July 2008 - Health And Beauty

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Health and Beauty - July 2008

Down with Miss Universe & all beauty pageants!

July 24th 2008 02:23

Watching Miss Universe as a kid was a huge event for my whole family. Our mum would arrange to have our favourite dishes cooked, it was the only time we were allowed to eat in front of the TV, the doors were shut, phones were put on hold, squabbles between siblings were temporarily halted as we happily made bets on our favourite Misses. Even as feminist groups began attacking Miss Universe as nothing more than a beauty pageant that is grossly outdated, I stuck by the ideal that the competition truly was a ‘platform for young women to voice their opinions and forge into their chosen fields, helping today’s women become strong and independent because of all the help the competition gives’ – as Miss India’s Lara Dutta so eloquently put it (and went on to win the Miss Universe 2000 title).

Miss Universe 2008 - natural, my ass!

But in the past five years, my interest in watching Miss Universe is waning and gradually replaced with disgust. As much as I hate disappointing my mum who is adamant on continuing our tradition of watching Miss Universe with a banquet only to grasp a semblance of those happy, carefree childhood days, I find I just cannot sit through the whole show without booing and hissing at the TV, growling at Trump whom I place all responsibility for this farce of a pageant.

I find this change of opinion is due to four things : the reduction of question & answer portions (there used to be about 3 different questions posed to each finalist which have now been reduced to one); the fact that the contestants are looking more and more alike (which glaringly shows just what the world in general thinks about the epitome of beauty); the girls with the biggest boobs and the narrowest waists ALWAYS get the highest scores in the swimsuit round; but most of all, the prevalence of cosmetic surgery among several contestants and that cosmetic surgery isn’t frowned upon.

Miss USA got one of the highest scores in the swimsuit portion - wonder why?

How can Miss Guam 1999 be disqualified from Miss Universe because she was pregnant, Vanessa Williams forced to resign her Miss America ’84 crown because she posed nude prior to her pageant days and Miss World ’74 was also forced to relinquish her crown when it was discovered she was an unmarried mother, while contestants who undergo plastic surgery aren’t banned from a competition that supposedly encourages the ‘natural essence and feminity of a woman’?

Take the steps Miss Venezuelas have to take to prepare for Miss Universe. As hopefuls for the Miss Venezuela title, 20 girls are enrolled in the Miss Venezuela Academy where they undergo six months of intensive training. Dr Eduardo Krulig, Venezuela’s leading plastic surgeon claims plastic surgery for the girls is only an option in the academy and that he only works on half of the girls on ‘very small procedures’ such as breast augmentation, thigh lipo-sculpting and waist reduction. He adds that plastic surgery is ‘readily accepted as a valid means of beautification because in Venezuela, the girls are judged on being ‘beautiful’ and not on being natural’.* (from brooklynrail).

But it’s not just in Venezuela, is it? Each year, Miss Universe is increasingly becoming all about the contestants’ physical beauty - don’t worry about poise, intelligence and culture. I mean, what happened to those days when the 5 finalists sat down for a one-on-one interview with the host, answering questions tailored specifically for them? Then answering a second question from a specific judge before finally answering the question that is given to the other contestants?

These Q&A portions were the highlights of Miss Universe for me because it allowed the audience to know more about each finalist’s personal lives (other than the brief bio they flash on TV such as ‘likes: skiing, shopping & meeting different people) and how well they react under pressure. And it also separated the pretty faces with substance from the pretty faces who blather on like Miss South Carolina in Miss Teen USA. How many times do I have to listen to that lame answer of ‘There is nothing in my life I would change because all the mistakes I may have made in the past made me stronger and made me the woman of today’ to that equally lame question ‘If you could turn back time, what would you change about your life?’ poised by our own Jennifer Hawkins this year.

Jennifer Hawkins asks the cliche question 'What would you change about your life?'

I realize boycotting Miss Universe means turning my back on a huge part of my childhood but there is no way I can continue to support a competition of a bevy of Barbie dolls who think going under the knife and sticking their chests out in a bikini top are the only way to ‘voice their opinions and forge into their chosen fields’. Should my firstborn be a daughter, I hope I’m able to teach her that beauty is all about being natural and nothing to do with the perfectly symmetrical, wrinkle-free flawless skin that you weren’t born with.

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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Stories

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10 Common Diet Mistakes

July 22nd 2008 03:35

Last weekend, I had to prevent myself from banging my head against the wall as my 2 sisters practically bulldozed me down in an Asian supermarket to get their hands on that lethal diet drink which I’ve dubbed ‘the poo tea’. No matter how much I lectured them on the benefits of physical activity, the need for lifestyle change as well as the serious health repercussions of obsessively drinking the poo tea, they refused to listen. Then after talking to friends and other work colleagues, I realised my sisters aren’t the only ones who are only too eager to apply the quickest and easiest methods for supposedly losing weight only to wail why they still don’t have the body of Angelina Jolie after all that ‘sacrifice’.

I came across this article from www.sheknows.com which highlights 10 common mistakes people make when attempting to lose weight. I’d been there before (attempting to lose weight through other means besides the most logical) so I definitely agree with these. So, if you’re wondering why you’re still not losing as much weight as you would like, despite your hard work, read on –

1. CRASH DIET

Crash dieting would have to be the most popular weight loss ‘program’ many people undertake and one that has proven to be the most ineffective in the long run. Sheknows.com highlights two problems with crash dieting. You may lose weight BUT a lot of that is muscle tissue. So you may fit into an outfit a size smaller than you would previously wear but you’ll find you still have flabby arms, tummy and thighs. The other problem is, because you’re losing a lot of your muscle tissue, your metabolism slows down. ‘Muscle is your body’s metabolism – when you lose it, you reduce your metabolic capacity’.

I remember when I went through 3 months of drinking the poo tea. While the kilos dropped and I traipsed around in size 8 dresses, I couldn’t prevent my brother from teasing me about my ‘turkey’ arms and I had to continually suck in my tummy when wearing a bikini.

2. FOCUSING ON THE SCALE

Many people complain when, after doing a week of hour-long workouts at the gym, they find the scales haven’t budged a bit. Rather than focusing on scales and using that as confirmation that you are losing weight, opt for a tape measure instead. You may not notice any difference on the scales because if you are exercising properly, you should be building muscle (which weighs more than fat) and losing fat at the same time. But you should notice a difference when you look in the mirror, people make a comment and, best of all, when you suddenly find you can fit into a pair of pants that you hadn’t worn in ten years.

3. FOCUSING ON CARDIO

Many people opt to do only cardio workouts when trying to lose weight because cardio workouts burn more calories in the duration of the workout than, say, resistance training. But what they don’t realise is that the key to getting a more toned body is to increase the metabolism. You should go for activities that not only burn calories during the workout but also burn calories for hours and days afterwards, such as resistance and/or interval training. In short, don’t focus on just cardio-only workouts but aim to combine it with some weight training to build up muscle.

4. SKIPPING BREAKFAST

Skipping meals is something many people do – especially when they feel they ate like a pig the night before. But there is a reason why breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be missed. When you wake up, your body craves for nutrients as it’s been fasting for six hours or so. When you skip breakfast, your body starts breaking down muscle for energy – again, you have to remember that your muscle is your metabolism. Eat a healthy, well-balanced breakfast and you’ll find you’re less likely to overeat later on.

5. RELYING ON PILLS

I scoff everytime I see ads on TV with a distinguished spokesperson, an MD of some sort or other, talking about the benefits of their particular diet pills. Please! I have never met anyone who has ever lost weight through diet pills. Just as bad as crash diets.

6. EATING TOO LITTLE

Eating too little throughout the day will result in you overeating during dinner where there is little opportunity to burn off the calories as you’re more likely to just sit in front of the TV and relax. You may have heard this too often before but you really should try to eat 5 to 6 small meals throughout the day.

7. EATING OUT TOO MUCH

Since I started cooking at home, I realised just how much bigger the servings are in takeaway shops and restaurants. And because you paid $10 or so for the meal, you don’t want to waste it and you end up scoffing everything down even though you were already full halfway through. Avoid eating out too much – not only are you more likely to control how much food you put in your mouth at home, you also know exactly what goes into the food.

8. EMOTIONAL EATING

How many times have you found yourself stressed at work then wolfed down a Hungry Jack’s large whopper meal to make you feel better? If you want a healthy body, you need to find a way to control your emotional attachment to food.

9. LACK OF CONSISTENCY

A key to getting and keeping a fit, healthy body is changing your lifestyle and ensuring you maintain it. Which is why crash diets don’t work because not many people can maintain it over a long period of time. When starting a weight-loss program, you need to ensure you can incorporate that into your lifestyle and that it is something you can maintain for a long period. I have seen too many friends of mine who have gone hard at exercising, spending time at the gym for 3 hours every day for 2 weeks only to find themselves dropping off and not being able to keep up with it.

10. NOT ENOUGH SLEEP

My personal trainer told me this was by far the most important key to losing weight. Getting a reasonable amount of sleep at night (at least 8 hours) relaxes and revitalises your mind and body, which is a must if you’re working out regularly. Having insufficient sleep-time leads to increase in stress hormones and you’ll find when you wake up in the morning, you become hungry and crave for junk food.

Sheknows.com suggests to commit to correcting one common mistake a week. As much as people like my sisters don’t want to hear it, getting a fit, healthy body and maintaining it isn’t a quick-fix. You have to be prepared to discipline and motivate yourself and change your lifestyle

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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Body Care

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Men opting for women's hairstyles

July 16th 2008 02:15

Zac Effron - teen hearthrob with a swoop fringe popular among women

I remember having to constantly fight with my bro for bathroom time when we were teenagers. Not because he took too long in the shower (which he did) or too long shaving (which he did) or too long staring at himself in the mirror (which he did). But because to him, doing up his hair was an hour-long art complete with hairsprays, gels and a hairdryer. When I finally got into the bathroom, it was into a grey haze of chemicals and heat that knocked me out once or twice.

Rory from Big Brother sports the dreaded dreadlocks

Now it seems I would have to re-live that again if my bun in the oven turns out to be a son. It seems men are becoming bored with their hairstyles. After sporting bowl cuts, shaved heats, crew cuts, etc, men, according to Kenneth Frost, a leading international hairstylist, now want to exercise their artistic abilities on their more feminine haircuts. We’re talking long manes, wavy, coloured, spiked, the works. Frost is in India for the month of July, ‘educating’ the locals on how to wear their hair through a series of interactive workshops with a special focus on men’s longer and more feminine hairstyles.

Kynt from Amazing Race (the one on the left) is as girly girly as any man can get

Ugh. Maybe I’m getting old but I almost had a heart attack when I saw a boy of no more than fourteen with the most bizarre haircut I had ever seen that made me want to go after him with a shaver. There was a yellow coloured spike sticking out the back of his head, more spikes of green sprouting from the top of his head, a couple of red-tinted tendrils down the side of his pale face and a curled fringed, coloured purple. Why anyone let their son walk out with a virtual fruit bowl on his head was beyond me. Then I saw his friends with their afros, dreadlocks and anime-inspired hairstyles, all with mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks squeezed into skinny jeans and I had to shake my head at the frivolity of male youth. But then I recalled the 80s era that brought us Boy George, David Bowie, Kiss, etc and should have realized that the 80s are well and truly here – just without the music which is a pity. I can only hope this phase will last no more than a decade and will be swiftly replaced by those happy pants and hypercolour shirts.

David Bowie in the 80s Labyrinth

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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Hair Care, Fads

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Beer, oatmeal & oranges for your skin & beauty

July 15th 2008 01:47

Natalie Durkovich from Columbia Tribune has come up with these some easy beauty product recipes that are effective as well as inexpensive.

BEER

Some of you may wince at the idea of using beer as a beauty product and that it’s a waste if it’s not going down your throat. But this should be worth a try.

Have dull hair? Dunk a bottle of beer over your head after shampooing. Beer is packed with proteins that plump up your hair cuticle, giving you that enviable natural volume while its vitamin B properties promote shine.

OATMEAL

Mmm…oatmeal. I usually prefer my oats with warm milk and a spoonful of brown sugar, especially in winter. But there’s a reason why oats are prevalent in many beauty products such as masques, scrubs, moisturizers, etc. Oatmeal has been clinically shown to relieve itchy, dry skin because of their soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits, not to mention it also helps soften the skin.

Place a handful of oats in a wash cloth and secure. Dip the washcloth in a bowl of warm water and squeeze until the water is murky. Splash the water on your face and let it dry before rinsing.

ORANGES

At the end of the month, I seem to find myself on my knees in front of the refrigerator, grimacing as I throw bag after bag of bruised oranges my husband insists on buying every week. But here’s something that may persuade me to lug these oranges out to my bathroom cabinet instead.

Oranges restore balance to dry skin and help stimulate skin surface circulation to soften rough skin. Squeeze half of the orange juice into a bowl and mix with ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup olive oil. Rub the remaining half of the orange over the rough spots like elbows, knees, back of heels, etc, then follow with the orange scrub. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Skin Care, Beauty Food

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Would you buy a $1000 bottle of shampoo for a cause?

July 10th 2008 01:08

Wash your hair with love with this $1000 bottle of shampoo by Nutralove.

Nutralove, a Healthy & Beauty Company, has come up with a new shampoo, the Love shampoo that, not only is packed with nutrients, herbs and vitamins with its ‘patent love shot ampoule’ but also comes with a $1000 donation for St Jude’s Children Hospital.
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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Hair Care

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Best beauty products chosen by experts

July 3rd 2008 03:04

Want to know what beauty products top the list of must-haves of beauty experts?

The good news is many of these products are ‘multi-tasking’, such as moisturizers correcting skin tone and acting as a sunscreen, environmentally friendly and, best of all, cheap.
[ Click here to read more ]

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Posted By: Aimzster - Category: Skin Care, Face, Hair Care

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