Oh, Scrub Off!

Recently, I had the pleasure of partaking in an infomercial for a subtly powerful product, the Baiden Mitten.  It's my job to test products but I don't always end up being an advocate for them, when it's all said and done. Truthfully, there are few products I would put my name behind because many are either bad for the body or use an exorbitant amount of packaging that is bad for the earth.

It was great to discover that the Baiden Mitten is made from tree fibers and doesn't require additional products to use in conjunction with it.  Find out what else I had to say about it in the video below!

Be prepared to soak in a bath before using this product; it will not work on dry skin.  You also have to scrub hard, at first, but once the dead skin starts rolling off it pretty much does the rest of the work for you.

I'm Kimberly Lola and I approve this message ;O)

Stretch Mark Cream, My Ass!

No really, that's where I've been using this stuff.  My Mom use to tease me, when I was a kid, about not having a butt.  Well, I think it got offended and decided to prove her wrong.  And now I have these "look-at-me" lines that I would very much like to erase.  So I bought a $40, 5.29 oz. tube of Mederma...

It's been twelve weeks and the only thing that has faded is my hope.  Oh well, at least I have a good personality. *smile*

Fat Kid

A huge downside to being adults is that our Mommies aren't preparing our lunches for us anymore (well, I guess I can't speak for everyone).  And when no one is making healthy decisions for us, it can be easy to get comfortable doing the opposite.  So why aren't ALL adults overweight?

Being thin isn't just a physical appearance, it's a state of mind (to be clear, when I use the word "thin" I am referring to someone who is of a healthy weight).

Now, I won't name any names but there are at least a few individuals who keep "reminding" me that it'll catch up to me, one day.  I have a sweet tooth, always have.  It comes and goes.  I can easily go months without a single cookie when it's gone.  But when it's there... well... let's just say I have been known to eat candy for breakfast... recently.  But the thing that stops that monster from taking over is what I liked to call a reset button.

A reset button is what I press (figuratively) when my unhealthy choices have either gotten out of control or I don't want them to do so.  This is the button that tells me to eat raw carrots and apples and have lots of green veggies for dinner.  Everyone has one of these it's just that, not everyone's is programmed properly.

For a lot of people, it's not even a fault of their own. Some people just weren't taught how to eat.  When I first heard this notion I thought it was absurd.  I mean, really?  It's in our biological nature to eat healthy foods.  Birth defects aside, we are born with a proper reset button.  The problem arises when nurture defies nature.

We are not hunter gatherers anymore. If we want to eat, few of us go into our own back yard or out into the wilderness to hand-pick our own cucumbers.  Most of us just go to a store or restaurant. With this convenience comes variety. With that variety comes a combination of good and bad choices.  Our reset button is quickly programmed when we are children and if the people taking care of us let the bad choices outweigh the good then we are set up to fail.

Thin begets thin and fat begets fat.  A good percentage of the time, thin people come from thin families and those who are overweight generally aren't the only in their households.  But don't be so quick to blame Genetics.

There is something called Epigenetics that I would need a whole other blog entry to fully explain, but the gist is that our lifelong gene functions are not completely set in stone at birth. I know, it sounds outlandish but that science, man... that science is one smart guy.

Epigenetics are shaped by our environment.  If we are raised to eat healthy and are given proper love and attention, our reset buttons will work the way they should (unless and/or until we experience a trauma that affects our Epigenome).

So what if we were neglected as children and raised to eat unhealthy foods? Are we just doomed?  Absolutely not.  You just need to reprogram your reset button.  Personal trainers, nutritionists, and therapists are amazing tools to use to help change your Epigenetics, thus reprogramming your reset button.  

Basically, what it comes down to is choice.  The most awesome thing about choice is it's all our own.  We can choose to press our reset buttons.  We can even choose to reprogram them.  And when our reset buttons are programmed properly, we will think thin thoughts.  

Now go eat some carrots, fatty! 

And there you have it, folks, my reset button *smile*.

Gristle and Fat

The Busy Girl's Guide To looking great by Caroline Jones - The title helps to conjure up suspicions of vapidity and the cartoon drawings make you feel like a third-grader...  but this book is actually helpful.  And, if I'm being honest, the bright colors are partly what drew me to the book in the first place.  What?  At least it was on sale!

The health section is particularly useful.  Paraphrased, here are some things you should know before you stuff your face:



 
Monosaturated fats - "A+" fats that both lower bad cholesteral and raise good cholesterol.  They can be found in olive oil and protect against heart disease and possibly bowel cancer.

 

Polyunsaturated fats - "B" fats that lower both bad and good cholesterol (obviously not ideal, but you're not perfect either *smile*).  This is the fat you get in sunflower, safflower, and corn products.

 Saturated fats - "D" fats that increase bad cholesterol that leads to heart problems and clogged arteries.  These can be found in red meat and fatty dairy products (go for low-fat milk and cheese).

 

Trans fats - "F" fats that would get a lower grade if there was one.  These are bad bad bad!  Trans fat is a man-made fat (go figure) and studies have suggested that it never leaves your system... ever.  I would have to do more research to validate this information but the bottom line is it does nothing good for you.  This villain also goes by the name of "hydrogenated oil" and can be found in cooking fats and other processed foods.

 

Essential fatty acids - "A+" Omega 3 does the opposite of saturated fats by protecting the heart and preventing blood clots.  They are found in oily fish (enjoy your tuna sushi rolls!).
                      - "A+" Omega 6 boosts the immune system and can be found in green leafy veggies and linseed oil (extracted from flax seeds and is, interestingly enough, also used as a preservative for wood as well as in soap and linoleum... but that's an entirely different blog, haha). 


Now... don't you feel so much smarter?  I do *smile*.

Pluck You

Ok, girls, we get it.  Hair feathers are cute and stylish and a clever twist to extensions and... EVERYONE is wearing them.  

All the more reason not to.  

There's something to be said for being an individual.  Alright to be honest... I kind of wish they weren't so hot right now because... well... they ARE super cute.  

There, I said it. 

P.S. Birds have parasites.  Have fun with that (hehe).

Au Naturel

Physicians Formula Organic Wear® 100% Natural Origin Mascara - Ever notice how mascara can collect in the corners of your eyes after wearing it for awhile?  Well, where do you think it goes after that?  It travels through your sinuses and ends up in your belly, that's where.  

Yeah... gross.

So I decided to go organic.  I mean, if I'm going to be ingesting the stuff it should at least be natural.

Unlike other organic mascaras I've tried, this one goes on decently thick and the Eco Brush really helps to coat and separate lashes evenly.

Love it!

Magic Powder

Physicians Formula Magic Mosaic® Multi-Colored Custom Pressed Powder - Try saying that three times fast...

I swear by this powder.  Besides the fact that you can adjust each application to your current skin tone (whether you're sun-kissed or a pale Gale), the powder goes on so light that it's easy to forget you're wearing it.  For someone like me who has sensitive skin, this is very important; I can barely put on face lotion without breaking out within hours.

And on a funny side note, I can share my make up with my lighter-skinned friends.  

The only downside is that they don't make each color in it's own separate compact so I always end up with leftover chunks of the colors I don't use.  They really should do something about that (hint hint, PF *wink*).