Fall Back on Your Routine (or Diet)

Now that Labor Day has past, it is time to fall back on your diet. January is the time for getting back on track after a belly busting holiday season with rich meals and sweet treats. Then it is back to the gym with resolutions to prepare for swimsuit season. Once swimsuit season hits though it is easy to lose your routine with bar-b-ques, iced beverages and summer desserts.

Some may prefer to not use the word "diet" since it references the unsuccessful yo-yo attempts that so many of us have. We will swap the word "diet" and use the word routine instead. Whether you need to get back the will power that you so passionately had in January or just getting back in the swing of things with resuming exercise now that summer evening activities are starting to slow down. Either way, a routine can help restore energy and help organize your life so it feels less chaotic.


We recently came across a great post on AOL titled a Fresh Fall Meal Plan. It includes interesting meals that are also manageable. Most of the meals are high in antioxidants and other nutritious qualities to help get you back on track and even drop a dress size in two weeks. Some of us in the office will be trying it and we will let you know how it goes.

An easy way to to get back in the groove of exercising would be to get outside and take a walk while the weather is nice. Enjoy the sights in your neighborhood as the leaves start to change and the air becomes brisk.

Let us know what you will be doing to get back on your routine after indulging all summer long.


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Compare Weight Loss Plans

Are you thinking about starting a weight loss plan but do not know where to start? Here is an article posted on Health.MSN.com that was written by January W. Payne of U.S. News & World Report that looked at 6 different weight loss plans; Volumetrics, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, eDiets, Ornish Diet and Atkins Diet. They describe each one and then talk about the positives and possible set backs in long term weight loss if there are any.

Before starting any weight loss plan, it is recommended that you discuss it with your physician first to find one that would work for you.

Link to article: http://health.msn.com/weight-loss/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100256423>1=31036

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Fab Over 50 - New Website

There is a new website that caters to women over 50 who are fabulous. I came across this website when they were in the launching phase and there was only a video. The video was so captivating that it drew me and I flagged the site for when it launched and signed up for the newsletter.

The site, Fab Over 50, celebrates women who are at 50, around 50 or after 50. The site features women who are over 50 and tells their story and their favorite things. There is a also a great style blog and Facts of Life Section. My favorite is the Fab Faves section with topics covering French faves, books, passion projects, beauty, perfumes, signature pieces, secret places and more.

Taken from their facebook page, they describe their site as "The very first internet destination BY and FOR smart, stylish, accomplished women over fifty, created with a national alliance of their favorite shops and salons." From reviewing their website and topics, I would agree with this description.

Every Tuesday they have a fabulous(!) giveaway that you can enter if you log in to the site. This week they are giving away a career makeover valued at $3200. It includes 12 weeks of business coaching, portfolio, datebook/planner, organizational software and a organizing storage items for your file cabinet. A fabulous giveaway that you can enter until June 15th, 2010 at link.


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Do you zap it or bake it?

March is National Frozen Food Month but March 6th is Frozen Food day.

What is in your freezer? Are you stocking up this month – there should an abundant amount of frozen food on sale this month.

Frozen food has come a long way from TV dinners in aluminum foil, frozen pizza that we described as cardboard and Hungry Man dinners that still left you hungry but 10 pound heavier from fat and water retention from the abundance of sodium. At least there are options with frozen vegetables and side dishes to family friendly meals that are conscious of nutrition.

Have you watched the Healthy Choice commercials in the last few months? I was intrigued with their marketing campaign and visited their website once I realized it was Frozen Food month. What I did not know is that they have been running a pseudo campaign to show how Julia-Louis Dreyfus becomes the Healthy Choice spokesperson. In the ads it seems as if she is saying that she doesn’t want to do it and that is what I thought the spoof was but Con Agra, the makers of Healthy Choice, has a website called Spokespersonwanted.com. It is funny to see the commercials again and she how it all comes together.

Also available on the Healthy Choice (http://www.healthychoice.com/) site is product descriptions, nutritional information and coupons to print at home. (http://www.healthychoice.com/news-special-offers/). Check other frozen food favorites of your and see if they have any coupons this month. Visit their corporate website for offers listed and check local ads.

Whether you zap it or bake it – enjoy some frozen food this month!


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10 Items Every Woman Needs in Her Wardrobe

Have you ever looked in your closet and wondered where you went wrong? How come some women can look so put together and seem to do it effortlessly?

This video features Kate Shifrin, a stylist and Marjie Killeen, a blogger. Kate shows Marjie how to piece together 10 staples in her wardrobe. Watch the video and see what you might be missing to have the basics in your closet. Once you have them then it will be easier to put them together and feel great with little effort.


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5 Smart Comfort Foods When You Have a Cold

Having a cold is just plain lousy – it’s miserable to have a runny nose, coughs and sneezes. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and keep your skin well moisturized with an extra dose of Striking Serum layered with Striking Creme. And to help beat the blahs and to give yourself a little TLC, we’re sharing some of our favorite comfort foods.

Cold season is here and when you feel lousy, you want comfort as well as healthy choices. Fitness Magazine highlighted some great choices that should help soothe your cold and keep your diet on track. Each one of these snacks is packed with cold-fighting vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that may help make your cold less severe.

Our traditional favorite - Chicken Soup!
It may be cliché, but Chicken soup is the perfect comfort food when you've got a cold! Drinking plenty of hot, nurturing fluids is essential when you're feeling run down and research at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha showed that chicken soup helps control the production and spread of inflammation and congestion-causing neutrophils (white blood cells).

Recommended serving size: 1 cup
Calories: about 190

Soothing Ginger Tea with Gingersnaps
Ginger helps relieve congestion and has a soothing, spicy taste. To make a throat-calming, congestion-busting tea, steep chopped raw ginger in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Make your teatime a little sweeter by adding a teaspoon of honey to the brew and two crunchy gingersnap cookies on the side. We think this is good on a rainy day, too!

Recommended serving size: 1 cup of tea with 1 teaspoon honey and 2 small gingersnaps
Calories: about 85

Fresh Clementines or Satsumas
Easy to peel, fresh, sweet and tangy all at once, they are a great source of Vitamin C – just two fulfill 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin C.

Recommended serving size: 2 clementines
Calories: about 138

Open Those Sinuses Vegetarian Chili
A spicy veggie chili made with onions, garlic, kidney beans, tomato paste and a good dash of chili peppers not only warms up a cold-afflicted body, it may also have medicinal properties! Onions and garlic have antiviral effects, beans have good-for-the-immune-system B vitamins, and the spices can actually help clear sinuses!

Recommended serving size: 1 cup canned vegetarian chili
Calories: about 160

Tuna Salad
Packed with glutamine, an amino acid that helps step up your immune system's efficiency, tuna is a great pick when you're sick. Research at the University of Oxford showed that athletes who ingested glutamine after workouts were less likely to get an upper respiratory infection than those who didn't; for regular folk, glutamine could have the same beneficial effects. Mix your tuna with a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise and serve it on 6 whole-grain crackers for a healthy mini meal.

Recommended serving size: 1 6-ounce can of tuna packed in water with 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise and 6 whole-grain crackers
Calories: about 290


Excerpted from FitnessMagazine.com, January 2006.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/snacks/healthy/6-smart-snacks-to-feed-your-cold/



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Free Striking Question of the Week - 2/26/10

Some of us rely on our hair dryer more than others, some of us could not live without one on a day to day basis. We hope that we are not the only ones that take our hair dryers when we travel to ensure we have one that works the next day...

How often do you replace your hair dryer?

Post how often you replace your hair dryer on Facebook, our blog or by email to strikingskin@gmail.com. Each post will be entered in a random drawing on Fri, Mar 5th @ 9am/PT.

Prize=Winner gets to select one product of their choice.


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Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Menopause

It could be just around the corner or already here, but here are some tips on the Top 10 Steps to a Healthy Menopause excerpted from MenopauseRx.com.

#10: This is not your grandmother's menopause

#9: Know what's happening physically

#8: Menopause can affect sexual function

#7: Talk with your clinician about menopause

#6: Focus on what's important to you

#5: Menopause treatments are safe and effective

#4: Don't accept a "one size fits all" treatment plan

#3: Know how hormone therapy works

#2: What to expect from your hormone therapy

#1: Stay fit and healthy

To read more on each tip visit their website and the post on Top Ten Steps to a Healthy Menopause: http://www.menopauserx.com/topten.htm


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Olympic Inspiration - Tracy Sachtjen

As we watch the 2010 Winter Olympics this week it is hard to imagine what life sacrifices it takes to get there. We are inspired by all Olympians but there is one that caught our attention this week.

Her name is Tracy Sachtjen is from Lodi, Wisconsin and was born in 1969. As the oldest female on the US Olympic Team in Vancouver this year she will celebrate another birthday on Saturday with her team. She is an alternate on the US Women's Curling Team in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Tracy began curling in 1982 and has won several events since then. Here are only some of her career highlights:
2003 World Championships Gold Medalist
US Nationals Gold Medalist in 2009, 2008, 2003, 1999 and 1997
US Nationals Silver Medalist in 2001, 2000 and 1998
US Olympic Trials Gold Medalist in 2009
US Olympic Trials Silver Medalist in 2005 and 2001
US Curling Association Female Athlete of the Year in 1989
US Curling Association Team of the Year in 2003

Tracy is a support member for her team and a role model for kids across the US especially young girls. For more information on Tracy and the US Women's Curling Team, visit NBC Olympics or read this article posted 2/15/10 on Tracy Sachtjen.

Happy Birthday Tracy!



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SELF Magazine-Women Doing Good Contest

SELF Magazine is sponsoring a contest called "Women Doing Good". The contest is centered on nominating women who make a difference and inspire us. Someone who helps to improve lives and does it with passion and vigor. A woman who challenges others to also help or contribute time to help others.

Do you know anyone that would qualify? If so, enter her for the contest as a way of telling her that she is doing good.

The winner receives:
- $10,000 donation to her charity of choice
- Feature in the September issue of SELF Magazine
- Trip to New York City to attend the Women Doing Good Awards Ceremony

The contest began on November 24, 2009 and ends on March 30, 2010 (11:59PM ET). This contest is void outside the US. For more information on rules, go to http://www.selfconnected.com/winit_womendoinggood_01.asp.


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Need Something New for Valentine's Day?

Why not add something new to your wardrobe by going shopping today. Look for something that will make you look and feel your best for a date with your Valentine.

We can always count on the Glam Gals to give us inspiration. Read a recent post title Look Pretty and be mysterious this Valentine's Day for tips on what to look for while shopping.

The Glam Gals are JoJami and Deborah who are image consultants and the founders of Fabulous After 40.


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Valentine's Day Ideas...What to do?

Whether you have been together awhile or cannot think of anything special to do this year, here are some ideas that you could do with your Valentine.

Summary of Nina Malkin's list:

Dine someplace really exclusive - skip the trendy locations and have someone cater your dinner. Or pick up take out from your favorite restaurant and arrange it on your china. Why do the work when someone else can?

Reminisce romantically - put on some tunes that remind you of years past. Reminisce together and enjoy the music and laughter.

Blow some big bucks - do something that you not normally do, like take a helicopter ride, hot air balloon ride or even rent a limo or your Valentine's favorite sports car.

Plan an indoor picnic - turn the living room into a special relaxing outing. Select food that is finger food and easy to eat on the floor.

Take a Valentine’s adventure - go explore a nearby city that you never go to or spend much time there. You might find a new place to eat or something special you would have missed.

Pen a tale of passion - write a short story together and see where it goes.

Unwind à deux - relax together at home or at a day spa with a couples treatment.

Court with a classic - read romantic poetry together or find a local spot that is doing poetry readings.

Flirt with the future - talk about the future and all of the things you will do together. You never know, you might start planning your next vacation.

Ideas courtesy of Match.com and Nina Malkin at this link:http://www.match.com/magazine/article.aspx?articleid=8796&trackingid=525758&bannerid=666224.


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Striking Mini Facial - Bring out your Valentine's Day Beauty

Make sure your Valentine's Day is perfect by pampering yourself with a Striking Mini Facial.

You will need:

A wash cloth & hand towel

Very warm water

1 cup regular oatmeal ground in blender to a fine powder

1 T honey + 3-4 T Orange or Grapefruit juice, warmed in the microwave

Striking Multi-Vitamin Creme Cleanser

Striking Rejuvenating Eye Creme with SmartPeptides™

Striking Multi-Peptide Serum with SmartPeptides™

Striking Restorative Moisture Creme with SmartPeptides™


Steps

1. Clean your skin as usual with Striking Multi-Vitamin Creme Cleanser. Rinse well with warm water.

2. Mix oatmeal, honey and juice, adding enough juice to make a spreadable paste.

3. Apply to your face as a mask avoiding your eyes and hair line.

4. Relax for 10 minutes while the betaglucans in the oatmeal soothes, the gentle fruit acids help loosen congested sebum and the honey plumps and hydrates your skin.

5. Wet the hand towel in very warm water (not too hot). Wring until still moist, but not dripping.

6. Lie down and wrap the towel on your face avoiding your nose. Relax and leave it until it becomes almost cold.

7. Then rinse off the mask with warm water and use the moist towel to gently clean the skin.

8. Apply Striking Multi-Peptide-Serum to your face and neck and let it absorb in.

9. Finish with a layer of Striking Rejuvenating Eye Creme and Restorative Moisture Creme.

Add a smile for perfect valentine beauty!



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In Case Your Valentine Needs Directions

Valentine’s Day should be full of romance and sweet surprises, but sometimes things can just go the wrong way, even with the best of intentions. So to help your Valentine stay on the right track here are our top 5 do’s and don’ts for Valentine’s Day, suitable for posting on the refrigerator in large font to help your guy get it right.


Definitely Avoid for Valentine’s Day

1) Weight scales, exercise videos, low cal sweets or anything that suggests you think she needs to trim down or change her appearance.

2) Gift certificates for make-overs – goes along the lines of number one above.

3) Unless she has specifically expressed a desire to get tools, TVs or video games, skip these too.

4) New tires for her car.

5) Dinner with your mother.


You’ll get bonus points with these:

1) Champagne and a single red rose.

2) Two absolutely decadent double dark chocolate truffles, cupcakes or brownies beautifully wrapped.

3) You make her favorite dinner and do the dishes.

4) A gift certificate for a relaxing spa experience.

5) Send a Tweet-sweet message or email telling her you can’t wait to see her. Or an "I Love You" note under her pillow.


And to make sure you are Valentine perfect, pamper yourself with a Striking Mini Facial.


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Wear Red to Work TOMORROW

Read our post earlier this week and see why....



http://strikingskincare.blogspot.com/2010/02/friday-february-5th-wear-red.html




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Friday, February 5th - Wear Red

This Friday is National Wear Red day. This is a day to speak out by wearing red to recognize National Heart Month and heart disease prevention. For more information, visit Go Red for Women.



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February is American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. This is such an important month for women because heart disease has been described as a silent killer. This is a month to listen and learn about how heart disease can be prevented and to know the early signs to keep yourself and family members protected. The American Heart Association is a great reference site to visit to learn more.

During the month of February we will be adding posts about information on this important topic so check back and read more.


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Around the Water Cooler: What book are you reading?

I asked around the office and here is what our group listed as what they are reading this week (or month!)...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman - Historical Fiction Eleanor of Aquitane
Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food by Gene Baure
Wishin' and Hopin' A Christmas Story by Wally Lambs
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch


Tell us about what book you are reading and post your answer to this week's Free Striking Question 12/11 and be entered to win a Striking Holiday Duo (value $77.00).



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HDTVs and Seeing Real Beauty

I thought that last year was the "big year" for flat screen televisions for the holidays but as I look at the ads, discounts are available this year as well. Last year we did end up splurging and buying a large HDTV. I had heard that the picture can be life-like, almost as if the people were standing in front of me. What I did not realize is how "real" people appeared and they lost their flawless image. When watching on my former box TV, anchor men and women would appear ageless with smooth, perfect skin. Now when watching our television, people have uneven skin tones and wrinkles around their eyes and mouth. Their hair has fly aways like mine and their teeth are not as straight or white as I remembered.

I was taken back initially by this as it was such a change, almost as if they had aged overnight. But now I appreciate it because we live in a world of perfection as the targeted goal and air brushing is the norm in magazines, online photos and other forms of media. It does seem more "real" seeing them clearly on HDTV and I think this is exactly what people need to see; that not everybody is flawless but beautiful just being themselves.

We came across this post on Entrepreneurial Menopause Freedom and wanted to share it with you. The author writes about how she felt after being interviewed and then broad casted in HDTV without a make-up artist available to her. It is honest and does drive the question: Why are we so hard on ourselves when it comes to aging and physical changes?


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Glam Girls and Accessorizing

We really enjoy the Glam Girls from Fabulous After 40 because they "get it". They understand how to answer the questions that so many of us have. They can look at outfit that we might wear and turn it up a notch.

In the past I have personally viewed accessories as something extra that I can do without, when in fact it is the accessories that make the outfit. It is better to have a few great outfits than a wardrobe of incomplete outfits. There is definitely a difference in how I feel when I wear an outfit that is complete. I have more confidence, I walk a little taller and overall my day feels better.

Here is a short video from JoJami Tyler and Deborah Bland and how to accessorize something everyday and make it more memorable. You might get an idea or two that you could use to spruce up an existing outfit you already have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBJWuHC75u0




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