Going Nuts for Coconut Oil

Barlean's Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil $15.99 @ drugstore.com

Coconut oil is a must-have for health and beauty. This curative oil has a myriad of uses, both as a healthy ingredient in recipes, and as a topical moisturizer with amazing healing abilities.

Extra-virgin coconut oil contains lauric acid which boosts immunity and fights infection. Anyone with a skin condition such as ezcema can use coconut oil as a moisturizer for soothing relief and prevention of bacterial infection due to broken skin.  

Coconut oil can also replace some of your usual beauty products; for instance, you can use the oil instead of eye makeup remover and even eye cream. To remove eye makeup, put a dab of coconut oil on a cotton pad and sweep over lids. In a recent study, under-eye skin showed improvement in fine lines and wrinkles by 42 percent in eight weeks. 

You can also use coconut oil instead of your usual acne treatment. It may sound counter-intuitive to put oil onto a breakout, but you can ease blemishes by rubbing a dab of conocut oil into skin until it is absorbed.  The lauric acid is 15 times more effective than benzoyl peroxide at killing breakout-causing bacteria and will not clog pores.

Of course, you can also cook with coconut oil, which has a wonderful aroma and delicious distinctive taste. And amazingly, using coconut oil to saute foods will also help you slim down.  Replace butter or vegetable oil with an equal amount of coconut oil; although the caloric value is the same as olive oil, the switch to medium-chain fatty acids revs up metabolism by 50 percent. When baking, swap out butter for coconut oil for a treat that is much healthier and equally fluffy (and vegan!). 

For a quick, easy way to try cooking with coconut oil, check out this recipe for coconut roasted sweet potatoes on Whole Food's web site. 

You can buy organic, extra-virgin coconut oil at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or any health food store, or even online at outlets like Drugstore.com.

Figure-Flattering Leggings from Trainer to the Stars

Tracy Anderson and Gwyneth Paltrow appeared together on Oprah

Fitness guru Tracy Anderson has created a capsule collection of body-type-specific exercise clothing at Edition01. Anderson partnered with one of her famous clients, Gwyneth Paltrow, who told this month's InStyle Magazine, "These leggings minimize each woman's problem areas and are stylish and comfortable."

Anderson says she believes that we tend to perform better when we look in the mirror and like what we see. She had had a history of custom-cutting pants for her celebrity clientele and that is how the idea for the line emerged.

Anderson's renowned work-out program, which was recently profiled in The New York Times, divides women by body type and tailors the exercise program accordingly, with the routine changing every 10 days to keep the body challenged.

Similarly, the leggings, which are available online, are also designed for specific body-types. Selections include the Glutecentric (instant butt lift), the Omnicentric (all-over control), the Abcentric (waist slimming) and the Hipcentric (thigh-thinning).  

If you need help selecting the right style to flatter your body, Anderson's web site has a feature called a "Body Type Calculator" that allows you to figure out your specific body type.  

You Are What You Wear

Mark Twain said "The clothes make the man," and new research indicates that clothing impacts not only how other people view us, but how we view ourselves. A new study reported this week in The New York Times  showed that the clothes we wear actually can impact how we think, a process called "clothed cognition," the effects of clothing on cognitive processes.

Researchers at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University presented several groups of undergraduates with a white lab coat. Some students were told it was a doctor's coat and asked to wear it while taking cognitive tests. Other students were told the coat was a painter's coat while taking the cognitive exams, while a third group of students took tests while wearing their street clothes.

The students who wore the white coat believing it to belong to a doctor showed the greatest improvement in their ability to pay attention. As the Times explains it: "If you wear a white coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, your ability to pay attention increases sharply. But if you wear the same white coat believing it belongs to a painter, you will show no such improvement."  The researchers concluded that clothes put the wearer in different psychological states.

It's amazing to think that clothes- and what you believe about those clothes-  can actually make you perform better on an exam. Definitely a good reason to feel good about what we wear every day!

Star Style: Patti Hansen, Theordora Richards & Alexandra Richards

  

Former model Patti Hansen, age 56, and daughter Theodora Richards, 27, star together in this recent add for Net-a-Porter.com. Both women look amazing modeling maxi-dresses. 

It's not the first time the mother and daughter have modeled together; in December 2011 Patti appeared with Theodora on the cover of Town & Country magazine, along with daughter Alexandra, 25, as well.

Patti survived a health crisis when, two years after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she got a shocking diagnosis: bladder cancer, a form of the disease which typically afflicts men but which also affected roughly 18,000 women in the U.S. last year. Patti has since become an advocate of raising awareness among women about this form of cancer. 

Her health now thankfully restored, Patti and her friend Molly Madden recently launched a line of "rock and roll chic" handbags called Hung On U, based upon the women's "unbridled lifestyles during the Studio 54 era in New York."  The hands-free bags, which range in price from $260-$580, are meant to be slung messenger-style across the body and are available in a range of materials from mesh to leather to exotic skins:

 

Patti says the inspiration for the bags, which are sold at Barneys, was her daughters: the Hung on U website says, "... it wasn’t until watching Patti’s daughters, Alexandra and Theodora, regularly exploring Patti’s closet for these great bags that Patti and Molly remembered how much they loved these fabulous bags."  

The launch of the handbag line at Barneys last fall as a family affair, with Patti's husband/ Alexandra and Theordora's dad / Rolling Stones legend Keith Richards in attendance:

At the event, Patti told a reporter that she is influenced by her daughters' style: "they are wearing the new designers and they're out there in the fashion. I get to see it on them and go 'oh, alright, that's cool.' it's switching, I'm borrowing their stuff now," she said.

Susan Says: Beyond Killer Heels

Yesterday, I blogged about the perils of high heels, but footwear is not the only kind of fashion that presents potential health pitfalls.

A recent Wall Street Journal  article reported about a woman named Baila Steinman who started getting numbness in her leg while on a trip to Israel in December.  Upon return to her home in Brooklyn, New York, she saw a neurologist because, as she described, "from the knee to the pelvis (the leg) was numb to the point of being painful." After her doctor examined her, he queried her as to whether she wears tight clothing, tight belts or control top pantyhose.  Then, Dr. Irving Friedman advised her that those garments actually were the cause of her pain!

Here are some other potential health hazards associated with items with clothing:

• Belts: Dr. Friedman explained that cinch belts compress a major nerve that runs from the abdomen to the outer thigh. Anything that puts pressure on the nerve can cause symptoms as those experienced by Ms. Steinman. He said that the condition, known as meralgia paresthetica, is actually very common.

• Tight Jeans: Like belts, tight jeans can also cause nerve compression; they also can interfere with digestion.  This was noted in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1993 and has been aptly dubbed "tight pants syndrome."  It seems like "skinny jeans" just keep getting skinnier, but tight jeans have been linked to low back pain, yeast infections, and even a condition known as lipotrophia semicircularis (also known as "ribbed thighs") in which horizontal lesions appear around the thighs.

• Body Shapers:  If worn for too long, Spanx or other body slimmers can cause both nerve compression and digestive issues.  In fact, they should be there to smooth, not bring the wearer down to a smaller size!  Shapers compressing the upper abdomen can also prevent the lungs from fully inflating which can lead to lightheadedness.

• Handbags:  Selling high-end handbags for one of the top national retailers, I know the most common complaint:  heavy handbags!  Of course heavy shoulder handbags can throw the back out of line.  According to the American Chiropractic Association women should carry no more than 10% of their body weight in a bag.

• Jewelry: Small amounts of nickel in items like rings and watch backs (and even jean rivets) can cause a red, itchy rash for those allergic to the substance.  Soap or moisture can be trapped under a ring, which also causes rashes, according to the WSJ article.  Another thing that should be light in weight are earrings; heavy earrings can pull the earlobes and even bring on headaches.

Let's be vigilant and prevent ourselves from becoming the unwitting victims of what the WSJ dubbed "crimes of fashion!"

Susan Says: Killer Heels and Foot Fiends

Dr. Stuart J. Mogul, a renowned New York City podiatrist, appeared on a recent segment of ABC's The View.  With my experience in selling designer shoes, I have seen first-hand the damage that the wrong footwear can do, so I am happy that Dr. Mogul exposed not only the dangers of wearing high heels (especially for protracted periods of time), but also the hidden risks to seemingly benign footwear such as ballet flats, flip flops, and, oddly enough, athletic wear. Here is a run-down of the potential pitfalls of perilous footwear:

• High Heels: One can develop a "pump bump" on the back of the heel which, besides being extremely unsightly,  can lead to bursitis.  Another problem for high heel addicts are bunions and hammertoes which develop from squeezing the foot into high heels and can compressing the toes, which can lead to Morton's Neuroma, a numbness and tingling in the third and fourth toes.  Dr. Mogul stated that the more you wear high heels, the more you will need to wear high heels, because the shoes actually change your feet.  Over a protracted period, high heels elevate the rear of the foot and cause the Achilles tendon to contract and get shorter so that it becomes difficult to wear a flat or go barefoot because the foot becomes fixed and rigid.  Two to three inch heels are a safe way to go, according to Dr. Mogul.  If you are going to wear a heel, when standing on tip toes, your feet should be 1-2 inches from the floor.   

• Ballet flats: These seemingly harmless flats actually present another set of problems. Although they may be flexible, they often offer little or no support and can lead to arch problems and leg pain and can progress to Posterior Tibial Tendon dysfunction which can require surgery. Yikes! Best bet? If you are sporting a ballet flat, put an orthotic insert into the shoe.

• Athletic shoes:  One would imagine that the more padded and cushioned the sneaker, the better. However, Dr. Mogul advises that what appears to be a benefit can actually be a problem in that the more constructed the sneaker, the more chance there is of causing stress on your heels.   Surprisingly, less constructed sneakers may result in less stress on the heels and may be more attuned to the natural foot.

• Flip flops:  Flip flops are easy to wear and seem like the epitome of comfort, but the negative effects of flops on your feet can be anything but cozy. Torn nail pads and especially puncture wounds can be extremely hazardous, particularly to diabetics.  Dr. Mogul states that powder around the toes will help prevent rubbing and the best type of flip flops are the ones with the deep heel cup and lift.

Dana Talks: Superfoods, Skin Care and Green Lemonade

About six years ago, I had the pleasure of first meeting Miranda Hunt, a chef and holistic health counselor, and over the years I have enjoyed a countless number of her healthy, instructive and creative cooking classes.  Miranda has been a healthy-eating expert basically since birth- she was raised macrobiotic and was leading her own cooking lessons by age 23.

I was so excited when I recently caught up with Miranda and learned that she has taken her love of food to a whole new level- she is currently developing her own line of food-based skin care products!

Miranda explains that the idea was simply an extension of her love for food. She is a totally DIY-type cook who makes from scratch the kinds of foods that most people usually buy, such as ketchup and pickles, so she was used to experimenting and producing her own products in the kitchen.

Miranda is developing a facial cleanser, mask, a balm and a body scrub and plans to launch her products in May. As the basis for these products, she's using such ingredients as neutral oils like grape seed oil as well as fresh herbs and seaweed. Miranda subscribes to the philosophy that "simple is best," and that many people "put too many things on their skin," especially things that are over-drying, such as products that contain alcohol. And of course, Miranda says, "Skincare starts with the food you eat; you have to put good stuff inside" in order to look your best.

I can't wait to try Miranda's forthcoming skincare collection, but in the meanwhile, Miranda is sharing an amazing recipe for "green lemonade," which you can make in a regular blender and which will have you glowing. I have made this drink several times over the past few days and I have to say, I'm hooked! The flavor was surprising at first, but then delicious and oddly addicting and so invigorating that it could make me give up my morning coffee without a fight. And I think my skin just may be glowing...!

See below for the recipe, and for more information about Miranda's skin care products, or for skincare consultations, cooking lessons, nutrition counseling, a "kitchen makeover," menu planning or a "food store tour," contact Miranda at mirandanutrition@gmail.com or via Facebook.

Green Lemonade (Serves 2)

"A great start to your day!  This green juice nourishes your cells from the inside out, tastes great, and gives you a natural buzz unlike a morning java fix.  I love to drink this before my kundalini or bikram yoga practice.  This beverage will make you glow!" -Miranda Hunt

2 cups of filtered water
2 organic granny smith apples, cut into 6 pieces each
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
A thumb sized piece of ginger
1 tumeric rhizome (Found in Indian & Asian markets and some Whole Foods.  If not available, substitute 1 teaspoon ground tumeric.  Make sure it's fresh as ground spices quickly lose their vitality.)
2 cups of kale, packed
1 8" piece of burdock root, scrubbed (Burdock is a great blood purifier.) (Note: You can find burdock at Whole Foods or other health food stores; click here to read more about this wonder-food and see a photo of it so that you will be able to identify it at the grocery store.)

Place the above ingredients in a high speed blender and buzz until everything is homogeneous and smooth.  Pass juice through a strainer squeezing out as much liquid from the pulp as possible. Serve in glasses with ice if desired and a glass or metal straw to keep it natural. Enjoy!

A Beautiful Book

The Beauty Book is an absolutely breathtaking collection of exquisite photographs of beyond-beautiful celebrities, all bound into a collectable coffee table tome. It contains over 300 pages of photos of over 120 models, musicians, actors and actresses, including Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Hugh Jackman, Amy Adams, Nicole Richie, and of course the above-pictured cover girl, Scarlett Johansson. The celebs are gorgeous- and they are beautifully styled, right down to their makeup and manicures- and the photography is first-class.

But that's not the reason to buy The Beauty Book. The reason to buy The Beauty Book is that all profits from the sale of the book benefit brain cancer research.

The book is the work of photographer Darren Tieste and his partner on the project, Sarah "Pantera" Uphoff. After Tieste lost his close friend, 35-year-old Natalie Sattler Esposito, to brain cancer in September 2008, he says, "I used all my Hollywood connections to give brain cancer a voice and The Beauty Book was born." He soon partnered with Uphoff, who lost her mother to the disease, and who was able to rally her own Hollywood connections to contribute to the cause.

Brain cancer is a devastating disease that afflicts more than 35,000 Americans a year, according to the National Cancer Institute, including many young adults in the prime of their lives, and even many children.  Every year, too many beautiful people are lost to this horrible illness.

So it is inspiring to see the vast array of famous beautiful people who came together to be photographed for this book. And it is a good feeling to do something- anything- to help raise funds and awareness for this awful disease, even if it's something as simple as buying a book.

Food, Fitness & Fashion

We are always looking for ways to eat well, improve our nutrition, build strength and bolster our immune systems through optimal diet. And all the better if eating well helps to improve our skin, hair, nails and overall appearance.

That's why we were so excited to be introduced to Jenia Yashaya. Jenia has a unique background which combines nutrition, fitness, and what else? Fashion!

An FIT grad who worked in high-end NYC retail stores for many years, Jenia also has her B.S. degree in Nutrition Therapy & Exercise Physiology. She is also an AFAA-certified Personal Trainer and Aerobic Instructor, and received her holistic nutrition training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories.

Did we mention that Jenia (pictured above) is also the mother of two young children? Oh, and she also recently launched her own business, which is fabulously named: Holistic Body Couture: Naturally Tailored from the Inside Out.  Her mission? "To educate, inform, and change the way people think and live in more healthy, natural active way to suit their lifestyle."

How does Jenia have the energy to do all this? By eating right, of course! We love that as a fashionista, fitness trainer, and holistic nutritionist, Jenia understands all the elements that go into good health and looking your best.

So we asked Jenia, "What is the one single best thing a woman of any age can eat to improve her overall appearance and well being?"

Jenia's answer was simple: Swap caffeine for water and green juice. Jenia swears that if we skip our morning coffee and dust off our juicer instead, whipping up some green juice (Jenia loves kale), we'll see an improvement in our skin, hair, energy, clarity, and we may even lose weight.

Jenia also gave us a list of power foods to create super-smoothies. To begin, put almond milk, bananas, and frozen strawberries into a blender. This alone sounds yummy and healthful but Jenia recommends adding some of the following for a beauty-health-energy boost:

• Hemp powder for complete protein
• Maca powder for libido, energy, to help prevent PMS, to stave off anxiety and for reproductive health
• Cacao- the ingredient that chocolate is made from- for antioxidants, vitamins and fiber

To learn more about Jenia visit her website, holisticbodycouture.com (she has more great recipes on her site as well).

Jenia offers a free 45-minute consultation during which she will discuss your personal health history, diet, and nutrition goals and she is also currently offering a 10 percent discount on her nutrition consultation service. She has a six-month program during which she meets with her clients bi-weekly to provide ongoing personalized nutrition support and advice. She can meet in person, on the phone, or even via Skype, so while Jenia is NY-based, you can connect with her anywhere.

Email Jenia at Jenia@HolisticBodyCouture.com and let her know you saw her on Like Mother, Like Daughter.

Susan Says: You're Never Fully Dressed Without a (Bright) Smile!

Nothing ages a person more than faded, dark, dull or uneven teeth.  A great smile and white teeth are basic to looking good and can bolster self esteem and confidence. So how can a person improve their smile?

Dr. Andrea Cameron, a partner in Naples Dental Studio, is an expert both from professional and personal experience.  

Dr. Cameron says, "I have been a teeth whitening guinea pig over the course of twenty years.  Teeth whitening products first came out in the early 1990s.  Back then many people had yellow teeth that really showed their age . . . . the early products for whitening were messy but very simple and gave people a great smile."

But today's teeth whitening technology is more advanced. 

Dr. Cameron explains, "Today, whitening techniques are much faster and give terrific results to remove stains that happen with aging, wine, coffee, tea, cola and dark colored fruits and vegetables.  The whitening gel contains carbide that penetrates the tooth enamel and oxidizes the stain deposits that lead to discoloration." 

There are two superior methods of tooth whitening:  in-office laser teeth whitening and the custom tray system: 

• In-office teeth whitening uses light energy to activate the whitening solution and produces immediate results.   
• With the custom tray system, you simply wear trays containg the gel for an hour and a half during the day or while you sleep for two to three weeks.  There are many companies that create this sysem like Contrast PM and Nite White.  The  most common concentration of carbamide peroxide is 16-22%.

According to Dr. Cameron, both whitening systems "give amazing results, far superior to over-the-counter whiteners that are much weaker in peroxide concentration and can lead to chemical burns on the gums due to a lack of custom-fitted trays." 

After consulting with Dr. Cameron, I personally opted for the custom tray system.  I wear the trays containing the gel for an hour and a half during the day or at night. I found that after two weeks there was a very significant whitening of my teeth.  

I have noticed that you can get trays online (they send you a mold to make on your own) but, as Dr. Cameron advises, that could wreak havoc on your gums.

I can speak from personal experience in endorsing the trays.  It was messy having the technician make the molds but I am very pleased with the outcome.  I also had cosmetic bonding applied to my front teeth which were uneven.  I had the bonding applied about five years ago and they still look as great today as when they were initially done.  A bit more expensive are porcelain veneers, very thin shells that can be placed over stains, cracks and chips to give a smile a youthful and natural-looking shine.

A bright, white smile never goes out of fashion and is definitely the best investment you can make in yourself for your personal well-being, self-confidence and style.

Susan's Better Buys: The Swedish Acupressure Mat

Last year for the holidays, I got a subscription to a national massage chain, but I became frustrated when I realized how difficult it was to obtain an appointment with my favorite masseuse, not to mention the challenge of trying to fit a massage appointment into my busy schedule.

So number one on my holiday wish list this year, and already on order today, is a Swedish Acupressure Mat which I saw on a recent segment of the Dr. Oz show.

Widely used in Europe, these mats have thousands of calibrated pressure points. The acupressure therapy helps your cortisol levels to drop, which in turn is said to reduce belly fat. The mat is also said to help induce sleep and reduce back pain.

I purchased my mat for a great price on Amazon.com. I got the Body Back Accu-Mat for $29.95 (regularly $39.99) with free shipping. You can also check out the Halsa Mat which also is on sale for $29.95.

I am taking a leap of faith and endorsing this product because I believe it will deliver what is promised. We need to feel good in order to look our best.

I'll update you next week after I have had a chance to test out the product! 

Dana's Shopping Hero

Alicia Silverstone is my hero. Not just because she starred in Clueless, the best movie ever which I was obsessed with when it was released in 1995 and still can't resist watching when I find it while channel-surfing on the TV. Not just because I absolutely wanted to be her when she starred in those amazing Aerosmith videos. Not just because she is about my age, super talented and amazingly accomplished.

For about a year now, Alicia has been my kitchen hero, too, since I am a huge fan of her awesome vegan/macrobiotic cookbook, The Kind Diet. The recipes are simple, yummy, healthy and of course, kind to the planet. If you haven't checked it out, you must take a look at both the book and her accompanying blog, The Kind Life.

And now, after reading this People article, Alicia is my shopping hero too! Alicia told People that she buys everything second-hand, which I think is awesome and admirable.

Most of the things we want and need are available second-hand, either at thrift or consignment stores, or via Craigslist, or just in the good old fashioned classified ads. Most of the times, with a little perseverance and patience, you can find everything you are looking for used. You'll be doing both the planet and your wallet a favor, since used merchandise will cost you nothing but a fraction of the retail price, and, as Alicia points out, you are buying "really locally, and it already exists."

PS: Susan adds: "Alicia is my hero, too, because of her ongoing animal rescue efforts!"