Grooming . 22 Tips for slim Look

HOW TO Appear Thinner? - 22 Tips

We all want to appear the best we can no matter what our size. Maybe you have a few extra pounds and want to camouflage them.You do not always have to lose weight in order to appear thinner. Here are some tips that will make you look and feel as if you have experienced weight loss.

Instructions

Step 1 - If you are heavy on the bottom, wear a solid color on your bottom half. Stay away from patterns and bright colors. Wear patterns on top to detract attention from your lower half. You will appear more balanced and look thinner without having to lose weight.

Step 2 - If you are heavy on top, reverse this. Wear bottoms that have more detail, and tops that are simple and plain. Again, this minimizes your top half, and makes you appear thinner all over.

Step 3 - To give yourself the appearance of a waist, wear longer, fitted shirts that come just below the lower belly. Wear a wide belt or scarf around your waist area. You will give the appearance of a slimmer waistline.

Step 4 - Do not wear clothes too loose. This does not camouflage, but only gives the appearance of sloppiness. Wear clothes that are form fitting to appear thinner.

Step 5 - Do not wear clothes that are too tight either. We do not to overly accentuate bumps or bulges. This will only make you appear heavier than you actually are. You will look like you have lost weight if you wear clothes that fit your body.

Step 6 - Wear heels. They make you taller and that makes you appear thinner without having to actually lose weight or diet.

Step 7 - Spanx are great for slimming you down. They are comfortable and can make you appear 3-4 sizes smaller without diet or exercise.

Step 8 - With pants wear a slightly flared leg so that you do not look thigh heavy. This will give your leg a balanced look all the way down which makes you look taller and thinner.

Step 9 - Always choose dark jeans. A cut that goes slightly above the belly button, with a light flare in the leg will be most flattering. Darker jeans are instantly slimming.

Step 10 - Pockets of pants should be high up on the rear to accentuate the buttocks. In order to appear thinner, avoid pockets that are low on the rear.

Step 11 - To hide a variety of sins wear a skirt with a slight flare. Stay away from clingy fabrics which will accentuate areas of heaviness. This will make you appear like you weigh less.

Step 12 - Wear a tank with another shirt on top for a layered effect. Tops that have a cut that tapers toward the waist give an hourglass effect which helps give you a shape.

Step 13 - Wearing pants with vertical stripes are great. This can make you look like you have lost weight without ever having done any exercise or diet.

Step 14 - Fitted suits that have vertical striping and a tapered waist are great. Make sure it fits. Wear a fitted top underneath. This is a very slimming look.

Step 15 - Do not expose too much cleavage. Tops should fit, but not be overly tight. Tight clothing can expose bulges that may make you appear heavier. In order to appear like you have lost weight, be sure your clothes are fitted correctly.

Step 16 - Do wear v-necks and oval shaped tops. These cut into the body to give a slimming effect.

Step 17 - If you wear a baggier top, wear a fitted bottom. This will give you balance and contribute to a slimmer appearance.

Step 18 - Wear half sleeves that are fitted to cover trouble spots such as heavy arms. This can make you look like you have lost 10 pounds.

Step 19 - Shorts should be fitted and slightly flared. They should extend to the knee to create a look of length.

Step 20 - A pencil skirt will work if there is a slight flare on the bottom, and the top is longer, belted and somewhat fitted, or flowy and soft.

Step 21 - Try on many different styles. Be real with yourself. Look in the mirror in the department store and really be critical. Ask yourself if you would like this on someone else of the same size. Follow the guidelines listed above to choose clothes to make you appear thinner.

Step 22 - Do not be afraid to go out of your style zone. Being up to date and stylish will detract from any perceived flaws you may have. Looking thinner without diet or weight loss is possible by using the guidelines listed above. You do not have to lose weight to appear thinner. Dressing the part can make you appear like you have lost 10 pounds overnight.

10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking - Start thinking Positive

A Post bit off the topic, but ofcourse related to healthy life. So here it goes, i hope you guys like it :

10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking

The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.

Life could be so much better for many people, if they would just spot their negative thinking habits and replace them with positive ones.

Negative thinking, in all its many-splendored forms, has a way of creeping into conversations and our thinking without our noticing them. The key to success, in my humble opinion, is learning to spot these thoughts and squash them like little bugs. Then replace them with positive ones. You’ll notice a huge difference in everything you do.

Let’s take a look at 10 common ways that negative thinking emerges — get good at spotting these patterns, and practice replacing them with positive thinking patterns. It has made all the difference in the world for me.


10 Deadly Sins of Negative Thinking

1. I will be happy once I have _____ (or once I earn X).

Problem: If you think you can’t be happy until you reach a certain point, or until you reach a certain income, or have a certain type of house or car or computer setup, you’ll never be happy. That elusive goal is always just out of reach. Once we reach those goals, we are not satisfied — we want more.

Solution: Learn to be happy with what you have, where you are, and who you are, right at this moment. Happiness doesn’t have to be some state that we want to get to eventually — it can be found right now. Learn to count your blessings, and see the positive in your situation. This might sound simplistic, but it works.


2. I wish I were as ____ as (a celebrity, friend, co-worker).

Problem: We’ll never be as pretty, as talented, as rich, as sculpted, as cool, as everyone else. There will always be someone better, if you look hard enough. Therefore, if we compare ourselves to others like this, we will always pale, and will always fail, and will always feel bad about ourselves. This is no way to be happy.

Solution: Stop comparing yourself to others, and look instead at yourself — what are your strengths, your accomplishments, your successes, however small? What do you love about yourself? Learn to love who you are, right now, not who you want to become. There is good in each of us, love in each of us, and a wonderful human spirit in every one of us.



3. Seeing others becoming successful makes me jealous and resentful.

Problem: First, this assumes that only a small number of people can be successful. In truth, many, many people can be successful — in different ways.

Solution: Learn to admire the success of others, and learn from it, and be happy for them, by empathizing with them and understanding what it must be like to be them. And then turn away from them, and look at yourself — you can be successful too, in whatever you choose to do. And even more, you already are successful. Look not at those above you in the social ladder, but those below you — there are always millions of people worse off than you, people who couldn’t even read this article or afford a computer. In that light, you are a huge success.



4. I am a miserable failure — I can’t seem to do anything right.

Problem: Everyone is a failure, if you look at it in certain ways. Everyone has failed, many times, at different things. I have certainly failed so many times I cannot count them — and I continue to fail, daily. However, looking at your failures as failures only makes you feel bad about yourself. By thinking in this way, we will have a negative self-image and never move on from here.

Solution: See your successes and ignore your failures. Look back on your life, in the last month, or year, or 5 years. And try to remember your successes. If you have trouble with this, start documenting them — keep a success journal, either in a notebook or online. Document your success each day, or each week. When you look back at what you’ve accomplished, over a year, you will be amazed. It’s an incredibly positive feeling.



5. I’m going to beat so-and-so no matter what — I’m better than him. And there’s no way I’ll help him succeed — he might beat me.

Problem: Competitiveness assumes that there is a small amount of gold to be had, and I need to get it before he does. It makes us into greedy, back-stabbing, hurtful people. We try to claw our way over people to get to success, because of our competitive feelings. For example, if a blogger wants to have more subscribers than another blogger, he may never link to or mention that other blogger. However, who is to say that my subscribers can’t also be yours? People can read and subscribe to more than one blog.

Solution: Learn to see success as something that can be shared, and learn that if we help each other out, we can each have a better chance to be successful. Two people working towards a common goal are better than two people trying to beat each other up to get to that goal. There is more than enough success to go around. Learn to think in terms of abundance rather than scarcity.



6. Dammit! Why do these bad things always happen to me?

Problem: Bad things happen to everybody. If we dwell on them, they will frustrate us and bring us down.

Solution: See bad things as a part of the ebb and flow of life. Suffering is a part of the human condition — but it passes. All pain goes away, eventually. Meanwhile, don’t let it hold you back. Don’t dwell on bad things, but look forward towards something good in your future. And learn to take the bad things in stride, and learn from them. Bad things are actually opportunities to grow and learn and get stronger, in disguise.



7. You can’t do anything right! Why can’t you be like ____ ?

Problem: This can be said to your child or your subordinate or your sibling. The problem? Comparing two people, first of all, is always a fallacy. People are different, with different ways of doing things, different strengths and weaknesses, different human characteristics. If we were all the same, we’d be robots. Second, saying negative things like this to another person never helps the situation. It might make you feel better, and more powerful, but in truth, it hurts your relationship, it will actually make you feel negative, and it will certainly make the other person feel negative and more likely to continue negative behavior. Everyone loses.

Solution: Take the mistakes or bad behavior of others as an opportunity to teach. Show them how to do something. Second, praise them for their positive behavior, and encourage their success. Last, and most important, love them for who they are, and celebrate their differences.



8. Your work sucks. It’s super lame. You are a moron and I hope you never reproduce.

Problem: I’ve actually gotten this comment before. It feels wonderful. However, let’s look at it not from the perspective of the person receiving this kind of comment but from the perspective of the person giving it. How does saying something negative like this help you? I guess it might feel good to vent if you feel like your time has been wasted. But really, how much of your time has been wasted? A few minutes? And whose fault is that? The bloggers or yours? In truth, making negative comments just keeps you in a negative mindset. It’s also not a good way to make friends.

Solution: Learn to offer constructive solutions, first of all. Instead of telling someone their blog sucks, or that a post is lame, offer some specific suggestions for improvement. Help them get better. If you are going to take the time to make a comment, make it worth your time. Second, learn to interact with people in a more positive way — it makes others feel good and it makes you feel better about yourself. And you can make some great friends this way. That’s a good thing.



9. Insulting People Back

Problem: If someone insults you or angers you in some way, insulting them back and continuing your anger only transfers their problem to you. This person was probably having a bad day (or a bad year) and took it out on you for some reason. If you reciprocate, you are now having a bad day too. His problem has become yours. Not only that, but the cycle of insults can get worse and worse until it results in violence or other negative consequences — for both of you.

Solution: Let the insults or negative comments of others slide off you like Teflon. Don’t let their problem become yours. In fact, try to understand their problem more — why would someone say something like that? What problems are they going through? Having a little empathy for someone not only makes you understand that their comment is not about you, but it can make you feel and act in a positive manner towards them — and make you feel better about yourself in the process.



10. I don’t think I can do this — I don’t have enough discipline. Maybe some other time.

Problem: If you don’t think you can do something, you probably won’t. Especially for the big stuff. Discipline has nothing to do with it — motivation and focus has everything to do with it. And if you put stuff off for “some other time”, you’ll never get it done. Negative thinking like this inhibits us from accomplishing anything.

Solution: Turn your thinking around: you can do this! You don’t need discipline. Find ways to make yourself a success at your goal. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, and try again. Instead of putting a goal off for later, start now. And focus on one goal at a time, putting all of your energy into it, and getting as much help from others as you can. You can really move mountains if you start with positive thinking.

Thanks to a friend for this post.

Hair Care - Part I

Grooming

• Use a shampoo & conditioner that suits your hair type. Choose products that are gentle, preferably without any harsh detergent like the sulfates. For daily washes, use a shampoo that is mild, gentle & moisturising.
• Using too much conditioner makes hair greasy. For oily hair, apply a light conditioner at the ends of the hair.
• Ingredients such as coconut oil moisturizes dry hair, makes hair softer & soothes the scalp; tea conditions & softens hair; jojoba moisturizes permed or chemically treated hair & makes hair manageable; silicone makes hair silky; lemon gives hair a natural shine & conditions; honey conditions deeply; henna leaves are natural hair dyes; apple cider vinegar & rosemary oil encourage hair growth & control dandruff.
• Eggs contain lecithin which helps to moisturize dry hair. Before shampooing, beat an egg & apply it onto dry hair & cover with a plastic bag for about 15 minutes (body heat intensifies conditioning) then rinse off totally with cold water.
• Olive oil is a good conditioner too. Massage onto hair & leave it for 10 minutes before shampoo.
• Massaging your scalp with your fingertips helps the blood to circulate to the scalp.
• On average hair grows about 1.2 to 1.25 cm a month.
• Hair is most fragile when wet.
• To make hair soft & shiny after washing, blot hair gently with towel & then separate with a wide-toothed comb.
• Blow-drying damages hair, causing dryness & split-ends due to the close contact between the heat on the scalp & hair. The next time you blow dry your hair, face the dryer downwards, use a leave-on conditioner for protection & avoid long exposure of both scalp & hair to the strong heat.
• To avoid hair damage (e.g. green hair) while swimming in chlorinated water, wear a swimming cap or deep condition your hair before entering the pool. Also, wash & condition hair as soon as you have finished swimming.
• Wear a hat when staying outdoors for a long period & condition more often.
• The best hair brush to use is one with bristles made of animal hairs.
• Refrain from giving stress to hair with constant perms, dye, highlighting, blow-drying, curlers or the use of strong hair styling products.
• Hair turns grey when melanocytes (cells found in the hair bulb) cease to produce color pigments.
• Split ends are preventable but not repairable. Cutting them off is the only solution.
• Flaking does not always mean dandruff. It can be caused by overusing conditioners, the build up of compounds from styling products, not washing hair often enough or not rinsing thoroughly.

Nourishment

Poor nutrition, hormonal changes, stress & shock play a major part in affecting the condition, appearance or disappearance of hair.

Vitamin A - promotes healthy scalp.
Food sources: dark green, orange & yellow fruits & vegetables.

Vitamin B complex - Regulates the secretion of oil, keeps hair healthy & moisturized.

Food sources: cereals, tomatoes, lean meat, liver, kidney, Brewer's yeast, eggs & green vegetables.

A severe lack of biotin (one of the Vitamin B) can lead to hair loss. It works best with Vitamin B5, B12 & folic acid. Food sources: cauliflower, yogurt, wholemeal bread, bran & bananas.

Minerals such as zinc, iron & copper promote healthy hair.

Food sources: zinc - lean red meat, chicken, pumpkin seeds & green vegetables; iron - beef, dried apricots, lean red meat, parsley, eggs, wheatgerm & sunflower seeds; copper - animal organs, seafood, egg yolk & whole grains.

A lack of iron is cited to be the cause of hair loss among women who have not reached menopause.

Proteins - because hair is made up of 97% protein (keratin), consuming enough of it gives hair a natural shine.
Food sources: lean meat, grains & soy.

Fixes for hair problems

Winter hair

• Wash your hair less often so as to strip less of the hair's natural oil.
• Use a dry shampoo if you need to wash. One way to have a dry shampoo is to sprinkle some baby powder onto your hair & comb it off.
• Deep condition once a week. Try massaging your scalp with 4 tablespoons of honey & cover with a plastic bag for 15 minutes or more then rinse off totally with hot water.

Static

• A leave-on conditioner or hair mousse can get rid of static. Hair static is caused by a lack of hair moisture.
• Brush with natural & not plastic bristles.
• Get a sheet of fabric softener & wipe across your hair. It helps control frizz too.

Hair loss

• Try drinking this - blend bananas with honey, yogurt & low-fat milk. A drink rich in biotin can help keep your crowning glory firmly rooted.
• Take dietary supplements such as Vitamin B6, zinc & saw palmetto. Supplements are useful when you can't get enough from natural food sources (see Nourishment).
• Invert your head while you shampoo & massage your scalp. This helps promote blood circulation to the head.
• Eliminate stress or else it can be disastrous to your precious hair!
• Get enough sleep.
• To stimulate scalp circulation, massage the scalp with rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) essential oil or rinse hair with tea made from sage (Salvia officinalis).
• In 76 Ways to Use Noni Fruit Juice (Direct Source, 2001), The Noni rash treatment by applying Noni fruit juice directly onto the scalp using a plaster cloth. Another alternative is to apply Noni extract directly onto the scalp, massage & leave to dry.

Dandruff

• Dandruff arises from an oily, not dry scalp. Use a special-formulated shampoo to help control the flaking.
• An anti-dandruff shampoo should contain tea tree oil, salicylic acid, sulfur & zinc pyrithione. Use on alternate days.
• Massage your scalp with some table salt to remove dandruff then shampoo.
• Avoid taking foods with preservatives or additives.
• After washing your hair, massage your scalp with half a cup of apple cidar vinegar. Leave it there, don't rinse off. Do this for a week.
• You could try this leave-on after shampooing : boil 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoons of dried thyme for 5 minutes & leave to cool. Strain then massage onto hair & scalp. Don't rinse off.
• In 76 Ways to Use Noni Fruit Juice (Direct Source, 2001) , The Noni scalp treatment by applying noni fruit juice directly onto the affected scalp, massage for a couple of minutes, leave to dry. Noni can be left overnight or a few hours or it can be rinsed off after about 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse off the noni juice & wash hair. Noni has essential fatty acids that help counteract hair & scalp trauma. It contains antioxidants that fight against free radical damage to the hair & scalp & may end chronic hair problems.

Head lice

• Lice are very tiny wingless blood-sucking insects. They spread quickly when there is personal contact or when items such as combs, brushes, towels, pillows, clothings & hats are shared. It is best that you don't share such items with someone else. Lice infestion can also occur at beards, eyelashes & eyebrows.
• Ways to get rid of head lice & nits (eggs) include : applying anti-lice medication (lotion, cream or shampoo), using essential oils such as herbs thyme & rosemary, manual removal & getting a hair cut.
• Wash combs, brushes, hats, beddings, stuffed toys, school bags, coats with hoods, clothings & etc... in hot water.
• Vaccum thoroughly floors, furniture, carpets, car seats & their head rests. Discard the vaccum bag immediately.
• Hair Clean 1-2-3 Lice Remover - A very highly recommended & effective non-toxic formula made from essential plant oils.