Tag Archives: Nutrition

The Secrets Of Her … A Lazy Woman’s Skin

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It is 4 a.m. and the alarm that I set has ruined yet another night of good sleeping.

Being a full-time college student and full-time employee can be very hectic and stressful. Waking up every morning takes me an extra thirty minutes, long after my alarm goes ringing off. Every morning I lie awake for those thirty minutes contemplating if getting out of my bed is worth it or not. When I finally decide that it is, now I am thirty minutes behind on my schedule. I have to Comb my hair, brush teeth, iron clothes, make hot tea, grab my gallon of water and I’m running out the door to make it to work on time.

Who has time for make up when you’re in a race to beat time? For me, I’d rather go bare faced than to look like a clown in a rush. I’d love to be at the stage where I can be the type of woman to sit and sip a cup of herbs with her husband, while going through a 10-step facial routine before bed, but I’m not. After completing long hours of homework at the end of day, I am on to the shower and back to bed to get some rest before the next day! As an on the go college student, I’ve adapted to a 6-minute skin care routine every night before my shower. Although I am not going to share my 6-minute routine, I will give you four tips on how to develop clear soft skin and a popping glow.

Photo Courtesy of PointsKitchen.com

First and foremast, you want to make sure you are drinking a proper amount of water every day to keep your body and skin hydrated. Water is the most important element for your body and drinking it can provide many of benefits.

Photo Courtesy of Walmart.

Tip #2, Witch Hazel is your friend My favorite brand is made by Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner 16 and sold at Walmart. All you have to do is just pour little Hazel on a dry towel and massage it into your face. You should see the dirt being removed from your face and feel your pores opening. It is such a tingly refreshing feeling.

 

Photo Courtesy of Walmart.

Tip #3, Cocoa butter is amazing. My favorite brand of Cocoa butter is by Palmer’s of course. A 350 ml bottle from Walmart can take you a long way. I used to work the job of a day care teacher and my babies would always ask me if I had brought them marshmallows. Sadly, I lied and told them yes, but they could only find them if we could go a whole day without anyone in the class having to flip to a red card as a discipline consequence.Needless to say, they never received the chance to eat marshmallows with Ms. P!

Photo Courtesy of Dollar General

Last but not the least, have you heard of Vitamin E oil? The dollar general sells the body Vitamin E oil at a low price of $2. Vitamin E has proven to make the skin healthier and provide a nice glow. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that prevents formation of free radicals that damage our skin cells. Its antioxidant properties neutralize the oxidant effect that damages collagen and makes the skin dry and forms wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and discoloration. Vitamin E also contains anti-inflammatory properties and can protect and repair the skin from cellular damage.

Ladies take care of your skin and your skin will repay you with a healthy glow. It is important when being a lady on the go that you don’t look like you’ve been on the go. Who needs make up when your skin is popping?

Food Myths: The Truth Behind Diet Soda

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Let’s begin with this quote. “I don’t believe in ‘diet’ sodas. Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke are still sodas. If you’re on a diet, why are you drinking soda?” I am going to go out on a limb and say that most Americans are not nutrition experts. So, when we hear of a new fad, trend, or see a label proclaiming ‘DIET’ on the front, we tend to automatically assume that product is the better choice. It is no surprise that when someone decides to tackle a diet, they switch from normal soda to diet soda, thinking it will be the healthier option. However, like the above quote states, soda is soda. Not only is diet soda not the “healthier” option of the two, but the effects can also be worse.

The main reason people switch over to diet soda is because of the calorie count. The less calories the better, right? Why waste 140 calories on a can of soda when you could still have a soda with 0 calories and put that 140 towards something more nutritious? The problem is, to have zero calories, real sugars are replaced with artificial sweeteners like aspartame.

Studies show that these artificial sweeteners tend to have the same effect on our bodies as real sugar. In a study done by RD Brooke Alpert, she found that “Artificial sweeteners trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain.” There was also a study done by the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. They compared diet soda users to non-users and discovered a 70% increases in waist circumference in those who drank the soda. Even more shocking, there was a 500% increase in those who had 2 or more a day. The average waistline increase was 3 inches in 4 years. While you may not be taking in any calories, you’re not drinking something that benefits your body in a good way either. If you want a non-caloric beverage, try sticking with water.

Not only does diet soda cause weight gain, but it is also extremely acidic. It is even more acidic than just a regular soda. We know that too much acid in our system can disrupt the balance of our intestines and destroy important gut flora. This leads to some not so fun side effects such as acid reflux.

Finally, is metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association did a study over diet soda consumption and the results should leave everyone hesitant when making the final decision on whether to drink one. Results of the study showed daily consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater relative risk of incident metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with non-consumption (HR 1.36 [95% CI 1.11–1.66] for metabolic syndrome and 1.67 [1.27–2.20] for type 2 diabetes). This shows that caution needs to be taken when consuming these beverages. Metabolic syndrome can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. It can also lead to increased belly fat, which we already know is an effect of diet soda, and high cholesterol.

If you are trying to make the decision between diet or non-diet, you can now clearly see that just a regular soda is the way to go. Diet soda causes weight gain, high acid levels, and increases your risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.  However, if you are serious about trying to have a healthier lifestyle or lose weight, no soda is a good option too. Remember, there is nothing “diet” about diet soda.