Take a Closer Look This New Year!

January 7, 2011 by 1 Comment

Did you make a new year’s resolution? Well, get on it! You’ve got work to do! The start of a new year is always a good time to take a closer look at yourself, your wardrobe, your habits and your health and look at the “little” things that may be driving you crazy. After all, if you don’t look after yourself, who will? Ladies, it is time to make some changes!

1. Take a look at your eyebrow shape. Are they too thin? Do you see stray hairs? Remember, well groomed brows frame your eyes with or without makeup!

2. Does your makeup bag need a good clean out ? What about your makeup style? Take a critical look at how you apply makeup and the colors you are using. What might have worked before may look drab now. Brush up your look by getting a makeup lesson with a professional. A lot of department stores offer makeup consultants and you really do not have to buy ALL the products they suggest.

3. If your hair is looking dull and listless you may need a deep conditioning. Look for products that you can leave on your hair an hour or even overnight before rinsing. If you color your hair using a good conditioner will help keep your color last longer. Shiny hair just looks fabulous.

4. Your hair style can add years to your look do you need a new do? Don’t get stuck in rut. Try an updated hair style, pay for a good cut and and choose a style that’s easy to maintain.

5. It’s time to to put yourself on a healthy diet and exercise program. Don’t wait until the weather gets better. Just do it.

6. Your wardrobe may need sprucing up for the spring. Ttry adding a splash of color into an outfit. Breap up a black ensemble by injecting some brighter shades such as fuchsia ,camel or grape.

7. Don’t forget your accessories. Try adding a colored handbag or one in an animal print. Take a look at some patterned tights instead of heavy leggings. Consider buying colored gloves or a colored scarf. All too often we wear too many dark colors in the winter months. Adding splashes of colors not only brighten our look but help to brighten our attitudes as well.

8. Is it time for a well deserved mani pedi or bikini wax? You’ll feel so much better and in control of yourself once your personal maintenance is taken care of.

9. January is a great time to take care of those medical appointments you may have been putting off. If you make all of your appointments in the same month, it will be easier to remember when you had your last exam. Take care of yourself!

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A New Year and a New You!

December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

You are never too old to find the “new you” and what better time than the New Year? After the excesses of the holidays, you may want to get serious about getting your beauty and health regimen back on track. One way to do this is to “detox” your system.

One of my favorite authors on the subject is Mark Hyman, MD. He is  is a New York Times bestselling author of UltraMind, UltraMetabolism and The UltraSimple Diet  and editor in chief of “Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine,” the most prestigious journal in the field of Integrative Medicine, and the Medical Editor of Natural Solutions.

Detox – what does it mean?

Detoxing is a continuous, natural process our bodies are designed to do automatically through sweat, urine and stools. However, in our current modern environment, our ability to detox is affected when our body gets overloaded from toxins in our diet and in our environment.

Sources of toxins could include:

Heavy metals, mercury and lead, petrochemicals, residues, pesticides and fertilizers

Molds and toxins from molds

Food sensitivities

Too much processed food

Stress

When this happens, inflammation results. Most people don’t realize toxicity can lead to more simple health concerns we take for granted, like:

Headaches

Joint Pain

Constipation

Irritability

Weight loss resistance

Itchy skin and rashes

Bad breath

Poor concentration

Fatigue

What are the benefits of Detox?

Clearer skin and eyes

Weight loss

Increased productivity

Increased mental clarity

Greater motivation

Reduction of allergies

There are a lot of different programs out there to help you — some are more intense than others and you will have to find what works best for your body.

Think nutrition! Start eating the things that are good for you, fresh, organic produce and whole grains to start.  Stop putting into your body things that are bad for you, like  refined sugar, flour, alcohol, sedatives, stimulants.

Keep hydrated and drink plenty of water – since toxins are passed out through urine.

Exercise five times a week.

Try saunas, Jacuzzis or hot-baths.  They are good for relaxing and the sweating helps to get rid of the toxins as well.

Keep your bowels moving.

Detoxing with Food  – If you really are serious, you should do your food detox for 2-3 weeks

During these two weeks, you want to avoid:

High fructose corn syrup and trans fats

Refined and processed foods

Caffeine and alcohol

Sedatives and stimulants

Avoid common food allergens like gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, nightshade and yeast

How you can detox at home

When you wake up in the morning, you want to drink a lot of water. And having a warm glass of water with lemon is actually really good for cleansing your system.

You want to have a really good breakfast with enough protein to get you going so that you don’t feel hungry throughout the day. For example, you can make yourself a nice turkey pattie with some polenta as a side, or if you want to make a healthy smoothie with lots of fruits and vegetables, remember to add a couple tablespoons of hemp protein powder or brown rice protein powder.

A light lunch could be organic grilled chicken breast with a fresh green salad, and some quinoa pilaf.

What we want to do is to make sure that you are having small snacks throughout the day so that you are not feeling hungry and you are keeping a consistent blood sugar level in your body. For that, we would recommend a few snacks throughout the day. Have some almonds and raisins handy if you are out and about, and you can always snack on them in the office.

Eat organic meats and lots of healthy green vegetables.

 


 

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