Popdemonium

You are what you eat, right? Well, that goes double for your skin, hair and nails. The editors of Women’s Health magazine break down the best foods found in your local supermarket to help you stay glowing and gorgeous all year long!

Dark Chocolate: The sweet stuff contains high levels of potent antioxidants that can help protect your skin from sun damage as well as amp up blood flow to your tissues which will in turn keep skin nourished and glowing. You want to find chocolate that is at least 70 percent cacao because it contains more antioxidants.

Spinach: Being a powerhouse of vital nutrients and vitamins A, these leafy greens help fight inflammation and wrinkles. Also, it’s loaded with an antioxidant called lutein, which helps eyes stay healthy and bright.

Tomatoes: Whether this fruit is sliced, diced or stewed, it helps protect against damage from the sun and other environmental factors thanks to its key ingredient, the antioxidant lycopene. You can eat one serving of tomatoes a day with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of vinaigrette or a slice of avocado.

Edamame: This soy bean can ease inflammation and stave off collagen breakdown, leaving skin with a more even tone as well as fewer wrinkles. Toss half a cup of boiled edamame into a salad or a pasta dish; one serving per day is both safe and helpful.

Walnuts: Eating just one ounce of walnuts by themselves or in your salad will supply you with your daily dose of nutrients that are responsible for smoother skin, healthier hair and stronger bones. Other top nuts include pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts.

For more beauty secrets, check out WomensHealthMag.com or pickup the April issue of Women’s Health on newsstands now!

Wonder why your feet are left dry and itchy, or cracked and calloused as the winter wears on? 

Johana Sterling, Vice President at Gehwol Foot Care, explains that a natural lack of oil and water make your feet particularly vulnerable to dry, callused and even cracked skin during the cold winter months.

The Gehwol Salve for cracked skin is designed to treat heavily callused, brittle, dry and rough skin, and help skin regain its natural softness, smoothness and elasticity.

It contains a combination of natural essential oils, the skin-caring vitamin panthenol, and the anti-inflammatory chamomile component bisabolene.

We had a chance to try out the salve. It went on smoothly and had a slippery texture. It’s probably best to apply it after a shower and top it off with comfy socks. The greasiness will be gone by the morning and your feet will look and feel smooth and renewed.

Please visit gehwolonline.com for more information.

Modern Family bombshell Sofia Vergara opened up to Shape magazine on life, laughter and those killer curves!

Tap Into Your Inner Latina
True, Sofia does have a bit of a head start in the sultry department, but not in the exact way you imagine. For Sofia, the key to charisma is on the inside. “Confident people have a way of carrying themselves that makes others more attracted to them,” she says. “Latin women are very comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality. We aren’t afraid to show that off a little bit more.” To enhance her allure, Sofia always does a little primping before leaving her house. “If I walk outside without lipstick, I feel naked,” she says. “All the women in my family are that way. We put makeup on to give birth! When I started feeling contractions with my son [Manolo, 19], the first thing I did was wash and blow-dry my hair before I went to the hospital. You never know how long you’ll be in labor. It could be days until you’re able to take a shower.”

Laugh Away Stress
About a year ago, Sofia started dating Florida politician, Nick Loeb, and six months later, they had their first big test as a couple. Nick was in a terrible car accident that left him temporarily unable to walk. “It was hard for us because it happened in the middle of the most fun, sexy time,” says Sofia. “And then he was in the hospital, and you know men, they become such little babies!” But throughout the whole ordeal, Nick never once got depressed, in fact, quite the opposite. “He kept his sense of humor despite the situation,” says Sofia. “I don’t know if I could have stuck it out with him if he hadn’t been able to laugh at himself and be happy even under the worst conditions. When you see people in difficult times, that’s when their true nature comes out.”

Trade Sit-ups for Salsa
Want to see Sofia make the “ugh” face? Ask her what she does to work out. “Oh, I hate it!” she says. “But I also know that at my age—I’m almost 40!—I have to do it to maintain my figure. When I can, I try to do Latin dancing for exercise because it’s so much fun and I just love the music.” The hard part for her is actually getting to the gym. “Two hours before I go, I’m already wishing it was over,” she admits. Her motivational trick? “I psychologically fool myself into believing it’s part of my job. And then, of course, once I’m done, I’m really glad I did it because I feel so good.”

At the beginning of each year, the majority of us resolve to get off the couch and hit the gym to improve our overall well-being. But did you know that better health should start at home?

According to an online dentistry journal, studies of medical problems resulting from poor dental hygiene indicate that the better your oral health, the greater your chances are to avoid major illnesses.

With so many options available, what are the right products to choose? Dr. Emanuel Layliev of the New York Center for Cosmetic Dentistry advises that we avoid alcohol based rinses, excess fluoride, as well as toothpastes that contain abrasive elements such as baking soda.

Dr. Layliev recommends Dentisse Natural Reflection Toothpaste ($16.99) to protect and brighten smiles. The toothpaste is a clay-based paste that smoothes, polishes and whitens without any being abrasive to the teeth.

As far as a rinse, Dr. Fresh, Inc. has an amazing new mouthwash that is ideal for a clean, fresh, beautiful mouth. Orazyme ($9.99)  is an all-natural, sugar-free rinse that helps get rid of canker sores and bad breath. It also helps to control the balance of good and bad bacteria in the mouth to replace moisture.

Kusmi Tea of Paris, a brand known for its traditional Russian-style teas for the last 140 years, has grown popular among Hollywood celebrities. Included in the coveted 2010 Entertainment Tonight Emmy giftbag, Kusmi’s celeb fan list includes Twilight’s Peter Facinelli, as well as numerous cast members from Mad Men (Christina Hendricks, Rich Sommer and Bryan Batt), True Blood (Sam Trammell and Natasha Alam), The Office (Oscar Nunez) and Dancing with the Stars (Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Brooke Burke, Derek Hough and Tony Dovolani).

Kusmi’s unique blends of green, black, red, herbal, wellness and decaf teas packaged in beautifully designed boxes and classic tins can now be found in Los Angeles at Monsieur Marcel’s Gourmet Market. It’s also available at the flagship retail store in New York City and in other fine stores in the tri-state area, including Dean & Deluca and McNulty’s Tea & Coffee and Zabar’s.

For more information, please visit kusmitea.com

As Americans, we are surrounded by processed foods. From grocery stores, to vending machines and fast food joints, refined foods are all around us. For those short on time, these quick, lackluster options provide satiety. Unfortunately though, they rob us of  healthy nutrients, necessary to maintain a healthy weight and fight of disease.

Enter The Fresh Diet — America’s premier diet delivery service that offers a truly gourmet departure from the standard frozen, preservative-laden, options. Each menu is developed by Executive Chef Yosef Schwartz, graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Institute, who customizes and designs balanced, well-portioned meals from only the freshest, gourmet ingredients for hand-delivery every day.

Since its inception five years ago, The Fresh Diet has helped thousands achieve their healthy lifestyle goals, including celebrity spokesperson Carnie Wilson as well as television personality Sherri Shepherd, and actresses Sarah Michelle Gellar and Pamela Anderson.

The Fresh Diet provides an ideal balance of food in proper portions to encourage weight loss, increase energy and maintain good health. Using a 40-30-30 ratio of carbs, fats and proteins, the program ensures dieters eat a variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean meats and fish.

The company very graciously allowed us to try out their meal plan for one week and the experience was fantastic. Their food was delicious and plentiful and the presentation was superb.  This is by far the best “diet” food we’ve ever come across. There were four options to choose from for every meal, rotated on a 120-day food cycle. Three, freshly-prepared, meals and two snacks were hand delivered to our house each day, including our mid-week combo pictured below.

The image includes a Cajun style egg white omelet with turkey sausage, wasabi crusted salmon salad, fillet of cod with roasted butternut squash, mushroom crowns filled with Cajun pork and key lime cheesecake. The food tasted really good and left our belly and taste buds very satisfied.

Visit TheFreshDiet.com, to receive a menu designed for specific health and dietary needs, including gluten-free, vegetarian, or diabetic options. Also, be sure to check out the company on Facebook and Twitter. They regularly post specials and giveaways worth checking out.

Thank you Crier Communications for the opportunity to review The Fresh Diet. No compensation was received for this post.

Warner Bros. and Ali Fedotowsky are joining the fight against breast cancer with the launch of a “Pink Ribbon” charity campaign.

Each time specially selected romantic films are rented via movies-on-demand, a Donation will be made to the Susan G. Komen foundation  — the largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.

There are 16 timeless films in the special “Pink Ribbon” Video-On-Demand program, including:

•       City of Angels
•       Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
•       Fool’s Gold
•       In Love and War
•       In the Land of Women
•       Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Dangerous
•       Music and Lyrics
•       Must Love Dogs
•       No Reservations
•       P.S. I Love You
•       Rumor Has It
•       Side Effects
•       The Bodyguard
•       The Notebook
•       Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
•       You’ve Got Mail

For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.