Health

Pink for October

Paris B 1 Comment

leec1 October is officially Breast Cancer Awareness month, and I thought I’d show my support for Breast Cancer Awareness by going pink. Granted it only my links that are going pink for now because I am too much of a doofus to figure out how to turn my website pink. I’m sorry if colours look a bit clashing for now but its for a good cause yes? 🙂

Breast Cancer awareness tip:

As women, breast cancer is something that is a very real threat to us so make sure you perform regular breast self-examination. Early detection is key so if you don’t already know how to perform a self examination, ask your doctor to show you how. It could save your life.

Important Tip: Use Sunscreen!

Paris B 9 Comments

It is never too early to use suncreen on your face and body. Now, I’d be the first to admit that I’m not always as religious about using sunscreen on my arms and legs but for my face, its a top priority every single day.

Its a fallacy that if you refrain from going out into the sun, you don’t need sunscreen. Or, that if you stay home with all the windows and doors closed, you don’t need sunscreen. Closing your windows and doors and staying indoors doesn’t prevent the UV rays from reaching you. So yes, maybe you won’t tan, but your skin isn’t protected from UV rays either.

And for anyone who indulges in anti-aging creams and cures, its best you start now with sunscreen. That is the best anti-aging cure you can hope for because it is a fact that the sun’s rays and UV rays damage the skin and causes skin to age and in extreme cases, skin cancer. Sunscreen blocks or filters these harmful UV rays thereby reducing the skin damage and therefore acting as an anti-aging measure.

I found this very helpful article about sunscreen and what kinds of sunscreen one should look out for. This other article about sun protection too is very insightful. In gist:

  • Use a sunscreen that blocks or filters UV-A and UV-B rays. These are broad spectrum sunscreens.
  • Use a sunscreen that is SPF15 and above. According to reports, there is no evidence that very high SPF will actually protect your skin more but here in the tropics, SPF 50 is the norm. The Japanese have their own system of rating sunscreens with PA+++ for the highest and PA+ for low ratings.
  • Reapply often especially if you are going to be out in the sun. However, for practical purposes, I can only see this reapplication for the body for most of us who work will have our faces made up and thus, reapplying sunscreen isn’t much of an option.
  • When applying sunscreen do not forget areas like your neck and ears. Men or women with short hair tend to forget the back of the neck and the tips of the ears which can burn easily.

For myself, I use L’oreal UV Perfect sunscreen for my face because thus far, it has worked best for me and it blocks both UV-A and UV-B rays. Biotherm Sunfitness isn’t bad too as its non-sticky. My foundation too has SPF. For my body, I use the one by the Australian Cancer Council. Its only available for purchase in Australia.

This post was actually prompted by my discussion with a friend about using sunscreen. I was appalled that anyone would not use sunscreen because I’m a great proponent and advocate of using sunscreen if not for beauty, then for health reasons. I’ve read some articles that say that sunscreens may not be all that good for you because of the chemicals, but in general, the pros have thus far outweighed the cons.

So, slap on the sunscreen. When you are 50, your skin will thank you for it!

Edit: This tip applies equally for both men and women. If you don’t use any other skincare on your skin, use sunscreen. It does make a difference.

Crossed legs and a bad back : A personal observation

Paris B 6 Comments

Most women, you will notice, tend to cross their legs when they sit. They will usually cross their legs at the knee, putting one knee on top of the other. This is quite common to see and you see young girls emulating their mothers when they sit. Well, let me tell you that while you may think it sexy, it may actually be hurting your back!

I’ve found that when I sit and cross my legs as shown in the picture below (ok, not as high as that, but you get the idea!), I tend to end up with a pain in my lower and middle back. Actually, I did not notice the co-relation until recently.

519771_leg_show

When I cross my legs as shown, I noticed that my back bone and muscles will be compressed and twisted. So, it causes a dull pain after a prolonged period of time. If you tend to sit in this manner, pay some attention too to your back and see if you too feel that pain. Its a dull ache that can get worse the longer you leave it untreated.

So these days, to alleviate the pressure on my back, I tend to sit with my legs together or crossed at the ankles only. This puts less pressure on my back, and still makes me look demure and ladylike (I hope!).

I looked around online but did not really see any complaints of back problems arising from crossing the legs. Apparently, this isn’t a co-relation that is spotted by others or it may be totally unrelated! However, I did find an article or two about etiquette when sitting down, and I read that proper etiquette dictates that a lady’s legs be crossed at the ankle only, not at the knee! So, it would appear that I’m doing something right after all, thanks to my back! 🙂

Note: This is a personal observation and has no medical back-up whatsoever because I’m no doctor.

Salt Crystal Rock lamps – not only pretty to look at

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I was introduced to the concept of negative ions when I first came across salt crystal lamps like those in the picture above. These lamps are made from salt crystal rock mined from deep underground. A narrow hollow core is created and a light bulb inserted to create the (usually) orange glow. You might have seen these lamps at spas or reflexology centres.

These salt crystal lamps are supposed to give out negative ions, which are in turn, good for our well being. Negative ions are known to boost a person’s levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy. These negative ions are found in abundance in mountain tops, near waterfalls or by the beach amongst others. If you have ever gone up a mountain and breathed in the cool crisp air, and found yourself feeling good and refreshed, those are negative ions at work.

A lack of negative ions is also what explains the lethargy at work or at home if you are cooped up for long periods of time. So, when at home, try to leave your windows open so you get fresh air (and some negative ions) circulating. At work, its harder to do so. So, a salt crystal lamp is said to help with infusing confined spaces with negative ions. I don’t know how effective they are though. I think you’d need quite a lot of it, or a very large lamp to notice any effect in a fair sized room. I read that people who are sick have benefitted from having a lamp in their rooms as it helps with healing. However, I find that the glow from the lamp makes it hard for me to sleep at night.

I have a couple lamps myself and I got them because I like the glow they give and they make my living room look more cosy. This is especially so at night because I know I can walk into the living room without fear of bumping into furniture as the glow from the lamps give out enough light for me to see by. Not all of us can afford to go up to a mountain top to feast our bodies on negative ions and our eyes on an awe inspiring vista of mountains and plains, so a salt crystal lamp is a much cheaper alternative.

I got mine from a distributor who gets theirs from Poland. They were featured on Majalah 3 a couple of years back. Poland has large reserves of salt crystals underground and salt crystal lamps are a triving industry there. There are also many cheaper options that hail from India and Pakistan.

When choosing a salt crystal lamp, I like those that are more translucent with less opaque areas. Those are also usually more expensive as they are of higher quality salt crystal rock. Colours range from a light pink to a deep orange-red. Apparently, different colours have different effects on a person’s mood. A lighter shade has less effect on moods and some pink or light orangey shades are soothing, while darker shades or redder shades are more aggressive. I just choose whichever colour catches my eye at the time.

Make sure the seller lights it up for you, and turn it all around so you know how it looks from all angles. Sometimes, there are cracks that aren’t obvious until lighted up. I was told that the lamp chooses you, not the other way round, so when you have many to choose from, the one that catches your eye first is the one you should get for maximum effect. Is it a load of hokey? I don’t know, but so far, I’m enjoying my lamps for their aesthetic value and if its healthy too, all the better! 🙂

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws