This is your big day, your wedding day — you will be looking at your wedding photographs and videos for many years to come. Hairstyles may go out of style but a healthy smile will not.

How to achieve that beautiful, whitest smile on your wedding day? Here are some tips:

1. Avoid staining foods and drinks the day before the wedding. If possible, quit smoking. Brush using whitening toothpaste nd if you have bleaching trays, use them the night before wedding. You may want to speak with your dentist about whitening for you and your partner. There are two ways of teeth whitening.
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A honeymoon is often associated with romance, beautiful scenery, sunny beaches and pleasure, but if there is one thing that can spoil the fun and adventure, it’s a full-blown urinary tract infection that may dampen lovemaking.

The moniker “honeymoon cystitis” stems from the fact that most women become symptomatic with painful urination and blood-tinged urine afer their first sexual experience. Since lovemaking involves physical activities that could lead to some trauma to the genital and the urethral orifice, and bacterial contamination from the fingers or mouth of either partner, cystitis is highly prevalent among honeymooners, especially among females.

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How to transform yourself from the average older lady into a fit and healthy heroine.

As women age, they lose considerable amounts of muscle mass, as do men. But they start off with less muscle in the first place, so they may deteriorate to levels of disability and poor body functioning faster than men. Consequently, because women on average live longer than men, they may have to spend extra years in a state of dependence on others, unable to wait on themselves or move about with ease. It may become impossible for them to pursue work or volunteer projects, visit friends, or engage in other activities that occupied them when they were younger.

To avoid this depressing scenario, women past the age of thirty need to embark as early as possible on a n exercise program that will ensure continued independence. The proven benefits of exercise of exercise and good nutrition have prompted more women to engage more actively in sports and fitness.

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When was the last time you had a sound, fitful sleep? The kind that leads you to wake up with a contented smile on your face? Probably not in a long while. Now when was the last time you complained you felt stressed? For most of us, that would be probably just hours ago. Every waking day of our lives we are constantly faced with potential stressors, from being nearly missed by a jeep from crossing a busy intersection, to running late for a meeting, to having to mediate between your two warring kids as to who gets to stay in the front of the car.

Things like these pile and can be tough on our emotional psyche so we need to find ways to counter it. Restorative Yoga proves to be a great channel to work out mental stress. (more…)

Whatever your lifestyle, belief, and budget, there is a birth control method for you and your family.

Couples are now more conscious of how many kids they’d have. Parents want to make sure they can bring up their children well and provide for their needs. Fortunately, a wide array of birth control methods is now available.

1. Combined oral contraceptives.

Known as “the pill,” it has both estrogen and progestin. It stops ovulation and thickens the cervical mucus so sperm has a harder time to get through.

PROS: When you want a baby, just stop taking the pill. You may be pregnant as soon as the next cycle. Easy to take. Easily available.

CONS: Some may gain weight or have headaches. Regular OB-GYN checkups a must to see how the baby responds to it. Pills do not protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

EFFECTIVENESS: 99.6%

GOOD FOR: Women who don’t mind the routine of taking pills every day.

2. Progestin-only contraceptives.

Also called the “mini pill,” it thickens the cervical mucus to make it difficult for sperm to get through. It stops ovulation in about half of menstrual cycles.

PROS: Won’t affect milk supply. Easy to take. Easily available.

CONS: Regular OB-GYN checkups a must to see how body responds to it.

EFFECTIVENESS: 98%

GOOD FOR: Breastfeeding moms.

3. Injectable.

Delivered via intramuscular injection on the arm or buttocks, one dose is good for three months to prevent ovulation.

PROS: Convenient.

CONS: If stopped, it may take a while for a woman to get pregnant.

EFFECTIVENESS: 99.6%

GOOD FOR: Those who don’t want to take pills everyday.

4. Contraceptive Patch.

Marked as Ortho-Evra, this contraceptive patch can be placed on the arm or abdomen to prevent ovulation.

PROS: One can do regular activities and even go swimming. Easily available.

CONS: May cause skin rashes. Patch needs to be changed every week.

EFFECTIVENESS: 98%

GOOD FOR: Those who don’t like taking pills every day. Not good for smokers, and those with a history of blood clots, stroke, and heart attack. (more…)