Saturday, April 25, 2009

Delicious tomatoes!

After a long winter of pigging out on breads and sweets and other comfort foods, I am so much more in the mood for vegetables now that spring is here. Thank goodness! As you may have read in one of my previous posts, I am a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's goop.com site, mainly for the healthy and tasty recipes. Here is a very simple recipe for roasted tomatoes (scroll down past the artichokes):


http://www.goop.com/newsletter/31/


I love them in a salad, on pasta, or even to top a grilled chicken breast, they are so versatile. They are also very flavourful and satisfying, especially if you're craving something more substantial than a raw, watery, out-of-season tomato. Enjoy!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Idebenone: Restoring my faith in 'hope in a jar'

Last week I started using Elizabeth Arden's Prevage Night Cream. I had been reading so much news lately (in almost every magazine out there) about how idebenone (the magic ingredient in Prevage) is the best new antioxidant out there, and one of the strongest, so naturally I just had to try. Besides, my skin had been looking really tired and withered lately, I needed something to perk me up. I'm happy to report that so far, I LOVE IT!!! In only one week, my skin seems firmer, pores smaller, and my fine lines (and not-so-fine creases in my forehead) are looking less noticeable. Hallelujah, right? Not so fast, I have also been reading user reviews of Prevage claiming allergic reactions weeks and even months after using it on a regular basis. So far though, no reviewers are saying that it's ineffective, and some even go as far as to say that people who had reactions may be using Prevage incorrectly. In any case, you definitely want to do the recommended patch test before you apply it all over your face. I'm being cautious, not using too much, and crossing my fingers and toes that my skin loves it forever, or at least until the next best, must-have thing comes along.

UPDATE (August, 2009): I am crazy about Prevage and have since started using the Anti-aging Treatment instead of the night cream, which I found a touch heavy for the warmer weather. No reactions whatsoever, and my skin looks great!

http://www.prevage.com/

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Stressroller: Rolling away my stress and loving it!

I love reading about how celebrities stay fit and feeling great. A while I back I happened upon a fitness magazine article in which 38 year-old mother of two Denise Richards mentions some of her favourite products. One of the items listed was the Stressroller, and I was immediately interested because a)I have stress! and b)stress is aging! and c)Denise Richards looks great, I knew this was worth investigating.

The Stressroller was invented by chiropractor-to-the-stars Dr. Stephen V. Jochen, and it's basically two balls (tennis ball size) enclosed in a cushiony, sturdy fabric that you place between your body and a hard surface (like a wall or floor) and roll yourself against to massage your muscles. I received mine about a month ago, and have been using it religiously ever since. There are several different body parts you can use it on, but I am finding it's doing absolute wonders for my back. According to the website (www.stressroller.com), tension and pain in the mid-back and neck can result in poor posture. We all know poor posture is very aging.

Here's a direct quote from the site on how it works:

"The pressure applied by StressRoller™ moves energy within the muscles, re-aligning the spine, increasing circulation and restoring the body to its natural state of balance and well-being."

It certainly feels really, really good and I will continue to use it as part of my fitness/wellness/anti-aging routine. I also find it excellent at alleviating headache pain, and I'm even getting a better sleep at night. This concept isn't new, however. For years I have heard about putting a couple of tennis balls in a sock and using in the same fashion, which I have not tried. What I do like about the Stressroller is that it's well made and the balls don't move. It's also much nicer looking than a do-it-yourselfer and has a little carrying bag with all instructions for use printed on little plastic discs that are attached with a keyring. Very convenient and very reasonably priced at $19.95.

http://www.stressroller.com

UPDATE: On April 29, 2009, The Stressroller was featured on Rachel Ray's 'Human Lab' series, you can check out the story here:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/human-lab-back-pain/