Eat Your Way to Gorgeous Skin!
I’m sure there’s not one of you out there who hasn’t heard the phrase “you are what you eat.” Sure, if you eat garbage day and night you’ll feel bad and probably end up with some extra pounds, but what does that do to your skin? To put it bluntly, could the term “pizza face” be taken literally if your diet is similar to that of a frat boy’s? Grab a healthy snack and settle in, friends-- I’m dropping knowledge this month about how to eat your way to pretty skin.
We hear so much these days about the evils of sugar. With adult-onset diabetes and obesity on the rise, it’s hard to ignore the damage that an excess of sugar can do to our bodies. It can wreak abject havoc on your skin too. (So put down the Snickers.) As sugar is processed in the body, its byproducts begin to break down collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep our skin firm and supple. This process is called glycation. The result? Premature aging, in the form of wrinkles and sagging. No self-respecting lady has time for that, so cut out added sugar in your diet ASAP. Sugar has many aliases on food labels, including dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, and brown rice syrup, so do your homework. The number-one skin-damaging culprit when it comes to sugar is high-fructose corn syrup. This stuff is pure evil! It’s shockingly common in sodas and processed foods, so read labels and choose accordingly. And don’t substitute real sugar for manufactured artificial sweeteners like aspartame-- those can be even worse for you than table sugar or corn syrup. Stick with a natural sweetener like stevia or honey. Wearing sunscreen everyday (EVERY DAY!) will head future damage off at the pass. It should be noted that using sugar on the outside of your body is a different story. Sugar scrubs are much more hydrating and gentle than their salt-based counterparts. My favorite old-school face scrub is a mixture of sugar and honey. Simple yet effective.
On the other side of the spectrum, fat in your diet can actually improve the look and feel of your skin, provided that it’s the right kind of fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are miracle workers when it comes to promoting healthy skin, hair, and joints (especially for those of us with dry skin and/ or hair). Wild salmon, walnuts, olives, and flax and chia seeds are all awesome examples of foods rich in omegas. You can also get your daily dose of omegas with a good-quality supplement-- Advocare OmegaPlex is my favorite. Minimally-processed oils such as olive and coconut are also good choices. Look for “cold-pressed,” “extra virgin,” or “expeller processed” on the label. However, many oils with lower flash points break down and release skin-wrecking (and potentially cancer-causing) free radicals when heated past a certain point, so opt for coconut or safflower oil when cooking.
In addition of adding healthy fat to your diet, follow the advice of the fashion magazines this season and go for color. (I don’t mean opting for the red Gatorade. That stuff isn’t good for you.) As a general rule of thumb, the more colorful the food, the healthier it is. Think berries, greens, tuna and salmon, sweet potatoes, colorful veggies, and citrus: all vibrant in color and good for your body, inside and out! All of these foods are rich in powerful substances like antioxidants and vitamins that are the building blocks of healthy cells. Pop a B-complex vitamin to further combat the signs of aging-- look for one containing B1 and B6. I don’t know about y’all, but there’s just something about a big ol’ salad full of Spring’s first bounty or a tall glass of green juice that just makes me happy this time of year.
Paying a little attention the next time you do your grocery shopping and making small changes can add up to a big difference in the look and feel of your skin. Getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of water, and avoiding smoking and the sun will certainly help matters too. So the next time you sit down to dinner, ask yourself, “is this good for my face, as well as my body?” Then we can all talk about it when we’re old and still looking young and fabulous!
Love,
The Beauty Junkie
The HerKentucky UK and U of L Fan Elite Eight
While we're all agonizing over our brackets and waiting for The Big Dance to start, here's the guide to what's really important about March Madness for fans of the University of Louisville Cardinals and the University of Kentucky Wildcats: Celebrity Endorsements. We've broken down the brackets for HerKentucky's Elite Eight Pairings of Celeb Super-Fans, and applied some Joe Lunardi-style bracketology to offer up our best picks.
The Hunger Games Edition
The stars of The Hunger Games are both Kentucky natives but they fall on opposite sides of the team lines.
Josh Hutcherson, a native of Northern Kentucky, cheers for the Cats
while Louisville native Jennifer Lawrence is all "L's up!"
Winner : Team Katniss. J-Law is just as fierce without archery gear. Sorry, Peeta.
The Heartthrob Edition
Leonardo DiCaprio reps the Cards,
while Cougar Town star Josh Hopkins is a proud member of the BBN.
The Winner: Josh Hopkins. He may have dated gorgeous celebs like Courteney Cox and Erin Andrews, but Lexington native Josh Hopkins makes no secret that his first love is Kentucky basketball. (We'll even forgive him for attending Auburn.) Los Angeles-born Leo looks like a bro who found a cool hat, and the lady beside him is not impressed.
The Supporting Actor Edition
Actor Steve Zahn is a fixture around Lexington, especially at UK games,
while William Fichtner of The Dark Knight showed his U of L loyalty at a recent Derby Party.
The Winner: Steve Zahn all the way. He really put in a touching performance in Dallas Buyers Club, his Treme character is hilarious, and he's married to J. Peterman's daughter. Plus, the Batman dude looks scary.
The Leading Lady Edition
Ashley Judd is perhaps Kentucky's most iconic basketball fan...
while Jennifer Lawrence (Oops... we included her twice, because she's the HerKentucky girls' imaginary BFF, and Hollywood's It Girl) is the Cards' biggest fan.
The Winner: Too close to call. Both are super-fans whom everyone associates with their respective teams. Ashley is the Grande Dame of Kentucky Basketball, but everybody loves Jennifer.
Did we miss anybody? Who's in your Celeb Super-Fan Bracket?
Dublin Coddle
Need a delicious and easy recipe for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations? Head over for this KY Proud recipe!
It's that St. Patrick's time of year! What better way to celebrate than by making an Irish recipe to enjoy with your Irish beer/whisky (or to soak it up at least!)? This recipe is so delicious and fantastic, I can't wait to have it again (and I won't even have the excuse of the holiday because I have no shame)!
The recipe notes for this coddle gives a great background so I will let it do the talking while I finish my bowl of coddle:
"This traditional supper dish of sausages, bacon, onions and potatoes dates back at least as far as the early eighteenth century. It seems to be more of a city dish than a rural one; it was a favorite of Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels and dean of Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin.... The name of the dish is probably descended from the older word caudle, derived from a French word meaning "to boil gently, parboil, or stew"...Serve with Guinness and Irish soda bread. Although this is an easy to prepare one pot meal and its simplicity belies its amazing taste and flavor - comfort food at its best!"
Dublin coddle
adapted from www.food.com
makes 6 servings
1 pound bacon (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
1 pound sausage links (local favorite Stonecross Farm), diced
2 onions, sliced
2 pounds potatoes (local), diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat a pot up to medium.
- Add bacon and cook until browned.
- Add sausage links and onions to bacon; cook until browned.
- Add potatoes and broth.
- Boil potatoes until tender about 40 minutes.
- Season with pepper (you shouldn't need salt).
- Serve topped with parsley, bread, and Guinness (please drink responsibly!).
Sláinte! (cheers/good health)
Jennifer is the chef behind a girl eats world. Head over for more seasonal, KY Proud recipes!
How Barre Class Changed My Life
Last winter, I was in a lot of pain. I mean A LOT. I'd been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, and the two herniated discs I'd suffered led to a lot of daily problems. I couldn't feel my arm. I couldn't feel my leg. My head hurt constantly, and I could barely turn my neck. I tried not to talk about it too much, but my daily life was becoming severely limited. I couldn't sit through meetings, I could barely sit at the computer long enough to answer an email, and I didn't know whether the pain would ever go away. I was terrified that this pain was irreversible; words can't appropriately convey what it's like to face these fears around your 39th birthday. Let's just say that I hope none of y'all ever have to go through it.
I knew that an intensive exercise program was the key to improving my health. When my doctor suggested core strengthening through physical therapy, I decided to try barre exercise classes. On a whim, I contacted B.You Fitness owners Stephanie Bristow and Rashna Carmicle about trying their studio. I had no idea that I was changing my entire life with a simple email.
Now, I'm not going to lie, the first class was one of the biggest challenges I've undertaken in a long, long time. I immediately texted my fiance "I didn't die!" after the first class, and I felt like that was a huge success. Barre class is a well-choreographed sequence of stretches, lifts, and steps; it took me a little while to get the hang of it. But I saw the results quickly. I was soon able to move with less pain. The numbness in my arm went away, and the numbness in my leg subsided a great deal. I was encouraged by both the amazing fitness program at B.You and the wonderful attitude of the instructors and my classmates.
I just have to share some exciting news with y'all. At my last visit to my neurosurgeon, he released me from “every 6 weeks” follow up visits and said that I have absolutely no need for additional spinal surgery. He said he’d never heard of barre classes being used for rehab, but I walked him through the core strengthening process and told him how much the classes had changed my life. He specifically asked about the B.You program, and followed up his questions with a cheerful “Whatever you’re doing, keep on, because it’s clearly working!”
Clearly, this is a lifelong journey to good health. I'm not going to stop attending barre classes just because I'm not writing about them every week. I know that degenerative disc disease brings flare-ups and that I have no guarantees that I won't have further pain, but I fully credit B.You with putting me on the road to recovery!
I hope to see y'all at the Barre soon!
{This post is brought to you by b.you Fitness. Please note that I am speaking only from my personal experience. I am neither a medical professional nor a barre instructor. I was advised by my physician to work on core strengthening to relieve a lumbar spine injury.}
The Cats Fans' Guide to Breakfast in Nashville
Good Morning, Big Blue Nation!
Whether you were out too late in the Gulch or SoBro celebrating the Wildcats' win or simply enjoying the other SEC games at Bridgestone Arena, chances are, you had an exciting night. Now, you sure could use some breakfast. Here are a few of my Music City favorites.
If you don't want to move your car, 417 Union is the way to go. We discovered this little gem during one of the Cats' Music City Bowl appearances. It's open at 7, you can probably walk there from your hotel, and you'll get a good, hearty meal without a huge crowd or a lot of pretension. Think: a really good version of your hometown diner.
If you want to drive all the way across town, the Loveless Cafe is calling your name. There's a reason that this motel-turned-diner is a quintessential Nashville Must-See. The food is, quite simply, that good. Try to rustle up a party of four for the all-you-can-eat breakfast, and don't miss the biscuits, country ham, or hash brown casserole!
If you want to stand in line with Vandy students, tourists, and everybody else under the sun, don't miss the Pancake Pantry. The food is fantastic, don't get me wrong. I particularly love the French toast and the sweet potato pancakes. But, weekend lines often reach Disney World proportions, and you may just miss the game while you're waiting on your carb fix.
If you want to have a great brunch experience, walk across the street from Pancake Pantry to Provence. There, you'll find amazing food, an unbelievable dessert selection, and the best cup of coffee in town. (Always, always order the Dancing Goats coffee. I could write a love sonnet to that blend.)
If you want to feel artsy, head over to East Nashville's Marche Artisan Foods. The food is incredible. The atmosphere is laid-back. And even the simplest fare -- a PB&J or a cup of hot chocolate -- is transformed into a work of art.
Finally, if you want to make me extra jealous, make plans for Sunday Chicken & Waffles at Hattie B's. The hot chicken is amazing, and I hear that, on Sundays, they serve it up with waffles and PBR. You really can't miss that.
Enjoy your breakfast and your visit to NashVegas! Go Cats!!
What to wear to the SEC Tournament
It's only a few hours until the Wildcats take over Nashville, but who's counting? Like Hunter S. Thompson in the above quote, I always believe that Kentucky will go undefeated in March and win everything. This year, we've got a really good chance of doing it.
Whether you're cheering the 'Cats on at home or in NashVegas, here are my picks for most stylish, fun ways to rep the BBN.
Shop Local Kentucky's Seersuckertucky Sweatshirt. I'm just in love with this.
Since you're in the Music City, you need some boots. Seriously, you need an excuse for these.
Letter Raglan from Shop Local KY. This is so classic and old-school.
I honestly never take my Maya Brenner Kentucky necklace off. It's the perfect way to express your Bluegrass pride wherever you go.
Legacy Tee From High Street Fly. Go Cayuts.
These Tory Burch flats are a perfect way to stay cute and comfortable.
Go 'Cats!!
Rep the Cards in Style at the ACC Tournament!
It's the most Wonderful Time of the Year, y'all!
There's more basketball on TV than I can possibly watch, but I'm trying valiantly. With the Louisville Cardinals kicking off their first game of the ACC Tournament today, there are some fun, stylish ways to show your loyalty. Here are a few favorites that are substantial enough for work, stylish enough for a night out, and filled with Card spirit if you're fortunate enough to be in Greensboro this week.
These Tory Burch Flats are great for game day, driving to the game, or any other time you want to look stylish yet stay comfortable.
This Cardinals headband is so sassy!
This men's button-down would be awesome with leggings and skinny jeans; it features a fun Cardinal logo
These packable Hunter Wellies are great if the weather turns wet!