Vitamins | LRVCONSTRUCTORA

Help Your Daughter Love Her Hair!

May 4, 2021 Comments Off

When my daughter was born, she didn’t have a bunch of hair. By the time she was 2, it seems as if she had even less. She suffered from eczema causing all of her hair to fall out, except a little poof at the top of her head. She also had extremely dry, fragile, thin sandy brown hair! I just knew that this poor child would always be bald and forever suffer the stigma of being the girl with itsy bitsy pigtails.

As my daughter turned from a baby to a toddler, I did everything to try to grow her hair back. She was getting taller and bigger; she was at the age where she should be wearing beads or pretty burettes instead of a tiny, dry, auburn . I purchased a “wonderful” moisturizer and applied it daily, sometimes twice a day. I would even deep conditioner her and have her run around with a processing cap on for hours. Whenever I would see a little girl with long pretty ponytails or beads, I would stop her mother and ask her what she was using on her daughter’s hair and then I would run out to pick it up. It NEVER failed, when I got to the beauty supply store, I would see that the product was packed with nasty ingredients and I would leave it on the shelf, frustrated and back at square one.

By the time my daughter turned 4, I had gotten so frustrated with both of our hair issues that I started to make my own concoctions. Over the next year, her hair had thrived like crazy. The nutrient rich diet that I was feeding her follicles had her hair growing like wild fire! Now, we had a NEW problem; her hair had gotten so thick that doing it became overwhelming at times. It seems as if she just woke up one morning with a ton of hair that had massive shrinkage and just took forever to do! We went from 4 beads per braid, to 10, to 20 (I wouldn’t put any more than that, but there was room for several more). For the next year and a half, she exclusively wore braids so that I didn’t have to handle her hair too often. Each time I took her braids out, it seemed as if her hair had grown a bit more.

When Khyli turned 7, she no longer wanted to always have her hair braided; she wanted to try new styles, which required more upkeep. It seemed as if every time I did her hair, we would fight and I would threaten to cut it all off or make her get Sisterlocks. Doing her hair became a battle; a dreaded event. I had to figure out a way to make this more pleasurable; I didn’t want her to start hating her hair, start thinking that it was “bad” because I complained about doing it so much. Here I will share some of the tips and techniques I discovered that helped me with managing my daughter’s MID BACK LENGTH hair.

The first thing I did was make a conscious effort to be patient with myself. I would schedule her hair just like I would schedule a meeting. Do it on a day where I knew I had enough time to take it down, wash it, condition it, and then put it back up, which could easily take 6 hours.

As her hair grew and became denser, I started to wash her hair in sections. I would put 5-7 puffs in her hair and wash each one separately; this would cut down on tangles. I did the same with conditioning her hair.

Comb the hair in sections as well; starting from the ends to the root. Take small sections for very dense course hair. Use a detangling spray such as

Although Khyli is very tall, I still washed her hair in the kitchen sink, while she would lie across the kitchen counter. This made it so much easier to wash her hair; as she was more comfortable.

I also decided that I would make the day a bonding experience. We would spend the time to catch up! This was a time for just the two of us with very minimal interruptions. We talked about everything; how school was going, how my job was going, tell her stories about when I was a little girl or when she was a little girl; and I would make it a point to tell her several times throughout the day, how much I loved her hair!

You may also pick up her favorite movie or book; if your daughter is anything like mine, she will want to talk about the movie, amongst a million other things. I allow her to …

The Acai Berry Super Food

April 25, 2021 Comments Off

This super berry has gotten much media attention lately and it leaves us with many questions. Where does this berry come from? Why is it good for us? Will it really keep us healthy and help us lose weight? Based on the latest research, let’s explore all we know to be true about this berry.
Acai berry, pronounced (ah-SAH’ee) is said to be one of the most nutritious foods in the world. So what is this berry and what does it exactly do? Acai is a small purplish, blackish-looking berry. It is a cross between a grape and a blueberry but smaller and darker. The fruit has a large seed and a small amount of pulp. It’s now being used in the United States in energy drinks, bars, juices, and even yogurts and ice-creams. It comes from the Amazon palm tree in Brazil and the native people there have been traditionally using acai berries to treat digestive disorders, skin conditions, and insomnia, to name a few.
The berries are actually found in some of the large palm trees that grow in the thick forests. Unlike cherries which grow individually in trees, the acai berry grows in bunches, more like bananas would.
These berries have gotten lots of media hype lately and have been featured on talk shows such as Oprah, Rachel Ray, NBC, CBS, and ABC. An Oprah guest, health expert Dr. Perricone, promotes Acai berries as one of the best foods you may have never heard of. He considers it a super food with many reasons to back it up.
These berries are packed with antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fats which are the perfect trifecta when looking at the nutritional profile of any food. Essential fats, which nutritionists speak of quite frequently, help to kick start metabolism, absorb more nutrition from your food, help with brain and heart health, as well as a host of other things. It also contains amino acids which are the building blocks of protein, and of course antioxidants. We speak of antioxidants all the time but most people aren’t really sure what they really are and why they’re so vital. We just know that they must be good for us because we talk about them so often.
Antioxidants help to defend the body against free radicals which are harmful byproducts produced by the body with the help of pollutants like cigarette smoke, pesticides, air pollution, and so forth. Eating foods high in these anti-oxidants such as fruits and vegetables, interferes with the aging process and disease process by neutralizing these free radicals. By lessening the destructive power of free radicals, we can help reduce the risk of diseases like heart disease and of course, cancer. The USDA has a way of measuring these antioxidants in foods called the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale and it’s used by many nutritionists. The acai berry has surpassed many foods on the ORAC scale by leaps and bounds. Examples of other foods that are high on this scale would be blueberries, goji berries, and cranberries, and from the research we’ve seen so far, Acai surpasses them all in that department.
The other thing all these foods have in common would be the different blueish, purplish, pigments which is a measure of the anthocyanins and flavonoids they contain. Anthocyanins comes from 2 Greek words, “plant” and “blue”, so these are responsible for the pigments in fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Foods that are richest in these would blueberries, red grapes, red wine, and acai.
There is lots of discussion about these berries and how they pertain to weight loss. It is true that any fruit that is high in fiber and antioxidants which help you feel full and rid the body of toxins would be great for energy and weight loss. There is still much research that has to be done as far has prevention of illness and extreme weight loss so promotion of these berries as a miracle solution or a quick fix is highly pre-mature until more research is done. They’re simply a very nutritious fruit that can certainly be a part of any weight loss plan. In fact, it is sometimes given in extreme weight loss facilities to help give clients energy to get through challenging workouts.
Where and how to we get the acai berry? The best advice would be to try and purchase it as a juice that has been freeze dried as the fruit is extremely perishable, therefore would never last the trip over to the United States in its natural form. Therefore any brand you buy should say “freeze dried powder” or extracts such as what you would find in the products like Monavie, and the brand Earthfruit which has a freeze dried powder. Don’t fall for things that say 4:1, …

Start Losing Belly Fat Now

April 8, 2021 Comments Off

Belly fat is one of the biggest complaints among people who are out of shape. What we eat directly affects how are bodies will look like both on the inside and on the outside. It’s only up to us as an individual how quickly we lose weight. The harder a person works, the faster the excess weight will come off.
Cut the Crap Food
Crap food, or what most people probably call junk food, does horrible things for us. When I say junk food, I’m talking about foods high in calories, high in fat or both. Even diet soda isn’t as great as its cracked up to be. It may not contain any calories, but it does contain ingredients that our bodies don’t know what to do with. This causes our bodies to hold onto it and store it as fat. Not only can these fatty foods elevate blood pressure and increase the risk of developing other health problems, they also cause us to gain excess fat all over the body and that includes belly fat.
Start Moving
Exercise is the only way you can burn calories. The more you exercise the more calories you burn and the more calories you burn, the more weight is lost. It’s really a simple science and basically comes down to how bad you actually want to lose belly fat. If you make a promise to yourself to burn an extra 500 calories per day, you can lose one pound every week. Burning an extra 500 calories a day is fairly easy and can be achieved by jogging at a moderate pace for 45 to 60 minutes. You don’t have to jump right in and start running for that long. It is okay to start out lightly. The important thing is to maintain a routine and do it regularly. That’s the only way you’ll ever get the results you’re looking for.
Liposuction is for the Rich & Lazy
Liposuction is the easy way out and it doesn’t teach us anything. It’s a quick fix for those who can afford it and many of us can’t. Losing belly fat can be done naturally, without surgeries or diet pills, but people do need to be prepared to put a bit of work into it. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Belly fat can be a stubborn thing, but if you make the decision to start eating healthy foods, stay active and keep your caloric intake within the recommended range, losing belly fat and fat all over the rest of your body will become easier. You can’t expect to just sit around and eat whatever you want and not have belly fat.…

Healthy Eating On-The-Go

March 1, 2021 Comments Off

Healthy eating seems difficult to us because we believe that it takes time to prepare. We opt for fast food and junk because it’s convenient, cheap and everywhere we go. We couldn’t be more wrong. Here are 10 easy and affordable ways to eat healthy on the go this summer.
10. Carry it With You
Keep a variety of ready to eat fruits and vegetables at home to grab and go. Pack a mini cooler bag full of them along with low fat yogurt, granola bars, dried cereal, trail mix and cheese sticks to feed your hunger throughout the day.
9. Keep Yourself Hydrated
To quench your thirst you should be drinking 9 to 12 cups of water per day and even more on hot, humid days or when exercising. Keep a case of bottled water at home and take a few bottles wherever you go.
8. Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping it would be like driving your car to work on an empty tank. Have a bowl of multi grain cereal, high in fibre and low in sugar, with skimmed milk and topped with fresh fruit.
7. What’s on the Barbecue?
All meats for the barbecue should be lean cuts, preferably chicken and fish. Limit your intake of steak and other red meats. Remember portion control. A single serving should be no bigger than the size of a deck of cards.
6. Preparation
Plan your snacks and meals the night before. Sandwiches, side salads and veggies store easily in zip lock baggies in your fridge. At work and in the car have a kit including cutlery and napkins along with plastic containers. Prepare a grocery list prior to shopping.
5. Vegetable “V8” Drinks
Vegetable juice drinks contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in everyday vegetables. They store easily in the fridge and you can grab them on the run. Look for low sodium brands.
4. Use a Smaller Plate
Whether you are at home, a barbeque or a buffet, always reach for the smallest plate possible. Portion control is everything. We have a tendency to force ourselves to finish what’s on our plate. The smaller the plate, the less food we will eat.
3. Healthy Eating Out
Most fast food restaurants offer salads and fruit on their menus. Sub shops and fresh delis offer several low fat options. Order your sub on a whole wheat bun or wrap, skip the fatty dressings and load up on the veggies.
2. Veggie Delight
Vegetables are a great source of essential nutrients and dietary fibre, providing us with energy while being low in fat and calories. Canada’s food guide recommends 7 to 10 servings per day. Half of your lunch and dinner plates should be filled with fresh vegetables.
1. Moderation, Balance and Variety
The key to healthy eating can be summed up best like this. Control how much as well as how often you eat while getting a good variety and balance from all 4 major food groups.
Fast food doesn’t have to be bad food. Learn this and feel good about what you eat. Healthy eating has never been so quick or easy, and it’s always been right in front of you. Bon Appétit.…

The Magic of the GI Tool to Lose Weight Fast

February 25, 2021 Comments Off

Diet and nutrition is a subject that is constantly evolving and changing with new information, new trends and fads, and new studies. The latest buzz word that it has yielded is a term known very simply as GI, or Glycemic Index. It has hit the public consciousness like a storm, and has earned itself all the attention of people looking to lose weight fast.
What is GI?
Essentially GI is an index that identifies the effect that different food items have on blood sugar levels. Foods with high GI levels are those in which the carbohydrates are broken down rapidly during digestion, leading to quick glucose release into the bloodstream. Alternatively, low-GI foods have carbohydrates that take a long time to break down, and the glucose is only released gradually into the bloodstream. The standard of measurement of GI is pure glucose, which has a GI of 100.
GI and Weight Loss
High-GI foods generally lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, followed by a rapid downfall. This means that one experiences a quick boost and a subsequent crash in energy levels. This can spell disaster for diabetes patients. Furthermore, the quick rise and drop in energy levels could leave you feeling tired and hungry very soon after a high-GI meal, and you will be tempted to pick up another snack and eat all over again. On the other hand, low-GI foods take longer to break down and with their consistent and gradual release of glucose, they offer sustained energy for a longer period of time. The result is that they will leave you feeling satisfied for longer. Naturally, people who have weight loss goals have begun to gravitate towards low-GI foods.
Is GI a Perfect Indicator?
While the GI index is a good measure of foods that will tempt you to overeat and those that will leave you feeling satisfied for longer, it is not a perfect indicator for fast weight loss. In other words, if you are interested in slimming down, you cannot simply rely on the GI index. Some sugar-intensive foods like ice-cream and chocolate have a low GI, because of the high levels of fat and protein that they contain. However, they are not healthy foods for people who want to lose weight quickly. In fact, even adding oils or butter or excessive salt to a meal can reduce its GI, but these are not healthy eating habits either.
If you are really serious about your weight loss diet, what is important is to choose those low GI foods that also have a high nutritive value. Besides, your diet should be varied, so that you are not missing out on any essential nutrients. An over-concentration of any one healthy, low-GI food is not healthy.
The Healthy Low-GI Foods
Some of the healthy low-GI foods that will help you lose weight fast are chicken and fish, eggs, legumes and pulses, whole grains, most fruits and vegetables, brown rice, oats, muesli, pasta and bran. What you need is a concentration of these low-GI foods in your diet. However, don’t make the mistake of completely giving up on medium or high-GI foods in your bid to lose weight. Some of these, like skimmed milk, carrots and watermelons, carry significant health benefits.
You are free to publish this article without any change in the content electronically, in print, in your e-book, or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author resource details are included.…

What Are the Major Causes of Hair Loss?

January 28, 2021 Comments Off

Hair loss is a natural bodily process or cycle. The average human being loses 100-200 strands of hair on his/her head each day. This is our body’s way of getting rid of the old and starting anew – just like the way our skin gets rid of dead skin cells.
But there is a distinct difference between the regular shedding that we experience from Alopecia which refers to the sickness of hair falling out. If you find that you are losing a lot of hair strands daily – more than the usual and you feel that your head is starting to thin, the best thing to do is to consult a hair care specialist so they can provide you with a proper diagnosis.
The best way for us to protect ourselves and our loved ones from excessive or sudden hair loss is to know the causes of hair loss and nip it in the bud – so to speak. Here are some of the causes of receding hair based on scientific studies and research that we have made.
Stress
If you think that your hair is not affected by emotional, psychological or mental stress – think again! Our body reacts to our emotions and stress makes it a point to emancipate in our body in the form of different kinds of sickness.
The different emotions that we undergo also mess up the hormones in our body and it has been found that one of the causes of hair loss is closely tied up to hormones and hormonal imbalance. Aside from emotional or psychological stress, physical stress can also take its toll on your hair. Undergoing a major surgery or trauma in your body can lead to your body stopping the hair growth process or cycle – leading to baldness or permanent hair thinning.
Sickness
Heart problems, problems with the thyroid gland and other organs are also considered one of the major causes of hair loss. This also leads to one other cause of hair loss, which is…
Medication
Taking birth control pills, anticoagulants (blood thinning medicine), too much vitamin A and even anti depressants have been found to cause Alopecia (hair loss) in individuals.
Infections
Scalp infections are one of the primary causes of hair loss in individuals, because the body has a way of shutting down the hair growth processes when it senses pain or infections in the scalp.
Improper Hair Care
If you think that you are taking care of your hair by using all the best hair products and treating your hair in the parlor from time to time – think again! Most hair products and treatments have harsh chemicals that can irritate your scalp thereby causing sudden hair shedding.
Even the most expensive hair irons and hair dryers in the market can be really harsh on your scalp and hair – especially if you use it on your hair daily.
These are just some of the major causes of hair loss in men, women and children as found in recent studies and research. The best way to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from hair thinning is to make sure that you are informed and make sure to seek professional advice from doctors – even your hair stylist can provide you with good advice – on how to keep your hair and scalp healthy.…

Lose Weight Fast and Effectively

January 19, 2021 Comments Off

When I married my wife, I weighed 165, I was in great shape and extremely active, but I started to work more and more and work out less and less, I would pay less attention to the foods that I would eat. Over the course of 15 months and I ended gaining 60 pounds. My job doesn’t require much physical activity (I sit in a chair and stare at a computer all day long), so it was hard to lose the weight and keep it off. I love food and at one point in my life, I could eat anything that I wanted and not gain a pound, I failed to realize that my body wasn’t burning off the calories that I was bringing in. It wasn’t until I started to feel embarrassed going swimming or feeling tired all of time that I decided to make a change. I tried all of the different programs out there, but none of them worked. I was looking for the “become thin in 24 hours” perfect solution, it wasn’t until trying and failing multiple times that I realized there is no such thing. Don’t waste the time with the magic weight loss pills, stick with what has been proven to work, diet and exercise. There are some great programs that will teach you correct and effective dieting and exercising techniques.
Over time, I have learned some different techniques that help in losing weight and keeping it off. It all starts with effective dieting and exercise. Here are some tips that have helped me in losing weight.
Tips for weight loss
1) Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are very healthy for you. They have a lot of fiber and antioxidants. In addition to this, eating raw fruits and vegetables will make you feel fuller, faster! The amounts of calories that fruit and vegetables have are really low. So be sure to eat plenty of them!
2) Eat in Proportions
Never overfill yourself. Eat until you are satisfied but do not overeat. Remember, you can always pack food up and save it for later. Remember this tip when you got out to eat at a restaurant or fast food!
3) Frequency
Instead of three big meals a day, eat less but more frequently. Doing so will keep your blood sugar levels in check. It will help avoid a calorie overload. Try to eat 5-6 small meals in a day.
4) Better Choices
Avoid fast food and processed food, they have more sodium and fat. You can lose weight just by eating home cooked meals.
5) Be Consistent
Do not jump into eating healthy right away. Allow yourself time to eat some of the foods you really like. A consistent change will give you more hope than a quick change and failure. A slow progression will give you faith about your overall progress.
6) Understand Food Nutrition
Fat free claims on products do not necessarily mean that the product is low in calories. Read the nutrition facts on the label to avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat. Do not be fooled by misleading labels that can be put on any product.
7) Water
Try to drink 8 glasses of water a day. It helps to avoid pop,coffee, and anything else loaded with sugar.
8) Exercise
Exercise for 30 min 60 minutes each day to burn off calories. This is one great way to lose a lot of body fat.…