I don't hide behind a hat and parasol everyday but I do use sun screenWhen women ask me the “secret” behind my relatively wrinkle-free skin, many of them are somewhat disappointed to find out it is so simple. My number one skin care secret is sunscreen. For years top dermatologists have told patients the same thing; that regular use of sunscreen was the most important way to avoid premature aging.
 
Now we have an Australian study that proves it. Dr. Adele Green and her team at Queensland Institute of Medical Research studied 903 randomly selected adults under the age of than 55. The study ran four-and-a-half years, from 1992 and 1996.
 
The group was divided in half. One group was directed to apply a sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher, to their heads, necks, arms, and hands daily. They were also told to reapply it regularly. The other group was allowed to use sunscreen as they desired.
 
At the end of the study the sunscreen group showed no detectable increase in skin aging. When measured against a base-line, the skin of the group who used sunscreen had aged on average 24 percent less than those in the group that used sunscreen at their own discretion.  Beta carotene, which was also tested, was not seen to have an effect on skin aging.
 
Photoaging happens after years of sun exposure. Along with an increase
hyperpigmentation or “age spots,” it also speeds the skin’s loss of collagen, which leads to loss of firmness.
 
So the first step in any anti-aging skin care regime is a good sunscreen used with anti-oxidants. Many popular sunscreens now contain anti-oxidants to help reverse free radical damage from the environment which includes sunlight. Many of the sunscreens from La Roche Posey, Murad, Obagi, Neutrogena, and Avène contain anti-oxidants. I like and use all of these brands. I also apply additional anti-oxidants, letting them absorb fully in to my face before applying sunscreen.
 
If you are sensitive to sunscreen or it makes you break out try one made of minerals. On my face I use only pure natural mineral sunscreens that contain a high concentration of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. I have sensitive skin, and mineral sunscreen is gentler especially if I will be outside and need to reapply frequently. But for my body I find a spray sunscreen is the easiest way to get quick and complete coverage. As a safety precaution, I avert my face and hold my breath to avoid breathing in the spray. (I also do this with hair products.)
 
The first step to keeping your skin youthful, beautiful, and healthy can be simple. Find a sunscreen you like and use it daily. Cover all your exposed skin. Never skip or skimp on sunscreen and you will look years – 24 years according to the latest study – younger.
 
Next week DolceDolce will review some of our favourite sunscreens.

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J.J. VirginGluten-free diets are a hot topic, but they are controversial; not all fitness and nutrition experts agree that wheat is a problem. Gluten is the protein found in foods made with wheat, rye, and barley grains. Many fitness and diet experts consider whole grains part of well-rounded diet – including whole wheat, barley, and rye – as long as you are not allergic to them.
 
Others agree with best-selling celebrity nutrition and fitness expert, JJ Virgin, author of The Virgin Diet. She believes that gluten can make sick, tired and even help to keep you fat.
 
Here are JJ’s reason’s to avoid gluten:
 
Leaky gut and its accompanying symptoms
Gluten contains a protein with the unwieldy name of zonulin, which damages the tight junctions in your gut. Things not intended to slip through your gut wall suddenly get through, creating an immune response. Delayed reactions, which can occur hours or days later, include fatigue, bloating, and other symptoms that contribute to weight gain.
 
Inflammation
Gluten can trigger inflammation in any tissue, which is your body's way of fighting what it sees as a foreign invader. Zonulin's damage to your tight junctions also creates inflammation. Chronic inflammation is not your friend. Besides contributing to nearly every disease imaginable (including diabetes and cancer), inflammation creates a number of problems that stall fat loss, including increased levels of your stress hormone cortisol, increased fluid retention, digestive issues, and feeling sluggish, so you're more likely to lie on the couch than burn fat at the gym.
 
Insulin resistance
Many gluten-containing foods have a high glycemic load and raise your blood sugar. Your pancreas responds with insulin, which pulls that blood sugar down. When you constantly eat gluten foods, your cells become overloaded with insulin and eventually stop "hearing" its message to store glucose. Insulin resistance is often the result, which slams the doors to your fat cells shut and makes fat loss nearly impossible. The sugar-binding proteins called lectins in gluten can also bind to insulin receptors and trigger insulin resistance. Many gluten-containing types of bread and other foods also contain high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It's not just the glucose in HFCS that contributes to insulin resistance. A study in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism also linked fructose to increased insulin resistance.
 
Leptin resistance
A small study done on pigs, reported in the journal BMC Metabolic Disorders, showed that lectins, those sugar-binding proteins that cause insulin resistance, may also create leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone that tells your brain you're full, which means you're less likely to reach for seconds. But when you become leptin resistant, your brain doesn't "hear" leptin's message to put the brakes on the buffet, putting you at risk for overeating and weight gain.
 
Cravings
Ever find yourself uncontrollably eating a box of Wheat Thins or reaching for a third slice of buttered toast? Ironically, the foods you react to are the ones you crave most. According to Dr. Daniel Kalish, your body reacts to intolerant foods by creating addictive narcotics called opioid endorphins. Like a drug, you have a feeling of euphoria when you eat these foods, and subsequently crave them.
 
Blocks nutrient absorption
Some "experts" express concern that without gluten foods, people will miss out on important nutrients. I've yet to learn which nutrients they're referring to. You can get all the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients you need from lean clean protein, veggies, low-glycemic fruits like berries, and starchy fiber-rich carbs like sweet potatoes and lentils.  In fact, gluten can inhibit nutrient absorption. For one, gluten-triggered permeability inhibits your gut from absorbing nutrients and making Vitamin B-12. And the indigestible phytates in gluten and other whole grains are considered an anti-nutrient because they bind and make bio-unavailable important minerals like chromium, which helps balance blood sugar.
 
Hampers thyroid
Gluten resembles your thyroid, so when immune antibodies tag gluten for removal, they also trigger antibodies against your thyroid. In other words, you increase your chances for autoimmune disease when you constantly eat gluten. "Many people have been unsuccessful at losing weight due to thyroid disease," says Dr. Alan Christianson, co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Thyroid Disease. "People with the most common type of thyroid disease have 12 times the rate of gluten intolerance as the general population does.

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The Crabtree & Evelyn Gardeners Collection was created as a treat to be enjoyed after hours bent over flower and vegetable beds. I confess I don’t garden. I am a city girl with a black thumb, but I love to indulge in a long soak with a Gardeners Muscle Soak Packet after overdoing it at the gym or spring cleaning. The botanical extracts and mineral salts soothe aching muscles while a blend of oatmeal and sunflower oil  moisturizes dry skin. $4 a packet
 

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Liquid soap is wonderful for many reasons. It is hygienic and easy to use. But it is hard to find liquid soap that is as wonderful to use as fine bar soap. Too often liquid soaps are too harsh. Even “natural” or “organic” brands can sting and dry out your skin. And, they often have strange scents. Boutique brands with lovely scents are costly for daily use. EO Everyone is only $9.99 for 32 ounces and little goes a long way.
 
EO Everyone Soap smells and feels fabulous. The versatile liquid soap comes unscented or scented with EO’s pure essential oils. It is the perfect soap for bathing and hand washing for whole family.
 
There are three great light scents in addition to the unscented version. I love the Lavender-Aloe.
 
 

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 Leah Sarago’s ballet-inspired Ballet Body Workout Series: Upper Body Workout, Lower Body Workout and Core Workoutis fabulous. Sarago’s workouts will challenge even experienced barre devotees. Her routines  work both large and small muscle groups. Sarago has certain moves I have never seen before, and she is very precise.
 
I take at least four barre classes a week at a top-notch spa and was impressed at how Sarago managed to fine tune her exercises. Her routines will sculpt and shape the lines of the body. This is a must-have series for barre devotees.
 
 

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Fever by Maya Banks, is the second book in her steamy hit trilogy, Breathless. In Fever,the bestselling romance author has penned a yet another sexy, smoldering S&M romance that will once again delight the fans of newly popular genre.
 
Fever begins with Jace, Mia’s older brother, and his best friend Ash, seducing Bethenny, a young waitress at Mia and Gabe’s engagement party.
 
Ash thinks that Bethenny, the pretty young waitress, is just another casual dalliance. But even as Jace makes the usual arrangement for the three of them to spend the night together he feels himself growing possessive of Bethenny.
 
When Jace discovers Bethenny gone the next morning he pursues her in a panic. He discovers that Bethenny is homeless and that has she has had a very difficult and deprived life.
 
Learning of her hardships, Jace falls even more deeply in love with her and is determined to protect her. He fears she will not accept his unconventional desires but is reassured as she responds to his lovemaking.
 
In Fever Banks skillfully blends a traditionally “rescue romance “into her chosen S&M genre.

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If you have been watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta this season, you know that new cast member and former Miss USA, Kendra Moore has been locked in a Booty War with fellow cast member Phaedra Parks.
 
Kendra has declared herself the queen of the “stallion booty.” In her new DVD, Kendra Moore: Booty Boot Camp Workout she shares her own patented booty-shaping regime.
 
Working with instructor Nicki Veal, Kendra offers three 20-minute workouts to sculpt your lower body. The Kendra Moore: Booty Boot Camp Workout has exercises to shrink your waistline, flatten and define your abs, and lift and firm your backside.
 
This DVD was a natural for driven former pageant girl. "I’ve had a passion for fitness since I was twelve years old while working out to an aerobics television show several times a week,” she says. Kendra wants to help everyone be “Gone with the Wind Fabulous,” her catchphrase that has become so popular Beyoncé even used it at the Super Bowl.
 
The Kendra Moore: Booty Boot Camp Workout will lift and shape your butt if you do. It is packed with classic thigh and glute-shaping moves led by Kendra in her cool brick studio. The DVD is easy to follow, even for beginners. Kendra is a relaxed instructor. She explains the moves clearly. The pace will work for beginners as well as more experienced exercisers.
 
So if you are feeling that you that your booty is less than “Gone with the Wind fabulous” and could use a little lift, check out Kendra Moore: Booty Boot Camp Workout.
 
 

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Thera Ped is a cleverly-designed foot wrap that can revitalize, pamper, stretch, and refresh sore, aching feet. TheraPed wraps are made with reusable gel packs so you can use them hot or cold. They have built-in toe spacers to gently realign toes. This can help prevent foot problems and pain when used regularly.
 
 
 
 

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