Daily Health Task

Just like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated on a daily basis. The following is a guide to daily tasks:

1. Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run or jump for a minimum total of 20 minutes a day.

2. Protect your skin. Sun block should be applied on face, neck, arms and hands even in the dead of winter. It protects against climatic toxins too. Moisturize skin daily.

3. Eat fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat dairy products and small amounts of protein. Avoid sweets and other processed foods.

4. Meditate or spend a minimum of five minutes daily in quiet time.

5. Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises your level of consciousness, motivates you, and satisfies your soul.

6. Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems, and learn new skills. As does the body, the brain atrophies with lack of use.

7. Hug somebody.

Healthy Sexy Hair

My hair is a horrible frizzy mess and it looks like a rat’s nest! It’s been like this for the last week, and it may not get better. My favorite hair conditioner changed its formula! I used to have thick, curly hair, and now I have thin, curly hair, which has looked extremely frizzy for most of my life. For the last four years or so, I had finally found a product that almost cured my hair, and made it appear somewhat “normal.” I found Healthy Sexy Hair’s Soy Milk Conditioner. This conditioner worked so much better than the hundred or so conditioners I have used in my lifetime. It was literally the only conditioner that made my hair look better! I’m very happy with my Mop Leave-In Conditioner, which I also use daily. At least that’s still around - for now…

Why do companies change product formulas?
Remember when I wrote about my product discontinuation paranoia? I guess I jinxed myself by not including the conditioner in that list. I had a giant bottle of the conditioner that ran out last week, and when I went to Ulta to get more of it and noticed it now had new packaging, I got worried. The ingredients have changed, and now the conditioner is not as thick, and it now works like every other conditioner on my hair - horribly. The scent is the same. Why did they have to change the ingredients? This conditioner used to get rave reviews on Makeupalley.com, and now, of course, the reviews are sucking. I can only assume the new conditioner is cheaper to make. No other explanation makes sense.

How to find a product to replace your favorite discontinued product
Now I’m on the sad, daunting task of finding a good conditioner once again. I typed in the first five ingredients of the old conditioner into Google, putting quotes around them. One random conditioner I’ve never heard of contains those five ingredients, in that order, and I will soon be ordering it online. Frederic Fekkai Protein RX Conditioner has the first three same ingredients, and it’s the only conditioner I found that is sold at stores, so I will try that also, even though it’s ridiculously expensive.

If neither of those work, I will soon start researching good conditioners for frizzy, curly hair, and start my 28-year search all over. The only good news to this story is that at least I still have hair to worry about. As bad as my hair looks now, I am still thankful to have hair.

For now, if you have a favorite product that’s been discontinued, my only advice is to type its ingredients into Google, and see if you can find something else that lists the first several ingredients in the same order, or at least near the beginning of the list.

Quick Update
After writing this post, I went back to Ulta and found that Healthy Sexy Hair makes lots of different conditioners, and their Curly Sexy Hair’s ingredients are more similar to my old conditioner, than the re-vamped version. I’ve been using it, and it’s not exactly great, so I’m not real happy. But the point is to first look within the same brand if one of your favorite products gets discontinued. A lot of times companies will make more than one product with the same ingredients, even though the products will be called something totally different.percocet detox

It gets expensive when you want to look your best, and the cosmetics and skin care options are endless! Here are several tips to help you save money on skin care, without sacrificing looking beautiful.

1) Wear sunscreen every day, especially one that contains zinc oxide. The sun ages us more than just about anything else, and it’s easy and relatively cheap to wear sunscreen every day. In the long-term, this will possibly save you thousands of dollars on anti-aging skin care products that you won’t need as much. You may even prevent wanting to get plastic surgery later in life to fix your sun-ravaged face!

2) Stick with proven anti-aging ingredients. Retinol, and retinoids are currently still the best proven anti-aging skin care ingredients. Use a retinol or retinoid product every night, and you will be helping your skin stay young.

3) Stop tanning at tanning salons! Not only will you save money you wasted on tanning, but you will be preventing future damage to your skin, which you will later regret. This will save you money on products trying to fix your sun damage, and will possibly save you from wanting plastic surgery to tighten up your saggy, wrinkly skin.

4) Stop smoking. I know it’s incredibly hard to quit, and you know the obvious benefits you would gain from stopping - saving tons of money, and preventing your skin from aging extremely prematurely.

5) Research skin care products before you buy them. Head over to makeupalley.com and read Product Reviews to see what others think about the products that interest you. Read up on the featured ingredients in the products to see if the ingredients are really proven to be effective. Pick up Paula Begoun’s Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me and read her review of thousands of products. Come to my blog and see what I have to say :)

6) Return products you don’t like. Most department stores and drug stores allow you to return products you don’t like, even if you’ve opened them. Check with the store about their exact return policy, and always keep your receipt. Don’t feel bad about returning a product that really didn’t work for you.

7) For prescription medications, go with generics when possible. Some prescription acne and wrinkle creams come in generic versions, so ask your doctor to allow generic substitutions on your prescription. Most birth control pills also come in generic versions.

In some states, it’s also legal to purchase your prescriptions from Canadian pharmacies. CanadaDrugsOnline.com, for example, is a reputable Canadian pharmacy that will send your prescriptions to your house. This can save you 50% on prescriptions.

Also, if you have a Flexible Spending Account, use it to buy sunscreen, acne medications, and lots of other things with your pre-tax dollars.

8) Stock up on your favorite products when they’re on sale. I always buy two or three of my favorite drug store items when they’re on sale. I am too lazy to cut coupons, but that’s another great way to save money.

9) Get the Gift With Purchase. Some department store brands have “gift with purchase” bonuses a few times a year. I only purchase my pricy Clinique Moisture On-line when they are doing the free gift. I always end up with a great free mascara, and usually some other free products I like. Or you can sell your unused “gift with purchase” on eBay! Just don’t buy something only because of the free gift, but I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of that!

10) Look for coupon codes when buying online. Did you know most online websites are always running some sort of promotional discount? Before I hit “purchase” on any website, I always open up a new browser and type in “coupon code” and then whatever online store I’m on. So you could do “coupon code” Sephora or “coupon code” Victoria’s Secret. You can usually find codes for free shipping, 10% or 20% off, free bonus gifts, and lots more. You enter the code where it asks for it on the checkout page. Sometimes you may need to try a few different codes before one works, but it’s worth it!

Also check around to various beauty blogs (every weekend I post links to several of them) to find out about new beauty specials. A lot of my beauty blog friends post frequently about new promotions that are going on at different online stores. I sometimes post about this too.

11) Use cheaper, yet still effective products. There are lots of cheap, yet good products out there to use. I always try to buy drug store products as much as possible, and only buy more expensive products when there is not a drug store equivalent. For example, I really like Nivea Creme, which works like Creme de la Mer, but costs 100 times less! When I’m only outside for a few minutes a day, I may use a cheaper sunscreen than my favorite (sort of expensive) Shiseido sunscreen.

Fitness Glossary

A-D | E-L | M-S | T-Z Abdominals or "abs" - The collective name for the muscles on the front of the torso, below the chest. Swimming, rowing and Nordic skiing work these muscles.

Abductors - Muscles of the hip that pull your legs apart. Gluteus medius and minimus pull your legs outward. Inline skating, skiing and dance work these muscles.

Adductors - Muscles of the inner thigh that pull your legs together. They attach the pelvis and the femur (or thigh bone).

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You use these muscles when inline skating, skate skiing or swimming the breaststroke.

Aerobic - Literally, "with oxygen." Aerobic exercise is the body's process of producing energy with oxygen in the bloodstream. Byproducts are carbon dioxide and water (breathing and perspiration). It's great for burning fat and strengthening your heart and lungs.

Anaerobic - Literally, "without oxygen." In anaerobic exercise, energy is produced without oxygen, usually because the exercise intensity is such that the heart and lungs can't get enough oxygen to the muscles. Anaerobic exercise creates a byproduct called lactate, which builds up in the muscles and causes soreness and fatigue.

Antioxidants - Substances such as Vitamins A, C and E and minerals such as copper, magnesium and zinc. Believed to destroy free radicals, which some scientists think may not only accelerate aging but also contribute to the formation of cancers and cataracts.

Asana - The term for any of the many poses done in yoga.

B

Ballistic stretching - A kind of stretching that advocates bouncing to increase the amount of stretch. This is no longer recommended as it has been found to cause muscle tears and soreness.

Barbell - Weights attached to a long bar which requires both hands to pick up.

Bicep - The muscle running along the inside of the upper arm which bends your arm at the elbow. Paddling a canoe (and a kayak, to some degree) exercises your biceps.

Biomechanics - The study of the mechanics of muscular activity.

Board-lasted - Shoe construction featuring a piece of stiff fiberboard glued to the upper and then to the mid- and outsole. These shoes offer a lot of stability and motion control, appropriate for the over-pronater. Learn how to choose running shoes.

Body fat - The percentage of your body mass that is not composed of lean muscle, water, bones or vital organs.

Burnout - State of being bored or tired with exercise, frequently the result of overtraining or unvaried workouts. Cross-training and rest are good remedies for burnout.

C

Cadence - The beat, time or measure of rhythmic motion or activity such as pedaling a bicycle. Your cadence is the speed of your pedaling.

Cardiovascular - Relating to or involving the heart and blood vessels.

Complex carbohydrates - Starches, such as grains, breads, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans. They get their name from their complex, chainlike structure. During digestion, starches are typically broken down into sugars and used by the body for energy. Complex carbohydrates offer you more sustained energy levels than simple carbohydrates.

CoolMax� - DuPont CoolMax� is a high-performance polyester. It uses DuPont's proprietary Dacron� fibers to move sweat away from the body to the outer layer of the fabric, where it can evaporate quickly. Learn how to choose fitness clothing.

Cool-down - Slowing down at the end of a workout to allow your body temperature and heart rate to decrease gradually.

Creatinine - A proteinlike substance manufactured by your muscles (but also found in some meats) that has been found to increase athletic performance and delay fatigue. Gives the muscles strength and a greater ability to do high-intensity exercise such as sprinting. Also helps buffer the lactic acid that accumulates during high-intensity exercise.

Cross-training - Mixing different activities into your regular workout routine to avoid overuse injuries and to prevent boredom. Cycling, running and swimming are 3 common activities used to cross-train different muscle groups.

Curved last - Shoe construction with a curved sole. This shape provides cushioning and promotes inward motion. Good for feet with rigid, high arches that underpronate. Learn how to choose running shoes.

D

Dehydration - The abnormal depletion of body fluids, easily detected by dark, concentrated urine. Prevented by drinking water or sports drinks before, during and after exercise. When you are fully hydrated, urine is plentiful, pale and odorless.

Deltoids or "delts" - The triangular, 3-part muscles that wrap around the tops of the shoulders. They allow you to raise your arms forward, backward and out to the sides, and also rotate them inward and outward. Rowing, rock climbing and swimming work the deltoids.