What Foods and Drinks Are Bad for Kidney Infection?

A kidney infection is a form of urinary tract infection in which bacteria travel from your bladder or urethra up to your kidneys. A bacterial infection in your bladder or urethra is known as a urinary tract infection, or UTI. When you develop a kidney infection, prompt treatment is required. If you let a kidney infection spiral out of control, it can permanently damage your kidneys, or the infection can spread to your bloodstream and cause a potentially deadly infection. 

Foods to Avoid 

Because a kidney infection often stems from a bladder or urinary tract infection, avoiding the same types of foods that aggravate your bladder and urinary tract will help reduce unnecessary irritation. Spicy foods and acidic foods, such as hot sauce, barbecue sauce and tomato-based foods, can cause bladder irritation, according to MayoClinic.com. Corn syrup and artificial sweeteners are also culprits because they can contribute to irritation and leakage of urine.

Drinks to Avoid 

Certain substances in drinks can over-stimulate your bladder, such as caffeine and alcohol. Over-stimulation of your bladder can lead to excess bladder irritation and increase the risk of leakage due to the additional stimulation. Like foods, acidic drinks can cause irritation. Avoid drinks such as tea, coffee and soda. Certain fruit juices are acidic, such as orange juice and grapefruit juice. 

Making the Change

If you normally consume caffeine by drinking tea, coffee or soda, gradually reduce your caffeine intake. Completely cutting caffeine out of your diet at once can cause side effects such as headache, irritability, fatigue and nervousness. Instead of pouring yourself a glass of orange juice for breakfast, opt for sugar-free cranberry juice. Unsweetened cranberry juice can help prevent future bladder and UTI infections that can lead to kidney infections, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Swap your soda out for water, which does not cause irritation and helps flush infectious organisms from your body. 

Additional Tips

A kidney infection can cause pain. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help ease fever and discomfort that might arise from the infection. Take all medication as directed by your physician or the product label. Your doctor might provide a stronger prescription medication if necessary. You might feel pain or pressure with a kidney infection. To reduce pain, apply a heating pad to your back, stomach or side; do not fall asleep with the heating pad on, as this can cause burns on your skin.

Trends in handbags 2013

There are many clutches as well as mini bags. Backpacks, totes, and sack bags are also ‘in’ for the season.

Mini Bags
Mini bags are a big trend for Spring/Summer 2013. Offered in various shapes and styles mini bags can be worn on a wrist, behind a back or carried by handles. Diane Von Furstenberg showed whimsical bags at her show, while at Louis Vuitton they were of classic shapes and playful checkered patterns. 

Totes

Totes are cool and casual. They come in a variety of materials and sizes. Prada and Rochas offer smaller totes while Mulberry featured a leather scalloped tote with chain handles.

Clutches

Clutches come in such wide variety of finishes, sizes, and styles. There are mini clutches and oversize clutches, metallic clutches and reptile clutches, odd-shaped clutches and geometric hard case clutches.

There are also folding clutches as seen at Victoria Beckham, Reed Krakoff, Carolina Herrera, Hermes, and many other designer shows.

Metallic clutches were spotted at Victoria Beckham, Viktor & Rolf, Dries Van Noten. At Fendi the metallic clutch was covered entirely with sequins.

Odd-shaped clutches were spotted at Ralph Lauren, Sportmax, Giamfranco Ferre and at a number of other designer shows.

And there are clutches that come in various prints and patterns as well as with embellishments like studs, rhinestones, beads, fringe and other.


Backpacks


Backpacks were spotted at several shows. DKNY and Versus offer sporty backpacks while Hermes created a luxury leather backpack with stiffer form and minimalist design.
Reptile Skins

Reptile skins were also all over the runway. From textured croc leather bags at Botega Venetta and Elie Saab to snakeskin and python at Giamfranco Ferre, Gucci, and Giorgio Armani. 

Prints & Patterns

Laser Cut
Laser cut patterns in bags were seen at Alexader McQueen where the bags were designed in a honeycomb pattern, at Ralph Lauren where the leather bag was cut in floral pattern and at Mulberry where the bag was perforated. 

Sack Bags
Sack bags are also a big trend the next season. They come in a variety of finishes and shapes thanks to hardcase parts. At Alexander Wang models carried a sack bag with a square-shaped body and at Giorgio Armani the bags were spotted in a round shape. 

Creative Handles
Creative handles in bags were seen at Chanel where the models carried a hula hoop beach bag and a minimized version of it, and at Acne where the bag had telephone cable handles. Chain handles were spotted at a number of shows including Tory Burch and Miu Miu.

 
Odd-Shaped Bags

Odd-shaped bags were all over the place at Spring 2013 Fashion Week. At Balenciaga and Holly Fulton bags have a rounded shape while Giorgio Armani went with an architectural aesthetic. Lavin created a small bag shaped as a perfume bottle while Peter Plein decorated his small spheric bag with spikes. Alberta Ferretti showed fuzzy small bags.


Transparent Bags
Transparent bags are a big trend for Spring/Summer 2013. They were spotted at Jenny Packham, Valentino, Burberry Prorsum, Holly Fulton and other shows. The clutches also come in clear designs as spotted at Stella McCartney and Gucci. 

Simone Rocha went for a clear shopper with camel handles and perforated scalloped edges. Other transparent bags featured such decorations as metal details and frames, rhinestones and pyramids.

There are also colorful transparent clutches and bags featured in purple, green, red, yellow, and other colors. These were spotted at Burberry Prorsum and Gucci. Stella McCartney also created faceted clear clutches in different colors.

List of Diet Programs

Every January, after the succession of food holidays from October through December, millions of people who have overindulged the previous year passionately vow to go on a diet. With a plethora of diets available, it should be easy to pick one that helps you meet your weight loss goals. Unfortunately, losing weight is easier than maintaining weight loss for the 66 percent of overweight and obese Americans, according to the Cleveland Clinic. When you need to lose weight, your diet plan should help you develop eating habits that fit a healthy lifestyle and have reliable support from nutrition science. 

Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet suggests that you will lose weight by boosting your metabolism with an eating plan that allows unlimited consumption of proteins. It features a daily limit of 60 g of carbohydrates. This diet has no restrictions on fat intake but does not permit alcohol or caffeine. People who follow the diet lose weight because the diet's lack of carbohydrates forces the body to burn body fat or muscle for fuel.

Cabbage Soup Diet 
The Cabbage Soup diet requires that you eat copious amounts of a soup that contains cabbage with other vegetables for seven days, followed by two days of unlimited consumption of chicken and fish. If you have not reached your target weight by the end of the diet, you start consuming the cabbage soup again. This diet can produce rapid weight loss, but it contains little protein and carbohydrates. 


Mediterranean Diet 
The Mediterranean diet is an eating plan that may help you lose weight, lower blood sugar and reduce your risk of heart disease. It features high-fiber foods, vegetables, low-fat dairy and unsaturated fats, many containing omega 3 fatty acids. It limits proteins from red meats, carbohydrates, eggs, butter and most sweets. This diet includes moderate consumption of alcohol, primarily red wine with dinner. 


Weight Watcher's Diet 
The Weight Watcher's diet uses points assigned according to a formula that combines your current weight, level of activity daily and your age. You do not need to count calories, eliminate carbohydrates or any of your favorite foods, including fats, proteins and empty calories like sugar and alcohol. To reach your targeted weight, your consumption of foods from all food groups must be below the maximum total daily points recommended for you. 


Blood Type Diet 
The Blood Type diet uses a list of foods that correlate to your blood type. It focuses on and eliminates specific foods for each of the four human blood types. Washington University notes that Peter D'Adamo---the diet's creator---bases the food lists for this diet on his theory that blood types arose from humanity's historical development. His research to prove the theory behind this diet concept has no support from any reliable scientific studies or peer reviews.
According to this diet plan, blood type A resulted from agrarian lifestyles; this group should eat a vegetarian diet. If your blood type is B, from nomadic societies, fish and red meat are your staples. Hunter-gatherers---type O---also eat meat, butter and fewer carbohydrates. Those in blood type AB should combine the foods from both groups. The book "Eat Right 4 Your Type" provides specific food suggestions for this diet.

10 Habits That Make You Fat

If losing weight were easy, no one would be overweight. Unfortunately, the facts are indisputable: A chili-cheese omelet is more delicious than an egg-white omelet, French fries taste better than side salads and chicken is yummier when battered and fried.

On the other hand, being a healthy weight feels better than being overweight. And a healthy weight is a lot easier to accomplish when the right choices become second nature. In other words, weight-loss goals are more achievable when healthy choices turn into healthy habits.

HABIT 1: Poor Preparation

Boy Scouts and healthy eaters have the same motto: Be prepared. Having a refrigerator and pantry stocked with the right foods -- lean proteins, whole-grain carbohydrates, fruits, nonstarchy vegetables and healthy fats -- means you'll be prepared to eat what you should when you should. Similarly, entering a restaurant armed with a plan will keep you on the right track when dining out.

Preparation also means knowing your cravings and having healthy alternatives on hand to curb them, says Molly Kimball, a nutrition writer and registered dietitian in New Orleans. If sweets are your weakness, for example, keep fresh fruits or single-serve, sugar-free pudding cups on hand to satisfy your sweet tooth without taking a huge caloric hit.

HABIT 2: Not Drinking Enough Water

Drinking the right amount of water promotes overall health, from skin, bones and joints to the digestive system, memory and brain function. But Kimball says proper hydration can also help when you're concerned about weight.

"Fatigue is one of the first signs of mild dehydration," Kimball said. "A lot of people misinterpret that sluggish feeling as hunger, and they eat to boost energy."

The impact of hydration on weight loss, however, goes beyond the prevention of misinterpreted body messages. A study published in the November 2008 issue of "Obesity" showed a definite association between increased water intake and increased weight loss. In another study, its results presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, researchers from Virginia Tech confirmed that dieters who drink two 8-oz. glasses of water before their three daily meals lose about 5 lbs. more than dieters who do not drink pre-meal water.

So how much water is the right amount? Kimball says the old "64 oz. a day" rule is too one-size-fits-all; different bodies need different amounts of water. She says a good guideline is to divide your weight in half and drink that number of ounces per day. So a 180-lb. person would shoot for 90 oz.

HABIT 3: Not Getting Enough Protein

People who get too much of their daily caloric intake from carbs are going to have a hard time losing weight. Kimball recommends including a source of protein with every meal. The body uses twice as much energy processing protein as it does carbohydrates and fat, meaning when you eat protein, your body actually burns more calories digesting it.

Low-fat meats such as skinless chicken, pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef and ground turkey and seafood are excellent sources of protein. Kimball says you can also sneak protein into your meals in the form of eggs, cheese, peanut butter, nuts, Greek yogurt, or low-sugar protein bars and powders.

HABIT 4: Consuming Too Many Liquid Calories

Calories that enter your body in liquid form are inefficient calories. They count against your daily total, but they don't make you feel full. Kimball advises against drinking your calories.

"No fruit juice, soft drinks or sports drinks," Kimball said.

Instead, drink water, tea or coffee without sugar. If you must have sweetened drinks, Kimball has no problem with sugar-free soft drinks or low-calorie powdered flavored beverages.

Liquid calories often come in the form of alcoholic beverages, and those should be limited, too. If you can't do without, Kimball recommends sticking with wine, light beer, or liquor with a noncaloric mixer like water, club soda or diet soda. Women should limit alcohol consumption to one drink per day, and men should stop at two.

HABIT 5: Not Getting Enough Zzz's

You don't even need to be conscious to work on losing weight. Getting the right amount of sleep seems to be a major factor in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

A study released in 2006 by researchers at Case Western Reserve University tracked the weight and sleeping habits of 68,000 women over 16 years. The women who reported sleeping five hours or less nightly weighed an average of 5.5 lbs. more than the women who slept seven hours or more at the start of the study.

The reason is hormones, specifically leptin and ghrelin. Separate studies conducted by the University of Chicago and Stanford University suggested that sleep deprivation causes a reduction in leptin levels, while also causing ghrelin levels to rise. High ghrelin stimulates the appetite, while low leptin makes you feel unsatisfied after eating, leaving you hungrier during your waking hours and, likely, heavier.

HABIT 6: Skipping Breakfast

It can be hard to make time for breakfast during the rush to get out the door in the morning, but if you're interested in losing weight or keeping it off, you should make the effort to fit it in. Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism, forcing it to begin burning calories.

But many people simply don't have an appetite first thing in the morning. Kimball says that's fine -- just make sure you eat something within the first two hours of waking.

She says the perfect breakfast combines complex carbohydrates with protein and a bit of healthy fat. Try two scrambled eggs with a slice of whole-grain toast, a cup of Greek yogurt with a handful of berries and chopped nuts stirred in, or a bowl of oatmeal topped with berries and a splash of skim milk with two slices of center-cut bacon on the side. If you're usually in a rush in the morning, stock up on low-sugar protein bars and have breakfast during your morning commute.

HABIT 7: Shopping the Center Aisles

A good basic rule to follow at the grocery store is to do most of your shopping near the four walls.

"The perimeter of the grocery store is what you need to be eating," said Nicole Wynne, staff dietitian at Women & Men's Nutrition and Weight Control Centers of Louisiana. "It's where you usually find the fresh produce, the meats and the dairy. In the middle aisles, you find more of the processed foods you want to avoid."

Wynne said there are a few exceptions, namely in the freezer section with its frozen vegetables and no-sugar-added frozen fruits and berries, which are nutritious additions to smoothies, yogurt and oatmeal.

HABIT 8: Poor Record Keeping

You want to lose weight, and you've been trying to maintain a healthy diet, but the pounds are not coming off. The problem may be that you're eating more than you think. A food diary can be an effective solution.

"Write down everything that goes in your mouth," Wynne said.

According to Wynne, the act of recording what you consume in a food diary is effective on multiple levels. First, you get the full picture of your daily caloric intake -- it's impossible to forget the handful of candy-coated chocolates you eat every time you pass your co-worker's candy jar if it's right there in black and white. Knowing you'll have to write it down might make you reconsider that late-night bowl of ice cream. Also, once you've kept your diary for a while, you'll probably begin to notice patterns -- like a caloric uptick every time you have dinner at your uncle's house -- enabling you to make adjustments for particular situations.

How you record your daily food intake is a matter of preference. Some prefer an old-fashion pen and notepad, while others choose to use one of the many food diary applications available online, such as the MyPlate Calorie Tracker at Livestrong.com.

HABIT 9: Not Lifting Weights

You will not achieve your weight-loss goals easily through diet and cardio alone. A regimen that combines weight training and cardiovascular training optimizes the ability to shed pounds.

Studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between resistance training and weight loss. While both weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise burn calories and boost the metabolism, cardio only raises the metabolism during the exercise and for a short time after. Weightlifting, however, increases metabolism during the exercise and for a long time after. This "afterburn" -- the continued burning of calories from lifting weights after the training session has ended -- can last for hours, even days.

During the recuperation period, the muscle metabolism is still burning energy, and that's when it's time to perform cardiovascular activities. Combining low-repetition exercises (weightlifting) with high-repetition cardiovascular exercise will stress muscles in a complementary way to increase the total fat-burning effect.

HABIT 10: Throwing in the Towel

Cut yourself some slack. It's one of the most important things you can do when you're trying to lose weight. Missteps happen. You succumb to a craving and have an unhealthy lunch. Forgive yourself for it and get back to your plan right away.

"If you blow a meal, it is not a free pass to blow the rest of the day," Wynne said.

Those who give up for the rest of the day, week, month or year due to a momentary setback will never achieve lasting weight loss. Mistakes happen, and the weight-loss battle is won and lost by how you respond to those mistakes. The best way to do it, Wynne says, is to forgive yourself for the lapse in willpower and move on at once, immediately resuming your healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Habits for a Healthy Life

If you see yourself in any of these 10 habits that make you fat, the best time to start changing them is right now. For every bad habit, there's a good habit. And the only way to turn healthy choices into healthy habits is repetition. So start shedding your unhealthy habits, and you'll be shedding pounds soon enough.

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant produced by plants such as red grapes. Studies have shown that resveratrol has anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and blood-sugar lowering properties. Several recent studies have indicated that resveratrol may also provide cardiovascular and blood sugar benefits as well.

The Benefits of Resveratrol

Research reveals more about resveratrol every year. Recently it was learned that topical applications of resveratrol may provide protection from skin cancer, a disease which has been on the rise for several decades. Resveratrol has also shown promising results in studies that involve the treatment of colon cancer and esophageal tumors.

In some preliminary studies, resveratrol even prevented the growth of breast cancer tumors. Researchers believe this is because resveratrol inhibits estrogen metabolites from interacting with cellular DNA. It may even help destroy the dangerous estrogen metabolites that encourage breast cancer development.

One of its most beneficial uses may be in the prevention of heart disease, which is one of the world`s leading killers. Studies have shown that moderate drinking of red wine can reduce the risk of heart disease, and researchers suspect that the resveratrol in red wine provides these protective benefits. Resveratrol may also help prevent blood clots, similar to the effects of aspirin.

Resveratrol may also be beneficial in treating or preventing diabetes, another disease that has been on the rise. It`s been shown to be very helpful for lowering abnormally high blood glucose levels in diabetics. This may be an important discovery, as healthy blood sugar levels are crucial to good health.

The applications for resveratrol are potentially limitless, and future research will hopefully guide us to understand where resveratrol can help us the most.

Foods that Contain Resveratrol

Most people find that supplements are the easiest way to consume more resveratrol. However, getting nutrients through food is preferred because it is difficult to calculate how activators and complementary nutrients present in real food may enhance the power of antioxidants like resveratrol. Foods that contain resveratrol include: red grapes, peanuts, cocoa, cranberries and blueberries. Including more of these in your daily diet will naturally increase your consumption of resveratrol.

What is MSG?

Monosodium Glutamate, better known as MSG, is a form of concentrated salt added to foods to enhance the flavor. This salt version of glutamic acid is an amino acid the body can produce on its own, but the MSG we find on store shelves is processed and comes from fermented sugar beets. Because this kind of MSG is processed, it can cause many adverse reactions, including skin rashes, itching, hives, nausea, vomiting, migraine headaches, asthma, heart irregularities, depression and even seizures 

Since MSG acquired its infamous reputation for causing migraines, the food industry has given it new names and new forms, including autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, maltodextrin, hydrolyzed protein, sodium caseinate, mono-potassium glutamate, and textured protein. Consumers who are watching out for monosodium glutamate in long ingredients lists usually don't know the aliases, but should.

Because MSG is so cheap, the food industry can use much lower quality foods and simply add MSG as a flavor enhancer. Currently, there is a huge investment by the food giants in MSG medical research to convince consumers of its safety. Monsanto, the giant biotech company that creates genetically modified corn, soy and canola, also controls more than 90% of the sugar beet industry; therefore, MSG contains the gene of the pesticide Roundup. Consumers who don't filter MSG out of their diet are catching a double dose of toxicity.

Foods which contain the largest doses of MSG are spicy corn chips, many soups, certain Chinese foods, ranch dressing, sausages, hot dogs, barbecued meats, smoked meats, processed deli meats, and sauces. Also included are most powdered packets like chili, gravy, taco seasoning, French onion dip and dried dip mixes.

Ibuprofen is the polar opposite of MSG. This widely used painkiller is specifically designed to relieve symptoms from MSG headaches, but only temporarily. Unfortunately, most research on MSG is done by its manufacturers in independent labs. The FDA itself consists of food industry reps and lobbyists who help keep MSG approved, so most doctors (except naturopath doctors) will not point their finger at MSG as the cause of headaches, inflammation, weight gain, muscle pain, or nerve disorders.MSG affects nearly everyone
Consuming products loaded with MSG on an empty stomach or without water can be especially dangerous. MSG affects nearly everyone because it causes a spike in glutamic acid, which is used throughout the body as a neurotransmitter, so many migraines are accompanied by photo-sensitivity (sensitivity to light) and phono-sensitivity (sensitivity to sound). This explains why many people need to relax in a dark, quiet room to recover.

MSG compromises the way the liver and gall bladder use bile to break up fats for digestion, so many people experience diarrhea and even gall bladder attacks. Others will vomit or stir up their Irritable Bowel Syndrome 

Also, the hair cells of the ear use glutamate as a neurotransmitter, so over stimulation of these cells can result in ringing in the ears (also tinnitus or vertigo). MSG is known to cross the blood brain barrier to damage brain cells, especially in infants. Research has also shown that MSG can cause sterility in female animals 

Since there are no regulations on the potency of MSG, consumers have no way of knowing how much or how little they are getting

The sooner MSG appears in an ingredients list, the more there is in that product. Consuming MSG at any time is a risk many consumers are not willing to take.

Your best bet is to avoid MSG in general and just add your own natural spices to foods. Sea salt and fresh garlic or organic minced garlic can give a dish the same taste and flavor enhancement. Simply Tasteful's "Garlic Garlic" or "Onion Onion" and Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" are great natural seasonings that take food flavor up a notch and don't cause headaches, nausea or nerve damage.

Resveratrol lowers breast cancer risk by blocking estrogen growth factor

Researchers from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Calabria in Italy publishing in The FASEB Journal report that resveratrol blocks the effect of estrogen and can help to prevent the malignant growth of breast cancer in women. The grape/red wine derivative has been the subject of numerous scientific studies in recent years and has shown promise in lowering risks from cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia. Scientists also believe the protective nutrient may extend healthy lifespan by directly influencing mortality genes known as SIRT. Health-minded adults will want to include resveratrol from natural food sources or supplementation to reap the numerous health benefits.

To design their study, researchers used several breast cancer cell lines expressing the estrogen receptor to test the effects of resveratrol. They exposed the different cells to a solution containing resveratrol and compared the results to cells left untreated. They found an important reduction in cell growth in cells treated with resveratrol, while no changes were seen in untreated cells. Further experiments determined that this effect was caused by a critical reduction in estrogen receptors caused by the administration of resveratrol.Resveratrol Supplementation Suppresses the Growth of Malignant Breast Cancer CellsThis finding is the first of its kind as it relates specifically to the effect of resveratrol on a particular cancer cell line. The team was able to conclude that resveratrol is able to counteract the malignant progression of breast cancer cells by inhibiting the growth and spread of hormone resistant cancerous cells. This has important implications for the treatment of women with breast cancer whose tumors eventually develop resistance to hormonal therapy.

A peer review board examining the study data concluded "scientists haven't finished distilling the secrets of good health that have been hidden in natural products such as red wine." It is important to note that in this body of research, resveratrol only demonstrated an effect on malignant cancer cells and exerted no effect on non-cancerous cells.

While the authors cautioned that people should not go out and start using red wine or resveratrol supplements as a treatment for breast cancer, the finding strongly indicates that the plant-protective compound should be considered as a component in an overall plan designed to prevent the devastating disease. Nutrition experts recommend a supplemental intake (from a purified, organically derived source) of between 50 and 250 mg per day for optimal health benefits.

The Best Ways to Improve Communication Skills

Effective communication skills are important at your office and in your personal life. The strength of your communication skills can determine how much you advance in your career. These skills can also determine how well you make friends or develop relationships. If you feel that you are struggling in this area, then there are steps that you can take. The best ways to improve your communication skills are to build rapport, enunciate, relax, animate your voice and listen. 

Build Rapport 
One way to have good communication with another person is to build rapport quickly. Smiling and using eye contact are two of the most positive signals that you can send when you start a conversation. You want the other person to feel that you are happy to be talking to him or her. It is also important to have something to discuss. It is a good idea to read newspapers or watch the news in order to stay on top of current events. If you have many topics that you can talk about, then it will be easier to develop a rapport with another person. 


Enunciate 
Speak clearly when you are communicating with other people. Try to avoid mumbling or slurring your words together. It can be frustrating for the listener if it is necessary to say, "huh?" several times while you are talking. A good way to practice enunciating is to record yourself talking. You can listen to yourself and hear if you need to make some changes. 

Relax You can be a much better communicator if you simply relax. If you are nervous, then you will probably speak quickly and be difficult to understand. You may also make others feel uncomfortable. Avoid hunching your shoulders, fidgeting or toe-tapping while speaking. These are telltale signs that you are nervous. If you appear relaxed and confident, then people will likely be more interested in what you have to say. 

Animate Your Voice 
You don't want people to be bored while you are speaking. You can keep them interested if you avoid speaking in a monotone voice. You should vary your pitch and volume while you are communicating. Watch television news anchors and listen to how they animate their voices by using a range of tones. 

Listen 
Remember that communication is a two-way process. You need to hear and understand what other people are saying if you want to effectively communicate with them. People may also lose interest in talking to you if you constantly talk and never listen. A way to show someone that you have been listening is to paraphrase what he has said when you reply. A good exercise to improve listening skills is to have your spouse or a friend quiz you on details of a conversation.

How to Get Rid of Blackheads Fast at Home

Blackheads are a type of acne also known as open comedones. The blemish occurs when oil becomes lodged in the pores of the skin. When the oil is exposed to the air, it oxidizes and turns a blackened color. To prevent blackheads, control excess oil by washing the face at least twice a day with mild soap and water. You can usually get rid of blackheads fast at home without the need for a dermatologist. 

Step 1 
Boil water in a small pot. Remove the pot from the heat, pour the water into a bowl and then place your head over the bowl. Use a towel to cover your head and trap the steam in. Expose the face to the steam for at least five minutes to open up the pores. 

Step 2
Position the loop of a stainless steel blackhead extractor over a blackhead. Apply pressure to push the blackhead out of the skin. You can purchase a blackhead extractor at a beauty supply store or a drugstore. 

Step 3 
Scoop debris away with the spoon end of the blackhead extractor. Remove the excess oil and debris left behind after extracting the blackhead. Clean and sterilize the extraction tool with an alcohol wipe if you plan to get rid of multiple open comedones. 

Step 4 
Cleanse affected areas with a face wash that contains salicylic acid. Salicylic acid controls oily skin and promotes peeling to help keep your pores unclogged and free of blackheads. Wash your face with the salicylic acid cleanser using lukewarm water at least twice a day. If you experience skin sensitivity, reduce usage to once a day. 

The Best Way to Make Wrinkles Disappear

Wrinkles are the manifestation of natural changes in your skin as you age. The composition of your skin becomes altered with age, so it loses elasticity and forms lines in the areas of the face you use to express yourself. Certain prevention methods can help slow the process of aging, but once you've already seen the wrinkles on your face, treatment methods can be put into action to keep your skin looking smoother and younger. Your dermatologist can help explain some of your options. 

Step 1 
Apply a daily moisturizer to help improve the appearance of your skin, suggests the American Academy of Dermatology. Moisture helps your skin stay youthful be helping it to retain its natural moisture. Dry skin can look dull and wrinkly. Look for moisturizers containing ingredients, including vitamin E, shea butter and petroleum derivatives to help your skin look brighter and healthier. 
Step 2

Purchase anti-aging creams that contain retinoids, suggests MayoClinic.com. Retinoids are derived from vitamin A and can help to reduce fine line, age spots and wrinkles to reveal more youthful-looking skin. Retinoids can make your skin more susceptible to sunburns, so always apply a sunscreen along with your wrinkle cream to protect your skin. Apply in small amounts at first, as they can be irritating to sensitive skin.

Step 3 
Exfoliate your skin on a weekly basis to help speed cell turnover and slough away dead skin cells. Exfoliation can also be accomplished via chemical peels, dermabrasion or microdermabrasion in your dermatologist's office. All three procedures remove the top layer of dead skin cells to reveal smooth skin underneath and to help stimulate your body's natural skin cycle. The more often your body creates new skin cells, the younger your skin will look. 

Step 4 
Ask your dermatologist about fillers and injectables to help smooth out your wrinkles. Some collagen-based fillers can be injected directly into the wrinkle to help plump the surrounding skin, with the results lasting from three to six months. Botox is another popular choice, which basically freezes the muscles around the expressive areas of your face to achieve a smoother-looking appearance, notes the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 

Step 5 
Talk to your dermatologist about laser resurfacing, which can help get rid of stubborn wrinkles. MedlinePlus notes that this particular treatment works best for new wrinkles, and uses a series of lasers to basically remove the damaged skin to allow new, more youthful-looking skin to grow in your place. Only your dermatologist can tell you if you and your wrinkles are good candidates for the procedure.