Friday, December 3, 2010

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Cold weather tips for keeping your body beautiful


Unfortunately, winter is approaching. This only means one thing: bye-bye beautiful summer body. But wait! It doesn’t have to. With only a little bit of extra effort, you can keep your slim body, smooth and healthy skin, and even your beautiful tan. Don’t let nature affect what you can control! Below are some great tips for feeling your best in your body during the next cold months.

1. Problem: Cracking skin. This is a big problem during winter as the cold air rolls in. As it starts to get colder outside, we crank our heat up indoors, which dehydrates our skin very quickly. Solution: The key to restoring your skin is getting lots of moisture and preventing your skin from being exposed to extreme cold and heat. For flaky facial skin, try to not use masks that exfoliate or peel your skin – they will only add to your problem. Use only cream cleansers for they are the most gentle on the skin. If you have drying, chapped hands, wear gloves outdoors to prevent them from being exposed to the cold weather. Have a thick hand cream with you at all times. Hand creams should be used twice a day at minimum. For all around skin cracking, skip the hot showers. Really hot, steaming showers break down lipid barriers in the skin and lead to a loss of moisture.
2. Problem: Weight gain. This is the cause of two things. First, let’s be honest. Our moods change when the temperature drops. Unless you are like 1 percent of the population, you are not thrilled to see the temperature dropping below 50. Many of us compensate for our sour moods by overeating. Also, there is less activity outdoors to engage in, so we resort to eating indoors instead of being physical active. Secondly, because we have to start layering on the clothing, many of us are not as concerned how our bodies look. We do not see our bodies as much as we did in our little tanks and cut off shorts. We therefore allow ourselves to indulge a little bit more. Solution: Don’t give up on your summer workouts altogether. It’s easy to be a couch potato during the winter, but try to do something physically active every day to keep you in the habit of working out. You don’t need to hit the gym every day. Try to lift weights, do some jump rope, or even a few lunges on your way to work. Allow yourself only one indulgent meal if you have to.
3. Problem: Low Immune System. As our body is trying to keep up with the changing weather as it bounces around during the fall season, our immune systems are often compromised. We get sick much faster and cannot seem to kick the common cold. Solution: Use a sanitizing hand wipe or moisturizing hand sanitizer often. Many of us don’t wash our hands as much during the winter because they are already dry and cracking. However, it’s important that we do still get rid of germs and bacteria. Using an anti-bacterial moisturizer on our hands will help keep germs away. Another great thing to do during the winter is take your daily vitamins. If you feel yourself getting sick, take Wellness Formula pills. They are packed with the essentials to keep your body strong and fighting disease.
4. Problem: You have lost your summer glow. This will happen very quickly during the winter. Solution: Many people are not fans of tanning beds, because let’s be honest, they are very damaging to your skin. If you find yourself turning very pale during the winter, try getting a spray tan. Or, better yet, get some self-tanning lotions. Bobbi Brown makes an amazing sunless tanning gel for both the face and body. And don’t forget to keep using sunscreen. Just because you cannot feel the sun during the winter doesn’t mean it is not there.

These are only four of our biggest problems during the winter. But, as you see, with a little extra time and effort every day, you can solve these winter woes and continue looking forward to your fabulous body once spring rolls around. It will be here before you know it!

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