From making our hair look great, to wearing stylish clothes, to doing our makeup every morning, a lot of time and effort goes into making ourselves look great.

When you take all of those factors it’s easy to forget about what’s really underneath it all: our skin.

Why it’s important to get gorgeous skin?

It’s easy to forget that our skin is an organ, as vital to us as our kidneys or our heart. It is important to know that your skin is the first organ that fights against the intrusion of an infection such as elements or germs. Further, the skin protects the body against the effects of ultra-violet rays of the sun.

The outermost part of the skin, the epidermis, protects the second layer of our skin and is the part of the skin that contains some important structures such as hair follicles and sweat glands. The outer layer of the skin is actually what defines what we are, and if you cannot care for it properly you might start to  look so old that people might not recognize you.

It’s important to care for our skin because when we do we are protecting all of the above functions.

I’m sure you’re convinced now, what with the prospect of destroying one of your vital organs, or possibly giving yourself early wrinkles. So what should you do to avoid these horrible fates?

Always read the ingredients. 

Your objective should be to find a product made of few ingredients.

Make sure that you are avoided brands containing the following ingredients:

• Propylene glycol.
• Sodium lauryl sulfate.
• Paraben and Phthalates.

Make your own. 

The best way to avoid dealing with beauty products? Make them yourself.

This will help you avoid harmful ingredients as well as saving other costs.

You can purchase simple recipes and real ingredients and then prepare them in your own kitchen. Simple ingredients like lemon juice, orange, yogurt ,and other ingredients can be purchased from ordinary food stores at your location.

Re-think your need for chemicals! 

You need to have a second thought when it comes to beautifying your skin.

Make sure you have avoided chemicals as much as possible. For instance, getting a dry brush costing only $10 can be more effective than going for a $75 bottle of cellulite cream. Use your dry brush for 10-15 minutes per day so as to stimulate the blood circulation in the skin and tone it.

Replace the toxic stuff with natural stuff! 

The natural stuff is the way to go, it’s  more effective and has no side effects when compared to chemical products. Start replacing your chemical products with more natural and organic products and you won’t regret it. Start this process slowly and after a few months everything will have worked to plan and you won’t dream of going back to those harsh chemical-laden creams!

Remember to watch what you eat! 

Knowing the kind of food you eat is very important when it comes to your general body health. When your body is healthy, your skin is guaranteed to shine and maintain a young and youthful appearance.

The following is a list of key foods that you ought to include to your daily diet:

• Kiwis: Eating kiwi will give you vitamin C, which is an essential ingredient in making your skin shiny.
• Avocado: Avocado contains lots of vitamin A, E, and B, as well as biotin. This delicious fruit will help hydrate your skin as well as cleanse and detoxify your body.
• Cucumbers: Cucumbers contain lots of silicon, which is good in fighting wrinkles and elasticity of the skin.
• Eggs: Eggs contain high protein content, which is good in building strong and healthy hair. In addition, they contain vitamin E which hydrates and strengthens the skin.
• Greens (I.e. spinach romaine, swiss chard, kale,and collards):  These are good sources of essential minerals and vitamins, most of which act as antioxidants and work great towards protecting the skin against the sun.
• Tomatoes: They are rich in lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps prevent oxidative damage to your skin.
• Salmon: This fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This acid is good in creating a strong skin, one that can withstand effects from infection and the sun.

When you decide that you are serious about knowing the best ways of managing your skin then these tips will be the best for you. When you maintain these kind of tips you will be assured that your skin is healthy, meaning that your natural beauty will be a guaranteed without the stress of chemicals. Let your natural beauty shine through!

**Edited for repurpose by Taylor Brown, Associate Editor of Goddess Connection’

There are words that wouldn’t make sense to someone without a degree in science, daily percentages, measurements in milligrams, and a whole lot of information that if ignored could lead to a ballooning of your waistline.

As more and more food items become available in stores, understanding what’s written on the label is becoming more and more challenging. With the addition of media input it can make it near impossible to know what’s actually in the food you and your family are eating.

Don’t fret! I’m here to give you some pointers on reading labels so that you can make the best choices for your needs.

First, let’s start with some basics.

Nutrition Labels Rules state that prepackaged food has to have its ingredients listed and they are written in order of quantity with the greatest being first, and the least being last.

All foods also have to display a “Nutrition Facts” table which has its own laws about what should be found on it. The table has a serving size found at the top. The rest of the information is displayed in a standard order; from top to bottom it is: Calories, Fat, Saturated, Trans, Cholesterol, Sodium, Carbohydrate, Fibre, Sugars, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron.

Calories and Serving Sizes Most people look at the number of calories first, which is totally fine as long as you’re also looking at the portion size. If the label tells you there’s 100 calories, but you eat three times the serving size, then your low calorie snack just took a giant hike that you might not have noticed.

Daily Value % Sometimes the information on the Nutrition Facts table that can be misleading is the Daily Value %. These values are based on a 2000 calorie diet, so if you’re not eating 2000 calories then these percentages aren’t right for you. This is especially true for your children.

The most important percentage to look out for is sodium. The sodium percentage is calculated based on a 2400 mg daily serving. This amount is actually more than should be consumed in a day. For adults the tolerable upper limit (which means the amount that should not be exceeded per day) is 2300 mg. However, the amount that we actually need per day is only 1500 mg. The best way to make sure you’re not going over is to ignore the Daily Value % and to just look at the mg amount found on the table.

Product Claims and Statements Another important tip to keep in mind is to be aware of product claims and statements. The word “nutritious”can be used on a food that contains at least a “source” of one nutrient permitted in the Nutrition Facts table. This can mean that the food isn’t actually as nutritious as you might think it is.

Another thing to be aware of is that even though a food item says ‘low fat’ doesn’t mean that it’s actually the best choice. Sometimes these low fat options have lots of added sugar or sodium to replace the flavour lost from removing the fat. It’s important to be aware of the potential for this. A great way to check is to look at the Nutrition Facts table, because it will tell you the amount of sugar and sodium found within the product.

Allergies and Intolerances Allergies and intolerances are becoming more and more of a concern as time passes. There are some fairly new laws pertaining to allergens. Some products may have a section that lists allergens by their most common name (for example “contains soy and nuts”). Allergens must be listed in either this section or in the ingredients list, but they don’t have to be in both. If allergens are something that you need to look out for, make sure you’re checking both places.

Educating yourself on what nutrition labels mean is an important part of your work to keep yourself healthy. By knowing what’s in your food you’ll always be able to ensure that you’re eating the right fuel for your body. Keep yourself informed and keep those pounds at bay!

There are specific laws that govern what is mandatory for labelling in each country. For more information, check out the website in your country.

**Edited for Repurpose by Taylor Brown, Associate Editor of Women Who Run It.

We are constantly bombarded with new diets, fads and lifestyles that claim they will make us feel our very best. Whether it is sugar-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, organic, or raw, it is difficult to decipher what will actually keep us healthy.

But what if the answer is simple?

What if the key to good health is simply using natural remedies that work with our bodies, not against them?

According to Steven Horne, this is the true key to a healthy lifestyle.

The thing about Horne is that he not only teaches the ideals of herbal medicine and natural remedies, but he lives by them. As a child, Horne suffered many ailments that pharmaceuticals simply were not helping. Then at the age of 15 he realized that everything was put on earth for a reason and turned to natural remedies and he has been healthy ever since

In his new book, co-authored by Thomas Easley, titled Modern Herbal Medicine, Horne and Easley show you multiple paths you can take if you are feeling unwell before turning to pharmaceuticals. It is instinctual when we are not feeling our best to automatically jump to the idea of taking an antibiotic, but sometimes this is not the healthiest or most effective option, as these antibiotics treat the symptom, not the illness.

Modern Herbal Medicine also focuses on the idea of “differentiating the cause” of the problem. Essentially, it is important to know why you are feeling the way that you are so that you can treat the problem accordingly. People experience certain illnesses for specific reasons that span from geographical location, to bodily preferences, and it is important to target your problem from this perspective.

If you are worried that in order to use herbal medicines you are going to have to locate quail eggs, star fruit, or caviar, have no fear! These herbal remedies can all be found at your local health food store so you won’t have to go running around the city or breaking the bank to buy them.

Still not convinced about herbal medications? Here are some more reasons why it could work for you:

They Work Quickly According to Horne, herbal medications actually work at fighting the illness quicker than pharmaceuticals, which tend to focus on fighting the symptoms. This means that although you may experience your symptoms for a bit longer, your overall sickness will be relieved quicker.

Less Adverse Effects Have you ever heard a commercial for a prescription drug that sounds amazing, but then the list of possible side effects is not only incredibly long, but includes horrific outcomes such as heart attack or even death? Well, the chance of adverse affects is much smaller when it comes to herbal remedies because these are natural products that you may actually consume in your everyday life.

Don’t Listen to the Rumors Herbal medications can sometimes get a bad rap. Because some people believe they are ineffective, there is a lot of conflicting information out in the world and some people feel they are dangerous. What you have to keep in mind when it comes to herbal medications is the concept of synergy. Synergy means that just because something may contain an ingredient that is harmful on its own, when it is combined with other ingredients its toxicity is entirely reduced. So you should have no fear when approaching herbal remedies.

It Works With Your Body Unlike regular pharmaceuticals, which use an artificial means to achieve a proper balance in your body, herbal medications work with your body. This means that your body will find this equilibrium in a natural manner that is better for your overall health.

They Can Help with Mental Illness as Well If you think that herbal medications can only improve your physical health, then think again. These natural remedies have proven to be effective in helping mental illnesses such as depression, but of course you have to “differentiate the cause” first!

It’s Natural Duh! This may seem obvious, but a lot of times we put things in our body without even knowing what they are. I mean, does anyone actually know what gluten is? But if you are using herbal medications you are going to know exactly what you are putting in your body and there is a lot of comfort in that.

Use the Strong Stuff If Necessary If you decide to turn to herbal medication but the illness continues to persist, then it is totally okay to turn to pharmaceuticals. The herbal medicine movement is not against pharmaceuticals, it is against using them when there are more effective options. But sometimes a strong antibiotic is necessary and that is okay too.

So next time you aren’t feeling your best remember to differentiate the cause and discover some natural ways you can heal yourself.

Herbal medicine is not some hokey fad like the cabbage soup diet, it is a legitimate, researched way of healing and it could change the way you feel.

Of course you would.

That’s what Michelle King Robson did, but unfortunately, a quick fix isn’t always the answer.

At 42 Michelle was sick and told that she needed a complete hysterectomy. Desperate to feel better and listening to her doctor’s orders, she of course, got the hysterectomy.

Unfortunately the “solution” was only the beginning of Michelle’s problems.

After her hysterectomy Michelle’s health tanked. She became a shell of who she used to be and with no end in sight, she even contemplated taking her own life. She didn’t stop searching, she just began searching in different places until she found her answers. She found her solution in weaning herself off of her medications and taking Estrogel and Magnesium.

Once she got better, she got mad and vowed to never let this happen to another person. So she started EmpowHER, a women’s health website dedicated to bringing women the best information in health to help improve their well-being and their lives.

EmpowHER brings amazing information to women every single day. “We wantEmpowHER to give relevant and meaningful information around women’s health, gender specific to women,” shared Michelle.

Not only that but it connects readers with real doctors who will answer questions within 24 hours. “That’s a huge opportunity for women to get to where they need to go instead of them heading down a rabbit hole, which happens all the time on the web because there’s so much information being thrown at you,” said Michelle. Whether the information is on her own site or somewhere else on the internet, Michelle wants to guide readers to the best information they can find in order to offer them their best shot at a healthy life.

Most important of all is the community that EmpowHER creates, which Michelle didn’t have when she was fighting for her health. “I was searching for someone like me because women are silent sufferers, we don’t like to talk about it so this gives them the ability to be anonymous if they want, to private message each other if they want, and share their name if they want, privately or publicly, but it’s up to them how they connect,” she said. This turned out to be the most celebrated part of EmpowHER. “This is the one area that I can honestly say no one’s ever said to me ‘Why did you create this company?’ This is the one area where women say ‘Thank you for creating this for us.’ I didn’t do it for me, I did it for women,” said Michelle.

Michelle may share the best health advice she can find online, but she also has some personal tips that she has shared exclusively with Women Who Run It.

1. Schedule Everything “Everything needs to be scheduled, especially in my life. You have to make things a priority,” said Michelle.

When you’re a busy woman you can’t sit around and hope that you can find the time to prepare a meal or fit in that workout. Your health is what makes it possible for you to do everything that you do, so schedule some time to nourish yourself and your body, and it won’t let you down.

2. Put Yourself First “You need to advocate for yourself first, for your own health and wellness, or else you can’t take care of anybody else,” Michelle said.

Women are natural caretakers, but they can’t fulfill this role when they are sick in bed. By putting yourself first you’ll be able to do all of those things for others that you love to do. It’s not selfish, it’s just common sense.

3. Know Your Numbers Do you know your cholesterol number? Your estrogen number? Your thyroid number?

If things were ever to go South you should know your baseline numbers so that you can immediately figure out what’s wrong. As Michelle found out, not knowing what’s wrong is worse than finding out the truth.

4. Know Your Body Parts It’s important to know exactly what each piece of your body does for you. Michelle didn’t understand what having a hysterectomy would mean before she got one and it quickly became clear to her how important her uterus was to her body.

“You have to understand what you’re doing and how it’s going to effect the rest of the body because there’s a reason why every body part is there… especially for women, they don’t know their bodies and they don’t really pay attention to all the reproductive parts,” Michelle shared.

5. Find Your Motivation “My biggest motivator to be healthy each day is to set an example for all the women who either are on EmpowHER, or will be coming to EmpowHER, or who I may run into, whether it’s on an airplane, a train, a bus,or if I’m speaking somewhere, so I need to live the brand. I am the brand and I want people to look at me as an example of ‘Hey look, you too can get past this, you too can get well, and you too can live a happy, healthy life,’” Michelle said.

What’s your motivation?

6. Advocate for Yourself Michelle said that if she had advocated for herself that she may never have had to go through such an ordeal. “I didn’t advocate for myself. I didn’t quite care. If they said ‘We want to cut your arm off’ I would have said ‘Okay’ if it would have made me feel better. So, I didn’t advocate for myself and I didn’t push back on doctors because they’d think that I was bitchy or a know-it-all.”

You’re the only one who knows how you feel and what is best for you, be your best and biggest advocate. Ask questions. Push back. Be considered bitchy or a know-it-all. Do everything you have to do to make sure that you’re receiving everything you need.

7. Listen to Your Gut “We were born with this intuition as women and we tend to ignore it and we can’t ignore it because it’s usually right. If there’s something wrong, if you don’t feel well, then there’s something wrong and you need to figure out what it is. If you have to go to ten different doctors until you get to the right answer then so be it. But you can’t let things go. At any age, at any stage, you should feel fabulous,” Michelle explained.

There’s no reason for you to feel anything but amazing, no matter what age you are. Remember that and you’ll be sure to always advocate for yourself, you health, and your body.

Michelle’s perseverance led her on the road to better health and on the path to creating EmpowHER. Not only did she save her own life, but she’s moved on to saving others’ as well. She’s a woman who runs her life, her health, and an amazing company that brings health and wellness to millions of women daily. Today’s your day to “EmpowHER” yourself too!

You find the perfect spot, set yourself up, take your sundress off and immediately notice that something is wrong. You look down at your stomach and realize that you look about four months pregnant.

There goes your perfect tan. You throw your sundress back on and wallow under an umbrella for the rest of the day.

No one likes to be bloated.

Not only does it feel uncomfortable, but it also makes us look heavier than we actually are. In fact, some women can bloat so severely that they could pass for being pregnant!

Your health is important, and a part of staying healthy is maintaining a good weight, and trying hard to minimize fat around the abdomen. Fat in this area is a relatively good indicator of high risk for heart disease and coronary conditions, so keeping your abdomen looking trim is one of the best ways to help keep you fit and well.

What Causes Bloating?

Abdominal bloating can be caused by a number of reasons – mostly as a result of our own dietary habits. A common cause of bloating is dehydration. It may seem strange that a lack of water can cause bloating, but, when the body is being starved of fluid, it holds onto whatever water it can. This leads to water retention, which can cause us to look bigger than we actually are, particularly in the stomach area.

Water retention is relatively common – it can happen during menstruation, illness, or even after a workout, and can cause the scales to register a weight 3 or 4 lbs heavier – perhaps even more – than usual. It’s not that you have gained 3 or 4 lbs of fat, it’s just ‘bloat’. Fortunately, by keeping an eye on our diets, we can reduce the likelihood of bloating, and help keep our abdomen tight and toned.

Food & Drinks to Avoid

While we wholeheartedly recommend ‘everything in moderation’, if you’re looking to maintain a flat stomach it is important to limit the amount of bloat-inducing food and drink you consume on a regular basis. Here are some of the worst culprits for encouraging water retention:

Alcohol

Think caffeine is the worst offender for causing bloating? Think again! While caffeine can reduce water by 1.7 ml per mg of caffeine consumed, alcohol well surpasses this, creating a 10 ml fluid reduction per gram of alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic which encourages urination, which is why you need to use the bathroom more when you’ve had a few beers. Once the body realizes it’s running low on water, it clings onto what’s left, causing bloating.

The main problem with alcohol is that many adults underestimate how much they consume, so they think that their bloating couldn’t possibly be caused by drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women limit themselves to no more than one alcoholic drink per day, and men no more than two. If you’re drinking too much, it could be a reason for your water retention.

Salty Products

Salt is another diuretic which works in a similar way to alcohol. It encourages urination, which is why you feel very thirsty after eating a Chinese meal, for example – your body is crying out for water. Eating large amounts of salty foods is practically guaranteed to cause bloating. Try to limit salty foods such as bacon, popcorn, pre-packaged sauces and condiments, and cured meats. Not only will you find yourself less prone to bloating, but cutting salt out of your diet is good for your heart, too.

High Fat

We all know that large amounts of fat are bad for us, but could that also be the cause of abdominal bloating? Very possibly. It is much harder for the body to digest fatty foods than foods high in protein or carbohydrates, so it takes longer for the body to break down a fatty meal. While this is good in the sense that you’ll feel fuller for longer, it also means that the food will stick around in your stomach for a while, filling you out and making you feel heavy and sluggish. To maintain a flat stomach, it’s better to stick to foods that can easily be digested and moved along to the intestines, rather than being left to hangout in your belly.

High Fiber

Fiber is so good for us – it help keeps things moving and reasonable amounts of fiber can actually help reduce bloating by keeping the digestive system working well. It is recommended that adults eat around 25 grams of fiber each day. Of course, a little more or a little less isn’t going to make too much of a difference, but in consuming much more than this amount, you could be causing your abdomen to bloat.

Foods that are high in fiber are those such as beans, legumes, and whole wheat – all products that cause gas! As you’ll probably know, when you’re suffering with gas you tend to get a very large, rock hard belly that’s crampy and painful. Eating fiber is important, but don’t go overboard!

If you’re striving for a flat belly, it’s best to limit the amount of the above foods you consume as part of your everyday diet.

So the question is – what *can* you eat?

Be sure to include lots of lean protein (which is digested quickly and easily), healthy oils such as olive oil and those found in nuts and avocados (which provide healthy amounts of ‘good’ fats), and probiotic yogurts which contain good bacteria that cleanse the digestive system, helping to speed up the process.

This year, instead of hiding your midsection under a sundress, sarong, or one-piece, you can flash your abs with pride! And you don’t need to spend hours doing crunches to make it happen. By changing your diet in these small ways you can finally get rid of that pesky stomach bloat and finally be able to wear that itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini that you’ve hear so much about.

What about gaining weight?

Or gaining muscle?

At some point, we have to come to the realization that our bodies, for better or for worse, are meant to be a certain shape, or weight.

It’s another case of nature versus nurture.

When we are born, we are predisposed to a particular eye color, skin tone and hair texture. We also inherit our body type from our biological parents.

But how much of our shape are we destined to grow old with and how much do we have the ability to transform?

There are three basic body types. Most people are a mixture of the three, while only five percent of the population are purely one type. Since weight is so strongly related to your body type, body composition (the ratio of fat to fat-free mass) is a much better indication of ideal body weight than is the total weight obtained from stepping on a scale.

Genetic factors strongly dominate adult height, limb and trunk lengths, skeletal and sexual maturation and body type. On the other hand, other physical characteristics related to physical performance, such as body weight, skinfold thickness and body circumference can be modified considerably by environmental influences, though these influences interact with and are limited by genetic factors.

The 3 Body Types

Mesomorphs Mesomorphs have muscular bodies, with broad shoulders, thick chests and narrow waists (think Jessica Biel and Sarah Jessica Parker). They tend to be more proportioned. Mesomorphs can have normal or low body fat, even though they may be overweight according to standard height and weight charts.

They have an advantage over taller, less muscular people in weightlifting movements.

Mesomorphs have greater strength potential. To minimize injuries, the total volume of repetitions, the number of training sessions and the frequency of high intensity workouts should be less than for other body types. They may also need more recovery time.

The Workout Plan The mesomorphic program should focus on a combination of strengthening, cardio, and stretching. Total body strengthening exercises should be performed 2–3 times weekly on alternating days, using a resistance that causes them to fatigue in 8–12 repetitions.

Cardio can be done 3+ days of the week for 30-60 minutes in their target heart rate zone. Any activities the person enjoys can be engaged in.

Stretching should be done after each exercise session. The focus of the program is to manage body composition and enhance their predisposed strength advantage.

Ectomorphs Ectomorphic people are thin, lean and tall, with low amounts of fat-free mass, and they can be underweight according to the weight charts (examples include Kate Moss and Gisele Bunchen). Typically they are extremely low in body fat and make the best endurance athletes. These body types do best in sprints, the long jump and the vertical jump. They have later skeletal and sexual maturation than the other two body types.

It’s more difficult for ectomorphs to lift weights, because they have such long limbs and have to push and pull resistance farther than the other body types — therefore, they work harder. An ectomorph wouldn’t be very competitive as a powerlifter. They have to use lighter weights, because they are moving throughout a greater range of motion.

Ectomorphs make great basketball and volleyball players. They typically have longer feet, which help with cutting and changing direction on the court. Ectomorphs typically have weak wrists and ankles, so they should also work on strengthening them with resistance training. Many people will wrap their wrists and ankles for added support.

Ectomorphs should perform strength training on alternating days weekly, choosing a resistance that causes them to fatigue in 6–10 repetitions. Cardio can be done 3+ times weekly for 20-60 minutes per session. Flexibility training should be engaged in after each exercise session. The focus of the program is to increase strength, gain muscle and decrease the risk of osteoporosis. Individuals should strive to do impact cardio activities like running and perform strength training using free weights in a standing position.

The Workout Plan Endomorphs should keep impact activities like jumping and running to a minimum, as the extra body weight causes additional stress on the joints and can potentially cause injuries to the feet, ankles, knees, hips and back. They should start out slowly, working up to 20 minutes of activity in their target heart rate range. Then, over several sessions, they should gradually increase the time, followed by increasing intensity.

Endomorphs should focus on strength training 2–3 times weekly, choosing a resistance that causes them to fatigue in 10–15 repetitions. They can do cardio most days of the week for 30–60 minutes in their target heart rate zone. Activities should be low and non-impact to start.

Stretching should be performed after each exercise session. The focus of the exercise program is reducing body fat, improving health and decreasing risk of disease.

The bottom line is to choose exercises you love and do them often, but if you can tweak your program to work with your body type, there is a better chance of decreasing your risk of injury and seeing the results you desire and deserve.

You may not be just one body type, you’re probably a combination of a couple. At the same time, you don’t need to necessary be muscular to be a mesomorph, or overweight to be considered an endomorph. There may be three categories of body types but there certainly aren’t three body types in the world. Find out which body type you may classify yourself under and use these tips to help you find workouts that are great for your body and will cause it the least amount of stress.

Take your body type and accept it, nourish it and make it the best version it can be!

**Edited for repurpose by Taylor Brown, the Associate Editor of Goddess Connections’ publicationWomen Who Run It.