Skin-Friendly Food Substitutes

Dark Chocolate beats Chocolate Cake

... packed with antioxidants, dark varieties have less sugar than milk chocolate or cake.

Olive Oil beats Vegetable Oil

... vegetable oils, including corn oil, are harder to digest and can lead to inflammation.

Whole Eggs beat Egg Whites

... most of an egg's nutrients, including biotin and lutein, are found in its yolk.

Almond Butter beats Peanut Butter

... peanuts can trigger mild skin irritation, and almonds are a great source of omega-3 fats.

... what I read

Foods for Beautiful & Ugly skin

Foods that help if you have ...

ACNE

What to eat :

Bright red and orange fruits and vegetables have beta carotene, which your body converts to oil-reducing vitamin A. Green leafy vegetables contain vitamin B6, which minimizes swelling, so pimples are reduced.

What to avoid :

Iodine-rich salt, shrimp and seaweed stimulate oil glands, inducing irritation of pores. And although pure chocolate won't cause acne, the sugar in desserts (along with dairy and refined flour) can.

WRINKLES

What to eat :

Fruits rich in color (such as berries) have vitamin C to promote anti-aging, skin firming collagen and antioxidants. Orange sea foods, like salmon and lobster, contain astaxanthin, an antioxidant stronger than vitamin C and E.

What to avoid :

Balance sugar intake with cinnamon (1/8 tsp can lower sugar in your blood for two weeks). Avoid taking too much iron, high doses can contribute to wrinkles.

DRY SKIN

What to eat :

Drink lots of water and eat foods with good fats ( which keep cell walls strong and prevent water loss), like avocado and olive oil, as well as citrus and kiwi (the potassium they contain regulates the body's water levels). Cabbage has sulfur, which can prevent dry, irritated skin.

What to avoid :

Drinks like coffee and black tea dehydrate your internal tissues and skin. Also, margarine and most fried foods contain trans fats and hydrogenated oil, which can deplete levels of good fats and lead to dry skin.

PUFFY EYES

What to eat :

Diuretics, asparagus and parsley included, reduce bloating. Potassium-rich bananas and citrus fruits help maintain a good balance of fluids. Circulation boosters like cayenne pepper can aid in lymphatic drainage around the eyes.

What to avoid :

Salt, which leaches water out of cells, is your biggest enemy, so avoid soy sauce and preserved foods (no cheese or deli meats). Yeast can cause puffiness, and expert also suggests shunning baked goods and alcohol.

THIN HAIR 

What to eat :

Foods rich in biotin (dark greens and meat, for example) can help hair grow faster and stronger. Hair is made of protein, so foods such as beans and eggs are critical for healthy hair growth. Olive oil contains squalene, which helps hair hold on to moisture better.

What to avoid :

If your mane is thinning, avoid supplements with high doses of vitamin A, which could exacerbate the condition,. But do eat nuts like almonds, they contain zinc, which can soothe the scalp irritations that lead to thinning hair.

BROWN SPOTS

What to eat :

Sun exposure can cause freckles, so powerful antioxidants ( in dark chocolate, pomegranates and broccoli) that fight sun damage are your best beauty bets. Studies have shown that green tea can protect against sunburn and also help prevent skin cancer.

What to avoid :

Alcohol and processed foods weaken the immune system and therefore make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Watch out for beer in particular, because hops have been known to cause dark spots on skin.

DULL SKIN 

What to eat :

Green and orange veggies increase vitamin A levels, making skin cells shed faster for a radiant, bright complexion. Soybeans and yams contain plant estrogens, which can add luster to your skin. Eating berries will make your pores look smaller too.

What to avoid :

Spices, garlic and onions increase circulation and impart a healthy glow, but don't overdo them or you can end up red in the face. Avoid sugar, caffeine and fried foods, they interfere with nutrient absorption, so skin can become sallow.

... what I read

Beautiful You

5 things that make you look tired (even when you're not) :

1. Eating salty foods ~ sodium can leave you puffy. The rudest awakening comes from the MSG that's often found in Chinese food and soy sauce (yikes ! I love soy sauce, with cili padi). Beware of sauces in general, they're just minefields of salt.
2. Piling on makeup ~ too much foundation sinks into fine lines and masks your natural glow, making you look older. Also skip too bright cheek color, the contrast can further wash you out.
3. Sleeping face down ~ fluid pools in your tissues, so you puff up. Sleep on your back.
4. Wearing reddish shadow ~ eye makeup with red undertones (roses,plums,browns) plays up redness in eyes. Better to go with black liner.
5. Not enough water ~ dehydration puts you on the fast track to looking prune like. Have a glass of water at bedtime.

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3 Fast Beautifiers :

1. Store face cream in the fridge - the coldness temporarily tightens pores, making skin look smoother.
2. Really soften up - break open an egg, then put the yolk on dry spots, rinse off.
3. Radiate - apply tinted moisturizer, sweep shimmer powder on cheekbones and brow bones.

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Improve your skin :

1. Put down the doughnuts ~ fried, fatty food trigger the production of free radicals. These nasty little buggers harm cells, making skin more susceptaible to sun damage, and eat away at collagen, the stuff that keeps skin young & plump. Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts and eggs, and brightly colored produce like dark, leafy greens and berries. They minimize damage and give you clearer, smooter skin.
2. Exfoliate, but not too much ~Exfoliate a minimum of once a week, but never so often that skin feels scratchy or raw. "No pain, no gain" does not apply here.

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STOP DIETING ! DIET IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD, 

DON'T DO IT. 

RESTRICTIVE EATING ONLY SLOWS YOUR METABOLISM.

5 things to eat (and drink) more of :

1. VEGGIES ~ veggies , colorful veggies
2. LEAN PROTEIN ~ It's what will keep you feeling satisfied. Think chicken breast or fish
3. GOOD FATS ~ like the unsaturated ones found in avocados, nuts and olive oil
4. HEALTHY CARBS ~ the whole grain and unprocessed kind
5. WATER ~ clear plain water

... what I read

Good SEX for life !

Experts have uncovered something you can do now to keep your sex drive charged in the future : Have plenty of sex in you twenties and thirties. It conditions your brain to want it even after hormone levels drop off. If you need to destress, for example, your brain will seek out activities that have made you feel good in the past, like sex  ; )

B in good mood

It will help you stay healthy .. 5 easy tricks to help you stay upbeat :

1. Stretch you legs ~ move more during the day, it will make you be more in positive mood than just sitting on your tooshies.
2. Do something nice ~ be it just holding a door open for a mom with a stroller, little acts of kindness can make you cheery. A research found that doing a variety of good deeds three times a week significantly boosted people's happiness after 10 weeks.
3. Go easy on yourself ~ a good reason not to obsess over having a few chocolate cookies; people who don't feel bad about indulging in pleasures like SEX, SWEETS, had higher level of disease fighting immunoglobulin A than those who beat themselves up.
4. Say thanks ~ grateful people are happy people.
5. Hang some cheer ~ anything different- new adventures, new people, new shoes.... excites our brains and boosts our mood.

...what I read

Have Better Sex, Fast

Remember that "stop,drop and roll" fire-safety routine you learned? If sex hurts, these are the first three things you should try:

1. Stop ~ sex shouldn't be uncomfortable, period. And if it starts out hurting, it's not likely to improve if you keep going without making a change.
2. Drop ~ a handful of lubricant into your palm and smooth it on both him and you. Even if you're turned on, lube will make sex more comfortable.
3. Roll Over ~ and try a different position, like woman-on-top. Sometimes the angle just isn't right, and his penis is knocking up against your cervix, ovary or something else.

...what I read

Life & Money

Worried bout getting laid off? Here's what to do..

1. Hoard the $100 you'd blow on weekend dining and plan BYOs with friends.
2. Micromanage your budget. And chip away at credit card debt as much as possible-there will be less to shoulder if you're ever out of work.
3. Stop using credit cards period, and live off cash to escape the interest beast.

...what I read

To Update Soon

I have to find time to update ........ found lots of health tips and bookmarked them. Just need to find the right time to update ......