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The Worst Food For Your Teeth

They say you are what you eat. And in no better place can that be seen than in your teeth. That’s because many foods and beverages can cause plaque, which does serious damage your teeth. Plaque is a bacteria-filled sticky film that contributes to gum disease and tooth decay. After you eat a sugary snack or meal, the sugars cause the bacteria to release acids that attack tooth’s enamel. When the enamel breaks down, cavities can develop.

1. Sour Candies

It’s not surprising that candy is bad for your mouth. But sour candy contains more and different kinds of acids that are tougher on your teeth. Plus, because they’re chewy, they stick to your teeth for a longer time, so they’re more likely to cause decay. If you’re craving sweets, grab a square of chocolate instead, which you can chew quickly and wash away easily.

2. Bread

Think twice as you walk down the supermarket bread aisle. When you chew bread, your saliva breaks down the starches into sugar. Now transformed into a gummy paste-like substance, the bread sticks to the crevices between teeth. And that can cause cavities. When you’re craving some carbs, aim for less-refined varieties like whole wheat. These contain less added sugars and aren’t as easily broken down.

3. Alcohol
We all know that drinking alcohol isn’t exactly healthy. But did you realize that when you drink, you dry out your mouth? A dry mouth lacks saliva, which we need to keep our teeth healthy. Saliva prevents food from sticking to your teeth and washes away food particles. It even helps repair early signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral infections. To help keep your mouth hydrated, drink plenty of water and use fluoride rinses and oral hydration solutions.

4. Carbonated Drink

We all know that little, if any, good comes from soda or pop, even if it’s got the word “diet” on the can. A recent study even found that drinking large quantities of carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as using methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Carbonated sodas enable plaque to produce more acid to attack tooth enamel. So if you sip soda all day, you’re essentially coating your teeth in acid. Plus it dries out your mouth, meaning you have less saliva. And last but not least, dark-colored sodas can discolor or stain your teeth. A note: don’t brush your teeth immediately after drinking a soda; this could actually hasten decay.

5. Ice

All it contains is water, so it’s fine to chew ice, right? Not so, according to the American Dental Association. Chewing on a hard substance can damage enamel and make you susceptible to dental emergencies such as chipped, cracked, or broken teeth, or loosened crowns. You can use your ice to chill beverages, but don’t chew on it. To resist the urge, opt for chilled water or drinks without ice.

Bad Eating Habbits

Bad eating habits are common. It is easy to operate on automatic when it comes to food. Living in a fast-paced society often makes it so you have to eat on the run, skip meals, eat whatever is fast and easy or use food to relieve stress.

1. Eating on the Run
If you live a busy life, there may not be enough time to prepare meals or sit down to eat. Eating in the car or going through a fast food drive-thru may be part of your eating habits. The challenge with eating on the run is that you don’t have a chance to pay close attention to what you’re eating.
Eating quickly makes it easier to eat more. When you eat quickly in the car or while on your way somewhere, your mind is on other things and not on how much you’re eating. If you’re eating fast food, you are also very likely consuming more fat and excessive calories without the necessary nutrition.

2. Eating Large Portions
As bad eating habits go, eating more food than the body needs is a common behavior. This can happen for a variety of reasons. If you’re distracted by the television, you might eat more. Some people eat more when they’re feeling lonely.
To control portion sizes, think ahead about how much food will be enough. Serve yourself on a small plate or bowl and sit down at the table to eat. Avoid eating foods right out of the box or bag. It is easier, for example, to eat many more cookies when the box is sitting right in front of you as you watch television. Decide ahead of time how many cookies you will eat and put the box away before you sit down.

3. Using Food to Relieve Stress
Many people use food to relieve stress. After a long and difficult day at work, eating many slices of pizza and drinking beer may be an attractive option. Using food in this way, however, leads to greater weight gain. When feeling stressed out, find ways to relax yourself that don’t involve food. Spending time in nature, talking with friends, meditating and exercising are a few options.

4. Skipping Meals
Many doctors and nutritionists will tell you repeatedly to avoid skipping meals. When you don’t eat regularly, your hunger increases and you may also experience drops in blood sugar level. Many people compensate for this by eating larger meals later in the day or by excessive snacking. Be sure to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

5. Late Night Eating
Eating late at night is one of the bad eating habits that’s very common. Nighttime eating often consists of snacking and excessive calorie consumption. This may be due to boredom or being distracted by sedentary activities such as watching television or surfing the web. To avoid eating late at night, find interesting things to do that take away the boredom. Possible options may include a fun hobby, an interesting book, meditation, an exercise DVD or a conversation with a good friend.

How To Prevent Nightmares

Nightmares can be extremely unpleasant, cause fear and anxiety and affect the quality of your sleep. This can lead to physical tiredness and mental stress. However, it's important to understand the cause of your nightmares before you can begin to treat them. Start with Step 1 below to understand the source of your nightmares and take steps to prevent them from recurring.

How to prevent nightmares

1. 
   
   Avoid eating before bed. Eating before bed can trigger nightmares, as food speeds up your metabolism and sends signals to your brain to become more active. Therefore, it's a good idea to cut out bedtime snacks, particularly those that are high in sugar. ^[3]
2. Reduce stress. Stress can contribute to nightmares, so take some time relax throughout the day and aim to go to bed with a calm, clear mind.
   • Yoga and meditation are both good activities for relieving stress and clearing the mind. Consider taking a class, or simply practice for a few minutes each day in the comfort of your own home.
   • Other activities such as reading, knitting, running or just spending more time with your family and loved can also help to relieve stress.
   • Taking a hot bath before bed can help you to unwind after the stresses of the day and leave you feeling calmer and more relaxed .
3. 
   
   
   
   Talk to your doctor about any medications you're taking. Certain medications can increase the likelihood of nightmares, so speak to your doctor if you feel this might be an issue for you.
   

   • Anti-depressants and certain blood pressure medications are often responsible for causing nightmares, so speak to your doctor about switching to a different drug.
   • Sometimes a change in dosage or coming off a particular drug can cause nightmares, in which case the bad dreams should subside once your body adjusts.^[3]
4. 
   
   Improve your sleep. Although nightmares may cause sleep deprivation, sleep deprivation can also cause nightmares. Therefore, taking steps to improve the quality of your sleep can help to prevent nightmares.
   

   • Make your bedroom a relaxing environment. Keep your bedroom neat and tidy, make sure it's dark enough and avoid temperatures that are too hot or cold. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Use a white noise machine to block out any undesirable sounds. Reserve your bedroom for sleeping - working in your bedroom may cause you to associate it with stress.
   • Get more physical exercise. Tiring yourself out with physical exercise is a great way to improve your sleep. Find an activity that you enjoy, whether it's running, strength training, dancing, rowing or rock climbing and work out 3 to 5 times a week. Schedule it for the morning if you can. Just don't exercise right before bed - it will leave you too amped up for sleep.
   • Cut back on your caffeine, alcohol and nicotine intake. These substances can interfere with your sleep, so it's a good idea to cut them out or at least cut down. Also try to avoid drinking, smoking or consuming caffeine less than 3 to 4 hours before bedtime.
5. 6
   Try imagery rehearsal treatment. Imagery rehearsal treatment is a type of cognitive therapy which has been found very effective in reducing nightmares in PTSD and insomnia patients.^[1]
   

   • With imagery rehearsal treatment, the patient is encouraged to imagine an alternate ending to their nightmares - one with a more pleasant or satisfying outcome - while they are still awake.
     • For example, if you're dreaming you're being chased, you could imagine the monster that's chasing you, when it catches you, saying "tag, you're it" and it's really a game of tag.
     • If you're dreaming that you're falling, you could imagine that a parachute opens up and saves you.
   • Sometimes this is done orally, other times the patient is asked to write down, draw or paint the alternate ending to their nightmares.^[

How To Cure Cough

Most of the time, people can manage their coughs at home by taking over-the-counter medicine and cough lozenges, removing potential allergens, or even just standing in a steamy shower, says Giselle Mosnaim, an allergist and immunologist also at Rush.
Try these five tips to manage your cough at home:

1. Stay Hydrated

An upper respiratory tract infection like a cold or flu causes postnasal drip. Extra secretions trickle down the back of your throat, irritating it and sometimes causing a cough, Mosnaim says.

Drinking fluids helps to thin out the mucus in postnasal drip, says Kenneth DeVault, MD, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.
Drinking liquids also helps to keep mucous membranes moist. This is particularly helpful in winter, when houses tend to be dry, another cause of cough, he says.

2. Try Lozenges and Hot Drinks

Try a menthol cough drop, Yoder suggests. “It numbs the back of the throat, and that will tend to decrease the cough reflex.”
Drinking warm tea with honey also can soothe the throat. There is some clinical evidence to support this strategy, Yoder says.

3. Take Steamy Showers, and Use a Humidifier

A hot shower can help a cough by loosening secretions in the nose. Mosnaim says this steamy strategy can help ease coughs not only from colds, but also from allergies.

Humidifiers may also help. In a dry home, nasal secretions (snot) can become dried out and uncomfortable, Mosnaim explains. Putting moisture back in the air can help your cough. But be careful not to overdo it.
“The downside is, if you don’t clean it, (humidifiers) become reservoirs for pumping out fungus and mold into the air, and bacteria,” says Robert Naclerio, MD, chief of otolaryngology at the University of Chicago.

4. Remove Irritants From the Air

Perfumes and scented bathroom sprays may seem benign. But for some people they can cause chronic sinus irritation, producing extra mucus that leads to chronic cough, says Alan Weiss, MD, a general internist at the Cleveland Clinic. Take control by avoiding such scented products.
The worst irritant in the air is, of course, smoke. Almost all smokers eventually develop “smoker’s cough." Everyone around the smoker may suffer from some airway irritation. The best solution? Smokers need to stop smoking. (Yoder warns that severe chronic cough can be a sign of emphysema or lung cancer in smokers, so see a doctor if you’re a smoker with chronic cough.)

5. Take Medications to Treat Coughs

When steamy showers, hot teas, and cough drops don’t help, you can turn to over-the-counter medicines to ease your cough.
Decongestants: Decongestants relieve nasal congestion by shrinking swollen nasal tissue and reducing mucus production. They dry up mucus in the lungs and open up the airway passages, Weiss says.

Decongestants come in pills, liquids, and nasal sprays under many brand names. Look for phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine as the active ingredient in decongestants taken by mouth, but be careful. These medicines can raise blood pressure, so people with hypertension, heart disease or other medical problems need to be careful with their use. Also, overuse of decongestants can lead to excessive dryness, which can trigger a dry cough.
Decongestant nasal sprays, if used for more than 3 or 4 days, can lead to rebound congestion, Mosnaim says. It’s best to use them for 2 or 3 days and then stop.
Cough suppressants and expectorants: If you’re coughing so much that your chest hurts and you’re getting a bad night’s sleep, consider a cough suppressant such as dextromethorphan, Mosnaim says. Yoder recommends using cough suppressants only at night.
When a person has a cough that is thick with phlegm, Mosnaim says it helps to take a cough expectorant such as guaifenesin. Expectorants thin out the mucus so one can more easily cough it up, she says.

Note: The FDA advises against giving cold and cough medicine to children under age 4. These common over-the-counter drugs can cause serious side effects in young children.

Fun Facts About Eating

Here are some interesting and funny facts about healthy food:
-- Almonds are member of the peach family.
-- Banana is not a fruit, it is a herb.
-- Coffee beans are fruit pits.
-- Peanuts are actually legumes.
-- Ancient carrots were purple.
-- Apples are part of the rose family.
-- Strawberries have more vitamin C than the oranges.
-- Avocados are poisonous to birds.
-- Tomatoes were thought to be poisonous.
-- The water from the young coconut can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
-- One can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.
-- Canola oil is actually rapeseed oil.
-- For the past 30 years, the number of overweight teenagers has been tripled and also the number of overweight children has been doubled. This is a very worrying fact!

Did you know that….
-Goat’s milk is more popular around the world than cow’s milk.
-Honey is used in antifreeze and in the middle of golf balls.

-A hardboiled egg will spin, a soft boiled egg won’t.
-About 150 people per year are killed by coconuts.
-American people ate 33% more spinach in 1931 when Popeye became popular.
-Rice is the main food for half of the world’s population.
-The average American or Canadian will eat almost 12 pounds of cereal per year.
-Ketchup was sold in the 1930′s as medicine.
-The average French eats 500 snails per year.
-Watermelons cost up to $100 in Japan.

Have a good night sleep!

Try these ideas to find the sleep formula that works best for you.

1. Set a sleep schedule—and stick with it



If you do only one thing to improve your sleep, this is it, says Dr. Breus: Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning—even on weekends. A regular sleep routine keeps your biological clock steady so you rest better. Exposure to a regular pattern of light and dark helps, so stay in sync by opening the blinds or going outside right after you wake up (bonus: morning light has been shown to keep you slim)



2. Keep a sleep diary

To help you understand how your habits affect your rest, track your sleep every day for at least 2 weeks. Write down not only what's obviously sleep related—what time you go to bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, how many times you wake up during the night, how you feel in the morning—but also factors like what you ate close to bedtime and what exercise you got. Comparing your daily activities with your nightly sleep patterns can show you where you need to make changes.

  

3. Stop smoking

Reason number 1,001: Nicotine is a stimulant, so it prevents you from falling asleep. Plus, many smokers experience withdrawal pangs at night. Smokers are 4 times more likely not to feel as well rested after a night's sleep than nonsmokers, studies show, and smoking exacerbates sleep apnea and other breathing disorders, which can also stop you from getting a good night's rest. Don't worry that quitting will keep you up nights too: That effect passes in about 3 nights, says Lisa Shives, MD, sleep expert and founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine.

4. Review your medications

Beta-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure) may cause insomnia; so can SSRIs (a class of antidepressants that includes Prozac and Zoloft). And that's just the beginning. Write down every drug and supplement you take, and have your doctor evaluate how they may be affecting your sleep.

5. Exercise, but not within 4 hours of bedtime



Working out—especially cardio—improves the length and quality of your sleep, says Dr. Shives. That said, 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise keeps your body temperature elevated for about 4 hours, inhibiting sleep. When your body begins to cool down, however, it signals your brain to release sleep-inducing melatonin, so then you'll get drowsy.

6. Cut caffeine after 2 pm



That means coffee, tea, and cola. Caffeine is a stimulant that stays in your system for about 8 hours, so if you have a cappuccino after dinner, come bedtime, it'll either prevent your brain from entering deep sleep or stop you from falling asleep altogether.

7. Write down your woes



"The number one sleep complaint I hear? 'I can't turn off my mind,' " says Dr. Breus. To quiet that wakeful worrying, every night jot down your top concerns—say, I have to call my insurer to dispute that denied claim, which will take forever, and how can I spend all that time on the phone when work is so busy? Then write down the steps you can take to solve the problem—I'm going to look up the numbers before breakfast, refuse to stay on hold for more than three minutes, and send e-mails tomorrow night if I can't get through—or even I can't do anything about this tonight, so I'll worry about it tomorrow. Once your concerns are converted into some kind of action plan, you'll rest easier.

  

8. Take time to wind down

"Sleep is not an on-off switch," says Dr. Breus. "It's more like slowly easing your foot off the gas." Give your body time to transition from your active day to bedtime drowsiness by setting a timer for an hour before bed and divvying up the time as follows:
First 20 minutes: Prep for tomorrow (pack your bag, set out your clothes).
Next 20: Take care of personal hygiene (brush your teeth, moisturize your face).
Last 20: Relax in bed, reading with a small, low-wattage book light or practicing deep breathing.

    

    

The Correct Way To Drink Water

The Correct Way To Drink Water:

 1. Drink water when you wake up. Your body loses water while you sleep, so drink a glass before you go to sleep, and another glass when you wake up. You are naturally thirsty or dehydrated in the morning. Drinking water in the morning helps flush out the toxins that have accumulated all night.

 2. Drink 8 to 12 glasses a day. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 120-pound individual needs 8 cups of water a day, while a 190-pound person would require 12 cups daily. Dr. Robert Tanchanco says that we should monitor our urine color and keep it on the light side. However, drink only a maximum of 16 glasses a day, and not more.

 3. Drink little by little throughout the day. It is preferable to sip water throughout the day rather than to drink two glasses all at once. This will lessen the stress on the heart (especially if you have heart disease) and give your body more time to absorb it.

 4. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. By the time you feel thirsty, you're probably already 2 glasses below your normal water needs. Elderly people are also less sensitive to the body's need for water.

 5. Drink water, not soft drinks, alcohol or coffee. Some experts believe that tea, sodas and coffee can be potentially dehydrating. Moreover, the high phosphorus and sugar content in cola drinks can lead to conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes. One study shows that adults who drank six cups of coffee daily experienced mild dehydration. Drinking alcohol is much worse because it actually dehydrates you by making you urinate a lot.

 6. Train children to drink water. Set a good example to your kids and drink water together. Make sure that children drink enough water when they're active. Pack a large bottled water in their lunch box.

 7. Drink more when it's hot. People living in hot climates need to drink more water. They are more prone to develop kidney stones compared to those living in cooler regions.

 8. Drink more as you exercise. When you exercise, you need to drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. Go for an extra 500 ml of water for a 30-minute to 1-hour exercise. Eating a banana also helps keep your potassium up.

 9. Drink more when you're sick. Even though you don't feel like it, you really need to drink more water to help your body recover from various infections. If you're dehydrated, you'll feel much worse.

 10. Drink more if you're pregnant. Women who are expecting or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends that pregnant women drink 10 cups of fluids daily and women who breast-feed take in about 13 cups of fluids a day

Benefits Of Water For Our Health

Our bodies are made up of mostly water. Just look at the facts: The brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% and bone has 22% water.. Experts agree that water is one of the most powerful forms of treatment. So how come most people don't drink enough water?
10 Health Benefits of Water:

 1. Water prevents kidney stones. The most common cause of kidney stones is not drinking enough water. Since water dissolves the substances that form stones in the urine, drinking 12 glasses daily helps treat kidney stones.

 2. Water treats urinary tract infection. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate. "Drinking lots of water will help flush out harmful bacteria from your bladder," says Medical City kidney specialist Dr. Roberto Tanchanco.

 3. Water helps patients with diarrhea by preventing dehydration. As a first-aid for diarrhea, you can make your own oral rehydration solution at home. Mix a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt, and drink as much as you can tolerate. This is similar to the dextrose solution in the hospital.

 4. Water helps reduce fever. For symptoms of flu, water can help lower your body temperature when you urinate the "heat" out of your body. If you're sick, drink more water for you to recover faster.

 5. Water helps treat cough and colds, sore throat, and respiratory infections. Water helps loosen sticky phlegm. A respected lung specialist told me that some mucolytics out there are just as beneficial as drinking lots of water.

 6. Water reduces heartburn. Taking 2-3 gulps of water every 20 minutes or so can help flush the stomach acid away. Bananas and water are effective alternatives to taking antacids. Try it.

 7. Water prevents constipation and its complications. Too little water can harden the stools and lead to hemorrhoids and diverticulosis, a disease of the large bowel. Drink water and eat lots of vegetables to soften your stools.

 8. Water keeps you alert and energetic. If you're dehydrated, your blood is literally thicker. This makes it harder for the blood to circulate. As a result, the brain can become less active and you can feel confused and fatigued. Some studies also show that water may help cure migraine headaches.

 9. Water helps reduce weight. By drinking a glass or two of water before a meal, you will lessen the amount of food you can take in order to feel full. Water has zero calories and will not make you fat.

 10. Water keeps your skin soft and radiant. Just as a dehydrated person will have deep-set eyes and wrinkled skin, so will a fully hydrated person exhibit a normal and beautiful skin tone.

Good food for your eyes.

Carrots may be the food best known for helping your eyes. But other foods and their nutrients may be more important for keeping your eyesight keen as you age.

Vitamins C and E, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids all play a role in eye health. They can help prevent cataracts, clouding of your eye lens. They may also fight the most-likely cause of vision loss when you're older: age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

"It's always best to get the nutrients we know help vision from foods," says Elizabeth J. Johnson, PhD. She's a research scientist and associate professor at Tufts University in Boston. "Foods may contain many other nutrients we aren't aware of that may help, too."
Here are some powerhouse foods for healthy eyes to try.

Spinach and Kale

Antioxidants protect against eye damage from things like sunlight, cigarette smoke, and air pollution. These leafy greens are loaded with two of the best for eyes, lutein and zeaxanthin.

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13 Easy Ways to Eat More Greens

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"They get into the lens and retina of your eye, and they are believed to absorb damaging visible light," Johnson says.
Most people are short on these two nutrients, but it's an easy fix.
"Eating a cooked 10-ounce block of frozen spinach over the course of a week will help lower your risk of age-related eye disease," Johnson says. Kale has double these nutrients. Collard greens, broccoli, and bright-colored fruits like kiwis and grapes are ways to get them, too.

Grapefruit, Strawberries, and Brussels Sprouts

Vitamin C is a top antioxidant. These foods are among the top sources of vitamin C. Eat half a grapefruit and a handful of Brussels sprouts or strawberries (one-half cup) a day and you're good to go. Papaya, oranges, and green peppers are other good sources.

Seeds, Nuts, and Wheat Germ

Vitamins C and E work together to keep healthy tissue strong. But most of us don't get as much vitamin E as we should from food. Have a small handful of sunflower seeds, or use a tablespoon of wheat germ oil in your salad dressing for a big boost. Almonds, pecans, and vegetable oils are also good sources.

Foods That Boost Your Beauty

What comes to mind when I mention the words “food” and “beauty” in the same sentence?

You probably thought “weight loss,” didn’t you? Well, beauty is about more than just weight. For example, some specific foods can boost your beauty by keeping your skin healthy. To keep yourself looking young and vibrant, start with these foods:

• 

  1. Blackberries

  Blackberries should take center stage in your smoothies or on top of your cereal. Why? Blackberries have consistently received high ORAC scores (these scores measure total antioxidant absorbance capacity) year after year. They provide an anti-inflammatory effect for your skin that helps keep it youthful and radiant.
• 

  2. Sweet potatoes

  Don’t limit sweet potato season to fall — include them in your diet all year. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, which helps with cell turnover. This process is a must for your face because dead cells and lack of cell turnover can cause a dull skin tone.
• 

  3. Chia seed

  Chia seed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for healthy skin, hair and nails. Use chia seed in muffins, stews and other recipes as a substitute for unhealthy fats. Bonus: It adds moisture and thickness to your favorite foods.  Tips for using chia, flax, sunflower and sesame
• 

  4. Tofu

  Tofu isn’t just a source of lean protein — it also helps you avoid wrinkles. As an added benefit, tofu contains isoflavones, a class of organic compounds with a strong antioxidant capacity. Researchers believe that isoflavones may help prevent the breakdown of collagen, a protein that supports the skin, connective tissue and bones. Antioxidants help to prevent injury to skeletal muscles and decrease fatigue
• 

  5. Watermelon

  What’s not to like about a tasty treat that’s sweet and good for you? Watermelon contains lycopene, a colorful plant pigment with powerful antioxidant properties that may improve your beauty by encouraging smoother skin.
• 

  6. Cocoa

  Cocoa is a flavonoid superstar. The more flavonoids in your diet, the better. These naturally occurring plant pigments help fight off damaging free radicals. Researchers have found that a nutrient in cocoa called epicatechin helps improve skin texture. The authors explained that epicatechin increases blood flow to the skin, boosting nutrient and oxygen supply — both essential factors for keeping skin healthy. 

Foods That Are Good For Your Skin

Sometimes my patients ask me what foods are good for their skin, to keep it firm and younger looking. I tell them whatever you eat that’s good for you is good for your skin. Your skin is a reflection of your overall health. If you’re healthy inside, you’re healthy outside.

You can’t stop yourself from aging. But here are some foods I recommend that can help firm and protect your skin.

Eat fish for firmer skin

Omega-3 fatty acids do a lot of good things, including lowering your triglycerides and battling inflammation. But they also help preserve collagen in your skin and keep it firmer. The top source of omega-3s is fish, and these are the best:

•    Salmon
•    Tuna (bluefin and albacore)
•    Lake trout
•    Sardines and anchovies
•    Mackerel
•    Atlantic sturgeon

Try plant-based sources of skin-firming omega-3s

Though most plant-based foods — veggies, nuts and oils — don’t provide as much omega-3 as fish, they’re still a solid source.

Flaxseed oil is particularly rich in the collagen-boosting fatty acid. Don’t cook with flaxseed oil; mix it into smoothies or yogurt, or use it as a salad dressing.

Chia seeds are another great source that you can sprinkle onto yogurt, cereal and salad, and into batter for muffins and pancakes.

Other plant-sourced omega-3 foods that can benefit your skin:

•    Walnuts and walnut oil
•    Soy foods and soybean oil
•    Canola oil
•    Spinach
•    Mustard greens
•    Wheat germ

Eat fruits and veggies — plus chocolate

Fruit, vegetables and dark chocolate supply antioxidants and vitamins that help protect your skin from free radicals and sun damage, which keeps the skin looking younger and more radiant.

I’ll start with tomatoes (yes, technically a fruit — but used as a vegetable in cooking). Tomatoes contain lycopene, an antioxidant which can help keep your skin smoother. And you know tomatoes are easy to work into anything: salads, side dishes, sandwiches.

Other fruits and vegetables not only contain antioxidants but healthy amounts of vitamins C and E, which can fight wrinkles. These are among some of the best choices for better skin:

•    Strawberries
•    Citrus – oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes
•    Cantaloupe
•    Apricots
•    Broccoli
•    Sweet potatoes
•    Spinach

As far as chocolate goes — and a lot of us would follow it anywhere — dark chocolate contains flavonals that can reduce rough texture in the skin and protect against sun damage. Have a few ounces a day, but make sure it’s made up of 60- to 70-percent cocoa.

Watch serving sizes and sugar

A lot of the things that help your skin are healthy for you to eat. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, but still watch your serving sizes; fruit has a good amount of sugar. And cut down on the unhealthy junk. You’ll feel better and look better — and your skin will reflect it all.

Importance of Living a Healthy Lifestyle

Living a healthy lifestyle may mean something different from one person to the next. For some, health is defined by living a disease-free life. For others, healthy is being able to play with grandchildren or perhaps adhering to a weekly exercise schedule. Though the definition of healthy may differ between people, living a healthy lifestyle is a fundamental component to achieving your optimal mental and physical well-being. 

Components

According to the authors of a March 2003 study published in "Age and Ageing," people who engage in unhealthy habits -- such as smoking, a poor quality diet, and physical inactivity -- are at increased risk for premature health decline and death. Though many factors contribute to your overall health, diet and physical activity are leading determinants of your level of health and quality of life. A nutritious diet of whole grains, lean meats, vegetables, fruits and healthy fats is necessary for weight management. A balanced diet also helps maintain energy levels throughout the day. Regular physical activity, which includes a variety of aerobic and strength-building exercises, prevents weight gain that can lead to a plethora of chronic conditions. Additionally, lifestyle habits -- such as not smoking and limiting alcohol intake -- contribute to a healthy life. Allowing your body to rest each day by getting a proper amount of sleep is also important to achieving a healthy lifestyle. 

Disease Prevention

An inactive lifestyle is a prominent cause for chronic diseases. Fortunately, many of these conditions are manageable and can be prevented by engaging in physical activity most days of the week and by being mindful of your food and lifestyle choices. Your diet also impacts your risk of developing diabetes. In a hallmark 16-year study published in March 2001 by "The New England Journal of Medicine," participants who maintained a body mass index of 25 or less were found to have a significantly lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes compared to people with higher BMIs. Diets high in saturated fat, sugar and processed foods will quickly lead to added pounds. Being overweight increases your risk for high blood pressure, arthritis and certain forms of cancer.

Longevity.
Focusing on a healthy lifestyle not only improves your quality of life, but it may add years as well. Authors of a June 2002 article published by the "American Journal of Public Health" concluded that smoking cessation before age 35 adds 6 to 8 years of life, while quitting at age 65 still adds 1 to 4 years of life expectancy. Being mindful of your diet, physical activity and stress levels allows you to effectively balance all aspects of your life and might increase your life span. Maintaining regular physical examinations aids with early detection and treatment of medical conditions. In addition, your doctor can recommend lifestyle habits that contribute to a longer and healthier life.