January is National Eye Care Month. To celebrate National Eye Care Month, we are giving away 1 year’s supply of contact lens cases. Enter here to win.

Did you know contact lens cases can encourage bacteria growth if not cared for properly?

After removing your contact lenses, empty the case and rinse with fresh contact lens solution (never tap water). Cases should be cleaned after each use. Always allow the lens case to air dry. If the contact lens case gets cracked or damaged, discard it and replace it with a new one.

One important thing to note is that some exercises that are more targeted towards muscle growth and development could actually make your waist appear wider, so you must make sure that these are not being included.
If they are, you’re not going to get the results that you’re after. You may get stronger, which is definitely a good thing, but you won’t get slimmer.

Let’s take a look at three exercises that will work to your benefit, however.

Exercise Bar Twist

Most gyms will have weighted exercise bars so choose one that’s approximately 10-15 pounds for this movement. If you don’t have a weighted exercise bar because you’re doing this movement at home, not to worry as it can be done without weight as well.

Placing the exercise bar across your back and holding on to both ends with your hands, you’re to then twist from one side to another, while keeping the knees slightly bent and shoulder width apart.

Really focus on using those ab muscles to generate the twisting motion for best benefits rather than allowing momentum to do the work for you.

Interval Training

Next up you have interval training. How could interval training help you get a slimmer waist?

The answer to this is simple. Since interval training is highly effective for helping you burn off your body fat stores, it’s going to be one of the best ways to go about reducing your overall body fat.

If you perform these two to three times per week along with your weight lifting workouts, you will start seeing fat loss take place. As that occurs, you’ll notice your stomach getting slimmer as well.

In most cases it’s not just a matter of firming up the muscles in the ab region but rather losing body fat that’s covering them.

Plank On An Exercise Ball

Finally, the last exercise to perform to help you get a slimmer waist is a plank exercise on an exercise ball. Since the plank is an isometric contraction that calls for you to hold this position in place, you’ll maintain a steady rate of tension on the ab tissues.

By then adding the exercise ball into the mix, you’re going to up the intensity even further, really forcing those muscles to tense up hard.

As they do, this will train the stomach to stay sucked in at all times, so that when you’re going about your everyday activities the stomach appears flatter and more firm.

So there you have three top movements that you should do regularly if you want to achieve a slim waist. Be sure to do these along with a good diet for the best

- Mama

Those women are not alone, however. Hair loss in women is developing at younger and younger ages, and in increasing numbers: approximately 30 million women in the U.S. experience some form of hair loss.

So what do we know about hair loss in women?

How The Growth Cycle Works

Like everything that grows, hair is not growing every single moment at a constant rate. Instead, hair tends to grow about a half an inch per month, growing for between two to six years. Once a hair is done growing, it rests for a while and falls out, making room for a new strand of hair to start its growth process inside the follicle.

For both men and women who have a genetic predisposition to hair loss, androgen hormones such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can interfere with hair’s growth cycle. A build up of DHT in the hair follicle can make it shrink, which disturbs the growth and resting phases of each hair strand and eventually leads to permanent follicle death. This condition is called alopecia.

Other factors besides build up of testosterone can also lead to hair loss in women: many autoimmune disorders come with a lighter, less severe type of hair loss called alopecia areata. This causes hair to come out in clumps or patches, instead of in a diffuse pattern around the whole top of the head, as androgenic alopecia— the DHT-induced form of hair loss.

Ultimately, the key to understanding hair loss in women is to understand thoroughly the correct diagnosis for hair loss in a particular woman. Many times, hair loss in women is caused by an underlying medical problem that can be much more serious than just the loss of hair, so it’s important to see a doctor if you are experiencing hair loss.

Let’s take a quick look at the top muscle building foods that you should be adding to your diet plan.

Oats

One of the best carbohydrate sources for building muscle are oats. Be sure to purchase the varieties that are not sweetened however, otherwise you’ll just take in too much additional calories that could lead to fat gain.

If you really struggle to get your calorie intake up high enough to build muscle mass, then you should also consider eating oats raw like you would cold cereal. Pour some raw oats into a bowl, top with a sliced banana and perhaps a few raisins or almonds, and then pour skim milk over top.

Dried Fruit

Another great food for those who are trying to get in more calories to build muscle is dried fruit. Dried fruit will provide all the same nutrients that regular fruit will but it’ll be a much more calorie dense option that will move you closer to your goals. Best of all dried fruit doesn’t spoil easily, is very quick and convenient and can be taken anywhere so you can have a snack on the go. Consider mixing dried fruit into baking, trail mixes, or topping a bowl of cereal with it to increase your overall calorie intake.

Peanut Butter

For most women, peanut butter is something they love, but never allow themselves to have. If you are trying to add more curves to your body however, peanut butter is a great food to include in your diet. Not only is will peanut butter supply you with plenty of calories, but it’s also a good source of healthy fats that will keep your system functioning properly and provide you with a long-term source of energy.

Salmon

For a good dose of protein, add some salmon to the mix. Salmon is great for building muscle because it’s high in protein content but also high in essential Omega 3 fatty acids, which are necessary to maintain good health. Add salmon into your menu at least twice a week and you’ll be right on track to better nutrition.

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is another quality source of protein. Cottage cheese digests very slowly in the body so is a perfect late-night muscle building snack to eat before you go to bed. Add some sliced grapes or a few almonds into it and you’ve got a tasty combination that can’t be beat.

So there you have some of the top muscle building foods that you should add into your diet plan. If you can eat at least two of these each day, you’ll be on track to success.

The symptoms of thyroid disorders can vary from woman to woman, and depending upon whether you suffer from hyper- or hypo-thyroidism. Furthermore, many of the symptoms can be explained by depression or day-to-day living, which is why so many cases go unnoticed. Common symptoms may include (but are not limited to):

• thinning hair
• weight gain
• weight loss
• menstrual difficulties
• excessive sweating
• depression

Since the thyroid also plays a part in regulating the body’s natural reproductive hormones, thyroid disorders can lead to fertility problems by causing irregular or a complete absence of ovulation. Remember, menstruation does not necessarily mean that you are ovulating. A woman with undiagnosed thyroid problems may menstruate regularly but not ovulate.

Diagnosis may be carried out through a series of blood tests but since many doctors remain unaware of thyroid problems or recent changes in medical definitions of “normal range,” many women still struggle to be taken seriously. If you are not satisfied with your doctor’s diagnosis, always remember that you have the right to a second opinion. Online research can also help you locate doctors in your area who specialize in thyroid disease. Ask for a thyroid antibody test, as well as the other selection of thyroid function tests usually offered. Once a doctor has diagnosed a thyroid problem, you can begin appropriate treatment.

With careful management and treatment, thyroid disease does not have to stand in the way of achieving a healthy and successful pregnancy. The key is to educate yourself and your doctors as much as possible.

- Mama

The median U.S. household over $50,221 annually.

• Seven percent of young women aged 18–24 who had had sex before age 20 report that their first sexual experience was involuntary. Those whose first partner was three or more years their senior were more likely to report this than were other women in that age-group.
• Teens in the United States and European teens have similar levels of sexual activity. However, the latter are more likely to use contraceptives and to use effective contraceptive methods; they therefore have substantially lower pregnancy rates.
• Although 15–24-year-olds represent only one-quarter of the sexually active population, they account for nearly half (9.1 million) of the 18.9 million new cases of STIs each year.

Hot Air

You may have come across skin care advice urging you not to take showers that are too hot, to wash your face and hair with lukewarm water, and so on. The reason they give this advice is that the skin has millions of tiny sebaceous glands in it. These glands produce sebum, the oil that gives skin its softness and radiance. Heat overstimulates these glands, making your face slick and sticky with oil. To combat ‘hot air oiliness’, moisturize your skin. Moisture will counteract the effects of the weather.

Moist Heat

If it’s also humid, oily skin can become worst. Moist heat prohibits your body from cooling itself by sweating. When this occurs, the sebaceous glands become overstimulated and produce more oil. The moist heat can cause you to break out quite rapidly, and moisture by itself stimulates oil production even if it’s not particularly hot.The skin reacts to the strange air as though it were an irritant that needs to be flushed out, and it will produce copious amounts of sweat and oil in order to try and do so. Try to stay hydrated in this kind of weather; the sweating can dehydrate you.

Pollution

Polluted air is another irritant that causes the skin to try and flush out the foreign matter. Exhaust fumes, particles of dust and smoke, and other kinds of impurities can all activate the skin’s natural protections. If you suspect polluted air is causing your skin to misbehave, wash your face throughout the day with a gentle cleanser, drink filtered water to help your skin flush out the toxins and ask your employer to change the air filters more often.

Calm Skin Solutions

If it’s absolutely essential that your skin is calm and fresh, the best thing for you to do is to wash your face with cool water. This will help remove the impurities that are weighing down your skin and refresh you quickly and easily, without needing any special equipment or tools.

Be kind to your taste buds. This bar is not like your traditional, “eat it because it is good for you, not because it tastes good” bar. This bar is absolutely delicious. I was a bit sceptical at first, but after a trusted friend recommended Kind Bars to me, I decided to give them a try. The first bar I tasted was the Fruit and Nut delight. After the very first bite, my taste buds tingled with delight. Bite after bite, I hurled the bar to my face. I felt like an infant who had tasted candy for the first time.

The ingredients in the Fruit and Nut Delight are all natural, gluten free and delicious. With only 180 calories per bar and a low glycemic index of 54 you can eat one a day without feeling guilty.

Other Kind Bars I like:

• Walnut & Date: This little bar will satisfy your sweet tooth. It reminded me of sweetened fresh walnuts
• Fruit & Nuts in Yogurt: This bar has replaced my traditional mid-morning snack of yogurt topped with granola.
• Almond & Coconut: Simple, tasty ingredients, need I say more?

Disclosure: MamasHealth did not receive monetary or product incentives for this review.

- Mama

We are giving away ten $50 Visa Gift Cards

Enter contest

During the past 20 years, I’ve run through my share of fruit juicers. Some were difficult to put together, others were difficult to clean, and some just didn’t work. The Breville BJE820XL juicer is one of the best on the market. My favorite juice to make is a mixture of carrots, apples, and red beets. This juicer handles the compact structure of beets without sputtering

Want fresh juice for breakfast, and a smoothie with lunch? This commercial-quality juicer can do both. It has a second disc that purées soft fruits for 100% fruit smoothies. With this juicer, you’ll get the most juice out of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, from delicate berries to crisp apples.

- Mama

Protect Your Hair

Dry air, wind, and cold can all dry out your hair, making it dull and lifeless, as well as brittle. To avoid brittle, dull hair, make sure that you are securely bundled up, with your hair covered, whenever you go outside. Exposure to the outside air can turn healthy hair dry into unhappy, lifeless hair in just a few minutes. Be sure to wear a woolen cap that’s thick enough to block the wind.

Moisturize Your Hair

When you wash, use lukewarm water and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to add back the moisture that you are losing to the atmosphere. Try not to wash your hair too often, since the natural oils from your scalp are excellent protective agents in their own right and you have no real need to strip them away unless they become stale or your hair gets dirty by some external cause.

Keep Hair Warm

This may seem obvious, but hair that is exposed to too much cold can become brittle and damaged. To keephair in its best condition, be sure that the cap you are using for a wind shelter actually does a good job keeping you warm. Highly chilled hair may need to be repaired with a session of deep conditioning. Use a warm coconut oil mask to give the hair body and fragrance while moisturizing it gently. The coconut oil is one of the best hair products known to nature, and in winter it is excellent because it is so useful and efficient at whatever it’s applied to. After one or two applications of coconut oil, your hair will be lush and thick.

Supplement these techniques with a certain restraint: refrain from excess amounts of stress and dramatic temperature changes during the holidays. Stress causes wrinkles, and it causes flyaways too. Indulging in a stressful activity can throw your hair’s chemical balance all off, meaning that you would need to go back and readjust it in order to calm your hair. Stay warm this inter, and look great!

- Mama