not lose any weight. But even for others, the
  weight loss depends on the body composition. Generally, physical exercises are the most ideal
  for keeping your weight under check. Such diets act as catalysts to lose weight. Exercises form
  the core matter.
• Although rigorous exercise is not advisable while on GM diet (as you will not be getting enough
  energy through carbohydrates), you are advised to go for 20-30 minutes’ walk daily.
• Ideally you should not add salt to soup/vegetables/fruits. But if you cannot live without it, add in
  very limited quantities.
• If you are suffering from some disease and planning to go on GM diet then it is good to consult
  your doctor first, unless you really know what you are doing.

• If you are pregnant then please do NOT follow GM diet plan.

All the best for GM Diet Plan.

I had been looking for weight loss diet plan and also for a full body cleanse. When I was looking for these, I found out a very good diet plan which can serve both these purposes – weight loss as well as body cleanse. I just thought of writing a post on the same.

The following diet and health program was developed for employees and dependents of General Motors, Inc. and is intended for their exclusive use. This program was developed in conjunction with a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. It was field tested at the Johns Hopkins Research Centre and was approved for distribution by the Board of Directors, General Motors Corp. at a general meeting on August 15, 1995. General Motors Corp. wholly endorses this program and is making it available to all employees and families. This program will be available at all General Motors Food Service Facilities. It is management’s intention to facilitate a wellness and fitness program for everyone.

This program is designed for a target weight loss of 10-17 lbs per week. It will also improve your attitudes and emotions because of its cleansing systematic effects.

The effectiveness of this seven day plan is that the food eaten burns more calories than they give to the body in caloric value.

This plan can be used as often as you like without any fear of complications. It is designed to flush your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well being. After seven days you will begin to feel lighter because you will be lighter by at least 10 lbs. You will have an abundance of energy and an improved disposition.

During the first seven days you must abstain from all alcohol.
You must drink 10 glasses of water each day.

Day One All fruits except bananas. Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Day Two All vegetables. You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day Three A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day Four Bananas and milk. Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. You can also have one bowl of vegetables soup.

Day Five Today is feast day (specifically for non-vegeterian who will go for option of beef ).

Non-vegeterians will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes.

In Vegetarian Variant of this diet, you will eat 1 (one) cup of rice. You also have to eat 6 (six) whole tomatoes (raw or cooked).

On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. Or 12 talk glasses This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day Six Beef or Rice and vegetables.

Today non-vegeterians may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your heart’s content.

For Vegetarians, Today is another all vegetables day. You must eat 1 cup of rice today and eat all the vegetables you want cooked and uncooked to your heart’s content.

Day Seven Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

Tomorrow morning you will be 10-17 lbs. lighter than one week ago. If you desire further weight loss, repeat the program again. Repeat the program as often as you like, however, it is suggested that you rest for three days before every repetition.

You have your system under control now and it will thank you for all the purging and cleansing you just gave it. Even more than a diet program it is good to follow this diet once in a while to clean your digestive system and remove toxic substances that have a accumulated in the system.

G.M.’s Wonder Soup

The following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

• 23 oz water

• 06 large onions

• 02 green peppers

• 03 whole tomatoes

• 1 cabbage

• 1 bunch celery

• Add herbs and seasoning as desired.

This program is highly recommended for women and men above 40 for whom excess weight is especially dangerous. Excess weight for women aggravates arthritis problems and leads to rapid joint decay. Pain and joint deterioration can be lessened by weight loss as weight loss removes the stress on the knee joint. Excess weight is the most critical factor in keeping good health and excess weight is responsible for the most problems including coronary diseases, heart problems, arthritis and cancer among other serious life threatening diseases. Most serious health problems can be avoided by the single function of maintaining an ideal weight. Daily mild exercise of 20 minutes is also essential. Do not tire yourself out, but being regular in your exercise and maintaining an ideal weight goes a long way in ensuring a happy, healthy and long life.

Water is absolutely essential to the human body’s survival. A person can live for about a month without food, but only about a week without water.

During any normal day, fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health. When your water intake does not equal your output, you can become dehydrated. Fluid losses are accentuated in warmer climates, during strenuous exercise, in high altitudes, and in older adults, whose sense of thirst may not be as sharp.

Let us find out some more important and inspiring reasons for drinking more water.

1. Drinking Water Helps Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. The functions of these bodily fluids include digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintenance of body temperature.

When you’re low on fluids, the brain triggers the body’s thirst mechanism. And unless you are taking medications that make you thirsty, you should listen to those cues and get yourself a drink of water, juice, milk or coffee — anything but alcohol. Alcohol interferes with the brain and kidney communication and causes excess excretion of fluids which can then lead to dehydration.

Water leads to increased energy levels. The most common cause of daytime fatigue is actually mild dehydration.

2. Water Can Help Control Calories. For years, dieters have been drinking lots of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages can certainly help.

What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake.

Food with high water content tends to look larger, its higher volume requires more chewing, and it is absorbed more slowly by the body, which helps you feel full. Water-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, oatmeal, and beans.

Water helps to maintain healthy body weight by increasing metabolism and regulating appetite.

3. Water Helps Energize Muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. When muscle cells don’t have adequate fluids, they don’t work as well and performance can suffer.

Drinking enough fluids is important when exercising. During exercise, fluids should be drunk at regular intervals to replace fluids lost by sweating.

Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

4. Water Helps Keep Skin Looking Good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss.

Dehydration makes your skin look drier and wrinkled, which can be improved with proper hydration. But once you are adequately hydrated, the kidneys take over and excrete excess fluids.

You can also help “lock” moisture into your skin by using moisturizer, which creates a physical barrier to keep moisture in.

5. Water Helps Your Kidneys. Body fluids transport waste products in and out of cells. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins as long as your intake of fluids is adequate.

When you’re getting enough fluids, urine flows freely, is light in color and free of odor. When your body is not getting enough fluids, urine concentration, color, and odor increases because the kidneys trap extra fluid for bodily functions.

If you chronically drink too little, you may be at higher risk for kidney stones, especially in warm climates.

6. Water Helps Maintain Normal Bowel Function. Adequate hydration keeps things flowing along your gastrointestinal tract and prevents constipation. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration — and the result is constipation.

Adequate fluid and fiber is the perfect combination, because the fluid pumps up the fiber and acts like a broom to keep your bowel functioning properly.

7. Water Helps in Preventing Many Serious Health Problems. Drinking adequate amounts of water can decrease the risk of certain types of cancers, including colon cancer, bladder cancer, and breast cancer. Water also reduces your risk of heart attack.

8. Water Helps Reducing Joint and Back Pain. For a majority of sufferers, drinking water can significantly reduce joint and/or back pain. Water cushions and lubes your joints and muscles.

Tips to Help You Drink More

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

• Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
• Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
• Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.
• Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

 

Level of Water for Adults

For healthy sedentary adults living in temperate climates:

Men: 125 oz (3.7 liters) of water per day from all dietary sources
Women: 91 oz (2.7 liters) of water per day from all dietary sources

For most people, this amount of water per day is a lot more than they normally drink. The requirement for men is roughly 1 gallon per day. How many of you men out there drink this much water every single day? For the women, 91 ounces is roughly 3 quarts.

However, an exercising athlete can lose enormous quantities of body water through perspiration. The recommendations listed above don’t apply to endurance athletes.

How Much You Need to Drink Water

The optimum amount of water you should drink depends on your body weight. The fatter you are, the more you need to drink.

Take one-half of the amounts of your weight in pounds and convert that to ounces and that is how many ounces you should be drinking. Thus, if you weigh 128 pounds, you should be drinking 64 ounces a day. If you weigh 300 pounds, you need to drink 150 ounces a day. You can’t just categorize any liquid consumption as being adequate to meet the recommended amount– for example, coffee is a diuretic and causes you to lose water, so you wouldn’t want to try meeting your daily water requirements with large quantities of that.