Natural ways to keep your breasts healthy and perky

 

In a recent study, women had cause for shock and concern as UCLA medical school findings revealed that women’s breasts age at a rate two to three years ahead of the rest of their body. Keeping your breasts perky is already a challenge, without the added knowledge that it’s an uphill battle. Before you schedule a consultation with the plastic surgeon’s office, learn some natural ways to keep your breasts healthy.

• Sunscreen. Most swimsuits and summer tops make the décolleté a prime target for sunrays, and it often gets missed with that slather of SPF moisturizer during your morning beauty routine. Some companies make all-natural, organic décolleté creams, but a broad-spectrum sunscreen will work too. Just make sure to visit the Environmental Working Group’s website, Skin Deep, to find natural, non-toxic products. You don’t want to add to the aging process by slathering chemicals on your breasts either.

 

• Organic coconut oil. Your breasts need moisture, especially with all the stretching the skin has to go through in the course of a lifetime. Through pregnancy, weight gain or loss, and monthly fluctuations that coincide with your menstrual cycle, you need to nurture the skin on your breasts. All-natural, organic coconut oil is a great choice, and you don’t have to worry about toxins.

• Support. Reports suggest that approximately 80 percent of women wear the wrong bra size. Lack of support can leave you with back pain, sagging and bad posture – advancing the aging process even further. Although monthly fluctuations are inevitable, getting fitted for new bras yearly will help ensure you are wearing the right size most of the time and avoid poor support that can contribute to advanced aging.

• Self check-ups. The single most effective thing you can do in the battle against breast cancer is regular self-exams. If you know your breasts and monitor them
regularly, you can detect abnormalities early and improve outcomes. Each month after your period, schedule a monthly self-exam and note changes in size, sensation, color or rashes, discharge, dimpling or bulges.

• Workout. Strengthening your pectoral muscles is an effective way to get a natural lift in the breasts. Your breasts sit right on top of these muscles, meaning if those muscles are sagging, your breasts will be too – and vice versa.

• Posture. There are so many reasons to practice good posture, and anti-aging your breasts is one of them. Poor posture can cause your breasts to sag and droop, while sitting up straighter can actually make your breasts appear much bigger (and without surgery!)

• Nutrition. Your diet is a key factor for anti-aging, preventing disease and just about anything and everything that has to do with your health and quality of life. Your breasts are no different. Diets lacking in vitamins and minerals cause advanced aging. Vitamins A and C, for example, nourish the skin and promote collagen production, while too much sugar can lead to wrinkles.

• Excess alcohol. Moderate consumption of alcohol has its place, but excessive drinking – even wine – can cause increase in levels of estrogen. Estrogen contributes to increased risk of breast cancer, especially in high-risk individuals. Keep consumption moderate to protect your health.
Aging is inevitable, but diligent care and a healthy lifestyle can turn back the clock a few years and preserve your health across the lifespan.
Dr. Jennifer Landa is Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD, the nation's largest franchise of physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone therapy. Dr. Jen spent 10 years as a traditional OB-GYN, and then became board-certified in regenerative medicine, with an emphasis on bio-identical hormones, preventative medicine and nutrition. She is the author of "The Sex Drive Solution for Women."  Learn more about her programs at www.jenlandamd.com. 

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Bring Your Natural Hair To Life With Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Rinse

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinses are one of most cost-effective and beneficial ways in existence to improve hair health. A good ACV rinse can remove product build up, restore the pH balance of the scalp and hair, promote blood circulation in the scalp–which can stimulate new hair growth and give the hair a soft, healthy sheen.



One of the greatest benefits to those with curly hair, however, is that an ACV rinse will shut down the hair cuticle to protect the inside of the hair shaft from damage. Acidic solutions close the cuticle, which will keep moisture inside your hair and keep prevent frizz.

For maximum benefit, use of only raw, organic and unfiltered vinegar rather than the “sparkling clear” vinegar you usually find on the grocery store shelves. When doing the rinse, I also like to include additional ingredients such as aloe-vera, agave nectar and essentials oils if they are available.


Please be mindful of how acidic ACV is and take this into consideration when you are introducing this method into your hair regimen. If done too often, your hair shaft will begin to break down, ultimately causing damage. I personally feel it’s best to do this practice maybe once a month or every two months at most.



#blackdoctor.org

Tips On How To Choose The Best Foundation For Darker Skin

Finding the right foundation for dark skin can be tricky. Too dark and you look like a distant cousin of RuPaul, too light and you’ve earned a starring role at your local funeral parlour.

Our major challenge as Black and Latina women is finding a brand that has yellow, olive or caramel tones. But beyond picking the right hue for your face there are a few other factors that you need to consider before purchasing a foundation.

Research the brands. From consumer comments to beauty blogger reviews, someone has already done the work for you. Google the brand and the product name and chances you will find all the answers to your questions and a few answers you weren’t even thinking of. If you’re lucky you’ll even find a YouTube video.

Choose 2-3 shades that are close to your skin tone. Test the makeup above your jawline on clean dry skin. Evaluate if the colour matches in the mirror. The colour should blend with your natural skin tone. Make sure you do not see a big line of demarcation, which is indicative of a poor match. If you do not think you have a good match, continue testing shades until you find a suitable colour.

Take your besties with you. We all love those sales girls but they are sales girls. They have a goal to meet and commission to make. Their opinion could be biased. So treat your best girlfriend to an afternoon snack or a late dinner and spend the day shopping for new foundation.

Ask for a sample. Don’t feel pressured to buy something that day. Ask the beauty consultant write down the color you decided you liked the best. Don’t be afraid to ask for a sample. Wear the foundation home, and see how you like it outside in natural light.

Follow those four steps and I guarantee you’ll have flawless looking skin. Just remember: your shade will change with the seasons, so come summer and winter you’ll be back at it again.




#hellobeautiful
#gorgeousingrey

Lupita Nyong'o, Elle Fanning, And Others Cover 'Marie Claire'

 

Lupita Nyong'o for 'Marie Claire.'
Photo: Marie Claire




Lupita Nyon'o for 'Marie Claire.'
Photo: Marie Claire

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Lupita can do no wrong. For her cover, Lupita wears a hot pink snakeskin-trimmed gown by Christopher Kane. Inside she wears a black-and-white optic Dior stunner which she accessorized with a ribbed scarf and a Graziela Gems ear cuff. And in her interview, Lupita is as poised as ever, on the topic of other peoples’ opinions: "Being called gorgeous is not a bad thing! But at the same time, I don't want to thrive on people's opinions of me."

As for her path to fashion darling-dom? It has a lot to do with her stylist Micaela Erlanger, who covered the Hollywood Reporter with Lupita earlier this year. "I wasn't a follower of fashion. It was a world unknown,” Lupita says, “Then I met my stylist, Micaela Erlanger...and we came to interpret my style: clean lines, strong color."




Elle Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen for 'Marie Claire.'
Photo: Marie Claire



Elle Fanning also knows a thing or two about strong color, wearing a tangerine Fendi dress with jewelry by Graziela Gems and Kismet by Milka for her spread. Fellow Miu Miu campaign co-star Elizabeth Olsen, on the other hand, stuck with neutrals and went with her usual low-key boho look, with unbrushed wavy hair and a beaded Maison Martin Margiela top.


Emilia Clarke and Kate Mara for 'Marie Claire.'
Photo: Marie Claire

Meanwhile, Emilia Clarke and Kate Mara sparkled the most. On her cover, the Game of Thrones breakout star wears a sequined romper and, inside, she dazzles in a sequined Louis Vuitton dress with a Graziela Gems ear cuff and a royal blue Michael Kors dress. Similarly, House of Cards actress glitters in a gorgeous mint dress with a beaded neckline on the cover and, inside, wears her own royal blue Fendi dress.

For more of Lupita, Elle, Lizzie, Emilia, and Kate's spread and interviews, peep the photos and excerpts at marieclaire.com or in Marie Claire's May "Fresh Faces" issue which hits newsstands April 22.

#mtv.com

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux 'to wed in Hawaii with only 20 guests'

Jennifer Aniston had strongly considered tying the knot with fiancé Justin Theroux in Mexico.

But lately the 45-year-old actress has had a change of heart and is now interested in getting hitched in another tropical location - Hawaii - according to a Wednesday report from UsWeekly.

The ceremony will still be small with only about 20 people in attendance, added the publication.




Aloha: Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux, pictured in 2012, want to wed in Hawaii, according to a Wednesday report from UsWeekly






Nice view: It has not been specified which island the two will tie the knot on, but the publication noted only 20 people would be invited



The Hawaiian islands are a fond place for the couple, who have been engaged for nearly two years.

In 2011 they vacationed in Kauai where they were seen holding hands and enjoying the laid back beach lifestyle. They reportedly were staying at Ben Stiller's mansion.

'They had a very special trip there,' said a source.




The place has a special place in their hearts: The couple of three years vacationed in Kauai in 2011



Aniston has also worked in Maui, where she filmed the Adam Sandler comedy Just Got With It. The two were spotted at several hotels in the area where they spent several months.


And Hawaii is also where Jennifer has been seen paddle boarding with her friend Courteney Cox several years ago.

Not wedding date has been set yet for the Wanderlust co-stars, but the weekly has reportedly the duo will definitely walk down the aisle in 2014.




She loves sand and sun: The 45-year-old shooting Just Go With It in Maui in 2010



Though Jennifer and Justin have been working on separate coasts - he has been in New York City making HBO's The Leftovers while she has been in LA shooting Cake - they did reunite on Tuesday when he stopped by her film set to see her.

Dressed in a white T-shirt and with slicked back hair, the 42-year-old looked handsome and in shape.

The Friends star has drastically changed her look for her new film role. Instead of long blonde locks she has been sporting short brown hair and no makeup.




The future Mrs Theroux: Aniston, in Hawaii in 2010, will tie the knot in 2014






Not her best look: The Friends star dyed her golden locks brown for her new role in Cake opposite Sam Worthington




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#usweekly