Monthly Archives

January 2021

January 30, 2021
1

K-BEAUTY TRENDS

By | Beauty, Fashion | No Comments

10 step skin care routine

The beauty routine of many Koreans is based on ancient traditions. They use only natural, gentle ingredients to achieve clear and glowy skin, which make K- Beauty trends so popular today. Finding a Korean woman without perfectly flawless skin is practically impossible. Have you wondered why? It’s because Korean women invest in their skin, not just money but time too.

Unfortunately, these women do not achieve such results without effort. The appearance is the ultimate investment for them. Many Korean women have a 10 step skin care routine. It is performed on a daily basis and goes somewhat like this:

  1. Balm or oil cleanser
  2. Foaming cleanser
  3. Peeling
  4. Toner
  5. Essence
  6. Serum
  7. Sheet Mask
  8. Eye Cream
  9. Moisturiser
  10. Night Cream/ Mask

What is ‘slugging’?

A new version of Step 10 has recently emerged  amongst beauty lovers; covering the face in Vaseline or thick petroleum jelly and sleeping in it in a bid to wake up with perfect, glowing skin. The Korean trend, known as ‘slugging’, coats the face in a thick layer which imitates the slick, slimy trails left behind by a garden slug. The next morning you just wash it off with your regular cleanser and end up with perfect, glowing skin!

The Results

For those of you with oily skin, you may be a little skeptical at first but bear with me! I thought I’d try this for 7 days and see what all the fuss was about. By day 3 I was a convert, my skin already looked brighter and more hydrated. I was genuinely stunned by the difference it made, after 7 days my skin felt softer and plumper to the touch, the results were brilliant and Vaseline is so cheap compared to other moisturizers. I’ll definitely keep ‘slugging’. I won’t do it every night because going to bed slimy isn’t the most pleasant feeling, but I’ll try to include it once or twice a week, maybe more in winter when my skin is insanely dry.

January 14, 2021
1

NEVER TRUST A FAD AND WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

By | Beauty, Fitness, Food for thought, Health, Nutrition | No Comments

If it looks like it’s too good to be true, then it probably is! “Lose 10 kg in 5 weeks”, “Juice cleanse to detox your body”, “Eat these magical pills and reduce your clothing size within a week…” We get bombarded with weight loss tips, teas, pills, powders and “new year, new me”–gibberish, all year around, but it escalates during the Christmas and New Year time. Many people and businesses are willing to go very far to get hold of your money, and well marketed health-claiming products would also have ended up in my cupboard if I didn’t know better.  However, instead of pouring out money on products with no function and of bad quality, let’s go back to basics. 

  • Be sceptical, be curious, ask questions – do not believe everything you hear, see and read
  • Check the sources of the products or article. Are they reliable? Do they have scientific back up? Has this been proven or disproven?
  • No juices, powders, tablets etc. can help you to detox the body. This is simply a marketing-concept! The liver, kidney and skin is responsible to “detoxify” your body, these organs do work even without the rainbow-pills  
  • If you lose 10 kg in 4-5 weeks, you have mostly just lost body water. If weight loss is the goal, then time is what you need. Generally, you should not lose more than 0,5-1 kg per week in order to be able to maintain the weight loss and avoid the yoyo-effect
  • For a controlled weight loss, it is important that you plan your meals and find a suitable meal rhythm e.g. Breakfast, Lunch, Snack & Dinner.
  • Make sure that you have a lot of vegetables/fruits on your plate for every meal
  • Carbohydrates are not dangerous, but necessary. Nevertheless, make sure to choose the complex carbohydrates – the ones with a high fibre content, such as whole wheat pasta, wild or brown rice, buckwheat, barley, whole wheat bulgur.
  • Have a good protein source at least twice per day, such as fish, meat, tofu, tempeh, dairy products, pulses and legumes.
  • Fat is also necessary in your diet, choose foods high in omega-3 and -6 fatty acids e.g. salmon, mackerel, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
  • Sugars are not dangerous for the body, but they should be kept to a minimum. WHO recommends not to eat more than 25 g/ 6 tsp. of sugar per day.
  • Alcohol can be enjoyed once in a while, but know that it does not provide the body with useful energy, and it is recommended to drink less than 14 units per week. (1 unit =25 ml of spirits, ½ pint, 87 ml wine etc.)
  • Make sure to try and always eat at the dining table, preferably spending 20 minutes for a meal, so it can be enjoyed!
  • Exercise is not only helpful for a potential weight loss, but also important for maintaining bone health, muscle mass and our cardiovascular system.
  • Rest and sleep! This is a must! It is very difficult to lose weight if you are already fatigued. Aim for a good quality sleep of 7-8 hours. 

This article is written by Henriette Saevil, Clinical Nutritionist

(IG: @nutritionbyhenny). 

If you have any questions or want to book a consultation please feel free to contact me via our website: https://nutrition-az.com/appointments or drop me an email: henriette.saevil@nutrition-az.com

January 3, 2021
1

MENTAL HEALTH

By | Health, Nutrition | No Comments

January is traditionally when everyone says “New Year New Me”, people start their unattainable New Years resolutions that last a few weeks at best, it’s not all about the physical. How many of you have already put off starting until tomorrow?!

Now more than ever we need to look after our mental health as well as the physical.

Poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions. People with serious mental health conditions are at high risk of experiencing chronic physical conditions, just as people with chronic physical conditions are at risk of developing poor mental health.

You need to look after your mental and physical health in conjunction with each other. One is just as important as the other.

In order to maintain both your mental and emotional health, it’s seriously important to be aware of your needs and feelings. Don’t allow your stress and emotions to build up. The first thing you should do is to maintain a good balance between your normal responsibilities and the things you enjoy doing. Do things that positively impact others, being useful to other people and being valued for what you do can help build your self-esteem.

Practicing self-discipline is really important. Self-discipline leads to a sense of happiness and accomplishment, which can help you overcome feelings of helplessness and other negative thoughts.

Try learning or discovering new things. Take an adult education class, or join a book club, visit a museum or simply try and polish up your German!

A healthy balanced diet is key in helping you feel good, quality food is vital in maintaining a healthy body and mind.

Don’t let others define you, be happy with who you are. No one is perfect, everyone possesses both good and bad qualities.