Everything To Lose, Everything To Gain: A Healthy Look At Dieting And Diet Supplements.

By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Taking vitamins is important for all of us, and it’s especially important for those trying to lose weight and perhaps depriving themselves and their body of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Remember, a healthy diet and ample exercise are the key to not only losing weight but also keeping it off. And, natural, healthy diet supplements may just be that extra help for those who get discouraged, especially once they reach a slow point or weight loss plateau. Yet, experts caution against products containing caffeine, growth hormone or ephedra, and suggest that such products may contribute to increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Furthermore, ephedra and growth hormone have been linked to increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Hence they suggest, when looking for a diet supplement its imperative to choose one that contains all-natural and healthy ingredients among which the following are listed:

Citrus auriantium (bitter orange): A nourishing nutrient found in the peel that improves the body’s ability to burn fat for energy.

Theanine: An amino acid extracted from green that lowers the production of stress hormones, which encourage fat storage.

Lipoic acid: A nutrient present in red meat, spinach, and broccoli that improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin preventing it from storing fat resulting in greater energy.

Conjugated linoleic acid”: An omega 6 essential fatty acid that converts the body’s fat into fuel, protecting muscles from breaking down during dieting and exercise.

St. John’s wort: An herb that (although you have to be cautious with this one, especially if your taking meds/antidepressants, it lowers their efficiency) boosts the amount of serotonin in the brain, lessening craving for junk food and sweets.

Kelp: This form of seaweed contains iodine, which helps keep your metabolism at a healthy level when you diet.

Digestive enzymes: Derived from a variety of foods, these help break down foods and maximize the absorption of nutrients to keep energy at its peak.

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Nature’s Best: Beauty Products That Are Also Good For You

By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Summer is the prime season for most of us “expose” ourselves more than in any other season. From flip-flop revealing our funky feet and toes, to open back tops and short shorts revealing some of our imperfections and flaws, including our pasty “white” winter skin.

But, getting you glam on for summer may mean compromising on honing in on health since many products contain harmful chemicals that may leave you looking good, but not feeling so good in the long run.

And, with people putting more and more emphasis on natural beauty, natural beauty products are gaining in popularity. Here are just some of the hottest trends in natural haute couture.

Formaldehyde and Toluene-Free Nail Polish: Formaldehyde and toluene often result in brittle nails due to dryness. Formaldehyde is actually a colorless, odorless chemical preservative and bonding agent that is fairly common in some lipsticks, toothpastes, and typically used in corpse preservation. Together with toluene, they draw moisture away form the body, skin, and nails, drying them out and removing their protective layer, causing stress and breakage. With that said, experts suggest formaldehyde and toluene-free polishes, which you can ask for or can fin in local health food stores.

Not So Hairy Hair Care: Natural hair care products won’t lather up as much as other (traditional) products you may be use to, but that’s only because they are devoid of ammonium lauryl sulfate or sodium lauryl sulfate, both chemical foaming agents that generate lavish lather.

Pure Pucker Power: Go ahead pucker up with some natural lip savvy products on the market. Containing no synthetic fragrances, preservatives or dyes and all plant extracts and ingredients they are safe not only for all day wear but also won’t harm you if you happen to lick them off.

The White Idea: Whiten and brighten your teeth with natural toothpastes. Remember, while some fluoride, such as the amount found in drinking water is good, the amount often contained in toothpaste can be toxic if swallowed regularly. In fact, too much fluoride can damage our teeth and our bones resulting in a decline in their strength.

Face The World Beautifully And Naturally: Keep skin beautiful, youthful, supple, sexy and healthy by avoiding products that contain sulfates, solvents or detergents that frequently irritate skin. Instead look for products infused with all natural ingredients such as citrus, sunflower, soy, jojoba, beeswax and glycerin.

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Work It Out: Unspoken Rules To Live By At The Gym

By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Going to the gym, means more than signing up and working out, it means abiding by the rules of the facility. But, there are also some unwritten rules that patrons are expected to adhere to. Among these:

1. Dress For Success: Bare feet, sans socks or in sandals or slippers are NOT toe-tally OUT. Instead wear a good pair of sweat socks and a good pair of shoes. Also keep in mind that while you want to look neat and clean, the gym is NOT the runway, jeans and “lingerie” should be reserved for after your workout. Opt for something comfortable (like track pants) that will also absorb your sweat, nor will leave you open for any wardrobe malfunctions.

2. Clean Up After Yourself: Not only should you place a towel on your bench or workout equipment before using it, but you should also wipe any perspiration from the machine when you are done.

3. Time Yourself: Sure you may want to go on a marathon run on the treadmill, but remember, you are not alone. There are other clients who are eager for their turn. So, limit yourself (unless the gym is totally empty) to about 20 or 30 minutes on each machine.

4. Rack’ Em Up: Regardless of what your routine is at home, remember to put things (at the gym) immediately back where you got them from when you’re done. This is especially important when it comes to weights, not only because others may want to use them, but also, because, if you don’t someone just may get hurt.

5. Grin (Don’t Grunt) And Bear It…And Please Don’t Drop The Weights: Two of THE most annoying things work out enthusiasts do is attract attention to themselves by either purposely dropping their weights or grunting as they lift. Neither of these is attractive and regardless of how well built you are you are NOT an animal, but rather a human being…act like one.

6. Can We Talk…The Answer Is No: While joining a gym IS a terrific social environment, it is also a place where injury can occur, especially if you disrupt a person’s concentration. While it’s perfectly okay to strike up a conversation with the individual on the elliptical next to you, refrain from speaking to those in the middle of doing their free-weight reps.

7. Play Nice With Others: Take into consideration how many others are waiting for the equipment you are using. So, if you’re taking a break, maybe you can share.

8. Don’t Be A “Stalker”: Regardless of how long you’ve been waiting or how much of a rush you’re in, try not to hover over others trying to pressure them to get off the machine you are waiting to use. Instead, bide your time wisely and wait patiently or reserve that machine for another day.

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