winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year, between autumn and spring. It has the shortest days and longest nights

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter

Winter Effects On Skin

Winter can play havoc with your skin. The skin is the largest organ in the body and is susceptible to many of the environmental hazards that can attack it. A lessening of humidity causes the skin to lose moisture and become abnormally dry. Wearing additional layers of clothes will also have this effect by preventing the skins ability to breathe properly. This scenario causes the skin to become drier as the season progresses. Keeping the skin moisturized all year round is of course important, but becomes even more so during the winter months. Therefore, using a good moisturizer on a daily basis is a must.

Moisturizers are very individual. What may work for one, of course may not work for another. Some experimentation may be necessary. Individuals must find a moisturizer that works best for him or her. You should also be aware that the most expensive moisturizer is not always best and may not give the desired results. Start with the least expensive. However, use one with a good brand name. A company that specializes in manufacturing moisturizers would be a good choice.

As we all know, showering and bathing will have a tendency to dry the skin. This causes the natural oils secreted by the skin to be depleted. These oils need to be protected and restored. An excellent way is using this great method. Keep a bottle of baby oil near your bathtub or shower. A very light mineral oil can also be used, but you may find the baby oil better because it is lighter and won’t be quite as sticky. Just follow this procedure for best results.

1. After showering or bathing, do not completely towel dry. Sponge dry to remove the excess water, leaving the skin slightly damp.
2. Next apply the baby oil (or light mineral oil) to the entire body by placing a little in your hand and spreading over one area at a time.
3. When the entire body is covered with the oil, use your towel to pat dry, but do not rub, as that will remove the oil you have applied. A slight film of oil should be left.
4. After emerging from the shower or bathtub, you may still feel a little damp. However, that feeling will pass within a few minutes as the air- dries you.

Using the above simple procedures plus the daily use of a moisturizer that you have found to work for you, will keep the skin soft, supple and naturally moisturized. Itching and dryness will greatly lessened or completely gone.

(http://www.doctorsexercise.com/journal/wintskin.htm)

Cold weather brings along a range of problems for our body, from blood pressure to appetite, affecting also our mood. Here is the cost of winter.

The skin is the barrier between the body's internal organs and the environment. In cold weather it redirects the blood flow from the skin surface and the internal organs therefore preventing heat loss. One of the body's ways of staying warm is shivering, the involuntary trembling caused by rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles. But it is also a way to exercise without lifting a finger!

In winter the heart works harder, often leading to higher blood pressure. This is particularly dangerous for the elderly vulnerable as they face heart attacks and strokes. Because the skin redirects the blood flow internally, blood vessels constrict and the concentrated blood flow can cause blood clots, which are dangerous were the arteries are restricted.

According to American researches, we eat about 200 extra calories a day in winter, so we generally gain weight in winter, but we must not blame ourselves for being greedy. In fact we naturally react to the cold by consuming extra calories. Our metabolism is speeded up in winter because the thyroid gland increases its thyroxine output in winter, so that the body can burn more calories.

Not only we eat more but we need to nap more in winter, it's a natural way to conserve energy in the winter months (animals hibernate and our ancestors were not that busy at the time). Despite evolution so our genes are still programmed for a winter break, hence the need for more sleep. To prevent sleeping we should eat carbohydrates. As days get longer and brighter our the sleeping patterns change and we no longer feel the need for a nap.

The long winter months take their toll on our immune system, that's why we get colds and related infection more easily. Our whole body works hard in winter and it reacts to the cold as it reacts to stress and this affects our mood too. Winter short days and long nights quite often leave us feeling out of sorts; this is due to lack of melatonin, a hormone triggered by sunlight and it affects our daily body rhythms. Bright lights can help for the brain reacts by it by producing more melatoxin and our spirit will be lifted.

(http://www.helium.com/items/83528-how-winter-weather-impacts-your-health)