FitSugar

The Pros and Cons of Saunas

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

A post-workout sauna is one of my favorite treats at the gym, especially after swimming. Now I have a new health rationalization for heading to the sauna every time I am at the gym: taking regular saunas seems to reduce your chances of catching a cold. In an Austrian study taking regular saunas, over the course of six months, decreased participants' colds by almost half when compared to study participants who skipped the sauna. Not only that but since saunas reduce cold symptoms, like congestion, they help folks recover more quickly from the common cold. Scientists speculate that the extreme heat saps the vitality of both cold and flu viruses, similar to a fever.

While saunas might be great for your immune system during cold and flu season, to see a reason to avoid saunas in Winter when you read more.

With Winter weather comes dry skin. If you suffer from Winter itch, the extreme dry heat of the sauna can exacerbate the problem. This is especially true after swimming in the drying waters of a chlorinated pool. If you have the option at your gym, try the steam room. The moist air will benefit your dry skin and make sure to lotion up afterward.

Source

5 Foods That Nourish Your Skin

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:30:00 -0800

We all know that you are what you eat, and what you eat affects your birthday suit, too. Being the largest organ of you body, your skin needs to be properly nourished to be radiant and healthy. Here are five foods that will feed your skin.

Source

View Slideshow ›

Breathe For Your Skin

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:00:00 -0800

I am firm believer in deep breathing. It is the cheapest way to relax when you're stressed out. Unfortunately, stress can bring on shallow breaths. These little gulps of air decrease the amount of oxygen in the blood. Ann Pardo, a director at Canyon Ranch spa, told Fitness magazine that shallow breathing can even affect the skin, making it appear "dull and sallow." Don't let the end-of-year stress wind you up and negatively impact your skin tone. Take the time to breathe deeply when you feel the tension coming on. Inhale slowly for five counts and exhale in the same manner. You won't only look better, but you will feel better, too.

Source

At Home Spa Treatment: Papaya Mask

FitSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

One great way to relax on the weekends is to pamper yourself with an at home spa treatment. Since alpha hydroxy is all the rage in skin care these days, why not use your own fruit to tap into the exfoliating powers of fruit acids? As my aesthetician says, "If you wouldn't want to eat it, don't put it on your face" since you can absorb chemicals through your skin.

Here is a natural facial mask featuring the tropical fruit power house: the papaya. The fruit enzymes found in papayas are know to aid and accelerate healing in skin disorders such as acne. In addition, the fruit enzymes gently exfoliate the skin. That is what I call a win/win situation.

What you need:

1 cup fresh pineapple
Half-a-cup fresh papaya
1 tablespoon honey

To see what you do, just read more

What you do:

Purée the fruit in a blender or food processor.
Add honey and blend until the mixture makes a smooth paste.
Apply mask to clean skin on your face and neck. Gently steaming your pores open before applying the mask will increase the benefits of it.
Leave mask on for 15 to 20 minutes. Recline and relax.
Rinse face and neck with warm water

If you are looking for more possible self spa ideas, check out their at home spa treatments and of course Bella has some great DIY Spa Treatments too!

Source

At Home Spa Treatment: Piña Colada Body Exfoliant

FitSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Sometimes you need a vacation and taking one is simply impossible. This is when you have to pamper yourself. If you can't sip a piña colada on the beach, why not have a piña colada exfoliating bath? Yep, you can make a great all body exfoliant with the same ingredients you use to make the very same tropical cocktail you would like to be sipping on some beach.

According to Lindisima this treatment will both moisturize your skin as well as act as a gentle exfoliant. The coconut milk moistens the skin and the fruit acid of the pineapple exfoliates dry skin.

Here's what you need:

2 cups of pineapple juice
1 cup of coconut milk (fresh or canned)
1 cup of milk (fat free is better and easier to clean)

Here's what you do:

Place all ingredients in a blender to mix or puree. Draw a bath with water at your favorite temperature.

Pour "piña colada" mixture into the bath water and soak for 10 or 15 minutes.

Sip some cold water with lime or lemon. Close your eyes and feel the Caribbean sea breeze.
Shower after the treatment and apply body lotion.

Just a reminder that if you are allergic to any of these ingredients, you should just give this treatment a pass. And since soaking in hot water can increase the effects of alcohol, you shouldn't drink a piña colada while taking your piña colada bath.

Source

Eat For Your Skin

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Bella and I have been writing about different ways to take care of your skin with tonics and blemish blasters, but you can also improve the quality of your skin from the inside out. According to Real Age foods high saturated fat, trans fat, and simple sugars promote aging and inflammation. For lovely skin avoid and or minimize the following foods:

Full-fat dairy products
Red meat (especially processed meat)
Sugary soft drinks
Sweets in general

Want to see the foods you should eat? Then read more

The antioxidant beta carotene and lycopene, may help protect against sun damage (this does not mean you should stop using sunscreen!!!). Orange fruits and veggies tend to be high beta carotene, like: cantaloupe, carrots, squash and yams. Tomatoes and pink grapefruit are high in lycopene.
Omega-3s fight inflammation and may help guard against sun damage (like I said above - you still need to wear sunscreen). Find them in flaxseeds, walnuts, salmon, and other cold-water fish.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that combats skin damage from the sun and other sources (still say YES to sunscreen). Find it in bell peppers, orange juice, strawberries, or a supplement.
Vitamin E fights inflammation and works with other antioxidants to ward off sun damage (you know that I am going to say you should wear sunscreen). Nuts and seeds, especially sunflower seeds, contain small amounts of vitamin E. Since vitamin E is fat soluble your body stores it, so you generally don't need to take a supplement.

I would say these recommendations seem excellent for your general health. So eat up and take care of the largest organ of your body - your skin.

Source

Bacne: An Unpleasant Side Effect of Working Out

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 09:30:00 -0700

Working out is sweaty business which is great for detoxing your body, but there can be some disconcerting side effects to all that sweating. Bacne - yep acne on your back. The most common piece of advice to avoid bacne is to take off those sweaty clothes as soon as you are done and once naked, shower immediately. Now if you are already doing this and still feel plagued by the acne here are a few new tricks to try.

Make sure your bra and your shirt are made of fabric that wicks the sweat away from your body. Cotton, in this instance, is not your friend.
If your routine includes cardio followed by strength training, change your shirt and bra in between. Wipe or rinse (much more complicated mid workout) your back before putting on your fresh clothes.
Shower post workout and use Cetaphil or some other antibacterial cleanser. Use a back scrubber so you can reach all parts of your back. Do not scrub aggressively as that will only irritate the area even more.
Try over the counter acne medication. The skin on your back is tougher than the skin on your face. After showering try glycolic or alpha hydroxy lotion of about 8 or 10 percent strength. Or try 10 percent benzoil peroxide. Remember, benzoil peroxide will bleach your clothes.
Stop carrying a heavy backpack, especially if you are trying the regimen above. Backpacks can irritate the skin on your back and promote sweating.
If you're really at a loss, make an appointment with a dermatologist and hopefully they will clear things up for you (literally and figuratively).

At Home Spa Treatment: Milk Bath

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:30:00 -0800

It is said the Cleopatra bathed in milk to keep her skin soft and supple. Although it seems weird to soak in milk it is actually great for the skin. The lactic acid in milk contains alpha hydroxy acids, which work mainly as an exfoliate, encouraging dead skin cells to slough off making room for new skin. Milk can cleanse the skin down to its deepest layers.

Although, Cleopatra reportedly used sour milk, you can use regular milk or buttermilk instead. Just add 2 to 4 cups of fresh milk or buttermilk to your bathwater as the tub is filling. You could even use powdered milk if that seems more bath-like to you. Soak for a good 20 minutes. Shower to rinse and use a sugar scrub or shower gloves to help remove the old skin. Keep the shower water on the cooler side, since the hotter the water the harsher it is on your skin.

Fit's Tip: If you are lactose intolerant or straight up allergic to milk, this is not a home spa treatment for you.

Shea Butter: The Ultimate Dry Skin Remedy

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:45:00 -0800

So New Year's is over and I'm sure you're all busy working on those New Year's Resolutions. Losing weight and exercising more were tops on your list this year.

It's great to decide to get in shape now, so you'll be ready to sport a bikini come summer. But the thing is, if you are planning on losing weight in your hips, thighs, and love handles, you've got to prepare your skin.

When you gain or lose weight, a lot of times, you'll get those hideous stretch marks we've all come to despise.

So pick yourself up a tub of 100% Shea Butter and a Shea Butter lotion. This miracle worker has an anti-elastase ingredient which makes it a great active ingredient against you guessed it - stretch marks.

I found this 100% all natural, unrefined, Organic Shea butter from Nature's Shea Butter. You can order an 8 oz tub for $11 or if you really love it, you can get yourself all lubed up with the 16 oz tub for $20.

Fit's Tips: The shelf-life of Shea Butter is 18-24 months, but you can keep it longer if you refrigerate it.

Exfoliating Dry Skin: It's All About the Sugar

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 03:30:00 -0800

Skin is the largest organ in your body, so you want to take care of it. Especially in the winter.

Scrub away dry dead skin while cleansing at the same time using sugar body polish. It's gentler on your skin than salt scrubs.

One of my faves is from Lunaroma. They make a Lavender and Geranium Sugar Body Polish that smells relaxing and fresh. They also have other scents like Cranberry Rose, Chocolate, and Ginger Snap.

After scrubbing in the shower, you can step out and seal in the moisture with silk - Body Silk that is. It's a cross between a lotion and an oil, and leaves your skin lusciously nourished.

They're all made with pure and natural ingredients in small batches by hand. Lunaroma offers all-natural alternatives to the leading chemical based body care products. So once you go natural, you'll never go back.