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A SECRET TO LOSING WEIGHT (36 LBS PER YEAR)… FIDGET! #MayoClinic #Study

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Seriously, you know how they told us when we were kids to “sit still and not fidget so much…” Well, according to scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, that’s exactly the opposite of what we need to do if we want to be slimbos!

The small but important study took 10 ‘obese people’ and 10 ‘slim people’ and put them in top and bottom underwear that used sensors to measure their movements and posture (whether they were sitting, standing or laying down). What they found was that the slim people fidgeted considerably more than their plump counterparts as they went about their day.

Scientists also discovered that the overweight study participants were actually sitting down for an average of 150 minutes more in the day AND they burned 350 fewer calories. This is even though they were all in the same laboratory conditions…
***350 calories a day = 36.5 pounds in a year! A heck of a difference…***

Dr Jim Levine, the lead researcher, designed the study to work out the role of calories burned during daily living (or NEAT – Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, all the things we do that don’t involve deliberate ‘exercise’, eating or sleeping).

“A person can expend calories either by going to the gym, or through everyday activities. Our study shows that the calories that people burn in their everyday activities are far, far more important in obesity than we previously imagined,” says Dr Levine.

So all that fidgeting that you used to do as a kid – shaking your arms, kicking out your feet, tapping that pencil, nodding your head to imaginary music, pacing… Now, just go for it! And if you aren’t a natural fidgeter… Become one! It,’s a small adjustment that can make a load of difference. 🙂
I’m here rooting for you.
love,
The Lifestylista
xox
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NO TIME TO WORKOUT? SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM IN JUST A 2.5 MINUTES A DAY…

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Now scientists have just blown a hole through your biggest exercise excuse… “I don’t have time”.

BlowAmCardioWarmupRASTAEROBICS

WHY IS THE SPEED OF YOUR METABOLISM IMPORTANT?
The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn.

HOW DOES EXERCISE AFFECT METABOLISM?
45mins:
Researchers at Appalachian State University found that 45 minutes of vigorous exercise increases your metabolic rate for a full 14 hours.

20 mins:
One study showed that if you exercise and sweat for 20 minutes, you will speed up your metabolism.

2.5 mins:
Don’t have 20 minutes, well you’re not off the hook Missy… 🙂 According to scientists at Colorado State University, if you do 2.5 minutes of very intense high resistance cardio, this can cause an ‘afterburn’ during the rest of your day that burns up to 200 calories. In this small study, the study participants gave their ALL for 5 x 30 second cycle sprints with 4 mins of gentle exercise recovery time in between each sprint.

HOW DOES AFTERBURN WORK?
Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC). Scientists disagree on the exact mechanics of afterburn but one explanation is that intense exercise causes an oxygen deficit (shortage) in the body and so to correct this, our metabolism has to stay in overdrive. The longer and the more intense the exercise, the longer the afterburn.
Important: the exercise must be intense, if you just hang out with your friend and chat while having a gentle stroll, that may be fun and you might catch up on all the gossip BUT it doesn’t count for the purpose of EPOC and afterburn!

What’s the point of this story? Do what you can girl and start small. But do start. Even if it’s 2.5 minutes in a day that you build from. You are worth it and I’m here rooting for you!
love,
The Lifestylista
xox
http://www.TheLifestylista.com
http://www.facebook.com/Lifestylista
http://www.google.com/+Lifestylista
YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/LifestylistaTV
Twitter:
@TheLifestylista

http://ow.ly/i/2xAB5

GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT? #BackByPopularDemand

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WHAT IS DANDRUFF: The shedding of skin cells is normal… BUT dandruff isn’t.

dandruffwomanshoulder

There are a few different types of dandruff:

DRY SCALP:
Dry scalp caused by environment or a skin condition e.g. eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis etc. Are you using a very drying shampoo? Go for a mild, moisturizing one instead… Perhaps a sulphite free shampoo…

OILY SCALP:
Fungal overgrowth:
One ‘popular’ form of dandruff is caused by ‘malassezia’, a yeast-like fungus… This fungus lives on a healthy scalp but when it starts to grow out of control, it starts to speed up the turnover of the skin cells. These shed skin cells bind together with the oil on the scalp and cause what we call “dandruff flakes”… Yuk! We’ve all had it.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DANDRUFF?:
– Making your scalp an even more tantalizing environment for these naughty microbes through overuse of hair products – hair gels, mousses, sprays etc. (fungal overgrowth)
– Humidity and heat (fungal overgrowth)
– Dry, cold weather (dry scalp)
– Dry, indoor heating (dry scalp)
– B complex or zinc deficiency
– Stress
– Hormonal changes
– Not rinsing your shampoo off throughly after each wash.

ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOO:
Make sure your anti-dandruff shampoo contains one of the following active ingredients:
Try ones with different active ingredients to see which ones work…
– zinc pyrithione – decreases fungus and bacteria, cut down on scalp oil production
– selenium sulfide – decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover
– ketoconazole – anti fungal
– salicylic acid – helps get rid of the dead skin cells
– IF NONE OF THESE ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOOS WORK… TRY A full-on TAR SHAMPOO! Yes it smells appalling and it may even irritate your ski (lol) but it’s an age-old remedy that works! It decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover.

***Wash with shampoo twice. On the second wash, allow the shampoo to ‘soak in’ and have the active ingredients work… for 5 mins.***

HOMEMADE ANTI-DANDRUFF REMEDIES:

— A homemade salicylic acid remedy:
Pound 4 aspirins into a powder and add it to your shampoo. Allow it to penetrate the skin cells on your scalp for 5 mins before washing away with regular shampoo.

— Lemon or Lime rinse:
3 tablepoons of lemon or lime juice in one cup of water.
This balances the pH levels of your scalp, reduces itchiness and has an anti-bacterial action. It’ll even make your hair shine. VERY IMPORTANT: Wash off all the lemon or lime before you go out into the sun (or else your hair will bleach!)

and

If your dandruff doesn’t go away or if you feel it is extreme, see a dermatologist!

Good luck chica! I’m here rooting for you.

love,

The Lifestylista
xox
http://www.facebook.com/Lifestylista @TheLifestylista

THE 7 KEYS TO LONG HAIR NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF HAIR YOU HAVE…

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Yes Lifestylista ladies, you heard me!  So many of you want long hair but you tell yourselves that it’s all down to genes and that there are some kinds of hair that don’t really grow…  Not true!  Most of my posts are universal but this post isn’t – today I’m speaking directly to black (/ African-American) ladies.
With black hair, it’s as important to STOP BREAKAGE as it is to ENCOURAGE GROWTH.  So often we think our hair isn’t growing, when in fact what’s really happening is that it’s breaking… 🙁
1) DO AS LITTLE TO IT AS POSSIBLE
Ever wondered why the same people who say their hair “can’t grow” get dreadlocks and, all of a sudden, WOOSH – long hair?!  This is the ‘lowest manipulation’ hairstyle possible – there’s no combing, no brushing, no chemical relaxers.  I’m not saying get locks, you choose your hairstyle… I’m just illustrating a point:
— When we do the minimum to black hair (no matter what texture), we see it grow and grow and grow … So intensive styling every day with combs, brushes and heat doesn’t help the cause.
 lil-wayne-dreads-locks
2) BE GENTLE WHEN YOU WASH YOUR HAIR 
– Don’t use hot, hot water – this can dry your hair out.
– Use a gentle, moisturizing shampoo (preferably sulphite free) and sometimes try washing your hair with a conditioner… This is called “co-washing” (if this sounds crazy to you, just try it and you’ll think you were crazy for not knowing about it all these years LOL!)
– Try to deep condition your hair at least every two weeks.
3) ADD MOISTURE AND LOCK IT IN
Our hair is drier and more brittle than other types of hair (European, Asian  etc.) partly because our curly roots make it hard for our natural hair oils to find their way along the hair shaft right down to the ends of our hair…  So if we don’t keep our thirsty hair moisturized, it’ll be less elastic and it’ll be much more likely to break the heck off whether we like it or not.
4) CUT YOUR SPLIT ENDS
OK – this is no joke!  I know some of y’all hate to cut your hair (“I’m tryin to grow it b&*tch not cut it!”) but if you really want long hair you’re going to have to trim your hair before the split end damage moves further up your hair shaft.  Think of it this way… You’re containing a fire before it spreads!
5) PROTECT THE HAIR
– Sleep in a silk or satin scarf to prevent all the friction and breakage when you rub your head on your cotton pillow at night.
– After washing, don’t dry your hair with a cotton towel – too much water will be absorbed before you can seal in moisture and there’s too much friction.  Instead use a microfiber towel, a cotton T-shirt or kitchen paper towels – these smoother surfaces absorb just the right amount of water and don’t cause friction, knots or disrupt your natural post washing curl pattern…
–  Be mindful that any chemicals or heat you apply to your hair will promote breakage.  So either stop doing it OR be extra careful to minimize the amount of extra styling you do and maximize the amount of moisturizing you do.
– Don’t use products containing alcohol (talk about drying your hair out… YUK!)
6) CLEAN PORES
Girl, your scalp needs to breathe! All the stuff you put in your hair builds up over time and can block your pores and stunt the growth of your hair!   And NEVER use Vaseline or any other petroleum based product on your hair or scalp unless you want your darned pores clogged the heck up…

7) DIET 
If you don’t get the right nutrition your hair won’t grow…
For more on this, go to www.TheLifestylista.com — Beauty & Style section to see my article “WANT TO GROW YOUR HAIR LONG? Here’s how to EAT to help make that happen…”

I am here rooting for you!  (“Rooting” get it 🙂 Hair roots… Nevermind).
love,
The Lifestylista
xox

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WANT TO GROW YOUR HAIR LONG? Here's how to eat to help make that happen…

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So many of you have written asking about hair growth and diet that I had to write this for you!

NUTRITION
If you don’t get the right nutrition your hair won’t grow. Eat a nutrient dense diet, add a good multi-vitamin as a back up.
long-natural
VITAMIN E:   This, among other things, increases circulation and stimulates hair follicles so your hair grows more healthy and more gorgeously thick!  Food sources include nuts and green, leafy vegetables, liver, eggs and certain vegetable oils.

BIOTIN: This increases the growth rate of your hair.  There is some scientific evidence to suggest that women with thinning hair may not have enough biotin in their bodies…  Food sources: swiss chard (a delicious, nutritious type of greens), onions, cucumbers, carrots, nuts (e.g. almonds) and more.

ZINC:  One of the sad symptoms of a zinc deficiency is your hair falling out! OUCH!
Make sure you get enough Zinc in your diet – it helps with hair growth. We need zinc to maintain the health of the cells in our hair follicles… so it’s pretty important because no healthy hair follicles, no healthy hair!
Food sources: beans, Fresh or dried pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds and squash seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, peanuts and various meats and seafood (esp Oysters).

IRON: Hair loss can occur if you’re iron deficient. If you want your hair to grow and be healthy, make sure you get enough iron in your diet.
Food sources: Dark, leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, kale), beans (inc lentils, soybeans, garbanzo beans / chickpeas etc.), artichokes, prunes, raisins, meat (inc liver) and egg yolks.
Iron tip: make sure you eat a food with vitamin C in it at the same time as your iron rich food… this HUGELY enhances the absorbability of the iron!

Eat your greens, your beans and all that other healthy good stuff and grow your hair girl 🙂

I’m here rooting for you!

love,

The Lifestylista
xox
http://www.facebook.com/Lifestylista @TheLifestylista

GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT? Read this now…

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Got-DANDRUFF

GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT?

I got a great question from M.T. about dandruff and I know many of you face the same issues…

WHAT IS DANDRUFF:

The shedding of skin cells is normal… BUT dandruff isn’t.

There are a few different types of dandruff:

DRY SCALP:

– Dry scalp caused by environment or a skin condition e.g. eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis etc.

Are you using a very drying shampoo?  Go for a mild, moisturizing one instead… Perhaps a sulphite free shampoo…

OILY SCALP:

– Fungal overgrowth:

One ‘popular’ form of dandruff is caused by ‘malassezia’, a yeast-like fungus…  This fungus lives on a healthy scalp but when it starts to grow out of control, it starts to speed up the turnover of the skin cells.  These shed skin cells bind together with the oil on the scalp and cause what we call “dandruff flakes”…  Yuk!  We’ve all had it. 🙁

What contributes to dandruff?

– Making your scalp an even more tantalizing environment for these naughty microbes through overuse of hair products – hair gels, mousses, sprays etc. (fungal overgrowth)

– Humidity and heat (fungal overgrowth)

– dry, cold weather (dry scalp)

– dry, indoor heating (dry scalp)

– B complex or zinc deficiency

– Stress

– Hormonal changes

– Not rinsing your shampoo off throughly after each wash.

ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOO:

Make sure your anti-dandruff shampoo contains one of the following active ingredients:

Try ones with different active ingredients to see which ones work…

– zinc pyrithione – decreases fungus and bacteria, cut down on scalp oil production

– selenium sulfide – decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover

– ketoconazole – anti fungal

– salicylic acid – helps get rid of the dead skin cells

– IF NONE OF THESE ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOOS WORK… TRY A full-on TAR SHAMPOO!  Yes it smells appalling and it may even irritate your ski (lol) but it’s an age-old remedy that works!  It decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover.

***Wash with shampoo twice.  On the second wash, allow the shampoo to ‘soak in’ and have the active ingredients work… for 5 mins.***

HOMEMADE ANTI-DANDRUFF REMEDIES:

A homemade salicylic acid remedy:

Pound 4 aspirins into a powder and add it to your shampoo.  Allow it to penetrate the skin cells on your scalp for 5 mins before washing away with regular shampoo.

Lemon or Lime rinse:

3 tablepoons of lemon or lime juice in one cup of water.

This balances the pH levels of your scalp, reduces itchiness and has an anti-bacterial action.  It’ll even make your hair shine.  VERY IMPORTANT: Wash off all the lemon or lime before you go out into the sun (or else your hair will bleach!)

and

If your dandruff doesn’t go away or if you feel it is extreme, see a dermatologist!

Good luck chica!  I’m here rooting for you.

love,

The Lifestylista

xox

www.facebook.com/Lifestylista @TheLifestylista