Relive Dry Skin

The Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion is an all around great product, but don’t just take our word for it as there are more than 20 units sold every minute (that’s about 12 million per year). Not only does it have in it some of the most nourishing natural ingredients available on the market, such as Oatmeal, but it also comes in an easy to use pump dispenser that makes applying lotion a pleasure. It is Dermatologist developed and fragrance for free, great for anyone who has sensitive skin. It will leave your skin feeling fresh and new!

 Quick Tips:

• -Daily Lotion with Natural Oatmeal
• -Dermatologist developed
• -12 million units sold every year

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How to get rid of Cellulite?

Since we live in an “I need results now” world, no one has the patience anymore to wait for what they desire, especially when it comes to getting rid of cellulite and looking more fit…

For many years, the main procedure used to get rid of cellulite has been liposuction. Not only can liposuction be quite expensive, but it can be very painful as well. Not to mention the recovery time from a procedure can be more than 10 weeks (that’s assuming there are no side effects).

Liposuction is also very difficult procedure to undergo and can be quite expensive (can range from $5k – $50k per treatment).

Thankfully there are natural alternatives available such as topical cellulite creams that can achieve similar results without the high cost and long recovery period.

One of the hottest products on the market today is the Revitol Cellulite cream.

According to company clinical studies and patient trials, this unique cream can reduce the appearance of cellulite naturally by attacking the problem just beneath your skin’s surface. It contains many active ingredients, but mainly caffeine and Retinol A, which together fight cellulite dimpling.

The cellulite cream also contains coffee extract (mainly for the caffeine levels) and green tea extract that can both help reduce extra swelling around fat cells and improve texture of skin.

Natural ingredients are key part of this special cream and thankfully both men and women can use this product. So if you are looking for a unique new way to get rid of cellulite than give this cream a try!

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I honestly don’t know why it took me so long to discover the merits of hydrotherapy.

My hydrotherapy session took place at the wonderful HealthWinds Spa.

A few months ago I went for a soothing body scrub and I had documented the experiences here:

1) HealthWinds Spa is EXCEPTIONAL!

2) HealthWinds Spa Healthy Juice Bar!

This time, I went for a hydrotherapy session. As you can guess, hydrotherapy involves water!

Hydrotherapy has been used since ancient time and has been used by civilizations from China, Japan, Rome, Greece and Egypt to soothe aches and pains. It’s extremely popular in European spas and it’s really a staple spa treatment. It’s the generic term for water therapies using jets, underwater massage and mineral baths!

Terms like thalassotherapy, whirlpool bath, hot Roman pool, hot tub, Jacuzzi, cold plunge and mineral bath are also part of hydrotherapy, but the treatment that I received at HealthWinds spa really relates to using jets, underwater massage and mineral baths.

HealthWinds’ tub was imported from Germany and it contains hundreds of little holes that eject soothing jets of water while the spa technician uses a hand-held water jet to direct water to specific parts of your body.

The water contains sea salts to help relax your aching muscle fast! Because you are floating, there is no pressure and unlike the traditional massage, the water allows you and your spa technician not to have to worry about gravity. The technician is also better able to reach parts of your body that are much harder to reach when you are lying on top of a massage table.

I have to say that I was not quite prepared for such a relaxing experience and when you consider that it was only 30 minutes, I felt like a new woman.

The one thing that was the most remarkable to me was how well the jets at the back the tub massaged my upper and lower back. I find that in many cases when I get a massage the technician presses way too hard and I end up with bruises the next day, but the hydrotherapy worked wonders.

Thanks to the hydrotherapy I was able to get a great massage without the bruises.

From my questions to both Jennifer (my spa technician and hydrotherapy expert) and Kailee (owner of HealthWinds spa and a hydrotherapy practitioner since 1991) it seems that not a lot of people have yet discovered the incredible benefits of hydrotherapy.

I hope that I’ll be able to get the word out. If you want to treat yourself to a different spa treatment or if you have gifts to give and you’re looking for something that will be well received, why not consider hydrotherapy?

Since HealthWinds spa is such a relaxing and inviting place, after my treatment, I sat in the waiting area sipping green jasmine tea, nibbling on one of their to-die-for cookies and flipping through magazines. Those previous hours felts like a mini-vacation in my hectic week.

Oh, before I forget, a hydrotherapy session at HealthWinds spa is $70 and if you combine that with a 30-minute massage, you’re looking at about $117.50.

My next water therapy treatment will be the thalassotherapy. I noticed that HealthWinds spa offered it and I will treat myself in the New Year!

>>> You’ll find more information on HealthWinds spa and hydrotherapy by clicking this link: relax, rejuvenate and rejoice with hydrotherapy.

>>> I asked a few key questions to Jennifer, my spa technician, and you’ll want to watch this short video that show you the German hydrotherapy tub!

Photo by ŭn-sŭng

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I have a feeling this product will create a lot of buzz considering that we’re quickly walking towards summer!

Prince Reigns is used by Victoria Secret’s supermodel Gisele Bundchen and now you have a chance to buy the same product she does to deal with your own ingrown hair issues.

Prince Reigns contains all-natural ingredients that won’t burn or clog your pores and the manufacturer offers a 100% Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!

Here are a few more benefits to Prince Reigns Ingrown Hair Removal Serum:

* Eliminate razor bumps

* Eliminate summer bikini lines

* Eliminate irritations from waxing

If you live in the US, Canada, the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, you’ll be able to get your hands on Prince Reigns Ingrown Hair Removal Serum

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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

A few months ago I talked about the reality of adding candles to your birthday cake and perhaps noticing a few more grey hairs down there.

You can still read that post if you missed it: How do Italian women deal with grey hair “down there”?

***NOTE: I’m about to reveal scenes from the Sex and the City movie***

I’m a firm believer in grooming for pubic hair and it seems that I’m not the only one since this topic was so à propos that it was inserted in the summer’s anthem for women: Sex and The City movie. I don’t know if you remember the scene where Samantha (Kim Cattrall) asks Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) during a vacation in Mexico (aka what should have been Carrie’s honeymoon) why her pubic hair was so out of control and when was the last time she had shaved or waxed.

Since this is swimwear season and you’ll be showing a lot of your body, grooming is definitely necessary … and pubic hair grooming is mandatory!

To make grooming pubic hair a breeze, I found this little kit to be quite brilliant. Hair Care Down There Ultimate Shaving Kit is a one-of-a-kind grooming kit that comes with everything needed for a bikini shave. Most important of all is the three-in-one shaving system of exclusive ingredients to prevent the problems of ingrown hairs.

The Ultimate Shaving Kit comes with an adorable carry-all case, style guide (filled with instructions, tips and photos of the most popular styles for those who want to be creative I guess), safety scissors, razor, two-sided mirror, brush, two-sided comb, heart and landing strip stencils (your partner will like this add-on), stencil pencil and bikini jewels (yup, this is another one your partner will certainly like).

“Hair Care Down There” is such an innovative concept that it’s been named Winner of Cosmopolitan’s Beauty Award for the Best Bikini-line Beautifier and this Ultimate Shaving Kit received extensive press coverage in Shape, Self, Playboy and msnbc.com.

You can find more information on how to get your hands on this kit and never have an excuse not to have properly groomed pubic hair at Hair Care Down There. It’s not yet available in Canada, but just like American readers, Canadian readers can grab their Hair Care Down There Ultimate Shaving Kit online for $89 USD.

When it comes to having summer-ready legs, there seem to be three types of women: those who shave (yours truly), those who wax (too painful) and those who use hair removal creams (not for me).

If you are going to shave you might want to use the razor women seem to love right now – Schick® Quattro for Women®.

Women are raving about the fact that this four-bladed razor offers a smooth and extra-close shave that leaves nothing behind. A few reviewers who have tried it also mentioned that they didn’t get any nicks or cuts with this razor thanks to the wire wrapped blades.

A few other great things about this razor seem to be the pivoting head and the grip that makes it easy to avoid slips and cuts.

The only down side I’ve heard up to now was the fact that some women found it hard to remove the hair that was trapped inside the cage. I have an old Schick model that has two blades and it does mean that you might have to be a little extra careful when it comes to rinsing out the hair, but that’s no big deal.

I’ll have to admit that a few reviewers did use the Schick® Quattro for Women®, but I had to refrain. Given my naturally curly hair four blades would immediately mean painful ingrown hair so I have to keep it to an old-school Schick 2-blade razor … I just hope they never stop producing the refill blades.

That said, if you don’t have to deal with curly hair, then you’ll be as happy with Schick® Quattro for Women® as a lot of the women who have tried it and favour it as their best razor!

One thing to note is that compared to other razors, the Schick® Quattro for Women® is expensive, as are the blade refills, but from what I can gather from a lot of women who have tried it, this might be one of those razors they’ll hold on to for a very long time.

My experience with sclerotherapy was quite painful and fairly unpleasant, but I have noticed in a recent beauty report on “Extra TV” (one of my favourite TV celebrity shows) that sclerotherapy has become “THE” beauty secret treatment for Hollywood celebrities to hide veins on their hands and legs.

It’s obvious that the treatment is effective for many men and women and a lot of people (excluding myself) are willing to endure the pain to get the end results.

I found some fairly accurate definitions on the Internet and I thought I would refer to them since they explain the procedure on a more medical level.

Definition of sclerotheraphy varicose vein treatment from BCHealthGuide.org:

“Sclerotheraphy uses an injection of a special chemical (sclerosant) into a varicose vein to damage and scar the inside lining of the vein. This causes the vein to close. The sclerotherapy injection may be painful, and the chemical (sclerosant) that is injected can cause a feeling of burning or cramping for a few minutes in the area where the shot was given. You may need repeated sessions and many injections per session depending on the extent of the varicose veins and type of sclerosant used.”

sclerotherapy_endovenous_laser_treatment_4

“Sclerotherapy is a procedure used to treat blood vessels or blood vessel malformations (vascular malformations) and also those of the lymphatic system. A medicine is injected into the vessels, which makes them shrink. It is used for children and young adults with vascular or lymphatic malformations. In adults, sclerotherapy is often used to treat varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Sclerotherapy is one method, along with surgery, radiofrequency and laser ablation, for treatment of varicose veins and venous malformations. In ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy, ultrasound is used to visualize the underlying vein so the physician can deliver and monitor the injection. Sclerotherapy should be done under ultrasound guidance after venous abnormailities have been diagnosed with duplex ultrasound. Sclerotherapy under ultrasound guidance and using microfoam sclerosants has been shown to be effective in controlling reflux from the sapheno-femoral and sapheno-popliteal junctions.”

Photo by PreciousKhyatt

Photo by Katie Tegtmeyer

sclerotherapy_endovenous_laser_treatment

I should have really written about this a long time ago, but the fact that summer is in the air and I feel the need to show off my legs, the (painful) memories of summer 2007 came swirling back into my head.

As you might remember, I spent many weeks last year in London and Paris, reporting on the latest beauty trends for those two über-magnificent cities.

I have to say that I inherited my love of cooking and my need to feed people from my maternal grandmother. I also inherited something else from her and that would be my varicose veins. I remember as a child, that one night my grandmother woke up in pain and screaming because some of her veins had erupted. I was fairly young, but I can still remember her cry and I can still see the blood on the wooden floor in her bedroom.

It was only in my late 20s that I realized that I too would be subject to varicose veins. For the first few years, I didn’t think much about them, but slowly and surely a few of them became more and more prominent as I approached my mid 30s.

Last summer, I decided to do something about it because I didn’t want to walk the streets of Paris or London with my veins popping out.

I’d been eyeing the EndoVenous Laser Treatment (EVLT) surgery that zaps the vein and collapses it, but given that it starts at about $2,800 PER leg, I decided to find a more affordable solution. During my assessment for EVLT, my doctor had mentioned sclerotherapy as an “in between” treatment (you pay about $50-$100 per treatment vial). Since I didn’t have the money for the laser surgery, I thought that sclerotherapy could help.

The best way to describe sclerotherapy is someone poking a needle in your veins. Getting a shot in a part of your body where there is a lot of body fat is not too bad, but on your ankles, around your knees on your lower thighs where there is little body fat … it feels like torture. Feeling the needle poking your veins is not the worst of it … once the chemical solution that is supposed to suppress the veins shoots into your system it feels like pouring vinegar on an open wound. Since you pay for the treatment per vial used, you doctor will usually inject your legs many times … which means many opportunities to be in pain.

By the time my treatments were done the paper that covered the table I was lying on was drenched in sweat. To help me cope with the pain, I sang my way through the treatment and my doctor mentioned that no other patient had sung for him before. I’d love to say that I serenaded my doctor with a beautiful Alicia Keys-like voice … but I cannot carry a tune to save my life.

After the treatment, your legs are bandaged for a good 24 hours. I basically left my doctor’s office looking like a mummy from the waist down. Here’s another thing to add to the story … you will feel the solution travelling inside the veins for a while after the sclerotherapy treatment and that makes walking quite the difficult challenge.

sclerotherapy_endovenous_laser_treatment_2

So did sclerotherapy work for me?

This is exactly why I decided to write this post … I wanted to share my story.

In my case, I saw little improvement. The one thing I do remember is the bruising, which I still have. My legs were covered with black and blue bruises that lasted for months. In fact, this morning I noticed that one of the large bruises I had on the side of my knee is finally fading away … almost one year after the treatment. Now, this could be because I had a darker complexion, but I’ve got to admit that going through all that pain to end up with so many bruises was not pleasant and defeated the purpose of having nice legs.

In the end, I’ll continue saving for the EndoVenous Laser Treatment (EVLT). I know there will be some pain involved, but nothing like the sclerotherapy and I should not bruise as much and the results of the laser treatment will be permanent.

You can still read all about my European beauty vacation:

London focuses on skincare

Paris is the Mecca of skincare!

L’institut Lancôme on rue du Faubourg St-Honoré

The Guerlain skincare tradition

Photo of legs and red sandals by Bludgeoner86

Photo of legs with argyle socks by Mezone

I recently interviewed Dr. Stephen Mulholland and he revealed so many women have a lot of misconceptions about cellulite. You can read his point of view on cellulite on the article I featured on my Beauty Redefined site.

Now, Italian women have such a Dolce Vita attitude about their cellulite because they’ve found a solution that’s not too costly, painful or complicated.

When it comes to hiding their cellulite, Italian women turn to Solidea’s range of cosmetic shapewear called Micromassage Magic.

Yes, there are a number of body shapers on the market, but they tend to be designed to help you look slimmer in your clothing. The Micromassage Magic is a special Lycra knitting process that works like a cellulite compression garment.

It’s almost like a workout for your cellulite in the sense that every time you move, it boosts circulation in the skin and fat tissues, leading to a drainage effect. In the process, your skin ends up looking more toned and less lumpy.

Here’s another thing most body shapers cannot attest to: Solidea’s Micromassage Magic shorts are clinically proven to help prevent and reduce cellulite. These cellulite fighting shorts can actually improve the health and “orange peel” cellulite appearance of your legs, thighs and hips! You’ll find the Micromassage Magic shapewear as capri-length leggings, mid-thigh shorts, or boyshort-style panties to suit pretty much anything you decide to wear.

Solidea’s Micromassage Magic shorts have been all the rage in Australia, England, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Italy (of course) and have now made their way to the US.

You’ll find a store that carries these cellulite-hidden body shapers by checking Solidea USA’s store finder. I’m still waiting to hear when they cross the border to Canada, but for now, Canadians will have to wait for a trip to the U.S. to get them or buy them online via legluxe.com and supportsockshop.com.

I honestly don’t think you’ll hear a lot of North American women talking about colouring the hair “down there”. I won’t be too explicit here, but if you were a fan of “Sex and the City” the way I was, you remember the episode where Smith (aka Samantha’s younger-to-die-for-boyfriend) wanted her to grow out there hair “down there” until she shockingly realized that she was getting grey hairs in a place she’d rather not see any greys. After a “hair colour” fiasco that made her “down there” hair as red as Bozo the clown’s, she went back to shaving that part of her body bare.

I don’t know about you, but that’s one conversation I never had with any female figure in my family.

The reality is that most women over 30 will realize there are certain things you just have to discover on your own … and grey hair “down there” is one of them.

It seems that Italian women are way ahead of us North Americans when it comes to discussing and doing something about the hair “down there” … they colour it.

I’d love to say that I discovered this during my recent trip to Italy, but the fact of the matter is that it was discovered by Nancy Jarecki, creator of Betty Beauty. During Jarecki’s stay in Italy, she quickly discovered a very local trend — Italian woman would openly ask their colourist for an extra care package to take home just for the purpose of colouring the hair “down there”. Since Nancy knew this was not available in North America, she came back with a business plan.
Since launching, Betty Beauty has made over 100,000 women happy campers and the company also won the 2007 “Cosmetic Product Innovator Award Winner”.

Betty Beauty colours come in blond, auburn, brown and black. They also have a few fun colours like pink, red and green!

I’ve got to hand it to Nancy Jarecki … this is simply a brilliant idea!

We’ve so often looked to Europe for aging-well diets that work at keeping our hearts younger. We’ll that’s usually the connotation most of us make between the Mediterranean diet and aging well. It seems that we now have much more reasons to look at the European’s way of life in terms of aging-well. By this I mean, we must now look at Europe’s sexual frequency!

Last month, we talked about Dr. Oz’s proclamation that an essential component in our health regime is a healthy sex life. Well, according a recent Durex study of 26,000 respondents for their Sexual Wellbeing 2007-2008 survey, Greece is at the top of the list for more than just great feta cheese, olive oil and winning the Euro Soccer cup over Italy in 2004! Greece comes in at the number one spot of countries with the most frequent weekly sexual activity. Was it not what George Michael, of Greek descent, was trying to convey in his 1987 controversial song: “I want your sex”?
On this list of top 13 contenders, we find the following European countries (in order): Poland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and in number 13 (drum roll please!): France (this breaks so many myths about France)!

Just in case you were wondering…Canada is not quite at the bottom of the list and we surpass the U.K. and the U.S.!

Do you remember the 1985 hit duet by Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox that made a comeback as part of the sound track of the ‘Legally Blonde 2’ film: ‘Sisters are doin’ it for themselves’? Well, it would appear that when it comes to plastic surgery, British women are NOT “doin’ it for themselves”. A recent survey conducted by researchers at Aberdeen University and reported by BBC Scotland revealed that the large majority of Brits were going under the knife to please their men. In North America, the reverse applies and women are making the decision to undertake plastic surgery to please themselves first and foremost.

The report also reveals that many British women feel pressured to get plastic surgery. One woman revealed she went under the knife because her husband wanted her to have the body she used to have…before she had 2 kids. Another woman revealed that she opted for breast enhancement surgery as a way to ensure that her partner would continue to love her as much as she loved him.

Another big difference between Americans, Canadians and Brits? North Americans are not shy in revealing that they did in fact opt for plastic surgery to enhance their look. In the U.K., it’s still very hush-hush and it’s still a subject of shame.

According to Lipo.com, Brits spent £360 million ($720 million) on cosmetic treatments in 2005 – a 242 per cent increase since 2000!

Leave it to the Brits to create a show where a willing participant spends most of the show in her underwear. Yes, “How to look good naked”, hosted by Gok Wan, is dedicated to changing the way British women view their bodies and their shapes (without extreme surgeries or crash diets). Basically, the show is aimed at “forcing” women to love the way they look…just as they are at this very moment in their lives. I’ve got to say, it’s an excellent show that really boosts self-confidence and really shows so many women that can go a long way and look pretty damn sexy at it.

The kicker in this show is that after a total eight-week makeover and self-esteem boost, the participant HAS to pose naked for her final picture! Yes, I did say naked. If you didn’t like your body naked in the privacy of your home, a show like “How to look good naked” will surely make you do a 360º, because you will be exposing yourself to a large studio crew. Talk about facing and conquering one of your worst fears in eight weeks or less!

The motivation behind the show might be a startling British statistic: 8 out 10 British women don’t like to look at their naked bodies.

The show might be broadcasted on cable networks in America. In Canada, it plays on The W Network.

If the show doesn’t play on any station in your city, you can also visit the “How to look good naked” Web site to pick up on great tips on getting naked and loving it!

There is no shortage of articles proving the health and aging-well benefits to a good sex life. But, let’s face it, there has been an old myth that just like beauty, sex among women had an expiry date. A recent article that was featured in the Femail section of the British newspaper the Daily Mail revealed that British women are shamelessly having sex in their sixties, seventies and eighties.

The statistics are quite revealing “A study of 3,000 men and women aged 57 to 85 revealed that 73 per cent of people aged 57 to 64, and over half of those aged 65 to 74, have active love lives.”

The Daily Mail interviewed six British women over the age of 50 and asked them about their love life as they age. These women paint an honest and revealing account of their sexuality: Why age is no barrier to sex for the passionate pensioners?

If you missed yesterday’s post: Can sex help you age better?, you’ll want to read it again to understand the health benefits of a good sex life as you age.

*** Beauty Match in London (U.K.)***

Dr. Mehmet Oz (aka one of Oprah’s friends and medical advisers) mentioned during a show that to maintain optimal health our bodies needed a number of important elements: food, water, sleep and sex. I totally understand the first three elements, but I was a bit taken aback by the last one. I’ve never heard anyone proclaim before that more sex can help you maintain optimum health and weight. Now, given that Dr. Oz is a top American heart surgeon and he’s certainly on Oprah’s speed dial, I had no doubt this man knew exactly what he was talking about (he is also a vice-chair of surgery and professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University). Still, I woke up on a Sunday morning with these two questions: 1) If sex is so important in maintaining optimal health, would that hold true as we age? 2) Should sex be considered an integral part of our anti-aging regime?

I found a great article on the subject and I’ve extracted the part where they talk about the health benefits of an active sex life:

“Regular sexual activity boosts testosterone and estrogen levels in both sexes. In addition to boosting your sex drive, testosterone also fortifies bones and muscles. Some physicians believe testosterone has an important role in keeping the heart healthy and good cholesterol high.

(Safe) sex increases women’s estrogen levels, keeping vaginal tissues supple and also protecting against heart disease.

DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a steroid hormone produced naturally by the adrenal glands that is similar structurally to testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. DHEA has a huge array of functions, one of which includes promoting sexual excitement. DHEA is secreted throughout the body during intercourse, and during orgasms or immediately prior to ejaculation its levels increase to five times normal levels.

High levels of DHEA have been associated with improved cognition, immune health, cardiovascular health, maintaining a youthful clear complexion, enhanced libido, building and repairing muscle tissue, bone growth, and warding off depression. It may also have an important role in the body’s ability to burn fat.” — Source: Filly.ca

If the fact that contact with your significant other’s body is not only one of the most pleasurable experiences but also good for you, now we actually have a medical reason to engage in more (safe) sex as we age!

In true Marvin Gaye fashion: “Let’s get it on”!

To read the complete article published by Filly.ca, click here: Sex: Does A Body Good.