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Gabriella
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March Is National Endometriosis Awareness Month

national endometriosis awareness month

March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month and since Endometriosis affects one in ten women, I wanted to help spread the word. Endometriosis is a silent disease, many times women don’t even know they have it. Painful cramps during menstruation are just seen as typical, rather than a reason to see a doctor.

My message to you is just see a doctor. If you don’t have health insurance, or don’t want to involve your family in letting them know you are seeing a gynecologist you can visit your local Planned Parenthood or if you are a student, visit your student health service. To find a Planned Parenthood near you visit PlannedParenthood.org and to learn more about endometriosis please visit Endometriosis.org.

Endometriosis from Endometriosis.org on Vimeo.

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artiffact
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M.I.S.S. Healthy Bites: Kinect with Your Body and Dance!

Kinect with your new dance instructors… in your living room.

January is such a motivating time of year.  Some folks set goals for eating cleaner, while others focus on connecting with their body by exercising more.  Fresh resolutions usually drive a pack of January gym rats to the treadmills each year, turning your usual workout routine into a waiting game.  Skip the crowds at the gym and instead, bring the workout, and the party, to your living room by hooking up the Xbox 360 Kinect system.  There’s no need for a controller with Kinect, because YOU are the controller, which means you’ll definitely get your body moving.  While all of the games provide a fun and active experience, the one that really makes me sweat is Dance Central.

There was a time when my main form of exercise was getting my dance on.  My girls and I would look all cute for a night at the club, but we secretly knew that we just wanted to bust a move and break a sweat. Now, with Dance Central, I don’t even need to deal with grumpy security guards because I can just tear up my living room dance floor.

Even though Kinect and Dance Central came out a few years ago, each time I turn it on I’m amazed at the technology.  This is coming from an OG 8-bit Nintendo gamer.  Kinect really can sense your movements, giving you points for how on point you are.  To make it even more fun, you can throw a Dance Central party and battle your friends.  There’s nothing like a little friendly competition.

Dance Central has 3 versions to date, each with a different set of songs and routines.  This game can literally teach you how to Dougie and show you how to Jerk (not like that’s how I learned).  You can even boogie down with Kool & the Gang, or 1, 2 step to Ciara.  But don’t expect all the dances to be familiar, because there are hundreds of moves that you can add to your arsenal.  You can’t mess with my Swag Drop and Talk to the Hand.  But no matter the song, when the moves are put all together, you’ll need a water break.  The songs range in difficulty levels, but I personally like to perform at a medium to ensure that it will be a good workout.  That won’t stop me from practicing the hard songs, because ever since I first played Dance Central, I secretly wished I memorized the funkiest of the routines so I could bust it out on the dance floor.  So if you see me and my girls getting down to Salt-N-Pepa and pushin’ it real good, then you know where we got our moves from. But you won’t be seeing me in the gym anytime soon, because the Dance Central is at home!

Anyone else dance off to Dance Central?  What’s your go-to song?

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Alexis Dayers
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CeraVe Moisturizing Lotions Review

Like most women, creeping up the ladder of her 30’s, I will try almost any moisturizer, facial peels and scrubs claiming to slow the aging process or restore a luminous glow on my face last seen in 1992. The problem with my constant experimentation with cleansers, scrubs and creams is that I forget that their potency can wreak havoc on my super sensitive skin (eczema prone). When my skin does erupt I go back to something simple and dermatologist recommended.

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion is meant for your body but it’s actually safe to use on your face. It’s lightweight, fragrance-free and absorbs quickly. However, be sure to layer sunblock over this as it does offer any SPF. There is a daytime moisturizer that does have SPF 30. I haven’t tried that yet so I can’t comment on it’s performance. I can’t say that this has kept my eczema on my body at bay by itself but it also hasn’t made my skin react badly either. I still rely on creams and ointments prescribed by my dermatologist but I tend to use less when I use this lotion.

Here are the ingredients if you are curious:

Purified Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behentrimonium, Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-11, Ceramide 1, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate,Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl  Lactylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum.

Even though I was happy with using this day and night, I wanted something a little thicker for bedtime so I recently picked up CeraVe PM facial moisturizer.

 

This is just a touch thicker, if I wanted to layer a serum in the future underneath this and my ointment, on super dry patches, I would feel fine. I also use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser to wash my face, followed by a toner, only if I’ve been wearing a heavier foundation during the day, ointment and then this PM moisturizer and so far it’s okay. However, I’ve noticed a small outbreak by my nose - this is the area I tend to break out if I do get any flareups. I think my skin is just getting used to this moisturizer, I’m going to give it a few more days before I feel the need to switch back to the moisturizing body lotion.

Here are the ingredients:

Purified Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglycerides, Niacinamide, Behentrimonium, Methosulfate and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20 and Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide 3, Ceramide 6-11, Ceramide 1, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Cholesterol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polysorbate 20, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl  Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Phytosphingosine, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum.

So the difference is slight in this moisturizer - there’s Niacinamide but no traces of Polysorbate 20 or Phytosphingosine. I know that these ingredients are nowhere near being natural but I’ve had bad experience with moisturizers that are rich in natural ingredients and vitamins.

I guess time will only tell how this will affect my skin. The good news is that I only spent less than $30 for both lotions and that will probably only get you the cleanser from most high-end skincare collections. I’ve been told that the only thing worth spending is on a good serum for wrinkle prevention, brightening or tightening. You can combine that underneath something economical and trustworthy.

Ugh, pretty sure I’ll fall for the latest moisturizer that will promise to eliminate any fine lines on my forehead, brighten my skin, get rid of my eczema entirely and help my lose 20lbs. I know I went overboard but if I do find such a miracle cream, shouldn’t it be able to erase just about every problem area I have?

When I do, I’m sure CeraVe will still be there to pick up the mess left behind!

CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion retails for $12.99/USD and CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion retails for $13.49/USD.

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M.I.S.S. Beauty Tip of the Week: Help, I Want Long Hair!

AW12 Catwalk

Lately, a lot of my female friends have been coming to me for advice on how to get their hair to grow faster. Fortunately, I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve gotten a terrible haircut, or bubblegum stuck in my hair and have needed to regrow my hair after getting a short cut. So, I looked to my sister who donates her hair to Locks of Love once a year or so. She doesn’t seem to have a problem when it comes to hair growth which she mainly attributes to a regular scalp treatment she uses every Sunday consisting of apple cider vinegar and mayonnaise. Sounds delicious! Believe it or not, the average woman only grows half an inch of hair every month, if she’s lucky. Now that long flowing hair is all the rage since appearing all over the AW12 catwalks, women are flocking to the nearest salons for hair extensions as well as monthly trims to promote hair growth.

AW12 Catwalk

I can’t recommend a product that will magically grant you hair-growing powers, but I can suggest a couple of lifestyle habits that promote hair growth. First of all, a healthy diet is key. More importantly, eating protein everyday is essential to boosting hair growth. In addition to protein, consuming iron and zinc is just as important - iron allows oxygen to be delivered to cells (and hair follicles) and zinc helps produce and repair body tissue. Other nutrients and vitamins that are necessary for healthy hair growth include: fats (Omega 3), Vitamin C, and Vitamin B (prevents hair loss).

AW12 Catwalk

Another important ingredient is minimizing your stress levels, both physically and emotionally. If these suggestions don’t seem to be making a difference, consider consulting your doctor concerning any medications you might be taking, the possibility of a scalp infection and/or hormonal imbalances. Some other points to keep in mind: limit your use of harsh styling products/tools (they damage follicles), don’t brush your hair more than twice a day, take it easy on your scalp (avoid tight braids), don’t use rubberbands, and take good care of your scalp.

If all else fails, you can test your luck with supplements and/or homeopathic remedies (like my sister’s hair masque), test out a product like Rogaine which is designed for both men and women, or get a divalicious wig à la Ru Paul!

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Gabriella
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CoreBody Reformer Challenge: Week 5 and Waist Trimmer Belt Review

empower fitness waist trimmer belt

Last week was week 5 of my six-week CoreBody Reformer challenge and I’ve been making good progress. At this stage of the workout the sessions are about hour with one full body workout and then an ab workout or stretch session tacked on. I definitely feel more strength in my arms, legs and glutes and exercises that were difficult are getting easier for me. What’s great about the CBR is that once something starts getting easy, you can add more resistance which I will probably do this week.

I thought I’d talk about the Empower Waist Trimmer Belt that I was sent to review because I’ve been wearing them with all of my workouts - running and with the CoreBody Reformer. The waist trimmer is made from neoprene and is designed to preserve body heat, promote water loss, and provide extra back support during exercise.

When I take my belt off it’s soaking wet each time. Yes, the water loss is temporary so don’t think that you’re belly will be gone just by wearing the belt. What I find most helpful is the support it gives me. I feel like the belt helps me keep my core aligned so that I can do my workouts properly. I used to have great posture (and a flat tummy) before the baby but with the pregnancy and carrying the tiny dancer I tend to hunch more than I would like. The belt helps me keep my back straight and it also helps me keep my tummy pulled in and I don’t feel so jiggly.

Ok, one more week to go - wish me luck!

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