Low carb diet rules

Be smart doing the low carb!

In addition to my Sabotaging your diet article, I wrote an appendix, dealing with the things you should really take care of when doing low carb diets such as Atkins and South Beach. Some of this advice are from my own experience, some are from experts, all put together to help you lose weight!

Just to let you know: no fast weight reducing diet is good for you. This out of the way, I must inform you that low carb diets made many people loose a lot of weight, me included, but the regime requires a lot of self control.

First of all, you can't eat all the salami and mayo in the world for one meal, because calories that you put in still matter. Although you probably could get away with eating more calorie-wise than usual, you should try to keep the calorie count to 500 calories less. This will fast forward your weight loss. Also, after some time on the Atkins, I completely lost my desire for food, everything seemed so, well, bloody, that I had to remind myself to eat. No problem with the 500 calories less for me!

You need the starting period. Yes you do. And don't pretend you don't know that potato chips and chocolate don't contain carbs, because they do. The best thing for you would be to not eat any carbs for the first two weeks – this will help your body switch to burning fat instead of carbs, and also make your mind forget it ever tasted a chocolate chip cookie.

Vitamins are of essence. As you will be cutting down on fruits and vegetables, please insure that you're getting enough vitamins and minerals, which a lot of meats produced today lack. I used to drink waters enhanced with vitamins and liters of lemonade. You could try taking supplements in pills, but choose wisely. Buy a tested and scientifically (FDA or FSA) approved brand.

Exercise and lift weights. After some time on Atkins, I started to have a feeling of complete lack of energy. I took afternoon naps and slept in late at mornings. Seeing that 14 hours of sleep took me nowhere, I asked my doctor for advice, she told me to exercise. As I hate that word and its meaning, the only thing I could do was to start riding my bike to work instead of driving. Worked like a charm. Exercise is crucial because of one other thing: it will prevent your skin becoming flabby and 'oversized'.

Once again, I'm warning you that low carb diets are not the perfect solution to weight loss. But, if you're determined to try it out, I hope this helped.

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More fashion trends for spring 2006

In addition to my recent post about Spring fashion musts, I'm handing out new and improved spring trends, which you can't ignore (it's going to be everywhere, so why don't you get a head start?)








Geisha look and everything oriental is in. So much in, that you have to get at least one kimono dress or shirt (but please pass on those silly samurai pants, no one looks good in those, except for bulimia prone models with no curves but with legs a meter and a half long). Try Bebe for a dress and Topshop for a nice top – all kimono style.














Don't forget to buy at least one white shirt for spring too. You can go for a shirtdress or a plain normal shirt, but trust me, you'll need one.









Go bold. And while you're picking a spring dress in a wild African bold print, remember, you can also do scarves in bold, which is a nice touch if you have a bit of spare meat on your bones (be careful with this trend, bold prints can make you seem bigger than you really are – but than again, who cares)









Lace and white are your spring best friends. The delicate fabrics and needlework make you look much more feminine. One of the nicest outfits I saw covering this style is Luisa Beccaria skirt and blouse.

















Put a suit on, but try to make it a more relaxed one, in an unexpected color. Leave the shoulder pads at home.

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Get rid of cellulite

…with aromatherapy

It seems to me that no matter how much I write about accepting our bodies and being happy with our curves, women tend to do stupidest things to get rid of weight. They can follow one silly fad diet after another, but they won't do the simple eat-less-and-workout-more reasonable plan.

If not dieting their guts out, girls will buy any cosmetic product that promises to relive their fatty tissue away magically.

To put a stop to this, I've found a nice aromatherapy recipe for getting rid of cellulite. It won't work overnight, but it will make your skin sooo much softer and those bumps on your thighs less visible and smaller. Plus, you can make it yourself for a small amount of money, being sure what's in it, as opposed to those well-marketed brands, whose main ingredients are usually moisturizer and water.

The first thing you need is 100 mL of hazelnut oil in which you should add up to: 100 drops of cedarwood oil (cedrus deodora), 15 drops of juniper berry oil (Juniperus communis), 40 drops of cypress oil (Cupressus sempervirens), 40 drops of rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis), 20 drops of eucalyptus lemon oil (Eukalyptus citriodora), 20 drops of sage oil (Salvia officinalis) and up to 20 drops of lemon oil (Citrus limon).

Once you make the anti-cellulite oil, you should keep it in a small clean bottle with a tight cap on. (Admit it, you enjoyed being a witch for a while!)

You can smear the oil twice a day onto your troubled areas (say…your butt and thighs) if you have much cellulite, or only once if your cellulite is not so bad. The best thing to do is to smear it on, wait for 10 minutes and than lay down in a nice warm bath (no soap bubbles) for another 10 to 15 minutes. You'll se the results in two to three weeks.

Check out this interesting site for a lot of information on aromatherapy.

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To the rescue!

How to repair a cracked nail

There is nothing worse than having a broke, split or cracked nail. Especially after you've spent time and energy to grow long nails, following our Nail tips and tricks to the word. But, as Murphy would put it, doors, handles and cans are just waiting for an opportunity to break a nice long nail, so what to do?

First thing first, if you break a nail completely off, the only thing to do is to cut all the others to the same length, or to install an artificial tip. For the artificial tip you have to visit a salon, because I haven't yet found a do at home kit that is foolproof.

But, if your nail cracked at the tip, or somewhere else, but did not break all the way through, you can make wonders. How? Everything you need is nail glue (get the one with the brush, rather than the one in squeeze out tube), one layer of tissue (you can use thin silk, but I warn you that it's much trickier) and a buffer.

Cut the tissue layer in a piece big enough to cover the crack and place it on your nail. Apply glue to it; making sure the tissue does not slip away. Wait for it to dry and then apply another thin layer of glue. Let the glue dry.

Now, the repaired area should be thicker than the rest of your nail, so it's time o use the buffer. Get the one with fine grid, so you don't damage the rest of your nail. Buff the repaired area until you're pleased with the looks of it.

You can now coat your nails in base coat and follow with colour polish. Finish with top coat and no one will ever know you had a chipped nail!
Just be aware that some kinds of glue are soluble in polish remover, so be careful when removing polish and be prepared to do the repairing again if needed.

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Oily hair remedies

Since we've written a lot about dry hair and caring for it, it's high time we paid some attention to the other side of the spectrum: oily hair.

You know the drill: wake up early, wash your oily, limp hair, style it and by the evening you can do it all over again if you want to look decent! It seems that nothing you can do can make your hair normal. Well, try our tips and ease your suffering, be proud of your great new hair!

First of all, wash your hair every day, and use a mild, pH-balanced shampoo. Baby shampoos are great, while those designed for oily hair can be too aggressive for every day use. If your oily hair had side-affected dandruff, get valuable tips and tricks in our Get Rid of Dandruff post.

Put conditioner only on your hair ends, not on the roots. Think about cutting your hair shorter, it will save you time when washing and styling. You should also try to eat less fat, because excess fat can be stored in our hips, as well as be expelled out of our body through hair sebaceous glands.

Avoid all hair styling products containing silicone, oils or lanolin, as well as two-in-one products - these can be too heavy and make your hair produce even more oil. Here are some home made tips and tricks that can help you:

Powder
If you're on a tight schedule, baby powder can be your saviour. Just powder your hair, let it on for 5 minutes and then comb it out. The baby powder will suck up oil from your hair.

Lemon and aloe vera
You'll need 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Blend this ingredients well and add a little of your regular shampoo. Wash your hair as usual, but let the shampoo on for a few minutes.

Mint leaves
Boil two handful of mint leaves in one and a half glass of water for 20 minutes. Strain the solution and mix in a 300ml bottle of shampoo.

Massage
Massaging your scalp can help exfoliate skin and remove all oily residue. Mix 1 tablespoon of Malt Vinegar in a glass of water, add a pinch of salt. Use 2 tablespoons of it on your scalp and massage it with your finger tips twice a week. Leave it on for one hour.

Henna conditioner
Mix Henna with 2 tablespoons of yoghurt and a pinch of sugar to a light paste. Add a bit of water if the paste is thick. Apply on hair and leave it on for twenty minutes. Rinse it out with clear water.

Watercress
This plant has many uses, from battling cancer to improving food taste, all due to many healthy ingredients, such as iron, zinc and vitamin A. One of its less known use is for oily hair treatment: Blend a large handful of fresh watercress with 1 cup of water in a blender (if you have long hair you may need to use 2 full handfuls of watercress and 2 cups of water). Heat the mixture in pan and boil for 10 minutes. Strain, let the liquid cool down. While waiting wash your hair. Pour the watercress liquid over your hair and let it on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

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