4 “Razones” Why You Should Wear Sunscreen Daily

Submitted by on June 30, 2011 - 2:17 am

Did you know that only 31% of women are consistent about wearing sunscreen daily? The other 69% mistakenly believe that they’re exempt. Here are 4 of the many razones (reasons) why they are very mistaken.

Razón Número 1 (read “Uno”) – UV Rays Are Everywhere

Whether we are at sitting outside, under fluorescent lights or at the computer, we are constantly exposed to UV rays. In fact, most of us rack up about 14 hours of casual UV exposure per week. Prolonged human exposure to solar UV radiation may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eyes and immune system. And in the long run, UV radiation diminishes the cells of the skin, fibrous tissue and blood vessels, which may lead to wrinkles, age spots and skin cancer.

La Solución

Make sure that your moisturizer has an SPF of at least 30, and apply each morning. Planning on sweating? Then make sure that it’s sweat-resistant and slather it on all sun-exposed areas, just to be on the safe side. A great one is Aveeno hydrosport, with SPF 85!

Razón Número 2 – Sunscreens ARE Safe

Contrary to popular belief, the chemicals used in sunscreens are NOT more dangerous than sun exposure. That belief may have come from studies using animal data, not humans. An example of one such study fed mice huge doses of oxy-benzone, a UV–light absorber commonly found in sunscreens. Researchers believed that strong estrogen effects in these sunscreens could cause cancer cells to grow más rápido. However, according to dermatologist Dr. Steven Wang it would take more than 250 years of using sunscreen daily for you to be exposed to the amount of oxybenzone used in the study.

La Solución

Wear sunscreen daily and proudly. If you’re still worried about potential ill-effects of ingredients try a sunscreen like Colorescience Powder Sunscreens, which are safe for the face and body.

Razón Número 3 – You Don’t Look as Good as You Think

Don’t get me wrong. I like a healthy glow as much as the next gal. But what I don’t like, and wouldn’t want to look forward to is saggy, leathery skin. You KNOW what I’m talking about. Don’t let that be you!

La Solución

Get your glow on with a subtle bronzing lotion. There are so many available these days. My personal favorite is L’Oreal Body Expertise Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion.

Razón Número 4 – There is Always a First Time

Just because you have “never burned” doesn’t mean that it’ll never happen. Why do we wear seat beats? Because we are constantly getting into car accidents? Not! But we might. Better safe, than sorry. When we were younger it might not have been such a big deal, but as we age our skin loses its ability to effectively produce melanin and THAT may actually make us more apt to burn. The bottom line is that whether or not your skin is rojo sun damage-including wrinkles and loss of elasticity- are occurring.

La Solución

Try a sunscreen like Avon ANew Solar Advance Sunscreen Body Lotion, which prevents burning and helps heal past damage with a unique blend of antioxidant-rich botanicals.

So, go ahead and love the sun and your computer!  Just make sure to limit your exposure and ALWAYS wear sunscreen.

ZICO Coconut Water

Submitted by on June 29, 2011 - 11:30 am

I spent much of my young adulthood visiting Latin America, where if I were traveling down a rubbly road, (in the middle of nowhere), or lying on a beach, I could most likely grab an “agua de pipa” (“drinking” coconut). A “drinking coconut” is much different from a coconut that you eat. You see, top, (or young, coconuts), are ready for use as drinking coconuts while to lower coconuts are fully ripe and ready for processing as copra for cooking /baking use).

This young coconut water has been revered as a natural source of nutrition, wellness, beauty and hydration, for over 4,000 years! Even in times of famine and war, coconut water was used as an intravenous fluid and saved many lives. It’s amazing to think that coconut water can be safely injected into the human blood stream, to increase glucose levels.  What’s even more amazing is that you don’t have to go to Latin America, or even a Latin American neighborhood, to get yourself some coconut water because, ZICO Coconut water has been packaged and shipped to a retailer near you.

ZICO is delicious! It now comes in 7 flavors: natural, mango, lima citron, pineapple, pomberry, passion fruit and CHOCOLATE! I have tasted them all, and they are great!  ”Natural” flavor taste exactly like the “agua de pipa” that I used to buy on the beach, from the man with his cooler slung over his shoulder. (Coconut water is best served chilled).

I love ZICO Coconut water because it’s like a natural sports drink. It provides carbohydrates and electrolytes, as well as hydration.  It’s COMPLETELY natural and an 11-ounce serving has only 60 calories.

Get muscle cramps when you exercise? Drink ZICO Coconut Water. It has more potassium* than a banana & 15 times more than most sports drinks. Drink ZICO before or during a workout for the natural energy you need for optimal performance. After a workout, ZICO replenishes and re-hydrates you, to speed recovery. What ever you do, DRINK ZICO!

ZICO is “the perfect, natural beverage to replenish and re-hydrate.”
Jennifer Lobo, co-owner of Bikram Yoga, New York.

To learn more about Zico Coconut Water Click Here.

*Potassium, one of the main electrolytes, is an essential element in the basic, everyday workings of the body. It plays a role in muscle growth and contractions, nerve cell function, and protein synthesis.

5 Great Summertime (or Anytime) Tips for Staying Trim

Submitted by on June 3, 2011 - 3:20 am

Here are 5 of my “go to” rules for getting summertime (or anytime) fit & healthy!

Start the day with a healthy breakfast.

It’s so easy to blame a busy schedule, or a lack of appetite for not eating a good (or any) breakfast. The thing is that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Plus, according to Andrea Giancoli, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, “People who skip breakfast tend to overeat at the next meal”. Well, that isn’t very good, is it? A great, hearty breakfast, which will keep you full for hours, and trim is a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with berries, or as some people refer to it, “Irish Oatmeal”. This oatmeal is low in sugar and high in fiber, keeping you fuller and your blood sugar levels more level, making you trim and nicer to be around.

Aim to eat foods whose names you can pronounce.

If you can’t even say it, do you want to eat it? Maybe. Sure there are some natural ingredients that may have strange or long names, but as a general rule I figure that if I can’t pronounce the ingredients names, or even recognize them I’m probably better avoiding that food, all together. As a general rule, processed foods (with all those words you can’t pronounce) aren’t very healthy, are hard to digest AND they won’t really satisfy you. So try sticking to foods in their most natural state.

Eat every 3-4 hours.

Ok, I’m not saying to binge every 3-4 hours. Oh no! I mean, eat smaller meals throughout the day. It may sound hard or crazy, but just think about it. A car runs better when it has a full tank, not when it’s dragging on “empty”. Do what you can to eat something small and healthy every 3-4 hours, or so, and you’ll see how much more energized (and trim) you are.

Pack half of it up.

When dining out a great trick that I use, which I credit Brittany Spears for turning me on to, is ordering my meal and asking for half of it to be boxed up “to go”. We all know that restaurants over serve us (well, that’s unless We’re dining French or eating sushi) so it’s our job to pull back the reigns a little. The good news is that by doing this you will still enjoy a delicious meal and BONUS-you can enjoy it again, the following day.

Make every bite count.

Count as you chew. Did you know that to properly digest food and receive the most nutrients we should chew each bite 20-30 times? Yes siree-Bob! Slow down, light a candle, put on some smooth tunes and ENJOY your food. Make every chew count, literally!

Have a super fun summer!