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Dogs and Cats. Eternal enemies, right? Through proper dog home obedience training you can teach your animals to live together.

The first mistake that most pet owners make when introducing their pet dogs and cats is to allow them to make their own introductions. This is a mistake! As I stated above, these two species are eternal enemies. You can?t just set one down near the other and expect great results. (Ok, I know that can happen and does happen, but my job here is to teach you about dog home obedience training. My version of training calls for prevention with dogs and cats rather than creating a problem and then being forced to fix it. As Mom used to say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.) There is a good deal of prevention that should be used before allowing your dogs and cats to co-exist.

Whether you are introducing a new cat to a home with a dog or vice versa I want you to start out the same way. Start out by using your trusty dog crate. Put your dog in the crate and allow the cat to be in the same room. There are several possible outcomes to this action :
1. Your dog shows complete indifference. This is ideal. If your dog behaves like this you will have a quick transition.
2. Your dog shows fear. This is not ideal but it will make the transition easier than some other outcomes.
3. Your dog shows nervousness and anxiety. He whines, he paces in the crate, paws at the door of the crate, etc. This behavior tells you that he wants out. There is something about that cat that is exciting and he wants to know what it is.
4. Your dog shows overt aggression. He barks, claws at the door of the crate, and he knows exactly what he wants to do with that cat. This is going to be the toughest dog to train, but it can be done.

For the first few days don?t let your dogs and cats near each other. Keep the dog in the crate. This doesn?t mean you need to keep him in the crate 24/7. When you want him out of the crate just make sure that your cat is shut off in another bedroom to avoid contact. What you hope to accomplish with this action is to train your dog to be indifferent to the cat. You want your dog to view the cat as ?background noise?. The cat is inconsequential, the cat doesn?t matter, there is nothing interesting or exciting about the cat. In other words, your dog is safely tucked away in the crate and casually observes the cat move around the house. For categories 1 and 2 this will be simple. It will take no more than a day or two for your dog to think of your cat as just another 'thing' in the house. Categories 3 and 4 will take more training and time.

For categories 3 and 4 you need to attach a negative association to showing cat aggression. To do this, get a spray bottle. Fill the bottle with either plain water, water mixed with lemon juice, or for very stubborn dogs, water with vinegar. At this point, your dog is still tucked away safely in the crate. The next part of training will be conducted while you are sitting near the crate, ready for action. The instant your dog shows aggression (barks at the cat, claws at the door, whines in frustration, etc.) toward the cat spray him in the face with your spray bottle. Every time he shows aggression spray him with the bottle. When he isn?t showing aggression give him soft praise, ?Good boy?.

Make sure that your dog never gets a chance to show aggression toward the cat without having a bad experience. This means that you must always be ready with the spray bottle or make sure the cat isn?t near the dog. If you aren?t vigilant and your dog has the chance to show aggression with no adverse consequence, you are training him to show cat aggression.

If you are consistent with this exercise you will soon notice that your dog will show less and less aggression while in the crate, it just isn?t worth the squirt in the face for him. You are on your way to getting your dogs and cats to co-exist.

When your feel comfortable that your dog is indifferent to the cat move on to the next step. As I said, for categories 1 and 2 this is probably one or two days after beginning the crate training. For categories 3 and 4 get your dog to the point where he is indifferent and maintains that attitude for several days if not a week.

The next step is to get your dog out of the crate and get those dogs and cats together at last! You are going to move slowly, though. Put your dog training collar and leash on your dog and make sure that he is always wearing it around the house. Keep your dog near you and allow your cat to be in the room. If your dog makes any move whatsoever to chase the cat, bark at the cat, or perform any of the stereotypical behaviors that dogs and cats do, give him a very strong correction with the leash. You want this leash correction to be a very memorable one so it must be very strong. You want to form a very negative association toward cat aggression.

Be consistent with this training. If you do this properly you will notice that your dog has less and less of a desire to chase after or bark at the cat. As you notice your dog changing his behavior give him more and more freedom by allowing him to be closer to the cat and further away from you. Eventually you will phase out the use of the dog training collar and leash.

Even if your dog isn?t showing aggressive tendencies, never let him chase after the cat in the house, even playfully.

Even some of the hardest to train dogs will respond to the above method. There exist, however, certain dogs that have such strong prey drive that only drastic measures will cure them of their desire to chase and kill cats. For these dogs I employ an electric dog training collar.

Read the instruction manual on proper fitting for your electric dog training collar. With a stubborn dog that needs an electric collar the method is simple. With the collar on his neck and turned on to a high level of stimulus you are going to correct your dog every time he even looks at the cat. As your dog even sneaks a glance at your cat press the button to deliver the correction. Don?t say ?no?, don?t react in any way, just correct him for looking at the cat. Do this as many times as it takes. Let?s examine this from your dog?s point of view. He wants to get to the cat, wants to chase, wants to kill. But the very act of looking at the cat causes him pain. You don?t tell him anything so he doesn?t associate the correction with you. He soon will learn to believe that the cat is ?evil? and he had better not even look at it because it the act of looking causes pain.

As with all training, you must be very consistent. Your dog must never have a successful chance to even chase or want to chase the cat. Be consistent, though, and soon your dogs and cats will be able to co-exist.

Author Tyler Brown is a renowned dog trainer whose training adventures and clients have taken him to 18 states and 5 countries to teach others how to properly train their dogs. Go to dogbehavioronline.com for more dog training articles, advice, tips, and answers from a professional dog trainer.

My baby car seat is starting to look its age, as its done 3 kids so far. To get a seat for your baby that will last this long, the selection of the right type of baby car seat is absolutely vital. Which one is right for you then? In most cases the best baby car seat is the one that matches your baby's size and weight exception is if your cars seats are shaped in a way that makes it impossible to install a specific baby seat you have your eye on.

A baby car seat is of course especially designed for babies. If your baby is an infant, then you should have a seat up to max. 20 lbs. A baby car seat is one of the best things you can buy for you new baby. A proper seat is essential for protecting your baby in the car.

The first thing to consider when buying a baby car seat is safety without a quality seat you can?t be sure that your baby is protected from harm. A portable baby car seat is great to support your young baby properly when you are outside the car, and that makes it even clearer that, a baby car seat is one of the essential baby products to purchase for your child.

In most cars a baby car seat is easily installed and removed with all the attach points well placed for easy access. For people traveling on the road, for any length of journey ? it is a must to have your baby put in a safe seat. As mentioned before, go by your baby's weight for the most suitable size. It is important that the baby car seat is the right size! Don?t save money when it comes to safety!

A baby seat should have an extra padded insert that could also be used as head support when your baby is asleep. Using a baby car seat is one of the most important things to ensure your baby's protection. Buying a baby seat is perhaps the single most important decision parents make when it comes to ensuring their new baby's safety.

An investment in a high quality baby car seat is one of the best buys you can make when getting ready to bring home your baby from the hospital. A baby car seat is a must for all new families. A proper seat for you baby is not only recommended, it's actually very important.

Finn Jensen has a lot of experience in buying the right baby car seat ? he has kids himself. And as a help to others he has put up an automotive body parts service containing high-quality articles on related stuff to car owners. So go visit http://www.carparts-e.com/ now.

Whatever happened to kids playing in the dirt and coming home covered in muck? I remember as a young lad I used to always be getting into mischief, rolling around in dog dirt, eating soil, and putting just about anything in my mouth that I could get away with. Cleanliness back then was not the issue that it has become today, but one can't help but question whether the fanaticism for antibacterial hygiene has gone a bit over the top with the new generations.

Ok, so I'm not suggesting for one minute, that we let our kids roll around in dirt and allow them to turn into grubby little urchins, but are we, as a society, becoming obsessed with hygiene to the point that it's weakening our immune systems? I don't know the answer to that question, but what I can say from observation is that the new generations of youngsters seem to be a lot more prone to colds, upset tummies, and trips to the quack than my generation ever was. I just wonder whether using all these antibacterial soaps and sprays are somehow going too far in protecting us from everyday germs, and lessening our resistant as a result.

My Mom used to slop and slap the same old rag around the kitchen sinks that she used in the bathroom. It was a bucket of warm water and household detergent in those days and that was it. I can't ever remember getting sick as a kid. I always used to be dropping cookies on the floor, sharing candy with the pets, and telling mom I had washed my hands after using the toilet, when in fact I hadn't! And here I am in my early 50's and as strong as an ox, touch wood!

I was always under the impression at school that there were good bacteria and bad bacteria, yet these new fangled antibacterial products claim to kill 99.9% of all known household bacteria and germs. I'm not sure what that means exactly but perhaps we need a few local bacterias in our bodies from time to time. The less work we give out immune system the weaker it becomes, surely!

If I'm honest, I did jump on the antibacterial bandwagon to begin with, like so many others at that time. I had antibacterial washing up liquids, antibacterial hand and body soaps, antibacterial surface sprays, in fact you name it, if it was antibacterial, I had it. But the day came when I questioned why I used all of these products. I had a fit and healthy family before any of it came out and the only difference it was making in our house was the extra costs involved in sterilizing everything that moved and everything that didn't. I'm now back to good ole hot soap and water again, and guess what? We're all doing just fine.

The most beneficial hygiene tip going is so, so simple. All you have to do is keep your hands clean. There are no special skills involved or labels to read. Forget all the antibacterial products and simply get into the habit of hand washing with a bar of your favorite soap and warm water. Hand washing is proven as one of the best ways to avoid getting sick.

Although antibacterial soaps have become increasingly popular over the past few years, there is no evidence to support the claim that they are any more effective at killing germs than a regular bar of soap. There's only one secret to hand washing and that's in the technique. Believe it or not, there are a large number of folks who do not know how to wash their hands properly. That might sound a little patronizing to adults, but it's true.

Without getting obsessive about hand washing, there are common guidelines on how to form this healthy habit which are as follows: First wet your hands thoroughly with warm running water and then lather well with solid or liquid soap. Next, energetically rub your hands together for a good 15 seconds or so. Now for the scrubbing (and this is important). Scrub all surfaces including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and not forgetting under those finger nails, and then rinse well. Make sure you dry your hand with a 'clean' or throwaway towel. And finally, turn off the tap using a towel to avoid re-contaminating your spotlessly clean hands.

That might sound like a bit of a ritual but believe me, once you get into the habit it'll become normal procedure. Forget all that antibacterial malarkey and just make sure the family keeps their hands clean and you'll all be as fit as a fiddle.

Andy Maingam is a proficient writer and webmaster for Anti All Sorts dot com where he has articles on Anti-aging Creams and Anti Spam. He also has other pieces on the site relating to Anti All Sorts!

Bathrooms were considered to be a place in a house where people tend to give less importance while designing. But lately even bathrooms are being given a lot of attention while designing and building. But still proper bathroom ventilation is missed out by many while designing. Bathrooms tend to be a lot more humid and the bathroom air tends to have excess moisture. This excessive moisture can cause rotting of walls and ceiling and also cause some structural damage. Also, moist surroundings encourage the growth of mildew, bacteria, moulds and many other microorganisms.

To overcome this problem, your bathroom has to be properly ventilated. Some bathrooms have normal ceiling fans installed in them, but they do not do the required job of removing moisture from the bathroom. The best fans that can be installed in bathrooms are exhaust fans. They can eliminate foul odors, remove moisture and also help clear condensation off bathroom mirrors.

An effective bathroom exhaust fan has some standards that have to be met. If you already have an exhaust fan but are not sure about its efficiency then you can go ahead and do this simple test. Just hold a piece of tissue paper up to the grill of the exhaust fan. If the exhaust fan is efficient, the tissue paper will be held tightly to the grill by the fan. Or you can try out the exhaust test. Just place a plastic bag over the exhaust hood and switch on the fan. The plastic bag should be filled with air in a few seconds.

Bathroom exhaust fans are rated by identifying the amount of air it can pull out per minute. They are measured with cubic feet per min (CRM). Bathroom exhaust fans should be rated above 50 CRM to be an efficient and effective one. The Home Ventilating Institute recommends that an effective exhaust fan should be able to provide 1 CFM per square foot. Also if your bathrooms are larger or have bathroom accessory fixtures like steam rooms, sauna or hot tubs, then you will have to invest in a larger exhaust fan. The length of the ductwork to the outside also determines the strength of the exhaust fan that your bathroom should have. The longer the exhaust vent, the stronger your exhaust fan has to be.

Since bathrooms tend to remain closed and compact, noisy fans would test your patience when inside the bathrooms. Make sure that you pick an efficient, quiet exhaust fan for your bathroom. HVI ratings on exhaust fans can be used as a guide to pick the exhaust fan you?ll need. Lately bathroom exhaust fans have been launched with light kits embedded in them. Such new varieties of exhaust fans are getting popular as they are multi functional.

So when you go about designing your bathroom don?t forget to add the option of an exhaust fan to the design. They will help you to keep your bathrooms less moist and fresh for years to come. Do remember to select the right exhaust fan for your bathroom and regularly maintain the fan to ensure that your bathroom is just the way you want it to be.

Learn more about Bathroom Fans at the online Bathrooms Central guide http://bathroomscentral.com

Handwashing, the most important step for food safety.Food safety for the ?Average Joe?-Article Two

In 2002, a Food Standards agency conducted a survey of 1,000 food workers. Of these 39%…390 of those surveyed?did not wash their hands after using the toilet. 53% didn?t wash their hands before preparing food. Broken down even further, it has been determined (based on this as well as other surveys) that half of all men and a quarter of all women make a regular practice of not washing their hands after visiting restroom facilities.

Some of the reasons people give for not washing their hands properly or at all are 1) Lack of time/too busy (54%) 2) Forgetting/having to remember (18%) and 3) Distractions with other/competing tasks.

Handwashing is the simplest–yet the most neglected–disease prevention practice. Germs can survive for up to three hours on hands. Thorough handwashing with hot, soapy water prevents bacteria from transferring from hands to foods. Some of the most hazardous foodborne illnesses can be passed through improper handwashing. E.coli 0157:H7, the deadly foodborne disease that killed a number of people in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s, is one that can be passed from person to person by improper or neglected handwashing.

Hands must be properly washed after tasks like using the restroom and before preparing food. It is interesting to note that Washington State?s Food Code mandates that food workers wash their hands in the restroom after using the facilities and then again inside the kitchen before preparing food. One handwashing is for ?show?, because the food worker will re-contaminate his/her hands after touching doorknobs and such because they were handled by people who had not washed. The second handwashing is the real handwashing required for food safety.

It is important that hands be washed properly to prevent illness. The ?rinse and go? method that is all too common nowadays is as ineffective for preventing foodborne bacteria as not washing at all.

How To Wash Your Hands Properly
? Use soap and warm, running water.
? Make sure to wet hands before applying the soap
? Apply a liberal amount of soap to hands
? Rub your hands vigorously for 20 seconds (two rounds of ?Happy Birthday?)
? Wash all surfaces, including:
o backs of hands
o wrists
o between fingers
o tips of fingers
o under fingernails
o Rinse your hands well
? Dry your hands with a paper towel.

Many people think that a nail brush is necessary for handwashing, and will keep one near the sink for that reason. The problem is that the nail brush becomes moist and stays that way. Moisture is a fertile breeding ground for bacteria. Unless your nail brush is kept in a sanitizer solution, do not keep a nail brush at the sink. It is possible to wash under the fingernails without using a nail brush.

Microbial or antibacterial soaps are not necessary for proper handwashing.From the New York Times:

Studies show that more than 70 percent of liquid hand soaps sold are now labeled antibacterial, and Americans seem increasingly willing to pay a premium for them. But the truth is that most consumers may not always be getting what they think they are. Over the years, studies have repeatedly shown that antibacterial soaps are no better than plain old soap and water.

One study, published in The Journal of Community Health in 2003, followed adults in 238 households in New York City for nearly a year.

Month after month, the researchers found no difference in the number of microbes that turned up on the hands of people who used either antibacterial soap or regular soap. At least four other large studies have had similar findings.

In fact, the only question now may be whether using antibacterial soaps can cause more harm than good by creating strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration convened experts to discuss, among other things, whether antibacterial products should be more tightly regulated because of the potential risks they pose.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Studies show that antibacterial soap is no more effective than regular soap.

Due to the recent popularity of waterless hand sanitizers, the misconception abounds that this solution can replace handwashing. While it is good to keep the solution on hand for situations where hands cannot be washed, such as when you are not at home and are not near handwashing facilities, it does not replace proper handwashing, nor is it approved as a substitution by any Environmental Health Agency in America. The Food and Drug Administration, in regards to regulations concerning proper procedures for food services, recommends that hand sanitizers not be used in place of soap and water but only as an adjunct.

Barbara Almanza, an associate professor at Purdue University who teaches safe sanitation practices to workers, recommends that to properly sanitize the hands, soap and water should be used. A hand sanitizer can not and should not take the place of proper cleansing procedures with soap and water.

The very best defense against foodborne illness being passed from person to person or to a loved one who you are cooking for is proper handwashing.

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I love making soap using the melt and pour soap making method. In my experience it?s the easiest way to make your own hand made soap. A good recipe is a must if you?re just starting out, but once you?re experienced, you can make up your own recipes and get really creative. How about Double Chocolate Brownie soap?

Melt and pour soap comes in soap blocks, ready to melt and pour into the mold of your choice.But the exciting part comes once you?ve melted the soap block. Then you get to add your own choice of soap coloring, fragrance and fun additives for instance, oatmeal, flower petals or herbs.

Once that?s done, it?s time to pour it into the molds of your choice. There are some really cute soap molds available. For example, hearts, flowers, seashells, gingerbread men and many others.

Melt and pour soap only takes a few hours to set at room temperature. If you don?t want to wait that long, you can place the molds in the refrigerator for about an hour. But never place the molds in the freezer.

Once the soap has set in the molds, it?s time to unmold it. Just turn the mold upside down on a clean soft surface (so the soap doesn?t chip if it comes out with a rush) and the soap should pop out. If you?re having trouble getting the soap out of the mold, run some warm water over the base of the mold and try again.

Now your very own hand made soap is ready to use! It makes great gifts to give to your friends and family, especially if you use cute molds like the ones mentioned above. I know my friends are impressed when I give them gorgeously scented and coloured heart or flower shaped soaps and tell them I made them myself.

So have fun making your own melt and pour soap. The only problem is, once you start, it?s hard to stop!

Jennifer Christine is a Super Soap Making Enthusiast! Grab your FREE exclusive mini report, Secret Online Soap Making Supplies when you visit http://www.MakeYourOwnSoapToday.com and discover how you can make your own hand made soap today!

Due to the calcium and magnesium in the water in California, especially Southern California, it is necessary to soften our water in the auto detailing industry. The chlorine and fluoride that our government adds to our water doesn?t help any either. Hard water spots are a major problem. Just park your car next to your sprinklers at home and you will see exactly what we are talking about. If your car is a dark color and you park it in the sun, the hard water spots will etch themselves into your clear coat and cause permanent damage to your paint job. The chemicals bake into the paint.

Some of our crews in the desert cities such as Lancaster, Palm Springs, etc. have a major problem with this as does our competition. You see, when it?s 115? F in the shade, the cars dry in three minutes. Luckily, a trained car wash guy can dry a car in two minutes. A crew of two can stay on top of it by drying most cars in one to one and one-half minutes. The main problem is soaping. The soap dries before you can rinse it and the water evaporates out of the soap bucket every fifth car. The sprayer has to follow the soaper around the car, which is good because, by the time they are done, it?s hot. They take turns spraying each other off. All auto detailers who work mobile rigs know this and I am sure you too know just what I am talking about here.

If you have ever taken any chemistry classes, you know that just about everything is water-soluble eventually. Water can combine with almost anything and make some pretty weird compounds. Every mobile autodetailing rig, which is properly set up will be equipped with a water softener. Depending on the territory and types of services the mobile detailer is offering de-ionizing tanks might also be deployed. If a mobile auto detailer works in areas where they will be doing car lot washing and there are over 20-30 car dealerships, it is well advised or if they work in the California or Nevada high deserts where it?s very hot. Mobile car washers who work with school bus washing contracts or Federal Express vans should also consider it. Or if the auto detailer works in expensive high income areas such as in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Black Hawk, Laguna Niguel, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Rancho Bernardo.

Poor water quality can damage pumps over time and cause scaling inside the coils of your steam cleaner. Pumps are not cheap and de-scaling the coils of your steam cleaner takes many hours of unnecessary down time and generally costs over $250. Mobile car washes and mobile auto detailers need to test the hardness of the water and consider their customer base when choosing to use a De-Ionization system or an RO system to filtrate the water to insure purity and no water spots. Think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World www.WorldThinkTank.net/

One of the most necessary things for any person is skin care. Depending on a person?s beliefs they will have different personal skin care routines. For some their personal routine involves going to their favorite parlor to beautify their skin. Some would prefer to do their personal routine through facials and body scrubs, which they use, skin care products for. When it comes to personal skin care individuals have their own convictions. Contrary to what many think skin care doesn?t have to be complex or expensive. Considering the benefits you can get by developing a personal skin care routine the cost you may pay out is well worth it.

The first step in determining your personal skin care routine is to find out what your skin type is. You skin is dry, sensitive, normal or oily. Finding your skin type is the most important step in starting a routine. Buying products that aren?t suitable for you skin won?t work well. The basis of all your skin care product purchases should be those that match your skin type. The following example is of a routine for people with normal skin.

The first and most essential part of a skin care routine is cleansing. Using water that is too hot or cold will only dry your skin and cause damage so during cleansing your should use warm water. The three major components of cleansers are called wetting agents and they are typically oil, water and surfactants. The oil and surfactant help to remove dirt from the skin while the water washes the dirt away. You should take the time to find a cleanser that works well with your bodies chemistry. When shopping for cleansers it is a good idea to use a cleanser that is soap-free since over cleaning the skin can also cause additional damage.

The second step is the removal of dead skin cells through exfoliation. Renewing the skin and removing the dead skin cells is the bodies? natural continuation process. The efficiency of skin care products will be increased by the exfoliation process. After cleansing the skin you will perform the exfoliation. If you have normal or oily skin then you should exfoliate your skin at least four to five times a week. If you have sensitive or dry skin then you should exfoliate your skin only one to two times a week.

After showering or bathing while your skin is still damp you should apply a moisturizer. Every person no matter what their skin type should use moisturizers, even if their skin is oily. Moisturizers are play an important role in attracting moisture from the environment to your skin and then locking it in the skin. However, harm can result if you use too much moisturizer on your skin.

The last step in your personal skin care routine is the use of sunscreens. One option you can choose is finding a moisturizer or lotion that has a SPF or UV protection built in so that you can get two benefits from one application.

You will have to do some testing first in order to find the best personal skin care product for you. Not all skin care products are going to work for every individual so you can?t determine a product is good until you find one that works with your skin. If you have skin disorders it is a good idea to get advice from a dermatologist before starting a personal skin care routine.

Bette Daoust writes on Beauty tips, and Beauty tips and skin care advice and Acne skin care and solutions.

?Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of the mind, a cloud covering the light. Dissolve the clouds by observing a balanced life with healthy habits. Nourish your mind and body. Connect with your own inner self. Celebrate your own magnificence and your beauty will always shine through.? -Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, renowned Ayurvedic physician and dermatologist

The Three Pillars of Beauty

Maharishi Ayurveda (MAV), the modern, consciousness-based revival of the ancient Ayurvedic medicine tradition, considers true beauty to be supported by three pillars Outer Beauty, Inner Beauty and Lasting Beauty. Only by enhancing all three can we attain the balanced state of radiant health that makes each of us the most fulfilled and beautiful person we can be.

Outer Beauty: Roopam

The outer signs of beauty - your skin, hair and nails - are more than just superficial measures of beauty. They are direct reflections of your overall health. These outer tissues are created by the inner physiological processes involved in digestion, metabolism and proper tissue development. Outer beauty depends more on the strength of your digestion and metabolism, the quality of your diet, and the purity of your blood, than on external cleansers and conditioners you may apply.

General Recommendations for Outer Beauty

As we will discuss, the key to skin care is matching your diet and skin care routine to the specific skin type you have. Meanwhile, there are some valuable recommendations for lustrous skin, hair and nails that will be helpful to everyone, regardless of skin type.

1. Diet: Without adequate nourishment, your collagen layer thins and a kind of wasting takes place. Over time, your skin can shrivel up like a plant without water from lack of nourishment. To keep your skin plump and glowing:

A. Eat fresh, whole organic foods that are freshly prepared.

Avoid packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods and leftovers. These foods have little nutritional value and also they are often poorly digested which creates impurities that localize in the skin. The resulting buildup of toxins causes irritation and blocks circulation depriving the skin of further nourishment and natural cleansing processes.

B. Favor skin nourishing foods.

1. Leafy green vegetables contain vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and are high in antioxidant properties. They nourish the skin and protect it from premature aging.

2. Sweet juicy fruits like grapes, melons, pears, plums and stewed apples at breakfast are excellent for the skin in almost everyone.

3. Eat a wide variety of grains over different meals and try mixed grain servings at breakfast and lunch. Add amaranth, quinoa, cous cous, millet and barley to the wheat and rice you already eat.

4. Favor light, easy to digest proteins like legume soups (especially yellow split mung dhal), whole milk, paneer (cheese made from boiling milk, adding lemon and straining solids) and lassi (diluted yogurt and spice drinks).

5. Oils like ghee (clarified butter) and organic, extra virgin olive oil should be included in the diet as they lubricate, nourish and create lustre in the skin.

6. Use spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper to improve digestion, nourish the skin and cleanse it of impurities.

7. Avoid microwaving and boiling your vegetables. They lose as much as 85% of their antioxidant content when cooked in this way. Steaming and saut?ing are best.

Caring for outer beauty through knowledge of skin type

Besides these general recommendations the key to Outer Beauty is to understand the difference in skin types so you can gain the maximum benefit from your individualized skin care regimen. MAV identifies three different skin types based on which of the three main metabolic principles (doshas)- present in everyone, but to different degrees- is most dominant in your body.

Vata Skin

* Description: Vata is composed of the elements of air and space. If you have a vata skin type, your skin will be dry, thin, fine pored, delicate and cool to the touch. When balanced, it glows with a delicate lightness and refinement that is elegant and attractive. When vata skin is imbalanced, it will be prone to excessive dryness and may even be rough and flaky.

* Potential problems: The greatest beauty challenge for vata skin is its predisposition to symptoms of early aging. Your skin may tend to develop wrinkles earlier than most due to its tendency to dryness and thinness. If your digestion is not in balance, your skin can begin to look dull and grayish, even in your 20?s and 30?s. In addition, your skin may have a tendency for disorders such as dry eczema and skin fungus. Mental stress, such as worry, fear and lack of sleep, has a powerful debilitating effect on vata skin leaving it looking tired and lifeless.

* Recommendations for care

With a little knowledge, you can preserve and protect the delicate beauty of your vata type skin. Since your skin does not contain much moisture, preventing it from drying is the major consideration. Eat a warm, unctuous diet (ghee and olive oil are best) and favor sour, salty and sweet tastes (naturally sweet like fruits, not refined sugar) as they balance vata. Avoid drying foods like crackers. Drink 6-8 glasses of warm (not cold for vata types!) water throughout the day and eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Going to bed early (before 10 PM) is very soothing to vata and will have a tremendously positive influence on your skin. Avoid cleansing products that dry the skin (like alcohol-based cleansers) and perform Ayurvedic oil massage to your whole body (abhyanga) in the morning before you shower.

Pitta Skin.

* Description: Pitta dosha is composed of the elements of fire and water. If you have a pitta skin type your skin is fair, soft, warm and of medium thickness. When balanced, your skin has a beautiful, slightly rosy or golden glow, as if illuminated from within. Your hair typically is fine and straight, and is usually red, sandy or blonde in color. Your complexion tends toward the pink or reddish, and there is often a copious amount of freckles or moles.

* Potential problems: Among the many beauty challenges of pitta skin types is your tendency to develop rashes, rosacea, acne, liver spots or pigment disorders. Because of the large proportion of the fire element in your constitution, your skin does not tolerate heat or sun very well. Of all the three skin types, pitta skin has the least tolerance for the sun, is photosensitive, and most likely to accumulate sun damage over the years. Pitta skin is aggravated by emotional stress, especially suppressed anger, frustration, or resentment.

* Recommendations for care

Avoid excessive sunlight, tanning treatments and highly heating therapies like facial or whole body steams. Avoid hot, spicy foods and favor astringent, bitter and sweet foods which balance pitta. (Again, naturally sweet, not chocolate and refined sugar!) Sweet juicy fruits (especially melons and pears), cooked greens and rose petal preserves are especially good. Drinking plenty of water helps wash impurities from sensitive pitta skin. Reduce external or internal contact with synthetic chemicals, to which your skin is especially prone to react, even in a delayed fashion after years of seemingly uneventful use. Avoid skin products that are abrasive, heating or contain artificial colors or preservatives. Most commercial make-up brands should be avoided in favor of strictly 100% natural ingredient cosmetics. And be sure to get your emotional stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga and meditation.

Kapha Skin.

* Description: Kapha dosha is composed of the elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to the touch. Your complexion is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like the moon, and hair characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types, with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or pitta types.

*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha skin is also more prone to fungal infections.

* Recommendations for care

Kapha skin is more prone to clogging and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is the best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers to open the skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify the skin through the sweating process.

Inner Beauty: Gunam.

Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all experience the quick and deleterious effect on our skin from fatigue and stress.

Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not the kind that shows on a made-up face, but the kind that shines through from your soul, your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress and worry. Inner peace is the foundation of outer beauty.

Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and effective management of stress (I highly recommend the TM technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier and feel better through the day if you eat your main meal at midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is ideal.)

Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract people to you. On the other hand, being uptight or tense makes people want to walk the other way, regardless of your facial structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with attractiveness.

Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag

In order to slow the aging process and gain lasting beauty there are two additional key considerations beyond those already discussed,

1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in the body: The main deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout the body. These toxins may begin as free radicals in the body, or over time may become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to premature aging in the body. For lasting health and beauty it is essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those that have already become lodged in the body.

The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is “panchakarma” therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of undergoing this cleansing program once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating, localizing and hardening in the tissues. Just as we change the oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan, Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse the ?sludge? from our tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.

Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked so fresh and youthful!

Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress, eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet, juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant, detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.

2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:

The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:

1. Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to MAV.

2. Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies.

3. Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: “Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need.” Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality.

4. Perform Ayurvedic oil massage in the morning (abhyanga). Morning oil massage purifies the entire body, reduces anxiety and stress, helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin cancers.

5. Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and circulation is key to health.

6. Practice pranayama (yoga breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens the mind and body. Ideally practice the following sequence twice a day. Asanas, pranayama and meditation.

Summary

Everyone's unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of natural living.

For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a healthier life. You will be rewarded by the glowing effects you will see in your mirror each day and the powerful, bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in your life.

About The Author

Nancy Lonsdorf M.D. received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins and did her postgraduate training at Stanford. She has studied Ayurveda with some of the world's most renowned Ayurvedic physicians in India, Europe and the U.S. Dr. Lonsdorf has 17 years of clinical experience with Ayurveda and is currently the Medical Director of The Raj Ayurveda Health Center in Vedic City Iowa.

Dr. Lonsdorf has authored two books on Ayurveda and women's health:

A Woman's Best Medicine (Penguin/Putnam 1995 ISBN 0-87477-785-2) describing the Ayurvedic approach to the major issues in women's health

A Woman's Best Medicine for Menopause (Contemporary/McGraw Hill 2002 ISBN 0-8092-9335-8) describing the Ayurvedic approach to menopause

Doctor Lonsdorf's contact information is:
Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.
1734 Jasmine Avenue
Vedic City, IA 52556
641-472-8246
web site url: http://www.ayurveda-ayurvedic.com/

info@ayurveda-ayurvedic.com

A clean house is more than just a luxury ? it is a necessity. That?s right, a necessity. We need a clean house (office or desk) because of all it offers us: efficiency and relaxation. Efficiency, because a clean house means you can find what you need when you need it. It also means that you will spend less time worrying and frustrated over the mess in your house.

A clean house offers relaxation, because clean houses look better, smell better, and feel better ? and that?s what makes you relax. A mess everywhere makes us tense. Even hidden messes worry us. What does it take to have a truly clean house? In a word, discipline. No one likes to hear that word anymore, but it?s true.

A clean house takes work, plain and simple. Ironically, the less a house is cleaned, the more work it takes. Yep, it?s true. If you don?t stay on top of your house, the house will be on top of you — with papers piling up and junk everywhere — not to mention dirt and grime.

Look around. Is your outer experience mirroring the inner experience? What is your house saying about you and your life? Now, how does your luck improve with a clean house? Think about all the ?old? and ?unsuccessful? energy that you have in your home.

If you've got dust bunnies the size of Great Danes, it's time to get to work. Dirt and dust equal stagnant and stuck. Remember, a rut is just a grave that's open at both ends. How to get out of your dirty rut? Good old fashioned elbow grease. Here's a quick guide to cleaning your space to get you out of your dirty rut.

1. Go to the bathroom.
Why? Bathrooms that are dirty are germfests waiting to make you sick. Clean it up and you might just feel better or get through cold and flu season unscathed!

2. Take on the kitchen.
This is where you eat so it should be clean. Nothing attracts bugs faster than a filthy kitchen. Make it a goal to give your kitchen a two-hour once over. Spend two hours in there and really clean — the coils on the fridge, the oven, the floors, ceilings, windows - everything.

3. Head into the bedroom.
When you sleep, you are breathing in everything that's in the room, i.e., pet dander, dust, mites from the bed, you name it. Make it a point to clean under the bed, vacuum the blinds and wash the curtains and bedspreads and blankets. Then vacuum, yes, vacuum, the mattress and flip. Ahhh….clean. It feels so nice.

4. Create a paper trail.
To the recycling center that is. Haven't read that magazine? Then you're not going to, so get rid of it. Conduct your own “paperectomy” and get rid of all that paper that's just taking up space.

5. Concentrate in the corners.
This is where everything drifts to… the corner of the bedroom, the corners of the ceilings. Corners are a magnet for stacks of papers. On the ceiling, corners attract spider webs. Clear out every corner you have, including closet corners.

6. Go outside.
Rent a pressure washer and wash the house, sidewalks, patios, and driveways. Pressure washers are a house's best friend. Think of it as an exfoliating scrub for your home. You will love your sparkling house.

7. Head to the top.
Clean off the tops of everything. This includes dressers, tables, counters, refrigerators — anything with a top. It also means dusting the tops of windows,door trim, and tops of baseboards. Dust just loves to hide on the tops of things.

8. Get steamed.
Once a year get your carpets and upholstery STEAM cleaned. Why steam? It's hot and it's water so it will clean REALLY well without hurting anything or leaving behind any kind of soapy residue. That's right, soapy residue.

Many people get their carpets cleaned or use grocery-store carpet cleaner products only to find they need to do it again and again and again because the carpets get dirtier faster and faster and faster.

Hmmmm…. a conspiracy? No. Just soap that stays behind. And soap is sticky, right? Well, then, that's where all the dirt is coming from: it's getting stuck in all that soap that is left behind from those cleaners. And while you're at it, throw away all your soap-based carpet cleaners.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter feng shui e-zine and is dedicated to helping her readers develop successful, prosperous, and supportive environments with feng shui. To subscribe, logon to www.redlotusletter.com and receive this special report Fr*ee “16 Feng Shui Secrets for Greater Prosperity.”

kweber@redlotusconsulting.com