Healthy, Radiant Skin...from the Inside Out

proper facial cleansing

2012-01-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

Here's an article on the right and wrong ways to wash your face. See if you're guilty of any of the wrong ways! I confess that I rarely wash my face at night. I often sleep in makeup. Oops! Guess I need to "clean up my act." Truthfully, I know I need to remove makeup before bed, even if I don't do a full-on wash. Do you have any bad skin care habits?

foods for healthy hair

2012-01-17T13:56:00.002-05:00

Nutritious foods not only improve our health and our skin, they are also good for our hair. Joy Bauer gives a list of top-notch foods for optimum hair health. Check it out here.

another health benefit of exercise

2012-01-11T21:13:00.000-05:00

Of course we all know that adequate exercise is very important for our health and well-being. It has been proven to lower the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. However, I recently learned of an advantage to exercise of which I was not previously aware.

Someone who has just been diagnosed with cancer probably doesn't feel much like busting a move or breaking a sweat. Once treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation have begun, that is probably even more true. However, exercise boosts mental and emotional health, combats fatigue and nausea, maintains appetite, and even reduces the risk of dying or of the cancer recurring. This last tidbit really intrigued me. Apparently just two and a half hours of exercise per week helped breast cancer patients cut their risk of dying or of the disease recurring by 40 percent. For colon cancer patients, that number jumps up to 50 percent. For prostate cancer patients, it's still a respectable 30 percent.

I think I had an image in my head of cancer patients being weak and ailing. However, my research disproved that. Obviously safety precautions should be taken, but most are more than capable of the 150 minutes of exercise per week to take charge of their own health. With statistics like those quoted above, it is well worth it.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Now is the time to start exercising and improving one's health. However, if disease does strike, continue those healthy habits to improve the odds of overcoming the disease.

staying hydrated

2012-01-04T18:06:00.000-05:00

We all know that we need to drink water. We know that adequate hydration keeps us looking and feel our best. For me, it is easy to drink plenty of water during the warmer summer months--it's hot, and I'm thirsty! Right now, however, the weather is cold and drinking a cold (or even cool) beverage isn't really appealing. I lean more toward hot coffee or tea. Certainly there is nothing wrong with either of these drinks; both a full of antioxidants. Green tea even made Lisa Drayer's list of beauty foods. However, with winter's dry air, we still need some water. I never drank enough water during the cold months until this year. A ridiculously easy, why-didn't-I-think-of-that tip from a friend came to my rescue. I now several cups of plain hot water each day. I laughed off the suggestion when she first made it, but it's surprisingly tasty. You could add lemon or lime if you desire (I like those flavors in my cold water), but I prefer the hot water plain. This winter I can proudly say that I am consuming enough water (although I still drink hot coffee and tea!).

styles for medium-length hair

2011-12-14T16:27:00.003-05:00

Many people love long hair. I happen to think long hair is beautiful...on other people. On myself, I definitely prefer shorter styles. Right now, though. my hair is more medium-length, and I found this article useful. Check out some of the styles and see which one is your favorite!

beauty shortcuts

2011-10-01T12:28:00.003-04:00

Running low on time? This article from Fitness magazine gives some time-saving shortcuts on everything from skin care, makeup, and hair styling. Check it out and see if you can pick up a few good tips.

homemade body wash

2011-09-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

Now this post is interesting. Due to my highly sensitive skin, I have a hard time finding body washes that I can use without irritation. Awhile back, I did buy a bar of Kirk's Castile soap. It is very gentle and caused me no problems at all. However, I confess that I just prefer liquid body wash to a bar of soap. It lathers up better on my shower pouf, I guess. So seeing this post on how to turn the bar of Kirk's Castile soap into liquid body wash is definitely intriguing to me. I'll let you know if I try it. For now, here's the link if you want to try it!

ideas for short hair

2011-09-17T17:08:00.000-04:00

I recently had about eleven inches of hair lopped off of my head, and I am pleased with my new short cut. I've always just gone with basic bobs, but my new cut is kind of choppy and I like it. It feels cute and trendy to me, and I get lots of compliments on it.

If you are in the market for a haircut but are unsure of what kind of cut to get, Fitness magazine has some ideas for you. I enjoyed browsing through the list of suggested short cuts. Maybe your next look is hiding among the options given here!

quick article on healthy foods

2011-09-05T11:54:00.000-04:00

Joy Bauer recommends four healthy foods for younger skin. We all know these foods are powerhouses of nutrition, but Bauer emphasizes their role in healthy, radiant skin. So give it a look and find a little extra motivation for eating these good foods!

an article on reducing wrinkles

2011-09-05T11:39:00.001-04:00

Nothing in this article from Everyday Health is new or earth-shattering. However, I did like the balance between common-sense protective measures, nutrition, and skin care products. So check it out for a quick refresher of what you should be doing! (Of course, my personal recommendation for an anti-aging skin care regimen is Mary Kay!) :)

bedtime stretches

2011-08-24T12:33:00.000-04:00

Sleep is vital for good health, so I was intrigued by this article on yoga poses to do before bedtime for a better night's sleep. Interestingly, some of these stretches I was already doing before turning in for the night! Glad to know that I'm doing something right! I will definitely add the others to my routine though. On a side note, the first stretch looks similar to a before-bed move Rob Petrie did on The Dick Van Dyke Show way back in the 1960s. I guess he was way ahead of his time!

foods for radiant skin

2011-07-25T11:39:00.002-04:00

I found this article on 8 Foods for Gorgeous Skin. Check it out!

cellulite

2011-07-23T11:02:00.000-04:00

The Daily Glow posted an article on cellulite cures. Both the article and life experience tell us that actually getting rid of cellulite is no easy proposition. However, I'll let you in on a little secret: you can reduce the appearance of it. There are certain beauty tricks that can help in the "optical illusion" department. The Daily Glow post mentions regular exercise, proper diet, and maintaining a healthy weight as helpful in reducing cellulite's appearance. Certain creams, while not a cure, can certainly temporarily improve the appearance of cellulite. Sunless tanning lotions are also good for helping cellulite look less noticeable.

faux tanning

2011-07-16T10:20:00.000-04:00

If you've been eating your fruits and veggies but find yourself still needing a bit of help in the tanning department, The Daily Glow has an article on bronzers. It compares different types and gives tips on application techniques. Check it out!

the BEST way to tan

2011-05-08T11:21:00.000-04:00

I am collecting free magazine subscriptions. So far, I'm up to four. One of them is Shape magazine, and my first issue arrived this week. It gave what might just be the best tip ever on having healthy, radiant skin from the inside out!

It's no secret that too much sunbathing is bad for our health. Possible skin cancer is way too high of a price to pay for a beautiful tan. Still, if we're honest, most people don't really find pale, pasty skin desirable either. We favor that golden glow. Hence the vast array of sunless tanning products on the market.

But now I know that there's a natural way to get that lovely golden skin! Researchers found that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables gives one a more golden skin tone. Test subjects actually rated the veggie-induced glow as more attractive and healthy-looking than a tan. It truly is a safe, healthy way to get that bronze-y look!

Obviously it isn't instantaneous. The article said it would take at least two months before upping your produce consumption showed up in your skin tone. And we're not talking about just noshing on just a few extra bites of crudites. You do have to consume at least the recommended five servings per day. Still, your overall health is going to benefit from that, not just your skin tone. So it is truly a win-win situation. So eat your veggies!

The Shape article can be found here.

article on success

2011-04-24T13:48:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed this article on motivation and success. I especially liked the reminder to dwell on all of the big AND small things we accomplish each day; those can be easy to overlook or take for granted. Read the entire piece for a good dose of positivity.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/motivation_articles.asp?id=78

foods for great skin

2011-04-10T21:57:00.002-04:00

I came across this article on foods that will help your skin. Many of the tips were things I already knew, but I did learn one or two new things--such as laying off of milk if you have acne. (I'll let you read the article to find out why!)

http://www.dailyglow.com/skin-care-tips/good-skin-diet.html?xid=nl_EverydayHealthHealthyLiving_20110410

The Beauty Diet, Part 2: Top 10 Beauty Foods

2010-12-16T21:05:00.008-05:00

I enjoyed reading Lisa Drayer's book The Beauty Diet: Looking Great has Never Been So Delicious and learning how specific nutrients benefited one's personal appearance, and I do recommend it as a motivational resource for eating the way we know we should. I thought it might be helpful, however, to list Drayer's "Top 10 Beauty Foods". These are the foods she believes pack the biggest nutritional punch as far as our looks go.

1. Wild salmon
2.Yogurt (low-fat)
3. Oysters
4. Blueberries
5. Kiwifruit
6. Sweet potatoes
7. Spinach
8. Tomatoes
9. Walnuts
10. Dark chocolate

She also adds two "Beauty Beverages":
1. Water (of course!)
2. Green tea

The last part of the book gives recipes using these and other nutrient-dense foods. She also gives a suggested four-week diet plan utilizing those recipes. I don't really plan to follow the diet plan, but I do intend to try a recipe or two; some actually looked quite tasty!

The Beauty Diet

2010-12-06T17:28:00.003-05:00

I finished reading Lisa Drayer's The Beauty Diet: Looking Great has Never Been So Delicious It was a fairly quick and easy read. There is nothing earth-shattering here: eat whole grains. Make sure you get enough protein. Consume plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Drink water and green tea. Choose healthy fats. I think we all know this.

Still, it was interesting to read about how these nutritious foods can affect our looks and not just our health. Drayer put a lot of research into what specific nutrients benefited skin or hair or eyes. I enjoyed reading that. It gives a little extra motivation in that whole healthy eating department! I daresay motivation is the goal of the book anyway. We all know what we should be eating; it's finding the "want to" that can be problematic!

Drayer gave a list of "Top 10" beauty foods and included some recipes for incorporating those into one's diet. I may try some of the recipes over the next few weeks to see how I like them (and if I notice any difference in my appearance!)

I appreciated that this book focused on eating the foods mentioned, rather than using them as cosmetic products. I'm going to confess something that will probably make me very unpopular. I run the risk of offending half my readers (and since I only have two, that's a big risk!). Here goes: I'm not a fan of those "homemade" masks and such using avocados or egg whites or bananas or whatever. I just find it kind of wasteful. So many people don't have enough food to eat. And while I know that my forgoing the honey-yogurt-oatmeal mask isn't going to put food in the mouths of those who need it, I still can't bring myself to use food that way. I don't begrudge you that if it's your thing, but I just can't do it. Sorry. However, since I do have that weird little quirk, I liked the fact that Drayer was recommending foods to consume, not smear on my face or hair. (Healthy, Radiant Skin from the Inside Out, right?) ;)

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It gave nutrition a slightly new angle. It might be a slightly shallow new slant, emphasizing looks over health, but at the end of the day I think we all want to look our best. So I don't really mind that. If you find yourself needing a bit of extra motivation to eat right, I would recommend this book as one way to provide that.

If you would like to know more about the author, visit www.lisadrayer.com

free samples can be dangerous...

2010-11-27T21:27:00.003-05:00

I'll be honest; I've never purchased one of the salon brand of shampoos. I've always been too cheap, and I couldn't figure out just what would make a bottle of shampoo or conditioner worth $15-25. It couldn't be that good, right?

Recently I received some free samples of Nexxus in the mail. It was the Nexxus Therappe shampoo and conditioner, plus a deep conditioning treatment. I will confess right off the bat that it has been a year and four months since I have been able to get my hair cut, so I am suffering from some serious split ends at the moment.

Oh, my goodness. I LOVE this stuff! My hair feels so incredibly soft and silky right now. Even my husband noticed it. And for the first time in my life, I'm eyeing the Nexxus shampoos at Wal-Mart. I'm tempted, I really am. And that is saying a LOT, because I hate to spend money.

But I really like the way my hair feels. Sigh...what a dilemma!

long time, no write

2010-11-18T20:23:00.002-05:00

I've really meant to blog. I had all kinds of ideas for posts, but somehow they never got written. So there is no sense in trying to go back and do them now--some would actually be ridiculously out-of-date. So I'm just going move forward from here.

I am actually looking forward to one series of posts I'm planning. I have the book The Beauty Diet by Lisa Drayer. i will be reading it and posting a summary/review. Stay tuned!

contrast

2010-02-26T21:21:00.002-05:00

I *know* that my skin care routine is important. I've known this for years! But I think we tend to think it's important over the long haul, not necessarily day to day. Yesterday and today, the daily necessity of my skin care regimen came to my attention...rather dramatically.

For a number of reasons (two small children being a large part of it), I didn't get a chance to wash my face yesterday. I figured skipping one day wouldn't hurt any. Now I wish I had a high-end camera...I could have a revealing "before" picture for my portfolio. My skin looked dull and flaky. It didn't look very healthy or pretty. It just looked dry.

Today I did my normal routine...3 in 1 cleanser and moisturizer. I was much more pleased when I looked in the mirror today! No dull flakiness. My face was soft and smooth again.

One day really shouldn't make that much difference...but it did. I'm a believer now. One of these days, I'll have to do those before and after pictures. It really makes for quite the contrast!

The Spark

2010-01-29T20:30:00.002-05:00

For awhile now, I have been a member of the online weight loss community Spark People. I have made friends while tracking food eaten, calories burned through exercise, and my own pounds and inches lost. I even have a blog there (that makes 3 blogs...I have quite the little collection going, don't I?)

There is now a best-selling book called The Spark. And you can download a free chapter from it. If you do, I get credit for it! So go ahead and help a girl out and download a free chapter here. :)

model

2010-01-20T19:46:00.002-05:00

Mary Kay natural look--this photo has not been retouched or airbrushed.

list of "must haves"

2010-01-13T10:16:00.004-05:00

Woman's Day magazine asked its readers what beauty items they could not live without. The top ten results included things like jeans, jewelry, hairspray, and...Mary Kay! I found it very cool that Mary Kay as a brand ranked right up there with mascara and handbags. The article said that the women who responded loved everything from the skin care (me too!) to the lip gloss (me too!).

If you would like to see the article, check out the January 2010 issue of Woman's Day.