How To Care For Your Floral Arrangements

The more you can learn about fresh cut flowers and their special care, the healthier your arrangements will be.

Lets start with vases & containers. Most people will grab a vase out of the cupboard and fill it with water and place the flowers in it. I would like to suggest that you rinse it first with hot water and get any dust out of it. Then put a few drops (and I do mean only drops) of bleach. This will keep out and kill any bacteria and it will not harm the flowers. When you buy flowers, most places will supply a packet of flower food. If you have no flower food, not to worry, you can always put a teaspoon of sugar in the water.

Now you are ready to prepare your flowers.

Take each stem and remove any leaves that may be below the water line. You do this so you don’t get microbial damage to your flowers. Leave as many leaves as possible above the water line as this is a design element. When you are dealing with roses, most people like to remove the thorns but I recommend that you leave as many thorns on as possible. This is because stripping them off causes wounds to the rose and allows possible microbial invasion causing your roses to die sooner than they need to.

You will want to cut about an inch off the bottom stems. Cut them at an angle with a sharp knife preferably under water. You do this so that the flowers drink water, not air. You can get air pockets in the stem preventing them from drinking which ensures early death.

There are some flowers that require special handling. Such is the case with freesia. This flower does not take well to chlorine so you’ll want to use distilled water. Tulips do better in a vase with a penny on the bottom. The petals stay closed a little longer. Note, tulips can still grow after they have been cut, as much as an inch per day! Hydrangea prefers being in a vase. This is because it needs to be hydrated. If you put them in floral foam, their life span will be much shorter. Note, if your hydrangea shows signs of wilting, you can revive them by turning them upside down in water for about an hour.

Some flowers last longer than others, such as carnations and daisies. They can last as long as 3 weeks. An arrangement with roses and lilies will not last as long, usually 4 to 7 days. Determine what you want the flowers for.


Image Makeovers - What's All the Fuss?

It seems lately that there is a lot of interest in image makeovers. We see it on television from extreme makeovers to home makeovers. What is an Image Makeover? Why do people want makeovers? What will they do for you?

Image Makeovers can be extreme and include plastic surgery, hair implants, liposuction and dental work. For the lucky few who are chosen, it will make a great difference in their lives. Image makeovers help raise self-esteem and give those who have them an edge in the corporate and business world that they would have not previously had. It may seem unjust but there is a widely held belief that how you look reflects who you are - your social status, intelligence etc. Whether we like it or not we are judged within the first fifteen seconds of meeting someone. This alone would be enough reason to want a makeover.

The good news is you have control over the image you project. For those who don’t need or want extreme work done but would like a more polished image and want to highlight their assets, there are simple steps that can be take that will create a more satisfying look.

The elements to consider when creating a professional look are: hair, makeup, style, body type and wardrobe building, communication skills and attitude.

Hair: Keep your hairstyle up-to-date. Hair has a huge impact on your overall look and an out-dated style will make you appear out-dated as well. If you are working in the corporate world this could destroy any chance of advancement. If your style is from the last decade it may communicate that your ideas and practices are too. If you need an updated look find a hairstylist who knows the latest hair fashions.

Makeup: If you don’t wear makeup now and you are otherwise well –groomed you will not look completed finished. If you are not sure how to use makeup seek out a professional- it will be well worth the time and effort.

Style: When we dress to suit our personal style or fashion personality we feel more comfortable. Sometimes women don’t want to “dress up” because they feel like they are being someone else. When you dress to fit your personal style you can be “dressed up and feel like the clothing belongs on you.

Body Type: We are not all born with the same shape, so, the style we wear will impact the way we look. Have you ever seen an outfit on one of your friends that looked spectacular but when someone else wore that same outfit it lost its pizzazz? That has to do with the body shape of the two people. Both women could be the same height and weight but have a totally different shape. This has a huge impact on how the outfit looks.

Building a Wardrobe: Have you brought home clothes that you really liked and when you looked in your closet you realized that that you didn’t have a thing to go with it? What do you do? Go back to the store and buy something to match. That’s not always a bad thing if you have lots of money to spend. If however, you don’t, you will want to make wise purchases. Making wise purchases means knowing how to build a wardrobe.


Ayurveda Can Help Stop Hair Loss

Most hair loss sufferers seek solutions from Western medicine or turn to remedies derived from local traditions. Some experts however argue that the ayurvedic system of medicine has much to offer in dealing with hair loss conditions.

Ayurveda is the traditional system of medicine practiced in India and Sri Lanka. It is a complete approach to health care designed to promote a way of life rather than an occasional treatment. As a holistic system of medicine ayurveda focuses on our uniqueness and takes into account our mental attitude, lifestyle and spirit which should not be treated in isolation from each other.

According to ayurveda, the following principles are beneficial to healthy and plentiful hair:

- The scalp must be kept cool, so protection from sun and washing in cold or lukewarm water are paramount.

- Sound nutrition is key, so a hair-friendly diet should emphasize proteins, iron, zinc, sulfur, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-Complex and essential fatty acids.

- Use should be made of hair analysis to ascertain toxicity levels and nutritional deficiencies.

- Oils, for example sesame and coconut, should be applied to the scalp to nourish, lubricate and strengthen the roots. This will also improve circulation to the head.

You can find out more about alternative hair loss treatments by visiting the site listed below.


The Main Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

When you think of hair loss it's natural to assume that it's a condition that predominantly affects men. Some experts however suggest that as many as one in four women will experience hair loss at some time in their lives. So why don't we see and hear more about it? Perhaps the answer has something to do with one or more of the following:

- Women are better at disguising hair loss.

- Women's hair loss is generally less extensive in terms of severity.

- Women's hair loss tends to be spread evenly over the head rather than concentrated in one or two spots.

So why do women lose hair - are the causes very different to those that result in male baldness? There are probably three common reasons for hair loss in women:

1. Female pattern baldness - believe it or not, most women affected by hair loss lose it for the same reasons as men. They suffer from androgenetic alopecia which is a reaction to male hormones in the body, specifically the conversion of testosterone into the hair-unfriendly DHT. In the case of women, pattern baldness may start later and the effects may be less extreme due to the influence of female hormones, but the condition is nonetheless the same as that found in male pattern baldness.

2. Telogen effluvium - this is regarded as the second most common cause of women's hair loss and this is unsurprising given the nature of the condition. Telogen effluvium is characterized by a general thinning of the hair and is usually brought about as a result of some traumatic event causing sufficient stress to interfere with the normal hair growth cycle. Given that pregnancy is a prime example of the type of event that can shock the hair growth cycle then perhaps the high incidence of telogen effluvium amongst women is only to be expected.

3. Alopecia areata - this is the third most common hair loss condition to affect women. It is characterized by patchy areas of hair loss on the head or it can be more widespread over the body. It is thought to be caused by deficiencies in the immune system but much is still not known about the condition. In many cases the hair regrows spontaneously after a variable period of time, but in a minority of cases the problem may be more severe and longstanding.

If you experience any form of hair loss arrange to visit your physician to discuss the treatments that may be suitable for your particular condition.

عشر خطوات لتقوية جهازك المناعي
يعتبر جهاز المناعة في جسم المرأة هو الحصن المنيع الذي يحميها ويقيها من الإصابة بالأمراض والميكروبات‏,‏ والوصايا العشر لزيادة كفاءة جهاز المناعة يقدمها د‏.‏ محمد السيد أرناؤوط الباحث بمعهد بحوث الإر. . .

تشخيص سرطان المبيض بواسطة بروتينات الدم
صمم فريق بحث من مركز السرطان بجامعة جونز هوبكنز اختبارا للدم يكتشف سرطان المبيض سيكون له أثر عظيم في سرعة اكتشاف وتشخيص هذا المرض المميت. ويتتبع الاختبار ثلاثة أنواع من البروتينات في الدم تكون موجو. . .