How to Remove Stretch Marks The Right Way.

Stretch marks are scars that can appear anywhere on the body that fat is stored, such as in the stomach, upper arms, thighs, breasts and buttocks. Body building, intense physical activity, childbirth and rapid weight loss are all causes of stretch marks. The marks start at the very root of your skin, which makes them extremely hard to remove. There are several things you can do to quickly get rid of stretch marks, including laser surgery, creams and vitamins.

•Step 1

Take a bath. Hot water helps improve your circulation, which can instantly reduce the appearance of stretch marks. While you are in the tub, vigorously scrub the areas where you have stretch marks with a loofah. The loofah will remove the layer of dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, also immediately reducing the severity of your stretch marks.

•Step 2

Rub in tanning lotion. The darker your skin looks, the less severe your stretch marks will appear. Buy a lotion that contains a natural tanner. In just a few days, you will notice your stretch marks appear to reduce in severity. You can also try to tan in the sun, however, tanning lotion is a much safer way to reduce your stretch marks fast. UV rays can damage your skin and cause skin cancer.

•Step 3

Hydrate. Water keeps your skin hydrated and elastic. The more hydrated your skin, the less likely you will develop stretch marks. If you are dehydrated, stretch marks can appear more severe. The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day.

• Step 4

Rub in a coffee ground mixture. Coffee grounds reduce the appearance of stretch marks quickly by refreshing your skin. The caffeine in the coffee grounds can immediately, though temporarily, reduce your stretch marks.

Models use this approach to reduce their stretch marks before a big runway show. Grind about three cups of coffee in a grinder, then add three tablespoons of olive oil. Mix thoroughly. Apply to your stretch marks, rubbing with a good amount of pressure for at least five minutes. Wrap tightly with a towel and let sit for about 30 minutes and rinse.

• Step 5

Laser Treatment. There are three kinds of laser treatments that can quickly get rid of stretch marks. A fractionated laser will reduce chronic, deep stretch marks. Fractionated lasers cost about $1,000 per session, with a minimum of three sessions needed.

A vascular laser is the best way to reduce red stretch marks. Vascular laser treatments costs about $450 a session and at least three to six sessions are required.

The third treatment is the excimer laser, which works by triggering the melanin in your skin so your stretch marks turn the same color as the skin surrounding it. The excimer laser costs about $200 to $700 per session and needs a minimum of 10 to 20 treatments.

How to Train Your Dog to Attack on Command.

The truth is, most of us keep dogs are pets, not at watchdogs or guard dogs. But unfairly, we expect them to act in these capacities whenever the need arises. My friend, your dog would never make a good guard unless you train it to become one. Even if yours is a breed that has innate guarding abilities, you will still need to train it well  so that it will obey your commands.

In this article, I will be sharing with you some useful tips on how you can train your dog to attack on command. Of course, your dog may be the naturally aggressive type. But I’m sure you won’t like it if your dog attacks those who are not unwanted in your home or ignores your commands. You will like it when you command your dog to go after an intruder and it does that immediately, right? Then follow these steps and you will get the desired result:

1- Wear a protective glove that covers not just your hand, but also your entire arm. This is a necessary safety precaution to prevent injury.

2-  Sit your dog down. If you have not taught it simple commands like come, sit, stop, run, and stand, then you must teach those first before teaching the “attack” command.

3.  After sitting the dog down, tap it in the face with the glove on your arm. This is a way of irritating the dog and trying its patience. Continue doing this until your dog attacks the glove in anger. (Do you now understand why you must wear an arm-long glove?)

4.  As soon as the dog attacks the glove, say the word “attack” loudly. You are doing this because you want to make your dog understand what the word “attack” really means.

5.  Praise the dog verbally or show it that you are pleased. Though it may not be necessary, reward your dog by giving it some cookies or other treats. But if your dog is often motivated by food and learns faster with treats, then you must offer it some.

6. Repeat steps 3 – 5 until you are sure your dog has understood what the word “attack” means. You will know this if your dog responds quickly to the “attack” command by attacking your gloved arm immediately it hears the command.

7.  Stand at a short distance away from your dog, and give the “attack” command. See how it responds. If it doesn’t, then repeat steps 3 – 5 many times over. But if it attacks, this shows it’s familiar with the command.

8 -  Take a break to reward the dog once again for understanding your command.

9-  Repeat steps 7 and 8 for five to seven more times. This is to ensure that your dog has really mastered the command.

10.  Now, it’s time to show the dog how to attack an intruder (or else, every time you say “attack”, it will go after your arm). Get a very big doll or make a caricature human and place it at a distance. Then point towards the “fake” intruder and shout “attack”. Although your dog may attempt coming towards you at first, it will go in the pointed direction once it sees your finger.

11. Reward your dog with treats or in some other way.

Repeat step 10, placing your fake intruder at various points and pointing at it each time you command your dog. Repeat this until you are convinced that your dog has mastered the command and would no longer come after your arm.

12. Get someone to act like an intruder (use someone whose face is not familiar to the dog). Tell the person to stand by the door entrance and get ready to shut the door in case the dog ignores the “stop” command.

13. Point towards the “intruder” and command your dog to attack. If it runs towards the intruder, then it has gotten your message.

14.  Repeat step 13, but while the dog is going for the intruder, shout the word “stop” to see if it will obey. If you’ve familiarized it with the “stop” command, it should stop immediately. This step is very necessary because it teaches your dog that sometimes you may want to stop if from attacking an intruder after initially giving the command.

As a final note, I believe that with these steps, you would successfully transform your dog from a mere pet into a selfless guard dog that attacks only when you want it to.

5 Best Foods for Healthy Skin: How to Get a Radiant Glow.

You are what you eat. You hear that phrase all the time  and for good reason. If you’re a guy who eats a ton of junk food, you’re going to feel  and look  like junk. But if you eat nutrient-dense foods, you’re going to feel like a million bucks.

Your diet can especially influence your skin’s health. Certain foods are packed with powerful nutrients that help fight aging, keep skin hydrated and maintain a healthy-looking complexion. Here are just a few of the foods every man should add to their grocery list:

1. Chocolate :

Chocolate is full of potent antioxidants known as flavonols, which have been shown to reduce wrinkles and other aging signs. This doesn’t mean you should load up on unhealthy fare like chocolate sundaes and chocolate cake. You should opt for dark chocolate, which tends to have the highest concentration of these important nutrients. And this goes without saying, but practice moderation. Chocolate is calorie-dense due to its fat content, so eating too much can cause unwanted weight gain.

2. Strawberries:

 These red, sweet fruits are the perfect snack for fighting off your sweet tooth and keeping skin healthy. Why? The answer again is antioxidants. Loaded with vitamin C, strawberries guard against free radical damage and other harmful substances that can lead to older-looking skin. Bright-colored fruits in general are great for your skin. Check out our Advanced Antioxidants supplement for similar benefits.

3. Salmon:

This highly-touted fish contains a notable anti-aging weapon: omega 3s. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to provide a number of benefits including suppler skin, a healthier heart and better mental focus. Tuna and mackerel also feature this amazing nutrient. If fish isn’t your thing, consider using a pharmaceutical-grade men’s omega-3 supplement formula.

4. Almonds:

 Almonds also contain omega 3 fatty acids, but you’ll find they have an even higher concentration of omega 6 fatty acids (conjugated linoleic acid). Research shows that CLA can help improve your skin’s appearance and significantly improve muscle growth. Fair warning: Just like chocolate, almonds are calorie dense. As a result, we recommend you limit your intake to no more than a handful a day to avoid weight gain. If you’d rather avoid the calories altogether, a CLA supplement can produce similar results.

5. Green tea :

This is more of a beverage than a food, but it’s just as important as everything else listed. Many people turn to green tea instead of coffee because it perks you up without the extra caffeine. But did you know it can also reduce your risk of fine lines and saggy skin? The antioxidant-rich beverage should be a staple of everyone’s morning. Green tea is also one of the main botanical ingredients in our multivitamin.

7 Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Men.

More than 5 million men in the U.S. experience depression each year.

Clinical depression in women or mencan cause sadness and a loss of interest in once pleasurable activities. But depression can sometimes manifest in different ways in different people. 

"While the symptoms used to diagnose depression are the same regardless of gender, often the chief complaint can be different among men and women," says Ian A. Cook, MD, the Miller Family professor of psychiatry at the University of California–Los Angeles. 

Here are 7 signs of depression in men.

1- Fatigue:

People who are depressed undergo a series of physical and emotional changes. They can experience fatigue, as well as psychomotor retardation, or a slowing down of physical movements, speech, and thought processes. 

According to Josh Klapow, PhD, a clinical psychologist with the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Public Health, men are more likely than women to report fatigue and other physical symptoms of depression as their chief complaints.

2- Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little:

Sleep problems such as insomnia, waking up very early in the morning, or excessive sleeping are common depression symptoms. 

Some people sleep 12 hours a day and still feel exhausted or toss and turn and wake up every two hours," says Dr. Cook. 

Like fatigue, sleep troubles are one of the main symptoms that depressed men may discuss with their doctor, experts say.

3- Stomachache or Backache:

Health problems such as constipation or diarrhea, as well as headaches and back pain, are common in people who are depressed. 

But men often don't realize that chronic pain and digestive disorders go hand in hand with depression, according to focus groups conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health. Norman Sussman, MD, a professor of psychiatry at the NYU Langone Medical Center, says people who are depressed do genuinely feel bad physically. 

"It is a medical disorder," says Dr. Sussman.

4- Irritability:

Instead of seeming down, men who are depressed often show signs of irritability. "If they talk about an emotional component, it could be sadness with irritability," says Dr. Cook. 

In addition, says Klapow, negative thoughts are a common aspect of depression. "Men will report feeling irritable because they are having negative thoughts constantly," he says.

5- Difficulty Concentrating:

Psychomotor retardation can slow down a man's ability to process information, thereby impairing concentration on work or other tasks. 

"Depression fills one with negative thoughts, almost like an intrusion," Klapow says. "You're slowed down and constantly thinking about negative things in your world. As a result it makes it very difficult to focus on anything." 

"I describe depression as a form of reversible brain failure, Dr. Sussman says. "When you're depressed, it's like your CPU [central processing unit] isn't working properly."

6- Anger or Hostility:

Some men manifest depression by being hostile, angry, or aggressive, says. Dr. Sussman. "A man who realizes something is wrong may need to compensate by demonstrating that he is still strong or capable," he says. 

Anger and hostility are different than irritability. "Anger tends to be a stronger emotion," Klapow says. "Irritability is a crankiness." 

Dr. Sussman says he's also seen men become hostile when they have withdrawn as a result of their depression and feel under pressure by friends or family to rejoin society.

7- Stress:

"Men might be more likely to report symptoms of depression as stress. It's not that they have more stress; it's that it's more socially acceptable to report it," Klapow says. 

According to Dr. Cook, stress and depression can also travel a two-way street. "It's accurate to say that feeling stressed can be an indicator of having clinical depression but also be part of the cause," he says. 

Research has shown that prolonged exposure to stress can lead to changes both in the body and brain, which can in turn lead to depression.

The Ultimate Full-Body Workout for Beginners.

I'm not usually a sensationalist, but today we're showcasing one of the world's best all-body workouts: the Spartan 300. It challenges you every time you attempt it.

What is Spartan training? In its simplest form, Spartan training is 30 reps of 10 exercises, which can be done in any order you like. Your objective is to get through the 300 reps (10 sets of 30) as quickly as you can. So pick one of the exercises pictured, do as many reps as you can and then move on to another.

1. Step-ups:

Place your left foot on a bench or chair that is approximately knee height. Push down through your left heel and stand up on the bench. Without stopping, continue to move the right thigh forward until the knee is hip height and at a right angle (in a running style). Balance for a moment, then lower your right foot to the ground, touch down lightly with your toes and spring back up for your next rep. Maintain your posture throughout and keep your gaze on the horizon in front of you.

Reps: 30 each leg.

2. Medicine Ball Twists :

Sit on the ground, holding a medicine ball or 3kg-to-6kg weight close to your stomach. Lean back 30 degrees and twist to the right until the ball is just off the ground. Twist back to the start and then to the left. Twist through your abs, not your hips, by keeping your buttocks on the ground. Don't move your legs.

Reps: 30 each side.

3. Dead lifts:

Hold a weight in both hands with a mixed grip and stand with feet hip-width apart. Brace your abs, bend forward at the hips and lower the weight down your thighs to just off the ground. Keep your knees soft and back straight by keeping your gaze forward and sticking your buttocks out. Pause at the bottom and then raise back to the start. At the top, push your hips forward and contract your glutes. Keep the weight close to your thighs and stop if you feel lower-back pain.

Reps: 30.

4-  Bent Rows:

Place your left hand at the front of a knee-high bench and your left knee on the back of the bench. Keep your right leg on the ground, knee bent. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Keep your back straight and hips square. Hang the weight towards the ground. Then, keeping your torso stable, pull the weight up and outside your shoulder, raising your elbow as high as you can. Lower and start the next rep.

Reps: 30 each side.


5. Burpees:

Squat and place your hands on the ground just in front of your feet. Step or jump your feet back so your body is in a plank position. Don't sag your hips or stick your buttocks in the air. Hold, then jump your feet back to your hands. Stand up, do a small jump and then go straight into the next rep.

Reps: 30

How to get a bigger chest.

While a lot of guys focus on getting a set of flat abs, they should also be working on getting a bigger chest. A well-built chest turns heads and can make you appear bigger – a definite plus for guys seeking to gain significant size. It’s also critical to an overall strong core.  If you want big, muscular pecs that command respect, use the following tips to bulk up your chest effectively.

1. Make The Bench Press Your Best Friend:

Few exercises are as effective as the bench press for pectoral muscular development; this move should be a part of any fitness regimen. It should not, however, be the only move in your exercise arsenal. You should also be doing push-ups, pull-ups and other exercises that directly and indirectly stimulate your pecs. A variety of exercises ensures you attack your chest from all angles. Speaking of angles, make sure you also include some incline and decline exercises as well; this allows for complete stimulation of your pectoral muscles.

2-Take muscle-building supplements:

 A good diet and fitness program will get you far, but supplements can take your results to a whole new level. If you want bigger pecs, then a men’s anabolic activator and men’s creatine supplement are musts. Both supplements contain advanced ingredients that support muscle-building processes, improve athletic performance and help produce fast, noticeable gains.

3 Don’t Neglect Nutrition:

You won’t build pectoral muscles unless your body gets the fuel it needs for muscle growth. If you want big pecs, you need to focus on two nutrients in particular: calories and protein. One way to ensure that you get enough calories and protein for growth is through a men’s whey protein powder. A men’s whey protein powder contains fast-digesting protein and micronized leucine to support muscle repair and development. “What is a Men’s Whey Protein Powder?” offers a detailed explanation of how whey works.

4. More Is Not Always Better:

 A lot of fitness beginners think that doing 20+ reps of a chest exercise is the way to go. The more you work out your chest, the bigger it’ll get, right? Not really. More repetitions will do more for your muscle endurance – not muscle size. If your goal is perfect pecs, stick to low repetitions (preferably in the 6-8 range) and heavy weights. The same rule applies for sets: You don’t need to do 30+ sets in one gym session – that’s overkill. “Common Fitness Mistakes” lists other big mistakes that men make when working out.

5. Give Your Workout a Boost:

Pre-workout and post-workout nutrition play a big role in muscle growth and recovery. Before a workout, take a men’s pre-workout supplement with nitric oxide activators for extra energy and endurance. After a workout, drink a post-workout shake with carbs, protein and amino acids to fuel faster recovery and reduce soreness so you can get back into the gym sooner. Faster recovery equals faster results.

6. Rest:

 Remember that your muscles need time to rebuild. Refrain from working out your chest muscles more than twice a week; more is not better in this case. On your rest days, make sure you keep up with your supplements to fuel optimal recovery. Try to space out your workouts by at least 24 hours for best results.

HOW To GET FIT THE EASY WAY.

When it comes to How To Get Fit and healthy, we’ve cancelled enough gym memberships come to realise that for a long term solution, slogging it out in the gym just isn’t always the answer.

Here are our tips for whipping yourself into shape without toiling in the gym for hours on end…


÷ Arm Yourself With Apps:

Get an app like My Fitness Pal to give yourself an idea of how many calories you plough through on average a day. There’s no point in cheating and missing off that cheeky post work pint, be as honest as you can with amounts or you won’t get a good idea of where you can make small cuts. This sort of app is great too as you can add in your activity to give yourself more calorie allowance. You might become a bit keener on walking the dog, shopping with the missus or hoovering the house when you realise the extra pizza allowance the activity will buy you! You need to burn 500 extra cals per day than you eat to loose a pound a week. It’s a long process, but if you stick to your guns you’ll get the results you’re after.

Get a workout app too, something like 100 push ups, Full Fitness or the Nike+ app. The Nike + app is great as if you sign up with your mates, the competitive element might give you that added drive to run that bit further and faster! Running isn’t for everyone though, there are loads of strength training apps which will show you great arm, ab and leg workouts you can do at home. Pick something that takes less than 30 mins to complete and work it into your daily routine, for example the minute you get in from work, before dinner or first thing in the morning before you shower.

÷ Improve Your Eating:

We love a takeaway as much as anyone, but even we have to admit they make us feel sluggish and lacking in energy. Get yourself down to the supermarket and do a clean shop. Loads of veggies, good carbs (wholwheat pasta, brown rice etc) and lean meats and fish. If you can’t get by without crisps and chocolate then go for baked crisps and dark chocolate. If you’re already doing a bit of exercise and you stick to the healthier eating for a few days you’ll be surprised at how much more energy you have than when you were sat on the sofa with your takeout! We all fall off the wagon every now and then. Don’t give-up, just enjoy your cheat day and then get back on it the next morning.

÷ Stick To Your Guns (pun intended)

You start with the best intentions, but by the first Saturday you’ve already had a few pints, a kebab and half a pack of biscuits. Every time you feel your motivation waning, give yourself a bit of a kick up the butt. Find something that really works for boosting your morale, whether it’s watching the stairs scene from Rocky, or motivational ads.

Sometimes what you need is a bit of healthy competition so instead of hitting the pub with your mates then go for a kick about, or a run. Maybe going along to a pay as you go exercise class is what you need to get you back on track? Find out what works for you and stick to it when you feel yourself losing interest. We usually find that it’s much easier to get your health kick back underway by exercising rather than trying to diet.

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