Beauty Snob - Beauty Secrets and Tips: Health Archives

Healthy Valentine's Day: Righteously Raw and Fine&Raw

By Beauty Snob Sharon on February 10, 2010 6:00 AM Leave A Comment

I'm a total chocoholic...literally there have been days where I've eaten so many sweets that my teeth have started to ache...oy. How I don't have a ton of cavities is beyond me! At the moment I'm in recovery from having spent two weeks in Munich where delicious chocolates are available every which way you turn (though given the amount of Milka, Manner, Neuhaus, and Lindt that I brought back with me, my recovery isn't going so well...). With Valentine's Day coming-up the chocolate temptations are going to reach an even higher-high, so for those of you who are like me and worried about your consumption levels there is an alternative! Raw chocolate. Righteously Raw one of the most well-respected makers, makes four flavors -- Maca, Goji, Caramel, and Acai all of which have a decadent truffle-like consistency (but aren't nearly as bad for you as say....ooey Godiva carmel). They're super-satisfying, but very low in sugar and fat, and are high in fiber. Equally as delicious and super-giftable (they've even got a special Love Box that comes with an 8 piece raw chocolate truffle set and 4 limited edition valentines raw chocolate bars), is Fine& Raw. Jump for more on the health benefits of these raw delights!

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Bach's Emotional Eating Support Kit

By Beauty Snob Sharon on January 26, 2010 6:00 AM 2 Comments

I'm a big believer in the power of homeopathic remedies and I've long been a fan of the ones from Bach (I take their rescue drops religiously). Bach literally has drops to cure any and every form of anxiety, stress, and sadness and all of their products come without possible side-effects. Now they've combined three of their essences in one kit to create the Bach Flower Essences Emotional Support Kit ($16). In the kit you'll find mini bottles of Cherry Plum to help you when you feel like you might lose control, Chestnut Bud will help you learn from the past so you can break the cycle and develop a new, positive behavior, and Crab Apple is the cleansing remedy for body, mind, and spirit. I know this sounds like a lot of weird, zen talk, and I'm not saying that this kit will be a miracle cure, but if you are an emotional eater (aren't we all when it gets cold!?), I do think these drops can help -- if only because they make you more conscious of what you're doing. Take a second, put a drop on your tongue, take a deep breath, and ask yourself are you really hungry? I sincerely urge everyone to give these remedies a whirl, you'd be surprised at their powerful effect. Also for any London readers, stop by Nelson's Homeopathic Pharmacy for the most impressive selection of natural healing products I've ever seen:-)

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Do It or Age Quickly

By Beauty Snob Sharon on January 22, 2010 6:00 AM 1 Comment

I've been telling pretty much everyone I talk to lately about the book "Do It or Age Quickly." All I can say is BUY IT! I have very little patience and have a hard time relaxing (it's why I can't really get into meditation or yoga...), and like most of us I'm always looking for quick and easy solutions to problems. This book - written by JB Berns who has a long background in martial arts, yoga, personal and wellness training - is full of quick tips that can improve your health, mood, and over-all well-being. It's has plenty of sketches like the ones above to illustrate the various points Berns makes and a great deal of the book is pulled from experts that the author has spoken to (I kind of felt like I was reading a very well written research paper at some points), but this is a good thing. I love that the author brought outside sources and spoke to various experts about everything from what toothpaste to use and how to prevent baldness, to the benefits of various Chinese herbal supplements and breathing exercises.

To give an example of some of the quick and easy tips given in the book, check-out the sketches above. Sketch one on the left is how you should sleep to achieve the most restful sleep (no pressure on your organs). The sketch in middle is the best way to sit if on the floor, while sketch three on the right is the best way for you to sit on a chair (at least the best way for your body, I'm not sure how lady-like it is:-) ). To find out more about why these are the best, check-out the book, it's truly a wealth of useful knowledge especially for those of us looking to make small, easy changes.

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iZO Cleanze

By Beauty Snob Sharon on January 19, 2010 6:00 AM Leave A Comment

There are so many liquid cleanses out these days that it's hard deciding which one to go with. Blueprint seems to be the most popular, but I've heard from friends that since most of the juices are fruit-based they have a lot of sugar and can cause bloating (see yesterday's interview with Tim Martin), so I opted instead for a 5-day iZO Signature Juice Feast (everyone from Erin Wasson to Daisy Fuentes swears by it), which comes with 12 juices and teas a day along with some supplements (liver detox capsules and herbal laxatives. I didn't take either though because I'm not into herbal supplements and try to ingest as few pills as possible...rarely even take an Advil!). The juices are delivered to your doorstep by 10:30am (6am if you live in LA or OC), and come super well-packaged with tons of ice packs and with a light-weight cooler for when you're on the go. Unfortunately I did not survive 5 days. In fact I did not survive one full day! Many of the juices actually taste very good, but I think that 5 days was a little ambition for someone who has never done a juice cleanse before (especially if you're not vegan). Given my very active lifestyle I've come to the conclusion that the juices, for me, are best kept as healthy snacks. Jump for more!

Continue reading iZO Cleanze.

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Interview with Tim Martin, founder of iZO Cleanze

By Beauty Snob Sharon on January 18, 2010 6:00 AM Leave A Comment

Even though I exercise on a regular basis and have a relatively healthy diet (I'm not into greasy food and love fruits and veggies, but I have an unshakable addiction to chocolate...and lots and lots of it...err!), and I don't need to loose weight, I've been dying to try a liquid cleanse for months. The weather has been so cold and depressing in NYC I figured there was no better time than now to shake things up and bring up my energy and mood with a cleanse. Stay tuned tomorrow for my take on the iZO Cleanze which is the one I ended-up going with and read on for my interview with iZO founder Tim Martin for his take on why iZO beats Blueprint, the benefits of cleansing, and how (if you must!), you can cheat:-)

Continue reading Interview with Tim Martin, founder of iZO Cleanze.

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5 Easy Weight Loss Tips

By Beauty Snob Kerri on January 14, 2010 12:00 PM 4 Comments

Guest Blog by Kimberly Snyder Celebrity Nutritionist and Health & Beauty Expert

Hey Guys! These tips can easily be incorporated into all of our daily diets. While they seem simple, they really add up to big improvements towards our weight loss goals, and feeling and looking our healthiest and best. This is important because when we feel good about our physical selves and confident in how we look, we become more radiant and free up a lot of our energy (previously spent on worrying how we look) to work towards our true goals and dreams. Check out these easy tips that will help you along your path to vibrant health!

1. Start lunch and dinner (if it is not the main course) with a green salad. Green are full of fiber, so we get filled up on this mineral-dense food. All the raw plant enzymes and chlorophyll go to work cleaning and detoxing our blood and systems. When we cleanse on an ongoing basis, it continues to be easier for us to maintain our ideal weight.

2. Try to consume 1-3 lemons every day. You can squeeze them over salads, in water, over veggies, or even over grains like quinoa. Lemon helps regenerate and support our liver by benefiting bile formation. Since our liver is our main fat-burning organ, lemon can therefore help promote optimal fat metabolism.

Continue reading 5 Easy Weight Loss Tips.

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Frugal vs. Splurge: Air-O-Swiss and Crane

By Beauty Snob Sharon on January 14, 2010 6:00 AM Leave A Comment

Every year I struggle with my skin during these harsh winter months and while it's inevitable that skin needs a re-vamped routine to maintain its proper hydration level, I've come to the conclusion that without a humidifier I can never rest comfortably. Literally before plugging in a humidifier I had to apply moisturizer to my face and hands at least once every hour if I wanted to stay hydrated. Unfortunately I get lazy sometimes and kept finishing my days with a dry patch that needed to be scrubed somewhere on my face. Staying hydrated really is three-fold: you need to add moisture from the outside with lotions, you need to add it from the inside by drinking lots of water, and you need to buy an appropriate humidifier. I've been using two humidifiers (I live in a duplex so I plugged one in on the bottom floor and another on the top floor), each of which is sold at a different price point. Jump for more!

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Mocana Nail Mats

By Beauty Snob Sharon on December 24, 2009 6:00 AM 1 Comment

It's hard to believe, but the #1 selling holiday gift item in Sweden this year were Nail Mats. They've just now hit the U.S. and I have a feeling that it won't be long before they become the next big craze (at least in yoga-obsessed places like NYC and L.A. -- seriously the Sports Club/LA I go to has like 50 different types of yoga classes you can take!). I've been using a Mocana Nail Mat - the original nail mat - for a few weeks now and it's quite the trip! Basically the mat is a thin rubber foam pad, covered in cotton fabric and filled with plastic disks each of which have a number of sharp spikes on them and doing various exercises on it can help with--
* Relaxing the body
* Refueling energy levels
* Decreasing high stress levels
* Increasing metabolism
* Relieving muscular tension
* Dissolving cellulites
* Helping you fall asleep

For me the main goal was to use it as a relaxation tool. When you start off (make sure to get the mat for beginners -- there are three mats: Entry, Pro and Guru each of which have different nail flowers with less or more acupressure points), it might be a bit painful (they are nails after-all!), but it's not an awful, get-my-off this thing kind of pain, it's more like an odd pocking sensation. The way to get over it and to reap the benefits of the mat is to relax!! Easier said than done I know, but there's something wonderfully soothing about blocking-out some time and just laying with your eyes closed. Jump for more!

Continue reading Mocana Nail Mats.

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Frutels: Tackle Acne with Chocolate

By Beauty Snob Sharon on October 20, 2009 6:00 AM Leave A Comment

Chocolate that's good for your skin!?? Yup that's what Frutels is saying. Their vegetarian, sugar-free, antioxidant-rich dark chocolates are infused with vitamins to give you a dietary supplement by way of chocolate (kind of like a non-chewy version of Viactiv). I have a big snacking issue and my trainer is constantly grilling me with "Did you have chocolate after 5pm?" Of course I almost always have chocolate after 5pm despite the fact that I now know that chocolate can keep you up at night if you have it past the late afternoon. Anyway, while my trainer dismissed Frutels when I told her about it, I think that just like Home Grown Love's raw chocolates, Frutels is onto something.

Each pack comes with 14 individually wrapped little chocolate balls (2-5 recommended per day), and they're not sweet. They're very hard so it takes awhile to chew (thus helping me to avoid over-indulging), and while they may not completely satisfy your chocolate craving since they're not actually sugary, they're packed with everything from Vitamin C, and E, to Niacin and Thiamin. So while I don't know if they can actually clear up your skin (mine looks pretty much the same after a bag of these), it seems to me like Frutels are a good way to help treat your skin from the inside out.

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Ouidad Raises Awareness

By Beauty Snob Sharon on October 19, 2009 6:00 AM 1 Comment

There are countless beauty brands doing special charitable donations in light of breast cancer awareness month and while any act that raises awareness and funds is great, it's always refreshing to come across a line like Ouidad that has an inspiring story and gives back year-round. This year marks the 5th anniversary of Ouidad's charity, Curls for a Cure. Ouidad, the founder of the curl-friendly hair line and salon, was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that took her mother's life, in 2002 and was fortunate enough to make a full recovery. In light of her struggle Ouidad has vowed to match dollar-for-dollar any donations made to Curls for a Cure ALL YEAR ROUND. To learn more click here. On a side note Ouidad recently celebrated her line's 25th anniversary with a party at her salon. I've never gotten my hair done there (my hair is actually straight), but it's a chic salon (conveniently located next to Bergdorf!), and considering the amount of happy clients I spoke with that night it seems like a good bet for anyone with curly hair (plus they've got dipped in chocolate fortune cookies around the salon with "curly" fortunes like -- "You'll make waves everywhere you go" -- so fun!).

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