When you're feeling poorly inside, your skin is the first to know it... and show it. Sallow skin, which can happen as a result, is skin that lacks the shine and luster that's often seen in healthy skin.

If you have sallow skin, perk it up with some home-made goodness found as close as your kitchen.

That's right, natural ingredients can be used to help enhance the appearance of your skin without harsh chemicals. One such way is with a fruit facial mask that anyone can create at home with the right foods. The mask will work to remove excess oils, retain moisture and remove dead cell layers so healthier skin underneath can shine through.

Here are some ingredients that you can use to make a fruit facial mask.

Strawberries – They are filled with antioxidants. For sallow skin, the seeds can gently exfoliate the outer layers without being harsh. You can also use raspberries and blackberries.

Oatmeal – All masks need to have filler that holds the mask together. Oatmeal is good to absorb any excess oil in the skin and soften its feel. Try to find oatmeal that is ground to a fine powder instead of the big rolled oats.

Bananas – And you wonder why babies have such shiny skin. Bananas are added for help in retaining moisture in your skin.

Grapes – They contain antioxidant substances as well. See your skin tighten and tone.

Cucumber – They are not just for your eyes but your entire face. Cucumbers reduce swelling and puffiness while soothing and cooling your skin.

Need help for your skin? How about a fruit facial mask? You can make it at home whenever you need to improve the look of your skin.

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Sugar is good. There is no other way to say it. Just one bite and we are hooked. But, you can tame it.

Sweets spike the blood sugar and give us a rush. If you are tired, eating sugar can not only taste good but also provide the needed energy – at least for about an hour or so. The downside is that to achieve the same high again you need more sugar.

The Facts

There are misconceptions about sugar. In the body, sugar is okay in moderation. In fact, all foods are okay in moderation. It’s when we eat too much sugar that we have a problem. If you are trying to lose weight, a sweet tooth can derail you.

Ways To Tame Your Sweet Tooth

You can lose the sweet tooth without going cold turkey. In fact, cold turkey often increases our cravings for the thing that we are trying to avoid. Don’t think of it as avoiding sugar, but as trying to increase the presence of something else.

1.  Introduce protein into your diet – It is a fact that protein cuts down on cravings. It also keeps the munchies at bay. Try a small bit at first if you are not used to it. Eat boiled eggs at breakfast or a slice of cheese. Include protein at each meal.

2.  Up your fiber intake – Fiber cleans out the digestive system and also keeps you feeling full. It is hard to crave sweets with a full belly. Try whole grain breads for sandwiches, oatmeal for breakfast, and add more vegetables.

3.  Opt for natural sugars – Eating fruits that are sweet not only gives you that sweet taste, but also nutrients like vitamin A and C. For a sweeter taste, try dried fruit where the effects are concentrated. Watch out for added sugar, though. You may want to invest in your own dehydrator.

4.  Eat before you go out – This is a trick that works. Eat a small snack or protein or a salad before going out to dinner with friends or to a party. It will cut down on grazing on sweet fare.

5.  Reward yourself without food – Sometimes we reward ourselves with food for promotions and celebrations. Instead, go shopping. A reward of a trinket won’t increase your sweet tooth or your waistline.

You can tame and even lose that sweet tooth. Instead of going cold turkey, take a little time and a few steps to get it done right.

Did you know that the skin is the largest organ of the body?

It happens to reside on the outside of the body, protecting other organs within. The skin allows oxygen and other nutrients to be absorbed while preventing harmful substances from entering. It also excretes waste products that are harmful to the body. The skin also acts like a crystal ball. It mirrors the health of the inside of our bodies. When something is out of whack there, the skin will show the world and you.

As the weather gets warmer, we all want to shed the heavy clothing and invite the sun in. Unfortuately, the sun can be harsh on tender skin. So, how can you keep your skin looking great - especially during the summer months when you want to show it off? Here are a few beauty secrets anyone can utilize.

Here are a few beauty tips to help keep your skin healthy in the hottest weather:

• Drink water – Water is important for the body. The majority of our cells are composed of water. Without it, the body cannot function. Each day, we lose water through sweat, respiration and urination. It must be replenished. Remember, when you feel thirsty, you are already in the process of becoming dehydrated.

• Remove dead skin cells – This is often done through exfoliation. Using a sugar scrub once a week can remove excess dead skin cells from the body and the face. Exfoliation also prevents pores from being clogged, resulting in pimples.

• Make good food choices – Eating a lot of fat can lead to an acne problem with the skin. It can also add fat to your body. In the summer, everyone wants to go light. Choose salads and sandwiches instead of fried foods. Eat smaller meals more often instead of three heavier ones.

• Wear a hat – When you are out in the sun, wearing a hat protects the sensitive skin of your face from not only the sun but also from wind damage.

• Wear sunscreen – Even if you are gardening, sunscreen is important. Without a layer of protection between you and the sun, the harmful UV rays are allowed to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin and damage them. Use the strongest SPF you can find – at least 50 – even when out in the sun for only 30 minutes. Reapply every two hours.

•  Moisturize – The heat can dry out your skin. After a long day outside, bathe and then moisturize your skin so that it can stay supple even while you sleep. Use a light one so that you are not in danger of clogging your pores.

Is your skin ready for the summer sun? In order to keep it looking good, protect it first.

Weight loss is the hottest topic and goal when the weather starts to get warm. But, it can frustrate some people who work hard yet still don’t see the results that they want. Here are a few ways that you can boost your metabolism to achieve success.

What Is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the rate at which your body uses the calories in the food that you eat. There is a common misconception that thinner people must have faster metabolisms and obese people must have slower ones.

Food is the fuel for the engine that runs your body. When you give it the proper fuel, it will run like a well-oiled machine. When you give it too much of the wrong stuff, it can clog up the engine and slow down the machine. What most people want to know is how to speed up the metabolism.

It’s a matter of math. When you give the body too many calories it will store them as fat. How does this happen? Not enough calories are burned during daily activities.

There are two ways to handle this. One, you can consume less calories. Fewer calories means less excess to turn into fat in the body.

Two, you can burn more calories. This is accomplished by ramping up your daily activities. Include exercise at least three times a week.

Tips for Speeding Up Your Metabolism

The body burns calories to perform regular maintenance at the cellular level. This is one reason not to eat less than 1,000 calories a day. Any less and you are hampering the body’s efforts to keep you working at optimal levels.

Without enough fuel, the metabolism can come to a halt. It’s the starvation principle. The body, in an attempt to preserve itself, will hold onto fat stores when food is not available. It doesn’t know that it really isn’t starving and nothing will convince it of that fact except eating more food.

Eat several times a day. When we were young, we were taught to eat three square meals. To get the metabolism revved up, eating every 2 or 3 hours is essential. Constantly giving the body something to process stokes the fire.

Include protein in each meal. It helps reduce your cravings between meals. Protein is also the main component of muscle tissue. You need muscle because it burns more fat even at rest than other tissues.

Don’t skip breakfast. After a fast of about eight hours (you were sleeping), the body needs something to get the metabolism off and running. You could be setting yourself up for a sluggish metabolism all day if you don’t eat even a small bit of food within an hour of when you wake.

So, are you ready to win the battle of the bulge? Well now you can by keeping your metabolism high at all times.