Women spend hours stressing over even the most barely discernible flaws, but uneven skin tone is the first thing they notice in the mirror and can be a source of daily dismay. Uneven skin tone occurs for many reasons. The most common causes are the uneven build up of melanin and the lack of sebum production.
Melanin is the substance that results in pigmentation, or coloration, of skin cells. Some parts of the skin simply have more melanin than others. So when exposed to sunlight, the more dense areas of melanin become darker than the surrounding skin. Areas with less melanin or less exposure to sun, remain lighter. Patches with the most melanin can darken considerably when compared to areas with less melanin, giving skin an uneven appearance. Sometimes these darker patches are due to a combination of sun exposure and hormone levels. The rise in hormones can be caused by pregnancy or by the use of oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy. Skin tone can also become uneven due to acne or trauma, like a bump or cut. As women age, they may find their skin tone gradually becoming uneven.
The symptoms of allergies are just as much a part of Spring as buds and blooming bulbs. The treatments are sometimes as disconcerting or unpleasant as the symptoms.
Antihistamines and decongestants can cause drowsiness, which can be dangerous for drivers. Side effects from prescription medication can add nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea to an already dispiriting day. Plus, according to the labels, many medications will actually make allergy symptoms worse if taken longer than a few days.
Americans will consume more than 70 billion commercially prepared meals and snacks in 2007 and food prepared away from home accounts for nearly a third of the calories Americans consume each day.
Unfortunately, meals prepared away from tend to have more saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol and sodium than meals prepared at home, and they tend to be higher in calories per meal. They also have less fiber, calcium and iron. And, portions have been increasing for the past three decades.
Although not all fast food places share the trans fat content of their foods, when they do, look for less than one gram of trans fat. At Taco Bell, where foods tend to contain large amounts of trans fats, just have one taco, no sour cream. Fill up at Chick-Fil-A, because they fry in peanut oil. Panera’s has plenty of options with lots of low fat soup and salad choices.