Some 18 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Here are four expert solutions:
The sleep specialist. For those who can use it, PAP (positive airway pressure) therapy is the best fix. Continuous, or CPAP, is a common type. Apnea is a form of sleep disordered breathing (SDB), which causes the airway to collapse partially or fully; pressure (applied through a mask) keeps the airway open. Sleeping pills won't work and could worsen the problem. PAP therapy can also help relieve depression and insomnia. Both may be linked to SDB.
-- Barry Krakow, MD Medical Director, Sleep and Human Health Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico 

The acupuncturist. Depending on the cause of the problem, exercise, losing weight and quitting smoking may be beneficial. Try sleeping on your side, not your back. An acupuncturist might place needles on the nose, chest, arms and other points to open the airway and help control the problem. 
-- Anjali Hasija, LAC Satori Holistic Center and Spa, New York, New York 

The respiratory expert. If you're overweight, as most sleep apnea sufferers are, losing weight will inevitably help. PAP therapy is the gold standard, so only if that fails should you try other things, such as dental devices that push your jaw forward while you sleep. They can open the upper airway. And don't drink at night: Alcohol relaxes the upper airway, making it more likely to narrow and collapse. 
-- John Stradling, MD Professor of Respiratory Medicine, Oxford University, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom 

The surgeon. Surgery should be the last approach. It's the most invasive and it's only successful half the time, even in the best surgeon's hands. If PAP therapy and other treatments fail, only then should you talk to a surgeon about corrective procedures that can improve airflow through both the nose and throat. 
-- Jeffrey Schonberg, MD Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgeon, Chicago, Illinois 

“We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be Neo skin lab?”
– Marianne Williamson

For the past week, I have been conducting an experiment. Every morning when I wake up, I close my eyes, breathe deeply, and ask myself this question: “If I were not afraid, I would ...”

The answers have been fascinating, and far reaching. One that keeps appearing over and over again is, “If I were not afraid, I would let myself be beautiful.”

I find this startling: What is so fearful about being beautiful? In our appearance focused culture, why would I shrink from being as ravishing as possible travel trade show?

Here’s why I’m afraid. I’m afraid of attracting envy. I’m afraid that I’ll get too attached to my appearance, only to grasp when it fades. I’m afraid because if I feel beautiful and confident I won’t have an excuse for not pursuing my passions and dreams. I’m afraid because I won’t have a reason to hide myself from the world.

I’m afraid because I’ll have to change my perception of myself, and accept my divine worth, abiding in the image of God dermes.

Wow.

I am afraid of my goodness. I am afraid of being my physical best.

My revelations remind me of all the drop dead gorgeous women I know, who if you ask them if they think they’re beautiful will say, “I’m beautiful on the inside,” as if their fabulous outer package is the equivalent of scrap metal. By contrast, I remember an interview between Oprah and Selma Hayek, where Selma unselfconsciously owned her beauty. I found that so inspiring.

My friend Sabrina and I were talking about how if weren’t afraid we would get out of our sweats and Eddie Bauer pants. Yet the last few times we’ve run into each other we’ve been wearing ... sweats and Eddie Bauer pants.

As Marianne Williamson so eloquently reminds us, we serve no one when we hide our beauty. Enjoy it; it’s a gift, no different from your intelligence, your empathy, or your compassion. Each is to be celebrated, enjoyed, and used. Yes, your beauty will change, and it isn’t permanent, but just as a bright, sunny day will eventually turn to darkness or rain, that doesn’t mean you can’t dance in the sun while it shines.

Normal skin is smooth, finely-textured, soft and supple. If you are lucky enough to possess this skin type, treasure it by using light cleansers and lotions and mild toners and fresheners Neo skin lab.

Dry skin type

Dry skin is usually thin and delicate and often flaky and prone to fine lines. It sometimes feels tighter than it should. Extremely rich and greasy creams are not good for it because they strangulate the pores, often enlarging them and so creating an extra problem. Use light oils and lotions for moisturising and choose herbal toners, which are mild and not too astringent. Try to restore the pH or acid-alkali balance with the application of such things as cucumber juice or diluted vinegar so that the sebaceous glands are encouraged to function Neo skin lab.

Generally speaking, the emollient and hydrating herbs (chamomile, comfrey, cowslip, elderflower, fennel, marshmallow, orange blossom, rose, violet) are the best to use in lotions and toners for dry skin. But there is no hard and fast rule. Astringent herbs can be good for dry skins, for example, if blended with emollient herbs or oils and gels, and many herbs are suitable for all skin types. If the skin is sensitive as well as dry, see the notes on sensitive skin below.

Oily skin type

Oily skin is shiny and coarser-textured, often with enlarged pores. It is prone to blackheads and spots. Don't use alcohol to reduce the oiliness of the skin, as it will only worsen the problem. Many herbal toners are suitable for reducing oiliness and tightening the pores (see list of suitable herbs below). Egg-white makes a nice mild face-mask. Don't over dry the skin; moisturise with a light lotion. Aim to restore your skin's acid-alkali balance so that the sebaceous glands cease to produce such large amounts of oil Neo skin lab.

Astringent and cleansing herbs are generally the best to choose when treating an oily skin. These are: cinquefoil, clary sage, comfrey, cucumber, dandelion, horsetail, houseleek, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, lemon verbena, marigold, mint, parsley, sage, witch hazel and yarrow. But don't forget that many herbs are suited to all skin types and that many of the strengthening and anti-inflammatory herbs (chamomile, cowslip, fennel, lettuce, elderflower, orange blossom, rose, violet) are suitable for oily skins.

Combination skin types

The person with this skin type will have to follow two beauty routines, one for the dry areas, and another for the oily. I think the oily areas balance up more easily in this type of skin than when the whole face is oily, so don't despair.

Sensitive skin type

This skin is usually fine-textured and often prone to reddish veins and patches. Keep to light oils and lotions for cleansing and moisturising, and mild herbal toners and compresses to soothe the skin and reduce redness and veins. It is usually wise for people with sensitive skins to stay away from the stimulating herbs (lavender, lime flower, mint, nettle, sage, southernwood, summer savory, thyme).

Dull skin

Dull skin has lost the bloom of vitality and the soft glow of renewal. It looks matt and lifeless. Its acid balance has slipped. If it is oily or large-pored skin use diluted cider vinegar or lemon juice, or cucumber juice to balance it. If it is dry skin, use buttermilk or cucumber juice.

Mature skin type

Older skin can be toned and softened and restored to much of its former beauty. The skin is a wonderfully regenerating organ, given encouragement. Use a light hand with makeup if you must use it, as this dries and ages the skin.

Other Factors that can influence you skin

The foundation of a healthy beautiful skin is diet. Are you getting sufficient polyunsaturated fats? These are essential to a healthy skin and do not cause facial oiliness. They are found in cereal grains, nuts and cold pressed nut and vegetable oils.

Plenty of vitamin C is fundamental to a beautiful skin, because it builds collagen and elastin, the bonding and structural substances which give tone and resilience. There is no need to resort to tablets. Eat bean sprouts, green and red peppers, black currants, oranges and lemons. Then there are guavas and rosehips, so your diet need not be restricted or dull. There is infinite variety to suit every palate.

Lack of vitamin A can cause dryness of the skin. Eat dandelion, parsley, watercress, carrots, pumpkins, celeriac.

If your skin is unbalanced, either flaky or too oily, or if your lips peel, then check your intake of vitamin B foods. Oats, years, bran, goat's milk, whole rice, sunflower seeds, sprouted seeds and grains are some of the sources.

About The Author

Danny Siegenthaler is a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine and together with his wife Susan, a medical herbalist and Aromatherapist, they have created Natural Skin Care Products by Wildcrafted Herbal Products to share their 40 years of combined expertise with you.

There are plenty of articles out there about what to do to make your skin look young again. But what if you still have it? How do young women keep their skin looking the way it is now well into the future? The following five easy tips can help you keep your youthful glow.

1. Use Sunscreen, Never Tan. It's hard for young women to resist the warm glow that a few hours of tanning can bring. But the damage that it does beneath the surface accumulates over time--ultimately leaving the skin dull and thin. By the time premature aging becomes evident, significant amounts of damage has taken place below the surface. Rather than a week of beauty, think of long-term beauty. If you really want to give your skin an added glow, try shimmering lotions and makeups. Or, for a darker look, try artificial tanners (but be careful, they can sometimes leave you looking more orange than tan). Don't forget that you can experience the damaging effects of the sun even if you aren't deliberately trying to tan. Make applying sunscreen part of your daily routine. Purchasing moisturizers with sunscreen already in them can help. Remember, only 15 minutes of sun exposure each day provides you with the vitamin D you need to stay healthy.

2. Eat the Right Foods. You've always heard the phrase "You are what you eat" and that is exactly right when talking about your skin! What you eat is not just relevant to your weight. It also affects the health of your skin. Clinical studies have shown that eating diets rich in fatty acids and antioxidants can help skin retain its youthful appearance. Foods good for your skin include fish, vegetables, whole grains and fruits including all kinds of berries. Antioxidants in the diet may help reduce the appearance of age spots. Fatty acids are one of the components of metabolic processes within the body that are also integral to the maintenance of healthy skin. Making these foods a part of your daily diet can benefit you for years to come.

3. Clean and Moisturize! Don't neglect your skin. For normal skin, a gentle daily cleanser is all you need. Using a washcloth needlessly pulls and tears at the skin. Cleanse your skin with your fingers using gentle, circular motions, paying particular attention not to stretch the delicate eye area. Moisturizing the skin is also important to protect it from the effects of the elements including wind, pollution, and sun (if it is a sunscreen moisturizure). Not only does it protect the skin from the outside, but also helps it to retain its natural moisture from the inside. Keep in mind that spending a lot of money is not necessary. If your skin is oily or you have a problem with acne, use products designed specifically for your skin type. You may want to consult a dermatologist to seek prescription treatments. Never attempt to pop your pimples. This will increase the size of your pores and possibly cause scaring.

Essentially, if your skin is young, value it! Taking simple precautionary steps can help keep it that way. Think of the benefits of having healthy skin in the future. Use sunscreen, eat healthy, and following a daily skin regimine. You don't need alot of money to keep your skin healthy. All it takes is common sense and good lifestyles choices.

There seems to be a lot of resentment targeted towards her ability. In modern society beauty, intelligence, cunning, where you grew up, your last name, height, weight, family disease history, bi or multilingualism all give advantages so to say that these are negative because one person has them and you don't is actually rather silly, we are all born and or given a certain lot in life, some can do more, some less, it is unfortunate and we should do what we can to help those that have less, but to resent those that are able to do more because of opportunities, luck, connections, doesn't end up doing anything and is actually quite counterproductive. I believe Ms. Mullins doesn't need to be inspirational, though of course I can be wrong, but rather wants to inspire conversation about the future of humans and our possibilities. There are millions of people throughout the world without the resources that Ms. Mullins have but in the same predicament with missing legs, arms, etc. She is not saying in her talk that they should be pitied but that given the opportunity both the abled and disabled can be more than we are right now, that the future of prosthetics doesn't have to be dull and we can use it as a vehicle to think about the future of us all as humans. I am not so sure that she would or wouldn't want her legs back. She has been on an amazing journey and seems quite happy where she has landed. Yes we are very far from creating superhero bodies but if we don't start talking now, we will never get it done.

Ricardo Aguiar – March 12 2009

Yet, for all the beauty of the prosthetics, for all the art, I am sure that given the possibility she would trade it all in for her own real legs.

Transhumanism is a nice flight of fantasy, but we are very far from creating anything as miraculous as what nature gives - most of us - at birth.

That said, it was still an inspiring talk, and proof that you should take what life gives you and run with it.

Cory Burt – March 12 2009

Very interesting. A strong argument for disassociating "disability" with "special entitlement." Perhaps the Americans with Disabilities Act should be repealed. Actually, re-engineering our bodies for aesthetic purposes is just a form of the ancient art of self-adornment. It is rather like having eyeliner tattooed on your eyelids or rouge tattooed on your cheeks. Doing it to increase physical capacity is one of the inevitable next steps of evolution as "memetic evolution" takes over from mechanisms like natural selection. In the end, however, Aimee has far too many assets to ever qualify as disabled which is why her missing limbs have brought celebrity and privilege rather than disadvantage and deprivation. Several people have already pointed out that really good prosthetics are a available only to the privileged few. Aimee is, in fact, far more mobile than I am with arthritic knees that I cannot afford to have replaced. In that sense, I find her less than inspirational.

Harman Dhillon – March 12 2009

Well said @ Andrew
"Beautiful again Aimee.
Unfortunately good prosthetics really are still only available to the privileged."

Paul Johnson – March 12 2009

Don't be scared Herr Decker.......
This is nothing new..... It's all we've been doing since we picked up flint and started cooking food.... have you not heard of clothes and bags and spades that help people to dig deeper than their hands could..... knowledge never stays witht the rich though it's material manifestations often begin there... that's just their gift.... and not all rich people are evil.....

to Aimee.... you are gorgeous.. with or without legs and I'm not just talking physically either... thoughy that's sure there.... your spirit and bravery and strength and love were gushing out of you in streams there and it almost brought me to tears...... thankyou and well done...

also it occurs to that 'D' and 'TH' are very close linguistically and interchangable in some languages.. maybe you don't have Dis-ability or That-ability..... maybe today you have 'This'abiliy and who knows what ability you will imagine for tomorrow.....

Splendid splendid stuff.... a true role model.....

Dries De Decker – March 12 2009

If this would help people to look at 'disabled' people in a better way, that would be a very good thing.
But I'm not the only one who is concerned that there is another side of it as well. If we can engineer our body how we like (and to some extent this is possible today), we will need limits. At first, walking around with longer, faster or more beautiful legs seems wonderfull. But what if, like others suggested here, this could go much beyond aesthetics or small increases in performance? I'm talking about science fiction-like ideas with people integrating robotic parts, electronics, and senses that will be better than ours in the future (not to mention the military applications). It would be limited to the rich and I think people will go that far if possible.

jacob starkey – March 12 2009

danger zone. if you prick your prosthetic legs, they do not bleed, and they do not tickle.

engineering our bodies is a big area of discussion of ethics and i would say especially as the technology develops of health (physical and mental).

not to say it's not worth the change, i agree a lot with the breaking of the stereotypes of abilities, but something about this talk has me putting on the breaks a bit (maybe it was that cheetah picture).

Valentine’s Day makeup should be all about the lips, according to celebrity makeup artist Christopher Drummond.

Here are five tips from Christopher on how to get the perfect Valentine’s Day look.

5 Tips for Your Valentine's Day Lips:

1. If you are hesitant to wear bright red lipstick, wear a soft red lip gloss instead.

2. Valentine’s Day is all about kissing the one you love. Be sure to keep your lips hydrated with shea butter. This natural ingredient keeps your lips smoother longer than petroleum.

3. Use your lip liner on top of lipstick. This helps to avoid the oblivious line around the lips when your gloss comes off. Lining after your lip color also allows for easier application and blendability.

4. To feel more romantic, use naturally scented lip products.

5. For fuller lips, add shimmer (like Christopher Drummond's Relache Ice Eye Shadow) to the inner lips to create the illusion of fullness.

Currently, tremendous interest and research are being focussed on anti-oxidants and their role in helping to reverse and prevent free radical damage to the body. Enzymes and anti-oxidants protect the body against the harmful effects of these free oxygen radicals. The best known of such enzymes is called SOD (super-oxide dismutase).
Worldwide studies have shown that people who take anti-oxidants live longer and healthier lives. Anti-oxidants are essential for the removal of free radicals, which can cause premature ageing and can cause diseases such as cancer. Anti-oxidants include vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C and SOD or super-oxide. Because of the polluted environment that we live in, it is not always easy to get access to the natural anti-oxidants like vitamin E and vitamin C.
Rooibos Tea, (Redbush Tea) is well known all over the world and regarded as safe to drink for its health benefits.
Scientists have discovered that the Rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis) contains nine types of flavonoids. Four of these flavonoids, specifically quercetin, luteolin, isoquercitrin and rutin are very powerful. Flavonoids like the quercetin found in Rooibos, help to neutralise free radicals and in combination with the tea's naturally high Vitamin C content (1,5mg/ml), they act as anti-oxidant compounds thus protecting the body against diseases and premature ageing. Rooibos has Anti-inflammatory and Anti-allergic properties that can be very helpful in the treatment of eczema. Rooibos is also Caffeine free, Rich in Minerals and Low in Tannin.
Thanks to Rooibos tea's natural powerful, rejuvenating and antioxidant qualities it is also excellent for use in skin and healthcare products. The Annique Rooibos Products contain an Award Winning Rooibos Extract to restore and retard the ageing process. Annique has been utilising the powerful benefits of Rooibos for more than 35 years in skin and baby care, and health capsules.

There are many different forms of water available for your drinking pleasure. It’s important to understand the benefits of each to ensure that you are

drinking and topically using the right type of water for healthier skin and body. According to Dr. Dennis Gross, tap water contains heavy metals that can act

as free radicals, which can destroy collagen. Even washing your face with tap water can lead to impurities and heavy metals that cling to your skin, creating

a breeding ground for damage to occur throughout the day.

What kind of water is best for you?

Below is a list of the most popular water options available and explanations of how they benefit your health.

Ionized Water

Water treated with electrolysis to remove acidic particles, such as sodium, calcium, iron, copper, chloride, and bromide. The water has been purified from

most impurities except organic compounds.

Benefits:

    * Acts as a natural antioxidant
    * Helps with the body’s natural oxygen production
    * Stabilizes body’s acid/alkaline balance—balancing the body’s pH
    * The molecular structure of ionized water is smaller, which allows for easier passage into the cells and tissues
    * Used externally, ionized water is beneficial for healthy skin, hair, and scalp

Distilled Water
Water that has been heated to a boiling point eliminating impurities from the water as it vaporizes. Through a distiller, the vapor water is then cooled to

become pure liquid water while the impurities such as the metals, ions, minerals, and contaminants are disposed of.

Benefits:

    * Helps to flush out impurities from the body
    * Allows the proper “flushing” of the blood through the kidneys, not having to have to deal with other impurities found in un-distilled water.
    * No impurities, just pure H2O
    * Acts as a solvent in the body by dissolving nutrients so they can be assimilated by the cell
    * Collects “rejected” minerals and flushes them out as waste

Filtered Water
Water that has been filtered through a carbon-based filter to remove chemical agents such as chlorine.

Benefits:

    * Ensures that only organic minerals are retained in the water
    * Helps to remove synthetic compounds, which turn into vapor at relatively low temperatures leading to toxins in the body if not removed