Beauty Secrets

KISS Diet: "Eat This Not That"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:45:00 +0000

You have likely heard of the hot-selling book "Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More!," by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. It is currently #6 on Amazon. If you haven't, you might want to pick up a copy. The logic behind the book, which is very, very simple, is that you choose food A over B when eating out, knowing that you can save hundreds of calories, whereas in the past you merely choose whatever without making life-impacting comparisons. Over a year's time you can save 1,000s upon 1,000s of calories that otherwise would have been consumed unnecessarily. Enjoy!!!

Treat Yourself Right with DHC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:57:00 +0000

DHC is a leading Japanese skin care company. DHC sells its products in the U.S. via mall kiosks and also by phone (catalog) and online. Visit DHC online and you can request a catalog with four samples and if you pay $2 (credit card) you can receive the samples and a $5 gift certificate with your catalog. What's more is from your first order and for every order thereafter, you always receive four free samples of your choosing. Free shipping is available on orders over $75, a little steep, but maybe not a problem depending on what you want to order.

I almost forgot to mention there's also "loyalty" and "volume" discounts. On my first order I received a nice volume discount! I assume I'll be eligible for a future "loyalty" discount and maybe even another volume discount. I like DHC more than other skin care companies' products not only because of their quality, but also because across the board there has never been anything that irritated my skin.

DHC is inspired by olive oil and never tests products on animals.

Looking for a DHC coupon or DHC promotion code? Keep looking ... Other than the $5 gift certificate mentioned above and limited promos on DHC's website, I have not seen a usable coupon/promo code online.

For-Profit Mindset May Kill "Essential" Oils

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:37:00 +0000

This, like the preceding post, comes from the latest Frontier Co-op e-newsletter.

Essential Oils Effective Against MRSA

Researchers at the University of Manchester say they have found that three essential oils used in aromatherapy kill MRSA and E.coli -- as well as many other bacteria and fungi -- within just two minutes of contact.

While Staphylococcus aureus are commonly occurring bacteria found on the skin, the methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain is resistant to many of our most powerful antibiotics. MRSA is an especially serious problem in hospitals where people are in close proximity and many have their defenses weakened by illness. For a small number of patients, infection with the bug may be life threatening.

The researchers say complete information -- including the names of the three oils -- will be released when the trial has been completed. Unfortunately, the research has struggled to find funding because the naturally occurring essential oils cannot be patented -- and the work is therefore not thought to be commercially viable.

(emphasis added)

The Herbicide - Diabetes Link

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:33:00 +0000

The latest Frontier Co-op e-newsletter has a short note on the link between herbicides and diabetes and how obviously, there's much less to worry about when consuming organics.

The American Diabetes Association has released a study showing that herbicide exposure can cause high levels of blood sugar and insulin -- both of which can lead to Type II diabetes and drastically shorten life. Pregnant women have a 2.2-fold higher risk of developing gestational diabetes when they are subjected to excess exposures according to the study. Men showed a 47 percent increased risk.

The classes of compounds known as organochlorines are especially harmful. Although it is banned in Europe, 76 million pounds of the organochlorine atrazine are applied to U.S. foods each year. The most obvious way to limit the health risks of herbicides is to grow crops organically.

Count Calories Online

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:59:00 +0000

A recent Wall Street Journal article had three links to websites for looking up calorie and nutritional information.

* CalorieKing database -- nutritional information for 50,000+ generic and brand-name foods, including meals at 260+ fast-food chains

* Dietfacts.com -- information for 449 restaurants

* Fast Food Facts -- $6.99 for printable guide with nutritional facts for 3,000+ menu items at 30 chains

The WSJ article says: "Watch portion sizes. A plain pizza slice may appear to have 320 calories, but only if it's 1/12th of a pie."

Lead in Lipstick Part II -- "A Poison Kiss"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 16:48:00 +0000

About a month ago I posted about a study of lead levels in lipstick by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. See: "Lead in Lipstick?"

If you want more information you can go straight to the source. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has a pdf report, "A Poison Kiss", with results by manufacturer/brand and type. Skip to page 10 for the brand results.

Here's an excerpt from the report why you should be concerned about lead:

Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure because lead easily crosses the placenta and may enter the fetal brain, where it interferes with normal development. Lead has also been linked to miscarriage, reduced fertility in both men and women, hormonal changes, menstrual irregularities and delays in the onset of puberty. Lead builds up in the body over time and lead‐containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, combined with lead in water and other sources, could add up to significant exposure levels.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Shinier Hair and More

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:33:00 +0000

A recent edition of Glamour contained an interesting tip for shinier hair:

“Combine a mix of one tbsp. apple cider vinegar and 16 oz. water through damp hair; shampoo.”

Let’s give it a try!

By the way, according to Wikipedia's entry for "vinegar", there are such related medicinal uses as lowering cholesterol, blood glucose control and diabetic management, diet control (increases food satiety, meaning you feel fuller with less food consumed) and jelly fish sting treatment, as well as a number of other traditional/anecdotal treatments.

The Power of Broccoli for Women

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:42:00 +0000

The December 2007 edition of Glamour magazine (Glamour.com) has a short mention on the "Good news about a women's cancer."

A Harvard Medical School researcher says extra broccoli may help ward off ovarian cancer. New data from a study show women who took "kaempferol" (a chemical found in broccoli, tea, blueberries and kale) had a 40% lower risk of the disease compared to those who ate "very little" of it. Pending further research, the "risk reduction is on par with the powerful cancer-preventing benefits of the Pill."

See also: The Best Antioxidants

And if you're interested see Glamour's 20 (More!) Sex Dos and Don’ts

These were too hot to print in our magazine survey of more than 10,000 women and men. How do you answer these slightly naughty questions?

Nonstick Pots and Pans, Do's and Don'ts

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:44:00 +0000

Good Housekeeping's Nov. 2007 edition has a 6-point list of "cook-smart precautions" when using nonstick:

1. Never preheat an empty pan
2. Don't cook on high heat (manuf. advice: don't go above medium)
3. Ventilate your kitchen
4. Don't broil or sear meats
5. Choose a heavier nonstick pan
6. Avoid chipping or damaging the pan -- NY State Dept. of Health: if pans chip or flake, they may be more likely to release toxic compounds; if a pan becomes damaged, throw it out!

Original Good Housekeeping article: "Nervous About Nonstick?"

Two of Good Housekeeping's product selections (links to Amazon product page):

WearEver Excellence -- "Tops Overall"

Revere Copper Advantage -- "Great Value"

The Best Antioxidants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:35:00 +0000

The latest edition of Frontier Coop's newsletter has a short segment on antioxidants.

A 2006 research report published in the American Journal of Clinical Research analyzed antioxidant capacity in 1,113 foods and found that ground cloves has more antioxidants than almost any other food. Herbs and spices account for eight of the 10 highest foods ranked by total antioxidant capacity. (emphasis added)

Fruits with the highest antioxidant capacity:

Black raspberries
cranberries
raspberries
strawberries

A single serving of any of these fruits delivers all of the antioxidants needed in a day.

Antioxidants provide important health benefits including helping fight/prevent cancer, disease and slowdown the effects of aging.

Dr. Oz on Oprah; New Book: YOU: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:48:00 +0000

Many of you have probably heard of Dr. Oz. He's gained a lot of popularity from his appearances on the Oprah Show and from books he's published with Dr. Michael Roizen. (See below) Dr. Oz is even on XM Satellite Radio (channel 156).

Dr. Oz is extremely knowledgeable and shares his expertise of medicine and related subjects such as dieting, anti-aging, etc in a very easy-to-understand, straight-forward manner.

In a recent appearance on the Oprah Show he commented that health care in the U.S. is so expensive, say twice as expensive compared to the U.K., because Americans are twice as sick.

All of his books are definitely worth reading if you haven't already...

Here's his latest book:

His earlier books include:

Lead in Lipstick?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:35:00 +0000

Here is another article from less than two weeks ago with disturbing news complicating the ways we try and stay beautiful.

Reuters published an article, "Lipsticks contain lead, consumer group says: More than half of name-brand products have detectable levels," saying a report by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, found more than half the lipsticks tested contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others.

That is absurd! And it seems the story is old news and was either not read/heard by too many or already forgotten. Hey, what's to worry about a little bit of lead on your lips!?

And very interesting, the case of lead in lipstick is not a typical situation where "you get what you pay for."

The coalition said that some less expensive brands it had tested, such as Revlon, had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand had higher levels than some other brands.

Read the article (click here) for scary details of findings such as how lipstick is actually ingested and one-third of lipsticks contain an amount of lead exceeding the US FDA's limit in candy.

Soaring Dental Fees in USA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:48:00 +0000

I just wanted to share this saddening article by The New York Times from a couple weeks back, "Dental fees are soaring; so is U.S. tooth decay." I am not finding a link online, but I'll point out the important parts.

First, the journalist states the obvious:

"For American dentists, times have never been better."

And then the painful part:

"The same cannot be said for American's teeth."

More than 100 million people lack dental insurance in the U.S. (or about 30% or so, if we agree the population is around 300 million).
27% of children and 29% of adults have cavities going untreated.
The level of untreated decay is the highest since the late 1980s.

Dentists reportedly want cold hard cash at the time of the procedure, or want private medical insurance. Have Medicaid? Probably "not accepted here."

Soaring dental costs and decaying teeth are not problems limited to the U.S., but there's no reason for such conditions in this day and age. Michael Moore was recently on the Oprah show talking about his new film "Sicko" and the state of medical insurance/coverage in the U.S. Can't wait to see Sicko - you can pre-order the DVD with Amazon below.

How can people stay beautiful without proper dental care at an affordable price? Debate for 2008?

Avon for Men -- Derek Jeter's 'Driven' Line

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 22:21:00 +0000

An article by the Associated Press is showing up in newspapers across the U.S. about Avon's embracing of men as an increasingly important customer. See for instance, "The Avon Rep Has a Mustache."

The AP article notes:

Sales to men and an increasing number of products for them has helped Avon's bottom line, with sales growing from about $6.2 billion in 2002 to $8.7 billion in 2006.

Overall sales of one category, skincare, shows just how big the market is for women and how growth for sales to men is increasing it about twice the annualized growth rate (6.0% vs. 3.1%).

U.S. sales of men's skincare products totaled $68.9 million in 2006, up from $45.8 million in 2000. In comparison, women's skincare sold about $2.1 billion in 2006 and $1.7 billion in 2000, according to NPD.

NY Yankees baseball star player Derek Jeter has created the "Driven" line of men's products (see picture above), including cleansers, cologne, aftershave and deodorant. The cologne is Avon's best-selling men's fragrance of all-time and the second-best selling cologne ever for Avon. My husband hasn't tried Jeter's "Driven" products yet ... we'll see.

Beware of MSG and Other Allergies to Food

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:10:00 +0000

There are people who have a reaction right after consuming food they are allergic to, while others have a reaction several hours later or even a day or days later. That is why a lot of people don't even recognize that they are allergic to certain food.

If you suffer from any kind of symptom, I recommend you try an allergy test.

Also, run (don't walk) to the library and get some books and read up. Find the right book for you. I would not rely on any doctor 100 percent. What I don’t like about Western medicine is when a problem is found, the source of the problem is not attempted to be cured; rather the solution is easy, take a lot of medicine.

I was very shocked to see how big the drug industry is in the U.S. compared to Japan. And how drugs advertisements are everywhere and I see more sick people in general here than in any other countries I've visited.

In a magazine that I was reading today, I happened to notice an article about a 40 year old reader that was questioning if her minor dizzy spells could be part of perimenopause.

And the answer was "possibly," because of hormonal changes, the body has not yet adjusted and the problem usually disappears without treatment.

Ummm. What if this symptom doesn’t disappear?!?! There are symptoms that you might have never thought of that are an allergic reaction.

By the way, one of my grand mothers who recently passed away, had never experienced menopause. She only ate natural, homegrown vegetables, pork and traditional Okinawan cuisine and NEVER ate junk-food snacks or fast-food.

You might have heard about the "Okinawan diet," since it is well known as one of the most healthy diets resulting in greater longevity of life. If you are interested, you might enjoy this book, The Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting Health--And How You Can Too.

See these earlier posts: List of Food, Beverages, Ingredients Containing MSG (including Processed with MSG)

Important 'Low-GI Diet' Update

List of Food, Beverages, Ingredients Containing MSG (including Processed with MSG)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:20:00 +0000

Following my finding out of my allergy to MSG, here's a list of food that always contains MSG [sources FDA and "Food Allergies" by William E. Walsh, M.D.]:

Ingredients that always contain MSG

Calcium caseinate
Sodium caseinate
Gelatin
Glutamate/glutamic acid
Monopotassium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed soy/Vegetable/etc. protein
Textured protein
Autolyzed yeast
Yeast extract
Yeast food
Yeast nutrient

Ingredients, food and beverages that might contain MSG or that were processed with MSG

Bouillon
Broth
Carrageenan
Enzyme-modified food
Fermented foods and beverages
Beer
Bourbon/Scotch/Whiskey/Brandy/Wine
Other alcoholic drinks
Flavors and flavorings
Natural flavorings
Natural beef flavoring
Natural chicken flavoring
Natural pork flavoring
Smoke flavoring
Barley malt
Malt extract
Malt flavoring
Maltodextrin
Pectin
Protein-fortified foods
Textured protein
Seasonings
Soy extract
Soy protein
So protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Soy sauce
Stock
Ultrapasteurized foods
Whey protein
Whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate

IMPORTANT: (please continue reading!) This list is for your reference. It is not a complete list, because in fact, there are varying levels of MSG depending on the ingredient/product. Please examine your diet and the things you're consuming in more detail if you think you might have a problem with MSG. A lot of the time you won't find exact information (disclosure) on product labels. For example, when I consume soy sauce, my lips become very sore and swollen, but it doesn’t not say the soy sauce contains MSG on the product label. Instead, the soy sauce I was using said, "Hydrolyzed soy protein". The sausage that I had been eating was labeled: "Monopotassium glutamate." Caveat emptor!

Also, please visit Truthinlabeling.org, "The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about MSG." This site is run by a Chicago non-profit and contains a wealth of information related to MSG.

Here's an article from US FDA (2003), "MSG: A Common Flavor Enhancer."

This article takes the stance that, yes, MSG is controversial, as there have been reports of reactions to MSG for decades, but these are among select groups and even then, are not consistent. I wouldn't rely on a single article, let alone one from the FDA, but would consider it significant that there have been ongoing reports of reactions even despite FDA recognition of MSG as "generally recognized as safe" as a food ingredient.

Here's a link to an FDA Backgrounder (1995) that says many similar things in more detail to the FDA article above, "FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)."

Take it with a grain of salt! Consider your diet, how you feel on routine basis and particularly how you feel after meals. Examine the labeling of what you are eating -- look for any of the ingredients above or the types of foods/beverages above. For the record, per the FDA's and its affiliates' conclusion that the reactions to MSG are centered on asthmatics and, or, those consuming MSG in large amounts (or on an empty stomach), I am not asthmatic, nor was I consuming MSG in "large" amounts for a single meal, nor was I necessarily eating on an empty stomach.

The FDA's stance is dubious at best. The best you can do for yourself is to examine as I suggested above.

Important 'Low-GI Diet' Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 13:44:00 +0000

On Friday, I said I would have some important upcoming topics, as a result of a week-long struggle with food allergies.

First, I'd like to recap my experience, with my Low-GI diet.

As I said before, I managed to lose 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) in three days, which is amazingly fast, since I had never been able to lose so much that fast. And then one day, I felt extremely tired and I was bloated. I thought this two-week no-carb diet was not going to last very long, because: I felt so sick and in addition, my weight rebounded, my stomach and legs were swollen; and I remembered a time in high school when I was suffering from many different kinds of allergies.

When I was in a high school, I used to go to Eastern medicine doctors and I was told not to consume anything with additives and any meat or dairy products, until told I can start eating again. Well, after a strict diet, I got well and eventually went back to my old habits.

Then, when I was in a college, I started to have bad allergies again. And at that time, I took a blood allergy test and found out I am allergic to dust mites, house dust, eggs and to a low extent to wheat.

Now, present day, I had to think real hard to figure out what helped me to lose that much of weight in such a short period of time (1kg in 3 days) and then what caused the weight rebound. It couldn't be related to "wheat" since I wasn't eating wheat due to my diet plan. At any rate, at the point of having lost the 1kg, I was so certain this diet was going to be a success. I was even worried that I might get too skinny! Yeah, right! The diet plan got turned upside down to whatever I was having a reaction to.

I did a number of experiments after reading several different food allergy-related books and closely examined what I had been eating. AND I finally figured it out!

I am allergic to MSG. According to the book I was reading, you can't always find every type of food that you are allergic to by a simple blood test.

For one, I was unknowingly eating sausage, a lot of it, that contained MSG. So I totally cut off this source of scary MSG and watched how my body would react. The result was, I have been totally fine. Instead of feeling sick, tired (fatigue) and overall just "out of it", I have even been able to turn off my air conditioner even though it has been in the 90s. I was, and continue to feel "normal" and full of energy.

Food allergies are scary and without doubt, MSG is very scary!

Upcoming Topics: Food Allergies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:03:00 +0000

In coming days I will be discussing a very important topic: food allergies.

It has been a long and frustrating week for me as I've been suffering from food allergies and been trying to come up with a solution for my diet.

I think I have found some extremely useful information that may be of help to some readers. In some cases, you may have been suffering like me, without knowing the cause, and be surprised to learn it is rooted in your diet.

Future topics will include:

Food allergies
MSG
Wheat
Gluten

Low-GI Diet Update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:39:00 +0000

So far I have been sharing my daily Low-GI diet menu with you, including photos of my meals. First, I want to say I have lost 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) in three days since starting!

Secondly, I want to let you know I will no longer talk about my daily menu, since it will essentially be very similar to what I have been eating the past three days. Use those menus as a guide and innovate as necessary.

Lastly, please DON'T mistake this Low-GI diet with Atkins' diet. You should not be eating as much meat and dairy as you want. Instead, you should be sure to eat a lot of vegetables, "low-fat" dairy products and drink a lot of water/tea. I personally drink a lot of herb tea.

Good luck!!!

How to Get Rid of Wrinkles

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 20:29:00 +0000

I want to share a natural beauty tip to get rid of wrinkles. Specifically, to get rid of face wrinkles.

This is an easy, natural and economic way to get rid of wrinkles.

Grind some tea leaves (fresh is better than old), You can use Macha (green tea) powder too
Mix flour and water with the ground tea leaves/powder until it becomes like a clay paste
Make a week's worth of paste
Store it in the refrigerator
Do a face pack, leave for 10 minutes
Rinse off with water
Apply facial lotion / follow your normal facial routine such as putting on lotion or cream, etc

You should notice results in a week.

Diet: Third Day Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:47:00 +0000

I am now in the third day of my Low-GI diet, or "Strict no-carb diet".

Here's the menu for day 3:

Breakfast
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- Shredded cheese on sauté mushrooms

Lunch
- Cottage cheese
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Kombu (see picture to the right) mixed with sea food
* I will discuss Kombu in a separate post soon

Dinner
- Celery sticks and sliced tomatoes
- Cabbage with sausage (soup)

See the menu for day 1, see the menu for day 2, see the Low-GI diet rules and the Low-GI diet plan.

Diet: Second Day Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:46:00 +0000

I am now in the second day of my Low-GI diet, or "Strict no-carb diet".

Here's the menu for day 2:

Breakfast
- Cottage cheese
- Vegetables with Shrimp
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers

Lunch
- Salad
- Peas
- Chicken

Dinner
- Okara
- Kombu with crab meat
- Chicken

See the menu for day 1, see the Low-GI diet rules and the Low-GI diet plan.

Harajuku Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:11:00 +0000

You might have heard of the word "HARAJUKU" (原宿 in Japanese), because of Gwen Stefani's track "Harajuku Girls." (Scroll down from hyperlinked page for sampler, track #7)

Harajuku is actually the name of a place in Tokyo, Japan, known internationally for its style and fashion.

I found this cute sock from Harajuku. When you visit there, you can find a lot of unique and original clothes and accessories.People are so original -- you can spend all day just watching people! Click this hyperlink of Google Images of keyword "Harajuku" for a basic idea.

Diet: First Day Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:55:00 +0000

I started my "Strict no-carb diet" yesterday (Tuesday) with a slice of apple pie, since I bought a whole pie the day before I decided to go on a diet. So let me enjoy that slice of pie before I start….

Here's the menu from my first day of dieting:

Breakfast
- Plain yogurt
- Vegetables with Shrimp

Lunch
- Tomatoes
- Piece of chicken
- Yellow peppers and broccoli

Snack
- Homemade soymilk (drink)

Dinner
- Salad
- Vegetables with sausage
- Apple slice
- Cheese slices

How to Make Okara Diet Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 22:28:00 +0000

In Japan, Okara diet cookies have been a huge hit. They are sold in many different flavors with really low calories. The Okara cookies will give you a sensation of being full, so they will prevent you from over-eating and they also help with constipation.

The retail Okara diet cookies are usually expensive, but if you make the cookies yourself, it is actually very cheap!

Here is one recipe I made that I think has the lowest calories but tastes great.

Homemade Okara Diet Cookies Recipe

Okara 100g (3.5 ounces), *Use Okara that is well wrung.
Whole wheat flour 60g (2 ounces)
Honey 3 Tbs
Raisins 30g (1 ounce)
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Mix all the ingredients and separate them in a "bite-size" by hand
Bake them at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

See the two pictures of homemade Okara diet cookies below: