Need to clear up your skincare terms? I'm doing a series to help you do just that. Let's take on AHAs and BHAs. AHAs are always touted as prime ingredients in products, but are they really any better than cheaper BHAs? And what the heck are these things, anyway? To find out, just keep reading.
Obviously I've got a thing for highly stylized old school music videos. But this video stands apart from the rest. Not only is the song super catchy — definitely one for a road trip — but the video was way ahead of its time. It was released in 1985 and took the world by storm. Yes, it is uber-80s, but it's this style of the '80s that made the decade one of excess and electricity. The penciled comic book style along with the coolness, and cuteness, of the Norwegian band, was a winning combination — it won in six categories at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. You've heard it a hundred times, so why not once more?
The American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine have updated the physical activity guidelines for healthy adults.
The new guidelines have the addition of weight lifting and vigorous aerobic exercise while also are more specific on how many days a week people should work out.
Previous, the guidelines stated:
"Every U.S. adult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week."
Now, the guidelines state:
"All healthy adults ages 18 to 65 years need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 30 minutes on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity for at least 20 minutes on three days each week.
Further, adults will benefit from performing activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for at least two days each week. It is recommended that 8-10 exercises using the major muscle groups be performed on two non-consecutive days. To maximize strength development, a resistance (weight) should be used for 8-12 repetitions of each exercise resulting in willful fatigue."
The guidelines also state that exercise above the recommended minimum amounts provides even greater health benefits. I always thought the old guidelines were a little vague, so I'm quite pleased with the new recommendations.
To read more details about the changes in the guidelines just read more
For the last three weeks, I've been using a lotion that—if you believe all the rave reviews—is supposed to transform skin from a zitty, dull mess into radiant, beautiful skin. Alpha Hydrox 12% AHA Souffle is named for its 12% concentration of glycolic acid, an AHA that exfoliates and removes dead skin. (For a definition of AHAs, click here.)
This whipped lotion gets rave reviews from people, some of whom said they'd watched their face get brighter in just a few days. But since AHAs usually don't give overnight results, I decided to wait almost a month before reviewing this product. After three and a half weeks of hoping and religiously applying AHA Souffle, I have to say, it just doesn't live up to the high praise I'd heard about it.
That's not to say I wouldn't buy it again, though. Keep reading and I'll explain what I mean. To find out, read more
Alpha hydroxy acids, often called AHAs, are naturally occurring chemical compounds derived from fruits and other foods. Some common AHAs include glycolic acid (sugar), lactic acid (milk), and citric acid. AHAs are often found in anti-aging creams, masks, cleansers, and chemical peels that claim to reduce wrinkles and tighten skin.
AHAs penetrate the skin's surface and work much like exfoliators, dissolving elements that bind dead skin cells. Though AHAs are generally safe, they can cause redness, irritation, flaking, and increased sensitivity to sun, so be sure to slather on the sunscreen.
Source
I really enjoy baking and the weekends are a great time to make sweet things with my sweet things. My girls do love baking. When I am baking I do try to substitute with healthy ingredients when I think I will not sacrifice the texture and flavor too much.
I found this list of substitutions at the American Heart Association and I think they are great. Definitely worth giving a try if you are trying to reduce your intake of fat, particularly the saturated kind which can increase your LDL cholesterol.
| Ingredient | Healthy Substitution |
|---|---|
| Whole milk (1 cup) | 1 cup fat-free or nonfat milk plus one tablespoon of unsaturated oil like safflower or canola |
| Heavy cream (1 cup) | 1 cup evaporated skim milk or 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt and 1/2 cup plain low-fat cottage cheese |
| Sour cream | Low-fat cottage cheese plus low-fat or nonfat yogurt (fat-free sour cream is also available) |
| Cream cheese | 4 tablespoons margarine blended with 1 cup dry low-fat cottage cheese; add a small amount of fat-free milk if needed |
| Butter (1 tablespoon) | 1 tablespoon polyunsaturated margarine or 3/4 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil like safflower oil |
| Shortening (1 cup) | 2 sticks polyunsaturated margarine |
| 1 Egg | 1 egg white plus 2 teaspoons of unsaturated oil (canola or safflower) or commercially made, cholesterol-free egg substitute |
| Unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce) | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder plus 1 tablespoon polyunsaturated oil (like safflower or corn oil) or margarine. Carob is sweeter than cocoa, so reduce sugar in recipe by 1/4 |
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for the loss of almost 500,000 women's lives a year, nearly twice as many as all forms of cancer.
The American Heart Association has created, Choose to Move, an online program for women that takes you through exercises while offering great tips for increasing your physical activity and reaching your goals. The program is 12 weeks and once you register, you will get a weekly email for each of the 12 weeks and get reminders with tips to stay motivated.
Why we love this program:
The American Heart Association is a great resource period -- definitely one of the best guides for practical ways to increase your physical activity for reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. The program is focused on helping women build more physical activity into their existing routine, not creating new routines that are nearly impossible to fit into our already jam-packed day.
