YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Blog Posts by Self Magazine

    • 5 Moves to a Yoga Butt

      By Self Magazine | Healthy Living – Mon, Feb 27, 2012 12:38 PM EST

      By Dana Meltzer-Zepeda, SELF magazine


      Ever wonder how to spot a true yogi? It's not a well-worn yoga mat or even that air of post-Shavasana bliss. The sign of a true yogi is an enviably perky backside. "A 'yoga butt' is often one of the many results of a consistent yoga practice," says world-renowned yoga guru Shiva Rea. "I think the happiness that radiates from a yoga practitioner is what catches people's eye and the 'yoga butt' is the trait we've been trained by the media to seek so it becomes an advertisement for yoga."

      And it's a darn good one! According to a recent study by the United States Yoga Federation, over 25 million people either practice yoga or intend to start practicing within the next year. "If a person practices solely asana, as in a typical yoga class, she will receive all the flexibility and strength workout needed," says Rea, who recommends adding a cardio workout to keep your heart healthy a few times per week.

      Luckily, you don't need big bucks

      Read More »

    • What Makes Lip Gloss so Shiny?

      By Self Magazine | Beauty on Shine – Mon, Feb 27, 2012 11:16 AM EST

      By Shannon R., SELF magazine


      My must-have, never-leave-home-without-it beauty product is lip gloss. I have them stashed in my purse, house and car just in case! I love shiny, glossy lips! Have you ever wondered just what makes glosses so "glossy"?

      What is lip gloss?

      Most lip glosses are a gel but some companies do make a stick or pomade version. Regardless of the form, these products are all designed to give your lips shine and color (sometimes they can taste good, too!). Typically these formulas are oil-based and don't contain any water, so there's no need for emulsifiers (chemicals that help water and oil mix together). Let's take a closer look at the 5 basic ingredients used to make lip gloss.


      Related: 21 Good-For-You Snacks


      1. Emollients - Many, many different ingredients can be used to make lips feel smooth and add shine. Most formulas use oil (either mineral- or vegetable-based), lanolin derivatives or polybutene (a type of hydrocarbon that
      Read More »

    • The 4 Best Times of Day to Snack (and when to Skip!)

      By Self Magazine | Healthy Living – Thu, Feb 23, 2012 3:08 PM EST

      By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine


      You probably already know that snacking can be an important part of any healthy diet, but there are some times that are even more important than others to grab a snack. Here's my list of the top times you should snack and the one interesting time you should skip it.

      You should snack...anytime you are going more than 4 hours between meals. Four hours is about the maximum amount of time you should have between meals. If you go longer than that, your metabolism will slow down, your blood sugar will drop, and by the time you finally do eat, you will be so ravenous that it will be hard to make good choices and you will be at risk of overeating. So make sure that you always have a healthy snack on hand for times when meal times get delayed unexpectedly.


      Related: 21 Good-For-You Snacks


      You should snack...after any intense workout lasting for a hour or more. It's important to replace your energy stores with carbohydrate and

      Read More »

    • Should You Thread or Wax Your Eyebrows?

      By Self Magazine | Beauty on Shine – Thu, Feb 23, 2012 11:39 AM EST

      By Shannon R., SELF magazine


      I'm sure you are familiar with tweezing, shaving and waxing as common hair-removal methods, but have you heard of threading? Threading is actually an ancient Arabic technique that has proven effective and grown in popularity in the Western world. Let's take a closer look at this traditional method and see if it's worth a try.


      What is threading?
      There are two basic types of hair removal: depilation and epilation. Depilation only affects the part of the hair that's above the surface of the skin (like shaving and chemical depilatories). Epilation removes the entire hair, including the part growing beneath the skin so the effect lasts longer. Threading is an epilation process that uses thread to pull out hair from sensitive areas of the face like the lips and eyebrows (tweezing and waxing are also forms of epilation).


      Related: 21 Good-For-You Snacks


      How does it work?
      Thread, usually made of cotton, is twisted and

      Read More »

    • Sip or Skip? Your Go-To Drinks Made Healthier

      By Self Magazine | Shine Food – Wed, Feb 22, 2012 11:55 AM EST
      SELF magazine

      We visited popular sipping spots with SELF experts Stephanie Clarke, R.D. and Willow Jarosh, R.D. to help you slash calories with equally tasty options.

      More from SELF:

      20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
      Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
      38 Antiaging Foods
      Gwyneth Paltrow's Arm and Ab Workout


      Read More »

    • Can You Wash Your Hair with Soap?

      By Self Magazine | Beauty on Shine – Wed, Feb 22, 2012 11:24 AM EST

      By Shannon R., SELF magazine


      The history of soap making dates back to around 2800 BC so I think it's fair to say that soap has been around a long time! Soap served many purposes-- bathing, washing hair, laundry. The market for soaps has diminished due to the creation of synthetic surfactants (found in almost all cleansing products) but it does make you wonder, is soap an effective way to wash your hair?


      Related: 21 Good-For-You Snacks


      What is soap?
      Soaps are made by reacting fatty acids with a base (like sodium hydroxide which has a high pH) in a process called saponification. Ancients used animal fat (tallow) as as starting material but modern soap making uses vegetable or plant oils like coconut, palm or olive.


      See more: The Healthiest Cities for Women


      What is a synthetic surfactant?
      This type of detergent is created by combining a fatty alcohol with an acid. Fatty alcohols can be distilled from petroleum or derived from natural

      Read More »

    • 4 Types of Wrinkles and How to Treat Them

      By Self Magazine | Shine's Guide to Great Skin – Tue, Feb 21, 2012 11:58 AM EST

      By Shannon R., SELF magazine


      Aging may be inevitable but there are some things you can do to help slow down the clock a bit (at least when it comes to your skin!). Here are the most common types of wrinkles and how to treat them (and even prevent them in some cases).

      What are the most common types of wrinkles?
      According to a study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2006), researchers at the University Hospital of Liege, Belgium determined that there are four distinctly different types of wrinkles that you'll (eventually) have to face.


      1. Atrophic Crinkling Rhytids - fine lines on the face that are almost parallel to each other.
      Where they occur: They show up on different areas of the face and body but tend to disappear when skin is stretched transversally (this just means they shift when your body posture changes). These wrinkles are associated with loss of elasticity.
      What you can do: Since these wrinkles are due to the loss of collagen, you

      Read More »

    • Save Calories with These Simple Smoothie Ingredient Swaps

      By Self Magazine | Shine Food – Tue, Feb 21, 2012 11:52 AM EST

      By Sarah-Jane Bedwell, SELF magazine

      The cost for smoothies from specialty shops can be high and the calorie count can be just as high, too! The portions are usually very large, and they may even add sugar, honey, syrups, or other sweeteners. Some specialty shop smoothies can have well over 500 calories per smoothie!

      So instead of spending half of your daily calories on an overpriced smoothie, try making one yourself, using these tips to save money and tons of calories!


      More from SELF:

      20 Superfoods for Weight Loss
      Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
      38 Antiaging Foods
      Gwyneth Paltrow's Arm and Ab Workout

      Read More »

    • Olive Oil Face Wash...Really?

      By Self Magazine | Shine's Guide to Great Skin – Fri, Feb 17, 2012 12:42 PM EST

      By Shannon R., SELF magazine

      It may sound odd to wash your face with oil since oil is usually what you are trying to remove from your skin. However, oil can be an effective way to remove makeup. Olive oil in particular is becoming a more popular skincare ingredient so lets take a look at how olive oil works as a cleanser and the pros and cons of the "oil cleansing" method.

      How does oil cleansing work?
      You may remember from your high school science class that "like dissolves like." In other words, materials will dissolve other materials that have a similar chemical structure. Since makeup is often made of oil and heavy waxes, it makes sense that olive oil can dissolve oily makeup. Cosmetic chemists use the "like dissolves like" principle to formulate oil-based cleansers and makeup removers. Liquid makeup removers are usually pure oil, while creams (like cold creams) are oils mixed with water, emulsifiers and thickeners. Standard facial cleansers don't always work well on makeup

      Read More »

    • The Case for a Sugar Tax

      By Self Magazine | Healthy Living – Fri, Feb 17, 2012 12:38 PM EST


      By Melinda Carstensen, SELF magazine

      You know consuming too much sugar can be detrimental to your health, but now, some researchers are suggesting it's so harmful that the government should regulate it as heavily as alcohol and tobacco -- and even put a tax on it.

      Like alcohol, sugar affects your blood pressure, metabolism and liver, argues Dr. Robert Lustig, endocrinology director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health Program at the University of California at San Francisco.

      "It can also suppress the hormones in our bodies that tell us we have eaten enough, thereby leading to overeating and craving for more sugar. It also, like alcohol, affects the 'pleasure center' of the brain and makes you consume more," Dr. Lustig tells HealthySELF.


      See more: The Healthiest Cities for Women


      So why should the government tax sugar? In an opinion piece published in the Feb. 1 edition of the journal Nature, Lustig and colleagues argue that value-added taxes

      Read More »

    Pagination

    1. 21
    2. 22
    3. 23
    4. 24
    5. 25
    (540 Stories)