The Natural Solution: Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for Beauty

By Lucas Van Der Burg

Apple cider vinegar, sometimes referred to as cider vinegar or ACV, is made from cider or apple must. It has become very popular because of its many health benefits and beauty properties. Because of it high potassium content, it is best to consult with a health care professional before taking ACV. Although you can make your own apple cider vinegar, you can find it in a natural state at any health food store. Let's explore some of the benefits of apple cider vinegar.

How to use apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can promote healthier skin and hair as well as be beneficial for health. For more specific ways in which apple cider can help treat specific ailments, contact a nutritionist who will be better equipped to answer specific questions. For more general uses, you can try apple cider vinegar in some of the following ways.

Internal use

Research has shown that ACV can assist the body in its daily functions as well as fight off colds and influenza. It helps in digestion, lowers bad cholesterol, strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure and stabilizes blood sugar. It also contains anti-oxidants that help fight some types of cancer. It can cure an upset stomach by drinking it as a daily tonic.
To make your own daily tonic, mix equal parts of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water. Usually, one tablespoon of ACV and one tablespoon of honey in 8 ounces of warm or cold water would be a general guideline, but feel free to tweak this recipe depending on your personal preferences. There are also other ways to drink it. You could add it to apple juice or add a bit of fresh cinnamon to neutralize its taste (some coffee shops serve apple cider with a cinnamon stick).

External use

If your feet feel tired and ache, give them a bath. Put half a cup of apple cider vinegar in a tub of warm water. Wiggle your toes around and let your feet soak for a few minutes. A footbath is a great way to relax before heading off to bed.

If your body is too acidic, take a vinegar bath. To properly restore the acid to alkaline balance in your body, simply add 1 to 2 cups of apple cider vinegar to a warm bath. Soak your body for about 45 minutes. Aside from clearing your body from excess acid, a vinegar bath helps anyone with a dry or irritated skin make it feel soft.

If baths aren't your thing, consider mixing one cup each of ACV and warm water in a spray bottle. After your shower, spray your entire body with the mixture. Wait a few minutes and rinse. Your whole body will feel refreshed.

Other benefits of apple cider vinegar include its topically use on different body parts, especially the face. For a deep cleansing steam face wash, add 3 tablespoons of ACV to a pan of boiled water and lean your face over it. Cover your head with a towel for a few minutes to allow the steam to open up your pores and loosen any impurities from your skin's surface.

Commercial products on the market
Aside from the natural form of apple cider vinegar, many commercial products also exist. Such products include body washes and hair and facial products. Taking ACV in its natural state is just as beneficial if not better than these products.

A note of caution

Because apple cider vinegar is very acidic, never drink it straight. Always dilute it with water. After drinking ACV, you should rinse your mouth with water. Also, do not brush your teeth right away because it might grind the vinegar into your enamel. A great way to avoid ACV touching your teeth is to drink it with a straw. ACV tablets are a great alternative to the liquid, although they don't work as fast. Also, avoid eye contact with apple cider vinegar as the acid will burn and redden the eyes

The benefits of apple cider vinegar seem endless. These simple methods and ways of using ACV are all great and inexpensive. More importantly, they have proven methods beneficial to your body and to the environment. As long as you use it carefully and for recognized, healthy purposes, apple cider vinegar benefits will continue to reveal themselves. Try it for yourself.

Lukas Van Der Burg is a personal trainer and nutrition specialist. He provides articles for a number of places including Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits - http://www.applecidervinegarweightloss.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lucas_Van_Der_Burg

How to Stay Skinny As a French Woman in 10 Easy Steps

By Kim Steele

If you've ever been in Paris, I'm sure you have noticed that there are a lot fewer people running around with extra weight around their middles or their thighs or anywhere else. How, oh how, do those French women stay so slender?
Here are some of their tactics which you may like to adopt:

1. Start out with small bones. French people are small people naturally, their frames are narrow and not designed for carrying a lot of weight.
2. Smoke cigarettes. Ugh, I'm not serious, but it is a fact that the French in general smoke quite a bit, and it doesn't have nearly the social stigma that it does in other parts of the world. Nicotine is a strong appetite suppressant.
3. Walk. I'm not talking about putting on your sweats and tennies and heading to the park. I'm talking about your next trip to the grocery store. And guess who's carrying the groceries home? My French neighbor walks everywhere, including daily trips to the kids school and the bakery. She does that in high heels by the way!
4. Notice your food. What's that on your plate that you're eating? Take a bite and chew slowly. Comment on the flavors.
5. Eat slowly. Take hours to finish your meal.
6. Eat with your friends or if you don't have any, at least with your family. Invite the waiter to sit a while. Talk. Talk. Talk.
7. Reject your food. I have been witness to so many scenes in French restaurants where food and drink have been returned to the kitchen judged inapt for tender palates. In general the waiters do not seem to mind this one bit. In fact, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves thoroughly over the matter; a small piece of theater over a burnt corner of potato.
8. Eat full fat cheese. Seriously. Stop eating low calorie anything. Until a few years ago, you'd be hard pressed to even find a diet Coke in France.
9. Have a glass of wine with your meal, but drink it so slowly that your glass is still half full an hour later.
10. If you gain an ounce, even if it's just between your ears, complain about it pitifully. Discuss for hours on end how you just can't fit into your dress anymore. Guess French women aren't so different from other women on that point.

If you'd like to learn more about what the French eat including those wonderful, full fat types of cheese, come visit me at Easy French Food. Learn to enjoy eating like the French do and you'll be having too much fun to notice your weight!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Steele

The Secret to French Chic

By Diana Pemberton-Sikes

From fabulous food and fine wine to elegant fragrances and amazing clothes, the French have long been known for their decadent luxuries. Champagne was invented here, as was haute couture. Then there's the chocolate, paintings, and dare I say it? Kisses. Small wonder exports and tourism are staples of the French economy.

So with easy access to some of the world's most desirable goods, you'd think every French woman would have a big waistline and a huge closet. But they don't. Just as "French Women Don't Get Fat," (according to author Mireille Guiliano), chic Parisiennes don't have closets full of clothes. They don't need them.

The secret is moderation.

Paris was first settled as a fishing village more than two thousand years ago. While it's been burned, rebuilt, invaded, and occupied many times since then, the core of the city is still hundreds of years old. The roads are narrow, the buildings are old, the apartments are small. So are the closets and bathrooms. Full size refrigerators are scarce and weekly food shopping trips are unheard of. Where would you put a week's worth of groceries? For that matter, where would you store a season's worth of clothes?

You wouldn't.

You'd keep a small inventory of staples and add new things with care. If you
buy something new, something old has to go. There just isn't space for both.
So how can French women be so chic when they can't buy new things all the time?

They:
1. Learn what styles look good on them (and which don't) early on
2. Buy a handful of good quality, neutral-colored staples that they can mix and match with each other for maximum wear
3. Add one or two new trendy pieces each season and wear them out
4. Invest in high quality everyday bags and shoes
5. Have one or two high end scarves or other accessories that they wear all the time
6. Get a facial every month to keep their skin looking good
7. Maintain a fuss-free hairstyle
8. Pay cash for everything

The French, like the Germans, have a history of saving and are adverse to personal debt. To stay in budget, they don't do a lot of impulse buying, and they indulge in their local luxuries very little or in moderation. Why buy a dozen handbags in different shapes and colors when one in a neutral, basic shape does the trick?

What? Too boring, you say? Not enough variety?

Not true!

All it takes is a little imagination.

Start with basic pieces that look good on you. Find tops that fit, jackets that flatter, and pants and skirts that feel and look good.

Then study the latest fashion magazines and websites to see the latest trends. Try to re-create or simply evoke the look with pieces you ALREADY HAVE in your closet. You may just need a new jacket or some updated pants to look current. Or, maybe a new, trendy accessory can breathe new life into your old favorites. You don't have to follow every trend. Learn which styles look best on you and just update them as the seasons pass. Or, pass them by if they don't flatter.

This simple mantra is how the French look chic AND still manage to live within their budgets and with their miniscule closets. You can too. You don't have to have a big budget or a lot of clothes to dress well. All it takes is a little practice and creativity. Learn what styles look good on you, choose your pieces wisely, and wear them in many different ways until they wear out.

Or, in the words of designer Jil Sander, "Think more, buy less."

Diana Pemberton-Sikes is a wardrobe and image consultant and author of “Wardrobe Magic, an ebook that shows women how to transform their unruly closets into workable, wearable wardrobes. Visit her online at
http://www.WardrobeMagic.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Diana_Pemberton-Sikes

Want To Age Better - Learn The French Secret

By Jennifer Hughs

Market research studies have shown that French girls between 15-19 years of age are already using anti-wrinkle creams. Beauty and skin care secrets are lessons learned young in France and never shared or discussed with men, not even spouses. Makeup is kept to a minimum with the ideal being to look as natural as possible. French women feel part of the secret to beautiful aging is to not get fat. If they gain a pound or two they scale back on their food intake by dieting and pound the pavement. Exercise at a gym is generally not done - they walk!

The French woman's motto is "natural is better" and that starts with beautiful skin. A French woman doesn't have just one jar of skin cream in her medicine cabinet - she has a whole arsenal of them - with and without sunscreen, for lines and wrinkles, for hydration, and so on. French women spend about $2.5 billion a year on skin care facial treatments; as much as Spanish, German and British women put together.

French women also get facials often, however, French estheticians are far more gentle with the skin than their American counterparts. AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) are not as trendy in France as they are in the U.S. American estheticians are more aggressive with the skin, embracing the newest anti-aging technologies even if it's not yet tried and true.

You too can have great younger looking skin. Follow these guidelines for beautiful ageless skin care:

1. Use good quality products at home--products formulated for your skin type.
2.  Use sunscreen every day. 70% of how you skin ages is NOT genetics, it is how you treat it.
3. Don't smoke. Smoking robs skin cells of oxygen, resulting in dull, sallow, tired-looking skin without a healthy glow.
4. Employ a full skin care regimen - cleanse, hydrate and treat for anti-aging.
5. To keep skin glowing stay hydrated. Drink 8 glasses of water daily and use moisturizer both day and night.

If you want to age better, then treat your skin to French beauty secrets by BeautedeParis.fr skin care products. Products are clinically tested with guaranteed results.

Jennifer Hughs is the pen name for the health and lifestyles writer who is compensated by Value Marketing, Inc. d/b/a Lab88. The author has 20+ years in the cosmetic and health industries and has worked with leading beauty and health publications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Hughs

How Skin Care Treatment Between French and American Women Differ

By Heather Wolgamott

A woman's beliefs about beauty are a reflection of her society and the beauty practices that she adopts are a result of her beliefs. I recently was introduced to a French skin care line and being the skeptic that I am, I was amazed to find a difference in how it made my skin feel and look compared to other lines. When I gave myself a facial using the pearl scrub and botanical masque, my skin felt just as good as it does when I go to the spa and spend $100 or more! My skin was hydrated and smooth with more of an even skin tone. I couldn't help but wonder why French skin care products felt so different.
This is what I learned...

French women have different expectations of their skin care products then we tend to in America. The French philosophy on beauty is simply to make looking great and aging well a part of their daily life. They take more time and invest more money in maintaining healthy skin where Americans spend more time and money on covering up flaws with cosmetics and surgery. French women see their skin care as an investment in herself and will buy more skin care products then makeup. The philosophy is that skin care lasts a lifetime, while makeup lasts a day.

Americans see skin care more as a chore - a routine; however, the French see skin care as a beauty ritual. This has a lot to do with the clinical way American women view skin care, while French women often consider their time at the vanity as a pleasurable part of their day. They enjoy the smells and textures that make luxurious French skin care famous.

What makes the French products so different? It's the ingredients. So many natural ingredients that are important to skin care are grown to their fullest potential in the regions of France. It's similar to how Florida is known for producing the best oranges which in turn makes the best orange juice. It's all in the ingredients, and not only in the quality of the ingredients but in the quantity of the ingredients. Great French skin care will have a higher percentage of the "good for you" ingredients then the low to medium grade products that flood the market.

Here are some things you can expect to be included in your French-style beauty ritual:

1. Throw out the soap and other drying cleansers. The French use cleansing milks that are rich & creamy cleansers and not harsh on their skin. If you are used to using soap or a foaming cleanser, cleansing milks will feel a little different (they don't produce a lot of foam) but your face with thank you for being so gentle!

2. Don't forget to tone. Toning is a step French women do not skip. Not only is it an important step in removing residual oil or dirt, but it brings your skin to its proper PH balance preparing it for the serums and cremes that follow. If the PH balance of your skin is not in balance, your serums and cremes will not work as effectively.

3. Treat your skin to moisturizing oils - not just lotions. French women love aromatic oils. They believe in the power of oils to nourish the skin and the aromatics add to the pleasure. They really do smell so good! And the oils they use absorb quickly into the skin leaving a beautiful, healthy sheen.

4. Serums. Add a serum to your regimen. Serums are as important as cremes (moisturizers) in a French women's routine. Their beauty ritual would not be complete with one. Your serum is your power step repairing your skin from damage from your environment. Serums normally are the most expensive product in a daily skin care routine but they really do make a big difference.

5. French women believe what you put in your body effects your skin just as much as what you put on your face. They drink lots of water and eat more fruits and vegetables then Americans do. A good resource to learn more about the French diet is French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure by Mireille Guiliano.

Skin care products can add pleasure to your day and you don't have to break the budget while you indulge. There is affordable French skin care out on the market. Experience the French difference, mon chéri!

Heather Wolgamott is a Skin Care Consultant and Business Coach helping others build a rewarding business from home utilizing Votre Vu, a new work from home opportunity, as the vehicle to success.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Wolgamott
 

Ooh La La! Those French Women Certainly Know How To Wear a Scarf!

By Julie-Ann Amos

If ever there was a nation of women to be known universally for its chic elegance and sophistication, it has to be the French. Few would argue with the point that what French women don't know about fashion and style probably isn't worth knowing anyway, and so women around the world have continually sought the secret of what is a totally unmistakable look.
Some say that the French panache is something that the women of the country are born with, that it is in their genes. Others feel certain that it results from the careful attention to detail in terms of their appearance that they are taught from a very early age. Whichever is the case though, French women certainly have an uncanny knack for making foreigners feel as though they are woefully under-dressed.

Take a stroll through the streets of Paris where, of course, you will encounter the very essence of French chic and, amongst the locals at least, you will not see a single pair of sweatpants or sports sneakers. Instead, the ladies that you pass, each one carrying herself with an enviable sense of self-assurance, are much more likely to be wearing a fabulous fitted suit, skirt or dress with a pair of high-heeled black shoes which just seem to accentuate their height and slenderness. Black is their hallmark, but even when they stray from this it is most likely towards other plain or neutral shades, although these ladies are certainly far from being colorless.

Whilst they might not go in for glitz and sparkle and bold or fussy patterns, the accessories which are used by French women are typically what provide an essential splash of color. Their simple and yet exquisitely tailored outfits are often teamed with a single item which is designed to inject something of the wearer's unique personal style, and silk scarves are simply some of their favorite accessories for doing just that.

Anyone who has taken a trip to France cannot have failed to notice the penchant for women's scarves. Everywhere you look, the ladies are adorned with these stunning accessories, tied in a huge variety of ways and used about various parts of the body as well as in the hair. Although you will, of course, see them in a whole range of materials, because these fashionable ladies truly understand the meaning of quality and luxury, silk features heavily. The fine, soft texture means that it falls and drapes in such a way as to give the natural look which is so typical of their style.

Of course, no self-respecting French lady would ever wish to be seen wearing the same silk scarf as anyone else, not even if it carried a designer label, and she most certainly would not choose fake designer goods. Because her choice of accessory is primarily aimed at demonstrating her own personal style, she is much more likely to choose one of the totally unique designs which are only found on hand painted women's scarves.

Above all others, the ladies of France have truly captured the art of making the most of themselves and for anyone seeking that certain 'je ne sais quoi' which embodies their style, just bear in mind that if there is one single item which stands out as being their hallmark, it has to be the silk scarf.

Interested in silk scarves, or shawls? Visit WomenClothingToday.com to browse a gorgeous collection of scarves and shawls perfect for accessorizing or for giving as a unique gift.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie-Ann_Amos

How Do French Women Do It?

By Marjorie Paul

The first thing one notices, in the way French women dress, is their monochromatic attitude to colour. They keep their tones simple, understated and minimalistic. Most of them favour black (perfect for the majority of them as they tend to have a deep skin/hair colouring), brown, beige, khaki or white. Colour might be added through the use of accessories, usually jewellery or glasses. If you have not had a colour consultation yet, you may find it useful to treat yourself to one in order to find out your best neutral colours.

French dressing is not really about colour but more about cut. Women love an unusual and well assembled plain coloured skirt, or a jacket with an innovative design, which they usually team up with flat shoes (unlike the Italians who prefer heels). They simply understand what their contemporary - or city chic - personalities command: simplicity, quality, but also the necessity to be current, appropriate and comfortable.

The French buy less than the British, but invest in quality classical pieces of clothing that mix and match with the rest of their wardrobe and will remain in their closet for a long time. I know many French women, myself included, who keep some of their clothes for many years but who know how to bring them up to date by mixing and matching them with new accessories. Each year, they update their clothes with a new fashionable top, a new pair of shoes (or two!), a nice handbag, and some quality costume jewellery. They tend not to follow fads, but trends.

Accessories are everything. A nice watch, a good pair of sunglasses, a designer scarf, an interesting necklace or ring, a quality leather handbag and a fashionable pair of shoes are an absolute must if you wish to have a continental look. If you are not really sure how you can achieve it, you could book yourself for a style consultation with your nearest image consultant. All you might need is some guidance as to what to add to your wardrobe in order to bring that special je ne sais quoi which is so easy to obtain.

Fashion fades, only style remains the same - Coco Chanel.

Marjorie Paul BA
Image Consultant

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marjorie_Paul