Even Larry King Live got into the action by featuring an entire segment on the reality show: ‘The Biggest Looser’ during the week of December 24. We’re not a big reality show fan, but we’ve got to admit that ‘The Biggest Looser’ is changing lives and they are doing it the old-fashioned way with hard work, exercise, motivation, cutting out junk food, eating good quality foods and portion management. At least, this show is not about a new fad diet, but rather a new lifestyle change that incorporates healthy eating and fitness habits.

My Beauty Match Insider Favorite Weight Loss Book: The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start: Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Start Living the Biggest Loser Lifestyle Today! (See all Exercise & Fitness Books)

So we were channel surfing (which as you know is the My Beauty Match insider favorite way of watching TV) and we landed on Access Hollywood.

The reason we stopped was because they had invited a personal trainer to explain why most Hollywood celebrities, such as Tara Reid, Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, Lindsay Lohan, Keira Knightley, Teri Hatcher, the Olsen twins, Nicole Richie … and the list goes on, are creating unrealistic weight loss goals for most women (regardless of their age).

My Beauty Match Insider favorite Home Gym: Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym (See all Home Gyms)

The Access Hollywood team and the personal trainer (sorry … we didn’t catch her name) basically showed a list of super-skinny actresses and digitally added (you’ll need to sit down for this one) 50 lbs to their frame and showed the before-and-after pictures. The mind-blowing thing is that in most cases the after picture didn’t look shockingly different at all.

Access Hollywood was trying to make the point that with an addition of 50 lbs, most female Hollywood super-skinny actresses didn’t look remotely fat with the extra pounds … on the contrary … the extra weight made them look normal, healthy and quite sexy.

The only Hollywood actress who didn’t look too good with the extra weight on was Teri Hatcher because they added 70 lbs to her physique and it actually started to look like an unhealthy weight.

Here are 3 weight loss routines that are sweeping across the nation – click on the below banners for more information on each:

Photo by Ivan C.

Olympic winner Mitch Gaylord wants to help you lose the weight!

Mitch Gaylord won 4 Olympic medals and has been inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame. He became the first ever American gymnast to score a perfect 10! From his knowledge of core training, he designed the Melt It Off system.

>>> Burn stomach fat!

Sculpt your abs with The Melt It Off Program because it’s an exercise that targets your core to help you lose stomach fat. Mitch Gaylord’s Calorie Melting Weapon will give you a leaner body in no time!

>>> 3 day diet to lose weight

With Mitch’s 3 Day Melt It Off Kick Start, you can start on Wednesday and be a size smaller for the weekend. Guaranteed! In independent university testing, the average result was over 5 pounds and 1 size in just 3 days!

>>> You’ll find details on this offer on the distributor’s Web site: The Melt It Off Program

>>> Melt It Off Program testimonials:

Here’s what a few users of Melt It Off Program had to say about Mitch Gaylord’s program:

“I went from a size 18 to a size 6! It’s incredible. It is the most incredible thing! How can you put a price on freedom? I felt like I was locked in an over 200-pound body and now I have freedom to do whatever I want.” — Nancy G

“I’m 43 years old and I’m probably in the best shape of my life. My waist is 30 inches again! I was 35 inches when I started. And it’s 30 inches now!” — Keith

>>> You’ll find details on this offer on the distributor’s Web site: The Melt It Off Program

“This program absolutely, absolutely works! It’s changed everything, everything! My stomach, my legs, my buns. It starts with a decision to want to make a change.” — Adrianne H.

It’s obvious that results will vary, but as you can see people are getting some great results from Mitch Gaylord’s Melt It Off Program.

>>>> Who can take advantage of this offer? The Melt It Off Program

is a free trial offer that is open to residents living in these countries:  The Melt It Off Program is opening this offer to these countries:  U.S.A. ONLY

***PLEASE NOTE: this offer is from the distributors of The Melt It Off Program and not from our online magazine, as you will be redirected to the distributor’s Web site to read more about this free trial offer.***

>>> Get more details by visiting the distributor’s Web site:

>>> You’ll find details on this offer on the distributor’s Web site: The Melt It Off Program

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

Losing weight can be the most frustrating thing on the planet.

Losing weight is a battle for most Americans, in fact, about 75 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, and the number of overweight children is growing rapidly.

Losing weight and keeping it off permanently is most complicated than a lot of those infomercials would have you believe. So far, magic pills are nonexistent, and almost all diets fail.

Of those who go on diets, three out of four actually end up gaining more weight in the long run. America is an overweight, desperate nation, and the Guaranteed Weight Loss System is the dream answer to the nightmare of obesity.

When selected to participant in the Guaranteed Weight Loss System, your customers will receive:

* LIVE calls with Coach LaTour

* In-depth weekly progress reports

* Team support from like-minded participants

* An interactive food diary

* An extensive exercise library

* Nutrition suggestions and easy recipes

* Education through healthy living articles

* Customized online tools

* LIFETIME support from Coach LaTour
You’ll also receive these bonus gifts:

* A two-month subscription to Guaranteed Weight Loss Online Tools

* A complete JumpSnap ropeless jumprope package

* A signed copy of Brad LaTour’s The Ah Ha’s of Weight Loss book

* One bag of enlyten Electrolytes Strips

Working individually with Coach LaTour for eight weeks would ordinarily cost over $1,500, with none of the bonus items included. You should know that anyone who has finally conquered a lifetime of obesity will gladly shout the name of Guaranteed Weight Loss System from the very rooftop! That endorsement is worth a lot to Coach LaTour, and he’s willing to pay for it through this deep discount. One more suggestion: encourage your customers to move fast on this offer, because Coach LaTour is the only personal, one-on-one coach in this program, and space is extremely limited

***PLEASE NOTE: this offer is from the distributors of Guaranteed Weight Loss System and not from our online magazine, as you will be redirected to the distributor’s Web site to read more about this offer.***

>>> Get more details by visiting the distributor’s Web site:

>>> You’ll find details on this free trial offer on the distributor’s Web site: Guaranteed Weight Loss System

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

precision_nutrition_body-transformation_12

In the past few weeks, I’ve shared with you two blog posts in which Dr. John Berardi talks about losing body weight (and body fat).

The first one talks about how important incentives are for changing your body. And it goes on to incentivize you with a whopping $40,000 in prize money.

>>> Here’s that link if you missed it:

* Could The Chance To Win $10,000 Help You Get In Shape?

The second post shows you how to coerce yourself into sticking to the plan, even when the motivation wanes.

>>> Here’s that link if you missed it:
* Enter “the best kept secret in weight loss.”

Finally, today, I have one last post to share.

In this one, Dr Berardi talks about how you can actually vaccinate yourself against body fat.

Hint: it doesn’t involve needles!

>>> Here’s that link to read the full story:

* Learn how to vaccinate yourself against body fat

It’s one thing to hear about a Lean Eating or any other weight loss program, it’s another to see results and see those lucky winners who won the $10,000 prize money for being in the best shape of their lives.

>>> Here’s that link if you missed the before and after photos:
>>> Lean Eating Men results

>>> Lean Eating Women results

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this beauty tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

precision_nutrition_body-transformation_8

I’m a huge fan of Dr John Berardi and since getting my hands on his Precision Nutrition, I’ve found it to be incredible at helping me keep my healthy eating habits in check.

There’s really no such thing as an easy way to lose weight and keep it off permanently. You just have to roll up your sleeve and become 100 per cent committed to making better food choices AND remaining fit (for life).

Dr. John Berardi Lean Eating Program is launching TODAY!. It’s a transformational program that will only be open for short time (and he only opens it once per year). Last year, he awarded $10,000 to the winner of his weight loss challenge.

I’ve seen all the before and after photos of the winners and I can tell you these people have transformed their bodies and if they keep up with Dr. Berardi’s advice, they will have transformed their lives and the lives of their entire family (and extended family) FOREVER!

Before I talk to you about Dr. Berardi’s program launching today, I invite you to learn from Dr. Berardi’s 5 dummy-proof ways to start improving your diet:

The best way for you to improve your diet is to follow these five rules:

1. Eat about 4 – 5x a day and don’t wait so long between meals.

Research has demonstrated that those people who eat more frequently tend to have better blood sugar control, lower stress hormone production, lower body fat, and more lean muscle. But their food has to be the right stuff.

2. Include lean, complete protein at every meal and snack.

The ideal amount of protein per day for an exercising individual is 1 gram per pound of body weight. For a 140 lb woman, that’d be 140 g of protein. Getting this much means grabbing some protein every time you snack or eat a meal.

3. Include veggies at every meal and snack.

The ideal amount of veggies each day is about 8 servings. It’s quite tough to get all these servings if you don’t include some cooked, raw, juiced, or blended veggies with each meal.

4. Include a variety of healthy fats.

Our food supply today contains a fat balance that’s out of whack. To get our fat intake back to where it should be, we need to include things such as olive oil, avocados, flax oil, fish oil, raw nuts, etc. each day.

5. Consume carbohydrate-rich foods only after exercise.

Carbs aren’t the enemy. But they should be controlled — especially for women — since it’s easy to over-eat them. The best strategy to control carbs is to eat mostly whole grain carbohydrates (like amaranth, quinoa, whole grain oats, etc.) and to save them until after exercise. Since exercise increases our body’s ability to effectively utilize carbohydrates, the ideal time to eat some whole grains is within the first few hours post-exercise.

These “rules” are a great start. But they won’t get the job done alone. In fact, there are two other secrets to helping you build a great physique.

>>> Can lean eating be the solution to help you to a healthy weight?

Dr. John Berardi launched in January 2009 a program that has honestly changed bodies in a remarkable way. His program opens only once per year and there is a limited number of students he’s willing to work with.

If you are interested in making long-lasting changes when it comes to your weight, I recommend that you check out some of the success stories from Dr. John Berardi 2009 Lean Eating winners.

>>> It’s true that the cost of the Lean Eating won’t be in everyone’s reach, but I’ve been following Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition programm for one year now and I’m telling this guy’s brilliant.

>>> The one thing to keep in mind about John Berardi is the fact that he’s a former professional athlete and has been training athletes for most of his career. His goal is not to get you to “lose belly fat”, his goal is to get your body into shape, reach a healthy weight and make permanent changes to the way you eat.

>>> Here are the links again if you want to check out these two healthy weight programs:

1) Lean Eating Program

2) Precision Nutrition program

© All copyrights reserved to http://www.mybeautymatch.com in all countries.

>>>> If you’re viewing this beauty tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sites, or as a re-blogged post, please check out the content on the original Web site at www.myBeautyMatch.com

It has been another busy month on Eat Smart Age Smart and I’m excited to share some of the most popular features on healthy eating and adopting healthy lifestyle.

If you are looking for simple healthy diet and healthy lifestyle tips, you’ll want to check out Eat Smart Age Smart!

>>> Thanks for re-tweeting any of the posts you find useful!

Here are some of the most read features on Eat Smart Age Smart!

1) What are you happy about?

2) Biggest Loser Season 8 – first episode

3) Healthy carb recipes

4) Jamie Oliver shares tips on cooking for weight loss

5) Is the Sensa Weight Loss system a gimmick?

6) 27 Vegan recipes for newbies

7) Squats are my secret to a firm butt and slim thighs

#8) Simple tips for losing weight and keeping it off

9) 8 ways to get your weight back on track after summer

10) Review: TRX Suspension training is VERY intensive!

11) 19 Healthy lunch recipes

12) 56 Healthy Breakfast recipes

13) Fat is NOT your fault!

14) 18 Great Tomato Recipes!

15) Wild blueberries are very high in antioxidant power!

16) Exercise won’t make you thin!

17) SuperSize vs SuperSkinny: redefining Brits relationship with food

18) 13 post-summer diet and nutrition courses you may want to consider

This free trial offer will surely please a lot of people looking for hair care that is PARABEN FREE!
I just got word on this new free trial offer from a hair care conditioning line called CREO Nano Pro-Tec Cleanser!

CREO Nano Pro-Tec Cleanser is a greener hair care line that is:
* CREO Nano Pro-Tec Cleanser is all natural
* CREO Nano Pro-Tec Cleanseris sulfate free
* This hair care line is paraben free
* It’s DEA free and TEA free
* CREO Nano Pro-Tec Cleanser is Vegan
* This green hair care line will help preserves hair protein and that means that it makes colour treatments last longer!

Along with their cleansing shampoo you’ll be happy to be able to try out the CREO Nano Pro-Tec Conditioners and Hair Cuticle Repair Treatment which are silicone free and designed for repairing and protecting hair with all natural, essential nutrients, powerful antioxidants and hydrating ingredients.
The Free Trial Offer: Creo Care Luxury Hair is a 14 day free trial. Pay only $4.95 S&H.

>>> This free trial offer is only open to U.S. residents and you can find more details here: Free Trial Offer: Creo Care Luxury Hair

Here are a few customer testimonials for Creo Care Luxury Hair:

“I used Paul Mitchell for years and was skeptical about CREO – now my formerly dry/frazzled hair is completely revitalized and my color treatments last longer than ever!” Thanks CREO – Jamie Wolf VTech Medical School.

	Dirt is Dirt. Hair is Hair. Your hair cleanser should remove dirt gently without damaging the hair cuticle or delicate hair protein. Most don’t. CREO’s NANO Pro-Tec™ Hair Cleanser does! Over 90% of all shampoos use harsh sulfate based detergents as their primary cleaning agent. Then, they use silicone based conditioners to mask the damage caused by sulfate based detergents and other stresses such as heat, styling treatments, and environmental oxidants like sun, wind, and pollutants. As a result, your hair never gets TRULY healthy!
			CREO’s NANO Pro-Tec™ Features Include: * Natural Fragrance * Paraben Free * All Natural * NO Sulfates * NO Silicones * NO DEA’s * NO TEA’s * Vegan * BIO-CERAMIC * Preserves Hair Protein * Preserves Color Treatments
Copyright 2009 Creo Care, All rights reserved

Free Beauty Samples | Free Cosmetics | Free Makeup

Ladies, I have too much makeup on hand and after reading Felicia’s amazing reviews of the products she received during the Fabulous March contest, I thought I needed to give out more products to my readers so they can try them, test them and send me their thoughts.

If you remember, up to now, I have three wonderful contest winners who’ve been sending me their reviews:

1) December flat iron winner Robin sent us before and after photos, which I posted on the site.

2) March contest winner Felicia has been sending me loads of great reviews that will be posted on the site.

3) JJ who won a Dove Spa package was kind enough to share her views with us and that will also be featured soon on the site.

>>>>> Here are instructions to send us a review

This is a message to all the other contest winners:

LADIES, IF YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE A REVIEW OF ANY PRODUCT YOU’VE RECEIVED, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

So let’s talk make-up, I have four great makeup prizes that will surely have you party ready!

=============================================

Here’s a quick video I created to announce the June contests to the world ***If you like this video, PLEASE RATE IT!***:

Simply leave your comments as to “why” you’d love to win a particular contest prize!

Contest is open from June 10 to June 30, 2009!

I left the best for last, the following make-up contests are open to readers living around the world!

This is a first, but I promised a lot of international readers that I would do it and I’m keeping my word.

Let’s see how this works for future contests.

========================================

***Here’s the list of all the make-up prizes for the June contest***

1)  Contest: Chanel lips!

2) Contest: NARS/Dove/Maybelline

3) Contest: France, Japan, Canada, U.S.

4) Contest: Clarins/Maybelline/Aveda

Photo by dreamglow

Pliatrol High Potency Anti-Wrinkle sells for $99.99, but via this free trial offer, you can try if for 14 days without paying for the product (you only pay $4.95 for shipping and handling) and if you find it provides you with the anti-aging benefits their clients have been seeing.

Pliatrol was designed to help provide a lift to your face and helps your skin regain its firmness so that you look more youthful.

Pliatrol High Potency Anti-Wrinkle promises to reduce your wrinkles by up to 50%!

Here are some of the other benefits Pliatrol clients have seen:

* 25% decrease in the appearance of wrinkle depth

* 27% decrease in the appearance of wrinkle volume

* 35% decrease in the appearance of wrinkle density

Here are some testimonials from Pliatrol High Potency Anti-Wrinkle clients:

“Every woman needs to try Pliatrol. You’ll see and feel a huge difference.” – Mary W, 57 years young, 21 days trial of Pliatrol.

“It really worked! I literally tried everything, but nothing ever worked. Thank You Pliatrol!” – Katie H., 35, 21 days trial Pliatrol.

>>> Get more details on the distributor’s Web site:

You’ll find all the here (offer open to US residents only): Pliatrol High Potency Anti-Wrinkle

Free Beauty Samples | Free Cosmetics | Free Makeup

eye4style
eye4style reviews the chic Delirium & Co. Candle collection.

A Touch of Blusher
A Touch of Blusher comes across some of the best makeup brushes.

My Women Stuff
Takes the new Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant for a test drive

Beauty Match
A few summer 2009 make-up collections that will turn heads!

Eat Smart Age Smart
American diets versus European diets

STYLEnosh
Can you really have too many handbags?

Style Manila
PROMOD SS09 introduces French sreet style to Manila streets.

A Touch of Blusher
A Touch of Blusher stops by Dolce & Gabbana’s makeup counter in London.

My Women Stuff
1 Month 1 Eyeshadow 1 Blush – Take the challenge!

Bags, Bling & Beauty
Bags, Bling and Beauty invites you to check out swimwear tips from Shoshanna Gruss.

Raging Rouge
Raging Rouge blows her diet with a 2,000 calorie treat by MAX Factor.

eye4style
eye4style has the scoop on the new contemporary collection from Badgley Mischka – Mark & James!

Beauty Match
Kylie Minogue’s behind the scene U.K. Elle shoot

Eat Smart Age Smart
Win $10,000 to get in shape!

STYLEnosh
THIS is the problem with cropped pants!

karon_kitchener_botox_gone_bad

In my opinion, birthdays after the age of 35 and having to face dating again after a divorce or a break-up as you age are top on my list. I’d say that milestone birthday like 40, 50 or 60 might also be right up there.

Let me start with the birthdays after 35 – I think that you look at yourself and wonder if you are getting better or getting older and sometimes insecurities creep up and make you unsure of the image that is reflected in the mirror.

When it comes to a divorce or a break-up of a long term relationship … nothing beats your self-confidence more than knowing that you will have to start the dating process all over again with strangers who in their head will compare you to others and might judge the way you look.

That said, it’s only until I read the story of Karon Kitchener that I realized how it made sense that a woman over 45 who was planning on getting married again would want a bit of enhancement to look more youthful on her wedding photos.

It seems from Karon’s shocking story that she got way more than she bargained for. After booking a session for injectable fillers to look more youthful, the British Baby Boomer found herself permanently disfigured on the left side of her face!!!!

“I wanted to look my best for my wedding. I didn’t want anything as drastic as a facelift, but I had read about these fillers and decided to have some injected into my cheeks.” – Karon Kitchener.

It’s clear from her description of events that the solution that was injected in her body didn’t work for her because it seems the solution was travelling upwards to her eyes in an effort to leave her body.

In Britain the injectable fillers’ industry is unregulated and there are close to 75 different solutions that cosmetic doctors can use to rejuvenate their clients. This is quite shocking to me.

In America the industry is very regulated because injectables are considered a medical procedure. There are surely a few bad cases, but overall the FDA is regulating these types of solutions … only eight have been approved for use in the USA. In Canada, there are two solutions because the industry is quite regulated and it takes a lot for Health Canada to agree to anything. Your (qualified and certified) cosmetic doctor will either use Juvederm® or Restylane®.

This story gets even sadder. The fact that Karon knows that every single day she’ll be looking at a mutilated face is not the only worry she has. In the past three years, she’s undergone several surgeries to try to repair her face AND she’s postponed her wedding. Her confidence is at an all time low and she’s also had to deal with a string of infections and more scarring!!!

The Daily Mail article also features Sarah Payne (60) and Susie Woods (40) two other women dealing with the nightmarish aftermath of botched cosmetic enhancement procedures.

I think it’s important to read for your own knowledge. It’s obviously a must-read for British readers.

If you’re not convinced yet that you should take time to read this Daily Mail article, here’s what a prominent London-based plastic surgeon had to say:

“I’m currently seeing 20 patients who are undergoing continuing treatment to remove lumps of filler which have ‘migrated’ around their bodies.” — Dr. Christopher Inglefield.

You can read the entire article here: I tried to turn back time with a wrinkle jab… but it wrecked my life and left me facially disfigured

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1161328/I-tried-turn-time-wrinkle-jab–wrecked-life-left-facially-disfigured.html

Photo by Ben Lester from the Daily Mail

Since I noticed that a lot of the nutrition and fitness posts that I published were becoming more and more read and popular, I made an executive decision to separate the content to a brand new site and focus solely on nutrition and fitness on Eat Smart Age Smart.

You’ll want to sign-up to receive weekly Eat Smart Age Smart tips and just like on Beauty Match … we’ll have a series of contests that are exclusive to readers who join our free membership!

I hope you’ll want to jump in the conversation and let us know what you think of some of the stories we feature on Eat Smart Age Smart by leaving a comment!

Here’s the site to the new blog: Eat Smart Age Smart

When you sign-up to receive Eat Smart Age Smart, I’ll send you a free digital book containing 21 great Eat Smart tips!!!

Here’s the link for to sign-up to receive weekly tips: Join Eat Smart Age Smart Insider!

*** Keep in mind this is a separate database with totally different content from Beauty Match. Also, keep in mind that you’ll need to double opt-in … this means that you’ll receive an email asking you to CONFIRM that you in fact want to receive weekly content from us, just click on the link inside the email!*** Here’s a video showing you how to do this:

How to double opt-in to join Eat Smart Age Smart Insider:

That said, there are some celebs who openly admit to having a bit of help in keeping their youthful look.

It’s a dog-eat-dog-world in Hollywood and I may be all philosophical about aging and I may spend a lot of time on my site pushing the virtues of aging well, but then again I do not make my living in front of the camera.

I will openly admit to my readers that I’ve never had any nip, tuck or injections done not because I’m opposed to the idea or feel that I want to age gracefully, but simply because I don’t feel I need it. As long as I keep looking much younger than my real age … then I’ll only be visiting my cosmetic doctor to help me deal with my acne scars.

If all of a sudden I found myself hosting Beauty Match TV as a real TV show and if I had to see myself on a 50′ inch flat screen HDTV, perhaps I too might be begging my cosmetic doctor for injection fillers and Botox Cosmetic^TM.

You have celebrities such as Angelica Houston and Joan Collins who have tried Botox once or twice and didn’t like the experience and then you have socialites such as Ivana Trump who dodges the question all together when it’s clear she was NOT born with the face she currently has because a) she’s looking a lot like Joan Rivers these days b) no one is born (or ages) with a face that puffy!

Let’s not forget Nicole Kidman who conveniently keeps her lips shut when it comes to admitting or denying her obvious overindulgence in Botox injections!

Then you have stars like Patricia Heaton from the sitcom Everyone Loves Raymond (51, born March 4, 1958) and Sharon Osborne (56, born October 9, 1952) who are very open about their plastic surgeries and the injections they get on a regular basis to keep a youthful appearance on camera. The thing with those two stars is that they still look quite natural and do NOT frighten small children like Joan Rivers does.

There are a number of Hollywood actresses who have come clean about their use of injections:

1) Lisa Rinna (45, born July 11, 1963): we had featured Lisa on the site and you can read her take on the beauty industry here: Does Lisa Rinna regret her plastic surgery enhancements?

lisa rinna botox plastic surgery

2) Linda Evangelista (43, born May 10, 1965): This Canadian supermodel is not shy in admitting that it’s not only her Italian good genes helping her age well.

You can read more on Linda Evangelista here: A Canadian supermodel is redefining beauty in her forties

linda_evangelista

3) Jenny McCarthy (36, born November 1, 1972): Jenny has always been extremely outspoken so it’s no surprise she feels comfortable sharing with the public that when it comes to remaining wrinkle-free … she’s getting some help from her cosmetic surgeon!

jenny_mccarthy

4) Daisy Fuentes (42, born November 17, 1966): The Cuban beauty is not shy in admitting that as she ages, she thinks that a little Botox is not such a bad thing.

daisy_fuentes

5) Jennie Garth (37, born April 3, 1972): Perhaps having to be surrounded by 20-something girls on the set of the new 90210 series has prompted Jennie to seek the help of a cosmetic doctor to help her look as young as the other cast members on the show!

jennie_garth

6) Vanessa Williams (46, born March 18, 1963): With each new season change, Vanessa Williams makes a trip to her cosmetic doctor to get some Botox injections! The villainess of the now defunct Ugly Betty show is not leaving it to chances when it comes to controlling how she looks as she ages.

vanessa_williams

7) Kelly Ripa (38, born October 2, 1970): She got her Botox injections live on the Regis and Kelly Show!

kelly_ripa

#8) Virginia Madsen (47, born September 11, 1961): Virginia became the spokesperson for Allergan the maker of Botox Cosmetic^TM to let women know that Botox CAN actually look very natural when it’s well done and you don’t have to scare young children with a frozen looking face.

I’d love to put all the stars from “Desperate Housewives” on this list, but then it would fall under the “rumour” category since lips are sealed on the set of Wisteria Lane on the subject of beauty injections … even when foreheads aren’t moving and lips seem to be getting plumper with each new episode!

At least I’m happy to see that the “REAL Housewives of Orange County” aren’t shy one bit in not only admitting to their love of all things relating to beauty injections, but they even let the cameras on their little beauty escapades!

Photo source: Jennie Garth, Daisy Fuentes and Lisa Rinna from Wikipedia

Photo of Kelly Ripa by keithwills

madonna_fit_over_50

Madonna is certainly disciplined when it comes to her workouts. This is nothing new because Madonna has been training and keeping her body fit since she was in her 20s! The mother of two and adoptive mother of little David from Malawi is getting a lot of ink because of the fact that so many people have preconceived notions of what a 50-something woman should look like. I’m not the biggest Madonna fan, but I do love how Madonna has always broken rules and she’s not afraid to shy away from “sameness”.

Madonna’s über fit body is causing the British and American press to chat. When I saw a feature on Extra TV about Madonna’s fitness secrets, I had to drop everything run to grab a pen and paper and take notes for my readers.

Madonna’s Fitness Secrets Regime:

So here is what I was able to get from the Extra TV interview of Duncan Wong (Madonna’s Yoga guru):

Duncan Wong is a yoga martial art experts and he explained that  one of the reasons why Madonna is so fit as she ages is because she’s a multi trainer (just like yours truly). Madonna uses many different sports to keep fit.

She does yoga, Pilates, dancing, weight training, running and skipping rope.

I use skipping rope, weight training, spinning and boxing to keep fit and keep strong. If I had a team of assistants helping me with my everyday life and my sites, I’d most likely be able to fit Pilates in that mix and I’d be able to train five days a week and train each day for two hours!

All that to say that you need to mix it up … I believe professional trainers call this “muscle confusion” and it prevents your body from reaching a plateau because you change your workout daily.

Now there is one important thing to remember about Madonna, she can “afford” to train for three to six hours in one day and that has no bearing on her responsibilities because she doesn’t need to work a 9-5 job, cook, clean, do grocery shopping or any other day-to-day-mundane activities that take up a lot of time because she has a team of housekeepers and assistants helping her. That said, there is a lot that us women over 35 can learn from Madonna and that’s being disciplined with a vigorous fitness regime will ensure that we age well and we continue to look good with every passing birthday.

To give you an example, I met up with a former fitness instructor and after we wished each other Happy New Year, she asked me if I was still training … to which I responded: “Hell yes, it’s the only way to make sure that everything stays where it’s supposed to be”. Anne-Marie laughed at my joke and said: “good girl … keep it up”. I could not even attempt to guess Anne-Marie’s age, but given how long she’s been in the industry and a few stories she’s shared along the years, I’d guess she’s in her late 40s and even early 50s, but you would never be able to tell from looking at her body!

Here’s a feature from my favourite British online site for Euro celeb news:

>>> Madonna pushes herself to the limit during another gruelling training day

>>> YOU HAVE GOT to look at these new photos of Madonna for the promotion of her latest Hard Candy album. I have no doubt that she’ll be 90 and she’ll still look as strong as she does now!

As Madonna poses for yet ANOTHER raunchy album picture, will she still be doing this at 70?

Here was my tribute to Madonna’s 2008 50^th b-day!

Madonna is going on 50, but she has the body of a 25 year old!

15_essential_health_tips

I thought it might be a good idea to look at 15 things women do to sabotage their health in the hopes that this list will become a wake-up call for many women.

1) There’s nothing wrong with having one or two bad habits: Thinking that eating well all week long allows you to have a few “weekend cigarettes” without affecting your health or going to the gym all week and end up finishing two bottles of red wine on Saturday with the pretext that red wine is good for you is simply foolish. Even though you maintain overall good health habits, the fact that you are smoking or/and drinking heavily will affect your health negatively.

2) I really don’t have the time to exercise because my life is way too crazy: Juggling a career and a family is not an easy task in the new millennium. There are far more pressures on women today than at any other time in history because we have more choices and freedom and that means that we might be tempted to “have it all at the same time”. I truly believe that in life we can have it all … but NOT at the same time. If you are over 40, you should know that lack of exercise and chronic stress are the two best way for you to sabotage your health.

3)   There’s nothing wrong with gaining a few pounds: You’ve got to maintain your weight and avoid weight gain by adopting healthy food habits and a regular fitness regime. Since most women over 40 tend to gain one extra pound each year if they are not on top of their health and fitness regime, you can see how being careless can really add up over the years and you can find yourself at 50 with an extra 10-20 lbs without understanding what happened. Your metabolism will drop if you are not active, so you really need to make a huge effort and get serious about finding a sport that you like enough to want to stick to for a very long time.

4) I really don’t need that many hours of sleep anyways: Alas, as we get older, our sleep quality can deteriorate unless we are pro-active at taking measures to ensure that we sleep well each night of the week. There’s been a long standing myth that as you get older your body really doesn’t require that much sleep … but you do need a minimum number of hours to function properly. It’s true that a lot of women in their 50s will have to deal with sleep interruptions caused by menopause and fluctuating hormones, but there are things you can do to increase your odds of a good night sleep, such as avoid caffeine past a certain time of the day, limit how much you drink, skip the late night TV, read before going to bed, try exercise, meditation, deep breathing … and the list goes on. You’ve got to be pro-active in ensuring that you sleep enough to allow your body to rest.

5) A little bit of sun is good … not to mention that my skin is already damaged: You cannot change the past and reverse the number of hours you spend baking under the sun for that perfect tan, but as you age, you can surely make sure that you are more careful about sun exposure because you know now the effect dangerous UV rays can have on the skin.

6) My family history is devoid of serious illnesses … so I’m ok: Genetics play an important role in our overall health, but lifestyle trumps many genetic advantages you might have. The world in which we live is VERY different from the one your grandmother grew up in and with increased stress, sedentary lifestyles (lack of physical activity), overwhelming pollution and increased exposure to toxic chemicals, your chances of developing serious diseases are no longer solely linked to your gene pool.

7) I’ve always been thin and I don’t see the need to exercise: You don’t exercise solely to lose weight or else I would have stopped exercising a decade ago. You should exercise to keep your body fit and strong. You need to exercise to get your heart rate going and you need to incorporate strength training to maintain you bone and muscle mass as you age … EVEN if you are naturally a size 4! Here’s another reason why you might want to start thinking of exercising even if you are thin … as you age your skin will become looser because the muscle density is diminishing. I constantly see older women who have been diligent at exercising versus women who are only starting to exercise in their 50s and the difference between the two bodies is simply jaw-dropping. If you keep fit your entire life, as you age your body will remain very youthful and strong.

#8) I only see a doctor when I’m sick: If I had a dollar for every woman who has fed me that line over the years, I’d be living in a penthouse at Trump Towers in downtown New York City and I’d call it my headquarters! So many women don’t go for their annual check-up simply because they don’t “feel” sick. The reality is that you want your doctor to follow your health progression and you surely want your doctor to detect anything in the early stages that can be cured by early prevention.  You are lucky and so blessed not to be or feel sick and you want to maintain that … AND that’s why you NEED to go for your annual check-up each year.

9) It’s just menopause … I don’t need to worry: It’s easy to brush everything you feel in your 50s as a sub-symptom of menopause, but that also means that you might be turning a blind-eye to a potentially seriously illness. Since you didn’t spent seven or eight years in medical school, it’s best to check with your doctor to ensure that whatever you’re going through is in fact associated to your menopausal stage and not something else that needs immediate medical attention.

10)  I always forget to floss: Flossing should really be mandatory in my book and I’ve only started reading lately that there is a link between gum disease and heart disease! YIKES! Can you imagine that a few minutes each night getting rid of plaque on your teeth can keep your heart healthy? I’m not making this up. There was a study conducted in 2007 by the American Journal of Periodontology that concluded that people who were under 60 with advanced gum disease (including tooth loss) are at greater risk of a heart attack. Flossing is essential at any age, but it becomes even more important as you age because when you hit your 40s and 50s because you automatically produce less saliva and therefore your chances of ridding your mouth naturally of bacteria diminishes because there is not enough saliva production.

11) I’m running all day long as is … I really don’t need to work out: I’m sorry ladies, but in my world, a women’s body is a temple and you need to care and honour that temple and that means women NEED to find time to exercise. How many 10-minute exercise DVDs are available on the market today? We can all find even 30 minutes to keep our body fit. It can be as simple as cutting out 30 minutes of TV and going for a walk!

12) I feel down all the time: If you are suffering from postpartum depression, it’s easy to pinpoint the reason why you feel blue all the time. It’s also expected that many women in their mid-50s will also deal with mood swings because of hormonal changes. But, for many women who aren’t new moms or at the menopause stage but who are dealing with life’s pressures, stress, demands, over-booked lives and constant worries … depression can become a serious issue. It’s easy to brush off our feelings, but when you wake every morning feeling down and out … it might be time to consult a doctor. As a general rule of thumb, physical activity will do a lot for moderate depression symptoms, but if exercise doesn’t do it for you … you really need to take this seriously and talk to your GP (general practitioner) who will most likely refer you to a psychiatrist or a psychologist.

13) Who sits down anymore to eat? I cannot tell you how incredibly annoyed I get when I see people stuffing their faces while walking or sitting on the subway. I’m not talking about someone eating ice cream, a chocolate bar, chips or cookies. I’m talking about people eating out of a take-out container with a fork while doing ten other things.  When you eat on the run, you don’t take time to appreciate the food, you tend to eat more because your brain doesn’t have time to register that you are full and God knows how badly you are screwing up your digestive system.

14) I only eat a couple times a day: While stuffing your face while multitasking or walking about town is not a very good idea, skipping meals is even worst. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you are “saving” up on calories by skipping meals because you are only tricking your body into thinking that you are starving and your body will simply burn calories at a slower rate (basically your body is STORING fat). Not to mention that skipping meals means that you are skimping out on essential nutrients for muscle mass, hair, nails, skin and the list goes on.

15) I only eat quality foods so I don’t have to worry about portion control: This was actually the line a participant on one of my favourite British shows on diet and weight management “SuperSkinny vs SuperSize” had told herself and she found herself on the show tipping the scale at 250+ lbs. You should get high marks for eating healthy, but that doesn’t exempt you from controlling the amount of food you take in. Unless you have a profession that is physically demanding (like a bike courier for example) you should restrain your daily calorie intake because as urbanites, we don’t burn excessive amount of calories that would justify huge portions. If you are unsure of the proper portion size, you should do some research online, but the rule of thumb is that we need far less food than we think we do. Not long ago I had read that the portion size for a plate of pasta in America was easily four or five times that of a typical portion size in Italy. I cannot tell you how many North Americans complain how small the portions are in countries like France and Italy … when in reality it’s because they’ve been trained to think that supersize plates are normal!

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography