Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Guys: 7 Steps to a Smooth, Clean Face

These seven steps can preserve your sex appeal and combat the havoc that the stresses of daily life can wreak on your face.

1. Freshen Your Face Faster - Wash your face in the shower. The steam-rich environment opens up your pores for a deeper cleaning. Begin with an exfoliating face scrub. Using soft, circular motions, spread the grains over your mug. Shave while you're still in the shower or just after you get out. The steam loosens facial hairs. Dab your face halfway dry when you're finished, and then smooth on some moisturizer.

2. Moisturize Now, Age Later - Applying moisturizer in response to dry skin treats the symptom but not the disease. As your age, the skin's internal scaffolding, a network of elastin and collagen fibers, has started to loosen and unravel, and letting your skin dry out worsens the decline. It causes the lipid-secreting glands of the face to atrophy (waste away) which robs your face of its natural lubrication. The result: premature wrinkling. Moisturizing every day can delay wrinkles. "Apply it after you leave the shower in the morning, midway through your day, and after you hit the gym," suggests Denise Vitiello, director of the fitness center and spa at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York City. Look for nutritive compounds in the lotion such as biopeptides that can perk up your oil glands and collagen networks.

3. Send Your Bags Packing - A pearl-sized dollop of eye cream or serum, dabbed under each eye before bed can take years off your eyes. Most creams contain topical anti-inflammatories, chemicals like caffeine that dehydrate tissue, tightening the skin into a taut, dense layer to hide the dark circles. Try MAC Fast Response Eye Cream $30. For particularly bad bags, apply a caffeine-based eye gel to tighten the skin. Serums add antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E to reverse cellular damages from the sun. Both also moisturize the skin to minimize existing crinkles. Bad behavior can make the bags bigger: Smoking stalls the microcirculation in your skin, causing connective tissue underneath to sag; too much sodium can cause your body to flood with water, fattening the pouches; and sleeping without proper head elevation can cause fluids to pool around your lower eyelids, causing under eye puffiness. To avoid the bags, slip an extra pillow under your head to encourage gravity to drain the eye area. If you regularly notice blue circles, see your doctor-- it could be a sign of iron deficiency.

4. Iron Out Wrinkles By Trout Fishing - Keep skin looking young by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish and avocado.

5. Manage Your Oil Reserves - Use oil-free moisturizers. About half of all lotions are available like this. If you still end up shiny, try a soap that contains salicylic acid, which will dry out your skin a bit more. If this doesn't work, move to a benzoyl peroxide cream (Like PanOxyl or Clearasil) that you can get at any drug store. If that doesn't work, use a leave-on mattifier that soaks up oil.

6. Peel Away Grime - Facial peels chemically dissolve the bonds between cells to strip away blemished, blotchy, or uneven skin and reveal the virgin layers below. Dry skin responds best to peels containing lactic or glycolic acids which act as humectants, grabbing moisture from the air and depositing it a tenth of an inch below the skin's surface. Tricholoroacetic and salicylic acid peels strip away moisture, making them best for oily complexions. Most at-home peels contain 2 to 3 percent acid, compared with the 20 percent or more in formulas used by dermatologists, but it's best to avoid shaving and other forms of exfoliation on the same day.

7. Wake Up Younger - Going to bed one hour earlier will give you the energy of two cups of coffee the next day. Getting less than 6 hours of sleep can decrease your performance so you're operating at the equivalent of a 0.05 blood-alcohol level. Former NASA sleep scientist Mark Rosekind, Ph.D., fatigue expert for the National Transportation Safety Board gave his expertise. Can't sleep? Eat fresh cherries or drink cherry juice. Cherries are one of the best natural sources of melatonin, a hormone that is use in over-the-counter sleep aids.

Source: Men's Health

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Banana and Quinoa Waffles


Yum! Do these banana waffles, which I found over on Babble, look good, or what? They're on my agenda for making this weekend--and freezing for the week ahead! "With a quiet banana flavor and a hint of spice, these waffles are delicious on their own and even better smothered in maple syrup," the Babble bloggers note. "The cornmeal and quinoa (Pronounced KIN-WAH) make them a little healthier than your average run-of-the-mill waffles and give them a crumbly, delicate texture."

And, don't be afraid of quinoa, gals. I know, it's sort of a healthy-nutty ingredient, but really and truly, it adds a nice nutty flavor, a dose of whole grains, and some extra protein to your breakfast. Try it!


Cook these up and enjoy some quiet time with your loved ones around the breakfast table.

Spiced Banana Quinoa Waffles

1/4 Stick butter
1 cup all-purpose whole grain wheat flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 ripe bananas (plus more for garnish)
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup skim milk

Preheat your waffle iron. In a small saucepan, melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat and set aside.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of your mixer and beat on high, until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Gently scoop the egg whites out into another bowl. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork, and then whisk in the sugar, eggs yolks, melted butter and milk. Set aside. Next, combine the remaining dry ingredients, flour, cornmeal, quinoa flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger in the bowl of your mixer. When the dry ingredients are combined, fold in the wet, mixing just until combined. Finally, gently fold in the egg whites with a spoon.

Heat the oven to 200 degrees and place a large platter inside. Spoon 1/3 cup per waffle onto your iron, and cook until the waffle is golden brown. Remove the finished waffles to  the oven to warm. Continue until all of the waffles are cooked.

Serve banana slices and warm sugar free syrup.






Friday, January 25, 2013

Jennifer Aniston's Must-Have Beauty Products





Jennifer Aniston revealed some of her biggest beauty secrets in InStyle’s January issue. So what’s in her arsenal? A mix of drugstore and luxury skin products—and one perfect bronzer. “It took me years of peeling back the onion to finally stop using makeup as a mask and feel comfortable in my own skin,” she says. See the top seven beauty products that make her feel just right.



Estee Lauder Automatic Lip Pencil Duo in Fig
$24 at esteelauder.com.

“I’ve used this fig liner for god knows how many years,” Aniston said. “You can mix anything with it.” 










Chanel Moisturizing Bronzing Powder in Terre Ambre
$50 at chanel.com.

“When I’m not working, I use a bit of bronzer to brighten up my cheeks,” Aniston said. “It’s not orangey! I like that it’s more brown, with twinkles in it.”






Neutrogena Original Facial Cleansing Bar
$3 at neutrogena.com.

“I’ve been using this orange bar since high school,” Aniston told InStyle exclusively. “My philosophy is, the simpler the better.”


La Mer The Treatment Fluid Foundation
$85/1 oz. at cremedelamer.com.











Benefit Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover-Up
$34 at benefitcosmetics.com.

“It’s a pressed powder and cover-up in one,” Aniston told InStyle. “I use it as a spot concealer, and at the end to finish off the look.”




Dr. Hauschka Moisturizing Day Cream
$70/3.4 oz. at drhauschka.com.

“I put this on after my serum and before my makeup."









Mila Moursi Rejuvenating Serum
$350/ml; milamoursiskincare.com for info.

“I got this from my facialist Mila Moursi,” the actress told InStyle. “She’s amazing, I use it every day.” 



Saturday, January 19, 2013

30 Days to Six-Pack Abs!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/30-days-to-6-pack-abs.html?mcid=facetraining

Get Rid of Blemishes at Any Age

Acne has a way of popping up on us no matter what age we may be. Here are a few reasons why it keeps haunting us and what we can do about it.

20s - The problem is that excess oil production creates a breeding ground for bacteria and leads to clogged pores. Fend off breakouts by using a cleanser with salicylic acid; it will control greasiness as it exfoliates, so pores are less likely to get blocked. To zap existing pimples, apply a 10% benzoyl peroxide treatment. It can be drying, but most people can handle the maximum strength. Try L'Oreal Go 360 Clean deep exfoliating scrub, $7 at CVS. You can also try Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 acne medication, $7 at walgreens.com






30s - The problem is that skin-cell turnover begins to slow down. As a result, dull flakes get trapped deep inside pores. Manual exfoliation can help flush out your pores to keep skin smooth, which sulfur-based treatments dry out pimples without irritation your complexion. Try Clairsonic MIA Sonic Skin Cleansing system, $155 at Nordstrom. You can also try Kate Somerville Eradikate acne treatment, $22 at katesomerville.com

40s - The problem is that for women, when your estrogen levels decrease, testosterone takes over. This can cause flare-ups. Collagen production also diminishes, causing skin to become thinner and more vulnerable to bacteria. Restore balance and firmness with a moisturizer that contains soy, a phytoestrogen. Treat current blemishes with an exfoliating 2 percent salicylic-acid gel, which is milder than both benzoyl peroxide and sulfur. Try Aveeno Clear Complexion daily moisturizer, $17 at drugstore.com. You can also try Bliss No Zit Sherlock spot treatment, $18 at blissworld.com

50s and up - The problem is that accumulated sun damage breaks down collagen and further weakens skin, making it red, inflamed and even more susceptible to bacteria. Apply a gradual-release retinol to gently exfoliate and rebuild collagen. Calm blemishes with a mix of salicylic acid and anti-inflammatory ingredients like bisbolol or lycopene. Try Philosophy Help Me Retinol Night treatment, $45 at philosophy.com. You can also try Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin spot stick, $10 at yestocarrots.com
Source: InStyle







Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Decolletage Rejuvenation


Splurge: the Decolletage Rejuvenation
If gravity has started to take it toll on “the twins,” don’t go under the scalpel just yet. Buy yourself a little extra time with a regenerative skin-tightening treatment that helps firm loose, crepe-y cleavage and saggy skin on the neck.

Source: Glamour





Saturday, January 12, 2013

Steps to a Whiter, Brighter Smile

Correct Your Angle - To reach the crevices between teeth and gums, hold your brush at a 45-degree angle at the gum line and move the handle slightly; the brush bristles should stay mostly in one place. Work your way around, hitting every surface. Don't miss the lingual surface -- the inner side, closest to your tongue. It's a breeding ground for plaque.

Brush in the Right Direction - Brushing toward your gums will push the gum tissue back, making your gum line recede. On the upper teeth, you want to be brushing downward. On the lower teeth you want to be brushing upward.

Use a Gentle Grip - A lot of people use tremendous force when brushing their teeth, and they will eventually have gum tissue that's worn away and that exposes the root surface. Hold the brush like a pen.

Nuke Your Brush - If you use a manual brush, you can eliminate germs by microwaving it, researchers in Brazil found. They submerged brushes in a cup of clean water and the microwaved them in a 650-watt microwave for 60 seconds. After, the brushes emerged germ-free. If your microwave is 1,100 watts, go for 35 seconds. Do this every week or two.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

The Best Foods for Healthy Hair

Protein - Low quantities of protein can lead to weak, brittle hair or a loss of hair color.

Zinc - Some research indicates that this mineral can affect levels of androgens, hormones that are associated with hair loss. Good sources would be oysters, nuts, beans, beef and lamb.

Water - Hair is one-quarter water.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - They are known to support scalp health.


Lignans - In a 6-month pilot study, Taiwanese scientists discovered that lignans (disease-fighting compounds found in flaxseed) may help slow hair loss. Nine out of ten men in the study reported modest to much improvement in the number of hairs shed daily.

Vitamin C - This helps your body absorb iron, so a deficiency can make hair dry and weak. You like that in enough from your diet, as long as you eat a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. Sources can be broccoli, leafy greens, citrus, green peppers, strawberries.

Source: Men's Health

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Walnuts

On Eat This, Not That's list of 8 Foods You Should Eat Everyday. Walnuts are richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, but not all three. A serving of walnuts is about one ounce or seven nuts is a good postworkout recovery snack.
Substitutes - Almonds, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts.
Fit it in - Sprinkle on top of salads, pancake batter, fish or chicken marinade topping.

Source: Eat This, Not That

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Free Origins Raspberry Anti-aging Cream

Origins is giving away a FREE sample of its new SPF cream containing the antioxidants and vitamins that raspberries provide. Go to www.origins.com , click the link on the right side of the page, LIKE them on facebook, and type in your address. US residents only.



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