Travel and poor eating habits can cause stomach problems during the holidays, an expert says.

“Traveling can be very stressful, and it can be particularly hard on your gut. People tend to experience abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea or a combination of any of those problems during travel,” Dr. Sandra Hoogerwerf, an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a prepared statement.

Travel can disrupt the internal body clock that regulates hunger and bowel movements.

“The gut’s rhythm gets thrown off when you travel, especially across time zones. So, suddenly, you’re awake when you should be sleeping, and you’re eating when you’re supposed to be sleeping. Essentially, your gut is jet-lagged, and that can cause a lot of gastrointestinal problems,” Hoogerwerf said.

Try to give your gut time to catch up with the new schedule and re-establish its rhythm, she suggested.

“If you respect your biological rhythms, you’re going to feel less irritated, less tired, less fatigued, and your gut is going to feel a lot better,” she said.

Poor eating habits can aggravate travel-related stomach problems, Hoogerwerf warned.

Healthy Hair Ideas For You

The structure of hair is like that of the scales on the skin of a fish - that is overlapping scales around a central core called the cortical. Smoother overlapping and undamaged structure of this makes the hair look shiny and smooth and leads to easy combing while a tangled or roughed-up structure makes the hair look rough and dull and makes it difficult to comb as it causes interlocking of hair and make it “knotty”.

The type of hair, its color, the age for its graying and its retention on the head is normally inherited and depends upon the genetic makeup of the person. However there are few external factors which contribute to the health of hair, its behavior and its looks.

A great life doesn’t happen by accident.

A great life is the result of allocating your time, energy, thoughts, and hard work towards what you want your life to be. Stop setting yourself up for stress and failure, and start setting up your life to support success and ease.

A great life is the result of using the 24/7 you get in a creative and thoughtful way, instead of just what comes next. Customize these “secrets” to fit your own needs and style, and start creating your own great life today!

Six Tips to Help You Simplify Your Life

1. Make a List of Five Things Most Important to You
We can’t achieve our goals if we don’t occasionally take stock of what they are. Do you dream of writing a novel or traveling abroad? Do you wish you had more time for your family, your faith, or your hobby? The simple act of reflection can create unexpected insights and opportunities toward getting what matters most.

2. Tune Out, Tune In
Just because you have a cell phone and a computer doesn’t mean you need to have them on all the time. Even short breaks from the demands of your gadgets can shift your perspective dramatically. Take a walk, meditate, read, or reflect on your day just before you fall asleep.

3. Spend Time, Not Money
Anyone can pick out an expensive present from a catalog. But a humble phone call, picnic, evening of board games, or other fun activity will create memories that last longer than a credit card purchase (and won’t come back to haunt you with compounded finance charges).

No matter what type of hair nature blessed you with, there are things you can do to keep it healthy, lustrous, looking its best. Here are some tips for a healthy head of hair from the tradition of Ayurveda, the 5,000-year old healing tradition that originated in India:

1. Like everything else about true, lasting beauty, healthy hair begins within your body. Start with your diet. Include lots of green leafy vegetables and sweet juicy fruits. Dairy products such as milk and fresh yogurt will also help. Fresh coconut is also considered excellent “hair food” – sprinkle grated coconut over salads, diced fresh fruit, or rice.

2. Cut down on refined, processed and canned foods. Ayurveda considers foods with artificial preservatives and chemical additives stripped of their inherent “intelligence” and therefore not helpful in supplying nutrition to your body and mind. Ice-cold beverages also hamper the process of digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

3. Cooking with certain spices adds flavor to your food and provides nourishment for your hair. Cumin, turmeric and black pepper are some “hair-friendly” spices. Add a healthy pinch of each to single-portion soups and stews as they are cooking. Saut้ 1/8 –1/4 teaspoon each of the three spices in a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil and add to cooked veggies. Roasted ground cumin and ground black pepper can be sprinkled over fresh yogurt.