As the initial post on Being Fab, I will begin at the beginning. I will begin with water.
Water is the first thing to pay attention to on any path to beauty or wellness. It is essential, not only to help flush toxins from the body but in order to maintain clear, healthy skin. Even a slight dip in hydration levels can make you feel lethargic and diminish your reaction time, attention span and short-term memory.
Dehydration can also help you gain weight. When hydration levels get low, it can produce a feeling that we interpret as hunger. So rather than grabbing the glass of water that we need, we can reach for the fries instead. As a contrast, when you are properly hydrated it boosts your metabolism. Imagine my horror when I learned that if one has habitually low water intake, the body will start to store it in the hips and thighs. Lovely. I couldn't fit in my favorite leather pants in part because my thighs were playing camel. That alone was enough to motivate me to develop a passion for herbal teas and flavored fizzy water. I now keep an almost obscene amount of decaffeinated tea in my kitchen. As a point of fact, when I did start drinking water at the recommended dosage, I did start shedding both inches and lethargy.
Dehydration is above all the single most common problem that crosses my table. I see it in guests with both dry and oily skin. Dehydrated skin is also prone to fine lines, dry patches, a loss of elasticity and a dull surface. For clients who are prone to dryness, it exacerbates the tight feeling if the skin, flaking, fine lines, even itching or burning when applying products. For clients who are more oil-prone, the skin starts to show more congestion in the surface texture and breakouts. Hydration is the major key to radiance.
Now that winter knocking at the door, it is especially important to pay attention to how often you reach for the water glass. Winter wind is notoriously drying, and heated buildings show no mercy to the skin. A moisturizer is not enough, what is commonly known as dry skin is caused by two factors, lack of oil (the true definition of dry skin) and lack of water (the definition of dehydrated skin). A good moisturizer can serve to replace the oil and, to a lesser extent, the water, but you must still hydrate the skin from within.
When I tell guests that I recommend eight 8oz glasses of water per day, there is almost always a look of shock that crosses their faces. When I remind them that 8oz is about the size of a coffee mug, the shock turns to relief. I highly recommend the purchase of a nice water bottle with a generous capacity, especially one that is appealing enough to your sense of style that you won't mind carrying it with you. For those of you who are bad about drinking plain water (like I am) , you can place a jug of water in the refrigerator, flavored with citrus or cucumber slices. I have also placed frozen grapes in my water bottle for a subtle flavor and a little snack in the time it takes to reach the bottom. I also recommend decaffeinated teas or flavored fizzy water.
For tea, I recommend green and white teas, which are high in antioxidants. You can find these made by many companies. Herbal teas also offer a great variety of flavor.
Of my picks for flavored fizzy water without artificial sweeteners, lime Perrier is one of my personal favorites. I really should buy stock in the company.
For more budget-friendly choices, try H2Oh, Canada Dry or Mendota Springs or La Croix (which has particularly good variety). I reach for one of these instead of reaching for pop.
With any of these choices, be sure to recycle your bottles and cans, as you will consume a good deal if you are drinking enough to get your recommended daily water intake.
Labels: Fitness, Skincare, Wellness
Anybody who knows me will tell you that I live on herbal teas and fizzy water.
