being beautiful part 2

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Being beautiful has its benefits, and Dr. Oz says that is one of the reasons he wrote YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty . "People who are beautiful do better in life," Dr. Oz says. "They are perceived to be more competent, they are perceived to be more fun, they get paid more, their relationships seem to succeed more—and by large margins they do better."



Oral Hygiene

Diseases caused by lack of proper oral hygiene can not only change the way you look, they can also cause health problems like heart disease, stroke, memory loss, impotence and wrinkles of the skin, Dr. Roizen says. Dr. Oz, Dr. Roizen and Dr. Perry share advice on what you can do to protect your teeth and keep your mouth beautiful and healthy:

* Brush your teeth twice a day: Spend a full two minutes brushing your teeth, with the brush angled into the gums, Dr. Roizen says.
* Floss once a day: If you don't floss, you miss cleaning about 40 percent of each tooth, which can lead to tooth decay, Dr. Roizen says.
* Whiten teeth naturally: If you whiten your teeth with at-home products, Dr. Perry says you should talk with your dentist because you can damage tooth enamel by overbleaching teeth. Apples and celery help whiten your teeth naturally, and Dr. Roizen says vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and lettuce create a film over your teeth that also help prevent staining.
* Fight bad breath: A lot of people have bad breath and don't know it because Dr. Oz says it is difficult to smell your own breath. "Breathe into the face of someone you trust and ask, 'Is my breath acceptable to you?'" Dr. Oz says. If your breath is bad, use a tongue scraper to remove some of the bacteria that causes the smell and talk with your dentist about other remedies.
* Stop grinding your teeth: Talk to your dentist about wearing a mouth guard at night if you grind your teeth, Dr. Oz says. Grinding your teeth can be a sign of stress, and if you continue doing it, you can wear down your teeth and actually widen your face, Dr. Perry says. "The [muscle under the jaw] enlarges when we grind our teeth and when we go to sleep at night,” he says.
* Protect your lips: Dr. Perry suggests wearing a lip balm or lip gloss made with sunscreen year-round. Lips can get sunburned in the winter just as easily as in the summer, and that can lead to skin cancer, he says. Also, Dr. Perry says you should choose a lip gloss or balm made with beeswax.



Hand and Foot Care

Going to the salon to get a manicure or pedicure isn't the only way to make your fingernails and toenails look beautiful, Dr. Oz says. In fact, it may even be safer to groom them at home, as not all salons properly sterilize instruments, he says. If you want to keep your hands and feet feeling good and looking beautiful, try these tips:

* Bring your own nailcare instruments to a salon: "If you can bring your own instruments, invest in the $30—that is all it costs for your own instruments—so you are not sharing the viruses others have," Dr. Perry says.
* Get rid of toenail fungus: About 15 percent of people have problems with their toenails, including fungal infections, Dr. Oz says. Once you have a fungal infection in your toenail, Dr. Perry says it is difficult to get rid of. There are some topical and oral medications that can be prescribed to get rid of the fungus, but Dr. Perry says he prefers to remove the toenail instead. "Some people think it is radical, but if we can numb up the toenail and remove it, we can get rid of the fungus," Dr. Perry says. It can take six to 12 months for the toenail to grow back.
* Try reflexology on your feet: "There are parts of brain that are influenced when you massage the foot on somebody that are right next to the erogenous centers of the brain," Dr. Oz says. Your spine, internal organs, sinus and shoulders can all benefit from a great foot massage, and Dr. Oz says it is good foreplay to sex.



Body Shape

Whether you were born shaped like an apple, pear or hourglass, you can always tweak your shape a bit to improve your looks, Dr. Oz and Dr. Perry say. They share advice on things you can do to change your body shape:

* Breast augmentation: Most women who want breast implants have small breasts and desire average-size breasts, Dr. Perry says. If a plastic surgeon recommends going to a larger-than-average-size implant, you should question his judgment, Dr. Perry says. "When we put large, basically silicone plastic items in our body, as we age—and it occurs very quickly—our breasts will droop. So, when you droop and you have something like a glob of silicone in your body, you are going to see ripples, you are going to see an unshapely breast," he says.
* Work out and eat right: "Part of the whole beauty story is staying in shape, having the muscle mass you need to burn off the calories," Dr. Oz says. Working out 20 minutes a day, three times a week will help you stay in shape, Dr. Oz says. If you work out, eat right and still gain weight, a medication you are on or an undiagnosed disease could be the culprit, and you should talk about the issue with your doctor, Dr. Roizen says.



Energy

When your energy level drops, it can be difficult to feel good and look good. Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen talk about reasons your energy may be low:

* Lack of sleep: Getting eight hours of sleep at night will help your body look good and function better. "Prepare for sleep," Dr. Roizen says. "Remember, only sex and sleep in the bedroom—get the computer and TV out of there."
* Thyroid problems: Thyroid disease can zap your energy, make you gain weight and move much slower. Dr. Roizen says 5 percent of men and 15 percent of women over the age of 60 have hypothyroidism, and when caught, it can be treated effectively. He says people as young as 35 commonly have thyroid problems and should have their thyroid hormone checked if they're experiencing energy loss.