Crave A Tiny Waist? — Start Munching On Blueberries

You can’t eat your cake and have it too, but when it comes to keeping your waist tiny and your figure trim science dictates — you can! Eat all you want and still keep flab away, sounds more like fiction and less likely fact, but research has proven that certain food groups can help us stay svelte even if our culinary choices defy diet and calorie myths. Lets follow the scientific breadcrumbs that ultimately lead us to tiny drupelets of blue or bilberries, and look closer how this transpires.

Blueberries are prime example of the fact that amazing things come in tiny packages. This itsy bitsy fruit is packed with huge health benefits, it provides us with tasty ways to stay healthy, young and according to the recent research — slim–n-trim. Low in fat, coming in at about 80 calories per cup and practically fat-free — blueberries are loaded with fiber to keep you feel fuller longer. Just a handful can satisfy your daily fiber requirement plus, these tiny powerhouse berries are an excellent way to trim belly fat. According to latest research, you can enjoy all different types of food you dread being on diet, guilt-free by adding blueberries to your diet. The beneficial health effects of blueberries are attributed to high levels of polyphenols, a disease-fighting chemical component.

Latest Research

Recently researchers at the University of the Basque Country, Spain have completed a study to assess the effects of pterostilbene in rats fed on obesogenic diet. Pterostilbene is a phenolic compound (the same family as resveratrol) that is found abundantly in blueberries. In this study pterostilbene was found to reduce the accumulation of body fat.  The study authors have concluded that: “Pterostilbene shows antiobesity properties due, at least in part, to reduced lipogenesis in adipose tissue and increased fatty acid oxidation in liver.” Thus in a nutshell, Blue Berries discourage fat storage and help burn fat.

More Proof In The Pudding

Bilberries are a special variety of blueberries found in North England and Nordic countries and they reportedly contain significantly higher percentage of polyphenols compared to commercially cultivated blueberries.

In another study, carried out by the University of Eastern Finland, mice were fed high-fat diet for a period of three months. Some of the mice were also fed either 5 per cent or 10 per cent of freeze-dried bilberries in the diet.

The researchers assessed the effects of the diets by looking at levels of inflammation in cells. Obese people have higher levels of inflammation, and even low levels are often associated with obesity-related diseases. They measured inflammation levels by looking at cytokines, substances produced from white blood cells, which trigger the body’s immune response. High levels are a marker of inflammation. The researchers also measured levels of glucose in the blood, as high levels can lead to diabetes, and insulin sensitivity (whether the body is sensitive to the hormone, which breaks down sugar).

Lastly, they measured blood pressure and weight gain.

During the study as expected, the mice on the high-fat diet gained significant amounts of weight. Researchers noted detrimental changes in their glucose, fat metabolism, blood pressure and inflammation levels.

Watching the group of mice fed on bilberries along with high fat diet, researchers found very little inflammatory effects of the high-fat diet. Bilberries also prevented the raised blood pressure caused by the fatty foods. The researchers explained that this is probably due to high levels of the disease fighting chemicals polyphenols present in blueberries; specifically because of polyphenols called anthocyanins — which give bilberries and blueberries their blue color.

More Evidence

A previous study presented at the American Society for Nutrition’s Experimental Biology meeting in 2011, advised weight watchers should start snacking on blueberries and other foods with high levels of polyphenols (cranberries, grapes, potatoes, pop corn) as these fruits slash the number of fat cells in the body by up to three-quarters.

During their research scientists have found that polyphenols can cut the number of fat cells in the body by 73 per cent with large doses and 27 per cent with smallest dose.

There is significant body of evidence supporting polyphenols as a key substance that can change the way body processes and stores fat. The golden rule prevails “Eat healthy to stay healthy and fit”, but the blue and bilberries offer a unique failsafe against weight gain even if we succumb to naughty over indulgent food urges.

The Feral Return Of The High Browed Beauty

From runways to silver screen bushy brows are shaping up to be 2014’s biggest beauty trend. The glorified brow du jour is a far cry from 80s untouched and unruly wilderness, as it welcomes you to the shapely yet bold zip code of “Cara’s-power-brows” — This groomed yet lush foliage that frames the upper visage is a beauty asset to reckon and the “browsperts” across the beauti-verse have been ballyhooing about it incessantly. Unmade eyebrows tend to hide the perfect features of a beautiful face, while on the other hand rightly groomed eyebrows help accentuate the desired appeal on the face.

Finding Your North Star — Geometry To The Rescue

Brows are important features of expressions they help us share our emotions. Shaped well, they have the power to change the overall appearance of our face, lending balance and symmetry. Important thing to remember while shaping your brows is keeping your face shape in mind. Depending on the facial structure, some prefer to keep their eyebrows thick and close to natural, while some prefer to arch and shape these face-framing features. Here’s a simple guide

Square Shaped Face — Think Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Connelly — Brows which are thick near the center of face and tapering slightly at the tail end with a pronounced arch frame a square face effortlessly.

Heart Shaped Face — Think Cara Delevingne and Arizona Muse — Bold, bushy and lush brows with a slight angle at 2/3 to 1/3 junction are perfect frames for a heart shape face.

Round Shaped Face — Think Lily Collins and Miranda Kerr — Ample, thickset and straight brows with a slim tapering three quarters of the way add a soft point to a round face. Don’t over arch!

Oval Shaped Face — Think Jacquelyn Jablonski and Agyness Deyn — Feral and slanting brows can add come hither charm by framing an oval face in an attractive manner.

Raise Your Sex Appeal & Some Brows By Letting Yours Sprout:

If your brows are sparse and stunted genetically and even if you avoid tweezers and wax for months, the regrowth is minimal don’t be saddened, as there is still hope for you.

Straight From the Kitchen: An old Indian remedy to grow lush brows is to add a little turmeric or rosemary oil to some castor oil and rub it on to brows at night to encourage healing and growth.

Lattisse is a prescription drug for growing eyelashes, not brows, but guess what it works on brows as well as it works on lashes. Applying one drop per brow for 3-4 weeks and you’d see baby hair sprout and fill up your scant brows.

AminoGenesis LashGenesis is a unique peptide and amino acid based formula that promotes growth of hair roots as it conditions hair shaft, preventing breakage leading to thicker and longer lashes and brows. Applying it once at night for 3-4 weeks and you’d see your brows and lashes grow decadently luscious.

Latisse and AminoGenesis do deliver great results, but the catch 22 here is once you stop using them the hair cycle goes back to pre-usage pace. So if you want to keep your new, thicker brows, you’d have to keep using the products at least periodically.

The two-week falsies were originally created for women who had lost their brows through chemotherapy or alopecia areata. “Faceframe 3D Eyebrows” is a great brand, which employs individual strands of synthetic mink glued the upper and lower eyelid skin. These falsies also work for anyone with sparse brows or bare patches, once glued on they lasts up to a fortnight.

Brow Implants is a 2-3 hour minor surgical procedure performed by hair transplant surgeons, where some hair from just above the ear area is taken and transplanted to the eyebrow region. Unlike tattooing, dying, or other attempts to enhance the brow, eyebrow restoration uses follicular unit transplantation to create a truly natural look—because it uses your own natural hair. If your eyebrows are very sparse and lacking hair it is something to consider.

Big is beautiful and everyone is a believer, but the trick to flaunt dominant upper facial hair and not get crashed and burned is — keeping it real. 

Anatomy Of An Aging Face

Looking at gorgeous Sophia Loren’s pictures through the last few decades, we get a sense of time travel with a front row seat witnessing a beautiful youthful face change with age. Facial aging is a fascinatingly intricate process, but our vision mostly is limited to what’s happening on the surface of the skin. Taking a closer anatomical look, scientists have discovered that a lot of major changes are happening underneath the skin too. To better understand how a visage plumped with youth, transforms into a creased and sagged poster child of age lets indulge in anatomy 101 to see closely what’s really happening underneath the skin with the passage of time.

Facial aging process begins second decade of life, with surface and subsurface structural changes in multiple tissue layers —including skin, fat, muscle and bone. All layers age interdependently, contributing to the overall facial appearance that keeps on changing with age.

Journey Of Our Skin Through Time: As we age our skin goes through several changes —on the surface the skin becomes more rough and pigmented as the epidermal renewal cycle become less efficient. Past second decade of life, skin collagen remodeling and replenishing processes begin to slow down, with progressive loss in collagen skin becomes thinner and hence more likely to wrinkle & sag. As the skin becomes progressively drier, thinner and

less elastic with age along with daily wear and tear going unchecked skin begins to wrinkle, sag and look lusterless.

Fat & Bone Changes With Aging: A youthful plump face has the right amount of facial fat in all the right places. Redistribution, accumulation, and atrophy of fat with age, leads to facial shape changes and sagging. Some areas lose fat e.g. the forehead, temples and upper cheeks. Other areas gain fat e.g. neck, lower face and jaw. Modification of the fat pads leads to contour deficiencies. In addition, the areas of fat tend to become farther apart. Instead of a smooth, almost continuous layer, the fat pads appear as separate structures.

There is a significant loss of facial bone volume with age. Aging of the craniofacial skeleton may be due to changes in the relative dynamics of bone expansion and bone resorption. Bone resorption leads to biometric volume loss. Without the structural support of bone, there are noticeable changes in the other layers of overlying soft tissue and skin.

Age Proofing The Visage — Modern Medicine To The Rescue

Facial rejuvenation treatments can be classified in three categories:

Resurfacing Options —Skin peeling techniques can be used to modify the surface of the skin. Peeling the suface can correct the effects of photoaging, which includes correction of fine lines, irregular pigmentation and blemishes. Common skin resurfacing techniques include:

• Chemical peels
• Micro-dermabrasion
• Laser resurfacing

Injectables —Injectables include a broad range of substances, which can be administered by injection into the skin, fat or muscles. Their main usage is for the treatment of lines, wrinkles and folds, as well as hollowing and volume loss. Three of the most common types include:

• Neurotoxins
• Traditional fillers
• Collagen stimulators

Surgery —Surgery includes a wide range of procedures from lifts to liposuction to fat transfer. These treatments can address a range of desired outcomes. Three of the most popular surgeries are:

• Liposuction
• Facelift
• Fat transfer

Thinking Aloud — How To Landscape The Female Goatee?

Brunettes across the planet can celebrate their hairy genes, by showing off their lush set of bushy eyebrows and ritzy manes, but when it comes to panegyrizing lady-beard & moustache they have never been on trend —EVER. Hairy face on a female has always been undesirable. “Grandma you have such a hairy face”, little Red Ridding Hood exclaimed with concern making fairytale history, and that concern has haunted every female young and old before and since.

To be or not to be (Hairy) —that’s the perplexing aesthetic question that bugs, every female standing in front of the mirror tackling her facial hair.

Why Hair Sneak Up On You At A Certain Age?

Facial hair is a secondary sexual character that starts to sprout on teenage faces as they go through puberty. While boys can’t wait for the process of growing a beard to be faster and thicker as they transition from boys to proud men, girls with excessive facial fuzz feel embarrassed and cheated out of their femininity at that tender age. Ladies genetics, and hormones ultimately dictate how hairy you are going to be—so if your mom has chin hair, you most likely will, too.

Some times facial hair catches up on women late in life, especially as they go through menopause and female hormone levels drop.

Epilation —There Are So Many Ways To Skin A Cat

They say when there is a will there is a way, actually in our case at hand there are many ways to furtively remove facial hair: tweezing, waxing, bleaching, laser, hair growth retarding creams —even shaving.

Threading rips out hair at the root, and mechanical epilators do the same job of plucking out hair a little more efficiently, while waxing entails using hot caramelized sugar to pull hair from the roots. Waxing medically speaking is highly irritating to sensitive skin as it also tugs at the surrounding skin ripping away part of the epidermis. Wrong temperature and you might end up with a skin burn with serious pain and side effects.

Depilatory creams may seem like a less irritating option to some, but they are packed with strong chemicals that dissolve hair bonds. Point to ponder, if these creams can chemically dissolve your tough hair in few minutes think about the damage they might be causing to the surrounding skin. 

Bleaching involves using hydrogen peroxide to strip dark pigment from the hair leaving behind blonde fuzz. Timing is of essence here, left on the skin for a little too long and you might end up with a chemical burn with all the ugly sequelae of a burn.

Vaniqa, is a medicated cream that if rubbed on skin daily, after hair removal by waxing or threading for ten days post epilation helps reduce and retard hair growth over time. It doesn't remove hairs, but it slows down how fast they grow and makes them come in finer and softer.

Shaving when performed correctly, leads to the least amount of trauma to the skin surrounding the hair. But the whole idea of shaving feels very unfeminine to some, especially when it comes to the face.

Though painful and expensive, laser treatment is the only long-lasting option for hair removal — and an investment of a few Furry Fendi Bugs proportion. Lasers work by concentrating on the color in the hair, which is why they tend to work better on people with thicker, darker hair. Laser light targets brown or black color, as hair shafts with maximum pigment absorb most of the heat and if the hair follicle is in growing (Anagen) phase the hair burns and the growing root burns with it. The catch 22 in laser hair reduction is understanding the hair growth cycle —hair go through three cycles in its life time, at one point in time 10-15% of our hair are in growing (Anagen) phase, 60-70% are in resting (Catagen) phase and 10-15% are in falling (Telogen) phase. Unfortunately laser can affect hair only during anagen phase, so when hair is not in the growing phase we have no permanent affect. That’s why it can take multiple (five to ten) sessions to see long lasting results especially on the face.

Now you have the down and low on most of the hair removal options available in the market currently, but before you engage in one of the ways to landscape excessive hair on your face, I’d advice you to consult a doctor if you have more than normal hair on your cheeks and chin, to rule out any hormonal causes like polycystic ovaries etc. In those cases, your doctor might suggest a medicine like birth control pills to lower the amount of hormones that are linked to excessive hair growth. Meanwhile choose wisely and thank your genetics for your Cara brows, being hairy is a mixed gift —both a curse and a blessing.

Give ‘Em Some Lip

Lips speak volumes characterizing the beauty of a face. Full-lipped “Beauty Goddesses” like Angelina Jolie, Sophia Loren, Lindsey Wixson and Scarlet Johansson are idolized world over and their famous kissers have had a big say in immortalizing them as heartthrob queens. To scientifically highlight the fact that lips play an important role in etching the attraction factor of a female face, researchers at the Manchester University employed eye-tracking software and reported that in the initial ten seconds after meeting a lady for the first time, an average chap spends more than half that time looking at her mouth.

The power that a beautiful set of lips possess is undeniable, but the fact that a well constructed pout can change a gal’s allure from prolix to a vixen poses a pertinent query in every female brain: Can we improve on what God gave us and what time takes away from us? The answer is of course yes, but to practically achieve this perfection we need to understand the framework of a beautiful lip.

Anatomy Of A Beautiful Lip

Artists being the seekers of perfection and beauty have discovered over time that beauty lies hidden in the proportions and golden ratios of facial features, a change of few millimeters can transform ordinary into ravishingly captivating pretty easily. Now lets talk lips and golden ratios one-on-one, to fit the mold of balanced and beautiful the ratio of the height of the upper lip to that of the lower one should be ideally 1.4:1.6, a slightly exaggerated lower lip highlights the beauty of lips. 

Mona Lisa Smile

Slightly up tilted corners of mouth have served as a symbol of youth and beauty be it Renaissance or modern day. With time and aging, the fat at the corner of the lips disappears and the depressor angularis oris (muscle that runs from the corner of the lips to the jawbone) tightens, resulting in the downward projection of lips. This process also results in the formation of Marionette lines.

Modern Medicine To The Rescue: Dermal fillers can replace the volume loss while Botox®, in the depressor angularis oris can relax the downward pull of the muscle, restoring the harmony of the face back from sad and aging to mysteriously youthful.

Tracing The Lip Lines

Vermilion border is the lip border that defines the shape of the lips. The vermilion border flattens with age leading to thin and sad lips.

Solution: To bring back youthfulness to an aging pucker dermal fillers can be injected to re-create this roll.

Cupid’s Bow

This area named after the God Of love adds certain come-hither magnetism to the face, but unfortunately in the middle age the upper lip starts to loose collagen and elastin and this perky arched bow straightens with age.

Solution: Carefully placed dermal filler can restore the allure of the Cupid's bow giving lips their sexy back.

Columns Of Beauty

Philtral columns are the two vertical lines that project upward from the Cupid's bow adding character and definition to the lips. As we age they tend to flatten or disappear.

Solution: Dermal filler placed very superficially in the columns to restore and lift upper lip definition accentuates the depressed area above the Cupid's bow adding puerile character to the lips.

Read My Smooth Lips

Soft, line-free lips telegraph youth. A dab of lip moisturizing balm or olive oil can treat moisture loss, and a hydrating lipstick can camouflage uneven textures.

Solution: A strategic infusion of lips with hyaluronic acid based fillers can plump up the lips naturally reestablishing their vernal smoothness.

Dumbbells Of Beauty:

An attractive bottom lip has a subtle symmetric fullness on both sides. This balance can be lost with age as well as when lips are plumped without respecting lower lip anatomy.

Solution: Plump up the sides with a slight pressure in the middle to create naturally bifurcated lower lip and avoid injecting in the center of the lower lip.

Lip Ptosis

The lip line in this condition creates a sad or unhappily appearance on first impressions.

Solution: Inject the lip corners with hyaluronic acid to give a lifting effect. Re-define the vermillion borders around the corners of mouth and feather into the supporting areas beyond the upper and lower lip lines.

Lip Cheek Junction

Due to mid-cheek fat loss and skin thinning as a result of aging, nasolabial folds fall downwards and forward leading to deepening of laugh lines and downturned angles of mouth.

Solution: Adding some volume to mid cheek fat pocket and Restow’s space and mild feathering of hyaluronic acid along the Naso-labial folds can restore the face to its youthful glory.

Makeup

Gals you can achieve a lot with a concealer, lip lining pencil and the right shade of moisturizing lipstick. Never underestimate the power of contouring; an artist can sprinkle youth with her/his brush strokes.

Medicine

There are multiple products available in the market that can plump up an ordinary lip to a pillowy delight. But, long lasting transformative magic can only happen through a syringe full of hyaluronic acid -the magical youth infuser. To get natural and tasteful result you need to find a doctor who is an artist at her/his job not just any needle jabber. In right hands lips can become masterpieces of natural beauty and in brute hands trout pouts (shocking all senses of beauty).

Key message when thinking lip enhancement is: less is more. Be it makeup or medical help you can bring in the real beauty to your lips by understanding and respecting the anatomy of naturally gifted lips.

Post Halloween Skin Detox

Trick or treating as ghoul or Dia de los Muertos, sugar rushing on corn syrup and candy makes up for a perfect adventure on all Hallows eve, but come next morning the cold blooded reality dawns on you —the spooky night inflicted carnage on your skin and body has turned you into real life puffy-the-vampire. Here’s a quick and simple weekend Detox that’d give you your day walker status back in a pinch and rejoice it doesn't involve fasting, purging, or a complete rearrangement of your life. Follow step-by-step routine and wake up Monday morning with a fresh, radiant complexion.

Channeling The Right Spirit: Clear all the clutter around you, simply straightening up the junk on your coffee table or doing a load of laundry will prepare you for the inner cleansing to come.

Eat Drink But Don’t Be Scary: Let the healing begin by eating right. Stock up the fridge for your weekend Detox, you want to fill your body with healthy foods such as lean protein (chicken, turkey, and tofu), fresh fruits (cranberries, apples, and grapes) and vegetables (look for broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes)—these antioxidant packed foods help repair, and prevent, damage to your skin. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and all refined and processed foods (that means no more sugar or carbs).

Purge Your Daily Skincare Routine: When your skin acts up, the last thing you want to do is slather on a plethora of lotions, potions and serums. The same goes for a detox —To give your skin time to rebalance, put away everything except your cleanser, day lotion with SPF, and night cream.

Relax And Sip Warm Tea: Look for blends that include nettle, ginger, or burdock, dandelion, or sarsaparilla root—herbs and flowers known to calm inflammation and improve liver and kidney function. These teas help eliminate puffiness around the eyes and decongest your skin. If you need a caffeine-hit, try green tea; it is less of a stimulant and is packed with lots of antioxidants.

Give Or Take A Massage: Encourage the elimination of waste by manually moving lymph through the lymphatic system. Concentrate on massaging the neck, armpits, stomach, groin, and behind the knees—areas where there are a lot of lymph nodes.

Let Your Pores Breathe: Pour hot water into a small bowl and add a few drops of citrus or any other calming and relaxing essential oil. Soak a hand towel in the water, then wring out and drape over your face. Lie down for ten minutes and let the steam open your pores, prepping your skin for the detoxifying mask that follows. Look for masks made with clay, which absorbs excess oil and pulls toxins and impurities out, while adding in necessary minerals.

Exfoliate And Rejuvenate: Wake up your senses with a sloughing session in the shower. Exfoliate with a product that contains coffee to remove dead, dulling skin cells, boost circulation, and pump toxins from the body.

Sweat It Out: Light exercise—a brisk walk, jumping rope, yoga—helps eliminate toxins from your body. The deep breathing of yoga stimulates the lymphatic system. It also brings cleansing oxygen into the body with each inhale, and expels waste on each exhale. Try sun salutations, which nurture as well as detoxify, or twisting poses to activate the digestive system.

Wrap Yourself In A Natural Mask: At the end of your detox, you'll want to nourish and calm your complexion. Spread a few tablespoons of raw honey over your face. Next, apply cucumber slices on top of the honey then lie down. Cover your face with a warm, damp washcloth to allow the honey, a natural humectant, to seal in moisture. Honey's anti–inflammatory properties also help reduce irritation and redness. Cucumbers, which act as diuretics, will further flush out excess fluid and relieve any remaining puffiness.