Power Berries

For decades, many state governments held a ban on cultivating black currants due to concerns that the plant could spread a destructive tree fungus. Today, growing these tangy berries is once again legal in most of the country. With more vitamin c than oranges and antioxidant levels that rival those of blueberries, this nutrition hero delivers healthy doses of potassium, vitamin B6, and soluble fiber.

Look for fresh berries at the farmers' markets in late summer, or frozen berries year-round. You can also pick up black currant juice, soda or preserves to get your daily dose.

Restore Your Skin's Youthful Glow with Murad

If you're looking for an effective way to combat the effects of hormonal aging, look no further than Murad Resurgence. The entire Murad skincare and acne treatment line is packed full of only the highest quality ingredients to leave your skin feel touchable soft and visibly radiant.

The women of Hollywood accept only the best for their hair care and beauty products, and those like Josie Bisset and Joan Lunden credit Murad as their anti-aging secret. Murad Resurgence lets you take charge of the changes in your skin and restore your youthful glow.

Bewildering Spa Moments Explained

Tipping Point

Especially if you're getting more than one service, divvying up the tip can be a challenge, which is why many spa owners are happy to take over for you.

Just tell the owner what percentage you want to tip, and they'll add it on to your bill and distribute it to everyone for you. Your therapist will most likely be with a new client by the time you're ready to leave, so it wouldn't be possible to hand her a tip in person anyway.

The standard is usually 18%, 20% if you were particularly impressed with the service. It doesn't hurt to ask whether the gratuity is included, though. Some spas include it in the price of the treatment.

Bewildering Spa Moments Explained

The Chatterbox

Quite possibly the most bewildering of all bewildering spa moments, how to quiet the chatterbox and get a little peace with your spa treatment can be tougher than ever. If an aesthetician is giving you an earful about her family, her friends, her thoughts on global warming, take the most direct route. Say, "Actually, it's been a hectic day and I was really looking forward to just being quiet during the treatment". And just for the record, any aesthetician worth their salt should ask you if you want to talk or not during your treatment.

Bewildering Spa Moments Explained

When you go in for your facial or some body treatments, you'll likely encounter some form of product pitch, so be prepared. If the aesthetician starts mentioning products during your service, just say, "I'm happy to hear your recommendations, but I'm really here to relax, so please save them for the end."

After your service, if you don't want to purchase anything, ask the aesthetician to write down the products she's recommended and let her know you'll think it over. Once you say you're not interested right now, she shouldn't say another word. If they push it, you should consider telling the spa manager.

Bewildering Spa Moments Explained

It's hard to feel completely liberated from stress if you're facing a set of new dilemmas, like whether you're overdressed for your massage or under tipping your therapist. Sidestep these little land mines so that nothing sabotages your spa experience.

Take it all off (or don't)

For massages and body treatments, ideally you disrobe completely (that means underwear too). Know that you'll never be completely exposed; spa therapists are well-trained in the art of draping, so they'll uncover only the areas that they're working on. If you’re still uncomfortable, try a Thai massage or shiatsu, for which you wear your own loose-fitting clothing.

And don't be afraid to ask for a same sex therapist when you make the appointment if that makes you feel more at ease.

For a facial, take off your bra, (or at least the lower straps) before you slip into a robe so it doesn’t interfere with the neck and shoulder massage.

Fit to Eat

There are hundreds of varieties of this tiny fruit, but their nutrients remain largely the same. Compared to other fruits, the fig contains copious amounts of iron, potassium, and magnesium. It has nearly two grams of fiber per bite-sized fruit, and a half-cup serving contains as many milligrams of calcium as an equal amount of milk.

Abandon the forgettable blandness of the dried fig, and opt only for the fresh variety. The downside: fresh figs appear on early summer for a few short weeks, and later in the season of a longer, but still all too brief, spell.

5 Tips to Keep You Energized

3. Focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking eats into productivity and you'll feel motivated when you cross something off of your list.

4. Take a break from the same old routine- go to a different lunch spot, explore a new store, or spend an hour sitting at the park. Change does a body good.

5. Pack something essential for the office- citrus essential oils (lemon, orange, grapefruit) help energize, so keep a mist or candle handy.

5 Tips to Keep You Energized

Labor Day’s come and gone, leaving most of us stuck behind a desk all day. Incorporate these 5 tips into your routine to boost your energy level.

1. Wake muscles with a stretch to increase blood circulation and improve balance and posture. An extra tip: Repeat this every hour or so throughout the workday to stay energized.

2. Go hot and cold- in the shower. Turn water as cold as you can stand it, then back to warm. Repeat 2-3 times.

Are Mineral Makeups Really Healthier?

So the latest trend in beauty products is mineral makeup. But are they really more pure and natural?
Mineral makeup brands tend to eliminate irritants like fragrances, binders, synthetic dyes and preservatives. However, it's important to recognize that not all manufacturers do this; any product containing minerals can be marked as mineral makeup, even if it contains other not-so-natural ingredients.
So it's up to you to determine what's pure and what's not. Look at the ingredient label first (anything ending with "paraben" is a bad sign), and don't be fooled by the words “all natural” or “mineral formula”.

Treat Adult Acne in 3 Steps

With Murad Acne, treating adult acne has never been easier. In just 3 simple steps, you can beat acne for good.
In the first step, you'll use the pore clarifying cleanser, which kills 99.9% of surface bacteria. And while it deep cleans, it also calms and soothes your skin, leaving you with a touchably soft face.
Then the exfoliating acne treatment gel will penetrate deep into pores to clean and heal existing blemishes while preventing new ones. It will also slough of skin cell build-up.
In the final step, the skin perfecting lotion will calm redness and irritation to leave you with a clean feeling.

5 Not So Healthy Health Foods

Eating less fat is generally a healthy thing to do, but "reduced fat" foods often have more added sugars to make up for the loss of fat. Plus, "reduced fat" products don't always contain fewer calories than their regular fat counterparts. Also, research shows that people who snack on "low fat" foods tend to overeat.

Another not so healthy health food? Honey. It's often used as a sugar substitute, but the fact is, it's still sugar. In fact, it contains 22 calories per teaspoon to sugar's 16 calories. Honey is slightly sweeter and you may end up using less of it, and it does have some nutritional value, but overall, you should still view it as a sugar, not necessarily a health food.

5 Not So Healthy Health Foods

Granola
Yes, granola is made form whole grains, but it's also made with plenty of oil. Most serving sizes for granola are quite small, oftentimes just a quarter of a cup. Cafe Fanny Organic Granola lists a serving size of a generous half-cup, containing 300 calories with 16 grams of fat. Be sure to check nutritional information and serving sizes, or, make your own.

Acne

Almost everyone has experienced an outbreak of pimples. Acne is a loosely used term, but in actuality it is a serious condition for many people. People often don't know what causes acne and therefore can't do anything about it. I'm here to tell you there are acne solutions and it's time to get educated. Acne medications are a dime a dozen and I can't speak to them all. Murad Acne products have been used by quite a few estheticians I have seen in spas. Along with Murad products, I have seen quite a few other acne medications I would put in the stronger category. There are many ways to prevent acne and if you don't want to go the medication route, there are natural alternatives. Educate yourself and you will find information or products to help you. Don't wait, start today...you will find an answer!

Resurgence

Murad has come out with another great TV offer and line of skin care products. This one is targeted for the more mature women. The Murad Resurgence line targets women concerned with "hormonal aging". I think this may be a nicer way to say menopausal women who now suffer from deeper wrinkles, saggier skin, breakouts, and poor complexion. Murad Resurgence offers a 3-step regimen specifically designed to combat these skin care issues. The first step is to clean your face with Murad's Renewing Cleansing Cream, which exfoliates but does not dry the skin out. The second step is to apply Murad's Age-Diffusing Serum, which improves elasticity of the skin, reduces wrinkles, and clears up redness and blemishes. The third and final step is to put on Murad's Age-Balancing Night Cream, which is a super hydrating cream aimed to further reduce wrinkles and keep the skin moist and smooth. The Murad Resurgence TV offer is getting rave reviews, check out the website to learn more!