Photo: Getty Images

From deodorant to body wash -- whether you're wearing lipstick or foundation or not -- you're exposing yourself to the nebulously-regulated world of cosmetics, according to Julie Gabriel, author of "The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup and Fragrances." In an interview with AOL Health, she talks the best ways to become ingredient savvy, deodorant types to avoid and her 10 commandments for green beauties to follow.

Are you an organic beauty -- buying and consuming organic-only beauty products and foods? Why or why not?

This time of year, I don't know of anyone who couldn't use a little pick me up. We're all a little tired, slightly stressed, and unfortunately, it shows.

I know lots of folks who take a day and head off to the spa, but that's a little pricey for my taste. Plus, when you go to the spa, you're relying on their products and their ingredients, many of which might have more artificial ingredients than you'd really like.

My suggestion? Set aside a little time this holiday break for yourself (think of it as a gift, if you must) and take advantage of one or two of the all-natural, DIY beauty tips in the gallery. You'll feel better, which will help you look better, which is definitely a bonus when everyone starts snapping pictures around the Christmas tree.

Many of you shared your biggest skincare problems with us for a chance to win an Emerita prize pack worth approximately $280, and from the sounds of it, there are a lot of fabulous over-40 ladies out there who could use some high-quality skincare products. Perhaps you should send the giveaway link on to your friends and family to show them what you really want to see under your tree this Christmas!

Unfortunately, we can only select one winner, and the lucky reader who won last week's Fit Beauty Giveaway was Kim, who said, "I would love to try this! I have hit the dreaded menopause and am fighting the battle of the dry skin on the cheeks and eyes while still oily around the nose and chin." In addition to the skincare products, Kim will receive a zebra print scarf. You know, just in case she's not feeling sexy enough already!

Kim, you'll have to let us know how the products work for you. As for the rest of you, check out Emerita's website to see which of these natural products are the best match for your skin!

Source

Day 5: You might be asking yourself: Why doesn't she just eat sugar-free foods instead? It seems like a logical choice for a sugar hound like myself, get the good stuff, without all the calories.

For one, I don't like artificial sweeteners, not the idea of them or their taste. But more importantly, this week isn't about finding a loophole for feeding my sugar addiction; it's about training my body to enjoy foods that are naturally sweet. Every step I take toward a healthier diet is a step away from highly processed foods and toward whole, more natural choices.

So when I really, really crave something sweet, I reach for a banana. It's smooth and creamy and has plenty of naturally occurring sugars. Best of all, it's only 80 calories and full of potassium.

Anyone who's tried any sort of a cleanse or detox is probably well aware that detox symptoms feel a lot like actual sickness symptoms. You will very possibly experience diarrhea, gas, headache, lightheadedness, and irritability when entering a cleanse and unless you know what you're getting yourself into, it can be hard to tell whether or not something is actually wrong.

Raw foodist Nomi Shannon did an interview with Renegade Roundtable, touching specifically on this problem. She talked about the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, where people can go for a "raw retreat." Shannon mentioned that, on the fifth day of each cycle of visitors, everyone would be angry, hating their roommates and feeling irritable.

This is why she recommends following a program, either attending something like what the Hippocrates Health Institute offers or using a good book that describes the different phases of your cleanse and gives you a bit of guidance. If your body isn't accustomed to tons of raw fruits and veggies, you're going to feel different for a few days if that's all you're eating. But, of course, if you're really not feeling well, you should certainly contact your doctor. There's no point in taking chances!

Source

Today I had more than bills in my mailbox. When I opened it up, there was a little treat waiting for me. A free cookie, courtesy of Kashi. I love Kashi cereals, so when I saw a commercial for free samples of their cookies, I thought I would give it a try. The sample was an Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookie, and it was totally yummy.

More importantly, it's packed with nutrition. The main ingredient is a blend of seven whole grains (hard red winter wheat, oats, rye, triticale, barley, long grain brown rice, and buckwheat). It also has sesame seeds and, of course, tasty dark chocolate. Even though it's all natural and contains lots of good ingredients, it is still a cookie -- it has 130 calories and five grams of fat (1.5 is saturated). It also has eight grams of sugar, but thankfully none of it is from high-fructose corn syrup. Honey and and brown rice syrup are used for sweeteners.

The cookies are also available in Happy Trail Mix (cranberry, raisin, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and shredded coconut) and Oatmeal Raisin Flax flavors. Go ahead. Steal a cookie from the cookie jar and see what you think.

Source

Martha shared in this post that Britney Spears has made sweeping changes in her lifestyle, all resulting in what appears to be a fit body and mind. One change, however, has me wondering. Spears says she's ditched sugar and that fruit is one sugary-item she's tossed from her diet. I'm not so sure this is a healthy move.

Sugar is sweet, yes. Sugar contains sugar, yes. But it's all natural -- doesn't that make it OK? I once had a nutritionist tell me to eat as much fruit as I want, while cutting back on other questionable treats. Of course, fruit has calories and calories add up but still, fruit and the sugar it contains is still a good bet for a good diet. Right? Right.

Fruit can help reduce the risk of stroke, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, kidney stones, and bone loss. What's more, fruit is pretty low-calorie stuff per cup, it's naturally low in fat and sodium, and it contains no cholesterol. Fruit contains potassium, fiber, vitamin C, folate, and bunches of antioxidants. It seems fruit, then, is one food group Spears ought to be embracing. Don't you think?

Source

We've been hearing for years that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad for us -- that it causes obesity and other related health problems. And, earlier this year, the FDA ruled that HFCS is "not natural." However, an ad campaign has been launched to try to change our minds.

Have you seen these commercials? I can't say that I disagree with part of their message -- inform yourself about what you're eating. The problem is that the HFCS industry wants to be the ones informing you via their website, SweetSurprise.com. And, sorry, but that's not exactly an unbiased source.

So why are these ads coming out now? There could be many reasons, including the fact that major food retailers, like Kraft, are starting to label products as HFCS-free because so many people are trying to cut it out of their diets. The fact of the matter is that it's extremely difficult to avoid HFCS -- it's everywhere. A number of studies have shown a link between HFCS and obesity, especially in children. HFCS doesn't give you the full feeling you should have after consuming it, leading you to consume more calories and gain weight.

Source

For most of us, losing weight is one of our top priorities -- after, of course, family, work, friends, social commitments, housework and our favourite TV shows. For some, keeping slim comes naturally -- for the rest of us, we have to work at it. Or do we?

We recently told you about The Secret Habits of the Naturally Slim. They're things we could all be doing but for some reason don't. Why is that?

It's your turn to tell us --

Source

We've been told that sandwiches may not be the best meal choice. Often slathered in fatty condiments like mayonnaise, or piled with enough servings of salty deli meat, laden with nitrites, to feed your entire family, they just don't seem to make much sense in a health-conscious world.

You don't have to give up eating sandwiches if you want to eat healthily -- really! You can make your sandwich and eat it, too... with a few alterations.

• Try sprouted grain bread, like Food for Life's Ezekiel Bread. The live grains make it a better source of protein and more digestible than most breads.
• Choose your portions wisely. Your sandwich doesn't have to look like something Joey from Friends would eat; start by using 80% of the fillings you would normally use, and cut down from there depending on your hunger.
• Use whole foods inside your sandwich: fresh veggies, naturally raised meats without preservatives (try Applegate Farms) and condiments like guacamole, salsa, mustard, even plain yogurt, in lieu of the mayonnaise.

Remember how happy we all felt when Lay's introduced Baked Potato Chips? I do. It was a feeling of relief for me. I had given up chips in lieu of a hard fit body. Fair exchange I thought! But then, there was this company telling me that they weren't going to fry all of their chips anymore, and yes ... there would be a healthier version for people like me. Yahoo!

Once again, snack lovers get to rejoice. The LesserEvil brand snack company has created an amazing variety of popcorns and krinkle potato sticks to make just about everyone drool. Most single servings contain about 110 calories of which about 20 come from fat. Not bad!

The Classic Kettle Corn is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and thank goodness my bag was a single serving. If it weren't, I could have devoured nine! It was better than any of the junky stuff they sell at carnivals for sure! The Black and White Kettle Corn made my children's "movie night" here at home an even more special event. Good news for me ... I didn't feel the slightest bit bad about giving it to them. The Zesty Pizza Krinkle Sticks were odd to my husband and I though. Why? Because we could not figure out how they made them taste exactly like pizza! It was both weird and wonderful at the same time.

Source

Has anyone else noticed that TV and movies are providing us with more strong, kick-ass female characters? There's Yvonne Strahovski, who plays spy Sarah Walker on Chuck, and we had Angelina Jolie carrying Wanted. And, you might not have seen her yet, but Gabrielle Anwar is just as tough.

She plays the trigger happy ex-girlfriend to the lead character on USA's Burn Notice, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call her character a role model -- she's a little too good at making bombs for that -- she holds her own physically, especially considering she's quite petite. To get ready for her action-packed role, Gabriella adjusted her diet.

She said she cut out "foods with ingredients that I need a dictionary to define. I find that the less animal products I consume the better my general health; the less refined sugars, the less I feel the energy fall out; and the more organic fresh produce I eat, the lighter I feel."

Source

Most of the gum available on the market today is made from synthetic materials, and, while that isn't necessarily a problem for many of us, it might be a bit disconcerting for folks who strive to eat as naturally as possible.

Glee Gum is one of the few chewing gums available made from chicle, the original source of gum. The use of chicle in chewing gum goes back to the late 1800s, but aside from being historically interesting, this natural gum has another benefit -- chicle is still a very important part of the economy in many rainforest areas. It's harvested by cutting into trees just deep enough to release the sap, but not so far as to cause any permanent damage to the trees, allowing these parts of the rainforest to be profitable without being cut down.

This gum is made from all natural ingredients and comes in a variety of flavors -- in fact, there's even a "Make Your Own Gum" option, which could be a fun project to do with your kids. Glee Gum contains no artificial preservatives, flavors, colors, or sweeteners, so if you want to chew on something you can feel good about, this might be just the thing!

Source

Want to add a little green to your workout? Try turning off the treadmill and that fan that keeps you cool and head outdoors for some natural terrain and a nice breeze. Why not pick up a pair of these cool sneaks while you're at it?

The Hi-Tec Women's Auckland WP Hiking Shoe retails for between $44.97 and $59.95 and comes recommended by RealAge. Toss the street shoes and try these lightweight kickers on for size. They're durable, weatherproof, and promise to keep you sure-footed on the hills, trails, bumps, and clumps that cross your path. You won't only feel good in your new shoes, though. You'll look mighty sporty too.

Source