SOMA

The Power of Peppermint

2005-12-04T19:34:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season(s)... so it's that time to celebrate what makes holidays special. One of the more traditional things about holidays include food which is symbolic of one thing or another.

Like, Peppermint...It tastes great and it smells great too! It can be used as fragrance in the house. Try the Peppermint Fragrance by Lampe Berger.

What's really neat about peppermint is that it also can be used for its healing properties. It helps relieve tension and even bad breath (which is great because you can offer it as a gift to those who have it).

There are so many ways one could take advantage of peppermint. My personal favorites, besides the fragrance, are peppermint tea and peppermint bark from Mrs. Fields Co.

Enjoy the power of peppermint!

Fab Five-Holiday Edition

2005-11-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here's my Fab Five (female) products for the Holiday...

Jaqua- I absolutely fell in love with their buttercream frosting lotion. The stuff is amazing and it makes you smell so good. They have a whole lot of other delicious smelling products that are worth trying too.
Jackets- Every girl needs a good jacket in her wardrobe. New York & Company have a couple that are really cute. (Like the West Village Jacket)
Purses- A girl's true best friend is her purse. It contains her life. J LO has some nice options. I also found some pretty cute ones at Old Navy.
Expressions (clothing)- People should reflect their individuality and express themselves. I personally love clothing with random statements that reflect a person's interest. It's become increasingly popular too, which is why I decided to add it as one of my top five items. Here's a neat site for stuff like that.
Makeup- I know that makeup is always popular among girls but it seems as if us females are becoming more and more versatile with the products and types of makeup we wear. A few of my favorite include:

* Mascara- I like to use Voluminous by L'Oreal.

*Eyeshadow- I like Clinique's line of eye color. It goes on smooth and lasts long.

* Lip color-I currently use the Mentha Lip Tints by C.O. Bigelow. It gives you nice and shiny lips that lasts for a while.

These are just a few of my personal favorite cosmetics, all of which work very well. For more good cosmetics search Beauty.com or Sephora.com.

Healthy Holidays?

2005-11-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

What are the chances that your family is going to eat healthy during the holidays?

If your family is anything like mine...it's probably slim to none. We already blew it during Thanksgiving.

The good news is there are a couple of simple measures you can take during the holidays to help the holiday season have as less an impact on your figure and overall health as possible.

Skip soda- use pure fruit juices instead. For a great holiday drink, try apple cider.
Use natural condiments like sugar and salt, they have not had so many things added to them like the regular kinds we usually buy from the store. They also have a pure quality in taste and they are suprisingly good.
Cut back on the butter and bread. Try not to make a lot of bread products. If you do, don't slop a tub of butter on them.
Try to eat the leaner meats more....people like to do different things with turkey and chicken during the holidays. Those meats usually have a whole lot less fat than ham and red meat.
Finally, eat those vegetables. Don't leave the corn and cabbage hanging for that big piece of chocolate cake. It will do you much more good to eat more of the good stuff and then have a moderate portion of desert (moderate means subtracting at least a third of what you were planning on eating).

Man, You Look Good

2005-11-08T17:28:00.000-08:00

Ok- so usually beauty sites ignore men...I mean, it seems that women spend more time on fashion and that makes it a lot easier to target them. But things are changing...

Thanks to all the Mainstream Metrosexuals, men are more into fashion then ever. Heck, guys these days almost look better than women...

In case you're a guy and you missed the metro train...here's a couple of hints about the recent trends:

So far, the look has been preppy meets popstar and what I like to call risky business. That is, mixing casual outerwear with traditional formalwear. It makes for a fresh and funky look which I must admit looks pretty good.

Want the look? Well, first you have to have the essentials. Cool jeans and a nice oxford shirt underneath. Don't forget the nice blazer to top it off.

Still clueless? You can shop Metro. Here's some sites to help you out, fellas. Watch and learn. (*_*)
--->>Nordstrom's

--->>The Gap

--->> American Eagle

Are You Wearing A Mask?

2005-10-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

It's Halloween...

A day in which we celebrate common customs like asking for free handouts while dressing in a more frightening manner than usual...

It is in reflection of this day that I stop and ask myself, what mask shall I wear?

Just Kidding-I don't even celebrate Halloween....But I do like to wear masks upon occasions.

They're great for skin rejuvenation and they make your face feel great!

Here are some great masks to try:
Osmotics Facial Refining Masque

Fresh Sugar Face Polish

Mineral Mask by DHC

If you want, you can even buy ingredients to make your own mask.

Don't forget to wear one. Besides, tonight is a good night to try a mask because you can say it's part of your costume.

The Power of Gin

2005-10-23T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ever feel so sluggish you wish you could crawl into a corner and hibernate for the rest of the week? Do you ever have those times when you wish you could just get a boost of energy?

If your answer is yes to either one of those questions you probably could use a shot of gin.

Now before you run out to your local ABC store, let me clarify. You need the herb, not the alcohol. You need gin... as in gin-seng.

Ginseng is a powerful chinese herb known for its healing properties as well as its reputation of being a revitalizing substance. In fact, if you check the back of some energy drinks, you'd see that they have ginseng in them.

Ginseng can come in various forms and amounts. One of the most common is tea . You can also obtain ginseng in capsule or liquid forms.

Go out and check for ginseng at your local health food store or search online.

Digest This

2005-10-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Don't eat red meat.

Ok, Ok...I know you don't want to give up sacrificing cows. Just don't eat them all the time.

Eating more meat than you should (anywhere between 2-3 ounces more than 3-5 times a week is considered pushing the limit) can cause cancer of the colon because red meat lacks the nutrients and ingredients needed for fast and easy digestion.

The more you eat, the harder it is for all of it to digest. In the most basic explanation, it takes such a time to digest, that the more you eat, the slower it goes, and the more it just piles and piles in your body until you become clogged up.

This is not the best of news if you are on a diet such as the Atkins diet, but it is something you should know. Losing weight doesn't do much good if you lose your life with it.

I realize things are easier said then done. It's hard to drive past Hardee's or Burger King or wherever it is that you have sold your soul to the god of red meat, but it's worth it.

Just think, for every two bucks you don't waste on a double cheeseburger, you also save hundreds of dollars from having to buy unwanted medication that the doctor prescribes when you've had one burger too many.

To Dye For

2005-10-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

Surprise...Color can kill.

You probably never think anything about the coloring in various things you eat and wear. And why would you-colors don't hurt anything. They just make things pretty, right?

Wrong...some of the coloring in our foods and makeup can cause harm to our bodies and threaten our health.

For years there have been studies showing that certain substances in dye placed in our foods and makeup are actually harmful.

The Food & Drug Administration, as well as other agencies, have banned the use of some of these dyes to prevent people from being hurt by them.

It is best to be cautious and aware of things with excessive dyes in them. If, for any reason, breakouts, allergic reactions, etc. should randomly occur in your body, make sure it is not a result of this little known problem.

Skin Scare

2005-10-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

This post is an informational tool on what not to do for Skin Care.

I started using different lotions during the summer. My skin would be dry so I would just pick different stuff that I thought could work. Never thought much of it…till now.

I noticed that after using some of these lotions my skin would burn pretty bad. I didn’t quite know what to think, I thought that maybe it had some substance that my skin wasn’t used to. It did. The name of it was Alpha-Hydroxy Acids.

A week ago, I went to the store to buy some lotion. I noticed that after I used the lotion I had such a tingling sensation. I checked the bottle. It had Alpha-Hydroxy acid on the front. I knew I had seen that some where before. Sure enough I looked up on the shelf and saw another lotion that I had stopped using because it burned my skin.

There’s a point here people. Alpha-hydroxy acids may be a new fad in the cosmetic world but they may also have the potential to be more harmful to your skin than helpful. Beware of this Skin Scare.

Fun Fitness

2005-10-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

Fitness is fun! Really, it is.

I used to groan at the thought too. But now that I realize that excercise includes so much more than weird movements in spandex, ( Sorry all you aerobic workout junkies; Denise Austin and her friends just don't do it for me) I am something close to enthusiastic.

Now, you can workout and play a game at the same time. Talk about advance technology. You can get a full fitness program by using a game station like Xbox or Playstation 2. Click here to see an example.

*This picture is from the game Yourself Fitness.

Try It

2005-10-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies...if you have the problem of straightening your hair this product I am introducing may be a good pick.

It's called a chi iron. I think it works very well. The price is kind of high but I think it's worth it. Some salons may actually sell it so you may not have to order it online.

Before you order this product, you should know that there is probably no beauty tool alone that will give you the smooth, silky results you're probably hoping for. You have to work with your tools by keeping daily care of your mane and using the right products to keep it healthy. Stay tuned for more posts to come about hair care.

Digest This

2005-10-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever told you that you were full of crap? Well, they could be right.

Some of us can't seem to let it all out. You go to the tiolet in anticipation and not much happens or worse, too much may happen...if you are still reading this then you might be having such a problem. It's quite simple. You're a dirty person.

I mean internally. Your colon is probably overloaded and it needs fixing. Signs other than irregular and painful bowels include stubborn unyielding pounds and various health concerns such as constant fatigue no matter how much sleep you get.

Does this sound like you? Congratulations-You've won the Grand Prize! The ultimate colon cleanser! Go ahead. It's your time to step into the spotlight. Bend down, take a bowel.

**Before you decide to make any major health decisions, always consult a physician and research whatever it is you want to do. While cleansing your colon may be the solution to some of your health problems, it must be done the right way to work.
***The link that I have provided for the colon cleanser is a product of a brand I am familiar with and would recommend to others. There are other products that i'm sure would work but that I have not tried and therefore I can not comment on.

The Fab Five

2005-10-02T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is where I pick the top five products, places, or anything else concerning health and beauty. Here's my first Fab Five:

I'm fat. (tHe HoRrOr!) So i've decided to loose weight. Doctors and health freaks give you all these reasons why you should loose weight. "Your outter beauty will match your inner beauty " or "You'll be less likely to die of heart disease". Whatever. Here's my top reasons why i've decided to loose weight.

1) It's cheaper to buy clothes when you're skinny. -You walk into a department store and you see a cute shirt for 5 bucks. You do your victory dance before realizing they don't have your size. It's in the fat people's section. It costs $15.00.

2) I'll get to have more hairstyles. -I always wanted a Halle Berry haircut. Not with my round face and body. I have to wear my hair a certain way so I won't look even fatter.

3) Loosing weight might make me look taller. -I've always hated being short and it seems that when you're fat that your ill-proportioned weight makes you look shorter. My friend actually grew an inch when he lost weight. Maybe that will happen to me.

4) Shopping for clothes takes less time-I have to try on every piece of clothing I buy. I still always wear around the same size but not every thing fits me right. It seems like all my friends who are smaller than me can just pick up whatever size they need and it always fits.

5) I want to wear a bikini- OK, not really. I can't stand the thought of walking around in something that shows all my earthly goods. I just want to be able to wear one because that would mean i'm in shape.

Note to Readers:

2005-10-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you guys know that i'm doing this blog for a class. If you see anything that looks really random, it probably is...Just ignore it or not-whichever.

Also, this blog will have a number of regular posts on certain subjects. I'm trying to decide how many there should be...feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, etc. about things you would like to see posted on this blog. Thanks.

SOMA- Health and Beauty for Your Entire Being

2005-09-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to SOMA! (*SOMA=Greek word for body) .This blog was created to deliver news about two of the most important subjects in life: Health and Beauty. Whether you're looking for fitness or just want to look good, this site was created for you. I hope that you will find the information in this blog helpful.

Intro
It's true. We're all obsessed with ourselves. Humility is over rated. But don't fret. Some self absorption is perfectly fine. In fact, it's necessary. The trick is to learn how to turn it into success. How do you do that? I'm glad you asked. Hopefully, your journey to finding the answers will begin here.

Ask yourself this: is your self-absorbtion satisfying? Is it truly meaningful when you spend those precious moments dumping half a jar of makeup on your face? What about when you pour a gallon of gel over your head or when you just about empty a bottle of your favorite fragrance all over your body? These are just a few of the actions we go through everyday of our self-absorbed lives. While many of us mean well, let's face it, no amount of make-up, hair products, or badly picked body sprays can help the sadness we portray to the world once we set our foot outside the door. This is why I decided to create this site. I hope to encourage others as I encourage myself to turn my self absorption into success. I will help you to find the right places for the right tools to get the right look. Because knowing how to look and live right is not just beneficial, it's vital for you.