Pick The Perfect Outfit – In A Snap

Normally I avoid having my picture taken at all costs, I just don't think I'm photogenic. But when it comes to getting ready for a big, important event, I take my cues from celebrities, after all they're always having their picture taken.

When I'm getting ready for a big day, the night before I like to try on my entire outfit, accessories and all, then snap a picture of myself. Mirrors are cruel, but pictures provide an even more objective representation of your outfit. With just a quick click and a glimpse at the preview window on my digital camera and I can know in an instant if my outfit isn't working.  

In The Pink

When it comes to the perfect summer glow, faking a little color is always the safest bet. But why paint yourself up like a gingerbread lady when a rosy glow looks so much healthier. Really, you'll look like you've just returned from an invigorating jog or an afternoon of playing beach volleyball. A rosy flush will give an appearance of an active, healthy lifestyle, compared to a dark, leathery tan that suggests you've been languishing in the sun for hours.

The best thing about this pretty summer trend is you can achieve the gorgeous look with little-to-no effort. Seriously, just pat a little lip-and-cheek gel onto your mouth, cheeks and areas of your face where the sun would land were it high above you – you know, across the tops of your cheeks, bridge of your nose, upper forehead.

This simple look is best over a lightweight moisturizer and lip balm, paired with a full face of foundation and it comes across as unnatural. This is one of those times when less really is more. To finish off your sun-kissed look, dab a shimmery, neutral eye gloss just onto the corners of your eyes with the tip of your finger, leaving the rest of the lids bare. No one will know you're wearing makeup, but they'll certainly think you've been skimping on the sunscreen.  

Health Made Easy – Kick A Cold

When it comes to my sinuses, I think it's safe to say I'm “built cheap”, if I'm not actively involved with my health it's easy for me to become sidelined by seasonal sniffles. Now that June is right around the corner, I'm preparing ahead of time for the inevitable summer cold. There are some pretty simple strategies for relief and since they work so well for me, I'm going to share with you so you can feel better also.

• Turn Down The AC – Who doesn't love a nice, cool, air-conditioned room? My sinuses, that's who, and probably yours too if you're feeling miserable. Turn down the AC just a smidge, all that cold air can dry the protective layer of mucus in your nose which prolongs unnecessary suffering. If you insist on running the AC, then bolster your poor nostrils with an over-the-counter saline spray, or my personal favorite, a neti pot, to maintain precious moisture.
• Sip Chicken Soup – It's okay to sip it at room temperature if it's just too hot for soup, the broth will hydrate you while the salt soothes your sore throat.

Been doing all this for over a week and you're still not feeling beachy-keen, get thee to a doctor, stat!  

Health Made Easy – Pig-out Prevention

This time of year, I'm cuckoo for cookies and cream, ice cream that is. If I'm not careful, I can polish off a whole pint, which is way more than the little label says is a reasonable serving size. Since I can't promise that little pint will last two days, tops, I've developed this little trick:

Let the ice cream sit out for a minute or two to soften, then scoop half-cup servings into disposable paper cups. Cover, and return these little personal portions to the freezer. Grab one when the craving strikes and say farewell to those guilt trips of “I can't believe I ate the whole thing.”  

Attitude Is Everything – Look Forward To Living Longer And You Will

After more than two decades of research spent following men and women aged 50 and older it's been found that people who report a positive attitude towards aging live more than seven years longer than those with a negative view.

Some of the positives expressed by these individuals includes enjoying wisdom and creativity, and being able to share that knowledge with younger generations. Sure, it could be said that people with positive attitudes are well-practiced at questioning the negative stereotypes encountered in every-day life, but there's just too much data to support the health benefits of optimism.
It's never too late to start, my friends. If you have good genes, eat well, exercise and enjoy social support, chances are you'll feel more comfortable with getting older, and live longer as a result.  

Don't Let A Breakup Hurt Your Health

Ever notice how we tend to celebrate when one of our friends gets divorced? What about those folks who break up with someone after living together for several years, they go through all the same post-breakup anxiety, suffering all the same physical and mental consequences as the recently divorced, where's their parade? Plenty of researchers have proven beyond a doubt there is no difference in physiological complaints between the recently divorced and the recently split.

All this emotional trauma can take a major toll on your immune system. Depression associated with the end of a relationship can increase the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. We've all seen the effects of a population operating with high cortisol levels – the entire country is obese and our current generation of children won't outlive their parents, for the first time in a very long time, but that's another rant for another day. To stay healthy during a split, try some of the following suggestions:

• Eat Carefully – Your appetite is likely to kick into top gear, so rather than reach for the cool, soothing mush of yet another pint of premium ice cream, make sure what you eat is healthy and high in quality.
• Slow Down – Your body is in a fragile state, slow down just a little and get plenty of rest. Naps rule.
• Reach Out to Friends – There's no reason to forge through this time alone, stay connected with your friends and family for the emotional support you need and deserve.
• Find Emotional Balance – It's healthy to vent! Purge those feelings by talking to someone or writing it down in a journal, experience the emotion and move on, rather than dwelling and festering in negativity.
• Don't Let Yourself Go – It may be tempting to slip into your comfy jammies and hide from the world for a while as you slowly pack on the pounds. A little bit of jammy indulgence is fine, just remember that your appearance can and will effect your self-esteem.
• Add Some Color – Even though your spirit may be black, leave your doom and gloom garments alone for a while, color is a natural spirit lifter, so reach for something bold and bright.

Breakups take time to get over, it's the death of a relationship so do take the time to experience the various stages of mourning, just don't become a crazy cat lady in the process. You're a champion, treat yourself with some care and you'll be back at fighting weight in no time!  After all, Ivana Trump said it best when she advised, "looking good is the best revenge."  

Dig In – Healthy Eating Is In The Palm Of Your Hand

 High protein, low carb, no refined sugars, no french fries after 9:45 PM unless you're standing on one foot and singing the national anthem – so many diet rules it's no wonder obesity is nearing epidemic proportions. The USDA guidelines are kind enough to provide general comparisons to help us trim our servings to healthy sizes, but let's be honest, how many of us are carrying a handy-dandy deck of cards when we head out to dinner? And that chunk of cheddar, what size dice do we use to measure that? Surely not this twenty-sided honker left over from my youthful experiments with D&D!

Food Portions Out of Control? Get a Grip!  

With all the guesswork that goes into healthy dining these days, I'm surprised anyone even bothers playing the trendy diet game at all. I'm going to dispel some of the mystery for you, my friends, because I intend to live a very long time and it won't be half as exciting if you're not all along to enjoy the ride! Did you know the secret to measuring healthy portions lies within your very own hands? It's true, your palm, fingers and thumb are great for measuring ideal portions. Just don't send your guy into the kitchen to prepare a cheese plate if his hands are twice the size of yours!

The “All Fingers and Thumbs” Approach to Portion Sizes  

If you want to look and feel your best, you need to put as much thought into measuring the portions you put on your plate as you put into picking out clothes that make you feel beautiful and confident. After all, Joan Rivers put it best when she said, “Diets, like clothes, should be tailored to you.” This is the number one reason I like using my hands as a guideline when measuring my portions, but don't just take my word for it, plenty of dieticians agree. Here's how you can make it work for you:

• 3 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry = the size and thickness of your palm
• 1 ounce of hard cheese = the length and width of your thumb. 1 tsp = the tip of your thumb (from the knuckle). 1 tbsp = 3 thumb tips
• 1 cup dry cereal, popped popcorn, or one medium piece of fruit = the size of your fist
• ½ cup cooked veggies or pasta = one cupped hand
• 1 cup raw, leafy spinach or tossed salad = two cupped hands

I really can't say which came first for me – the diet or the exercise – I just know that when I started taking the internal condition of my body seriously the two seemed to fall in line pretty naturally. I didn't set out with the goal of losing weight, a problematic thyroid pretty much rendered my metabolism non-existent. Instead, I don't bother worrying about what I'm eating, I prefer to focus on how much, gravitating towards healthy-sized portions, rather than fretting over the calories or decadence. If you'd like to get on the road towards a healthier lifestyle, but you're not sure if these handy (no pun intended) measuring tools may not be right for you, it's perfectly reasonable to invest in a kitchen scale as a backup form of measurement until you're feeling more confident with eyeballing your portions.  

No Excuses – Everyone Has Time For These Easy Exercises

The concept of boredom is lost on me, then again, so is the concept of free time. I would love to be one of those pampered sorts who spends hours at a time sculpting the perfect, peachy pilates rump, but let's face it, if I had that kind of time I would probably spend it doing anything but pilates. Alas, I have a weakness for coffee cakes and orange soda, and as far as metabolisms go, I'm built pretty cheap, so I have no other choice than to create an exercise routine that works for me.

If there's any truth to Loretta Young's assessment that “A charming woman is a busy woman” then I may be one of the most charming women I know! And I know lots of charming women. I also bore easily, if something can't keep my attention I discard it for something more engaging. Because of this I like to multitask – sitting on a balance ball while sitting at my desk, for instance, keeps my abs working as well as my brain. You know what I'm talking about if you've ever let your mind wander while sitting on a balance ball and lost your balance as a result.

Exercise on the Go

There's plenty of other ways to turn your home into a home gym, busy mom's everywhere have been using canned goods for resistance training for everything from tricep curls to bicep training. Try balancing plates, the fear of dropping them will cause you to bring previously ignored muscles to engage – simply lift the plate up towards the ceiling then out towards the wall, keep the motion smooth, and repeat 50 times on both sides. You'll feel it, I promise. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to ways you can incorporate exercise into the routines you take for granted every day.

Workout Anywhere, Anytime  

• Create Curvy Calves – In just two minutes a day you can shape your calves into sexy curves, you can even do it while brushing your teeth – talk about beauty from head to toe! Step up onto a phone book, opposite its spine, with the balls of your feet balanced on the phone book and your heels dangling over the edge. Slowly lower your heels to the floor, hold for two seconds and slowly return to your starting position, hold for two seconds, and repeat the process.
• Sculpt Sexy Shoulders - If your grocery store is anything like mine, then you know how they love to jam pack those reusable shopping bags to the brim. While making your way to your car, which you parked on the far side of the parking lot for extra calorie burning, do a few repetitions of bicep curls, hammer curls and upright rows – repeat on both sides in case of curls. Imagine all the jealous glares you get when someone asks your secret to beautiful biceps and you answer with total sincerity, “shopping.”
• Hip Drop At the Bus Stop – It's pretty natural to settle your weight on one foot or the other when waiting for the bus, train, or a taxi to arrive. Might as well make this waiting more productive by practicing some hip adductions and hip abductions, this is just fancy talk for balancing on your left foot and crossing your right foot in front of your left to work the inner thighs (adduction), or balancing on your left foot while raising your right leg laterally to the side to work your outer thigh (abduction). Or, if your familiar with some belly dancing moves, practice your hip lifts, hip drops, hip circles, you name it. Just remember you're in public so be slow and subtle with your moves – the slower you go, the deeper the burn!

Not everyone can afford to have a treadmill in their home, let alone the room to contain one, which is another reason why it's so important to find creative ways to stay in shape. The fancy trappings of exercise gear, high-tech water bottles and a membership to the hottest gym in town is just daunting to someone who may already feel pressed for time. Let's not forget that kicking off your shoes and having a dance party with your kids can be as effective as a Zumba class if you're creative with it.