Importance of Skin Preparation

Beauty Routine: Importance of Skin Preparation

Why would skincare involve makeup? Beauty starts with smooth, healthy, glowing skin. Many people tend to forget about skin care beforehand and place makeup on directly, resulting in damaged, clogged pores. Preparing your skin before the application of  makeup will ensure you flawless results, as well as increase the longevity of your makeup. Based on the individual products may vary whether you have normal, combination, sensitive, dry, or oily skin type. Include a cleanser, exfoliator, toner, moisturizer, as well as SPF to your daily routine as it creates a barrier between your skin and the harmful UV rays given off from the sun.

Personally, through all four seasons I have very dry skin. Without properly hydrating beforehand, my foundation looks like the Sahara desert. My skin will often flake, and when your base is not cute, you're not cute. Especially in person. But neither is looking like an oil spill appealing. People tend to always complain that, "oh I don't have time". But sad truth is that, we can't all be blessed with normal skin, and have to work for it in the long term

Analyzing your skin will help you recognize your own particular routine that is beneficial for you. So you can go slay all day. But here is some information for educational purposes. Normal skin is ideal as it is neither too dry nor too oily. People with combination skin tend to have an oily t-zone, while having the cruel experience of dry cheeks, or spot dehydration at the same time. Us dry skin people can be flaky, and tend to have a dull complexion. Oily skin is shiny throughout your entire face as it is caused by overactive oil-producing glands. But on the positive note, you'll have beautiful youthful skin longer than me. I'm also very sensitive, and sensitive skin is more complex because it ranges from dry to oily skin, and is easily irritated by many cosmetics  and skincare products.

According to Bobbi Brown, an internationally renowned makeup artist, and CCO of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, “The skin’s condition can be quickly impacted by changes in the environment, health, diet, and even products chosen in which irritate the skin” (Brown 33).

Cleansing, and toning will tighten pores, and remove excess oil, promoting longevity of the products. Exfoliators will improve skin texture by removing dead skin cells, as well as decreasing the appearance of hyperpigmentation on skin’s surface.

But, hydration is the most significant step of skin preparation as our skin’s tone and flexibility relies on the water content of our tissues drawn from the humidity of the air, as well as moisture added onto the skin’s surface. Adding moisture will help maintain luminosity, and firmness. It's truly the secret to having youthful skin. Products entitled as a moisturizer will plump your skin. Enhance the look, feel, and overall health of your skin. No one likes wrinkles, and big pores am I right? Hence, the right moisturizer will help your makeup application to go on smoothly, and properly adhere to your precious skin.

I tend to go towards products in which don't tighten my skin and tend to be quite hydrating, so it may not appeal to oilier skin. But please, no matter what skin type you have, avoid alcohol. It'll only irritate, and dry out your face significantly causing your pores to create even more oil.

While I could continue to rant about the different types of skin, and the significance of preparing your face before applying makeup, there are 6 tips in which are beneficial, and adhere to all skin types. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks UV rays, and avoid long periods of direct sunlight. Too much sunlight can cause aging process to quicken. Stay hydrated by drinking water, as well as moisturize. Not only will it help the condition of your skin, but bodily functions as well. Obtain a moisturizer that works for you. For oilier skin types, I recommend using gel bases rather than creams. Do not ever smoke, nor try any form of narcotics. Most importantly, wash your skin gently everyday, and never wear any form of makeup to bed. Will you incorporate skin care to your lifestyle?

Healthy Snacking

Cravings can be a huge setback when trying to maintain a healthy diet. Most people when they think of a snack think of carbohydrate loaded chips or crackers, but all those do is make you crave more. However, "protein is far better at giving you a pick-me-up" (Zinczenko 66). Lot's of things can get the job done, as well as taste good.

Men's Health, Get Back in Shape focuses on being healthy, but still enjoying life and not having to make huge sacrifices to keep those few extra pounds off. There are plenty of healthy snacks the book talks about, including Laughing Cow Cheeses, hard boiled eggs, and Muscle Milk. I have taken a particular liking to apples and almond butter. The apples are sweet and satisfy my sweet tooth, while the almond butter brings on the protein (Zinczenko 66). This snack is filled with natural sugars, and no room for artificial additives.

I have tried to hold myself to eating this as a snack rather than something unhealthy whenever I'm craving that little something, and it's been working. I've been staying away from chips for the past couple weeks, and as a result I've felt more energized. I'd suggest this snack to anybody trying to stay on the healthy side.

What other quick healthy snacks do you recommend?

Zinczenko, David. Men's Health, Get Back in Shape. Rodale Inc, Emmaus Pennsylvania, 2009.

Eggs - The Perfect Protein

Protein is the key to building muscle, and everybody knows that eggs are protein-packed. "Calorie for calorie, you need less protein from eggs than you do from other sources to achieve the same muscle building benefits" (Zinczenko 69). Basically, the author of Men's Health, Get Back in Shape is saying that you can eat less eggs, but still have enough protein needed to build bigger muscles. Eggs are also packed with vitamins and minerals, such as B6, B12, iron, and zinc, that are necessary for a healthy body (Zinczenko 69).

In knowing this, I have put eggs in my daily diet. I usually try to eat them for breakfast, but if I don't have enough time to make them in the morning, I make sure that they are my first option for an after school snack.

One of  my favorite things to make are a quick scramble, with eggs, either ham or sausage, and a little bit of cheese. It takes less than ten minutes to cook, prepare, and clean up, and tastes good too! All you have to do is warm the meat, toss in the eggs, then sprinkle in some cheese and seasoning, and now you're set with a good, hearty meal.

After eating a meal with eggs, I always feel energized and ready to get up and do something. They are able to keep me alert at school, or even more pumped to go to the gym.

What other foods do you eat for a protein packed meal?

Zinczenko, David. Men's Health, Get Back in Shape. Rodale Inc, Emmaus Pennsylvania, 2009.

Shoe Laces Mastered

Having the proper equipment is a necessity when doing any physical activity, no matter if its lifting weights, or playing a sport. One piece of equipment that is often overlooked is the shoelaces. Usually, when you buy a pair of shoes, you take into mind the support and the arches, but you don't factor in the impact of the shoe laces on the composition of the shoe. Tying the laces too tight, or even lacing them wrong, can lead to aches and pains, that could eventually lead to serious injuries.

In my case, I find the top of my foot to feel sore after wearing shoes for a while, especially Nike Free Runs, which I work out in. In reading Men's Health, Get Back in Shape by David Zinczenko, I was able to find the simple and easy solution for this problem. By skipping a cross lace half way up the shoe, it can relieve tension put on the top of the foot, allowing it more room to flex (Zinczenko 56). I decided to give it a try, and here is what it looks like. 

The book suggests to "start at the bottom eyelets and criss-cross to the next set of holes. Then thread your laces vertically up the next two pairs of holes" (Zinczenko 56). Since there aren't many eyelets on these shoes, I only threaded vertically up one set of holes because there were not many holes in the first place. In using this shoe lace design, it relieved a significant amount of pain from the top of my foot, especially when running. If I were to have left this issue go unnoticed, it could have led to big problems, such as bone spurs, so I'm glad this tip was included in the book, and it makes physical activity much more enjoyable.

Here I am in my blue Nike Free Runs with the special lace design, able to focus more on the weights than the pain on the top of my foot.

What other tips and tricks do you know revolving around making workouts easier and more enjoyable?

Zinczenko, David. Me's Health, Get Back in Shape, Rodale Inc, Emmaus Pennsylvania, 2009.

Working out

Eating healthy is hard but something I have trouble with is working out. I’m a lazy teenager who doesn’t like working out so I never have the pull to go to the gym or go on a walk and etc. but then once I’m ready, I never seem to know what exactly to do or how to work out properly.

When you work out, there are so many benefits including, “improved energy levels, increased ability to handle stress, improved mood, reduced risk of many chronic diseases, enhanced self-esteem, more positive outlook on life in general” (Stollman 33). I personally know I should start working out more to receive some if not all of these great benefits.

Now onto what to actually do to work out, the book detailed some ways to work out including: Walking, Using a Work out DVD, Cardio, Strength training, and flexablitity training (Stollman 33-39). I’m going to try to start committing and doing these different exercises often to obtain some of these benefits as noted before.

The last section Lisa Stollman added about Exercising was 10 tips to make exercise part of your routine which includes trying to walk a lot each day, sign up for activities, and make sure to move at least 60 minutes a day. These are just some of the tips for daily exercise!

Do you like working out? What do you do to exercise?

MLA: Stollman, Lisa, MA, RD, CDE, CDN. The Teen Eating Manifesto: The Ten Essential Steps to Losing Weight, Looking Great and Getting Healthy. Northport, NY: Nirvana, 2012. Print.

Chocolate IS Healthy. . .

Have you ever been told: “Chocolate isn’t good for you!!” or “Try something healthier, chocolate is too sugary!”? According to the latest research, chocolate, in moderation hold extremely beneficial properties for our bodies. Michael Van Straten, author of Low Carb Super Drinks is a medical practicion and has been a doctor for many years. He has done a plethora of research on foods and their benefits and has created a book to help people find healthy recipes. The first line in the ‘Mealtime Drinks’ chapter reads: “Here’s some delicious chocolate, with the feel-good factor it always brings- and, according to latest research, heart benefits too” (Straten 70). Yes, chocolate is actually good for you. . . in proportions. No one is saying have a chocolate each day, but every now and then, a small piece of dark chocolate actually proves to help your body and in the latest research, has even proven to help reduce heart problems. Straten explains that even though there is delicious chocolate in this drink, that it is low in carbs because dark chocolate has far less fat and sugar than milk varieties. He says that mint is also one of the olderst remedies for indigestion (Straten 70). The drink he refers to is called ‘Bittermint Chocolate’, and it sounds delicious. It is made of:

3 oz of organic, good-quality plain mint chocolate

400 ml or 14 fl oz skimmed milk

4 small sprigs of fresh peppermint, washed

To cook and prepare:

1.      Grate about 15g of the chocolate and reserve

2.     Break the rest into chunks and put into a saucepan with the milk and two sprigs of peppermint

3.     Bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the chocolate is dissolved

4.     Fish out the mint

5.     Whisk or froth with a cappuccino wan

6.     Pour into mugs and serve with the grated chocolate and extra mint floating on top.

Straten emphasizes the fact that foods can help our bodies as much as medicines can. Foods are as healing as medicines and sometimes, medicines are even made up of many herbs and other foods. I know that this drink is calming and enjoyable since it contains mint, and I am more than curious to know how beneficial this drink really is beyond any immediate feelings. It tastes absolutely delicious too!

                

Do you agree with Straten that foods eaten in proportion, like dark chocolate, can be good for you even when you are cutting out all ‘unhealthy’ foods from your diet?

Straten, Michael Van. Low Carb Super Drinks. Great Britain: Mitchell Beazley, 2005. Print.    

Adrenaline Boosting Workouts

When most people think of adrenaline, they think of the fight or flight response that is triggered when levels of adrenaline are raised. This hormone increases glucose and oxygen levels, which are needed to physically exert your muscles. However, adrenaline isn't used for these certain scenarios, it can also be used for a more efficient workout.

With an adrenaline-boosting exercise is implemented into a normal workout routine, you can do more than you normally would because all of your physical and mental levels are boosted, allowing you to get the same level of workout done in less time.

In reading Men's Health, Get Back in Shape by David Zinczenko, I found a simple yet effective workout, that doesn't even require a machine or weights. This workout emphasizes "alternat(ing) between two movements, such as squats and push-ups, but mak(ing) them explosive by pushing yourself up with enough force so your feet and hands leave the floor on each exercise" (59). Doing multiple things at once forces your body to create adrenaline to cope with everything that is going on. A specific workout that I found was doing 24 squats, then 24 lunges, which seems fairly easy. Then you do 24 more squats, jumping after each squat, then 24 more lunges, jumping between each lunge. After these repetitions, your legs are completely drained, which is a good thing. Finally, you finish with a 2 minute plank (59). Once all this has done, less than 10 minutes have come off of the clock, and an intense workout has been accomplished.

Here I am doing a squat, working my quadriceps and thighs, preparing to explode up for a jump.

Next, I worked on lunges, exercising my glutes and hamstrings, making sure my front leg stays perpendicular and my back legs stays parallel to the ground.

To conclude the exercise, I went to the plank position for 2 minutes, with the second minute being excruciating.

After doing this specific workout, I did some other miscellaneous arm workouts, as well as a bike and elliptical session. I ended up being in the gym for about 40 minutes, but got a complete, full body workout. This adrenaline boosting workout is definitely a master of efficiency.

This workout reminded me of burpees, a workout where you do a push-up, then jump up, then start with another push-up, usually doing only 10 repetitions, but they sure are exhausting. Are there any other workouts that require multitasking that you recommend?

Zinczenko, David. Men's Health, Get Back in Shape. Rodale Inc, Emmaus Pennsylvania, 2009.

Bedtime Drinks

Have you ever been so stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed that you just can’t seem to get any sleep? Have you eaten too much and are awake with a growling stomach? Or eaten too little and lay awake with heartburn and indigestion? Well, these are all factors that can determine how well you sleep. Medical practitioner, Michael Van Straten, says, “Everyone will have the occasional bad night’s sleep. Stress, anxiety, pain, indigestion, strange beds, a snoring partner, or even the weather can be to blame” (Straten 88). What Straten explains is that many factors can affect how your sleep patterns play out. They can be very small and unnoticeable, to things you wouldn't even think would disrupt your sleep. He states that many of his patients, struggle with insomnia, and that many of these emotions just make matters worse (Straten 88). Stress, anxiety, and depression are some major emotions that can affect your sleep. There are many DIY remedies and recipes that Straten has put together in his book. He reminds you that, “None of them will knock you out like a zombie or leave you feeling muddle-headed in the morning. What they will do is help you unwind, relax, get rid of anxiety, and prepare your body physically and mentally for the night ahead” (Straten 89). What he has done is found food that help our bodies relax so that they can reach a state to sleep easy. Straten has created a handful of bedtime drinks that can help you achieve this state. One of those is ‘Yoghurt Mint’. Yoghurt Mint is comprised mainly of dairy products that provide calcium for your body which is naturally relaxing for your body and stimulates the brain’s release of mood-calming tryptophan. Menthol and menthone are found in mint and are one of the best remedies for digestive issues. This being said, mint would be a great food to consume to help you sleep (Straten 101).

Yoghurt Mint Recipe:

5 fl oz yoghurt

3.5 fl oz semi-skimmed milk

3 sprigs of fresh mint, plus 2 leaves to garnish

 

Grab a small saucepan, and very gently heat the yoghurt, mint sprigs, and milk for ten minutes. Take out the 3 mint leaves, and pour into a glass, garnishing the top with 2 mint sprigs.

Personally, I know a handful of people who struggle with sleep issues like insomnia. While this drink may not be everybody's cup of tea, I highly suggest finding a drink like tea or this Yoghurt concoction to see if it helps. Straten has done a lot of trustworthy research to help people who deal with these struggles.

Do you believe that there is any objective approach to coping with sleep? Do you agree with Straten that using foods’ beneficial properties like those found in mint is a valid approach?

Do you believe that the trick to sleeping is one that is cognitive rather than tangible?

Straten, Michael Van. Low Carb Super Drinks. Great Britain: Mitchell Beazley, 2005. Print.