Many of us today have extremely busy life styles as we try to juggle work, home and social life, so there isn't much time left for pampering ourselves with elaborate beauty and skin care regimes. What we need is a simple but effective routine for looking after our skin so what will that involve?

Cleansing the skin

Too many people rush into the shower in the morning and give their face a quick wash with soap or shower gel, which they then dry with their regular towel before getting dressed and rushing out of the door. This may seem like a good idea when you're in a hurry but eventually your skin is going to suffer.

The best way to cleanse your face is to use a mild cleanser that has been formulated for your skin type. This means that at a basic level you first have to identify if you have normal, oily, dry or combination skin and choose a cleanser accordingly.

To use a cleanser follow the instructions on the packaging but in most cases you simply apply the cleanser to your skin and wipe or rinse off with warm clear water or with a cotton pad. That's it. Some people like to use a toner which closes up the pores and has an astringent effect but this isn't absolutely necessary as we're talking about absolute basic skin care here.

Moisturising the skin

The next step is possibly the most important part of any skin care regime and one that you should not omit no matter how busy you are. Every day our skin is exposed to the weather and to pollutants, central heating, reconditioned air, make up etc. which sap the skin of moisture which then needs to be replaced.

Even oily skin needs a moisturiser but a lighter water based moisturiser as opposed to a heavier one that might be suitable for dry skin. Just like the cleanser you choose, your moisturiser needs to be one that is suitable for your skin type. Apply moisturiser using your finger tips and massage it into your skin using gentle circular movements.

Caring for your skin on the inside

At the same time absolute basic skin care involves more than just catering for the surface of the skin, it also involves nourishing the skin from the inside. As such you need to make sure that you are getting all the right vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

One of the first places a poor diet will show up is on the skin. This is because skin renews itself every twenty eight days or so and as such, any changes in diet can be seen relatively quickly whether they're welcome changes or not.

Chances are if you suddenly eat a lot of processed and junk foods, consume a lot of fizzy drinks and alcohol, you will soon notice a difference in the condition of your skin which will start to look dull and jaded and could maybe result in an outbreak of pimples.

On the other hand if you begin to eat more organic and natural foods including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and are drinking lots of fresh water then your skin is going to look more radiant.

If your diet is poor because you haven't got time to shop and cook it's not a good idea to start taking lots of vitamin supplements to make up for it without first consulting your doctor and ascertaining your vitamin levels. Some vitamins can be harmful in high doses, for example vitamin A, and therefore it's far better to make sure your vitamin levels are obtained naturally.

What might be worth considering even if you already eat a healthy diet is a daily dose of fish oil. Fish oil contains essential Omega 3 fatty acids which are important for healthy skin and most diets, even so called healthy diets, don't give us enough Omega 3 or to be more precise the right kind of Omega 3.

Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid or EPA and DHA as they are better known, are only really found in fatty fish and not in any vegetable sources and these days it isn't advisable to eat too much fish because of the risk from toxins in the fish. EPA in particularly is necessary for healthy skin so supplementing with fish oil is a safe and effective way of getting the required amount of Omega 3 to make a difference.

Avoiding Damage

In order to keep your skin looking young and healthy for as long as possible we need to avoid those things that are going to damage the skin. This means staying out of the sun, using mild and natural products on our skin, and replacing any moisture that our skin might lose during the course of the day.

Fatigue is a condition that is commonly associated with extreme fatigue. If excess weight is present it is always suspected as one of the causes of fatigue. Even ten or twenty pounds of excess weight can have an effect on Insulin Resistance (defined later) which can cause unexplained tiredness.

Obesity Defined

Obesity is typically defined as a person with a BMI (body mass index) over 30, because they are generally about 30 pounds over their ideal body weight for their height. (See note on BMI later on in this article.) An obese person is defined as a person who is "very fat, stout, or corpulent."

Obesity Effects - The Real Weight of Being Overweight

Fatigue and obesity are now known to be linked to a common abnormality - a condition known as Insulin Resistance. At a healthy body weight insulin facilities the transport of glucose into your body's cells where it can then be utilized for energy. Insulin Resistance desensitizes the cells of your body to insulin and impairs this process. As a result, glucose and insulin levels become unbalanced in your blood stream, which can later cause diabetes and other serious health risks.

The unbalance of glucose and insulin levels in your blood stream is one of the obesity effects that can be most life changing to an overweight person, yet it gets less attention than other obesity effects. Diabetes, the later effect of Insulin Resistance, is known as the sleeping killer of Americans because so many people are unaware and undiagnosed with this disease. Additionally, it is said that about 50% of people's Insulin Resistance is caused by genetics, while 50% is caused by lifestyle factors and choices.

Insulin Resistance, along with excess weight, both are causes of fatigue. Coupled together, the result is a double-whammy of tiredness.

Obesity and Its Relationship to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the mysterious and often misdiagnosed illness that includes unexplained fatigue that lasts for 6 months or longer, has symptoms that are also often present in an obese person. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms include: Significant impairment in short-term memory or concentration, muscle pain, joint pain without swelling or redness, headaches, unrefreshing sleep and malaise that lasts for more than 24 hours after exertion. Additionally, a person with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome also exhibits sore throat and tender lymph nodes.

Severe obesity, as defined by a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 45, rules out Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a reason for experiencing these symptoms. The reason a severely obese person will not be diagnosed with CFS is because the symptoms of severe obesity is so similar to CFS. Doctors will always treat severe obesity first and if the symptoms of CFS persist, then after severe obesity symptoms are gone then it will be treated next. (Note: Body mass index values vary considerably among different age groups and populations. No "normal" or "average" range of values can be suggested. The range of 45 BMI or higher was selected because it falls within the range of severe obesity.)

Fighting Fatigue and Fighting the Causes of Fatigue

The best way to fight fatigue, especially when its due to obesity, being overweight or Insulin Resistance, is increased exercise. Increasing your exercise regiment is vital to improving Insulin Resistances and immediately reduces the causes of fatigue. Generally, Insulin Resistances starts to improve just days after a new exercise routine is begun - even before any significant weight loss occurs.

Next, eliminate causes of fatigue by beginning a sound nutritional plan. Seek nutritional guidance to help you find a healthy way of eating for you - not an extreme diet, but a healthy lifestyle change. You may consult a healthy living coach to help you in both the area of adding exercise to your daily routine and finding a new nutritional plan that works best for you.

Finally, consider supplementing your diet with herbs, vitamins and minerals which are meant to increase your level of energy and balance your body, as well as combat causes of fatigue. Again, a healthy living coach can help you find a balance of these nutrients that will fit your goals. Being inactive, whether weight gain is present or not, will always make one vulnerable to fatigue. The rule of thumb is when you don't feel like being active, that's the best time to do so.

For the month of May I would sneeze, weeze, itch intensely and sometimes could not breathe because of the pollen in the air. I started to get allergy shots twice a week to build my immune system. After one of these visits to the doctor, my throat started to tighten and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had to run back into the doctors' office so that he could give me a shot of adrenaline and basically had to save my life. Turns out, he had injected me with a little too much and my throat was closing. After that day, I stopped getting shots.

As my allergies continued to worsen, the next option for me was over the counter allergy medications. You name it, I have tried it. Most of them made me so sleepy that it was difficult to get through the day. My allergies were controlled, to a point, but I never felt like myself and it is hard to live with no energy day after day. I had to make a choice, either suffer from the allergies or be sleepy all the time. So, I decided to go a completely different route, all natural.

Since I woke up every morning horribly sick from my allergies, my first step to fight them was to make sure my bed was allergy free. Most of us spend at least 8-10 hours a night breathing in all of the chemicals that make up our bed. I threw away all of my old linens and bought an organic sheet set and hypoallergenic pillows. A lot of people don't understand the importance of buying organic, but it is just like organic food, the cotton is grown naturally rather than with chemicals and pesticides, which creates a healthier environment, therefore healthier breathing. I felt the difference the first night I slept in my hypoallergenic bed and since then, I don't wake up sick anymore, it is amazing. In addition, washing your sheets at least once a week will keep them dust free.

While some foods can aggravate your allergies, a nutritious diet can help fight them off. Here are some foods that I started to eat that have been helped me fight off my allergies. An important anti-inflammatory, omega-3 fatty acids are essential and some examples of good sources are salmon, cod, haddock and flaxseed oil. I love fish, and eat it 2-3 times a week, but if you don't, start taking omega-3 fish oil supplements twice a day. You can get them in an odorless form and you will never know the difference.

A good source of antioxidants, which helps reduce inflammation, is fruit juice. I buy fresh juices from the refrigerator section at the store because they are healthier. You have heard it over and over again, but it is true, eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily, organic if you can as to eliminate the pesticides. Fruits also contain antioxidants, especially berries. I try to include a fruit and/or vegetable with every meal.

Another big change I made was increasing my fiber intake. A high-fiber diet keeps your colon healthy and flushes out disease. Any bread that you eat should be whole grain and high fiber. I also eat lots of nuts, especially almonds which encourage movement in the colon and good bacteria. When you don't get enough fiber through your colon, the bad bacteria can cause food allergies and chemical sensitivities. Another bacteria fighting food that I eat daily is yogurt. Choose one low in fat with less than 10 grams of sugar.

And lastly, green tea is essential in fighting your allergies naturally and has worked very well for me. It contains an anti-allergenic compound called EGCG, methylated epigallocatechin gallate, which blocks the cell receptor responsible for allergic response. Green tea also fights allergens and is best in loose form, but if you can only get bags, that is fine, just get it. I bought myself a beautiful tea pot, a few pounds of loose tea and started to drink 2-3 cups per day and my allergies were reduced dramatically within 3 weeks. If you stop drinking it, your allergies will come back, so you must maintain your green tea consumption to continue to fight off your allergies naturally.

Personally, I have been dedicated to exercising 5-6 days a week for the past 20 years and recommend that this also be a part of your healthy lifestyle. Combining all of these changes goes hand in hand with working your heart muscle and maintaining that mind and body connection. Positive thinking will take you farther than you can imagine and will directly affect your health, including your allergies.

Today, I live nearly allergy free and I believe it is because of these changes I made in my life. I no longer have to take any drugs and live each day full of energy. It certainly wouldn't hurt to incorporate these healthy, natural changes into your life. If you consistently eat well, drink green tea and surround yourself with anti-allergens, you will build a stronger immune system and will see a big difference, if not completely cure yourself of your allergies, naturally.