Anyone else a little surprised by the Kylie Jenner plumper lip challenge a few months ago? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m shocked so many women are obsessed with getting plumper lips. It shouldn’t be a surprise though.Women have wanted plump, full lips for hundreds of years. As with most beauty issues, it’s all in the name of making ourselves more attractive to the opposite sex.
The problem is far too many women are taking extreme measures. This leaves them with bruised lips, duck face or other embarrassing results. I know it’s hard to swallow, but it’s just not worth it.
Men Love Them
If given the choice between thin lips and full lips, men prefer the full ones. They stand out and look more kissable. As a woman, I have to admit I find fuller lips far more attractive too.
Think about the celebrities men drool over. It’s stars such as Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson. They’re bombshells in their own right, but what woman hasn’t been envious of their lips? I wish I could have them too, but I’m just made differently.
Just remember that men aren’t just attracted to lips. Their eyes are drawn to other physical features as well. Of course, you could just take my approach and wear some red lipstick!
Celebrity Pressure
For years, women have wanted to be just like their favorite celebrities. We work ourselves to the bone to have the same perfect bodies that we see on the tabloids. Is it any wonder we’re obsessed with getting plumper lips too?
The thing women forget is we don’t have a makeup crew or Photoshop waiting to make our lips look perfect. I gave up on ultra plump lips years ago. I saw the before and after shots of several celebrities and realized even the sexiest women have thinner looking lips. They just had the resources to fake the look.
Of course, celebrities tend to resort to injections, fillers and surgery to make up for what they think they lack. Normal women have to think more about everyday bills than special cosmetic procedures.
Social Media Bragging
I love social media, but I hate it too. Nothing makes you feel worse about yourself than looking at picture after picture of all your friends and all the celebrities you follow seeming flawless. At the very least, you think they look better than you.
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have made it impossible not to believe you have to go to drastic measures to look beautiful. It doesn’t matter what others look like, but with the constant body image pressure women are under, we don’t see it that way. We just want to be able to post images just as attractive as all the others.
The obsession really took hold when the Kylie Jenner Challenge went viral. Thousands of women and men took the plump lip challenge. Instead of fessing up about her plump lips, she challenged people to suction a small glass to their lips.
One look at the competitors’ images and you’ll quickly see how bad of an idea that truly is. It does prove how obsessed women are with achieving the truly pouty look.
Full Equals Youth
I hate the idea that my lips are just going to get thinner as I get older. I know there are things I can do to prevent some of the thinning, but I can’t stop it completely. As we all know, women are obsessed with looking younger. It’s not so much about the age itself, it’s about looking attractive no matter what age you are.
My point is women and men equate fuller lips with youth. Since our lips thin as we age, we all think thinner lips mean a person is older. A 30 year old with ultra thin lips tends to look much older than she really is.
This only applies if the only thing others see is our lips. I’m just as guilty as any other for obsessing over a single perceived beauty flaw and forgetting to look at the whole picture.
Sure, the lips might look older, but if the skin is free of fine lines and wrinkles, the person still looks young. It all boils down to the desire to always seem younger and the obsession only gets worse with age.
A Growing Trend
Like many beauty trends, plumper lips are the in thing right now. Years ago, a larger backside was mocked, but now women are getting implants to better fill out their jeans. Full lips are no different.
With pop culture influencing women now more than ever, fuller lips have taken off since they’re seen on the cover of every beauty magazine and tabloid. I’ve noticed lips seeming larger on models, actresses and musicians for several years now. It’s not all that surprising to see the trend catching on with women everywhere.
I can’t see women ever giving up completely on plumper lips, but I do see the trend gradually lessening. As soon as another celebrity claims thin lips with purple lipstick are the next great trend, you’ll see women clamoring to find purple lipstick and flatten their lips.
The Path to Plumper Lips
Some doctors are starting to turn away women in their quest for full, youthful looking lips. Why? Women want a drastic overhaul. I’ve seen women with a top lip that’s four times bigger than their bottom. I’ve also seen women proudly walk by with duck lips.
I always secretly hope these lips are the result of some type of allergy and the women will look normal again when the swelling goes down. Believe it or not, some women think this looks good. For others, it’s a tragic side effect of surgery or fillers gone wrong.
It’s extremely difficult to get enhanced lips that look even remotely natural. It’s far too tempting to go overboard to ensure everyone notices. Women have resorted to injections, fillers and permanent lip alterations in their quest for plumper lips.
Stick With Natural
In the end, natural looks better. I’d much rather have thinner lips than have a doctor stick a needle in my lips, especially if I just look strange the next day.
I prefer things like cinnamon oil and peppermint oil mixed in with my lip balm. I get a fuller look without any nasty side effects. There are plenty of lip plumping glosses, as well. Of course, you could always try lip exercises. I’ve never done them myself, but many women swear by them.
Regular exfoliation also helps by improving circulation. It’s not that difficult to try a few natural methods. The result is beautiful, natural looking lips. They might not be as plump as Angelina Jolie’s, but they’re yours. Be proud of yours lips and don’t obsess over yet another beauty trend.
Tag: hemingway
I’ve got sweatshirts and hoodies in every room of my house…just in case I get cold. And I always get cold. Doesn’t everyone get cold on a humid, August night? Apparently not. When I took a poll, I was the minority. Like, the only one. Which kind of made me think.
Of course falling asleep at 8:32 on the couch every night, having to snake the bathtub every month from my hair falling out, or creating the tripod pose after a mile of my 5-mile run kind of made me think something was amok as well. A trip to Doctor Tom offered some insight. He thought I had asthma and sent me home with an inhaler.
When the inhaler failed to warm me up on a hot summer’s night I returned to Doc Tom, who proceeded to take some blood tests. He reported that my cholesterol was borderline (thanks Dad), my thyroid was perfect (thanks mom) oh, and what were we going to do about my severe anemia?
Wait … anemia? What anemia? I haven’t had any major surgeries. I’m not a vegetarian. I can practically devour an entire cow in one sitting. I drool at turkeys on the side of the road. I eat my spinach (sometimes—if it was hiding. And chopped up to resemble chives.) Okay, so I know that every month I go through super plus tampons like they’re not even there, and I have not one set of sheets that doesn’t remind me of that. But healthy me…anemic? Well, guess what? It seems as though I’m not the only one.
More than 3 million people in the United States have anemia, and women and people with chronic diseases are at the greatest risk for anemia.
What is anemia? It occurs when you have less than the normal number of red blood cells in your blood or when the red blood cells in your blood don’t have enough hemoglobin. Hemoglobin’s job is to carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body. If you have anemia, your blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen to all the parts of your body and your body can’t work as well.
How can you tell (earlier than I did) that you may be anemic? Here are some common symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Fogginess
- Brittle nails
- Hair loss
- Pale skin
If you recognized any or some of the above, you may be anemic. The good news is all it takes is a simple blood test by your doctor to find out.
What do you do if your iron is low? There are a bunch of ways to increase your iron stores. First, you need to figure out why you’re anemic.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Do you have heavy periods, often bleeding through tampons every hour?
- Do you exercise every day for more than an hour at time?
- Do you avoid red meat and/or are you a vegetarian?
- Are you on a low-calorie diet?
- Do you drink more than two glasses a day of wine or coffee?
- Do you have thyroid issues or a chronic disease like Crohn’s?
- Do other people in your family have anemia?
Regardless of your reason for being anemic, if you have low iron stores, it’s important to eat foods that contain iron and will help you to increase your stores.
Be mindful that heme iron (animal based) is more readily absorbed than non-heme iron (plant based). Eating heme iron will increase your stores faster. You can increase both heme and non-heme iron absorption by pairing it with vitamin C. For example, tomato bolognese sauce is a perfect combination of vitamin C from the tomatoes and heme iron from the beef.
If your reason for being anemic is that you bleed a lot during your period, talk to your doctor about ways to curb your bleeding. The pill, IUD, and minor surgical procedures have helped women to slow their periods and increase their stores. Unfortunately, I tried the pill and it left me with such horrible migraines that I swore to never put another hormone in my body again. Which leads me to supplementation.
If you’re iron is low, you need to get it back. Talk to your doctor about the best iron supplement for you. Many people find that iron pills can be hard on their stomachs and cause constipation. After much experimentation, I’ve found that one stopper full of liquid pediatric iron put into prune juice keeps my belly happy and my body healthy. Check with your doctor and see what your best option(s) are and don’t wait to feel better!
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Do Antioxidant Supplements Really Work?
These days it seems as if everyone is obsessed with getting enough antioxidants in their diets. This is with good reason too, as substantial amounts are needed to boost immunity and help ward off diseases and other ailments. Since antioxidant deficiencies are very common amongst the general population, many people turn to supplements.
So much so that the antioxidant supplement market alone is now a multibillion-dollar industry.
Despite widespread use, serious concerns and information gaps exist regarding the safety and overall effectiveness of antioxidant supplements, which begs the question of whether or not they’re really necessary for good health.
Based on years of experience and accumulated knowledge in this area of nutrition, I think they’re an utter waste of effort and money, at least for generally healthy people.
Why, you ask?
Well, before I get too deep, I’ll first need to highlight some basic information about how antioxidants themselves actually work.
Simply put, antioxidants are needed to offset the presence of free radicals.
Free radicals are chemicals that are naturally produced when the body converts food to energy (metabolism) but exposures to environmental toxins like tobacco smoke, ultraviolet rays, and air pollution can also cause them to form.
Under normal circumstances, the body is able to counterbalance free radical formation through a combination of its own natural antioxidant defenses as well as antioxidants supplied by the diet. However, when the body’s antioxidant defense mechanisms are impaired or when there are insufficient amounts of dietary antioxidants, free radicals can build up causing damage to cells, tissues, and organs of the body.
Since, most illnesses and diseases are in some way or another linked to damage caused by excess free radical production, consuming an antioxidant-rich diet is critical for prevention and overall good health.
Indeed increased intakes of dietary antioxidants like vitamin A (beta-carotene), C (ascorbic acid), and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) has been proven beneficial in lowering the risk of numerous conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, degenerative diseases and inflammatory disorders.
Now, unbeknownst to many, the benefits associated with increased intakes have generally been related to increased consumption of antioxidant-rich foods, as opposed to supplements. In most instances, antioxidant supplements do not reduce the risks of developing any of these diseases.
In spite of evidence to the contrary, supplement makers continue to tout the disease-preventing effects of synthetic antioxidants to unsuspecting consumers when in all actuality they haven’t been proven effective.
In fact, taking in exceptionally large doses or “megadoses” of antioxidants in supplement form could actually lead to adverse effects. This might sound unbelievable but it’s totally true. With the exception of vitamin C, dietary antioxidants are not excreted in urine, which essentially means that they can easily accumulate in the body and become toxic.
So, why even go there? Especially considering the potential risks.
There are just too many ways to get ample amounts of antioxidants from everyday foods.
For instance, you can obtain well over 300 percent of the daily-recommended intake of vitamin A by eating just two small carrots, a cup of steamed kale or a 1-cup serving of baked sweet potatoes. In addition, by including a wide range of fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds into your dietary repertoire, you’ll get ample amounts of vitamins C and E.
Remarkably, plant-based foods also house specialized compounds called phynutrients (flavonoids, lignans, indoles, isoflavones, and polyphenols), which, in and of themselves, have powerful antioxidant-like effects.
But it doesn’t stop at antioxidants!
Incredibly large amounts of fiber and other health-promoting vitamins and minerals are housed in plant-based foods–ingredients that just can’t be obtained from a single supplement. Interestingly enough, associations between antioxidant intake and disease risk are actually more reflective of the collective actions of all these dietary factors as opposed to the antioxidants themselves.
In other words, disease prevention and overall good health requires a holistic dietary approach that’s inclusive of antioxidants.
At the end of the day, you can get all the antioxidants you need and a host of other valuable nutrients by simply consuming a diet that’s rich in plant-based foods. No supplements necessary! Still, if you choose to include supplements in your diet, know that they don’t prevent disease nor will they make you any healthier. Just an unnecessary burden on the budget.
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How To Make The Fitness Honeymoon Last
There is a honeymoon phase in all areas of life. Most of us had it when we began a new school year growing up. We experience it when we start a new job or business venture. The honeymoon phase is something we all enter when we start anything new—including a new health and fitness program.
So how do we make it last? If you want to keep the honeymoon feeling alive, there’s no better example to look to than marriage.
When people fall in love, they get married and go on the time-honored honeymoon. While it isn’t realistic to stay on your honeymoon forever (most of us have jobs and have to go back to reality eventually), we can take steps to keep the honeymoon feeling alive beyond the vacation.
Of course we’re focused on fitness here, but marriage and fitness have a number of overlapping principles. Here are some practical tips we can use to help keep the fitness honeymoon alive.
1. Remember why you started.
When I first met my husband, I was completely smitten with him. I loved the way he made me feel so special. I loved his romantic heart and Prince Charming appeal. I even loved his silly jokes. He often teases me saying, “you’re going to miss my jokes when I’m gone.” And the truth is, while sometimes they drive me crazy, I know I would.
It’s easy to lose sight of what made us fall in love with fitness to begin with. We forget all the benefits we gained when we started our fitness relationship—the strength, the stamina, the energy, the improved quality of life, and each little victory we experienced along the way. We begin to take our fitness for granted. Sound familiar?
If we want to keep the honeymoon going, like in a marriage, we have to focus on all the reasons we fell in love with fitness in the first place.
2. Continue the same effort level you had when you started.
When it comes to courting a new mate, there is a certain level of work involved. Dates are planned out perfectly. There is a lot of effort put into appearance and first impressions, as well as overall attitude and behavior.
Men are typically more polite, pulling out chairs and opening doors for their lady. Women are often more respectful, never daring to argue over where to eat or what to do. A date can look very different 20 years into a relationship. That doesn’t have to be the case, however—and it surely doesn’t have to be the case with your fitness journey either.
If you want to keep the honeymoon alive, the first step is to go back to the courtship. If the honeymoon seems to be over, think back to what you did in the beginning of your fitness journey and begin investing the same energy as you did to get fit to stay fit.
3. Keep making new discoveries.
When we begin a new relationship, we spend a lot of time getting to know our mate, learning about what make them tick. We want to know their favorite color, what makes them mad, and what makes them happy. Every new discovery is exciting.
When we start a new fitness program, we are also excited about learning. We are eager to invest the time it takes to understand fitness better. However, we risk losing that excitement if we quit making these discoveries.
4. Keep things fresh and exciting.
As you continue to explore new workouts and methods, you will have more opportunities to try new things. Since there are so many different types of workouts, there is really no excuse to let a workout get boring. Complacency kills. If you are too lazy to venture out of your comfort zone and try new things, you can lose interest very quickly—and your love for fitness will die.
5. Don’t let your guard down.
One of the biggest mistakes a married couple can make is to get complacent and let their guard down. There will always be temptations. We risk falling the minute we think we are strong enough to push the boundaries.
A newlywed is always more protective over their new sweetheart because they see their value. If you want to keep the fitness honeymoon alive, you must set up protective boundaries. You need to establish rules to hold yourself accountable and to protect your investment. As you build this hedge of protection around your health, you will prevent attacks that could lead you astray. The longer you stay committed, the more valuable your health will become—and you’ll learn to cherish it more and more each day.
It’s no secret that these days everyone is obsessed with technology, and runners are no exception. Look through the online photo album of a recent road race and I guarantee you that more than half of the shots will not be of runners beaming cheek to cheek or raising their hands in the air celebrating their accomplishments. No, instead you will see countless photos of runners crossing the finish line, head down, feverishly reaching to stop the clock on their GPS watches.
We are obsessed.
And in a society driven by gadgets and technology, it is no surprise. What was once a luxury in the running world, GPS (Global Positioning System) watches are now as common as a neon colored pair of running sneakers. But who can blame us? What runner wouldn’t want to know their exact distance run or pace at any given second, plus have the ability to immediately upload the data to our computers to analyze our run AND simultaneously brag to our friends on social media? Incase you’ve never met a runner before, I’ll go ahead and inform you: this group typically comprised of “Type A” personalities. And a valuable tool that can give us instant feedback regarding our performance is a temptation very few in the endurance community can resist.
But they (we) should try to resist more often.
While a GPS watch can indeed be a useful tool for training purposes, it can- and has – become a hindering crutch for many runners. So why should you give up your GPS watch…at least some of the time? I’ve got four good reasons for you.
1) So You Can Learn to Listen to Your Body.
So many runners now rely on the numbers on the screen of their GPS watch to determine their running pace, instead of listening to their bodies and running by feel. Relying on these numbers may physically and psychologically prevent you from being able to differentiate race pace, tempo pace, aerobic pace, and so on. What are you going to do if your GPS battery dies on race day? You need to have a general idea of what effort your body is putting forth without depending on technology.
Which leads me to my next point:
2) So you don’t become a slave to the GPS.
Let me ask a question: have you ever delayed or skipped a run because you forgot to charge your GPS watch and the battery is dead? You can admit it, I’m guilty as well. Sure, I totally understand the desire to know your splits or distance for a longer or important workout. But if you have come to rely on your GPS for your ALL of your training runs, finding out that you cannot run with the GPS for whatever reason may become frustrating, or even detrimental, to your training. And let’s face it, it starts to take the fun out of the sport you love.
3) They aren’t 100% reliable anyway.
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but believe it or not, technology is not always accurate. GPS signals can be delayed, or even off in distance. As a result, the obsessive GPS runner may speed up or slow down their workout based on an inaccurate GPS reading, and therefore not reach their goal. Learning to pace based upon feel, and only relying on the GPS as a backup, will result in more consistent, successful workouts.
4) Don’t ruin your recovery.
Recovery days. We love them and we hate them. But easy workout days are prescribed for a reason; they allow your body to actively recover between more intense workouts. Now, as we’ve mentioned numerous times already, endurance athletes tend to be slightly obsessed with numbers. And being obsessed can lead to a hatred or dread for seeing a pace much slower than what we know we are capable of. For some people, knowing their pace at any given moment may cause them to push harder than they should for that specific workout. Leaving your GPS at home on easy runs will allow you to relax and focus on your pace based upon listening to your body.
Listen, you don’t NEED to know your pace and distance to enjoy a good run. And you also don’t NEED to know your pace and distance to become a better runner. Is the data provided by GPS watches helpful? Absolutely. But can it suck the enjoyment out of running? Yes. And if you lose the love and thrill for running, what’s the point in even continuing?
So if you find yourself getting frustrated by the numbers that are…or aren’t…showing up on the gadget on your wrist, consider ditching the GPS. At least some of the time. And remember why you loved running in the first place.
Over the years, writing about health and fitness, I’ve talked to tons of trainers and athletes about their workout habits, tips and tricks. And after all my anecdotal research, I’ve come to one conclusion:
Pretty much everyone has days when they’d rather do anything but workout.
You’re tired. You’re hungry. You’ve been working too much. It’s that time of month. You have a headache. The pillow is calling. The TV is calling. Your cat is calling… Should I keep going?
The key to exercise consistency is crowding out those excuses with the right motivational system. Here are some ways you can prompt yourself to hit the treadmill, trail, bike, or field. Really, it’s not as hard as you think.
Tip 1: Toss any ugly, uncomfortable gear.
I was recently talking to a super-marathoner—which means she’s a gamer, guys. She regularly signs up for races in excess of 30 miles. She will even run races up to 100 miles (!!). And you know how she motivates herself to train? Just like I do, actually: by buying the best, coolest, cutest outfits possible. Fashion mavens, don’t lie. You know great clothes are all you need to up your workout game.
This tip isn’t just for the trendsetters, though. Comfort is essential. Throw away any items that are too small or don’t stay in place, swapping them with workout gear that feels as good as it looks.
If your clothes don’t fit well, you’re not gonna wanna to workout. If you look good and feel good before get up and move it, move it? You’ll enjoy yourself more, and you’ll be more likely to workout every single day.
Tip 2: Sleep in your workout clothes.
Getting a workout in before you officially start your day is the surest way to make sure you don’t skip it; let’s face it, after you spend the day at the office or chasing kids, exercise will be the first thing to fall off your plate. But changing from your PJs to your workout wear for that a.m. run? Oddly taxing.
Don’t give yourself any reasons to hit snooze. Try sleeping in those comfy workout clothes you bought (see tip No. 1), keeping your running shoes right next to your bed. The process is then this: wake up, lace up, go. No excuses.
Tip 3: Break it up.
Sometimes, though, I get it. You’re busy. Maybe it’s been a long day at work, a long weekend, or you just couldn’t fit your entire workout in before you had to start your day.
I often feel best when I break up my exercise into manageable chunks throughout the day. If your schedule is tight, try doing 30 minutes in the morning. Then at lunch, take a 15-minute power walk if you have some downtime. Do another 15 minutes when you get home before dinner—and then another 15 minutes after you fuel up on a meal.
Guess what? You just notched a whole hour of exercise! Plus, it’s better to keep moving throughout the day anyway; research has shown getting the recommended 45-minute block of physical activity daily isn’t enough to counter the health issues associated with sedentary lifestyle, like heart disease and type-2 diabetes. When in doubt, move your feet. Every hour, if possible. It all adds up and keeps your metabolism chuggin’.
Tip 4: Use “rewards” effectively.
Did you know there are lots of different kinds of rewards? Yup! According to Harvard Business Review, using that motivational system effectively can help you get stuff done—including those oh-so painful workouts, as I’ll explain.
Try using three different kinds of rewards to fuel your exercise game: regenerative, concurrent, and cumulative. Regenerative rewards are those that help keep your energy up for a challenge; so allow yourself a healthy snack or 20-minute power nap before your workout. Concurrent are rewards you get while you’re completing that tough task; so, yes, you can feel free to binge-watch some Scandal while you’re on the treadmill. Cumulative rewards are those you rack up with time; try setting aside $1 for every day you exercise, and eventually you’ll be able to withdraw that dough and treat yourself to a gift for your ongoing workout consistency.
Trust me. Rewarding yourself like a champ will make that hour-long workout way more fun.
Tip 5: Mix it up and make it social.
Lots of people get into the habit of doing the same workout over and over, over and over. This isn’t a good idea for a couple reasons. First of all, the more you exercise the same way, your body gets used to the workout. You’ll build up strength and endurance to complete that specific set of exercises, and you’re going to stop seeing results. You may hit a plateau.
Secondly, you might bore yourself right out of your routine. If your motivation to get up and get moving is waning, it’s time to mix it up. Enlist a pal to keep you accountable, and join a gym or yoga class. Get involved in a team sport, like soccer or softball, to supplement your runs and weight work. Basically: have fun!
Workouts don’t have to be so serious. At the end of the day, if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong. #Protip.
With the extraordinary amount of entertainment options available today, it’s becoming easier and easier for people to make excuses to stay indoors. Obviously, it’s good to get some fresh air once in a while, but have you thought about the air you’re breathing inside your own home?
Houses and apartments are becoming more and more efficient, which is good and bad. Efficient dwellings mean reduced energy bills, but they also trap indoor pollutants. An array of common household items such as adhesives, cleaning products, and even your carpet can release stuff into the air you don’t want to be breathing.
There’s a simple fix, though. Certain plants will help clean the air by soaking up the harmful air particles and producing clean oxygen. You just have to remember to water them.
It’s a small price to pay for fresh air.
English Ivy
English ivy is the king of air-filtering plants. It’s insanely easy to grow and soaks up formaldehyde and other carcinogens like a champ. NASA scientists didn’t declare English ivy the best plant for air quality for nothing. Keep in mind that the plant’s fruit, small purplish berries, are poisonous. Make sure to keep any plants out of reach from children and pets.
Aloe
Aloe is known for its healing properties, especially its ability to soothe skin. Luckily, it’s useful for more than lotions. Aloe will cleanse the air of chemical pollutants found in household cleaning products. It’s also a good indicator of air quality. If the leaves start to exhibit brown spots, pollutants in the air have become excessive.
Bamboo Palm
The bamboo palm also made NASA’s list of top clean-air plants. The plant is great at filtering benzene and trichloroethylene out of the air. It does well in shady indoor spaces and can add a nice tropical feel to any room.
Rubber Plants
Rubber plants (and Janet Craigs) are great because they take little to no effort to grow and maintain. They thrive even in dim lighting and cool climates. Like aloe, rubber plants are great at removing formaldehyde from the air. They add a nice exotic touch to your decor as well.
Peace Lily
The peace lily is also a low-maintenance plant that will spruce up your interior. It’s one of few houseplants that regularly blooms indoors, so it has that going for it. Peace lily plants remove formaldehyde along with benzene and several other harsh chemicals emitted by cleaning products. This is another plant that’s toxic to children and pets, which is something to keep in mind.
Snake Plant
The snake plant doesn’t need much light or water either. The plant is a nice addition to any home because it soaks up carbon dioxide and releases oxygen at night. Most other plants do this during the day. It adds a nice boost of fresh air once the sun goes down!
Dracaena
There’s a huge variety of dracaena plants available, but they will all help you purify the air in your home. Keep in mind the beautiful, long-leafed plant needs some room to grow, as some will grow as high as your ceiling. It’s useful in reducing xylene, trichloroethylene, and benzene and adding green space to your home. The leaves are toxic to cats and dogs, so pet owners should be careful.
Golden Pothos
Golden pothos plants are known to be very versatile. You can put them in pots or hanging baskets or even train them to climb. They’re visually striking with their deep green leaves streaked with gold, too. Golden pothos plants are more than an office decoration, though. They are adept at removing formaldehyde from the air as well as carbon monoxide and benzene. Put them near areas like your garage and laundry room to soak up all those harsh chemicals.
Looks like it’s time to make a visit to the garden section of your local home improvement store!
Recently my social media stream has been full of posts about the “hidden dangers of sunscreen.” Upon clicking through, my initial reaction was fear. The sunscreen I use every day, and the one I’ve been using on my children for years, was listed as dangerous.
Could my sunscreen actually cause cancer?
Rather than taking the information at face value and buying into the media hype, I dug a little deeper into the safety and efficacy of sunscreens. My conclusion? We all need to take a deep breath and calm down.
Here are the facts (not the hype) about sunscreens:
Sunscreens work best when they are used regularly and consistently.
As a pale person, I don’t leave the house without applying sunscreen. Ever. I wear a high SPF sunscreen because after years of experimenting, that is what keeps me from getting burned. Lists of “safe” sunscreens, often only recommended zinc based products. Yes, these products work well, however they are very thick, clog pores, and leave a white residue. Thanks, but I’m not interested in the kabuki look. Again, the key is to use the sunscreen consistently, so finding one that is easy to use, feels good on the skin, and doesn’t cause breakouts is important.
The science doesn’t add up.
There has been great hue and cry over some ingredients in sunscreens. Some even claim those ingredients cause cancer. However, there is no verifiable scientific evidence to prove any of these ingredients cause cancer. The ingredients have in fact been rigorously tested. Here are the facts as reported by numerous independent scientific sources:
Oxybenzone: One of the studies often sited involved mice that were fed oxybenzone. Misunderstanding the results of this study caused some people to claim the chemical, when applied to the skin and not ingested, could cause cancer. This is in no way supported by the results of the study. Research on humans has shown the chemical applied to the skin is safe.
Retinyl Palmitate: This chemical is a form of vitamin A and some people claim it speeds the growth of tumors based on a study that was never published in a peer reviewed journal. There is no evidence retinyl palmitate or vitamin A does anything other than prevent skin cancer.
Nanoparticles: The concern that the small size of these chemical particles would allow them to penetrate the skin, attack DNA, and cause cell mutation is unfounded. Nanoparticles cannot penetrate live skin. The entire point of these chemicals is to apply them to the outside of the skin to create a barrier of protection. Some people are also concerned that breathing these nanoparticles while applying spray-on sunscreen will cause mutation. Experts suggest the only real concern about spray-on sunscreen is that people do not apply enough of the product, which leads to a false sense of protection.
You only need a little sun to get vitamin D.
Go ahead, use the sunscreen. Your body will still convert sunlight to vitamin D. On average, we only need about 15 minutes of sun exposure to get the vitamin D we need. The small decrease in vitamin D conversion that may be caused by a sunscreen in minor. Too much sun exposure actually destroys vitamin D, so relying on diet based sources such as milk products and oily fish may be the better strategy.
Sunscreen is just one tool in protecting yourself from skin cancer.
Experts agree that a full package of sun protection involves sunscreen as well as wearing a hat and other sun protective clothing, staying in the shade when possible, and avoiding tanning beds.
Skin cancer is a serious concern. According to the the Skin Cancer Foundation one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes and more than two million new skin cancers are diagnosed every year. Skin cancer prevention is essential. Be smart about sun exposure, know the facts, and use the sunscreen that works the best for you.
Pop quiz: Name three nutrients that are critical to building strong bones. Calcium, right? Everybody gets that one. Any others? Some people get vitamin D, and they’re correct. But almost no one can come up with a third. Give up? In addition to calcium and vitamin D, healthy bones need magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and vitamin K.
Okay pop quiz, part 2: What foods are the best sources of those bone-building nutrients? If you said milk, you’re in the majority—every day we hear that milk and other dairy products build strong bones. But if you said milk, you’re wrong—or at best only partly right. Yes, milk, cheese, and yogurt are good sources of calcium, and they do pretty well on vitamin D—if they’re “fortified,” meaning that it’s added to the milk. But they’re not even close to being good sources of most of the other important nutrients.
Let’s take a closer look at calcium, vitamin D, and some of those often-overlooked bone-building nutrients, including how much you need and where you get it.
CALCIUM is the most abundant mineral in the body, making up about two percent of our body weight. Almost all of it lives in our bones and teeth. In the U.S., the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adults is 1,000 – 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day. Calcium helps bones grow when we’re young, and keeps them strong as we age.
Milk and dairy products are excellent sources, but there are plenty of other high-calcium foods that may be even better because calcium in vegetables may be absorbed by our bodies more efficiently than animal-based calcium. Sources include kale, tofu, turnip greens, broccoli, beans, black molasses, fortified drinks (orange juice, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk), fortified cereals, salmon, and sardines.
VITAMIN D helps the body get calcium out of your food and into your bones, where it belongs. RDA is 600 – 800 IU (International Units) per day, but a lot of Americans are vitamin D deficient, which means not enough calcium gets to the bones. The result is an increase in the risk of bone fractures.
Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with a number of other health problems, including increased cancer and diabetes risk. Many experts now recommend 1,000 – 2,000 IU per day. Sunlight is by far the best source–just 10 minutes in the sun can give you up to 10,000 IU. But thanks to our current obsession with sunscreen (which is a good thing, but we still need to spend some unscreened time outside), we don’t get enough. Sources other than dairy include cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, sole, cod, tuna, sardines, and eggs.
MAGNESIUM makes bones stronger and teeth harder. The RDA is 200-420 milligrams per day, but Americans are even more deficient in magnesium than we are in vitamin D. Many experts now recommend that we get a 1:1 ratio of calcium to magnesium (in other words if you get 500 mg of calcium, you need 500 mg of magnesium too). Excellent sources are pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, whole grains, barley, soybeans, almonds, cashews, other nuts, beets, and collard greens.
PHOSPHORUS works with calcium to build bone mass and strength. As with vitamin D and magnesium, if we don’t get enough phosphorus, our body starts jettisoning calcium, usually via urine or by creating kidney stones. RDA is about 700 mg per day. Excellent sources include soy, whole grains, barley, dairy, nuts, cheese, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and lentils.
POTASSIUM neutralizes naturally occurring acids that can eat away at our bones. RDA is 4700 mg per day (four times more than calcium), and great sources are sweet potatoes, other potatoes, cantaloupe, bananas, avocados, tomato products, spinach, beans, yogurt, halibut, mackerel, peaches, and apples.
VITAMIN K keeps calcium in the bones and out of the bloodstream. RDA is 90 micrograms (for females) to 120 mcg (for males) per day. There’s barely any vitamin K in dairy products, but a cup of kale will give you 630 mcg. Other sources include spinach, turnip greens, and other dark leafy veggies, asparagus, cabbage, and broccoli.
As you can see, strong bones are made of quite a bit more than calcium and vitamin D. Problems start when the ratio of calcium to the other nutrients gets out of whack (and it almost always is). Too much calcium may increase our risk of developing kidney stones and arthritis, and may actually lead to an increase in the risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering bone fractures. (About a third of women–and a fifth of men–over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture.) And the biggest culprit is milk. Wait, what? Yep, as counterintuitive as that sounds, it’s true.
A number of international studies have found that countries where milk consumption is highest (the U.S. is at the top of that list) have the highest rates of hip and other bone fractures (we’re at the top of that list too).
What’s wrong with milk?
While milk products are high in calcium, they don’t contain enough of the other co-operating nutrients to get that calcium to the right place. Milk also contains a lot of protein, which sounds like a good thing but has its own problems. Eating a lot of animal (but not vegetable) protein–which Americans do too much of–increases bone fracture rates even further.
Oh, and it gets worse. In the China study, men with the highest calcium intake had double the risk of developing prostate cancer and four times the risk of having metastatic (mean it spread to other parts of the body) and fatal prostate cancer.
As long as we’re talking about important foods, let’s not forget about some that can have a negative effect on bone strength: these include salt, caffeine, sugar, and animal products. In moderation, they’re fine, of course. But eaten the way we typically eat them is a problem.
Finally, as important as diet is in building strong bones, it’s also important to do some weight-bearing exercise. Those include simple things like walking and jogging (but not swimming or horseback riding). Try to get 30 minutes at least five days per week.
Before you start any exercise routine or make big changes to your diet, talk with your healthcare provider about what’s best for you and your unique circumstances.
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Do You Have Superwoman Syndrome?
Many of us are superwomen; We are the women who feel and desire to live up to the expectations and pressures to do it all. We are the women who work hard and are totally dedicated to juggling multiple roles in lives: careers, marriages, family, and friends.
We are women hear us roar! We can do it all!
It can feel amazing to be successful and needed, and there’s a great sense of satisfaction and happiness associated with being able to do it all. On the flip side, being a superwoman can cause feelings of being overworked, overwhelmed with life, stressed, alone, and at times even depressed.
Does any of this sound like you? I am here to admit I am a superwoman, and I am not perfect. If you’re still debating, let’s get a little deeper into the characteristics of a true superwoman.
Being a Perfectionist: Superwomen desire to be seen as “good” inside and out. They strive for perfection in how they look, speak and perform in an effort to be seen as good enough. Being judged as good is important for their sense of worth. People-pleasing is often a habit because being liked is vital to a superwoman’s reputation and to them internally. A superwoman needs to feel loved and that they fit in.
How do we fix this? We superwomen need to first take time to love ourselves and base our self-worth on actually liking ourselves first and foremost. We need to realize that, hey, we are still loved and appreciated even when we are doing nothing at all.
Recognition is Your Drug: Accomplishments bring recognition, and for superwomen, recognition is the drug of choice. The more we achieve, the more recognition we receive, the more we want to achieve. It’s a vicious cycle.
Once more, superwomen need to practice being loved without depending on someone else’s approval. We need to be proud of who we are, and what we do, this should be enough.
Control Freak: Asking for help for superwomen doesn’t happen often. This I know firsthand. Why is this? Why can’t we allow others to help us? This can come from a fear that no one can do it better than we can. That leaves us with having too little trust to give up any control and allow others to help. It can also come from guilt or a sense of failure of not being able to do something on our own.
We can start to resolve this simply by asking others to help, and to trust that they will get it done. It’s all about letting go of control, and trusting in the process, in yourself, and those around you.
Just Say NO: Superwomen are afraid that if they say NO they will not be wanted or liked. Saying NO may make another person angry or upset, and this is not a good feeling for us superwomen. We over-function as way to control conflict.
We superwomen must learn to say NO. We must learn to share what we want and what we don’t want with those around us.
Over Driven: There is no accomplishment that is too big or to small; we will go for it, complete it, and strive for more. Superwomen are driven to be the best business owners and employees, best friends, best moms and best wives. I’m exhausted just thinking about it all.
We need to learn how to just “be.” If this is as hard for you as it is for me, I feel your pain. To just be, I’d have to be whisked off to a far off destination that includes a beach and no Wi-Fi, zero connection with the world.
Let the Walls Down: Superwomen may appear confident, but there are secret insecurities. Superwomen tend to feel loved only when performing and being perfect. We have a difficult time asking for help and speaking our true feelings. We control our lives through staying in our own minds and needing to be in control. Does any of this sound familiar? It can be difficult for loved ones to love a superwoman because she sees vulnerability and surrender as a loss of control.
How do we fix this? We superwomen need to learn to surrender control and express our feelings That means everything ladies – sadness, anger, exhaustion, confusion, fear, happiness, love, joy, the whole gamut! This will help those around you to better understand what it is you are needing and to be able to meet your needs. This will allow others to love and support you fully and completely.
Difficulty Receiving: Giving keeps us superwomen in a position of power which we equate to control. However, if we are always giving, then it’s not possible to feel appreciated enough, which causes us to often times see everyone as coming up short. This can create chronic conflict in relationships because no one can feel they measure up to our superwoman expectations.
We need to remind ourselves how good it feels to give. There is often guilt associated with receiving, which comes down to worth, and so what better way to learn self-love than to learn to receive? Can I get an Amen!
Superwomen are amazingly fabulous women who love deeply, give generously, and have a tremendous need for belonging and love. Learning to receive, follow and express their authentic self can heal this need for freakish control.
Do you know why you have a need for so much control? Superwomen controls mostly because of being afraid things will fall apart and she will shatter. Take a minute to ponder that one. It is great to be and feel successful, needed and appreciated, and it is equally as important to learn to just be, to receive, and to be able to follow rather than lead.