5 Shaving Secrets

Last week we got a chance to chat with Gillette Venus dermatologist Ellen Gendler, M.D., clinical associate professor at New York University School of Medicine who answered our burning questions about shaving. She has seen and treated every hair removal issue under the sun during her 26 years practicing in New York City.

Check out our interview:

• What type of razor is the best choice for dry skin? If you have dry, sensitive skin, choose a razor with a have pivoting head, rather than a straight head, which has harsh angles that can damage skin. I like the Gillette Venus ProSkin Moisture Rich Razor because the head moves with the contours of your body, plus it has a shave gel bar built right in. It’s easy to travel with because you don’t even need to carry shaving cream.


• Is shaving before or after a workout better for our skin? I would say that there’s really no difference, as long as you shave in the shower. Never dry shave! 

  Posted 9/1/2011  6:00:00 AM By:   : 8 comments   12,858 views

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Think INSIDE the Lunchbox with '4 Ingredients'

Editor's Note: I recently connected with Kim McCosker, of the Australian best-selling cookbooks and popular websites, 4 Ingredients. Vivacious and passionate, the 4 Ingredients team is run by busy moms who are committed to making healthy cooking easy and fun for the whole family. Today, Kim shares her best tips for getting kids to eat right at lunchtime.
 
With three active and growing boys ages 9, 6 and 3, lunchboxes are a part of my family’s daily routine! If you are like me, a busy mom intent on giving your kids delicious, nutritious lunches, here are some great ideas to get your children back to school packed with healthy foods.
 
I like these because they are quick, easy and economical and often help me make use of my leftovers.
 
Choose a lunchbox with individual compartments, or otherwise use lidded containers, kids loooove little containers of things! Then add some of these...

 
Apple slices: Served with peanut, cashew, or almond butter or then sprinkled with coconut or raisins. Or add thinly sliced orange and lemon slices with honey to the top.
 
Cheese cubes: With sliced turkey and grapes--for a lunchbox cheese board!

Confessions of a Former Perfectionist

I’m watching the tide come in here at the beach near my house on a lovely sunny afternoon, wishing I could be outside. Instead I’m at my desk typing, in my two-fingered way. (Yes, that’s how I do it, using only my index fingers—“hunting and pecking,” my mother called it.)

In front of me on the computer screen is an essay for my master’s degree in fiction writing. I decided three years ago at age 49 that this was important. But somehow I forgot that going back to college meant I’d have homework, even in the summer.

At the moment, I am cursing at my laptop as I try to italicize book titles (no more underlining them, like I did when I was in college). The university expects the paper to be perfect. That’s my advisor’s word. Perfect. I thought no one used that term anymore—in preschool and in yoga class it is not allowed.

I don’t believe in perfect anymore.

I used to. I spent my whole life, it seems, trying to be perfect. The perfect daughter, perfect student, perfect bride, perfect mother, perfect friend, perfect wife—not to mention keeping a perfect house, serving perfect meals and tending perfect chickens who lay perfect eggs.

4 Simple Changes Helped Leela Lose 145 Pounds!*

Meet Leela (LCHADBOURNE), a SparkPeople member who has lost 145 pounds and over 100 inches! Find her inspirational story in this week's issue of Woman's World magazine.

*Weight loss results will vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as a typical result of following the SparkPeople program. 

Easy Tips for Getting More Veggies and Whole Grains on the Table

Editor's Note: I met Nicki Sizemore while we were working on some new videos for the site earlier this summer. She's a new culinary instructor and food stylist and writer who's also a new mom. Nicki is passionate about healthy living--her whole face lights up with enthusiasm when she talks food. I asked her to write a guest blog post for dailySpark. Enjoy!
 
We all know the benefits of eating more vegetables and whole grains, from shrinking our waistlines to warding off chronic diseases and cancer.  If like me you have a busy job and a family to feed, however, getting whole, unprocessed foods on the table every night can seem daunting.  Well, forget about falling back on processed foods or take-out!  With these simple tips, you can throw together quick and delicious meals from scratch that are brimming with veggies and whole grains, any night of the week.
 
Plan Ahead
We’ve all done it—purchased an armload of produce at the market with no idea of what we’re going to make, only to watch it wither away, untouched, as the week passes.  One way of ensuring that all of the produce you buy actually makes it to the table instead of ending up in the compost heap is to plan out the dishes that you’re going to make throughout the week ahead of time, either before shopping or right after you get home.  It only takes a few minutes, but it will increase your chances exponentially (at least that’s my calculation) of actually eating your vegetables. 
 
You can get as detailed with this as you want (“stir-fry with sautéed eggplant, spinach and cashews on Monday”) or keep it general (“stir-fry one night, pasta one night”). 
 
Then, when you get home on Wednesday night, instead of looking in the fridge and seeing a whole bunch of random stuff, but nothing to make (you know what I mean), you’ll know instantly that you’re making a frittata with the fingerling potatoes and mustard greens, and you’ll get right to work instead of picking up the phone for pizza. 

4 Steps to Making Smarter Decisions

Every day you are faced with hundreds of decisions: You decide what to make for breakfast, how to react to coworkers and whether or not to indulge in a slice of chocolate cake. Yet it's not until after the choice has been made that you discover how wrong it was. For example, the stomachache that resulted from saying "yes" to cake is one indication that you may have chosen poorly; another could be the dissatisfaction you feel when you discover option B had a better outcome in the long run. But just because you've made some wrong picks in the past doesn't mean you are destined to make them for the rest of your life. The next time you’re contemplating what to do, stick to the following tips from our decision-making experts, and you can ward off regret for good.

1. Think about what's most important to you.
We all choose our choices for a variety of reasons, including running out of time, not wanting to consider an alternative or simply following our gut. But Sheena Iyengar, PhD, author of The Art of Choosing and S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School, asserts that when faced with any decision, the crucial thing to consider is what matters most to you—regardless of how insignificant you may think the decision is. “It is unlikely that any one choice in a given day will alter your life,” Dr. Iyengar says. However, she adds, all those small choices do add up and will eventually impact you for better or worse. To make sure they fall into the former category rather than the latter, figure out which aspects of your life are most important to you and then take a second to ensure that all of the decisions you make support your life goals. For example, if you can't decide whether to sweat it out at the gym or go out for drinks after work, consider whether your health or friendships play a more vital role in your life. Viewing the options in these terms will make it easier for you to decide which one is right for you.

How to Undo Self-Sabotage

Somewhere between the olive bar and the cheese counter at Whole Foods recently, I ran into an acquaintance whom I've always admired. Following a friendly greeting, she raved, "I loved that article you wrote about struggling to get into shape for your wedding! It was hilarious."
 

I waved off the compliment with my hand. "Oh, that? That was just kind of silly." I inflated my cheeks until they were round. "Apparently, it didn't stick."
 

She tried again. "But you always look great."
 

My brain told me to accept the compliment gracefully and move on, but I couldn't control myself. I smiled, leaning in conspiratorially. "That's what a lot of makeup, a professional photographer, and a little airbrushing can do for you. If they can make someone like Larry King look alive, they can do anything, right?"
 

She laughed awkwardly. There was a brief but tangible silence. The exchange culminated in a promise of lunch plans that felt unlikely at best.

 

The Good Enough Guide to Staying Healthy

Everywhere we turn, we’re faced with get-healthy guidelines. Exercise an hour daily! Eat tons of vegetables! Meditate! But who has the time (or money or energy) to do all this? Fortunately, it turns out that perfection is overrated and there is a way to strike a smart yet realistic balance. Here’s how.

You Hear: Don’t leave home without slathering yourself in sunscreen.

Good Enough: Make sure your face is covered, then assess your daytime plan.

If you’re just driving to work or taking a short walk (20 minutes or less) outside where there’s some shade, it’s fine to skip the sunscreen except on your face, says Eric Schweiger, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. The skin on your face is more sensitive and exposed to more direct sunlight than other body parts. It’s also worth noting that some rays can penetrate windows and your car’s windshield, but again, those are most apt to reach only your face.

When you’re heading outdoors for the day, however, all-over sunscreen is a must, says Dr. Schweiger. He recommends sunscreens with Helioplex since they last longer (you can reapply about every 4 hours instead of every 2 hours).

Quidditch: Harry Potter and the Wizardly Workout

Being a fitness fan, of course, one of the things that always intrigued me about Harry Potter was the sport Quidditch. The game once reserved for students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (for all you non-Harry Potter fans, this is the school that Harry and his pals attend) has made its way to the muggle (translation: non-magical) world. In fact, it’s quite the trend: More than 2,000 athletes will participate in this year’s Quidditch World Cup, taking place in New York City on November 12 and 13.
 
The Northeast appears to be the hot spot for what the International Quidditch Association (IQA) claims is “the fastest-growing sport in the United States.” According to the IQA, the most registered teams hail from New York (39), Masschusetts (22) and Pennsylvania (20). But “28 states and counting” have Quidditch teams, many of which are connected to colleges.  

How to Correctly Remove a Tick

Finding one of these little buggers on your skin doesn’t mean you’re destined for Lyme disease. If the tick is tiny (the size of a poppy seed), it has probably been on your body for fewer than 48 hours and most likely hasn’t had time to transmit the Lyme-causing bacteria, says Durland Fish, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Yale University School of Public Health. Whatever the size, here’s the right way to remove it (don’t use petroleum jelly or nail polish remover):

1. Use pointed tweezers to grasp the tick by its head or mouthparts right where they enter the skin. (View them through a magnifying glass if necessary.)

2. Swiftly and firmly pull the tick out (don’t twist). Clean the area with rubbing alcohol.

3. Place the tick in a jar or sealed bag with rubbing alcohol. Call your doctor and ask if you should save it (some doctors may want to examine it to figure out how long it’s been on your skin, says Dr. Fish).

4. If you develop a rash near the bite (it could take up to 30 days), see your doctor. You may have Lyme disease and need an antibiotic (doxycycline).

7 Ways to Find a Fitness Buddy

A recent study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine proved that exercising with a partner improves weight-loss results. Whether you're trying to shed a few pounds or simply want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, here are some great strategies to find a fitness friend.

Meetup.com
As the world's largest network for special-interest groups, it's tough not to be inspired by the fun things people are signing up for on this site. You can find anything from a local hiking group to meet-ups for exercising with your pets!

Zogsports.com
With a focus on young professionals, this organization is a great way to sign up for intramural teams, classes, clinics, and social events. Part of the proceeds go to charity, making this a worthwhile way to meet an exercise buddy.

Posted 8/4/2011  6:00:00 AM By:   : 17 comments   16,956 views

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Are You in a Codependent Relationship?

If you believe the song lyrics, soap operas and romantic movies, loving another person more than you love yourself––or life itself––is enviable, even desirable. But what that sentiment actually refers to is codependency, defined as a relationship in which one person (or sometimes, both) loves the other to such a degree that they exclude their own needs, wants and desires.

“A small amount of codependency is normal,” explains Tracy Prout, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York, and a therapist in private practice in Manhattan. “Sacrificing your own needs in moderation, or temporarily, can be good for a relationship.” It’s when you are totally out of touch with your own needs and feel that your partner "completes" you that your behavior can imply something unsettling: that you're not OK on your own. Read on to learn what you need to know about codependent relationships, how to figure out if you need help and where to find it.

How Do You Become Codependent?
No one just wakes up one day, looks at her partner and thinks that his happiness is more important than her own. Not surprisingly, in many cases, codependency has its roots in childhood. “Research suggests that codependents have a history of neglect,” says Dr. Prout. “Being abandoned as a child is not necessarily a direct cause, but it does seem to be connected.” Adds Edythe Denkin, PhD, certified marriage counselor and author of Relationship Magic, “When your feelings have been discounted all your life, you end up choosing a partner who will discount your feelings without even being aware of it.” You may be at risk of landing in a codependent relationship if you grew up with parents who:

• Neglected or ignored you
• Were self-centered and/or narcissistic
• Were substance abusers or addicts
• Were clinically depressed
• Were so controlling of everything you did that your own desires and feelings didn’t seem to matter

Though kids from these types of dysfunctional families don’t always end up in codependent relationships, what can happen is that they become “parentified,” says Dr. Prout. “They eventually develop the habit of either parenting themselves or parenting their parents.” In the case of substance-abusing parents, for example, these kids may be accustomed to cleaning up after a parent or making excuses for them. “A parentified child becomes an adult who is never truly herself because she has never allowed herself to have her own needs,” she says. As a result these now grownup children tend to be attracted to people who, they feel, need them.

Which Beauty Product Never Leaves Your Gym Bag?

We took a Spin class last week with fellow FITNESS editors, which made us wonder what beauty goods they tote along with them. Here’s the one product that never leaves these FITNESS ladies’ gym bags:

• “Lip balm! My lips tend to get dry during my workout, so lip balm keeps them kissable. I love Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil- it smells delicious!” —Theresa K. Brady, editorial intern
   
• “La Fresh Instant Body Soother Wipes—they’re the perfect way to cool off and freshen up right after a workout. I wipe one over my neck, face, and shoulders for a quick pick-me-up, and keep a stash in my purse for sticky summer days.”—Colleen Moody, web editor
   
• “Neutrogena Deep Clean Sport On-the-Go Cleansing Wipes take up no space in my gym bag, thanks to individual packets. I use one wipe before and one after my workouts.”—Amanda Downs, beauty intern
   
• “Face moisturizer—gyms usually have body lotion, but not the good stuff for your face! It also helps with clearing off any leftover eyeliner if the shower didn’t do the trick.”—Mary Anderson, deputy editor

How Sweet Potatoes Led to My 90-Pound Weight Loss

Confession: I've eaten a sweet potato almost every day for the past four years.
 
I eat them roasted and dipped in BBQ sauce or baked and topped with cinnamon and maple syrup, to which my husband says: "Syrup on sweet potatoes? You're so weird."
 
Even after two years of marriage he still thinks it's crazy.
 
My mom's sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving dinner was my favorite. I could easily put away three or four servings. That's how I fell in love with them. The way my mother cooked sweet potato casserole can't be rivaled. Brown sugar and butter, marshmallows and pecans, these are things I believe heaven will be made of. Hopefully paired with sweet potatoes.

Now, I don't only like or eat sweet potatoes, exclusively. I love any type of vegetable.

But it hasn't always been this way.

1 In 4 Teens Drink Soda Daily, Says CDC

About one in four teens in the U.S. drink soda every day, according to a new study of high-schoolers released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Even though water, milk and 100-percent fruit juice reigned supreme in the study, 24.3 percent of high school students said they drink a serving (a can, bottle or glass) of soda every day.  Government researchers, who looked at more than 11,000 high-schoolers, also found that 16 percent of students drink a serving of a sports drink every day. Boys were more likely than girls to report drinking soda every day, and African American teens more likely than white or Hispanic teens. Sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and sports drinks can lead to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, researchers note.