Veterans Day - A Day To Remember

 Thanking all those who fought to keep our country free.

Avoiding Weight Gain During The Holidays.

We are already into November, heading into the holiday season when everyone pulls out all stops.  This is the time when everyone has cookies, pies, big meals, and so many other goodies that it is easy to gain weight. The good news is that most people do not gain the mythical 5 pounds over the holidays.  Instead, they only gain a bit under a pound, possibly as much as 2 pounds.  It is hard to turn down the sweets when your aunt insists on you trying her dish, or going out to dinner at others houses.

Fortunately, there are things a person can do to keep their weight gain down or off entirely.  Rather than sitting down to catch every special, or game, get up and move around.  Get together with the family to walk around the neighborhood.  Participate in organized community events such as working out at the local gym before the thanksgiving meal in exchange for canned food or go on one of those 10 km runs.  

Instead of enjoying cookies, pies, or cakes for snacks, look at either not snacking or enjoying fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, or seeds because these are healthier for us. In addition, watch your portion sizes so you don't indulge too much.  A trick my mother always used was to go for the salad plate rather than the dinner plate because it was smaller and she couldn't put as much on it.  If you have to use a dinner place, do not go back for the second spoonful because you do not want too much food on your plate.  Many of us grew up learning to eat everything on our plates so we will eat everything we put there.  In addition, do not go back for seconds because that is more calories you don't need, even if the food is fantastic.

Another way to keep weight gain down is to slow down, put your electronics away, and enjoy a conversation.  When you are multitasking while eating, it is extremely easy to over eat due to being distracted. When you sit down, take a few breaths before taking your first forkful of food.  Then chew every single bite so that you recognize when you are actually full so you stop. 

It is also important to get enough sleep every night.  When you go out to parties, you are likely to stay up later and sleep less causing you to eat more and exercise less.  In addition, your metabolism tends to slow when you don't get enough sleep.  You also need to watch your stress levels.  Let's face it, planning a dinner for the whole family can be quite stressful.  When you are stressed you are more likely to eat junk food and have higher levels of cortisol which is not good.

Furthermore, make sure you serve protein with every meal.  Many of the dishes served at this time of the year tend to be rich in carbohydrates but don't have a lot of protein.  When you serve enough protein, you are less likely to be hungry and over eat.  In addition, do not eat as many desserts as you want to due to the excessive amount of sugar and you also want to watch the amount of alcohol and soda you indulge in.  Both of these have lots of empty calories which can lead to a weight gain.

One other thing is to make everything from scratch rather than relying on highly processed foods. Boxed stuffing mix, or mashed potatoes often are high in unhealthy fats, salts and sugar also known as hidden calories.  Its the extra calories that can cause the weight gain.  Always find time for yourself to exercise, keep an eye on what you eat and if you mess up, move on.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.   Have a great day.

Taking Care Of Your Hair In Winter

It is definitely winter in many places in the United States.  The temperatures have dropped so it's cold outside, the wind may be up, and there is snow on the ground. Winter can be a challenge for hair, especially if it drys out easily.   Winter weather can be quite damaging to your hair, the indoor heat can dry it out, and static electricity loves to play havoc with it.  Fortunately, there are certain steps you can take to protect your hair from winter damage, so it stays soft and healthy.

One easy thing to do, to protect your hair is to wear a hat whenever you go outside. By covering your hair, you are protecting it from the dry air, snow, wind, and rain. All of these can rob moisture from your hair causing it to become dry and easily break. In addition, make sure if your hat is made out of wool, cotton, or other such fabrics, you line the hat with satin or silk to help protect your strands because the wool, cotton, etc can cause breakage. We all know you often experience static electricity when wearing a hat, so apply a bit of dry oil spray before putting it on. 

If you do not own a humidifier, buy one and use it during winter to add moisture to the air.  The air tends to dry out due to indoor heating and the humidifier really helps with keeping your hair hydrated.  In addition, keep up with regular trims.  It is recommended you get a trim every four to eight weeks so the ends don't develop split ends.  Once the ends split, there really isn't much you can do to have them return to normal other than trim them.

Even though we love nice hot, steamy showers in winter, do not wash your hair in it.  When you wash hair in super hot water, it can take moisture out, making the hair more brittle.  Instead, choose to wash your hair in lukewarm water so your hair stays more hydrated.  Instead of blow drying it or using hot temperature tools, let your hair air dry.  Unfortunately, blow drying your hair can suck moisture out and make your hair prone to breakage, so air dry it.  If you are used to washing it in the morning, wash it at night to give it more time to air dry.  Furthermore, never, ever go outside with wet hair because the cold temperatures can possibly cause the water on the hair to freeze and make the hair break off.  

Winter is a great time to use oil on your hair to keep it soft and hydrated.  Look for a light weight oil such as argon to leave in so the hair instantly improves and apply a good oil to the ends to keep them hydrated and so they don't split. If you are out and want to use something, keep some anti frizz sheets with you.  Just run them over your hair to tame flyaways from static electricity.  Don't forget to give your hair a deep conditioning at least once a week to help return moisture to your hair.  In addition, use leave-in conditioners as an extra layer of rehydration.  

If you suffer from dry hair no matter what, use a rich hair mask at least once a week because it can help reverse the effects of dry hair and keep the damage to a minimum.  Furthermore, try to wash your hair less often because washing your hair can strip the hair of its natural oils and make it dryer.  Instead of washing every day, do it every three to four days.  If you feel your hair needs washing more frequently, look at using a dry shampoo between washes to refresh your hair.  Speaking of shampoo, look for a shampoo that moisturizes or hydrates your hair to help keep it healthier.  If you feel as if your hair products are accumulating in your hair, use a clarifying shampoo to remove the residue like once a month.

Follow these suggestions to help your hair stay beautiful and healthy throughout the rigors of winter.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  have a great day.

Sea Dragons Are Real!

 Sea Dragons exist.  I saw several at the Waikiki Aquarium. 

Beautiful Sea Horse

 They come in so many different colors.

Preventing Sunburn In Winter.

I find it interesting that most people associate sunburn with summers only.  They think that when the temperature drops and the snow hits, they don't have to think about sunburn but they are wrong. People think that you can't get sunburned in the winter but you can. Although the UV index is usually lower in the winter, especially as you go further north, the sun is still powerful enough to cause damage to your skin, just like you can get sunburned on a cloudy day in the summer.  Remember, the UV rays are based on temperature as the rays come from the sun and the temperature is based on the earth's condition.

Unfortunately, many people mistake the redness in the winter.  They see the redness and decide it is actually windburn when it is really a sunburn. Another notion that many people subscribe to is that if they have a base tan, that will provide them protection from sunburn but in reality, a base tan only has an SPF of around 3.  In addition, many people get their base tan using a tanning bed which exposes your skin to higher rates of UV rays.

It is important to stay active in winter and if you are outside, you need to wear sunscreen, even in the middle of winter. When you go up in elevation, you expose yourself to more UV rays.  For every 1,000 feet you go up, your UV expose increases by 10 percent.  Furthermore, the snow reflects the sun and can double the amount of UV rays you are exposed to and this means you could be experiencing the same amount of UV rays as you do in the summer. The snow can reflect up to 80 percent of the sun's rays and you are exposed to this during skiing, snowboarding, sledding, skating or ice fishing.

In addition, UV rays will go through glass so if you are sitting in a glass enclosed facility, you can still receive enough sun to burn.  Remember, every time you get sunburned, your skin is damaged and the damage could lead to melanoma so you want to do everything you can to protect yourself year round.

Some of the ways to protect yourself is to wear a daily moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30 or a regular sunscreen of at least 30.  I, myself, wear a sunscreen designed for the face with an SPF of 50 and I wear it every day to protect my skin.  Wear clothing so all your skin is protected from the UV rays. Be sure to wear wrap around sunglasses or goggles that have 100 percent UV ray protection.  The reflected rays can be quite hard on your eyes in the winter. Stay out of the sun during the peak sun hours or use an umbrella or some sort of additional protection if you are out for long periods of time.  Don't forget to wear a hat with a large brim even in the middle of winter to keep you warm and to keep your scalp from becoming sunburned. . 

Don't forget to reapply the sunscreen every two hours or so just like you do in summer.  It is important to have continual protection. Plan to continue with the regiment all through the year regardless of the season because you can be sunburned at anytime.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a good day.

How To Clean False Eyelashes

 

This past Friday, I wrote on the different types of false lashes.  If you keep them clean and take good care of the false eyelashes, you can wear them more than once, so today, I'm going to let you know how to properly clean them. After all, you aren't going to throw them in the washer with your clothing. 

In addition, with the amount of inflation going on, you want to reuse your false eye lashes as long as you can so you don't have to buy as many new ones.  When you use the right method to clean them, they end up looking as good as the day you bought them.

The process of keeping your false eyelashes in good shape begins when you remove them from the eyelids. You do not want to use tweezers, pick at them, or yank them off. The best way to remove the lashes is to begin by washing you hands with soap and water so they are clean.  Then grip the outer edge of the strip of eyelashes between your thumb and forefinger and peel them off slowly and gently. If you are wearing small clusters of lashes, remove each individual cluster with your fingers. Remember to do it gently so you don't accidentally take off your real lashes. Finally, use a cotton soaked with makeup remover to take any adhesive from your natural lashes and eyelid.

Next one should clean the false eyelashes but the method used depends on whether they are synthetic or natural lashes.  In addition to getting rid of adhesive, most women use mascara on the lashes to make them all look like they are one.  So let's start with cleaning synthetic lashes.  You will need cotton or reusable swabs, cotton towels, and either oil free eye makeup remover or rubbing alcohol. To clean, begin by placing the fake lashes on the clean towel. Wet the cotton or reusable swab with the makeup remover or rubbing alcohol and squeeze out the excess liquid. Then gently rub the left over adhesive, makeup, and mascara off the lashes and focus on the bands where they get the gunkiest. When you have most of it off, then dip the swab in warm water to remove the last of the makeup and mascara. Finally, gently peel off any remaining glue.  Shape the lashes and let dry on the cotton towel.  Do not squeeze or rub the lashes. 

If your false eyelashes are made of mink or are natural, then you want to use a different method to clean them.  Since mink eyelashes do not generally need mascara, apply the mascara to your own lashes before you apply the false ones. At the end of the day, gently peel off the glue and do not use the rubbing alcohol or oil free makeup remover as they can damage the lashes. If there is something left on the lashes, dab a bit of water on a swab and dab the spot without soaking it. 

For magnetic lashes, hold the lashes by the band and make sure it is not sticking to another lash. If you spot any dried magnetic liner on the lashes, carefully use your thumbnail to scratch off as much as possible. Then run a swap dipped in oil free makeup remover along the lash band including the magnets before setting them out to dry.

One part of cleaning false eyelashes is to store them properly so they retain their shape.  When you buy a new pair of lashes, keep the box and store your cleaned lashes in the box so they retain their shape and are ready for the next wear. Remember, reuse of lashes is for personal use only.  You should not reuse your eyelashes more than one or two times after the initial wearing otherwise you open yourself up to possible infection for synthetic lashes but mink lashes can last up to 20 wearings. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.