Whitening Teeth Secrets

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Whenever you see a person with a set of perfect white teeth, you have to stop yourself from approaching that person and asking him or her, “What’s your secret? Why are your teeth so white?” If only it would not be embarrassing to ask a complete stranger about his or her teeth, you would have done it a long time ago. You just cannot figure out why some people have white pearls while you are stuck with your yellowish teeth.

In this article, you will find some of the best secrets to whiter teeth that would help you achieve that perfect white smile you have always desired.

White teeth secret # 1 – Use baking soda

Baking soda, an item that is commonly found in your home, is something you can use other than for baking pastries and cookies. In fact, you can make use of baking soda to whiten your teeth. How is that possible? Not many people are aware that baking soda has natural bleaching capabilities. Mix it with salt, and voila, you got here a natural whitener you can use in place of toothpaste for cleaning and whitening your teeth.

White teeth secret # 2 – Apply lemon juice on your teeth

Lemon juice can do more than quench your thirst during a sunny day. Lemon juice is also a natural whitener that you can apply onto the surface of your teeth so that it would be whiter and shinier. Let the lemon juice stay on your teeth for a couple of minutes and then rinse your mouth afterwards with water.

White teeth secret # 3 – Stay away from coffee

Coffee is one of the culprits to stained teeth. If you are such a coffee addict, what you can do is to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after you sip this beverage. Other types of teeth staining food and drinks include tea, soda, red wine, dark colored berries, tomato sauce, and soy sauce. If you cannot avoid these items altogether, the least you can do is to gargle water or brush your teeth after eating or drinking any of these.

White teeth secret # 4 – Do not brush too much

Some people think that brushing their teeth hard and often would make their teeth white. The opposite is true. When you brush your teeth rigorously or too frequently, the enamel can be eroded. When this happens, the darker shade of teeth layer called dentin is revealed. Therefore, the secret here is to brush gently and only twice or thrice a day. Anymore than that and you will be overdoing it.

White teeth secret # 5 – Purchase over-the-counter whitening products

This last tip is actually not a big secret since we all know that these products are available for this specific purpose. However, the real secret lies in how you choose the teeth whitening products to buy. Hydrogen peroxide is the common ingredient used in these products. The quantity of this ingredient determines the degree of effectiveness of the product.

But before you go buying the product with the highest percentage of hydrogen peroxide, consult first with your dentist because you would not want something that is too harsh for your teeth especially if your teeth are sensitive.

Teeth whitening is something that you can achieve. Now that you know the secrets on how to have a dazzling smile, make sure you start doing something about that stains and discoloration that you have so long wanted to get rid of.
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The Biggest Loser Diet

What Is the Biggest Loser Diet?
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You, too, can be The Biggest Loser by following a diet and fitness program similar to that used by contestants on the NBC TV show of the same name. There are no televised temptations of cheesy pasta or gooey brownies for home dieters, no diet pills or personal trainers -- just a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

This is a low-calorie diet based on TheBiggest Loser pyramid of 4-3-2-1 (four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one "extra"), along with good old-fashioned exercise. Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, add a heavy dose of physical activity and you will lose weight, lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and become stronger and more energized.

Tufts University obesity clinician and researcher Michael Dansinger, MD, developed the weight loss program accompanied by dietitian and chef Cheryl Forberg, RD, and trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, working with writer Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, PhD.

Over the course of the 12-week program, you can expect to eat small, frequent meals containing plenty of fiber and protein, for fullness without too many calories.

"We emphasize the quality of the calories so you can meet your nutritional needs [and] enjoy more natural, healthy whole foods and lean proteins that will help you deal with hunger before it happens," says Forberg.

And you won't be eating any "appetite stimulating" white foods like bread, pasta, or potatoes. Keeping daily food logs, watching portion sizes, and drinking 48-64 ounces of water each day round out the basic plan.

You can also count on daily workouts, starting at 30 minutes and increasing to an hour. The book contains a detailed cardio and strength-training program that increases in intensity for a "fat-busting boost." You'll also find plenty of tips and inspiration from former contestants throughout the book.

Sounds simple enough, but when you don't have a personal trainer pushing you, as the TV contestants have, how do you stay motivated? You can join The Biggest Loser club for online support, meal plans, recipes, customized fitness information, a journal, and more for about $5 per week. Biggest Loser cookbooks and fitness books are also available for purchase.
What You Can Eat on The Biggest Loser Diet

The book includes one-week sample meal plans for 1,200-, 1,500- and 1,800-calorie diets, along with some recipes. Forty-five percent of the total calories come from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 25% from fat.

The 4-3-2-1 Biggest Loser  Pyramid sets the stage for number of servings from each of the food groups:

4 servings of fruits and vegetables
3 servings of protein -- lean, vegetarian, or low-fat dairy
2 servings of whole grains
1 extra of fats, oils, sweets, alcohol, or your choice, equivalent to 200 calories
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What Is a Detox Diet, and Who Needs It?

Yo-yo dieter Oprah went on the 21-Day Cleanse back in the summer of 2008, singer Beyonce Knowles has admitted to following the Master Cleanse to shed 20 pounds for her movie role inDreamgirls, and actress Gwyneth Paltrow sent out a newsletter this January from her lifestyle Web site, GOOP.com, touting a weeklong elimination diet. "I need to lose a few pounds of holiday excess," she wrote. "Anyone else?"

Such celebrities seem to buy into so-called "detox diets" as a way to drop pounds fast. But the real premise of a true elimination diet or cleanse program (both types of detoxification diets, or "detox diets" for short) is to facilitate the removal of toxins and pollutants from your body. How? By cutting out your intake of contaminants, so you'll gradually eliminate unhealthy substances like pesticides, smog and pollution, alcohol, and caffeine from your body.

"There are a lot of people who believe that because we live in a world with so many environmental pollutants and medications that people are taking, the liver is overstressed," explains Mary Jane Detroyer, a New York-based registered dietitian andexercise physiologist. "The whole idea of a detox diet is to rid toxins from the body, because the liver is overloaded and needs some outside help."

But do our bodies actually need a special diet to cleanse itself? Not really, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson and FITNESS advisory board member. "Our bodies have organs such as the liver, kidneys, skin, lungs, and digestive system to remove these unnecessary substances every day without the help of any special detox diet or potions to help it along."

Compared to how many people try fad detox diets, few people actually need it. (To see if you do, Detroyer recommends getting your liver enzymes checked out by your physician. "If they're elevated, that means your liver is stressed," she says. Several factors can cause elevated levels, such as medication, excessive alcohol consumption, or being overweight.)

However, if you still feel inclined to embark on a detox plan, dieter beware: "For mosthealthy people, doing a detox for a few days won't lead to any long-term health problems," says Blatner. "However, for someone who has conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, digestive issues, or women who are pregnant, children or teens, and elderly, these extreme changes to their diet can mean anything from dizziness to fainting to coma since the diets affect electrolyte and blood sugar balance."

And even if you don't suffer from any of those conditions, taking on a long-term cleanse (ahem, Oprah) can lead to a host of other problems, such as vitamin and mineral deficiency and muscle breakdown -- not really surprising when you're doing something extreme like drinking nothing but lemon water with maple syrup and cayenne pepper for 10 days, as the Master Cleanse encourages.

Still, there may be one good side effect from starting a detox plan: "A healthy person following a short-term detox diet may get a bit of a mental jump start into eating healthier and exercising for the rest of the year," Blatner concedes.

Beauty Detox Solution: Kimberly Snyder

The Beauty Detox Solution is written by Kimberly Snyder, celebrity nutritionist and fitness expert, and is designed to help you feel younger and achieve optimal beauty.

Kimberly Snyder’s approach involves cleansing the body to promote weight loss, improved appearance and an enhancement of general health.

You will learn a way of eating that involves choosing foods that are easy to digest, especially fresh fruit and vegetables, and eating them in the right order and best combinations to promote optimal digestion and elimination of toxins.
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Total Wellness Cleanse Review - Is it the Best Body Cleanse Program?

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Program's creator Yuri Elkaim says, “if you feel sluggish, overweight, tired, and lacking in energy, then your body has probably been overwhelmed by environmental toxins, household chemicals, food preservatives, and processed ingredients.” His 30-day cleansing program is designed to help you to rapidly cleanse your body of these toxic chemicals with a simple plan that doesn’t require the use of expensive detox supplements. 

The Total Wellness Cleanse Diet was intended to accomplish three major goals: 

• Alkalize the body: When you reduce the level of acidic wastes in your blood, your energy and health will dramatically transform.

• Get sugars out of the diet: Eliminating sugars reduces acidity and assists with addressing parasites and candida.

• Repair and support vital tissues and purify the blood: The health of the liver, stomach and small intestines should noticeably improve.

Home Take a Sneak Peak Look Inside the Total Wellness Cleanse…

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Total Wellness Cleanse Diet: extremely potent detoxing diet plan

A Certified Kinesiologist and Holistic Nutritionist, Yuri Elkaim, who is also a former professional soccer player and an honors graduate in physical education and health, had introduced a unique diet plan named as The Total Wellness Cleanse to clean out the toxins from your body in a natural manner.

According to Elkaim that if your body is influenced by the household chemicals, environmental toxins, processed ingredients and food preservative then you may feel tired, sluggish, lack of energy and over weighed. You can rapidly cleanse your body from the effect of these toxic chemicals through the 30 days simple cleansing program designed by him containing easily affordable ingredients.

Basics of Wellness Cleanse Diet program

The diet plan of Total wellness cleanse Diet was designed after considering three main targets- alkalizing the body, taking out the sugar from the diet and purifying the blood and repairing and supporting vital tissues of the body.

The body is alkalized by reducing the acidic elements in the blood to transform your health and energy in a dramatic manner. This goal is achieved easily if you reduce the sugar element from your diet which will reduce acidity effectively and take care of the parasites and Candida. This effect of your planned diet will naturally improve the health of your stomach, lever and small intestines to keep you healthy.

How the Wellness Cleanse Diet program works

You can cleanse your body from the effect of domestic toxins in three phases where first phase is considered as cleanse phase that continues for two weeks and the second phase is known as maintenance phase for two more weeks and the third phase includes post cleansing plan for 8 weeks. In the initial phase alkaline diets are provided to reduce the effect of acidic and allergenic elements in your body that will help in reducing toxins and improving the functioning of vital organs of your body. In the second stage a personalized lifestyle plan and cleansing diet plan is implemented to maintain the condition of your body. In the third and final phase your body is allowed to transit to the real lifestyle to live a normal life. Users are also suggested to do exercises regularly thrice a day for 20-30 minutes like yoga, walking, deep breathing and strength training etc. to keep you fit along with helping in cleansing your body.

Total Wellness Cleanse Diet offers you to adopt either of the three diet levels as per your wish as it has three types of diet plans- standard whole food diet, raw food diet and green juice feast. You can adopted either of them and have the flexibility of switch over to other anytime to find the suitable one. But the emphasis in all these three diet plans is given to green vegetables in any form- salads, juices or smoothies. Fruits except pears, berries and apples are usually avoided in the cleansing phase of this diet plan.

Suggested foods in Total Wellness Cleanse Diet

The suggested foods in Total Wellness Cleanse Diet program may include raw and cooked vegetables, vegetable juice, apples, quinoa, berries, avocado, sprouts, buckwheat, brown rice, almonds, millet, walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chick peas, lentils, black beans, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, olive oil, miso, spices, stevia, herbs tamari and apple cider vinegar.

A sample of the diet plan recommended in Total Wellness Cleanse Diet can provide a clear picture about the plan. It starts with our rising when you can take one glass of lemon water and a cup of tea of dandelion roots. In breakfast you can take super greens along with a handful of seeds and nuts as morning snacks. Your lunch may include tabouli and broccoli soup. Raw veggies with hummus can be included in your afternoon snacks. Your dinner will include green soup, roasted rosemary sweet potatoes and a cup of peppermint tea.

Thus, 30 days Total Wellness Cleanse Diet program is designed to encourage the weight loss as well as to keep you fit generally by eliminating toxins from your body by alkalizing it. But the effectiveness of the program depends upon the level of your commitment as you can get positive results in a short while even if you have failed to resolve your prolonged health problem till now using various other dietary methods.

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Get-fit-quick

Us girls in the Cosmo office are always on the lookout for some get-fit-quick tips, and so, when Men's Health  landed on our desks this month we were over the moon to find that they had 100 tips for just that! Hoorah! The tips were so good, we have edited the best ones just for you. Enjoy getting fit ladies.

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Dr. Oz's 100 Weight Loss Tips

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1. Automate your eating by planning your meals ahead of time. That way you're less likely to make an unhealthy last-minute food choice.
2. Oats are your friends! Eating a cup of oatmeal in the morning will prevent you from gorging in the afternoon.
3. Foods with healthy fats such as olives, salmon and walnuts help you feel satisfied.
4. Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
5. Got nuts with nuts. Eating a handful of nuts will help you stay full. Try soaking them in water for a different texture.
6. Use meditation to help you cope with chronic stress, which can lead you to crave feel-good carbs.
7. You may be used to fried foods but there are other, sometimes healthier, ways to cook including: roasting, steaming, poaching, baking, braising and broiling.
8. Do your grocery shopping with a list and a time limit; that way, you're less likely to stray into the processed foods section.
9. Don't confuse thirst with hunger. Drink a glass of water when you feel hungry to see if that's what you're really craving.
10. When out at a restaurant, ask the server to hold the bread, snack mix or chips and salsa that might come before the meal. If you're hungry, you'll be tempted.
11. Tired of eating your salad on a plate? Fill a whole wheat pita with salad and a splash of lemon for a twist.
12. You might do better to replace an occasional dinner with a nice roll in the hay. Healthy sex may help control the amount of food you eat and it's great exercise.
13. Create emergency packs filled with healthy foods such as nuts, fruits or sliced vegetables to help you avoid unhealthy temptations.
14. Add red pepper flakes to your pantry. When eaten early in the day, red pepper lowers the amount of food you'll eat later.
15. Odds are you're eating too fast. Try holding a conversation while having a meal so you're not gulping down more than you need to feel full.
16. Take a brisk walk before lunch or dinner. Not only will you get in some exercise, you're less likely to choose something unhealthy after a little movement.
17. Looking for the benefits of salmon but you don't feel comfortable cooking fish? Try canned salmon as a simple and affordable alternative.
18. Are your dishes too big? A healthy dinner should fit on a 9-inch plate. You may find that kid-sized plates are more appropriately sized to feed an adult!
19. Never eat any snack food out of the box, carton or bag it came in. You're less likely to overeat if you separate snacks into appropriate fist-sized servings.
20. Boost your metabolism with some green tea or chili peppers.
21. Get your Zzzzzs. Sleep deprivation alters levels of hormones in the body that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite.
22. Muscle burns at least four times as many calories as fat does, so try twenty minutes of strength straining two to three times a week.
23. Decaf coffee is a great low-calorie fluid when you're having cravings (and a great source of antioxidants).
24. Eating liquid-based foods such as natural smoothies and low-sodium soup can help you cut back on calories yet feel full.
25. A pedometer can help keep track of your steps. If you're not getting 10,000 steps a day, you're not moving enough.
26. Natural applesauce is an excellent dip for fruits such as bananas and melons.
27. Take every opportunity to move around, even in small ways. Studies show fidgety people tend to be skinnier.
28. Identify the emotional triggers that lead you to seek unhealthy comfort food. Picture your goal weight the next time a trigger strikes to help you resist temptation.
29. Use a vegetable bean dip such as hummus instead of ranch dressing or a fatty cream-based dip.
30. People who regularly weigh themselves and keep track of their progress in a journal are more likely to lose weight.
31. Use a dash of cinnamon to give fruits such as bananas and melons a richer dessert feel without the sugar.
32. Give your protein extra low-calorie flavor by adding a salsa or chutney instead of a gooey cream sauce.
33. Distracted dining will get you in trouble. Avoid eating in front of a television or in a movie theater, as you're bound to consume more calories.
34. Pass on pop. You'll be amazed by how much weight you drop by simply switching to water.
35. Beware of "fat-free" or "zero trans fats" foods as you could be trading fats for huge amounts of sugar or sodium.
36. Try drinking skim milk at breakfast instead of juice. Overweight people who drank skim milk for breakfast ate fewer calories
37. Sugarless chewing gum can suppress your appetite in a pinch.
38. Snack attack! Puree peaches, berries or pears for a sweet spread to go on pita chips.
39. If you're having trouble getting started, make a small move such as starting an eating log or buying walking shoes. You're three times more likely to follow through if you start with small gestures such as these.
40. Always have vegetables on hand. Saute a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables in olive oil and garlic. Add some red pepper or turmeric for additional flavor and separate into portion-sized containers for the fridge.
41. Edamame (soy beans) are a great low-cost snack. Look for them in the frozen foods section.
42. Soups can be both filling and comforting. Try making a garden or bean soup with low-salt broth and store in portion-sized cups for later.
43. Save time and money during the week by buying lean protein such as chicken breasts in bulk and cooking a week's worth on Sunday night.
44. Save the kitchen and the dining room table for cooking and eating. Try not to use it as a place to do work or other activities, or you may be tempted to eat more.
45. If food was your only source of pleasure, make sure to reconnect with other things you enjoy -- music, sports, volunteer work or movies, for example.
46. Try to have a little lean protein with each meal, as protein tends to be more satisfying than carbs or fats.
47. Think ahead to how you'll eat and exercise on the weekends. It's easy to get too relaxed on Saturdays and Sundays, but healthy living is a 7-day-a-week endeavor.
48. Dump the junk food. If you want to avoid temptation, make sure you clean out the fridge and the pantry
49. When you eat calorie-friendly fruits and vegetables that are in season, they tend to taste better and you're more likely to enjoy them.
50. People who eat breakfast have a better shot at losing and maintaining weight loss.
51. Replace your scale with a tape measure. Aim for 32 1/2 inches or less for women and 35 inches or less for men.
52. Make sure you check food labels and avoid anything with more than 4 grams of sugar, especially high-fructose corn syrup, per serving.
53. Eat a fiber-filled apple before a meal to help you feel full faster.
54. Opt for peanut butter or almond butter spreads instead of cream cheese or butter.
55. Remember these five essential smoothie ingredients: frozen berries, a banana, skim milk, a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of psyllium seed husks.
56. Researchers found that dieters who ate eggs in the morning were less hungry than those who ate carb-heavy meals.
57. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon may dial up your body's ability to burn fat, especially if you add some exercise.
58. A Mediterranean diet not only comes with heart benefits, studies show it leads to more weight loss than low-fat diets.
59. Replace your regular pasta noodles with whole wheat pasta for a more filling meal.
60. When eating out, ask your server to point out the healthiest options on the menu.
61. You don't have to make a three-digit number your weight loss goal. Aim for a certain dress size or waist measurement.
62. Go lean with bean protein. Beans are an affordable and healthy alternative to meats and are wonderfully filling.
63. Energize plain-tasting proteins such as eggs or chicken with metabolism-boosting chili pepper sauce.
64. Try a plain Greek yogurt with frozen berries for a pre-workout boost.
65. Turn dinner into a healthy lunch the next day by wrapping your lean leftovers in a whole wheat wrap. Add a little Dijon mustard or curry powder for added flavor.
66. Eat a rainbow of colors. Have at least one brightly colored fruit or vegetable in each meal, and, if appropriate, eat the skins -- that's where you'll find a powerhouse of antioxidants.
67. Make an office snack box of your own so you're not tempted by your colleague's candy bowl. Fill it with small individually packaged portions of soy chips, almonds and dried fruit.
68. For a thicker, creamier texture, choose low-fat, unsweetened Greek yogurt. Loaded with protein, calcium and natural probiotics, it makes for a tasty snack any time.
69. If you're 'cooking' food in the microwave, chances are you're eating unhealthy packaged foods. If you must microwave, consider soy chicken patties, veggie burgers or steamer vegetables and brown rice.
70. Make your wardrobe match your goals. As you lose weight donate the clothes that no longer fit you as an incentive to stay on track.
71. Pick up a 5- or 10-pound weight at the gym and visualize that weight coming off. Holding the weight in your hands helps bring home just how heavy even 5 pounds of extra fat can be.
72. If you find yourself at a weight loss plateau, up the duration of your exercise routine by five minutes.
73. Pounding out your meat will help healthier portions go a longer way visually, and it's good stress relief.
74. Silken tofu makes a wonderful replacement for cream in some recipes.
75. Save 85 calories just by swapping mustard for mayonnaise in a sandwich.
76. Do your best to ensure you're not eating after 7 o'clock at night. You're more likely to make unhealthy choices and less likely to sleep as well after a late meal.
77. Try a pasta-less spaghetti by mixing shredded zucchini, veggie meatballs and raw tomato sauce seasoned with a dash of zesty oregano.
78. Fresh herbs can really zing up a healthy meal. Try growing some in the kitchen using a strawberry pot. Preserve the flavor by adding fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process
79. Fast food is salty food. If you cut back on the salt, in a few weeks you'll be able to better taste the natural salts in food and may not crave the junk as much as you used to.
80. The rub on ground turkey is that it's dry. Add some olive oil and finely blended onions to a turkey burger or turkey meatball to enhance its juiciness.
81. If you're trying to lose weight with your significant other, pack each other's lunches. The lunchbox surprises will keep the both of you motivated.
82. If you're eating out, make salad the appetizer. Most starters are fried and come with unhealthy dips or sauces.
83. Savory 'umami' ingredients such as mushrooms, low-sodium soy, asparagus and olives can help you feel full and add an earthy, home-y quality to your healthy-dishes.
84. Make it a point to use the steps whenever possible. Use the bathroom on a different floor at work, take the stairs at the bus station, the airport or the mall.
85. Try baking apple slices as a healthy alternative to potato chips.
86. Eating water-rich foods such as melons, tomatoes and celery can help fill you up without adding too many calories to your day.
87. Avocados can be your secret weight loss partners. They're high in fiber and healthy fats, giving you a meaty-tasting meat alternative.
88. A handful of unsalted pumpkin seeds make for a healthy mid-day snack. They're rich in magnesium, which helps lower blood pressure.
89. Keeping good posture will not only strengthen your core, but will also add a small extra-calorie burn, because you're working slightly harder to maintain the position.
90. Cravings can sneak up on you when you're tired. Try taking a nap if you feel yourself wanting some junk food.
91. Share your weight loss goals with your friends and family. Make it a positive life change and ask for their encouragement.
92. Take a photo of yourself each week so you can see your physical transformation.
93. Store-bought salad dressings can be packed with calories. Make your own vinaigrette and store it in a small spray bottle to coat your greens without over-dressing them.
94. Yoga may be relaxing but you can also get a good workout. An hour of yoga can burn up to 350 calories.
95. Get familiar with quinoa -- a wonderful grain that's easy to cook and goes great with sauteed vegetables or mushrooms.
96. Ditch the mayo, cheese and top bun if you want to scrape off 250 calories from a restaurant sandwich.
97. Resistance bands are a comfortable and affordable at-home exercise option for strength straining.
98. Use the freezer to add some extra oomph to summer foods. Freeze grapes for some bite-sized delights. Or get a popsicle mold and freeze some Greek yogurt with berries.
99. Wrap up any extra food you've cooked before you sit down to a meal so you're not tempted to get seconds.
100. Take a 30-second break in the middle of your meal. Evaluate just how hungry you still are before getting back to your food.