Paleo diet experiment

OUR ANCESTORS ate like this...

 

 

 

 

 

The name comes from our pre- agricultural ancestors who picked off fruits from trees and hunted for their meat.
The only concern that I have with that, is that cave men didn't live past mid thirties.
I did some research and some soul searching and decided to try it for a month.  I have been having trouble losing the last 10-15 lbs of baby weight.  Most of my clothes feel snug and my cute twenties muffin top turned into a cake top as I approach 40's.  And last summer my doctor emphasized that my BMW (BMI) is in an unhealthy zone. 

What is the paleo diet?..
No carbs (grains), no sugar just fruits and vegetables and protein ( meats). Some people limit the dairy too. I for one believe in the power of CHEESE and milk products.

How does it work?
The idea is that when we eat carbs the body changes that into glucose ( sugar) which fuels us, gives us lots of temporary energy. Whatever doesn't get used by the body turns into fat.  Now the diet effect, by eliminating carbs and extra sugars we force the body to break down the fat for energy...hence the weight loss. 
Now knowing a little bit about nutrition I feel that totally eliminating grains can be somewhat disadvantageous.  Carbs along with other nutrients are needed by the cellular machine to regenerate and repair itself, without them the "cell" mechanic shop doesn't have what it takes to keep functioning properly.  So I will limit them to breakfast only. 

 

And of course I will also indulge a bit on weekends.  I firmly believe that there is no better way to enjoy yourself then through the comfort of delicious food shared with friends and family.

 

The PARADOX of the PALEO-diet: If evolution allowed for cave-men to adapt it is because they figured out that settling and developing agricultural societies were better suited for food needs hence forgoing the dangerous hunting.  So one has to infer that there are always pitfalls to any diet.  I will just use to jump start my weight loss.

 

LOW caloric DIETS= YOUNG HEARTS
And on a different note there have been studies done that suggest that limited caloric diets make the heart "act" young, hence slowing down the aging process.  The idea is less fat clogged arteries and veins less work for the heart muscle to pump blood. 

 

 DISCLAIMER: As with a new diet thread lightly and talk to your doctor.

I will keep you posted on my results.
Till next year.
Jojo

Happy eat: Brie cheese & cranberries pastry

Pastry-Wrapped Cranberry Brie recipe from Pillsbury.com

 

I never exaggerate so when I tell you that when you eat this you will look 10 years younger because your smile will make you forget your worries.  I believe in the power of cheese because it is dairy and as you know milk products have lots of vitamin D which is a necessary ingredient for happiness... let me explain... during the winter people get very little exposure to sun rays which are necessary for the natural production of vitamin D which in turn wards off the winter blues.  PS( you want to know the exact chemical pathway of vitamin D in the body ...look it up on Wikipedia).
Now back to the Brie... you don't have enough time to be out in the sun during winter days...Eat the Pie ...the Brie gives you the happy thoughts... Don't worry about the extra pounds ..
Happy Round people look younger than skinny miserable people
Enjoy
Love JoJo

Icelandic relaxation

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/676/overrides/waitresses-blue-lagoon-iceland_67665_990x742.jpg
The water is full of minerals from the volcanic activity underneath... meanwhile the vodka gets your oxygenated blood going to all your extremities.

My daughter and students keep me YOUNG

The wrinkles showing on my forehead are a reminder of my actual age.  The high energy my daughter imbibes in me makes me feel ten years younger and 10 lbs lighter.  Running around and not having any time for yourself has added bonuses to my wellbeing.  I don't worry about superfluous things.  I don't spend time investing in self-help ideologies because those imply the luxury of time.  Being on the run at school, I am a teacher, and after my daughter has given me the extra feel good serotonin level that my brain needs and that my body thrives on.  These days my life has been about streamlining everything.  Even my beauty routine had to change for me to keep up.  BB creams and CC creams do the trick.  But one wake-up call came from my students when I showed up at school with no makeup after a full weekend of struggling with a bad sinus infection.  3 of my eighth grade students proceeded to tell me what I should apply to my face to appear presentable.  This includes the POWER 4 products.  I was listening to them intently and half smiling, thinking" I write a beauty blog, children, I KNOW" I came to realize that their opinion matched to a T my current streamlined version of a beauty routine.

According to 12-13 years old girls these are the 4 POWER
1) BB and CC creams with Moisturizer
2) Under eye concealer
3) Press powder
4) Lip gloss/ lip stick

Notice no mention of mascara, but of course we all know that is a must POWER must.

Asian style massage: Reconstruct your body

Do your body a favor and try one or all of them.  So far the shiatzu (japanese) style massage and the thai massage are my favorite.  But you have to decide yourself the intensity of the massage.  Some people are more comfortable with a simple swedish massage that is very relaxing and firm.  10 yrs ago I could not have a shiatzu massage, it was too painful for me.  Today I can have one everyday after teaching 100 middle school children. Also you should tell the massage therapist the level of intensity that you prefer, they usually ask before you start, and don't be afraid to point areas that you need them to work more on or areas that you feel sore.  A good hint that something is off is when you feel uncomfortable and you feel pain.  We all have different comfort level so what might feel great to someone might feel awful to someone else.  All good massages are almost in the nude. Don't be shy, you can ask for either a female or male massage therapist.  One added perk of living in a major city is that you most likely have a Chinatown.  You can get very cheap and good massages for almost a quarter of the price of regular spas. Try it.  You still need to do a bit of research but you can find most on Yelp.com.  Don't expect luxury decor but you will be happy with the service for that price.

A good gauge for a massage is you feel like you are floating after you are done.


An excellent place for shiatzu in NY is the Ido Center.

 

Customer IS KING

After a whole year of home renovations and dealing with contractors of all sorts of shapes and sizes, I came to one conclusion,if the customer is not IMPRESSED, HAPPY, RELEAVED, ENTHUSIASTIC about YOUR PRODUCT,...then your product, DOES NOT MATTER. In other words you are removing yourself from the competition.
So companies of all types of products/ services should take note and better create a top of the line product, that leaves you dreaming happy thoughts, and makes you come back for more.
To my surprise the contracting world does not work like that.  It is full of big promises with very little delivery, like a flat warm soda.  The soda can looks good on a hot humid day and when you taste it you want to spit it out.

Now back to skin care since this is a skin care blog.

My list of products that deliver is short and I have truly become a life customer.  Most companies aspire for that but few successed.

My number 1 favorite: The Lancome Press powder
My number 2 favorite: The Clinique Moisturizer
My number 3 favorite: The Avene Eau Thermale (Spring water)
My number 4 favorite: Au maison de chocolate Champagne truffles,...dark chocolate is full of antioxidants which are good for skin repair.
My number 5 favorite: Tiffany jewelery because it makes me smile just like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany" and when you smile you always look good.
My number 6 favorite: a glass of spanish Rioja red wine,...makes your cheeks really rosy

Now back to real skin, I love trying new products all the time, but the ones that I come back to time and time again, I don't feel guilty about hording them since I know they deliver.


XoXo
JoJo

Beauty Sleep:Chamomile: Magic Flower

Since going back to work, I have been using chamomile tea to decompress after a stressfull day.  I stopped smoking around 4 years ago and I had to find healty ways to minimize anxiety, stress, and blue days.  I have a glass of red wine once in a while but that can interfere with sleep.  So I started reading up on the benefits of chamomile and here is what I found. 
It reduces:
1) Insomnia, it contains a chemical that is like a natural sleep aid,
2) Depression, maybe because once you have a good night rest you feel like you can take on the day
 During the night the body restores all it is cells, I call it the night time "auto-shop".  If you don't have that restorative sleep everything starts breaking down and more problems start appearing with your whole body.
3) anxiety,
4) it has anti-inflamatory properties,
5) it helps with digestion
6) it has anti-bacterial properties.



See the scientific abstract below for more detailed information:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/

Winter dry face

A friend inspired this short post.  First, streamline your skin routine.  Morning and night spray some evian water, chamomile tea or Avene Eau Thermale (from a Duane Reade drug store) onto your face and leave it one. You can buy a spray bottle from any drug store. Another option is to have a humidifier in your room at night.  Follow this with a night cream or moisturizer.  In the morning apply your moisturizer/and/or sunscreen.  Next, you have two options here depending on your age: in your twenties a press powder can be enough, in your thirties a light foundation will do wonders for giving you a finished look and as it also protects your skin from further daily "grime". And most foundations contain extra anti wrinkles ingredients that prevent further those little age lines. Don't forget about your eye cream and under eye concealer or you can use your foundation for a lighter under eye coverage.

Hope this helps