Lets face it- There are many myths regarding bad affects or certain risks when it comes to using Birth Control Pills. While there are more then hundred milion women around the world who take birth control pills we should all be aware that as any other pill there are possible sides affect, however- they are very rare. On the other hand, there are many health and beauty benefits that contradict most myths.

These are several Health & Beauty facts regarding the use of Birth Control Pills you might wanna be aware of:

• Birth Control Pills DO NOT make you FAT. Especially with today`s low level hormones pills.

• The overall use of Birth Control Pills significantly reduce the risk of many types of cancers.

• Birth Control Pills help control not only birth but have a great beauty care benefit while controlling ACNE, in all ages. The effect is powerful and recommended by many dermatologists regardless the need of birth control matters.

• Using Birth Control Pills DOES NOT effect or reduce the chances of conceiving furute wise. The other way around- Birth Control Pills can actually protect the uterus.

• As long as you are a non smoker, and your blood pressure is balanced, even if you`re over 35, you should not have any concern taking Birth Control Pills.

• While taking as prescribe, every day at the same time, Birth Control Pills are %99.7 effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy.

• Many recent researches have proven there is no risk in continuously taking more then 21 pills at a cycle while skipping 1 or two periods. More then that- it is recommended for women who normally suffer from heavy bleeding, pain or migraines during their monthly period.

• There is no phisical need “cleaning” your system after a long use of Birth Control Pills, taking a break from its use after certain period of time and is considered as an unnecessary act.   

Supermarkets shelves are loaded with products claiming to contain 0 trans fat.  However, what many of us are not aware of is that this “zero” on labels isn’t necessarily a REAL Zero! Since according to the FDA trans fat labeling rulesand guideline, products may contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving in order to be claimed as “Zero” trans fat on their label. Companies are simply taking advantage of these regulations which results in deceiving us, the consumers!

Before you purchase your next box of crackers, cookies or any other product with a “zero trans fat” or “trans fat free” labels, take a look at the ingredients list. Be aware that labels don’t always tell the full story and try to pay attention to the nutrition facts which are normally located at the back of the product, in smaller fonts. That would tell you if the “Zero” is a real non-fat or maybe it is 0.3 or 0.4 grams of trans fat!  The reason this is so important is since the recommended daily limit of trans fat we should consume is 2 grams only! (about %1 of the daily calories, based on an 2,000 calorie diet). Just one of these so-called “zero grams trans fat” servings at each meal could easily adds up, therefore- Awareness please!!!       

Amazing how a supermodel can be so deep and proves to know nutrition, yoga and inner peace knowledge. According to a latest interview, the 26 years old Miranda Kerr has been working on a book over the past few years, `Treasure Yourself`, which is a motivational self-help book to encourage young women and girls to respect their own beauty and feel confident in themselves. Miranda has an incredible busy modeling career especially with `Victoria Secret` and she somehow manages to be one of the most grounded girls in the fashion and modeling business. She credits her inner calm to YOGA and MEDITATION, which have shown to improve heart health, lower bad cholesterol, cut stress, reduce migraines, bolster the immunity, lessen depression and fight pain symptoms.

Kerr has studied Yoga for more than 10 years and she even studied health and nutrition for 18 months at the Academy of Natural Living in Cairns, Australia. She simple has that awareness! “Yoga is so important to me“, said Miranda. “I’ve been doing it for a long time now and I’ve taken it to a fairly serious level. Through yoga, I became interested in meditation and positive affirmations!” Nice!

Some food can benefits our skin in different levels. However, these following ones are at the top list, and are highly recommended if you wish to keep your natural beauty skin as healthy and glowing as possible, before even applying any type of facial creams or anti-aging products. It is simple-  Stay healthy and look great at the same time! Eat more of these foods:

• Wild Salmon: A prime source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce skin inflammation and prevent redness, wrinkles and future sagging

• Yogurt: (and make sure it is a low-fat one, of course) gives bone boosting and more calcium then a glass of skin milk.

• Oysters: Yes, ladies and gentlemens, Oysters are a top source of Zing, which helps build collagen and speed up skin renewal and repair.

• Blueberries: from my Antioxidants  list, blueberries are full of them, and can prevent long term cell damage.

• Kiwifruit: One of my favorite fruits. It is rich in potassium as banana, however add its plenty of vitamin C and you promote glowing, wrinkle free skin! Luv this one!

• Sweet Potatoes: full with Beta-carotene, which helps smooth the skin.

•  Tomatoes: are major source of lycopene, combined with their anitioxidants can protect against sunburn.

• Walnuts: rich with omega 3 and help fight against skin ailments like psoriasis and eczema.

• Dark Chocolate: last but not least, great news for the chocolate lovers: it is full with antioxidants and nutrients cocoa, which helps boost hydration, smoothness and protection against sun exposure.  (choose chocolates with %60 percent cocoa). 

Ever wondered why smiling, laughing, happy people always look prettier?  There is a simple proven secret for that:  There are many health benefits of laughing, and our sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools we have to make certain that our daily mood and emotional state support good health.

Look how many benefits you can gain from a simple LAUGH:

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy, enhancing relationships and supporting both physical and emotional health. In addition to the domino effect of joy and amusement, laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. With so much power to heal and renew, I recommend looking for several daily positions which can make you laugh, in order to improve your lifestyle and health!

When molecules in the body oxidize, they can create free-radicals. Those, create a destructive process in our cells, causing the molecules within the cells to become unstable. They may even be a big player in the formation of cancerous cells by a “chain-reaction” effect, causing other cells to become damaged. Because of the inherent instability of free-radicals, they try to attack other healthy cells to get stable themselves. This then causes the once-healthy cells to react in the same way, attacking others in an never-ending attempt for cellular stability.
 

Antioxidants stop the cellular chain reaction of oxidation by neutralizing the free radicals. Once an antioxidant finds its way into the body, mostly through the foods we eat, it slows down, or even prevents, the oxidation of other molecules. Many experts feel that increased antioxidants in the body can also help slow the process of aging, on top of preventing cancers.

Make sure to keep a large amounts of antioxidants on hand and inside your body on a regular base! But How?!

The secret to expose yourself to more antioxidants is simply through your diet: Eat more organic fresh fruits and vegetables! This is the most effective way. By incorporating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day into your diet, you may be helping your body reduce its chances of heart disease, neurological diseases, cancer and lowered immunity, keeping in mind that organic, raw, fresh and local is always best.

In this post, I will explain how to choose the best oil for each purpose, keeping in mind flavor, health benefits, and cooking secrets.

A little about OILS :

Oils are mostly liquid at room temperature. They come from plants such as seeds like Grape or Sun-flower, fruits like Olives, nuts like Peanuts and legumes like Soybeans. Oils are %100 percent fat, however their fat is made up of various pro-portions of few fatty acids:

• The “GOOD” Fats: Poly-unsaturated and Mono-unsaturated. Those can help improve blood cholesterol profiles, ease arterial inflammation and stabilize heart rhythms, which result in a healthier cardiovascular system. 

• And, the “BAD” Fat: Saturated, which can elevate harmful cholesterol. Another “bad” fat in oils is: Trans fat, which is created by manufactures by altering the chemical structure of oil in order to increase its shelf life.

An Ideal all purpose oil will be, of course- low in Trans fat and Saturated fat and high in Mono/Poly-saturated fat. In addition, look for a “Cold-Pressed” processed since it means- preserving antioxidants and vitamins, therefore worth the extra cost.

It is very important knowing what is the Smoke Point of each oil you consume since the smoke point is the temperature at which oil burns, becomes health-risky and can easily start a fire. That is the main reason why certain oils are better for high heat cooking then other.

A number of factors can impact the smoke point of any fat: presence of sodium, number of times oil is used, length of time oil is heated or storage of oil (exposure to oxygen, light, temperature). Fats that have gone past their smoke points contain a large quantity of free radicals which contribute to risk of cancer.

Oils such as: extra virgin Olive, Peanut, Grapseeds and Seseme have mid-low Smoke-Point at approximately 320F / 160C degrees, therefore recommended for dressing, low-heat cooking or beauty products. However, oils like Canola and Sunflower or Soybean can be used for high-temperature cooking as deep-frying. 

Olive Oil

Canola Oil

 

There is no doubt that in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle diet we should all eat low fat food and drink a lot of water on a regular daily base, right?!  It is also known that baked is better then fried, that sweets normally contain too many carbs and “empty calories” and that cholesterol is bad. We do remember that whole grain is much better then white and that fruits and vegetables are always the best preferable snacks.  When it comes to a diet, there are many well known “roles” as some of the above and one important rule is less sodium. However, many of you must have asked yourself at some point- Why Salt? Is Salt Really Bad for us? What is there to Sodium that is restricted to weight watchers and many diet programs?  True, for years we were told that salt can higher our blood pressure, though new and recent studies claims that salt by itself is not enough to higher blood pressure and does not necessarily raise the risk of heart disease. Sodium is naturally being balanced by another mineral- Potassium. Banana, for example, is high in potassium.  Make sure you get enough of that mineral.  

However, what is there to salt and loosing weight?

Everybody loves to sprinkle a dash of salt on their meals so then why is Sodium being restricted? Salt does not cause your body to gain or lose fat. In fact, salt has no calories. Basically, high consumption of salt can results in temporary weight gain as it causes your body to retain water. Conversely, low consumption of salt can result in temporary weight loss as it causes your body to expel water. You would find many crash diets which boast quick weight loss rely on foods with little or no salt content. The weight loss achieved by these diets is mostly water, and as soon as you eat foods containing salt again you regain the weight.

Sodium darkest secret is that high levels of salt in our diets usually come from calorie dense and fiber poor. You may be surprised to find that what you think are healthy food products may be high in sodium. Did you know that a bowl of Cheerios has more sodium than a serving of Ruffles potato chips? Processed and manufactured foods like those found in fast food restaurants or on supermarket shelves such as tomato sauce, soups, condiments, canned foods and prepared mixes are high in sodium and bad for our diet.  Therefore, as a result, if you adhere to a low salt diet, it will likely consist of the lower calorie, healthier foods associated with weight loss.

Secrets of what the Sun can do to the Skin

Sun damage is the greatest threat to your skin’s long-term health and beauty. Nothing ages skin faster than the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, and premature aging caused by exposure to the sun’s rays creates saggy skin, wrinkled skin, dark sunspots and discoloration.

Your skin is exposed not only when you’re lounging by the pool, but when you’re going from your car to the grocery store.  Further more, about 80% of the sun’s cell-destroying UV and UB rays can penetrate windshields and assault your skin even through cloud cover.   

Some of the nasty secrets of what the sun can do to your skin are destroying skin’s connective tissue, leading to loss of tone, texture and firmness (what causing the appearance of wrinkles) and encourage melanocytes to become overactive and clump together, resulting in age spots, uneven pigmentation and skin cancer.  

In order to prevent sun damage, besides staying indoors you should wear broad-spectrum lotions with SPF 15 or higher, over sized sun-glasses, wide-brim hats and use spray tanning services.

Take a look how some celebrities protect themselves from the dangerous sun rays:

Samantha Jones wearing a wide-brim hat

Paris Hilton: Hat and over sized Sun-Glasses Jessica Simpson out in the Sun

Jessica Simpson out in the Sun

Reese Witherspoon- Everyday Sun Protection!

Sources say Jessica Alba has been on a diet since the age of 12. “Everyone in my family is heavily overweight” said Jessica. “I wanted to be healthier, so I started cooking for myself when I was 12 years old. When I eat breakfast, I’ll have an egg-white omelet, cottage cheese and a fruit. For lunch, I’ll have a salad. Dinner is usually light: vegetables and chicken or fish. During the day I’ll have some frozen yogurt or granola snack. I don’t really eat desserts or bread.”

I could not agree more about the bread part, however, if you are about to have a sandwich or would like to include bread with your meals, check out the recomended healthy choice of bread:   Whole Grain Wheat.

Did you know you can get the beautiful bronzed celebrities look you always wanted AND avoid the damage you can acquire from over exposure to the sun or tanning-bed lights? Due to the increased consumer awareness of skin damage, skin cancer risk, premature aging and many other skin problems caused by UV rays, I recommend the FDA approved Airbrush Spray-Tanning, as the finest, safest and most effective way to get a long-lasting, natural-looking glow that will give you an instant tan in less than 15 minutes, and normally last 7 to10 days!

I call it: “Tanning in Style” since it`s the hottest new thing in the beauty industry. Everyone wants a sexy looking tan however, not everyone is naturally blessed with beautiful glowing skin therefore I found using spray tanning solution is an affordable and safe way to get an all year round tan without damaging your healthy skin. 

This of it as like getting a makeover that will hide skin imperfections such as wrinkles, acne, stretch marks or cellulite and will make you look and feel better in minutes! Your teeth will look whiter and your eyes brighter. You will look thinner, younger and healthier then ever!

How does Spray Tanning work? What`s the Secret? 

The active ingredient in the solution is the FDA approved (and safe!) dihydroxyaceton (DHA) which reacts with the amino acids in the outermost layer of the skin. When DHA is combined with the amino acids in your skin, it reacts by giving your skin a tan appearance. You will continue to tan for up to 6 hours after your session. In addition, most solutions contain a bronzer, a temporary coloring agent, which washes off leaving behind a deep, bronze skin tone. Airbrush tanning can disguise cellulite, blemishes, stretch marks and other imperfections. It is considered nontoxic and non-carcinogenic. DHA based Sunless tanning has been recommended by the Skin Cancer Organization, American Academy of Dermatology, Canadian Dermatology Association, The American Cancer Society and the American Medical Association.

 I was told about a possible side effect of getting orange skin from spray tan solutions, though did my research and discovered that “Orangeness” is an outcome of tanning pills, old/expired tanning solutions and improper application of home tanning creams and sprays, which is why you should always let a professional apply your spray tan.                     

What is her makeup secret?

Do you have MakeUp Confidence?

Her Makeup Style is Classy, soft, clean and polished.  She keeps is very simple. Colors should never be too obvious. Monochromatic (one color) lip, eye, and cheek color is best. No shimmer or frost. The overall is striking or smoky, using black eyeliner and makeup lines with medium pigments in their colors, and a full-coverage yet lightweight Foundation.  The secret to get that look is: Blending. Skilled blending of all makeup applications is critical. you should never see the lines of any makeup application.

Angelina Jolie would never draw for more attention to her makeup than to her and is confident enough that she does not need her makeup to speak for her. She really does wear her makeup!

It is so important for a woman to not hide behind her makeup!

Now ask yourself- are you letting your makeup wear you? Do you have makeup confidence? If you do, Angelina Jolie`s makeup style is the right style for you!

Boost of Healthy Energy!

Banana is full of fiber, vitamins, proteins and minerals. It is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes and you could benefit from it in so many ways, since it contains all of these great nutrition:

• Three natural sugars combined with fiber- boost of energy.

• Type of protein that the body converts into Serotonin- for relaxation and good mood.

• The vitamin B6 regulates blood glucose levels- help reduce PMS (Premenstrual syndrome)

• High in Iron which can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood- help in preventing anemia.

• B12 vitamin, the potassium and the magnesium this great gift of nature contain, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal- if you are trying to give up smoking.

• A mineral called- Potassium, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.

Research published in “The New England Journal of Medicine,” concluded that eating bananas as part of a regular diet reduced the risk of death by strokes as much as 40%!
Some cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.