Firstly, Balance that diet! Make sure you eat foods from ALL major food groups.

Secondly, Keep saturated fat and refined sugar intake LOW. Our bodies need fat and carbohydrates, but DON'T need saturated fat or refined sugar - we only eat them because they taste good!

Thirdly, stick with 'good' carbohydrates. Good carbs include fresh vegetables, fruit and potatoes. Items like whole wheat bread, pasta, rice, oats, beans and whole grains are also excellent providers of essential elements and energy our bodies need to function healthily. There is a reason why doctors advise us to eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day - it keeps us healthy! (and even helps prevent cancers!).

Fourthly, you CAN eat fat in reduced amounts, but it must be 'good' fat. By this we mean monounsaturated or polyunsaturated food sources, and NOT animal fats, which 'clog' up arteries, and contribute more than anything else to heart disease. Fat of any kind is particularly heavy in calories (2 times average of other foodstuffs), so you must keep amount you eat right down if weight loss is aim.

Fifthly, and this is a funny one, ALWAYS make a shopping list before you go out, and STICK TO IT! The number of 'impulse' purchases we all make would surprise you, and believe you me, these impulses are ALWAYS bad for tummy!

Daily Basics

1. Wash with a milky, non-foaming liquid. 2. Use a soap-free formula with oatmeal that calms dry and itchy skin. 3. For day, use a fragrance-free moisturizer containing a non-irritating sunscreen. At night, smooth on a noncomedogenic formula that helps fortify skin’s barrier while you sleep. 4. Dermatologists say that sensitive-skin sufferers are more likely to avoid using sunscreens, associating them with past reactions to PABA. Choose one that won’t aggravate skin. 5. It’s not just what you put on your face. Hair spray can cause breakouts along hairline. Use an allergy-tested and keep hair off face whenever possible.

Extra Help

1. To soothe redness, dermatologists recommend using a fragrance-free treatment. A dime-size dab of an over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream also relieves itching. 2. For dryness on body, increase resistance to environment with a product containing lipids, which is safe for sensitive types. 3. To treat blemishes, start with an irritant-free face lotion that minimizes blotches with vitamin A. Follow with a concealer that won’t aggravate acne, which does double duty by helping clear and conceal blemishes. 4. Dermatologists like products that get their color from iron oxides, which are less likely to cause reactions. They’re also talc-free, which means they won’t rob skin of moisture it needs.

Tricks of Trade

1. Don’t’ shower or bathe for more than 20 minutes, or you’ll dry out your skin. Use lukewarm water. 2. Don’t start any aggressive treatments during winter, when skin is dryer and more sensitive because of low humidity and indoor heating. A humidifier helps skin from becoming parched. 3. Grainy or chemical exfoliants can cause breakouts. Excessive daily scrubbing rubs sebaceous glands, which can clog pores. Use a clay or mud mask to slough off dead cells instead. 4. Facials are trouble unless they’re simple, steam-free, and employ fragrance-free products. 5. Avoid chemical peels and laser treatments if you’re sensitive to exfoliants and skin-lightening creams. 6. If acne medications irritate your skin, ask your doctor about taking oral antibiotics or birth-control pills, which can help minimize blemishes. 7. Keep Retin-A treatments to only once a week. Dilute strength by mixing it with your moisturizer. 8. For skin that seems provoked by anything and everything, ask you dermatologist about cleansers and moisturizers that are normally prescribed for hypersensitive postsurgery and postpeel patients. This article is brought to you by IH Distribution, LLC.

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