January 2021 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Sunday Supplement: NAC

To someone reading this for the first time: this new addition to my overall site started as I decided to take stock of whatever vitamins/supplements would be the most beneficial to help strengthen our immune systems, especially during Covid. I refer to them as Covid Combatants… although taking vitamins alone is not enough of a prevention for getting the virus, and it’s meant for generally healthy people to begin with. I also believe that during this time we may all benefit from boosting our intake of superfoods/vitamins/minerals that we otherwise might not have needed so much of in our pre-pandemic world.

As I’m no authority on the subject (although my brother *Brad King is a leading health expert, and my science writer boyfriend is a supplement enthusiast), I urge you to do your own research and/or check with your health practitioner before starting a new regimen. There can be upsides and downsides to taking too much or too little of anything. So having said all that…here is a narrowed down version of a supplement I knew little about until recently.

It’s called NAC (N-Acetyl-Cysteine) – and it helps support cardiovascular and respiratory health, as well as alleviate asthma-related symptoms. Whenever I begin to get run down I develop a low-grade asthma and have to use an inhaler. This usually happens once a year during cold/flu season. Since taking my extra supplements for almost a year now, I have luckily (and thus far) not experienced any asthmatic symptoms.

NAC is popular among athletes, and anyone who wants to improve their physical performance. It can help lengthen the time to fatigue, meaning that you don’t get tired as fast due to NAC’s ability to manage lactic-acid build-up. NAC seems to be most effective for medium-intensity exercises.

Protecting Our Cells – means protecting ourselves.

Because NAC has been used for decades as an aid to boost athletic performance, and to help improve lung health, it has become a popular supplement with an excellent safety record with a large body of research behind it. So, it’s easy to see why many better-informed health practitioners are recommending daily NAC supplementation to help safeguard folks from developing severe cases of Covid-19, which are known to cause serious respiratory distress issues.

Your body uses NAC as a precursor in making Glutathione, one of the more potent antioxidant nutrients that help quench free radicals thereby preventing oxidative stress in cells.

Glutathione is also thought to have neuro-protective properties and operate like a neurotransmitter, thus potentially contributing to the promotion of mood and overall mental health.

While the components that give rise to L-Glutathione can be found in various foods, especially particular meat and dairy products, taking NAC will help your body produce it in larger amounts. NAC is especially recommended for anyone following a vegan or vegetarian diet.

NAC is known to help protect the liver from the effects of certain toxins. NAC is so effective in protecting the liver from damage that it is sometimes given to patients in acetaminophen (paracetamol) overdose cases. NAC may also be useful in preventing damage to the kidneys, and it’s often used in conjunction with medications that may harm the internal organs.

If you happen to be searching for NAC to help you improve immunity or respiratory health, remember it is a safe amino-acid that can be taken in combination with other nutraceuticals.**

NAC is available on prescription for specific conditions, but you can also buy it over-the-counter as a food supplement.

*Brad King – is an award winning nutritional formulator and was honored with the Best in Canada Award for Health Motivator/Educator and Public Speaker in 2010, was inducted into the Canadian Sports Nutrition Hall of Fame in 2003 and sits on the board of Directors for CHI the premiere sports nutrition education center.

Brad is the author of 10 books including the international best seller, Fat Wars 45 Days to Transform Your Body and the award winning Beer Belly Blues: What Every Aging Man and the Women in His Life Need to Know . He’s been interviewed on numerous TV shows some of which include “The Today Show”, “Canada AM” and “Balance TV” and featured in many magazines articles.

**Caveat: Some recent research has raised questions about NAC’s ultimate safety, so some cautions are warranted. For more on these reservations, see: “N-Acetyl Cysteine: A Warning Shot”, Derek Lowe 4 October, 2019. Science Magazine.

Source:

How Long Does It Take for NAC Supplements to Work?

**Life Extension** is a preference of mine – available in the USA – can order online into Canada. However there are many companies that provide NAC, e.g. AOR.

beauty

No ordinary company

Here’s something refreshingly abnormal…

Photo: d. king

An umbrella of brands focused on advanced functional beauty.

Recently I’ve been introduced to an abnormal beauty company through a beautiful friend of mine. Someone who’s advice I trust and who, like myself, has tried a lot of different skincare + makeup products. She lives in LA and orders her products online because the company resides in Canada Whaaat??

The company is called Deciem (inspired by the Latin word decima, which means “tenth”) – a Canadian company originating from Toronto. Deciem’s tagline is “The Abnormal Beauty Company.” The brand of products she’s referring to are called “the ordinary.” But the best thing about the ordinary is not ordinary at all, especially in the overpriced, over marketed beauty industry of today: the line is marketed with effective products at very reasonable prices. You had me at effective and reasonable.

Photo: d. king Store Location: South Granville, Vancouver.

Since I do not like to waste what I have not yet finished, I only bought three of their products for now – a surface hydration formula called “Natural Moisturizing Factors+HA, Hyaluronic Acid 2%+B5 and Retinol in Squalene (starts at 2% plus). The hyaluronic acid & retinol are in dropper bottles.

Allure Magazine has this to say: the company is shaping up to be a serious player in the beauty biz. Deciem’s portfolio of products includes affordable skincare, makeup, supplements, and haircare items designed to appeal to a wide audience, including millennial skin-care geeks, people who dabble in injectables, and beauty editors like me alike.

In an industry that’s often called out for dubious behavior, like misleading ads, indecipherable ingredient lists, and questionable claims, a refreshingly transparent beauty brand like Deciem naturally stands out.

I’m already hooked.

Here’s an article on the founder himself taken from Allure Magazine:

https://www.allure.com/story/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-deciem#:~:text=Its%20unconventional%20founder%2C%20Brandon%20Truaxe,doesn’t%20operate%20like%20a

About the Company:

https://deciem.com/

Have you tried any of their products?

STYLE

Style: on Track

Referring to the track suit as casual weekend wear. Remember them? Like many things, they’re coming back.

Paris Hilton & Kim Kardashian. Photo: Courtesy of SKIMS for Vogue Magazine (October 2020)

After all, they’ve had a successful track record (pun intended) in the past. They were a wardrobe staple for so long that we took them for granted. Then they seemingly disappeared, until the need for covid coziness combined with fashion brought this classic option back.

I loved the ubiquitous ~~lazy~~ comfy fit. Not talking sloppy; more like the “Juicy Couture” loosely fitted style that was so popular in the 90’s. There were of course many knock-offs, but the Juicy label looked the best. You could consider them the Lululemon of the track suit world.

When Juicy Couture took over the trend landscape in the late 1990s, original founders Gela-Nash Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy knew from the get-go they were poking fun at high fashion. But many women and tons of celebrities wore them as an essential, comparable to the skinny jean or leggings.

Britney Spears (in)famously had a custom set made for all her bridesmaids ahead of her marriage to Kevin Federline. Unfortunately for her, the tracksuit outlasted their marriage.

You could say that Velour Tracksuits are also making a comeback! I’m happy about that because I just bought a pair of flared track pants (with added front seams) from a company in Los Angeles called Garbe Luxe. They come in velour or soft bamboo cotton fleece which I first saw in Palm Springs and really wanted, but they were sold out. I was lucky to get a pair recently sent to me. I must admit I wasn’t sure about wearing velour at first but I guess what goes around comes around. And they make my butt look good.

https://**garbeluxe.com/**collections/pants/products/giselle-track-pant

Photo: Courtesy of SKIMS for Vogue Magazine – link below

Garbe Luxe – Casual flared track pants with added front seams make the Giselle Track Pant extra special.

Vogue Article:

https://www.vogue.com/article/skims-velour-collection-kim-kardashian-west-paris-hilton

How do you feel about this look? HIT or MISS?

Butt then again; they’re not for everyone.

Food + Drink

Gluten-Free Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies are simply delicious!

I’ve never adhered to a totally gluten-free diet, however I’ve been experimenting with changing original recipes by trying to make them taste as good, or better by making them gluten-free. That’s mainly because eating gluten-free foods makes me feel less full and less bloated.

This recipe originally called for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. *Oat flour gives baked goods more flavor than regular all purpose flour, though it may also give them a chewier and crumblier texture.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 cups oat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. allspice

2 cups gluten-free rolled oats

1-2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and 2 tsp. water and beat until smooth.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add to the butter mixture and mix well. Fold in oats and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving enough space for the cookies to spread out. Bake approx. 10-15 minutes, until golden.

Makes about 2 dozen good size cookies

*Not only is oat flour packed with antioxidants, it also has more protein and fat than most traditional flours, and up to 8g of fiber per half-cup serving. One half-cup serving of oat flour contains: 191% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of manganese. 41% of the RDI of phosphorus.

The gluten conundrum

By now you’ve heard of gluten, and you probably even know it’s the wheat protein that gives bread and other foods their shape and texture. But going gluten-free when you don’t have a diagnosed wheat allergy or celiac disease doesn’t promise weight loss or better health, according to science. That hasn’t stopped millions of people from giving the diet a try. Experts recommend consulting your primary health-care provider before making any drastic changes to your diet. Check out some reasons you should not go gluten-free.

Art + Design

Tile Story

I’ve always had a thing for old world tiles.

This kitchen belongs to Diane Keaton – taken from *Introspective Magazine*

Tiles invoke a certain era and impression. I’ve collected tiles from various travels and integrate them on walls, doors and floors around my home. They take me back to that place in time.

Have you ever wondered how people first started making tiles?

the below was taken from https://artsaics.com

The history of tiles is a long and winding tale that starts in Egypt, circa 10,000 B.C., around the time of the pyramids. From there it went into Babylon, Assyria and the ancient Persian Empire.

After that, the Greeks and Romans took over this ancient art and made it their own with fine mosaics that lined the floors and walls of their bath houses, luxury villas, and temples. Around 206 BC, the Chinese got in on the act with their contribution to ceramics: porcelain.

However, they were mostly isolated from other cultures. It wasn’t until much later that Europe began using ceramics and soon they would be incorporated into their churches and palaces too.

Today, modern stone masons have taken tile making to a high art, just as when it started in Egypt, to allow the average homeowner to explore the wonders of this ancient art.

As can be seen, in every age and country, tiles were modified and improved and the technology grew over time to create even new possibilities. In Egypt, the humble terracotta and limestone tiles became ceramic works of art that survive to today. The Romans may have made stone mosaics available to the adoring eyes of the Roman public, but it wasn’t until the British started mass-producing ceramics that the ordinary person began to be able to use them in their homes.

Today’s newer waterjet technologies now allows anyone to cut stone tiles that would have been considered miraculous in earlier ages. Thus, it is easy to surmise this art will continue to develop even further as new materials and technologies transform it over time.

How do you feel about tiles?

Health + LifeStyle

Sunday Supplement: Magnificent Magnesium

My main purpose in adding this health section to my site was brought on by the Coronavirus. I took an interest in researching whatever extra protection might prevent me and those I care about from getting a serious case of Covid. I’ve been learning a lot in the process and realize that there are many components to overall health. Having said this, I’m not a fanatic in any sense about taking high dosages of just anything and everything I see on the shelves. I’m only sharing what I deem to be the most important missing pieces of a complicated puzzle. Of course, our bodies are very complex propositions, but what I know for sure is what you know too – those of us with a weakened immune system are the first to get knocked down. I started with Vitamin D last week. Now let’s check out several more Covid Combatants starting with…

Foods containing natural magnesium. Chocolate, banana, cocoa, nuts, avocados, broccoli, almonds.

MAGNESIUM may be the MOST important mineral/electrolyte in the body. Indeed, if you were forced to only take one nutritional supplement, Magnesium would likely be your best bet. That’s because no other single nutrient plays as many roles as Magnesium as it’s essential to 300+ (some claim the numbers to be much higher) enzymatic reactions.

(Health Secrets) After oxygen, water, and basic food, magnesium may be one of the most important elements needed by our bodies. It is vital for heart health, bone health, mental function and overall body maintenance.

Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium, and it regulates all three of them. Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is magnesium that is actually most important in building strong bones and preventing bone loss. Recent research has revealed that lack of this mineral may put your heart and your overall health at significant risk. This research also found that a deficiency may be linked to cognitive dysfunction and mental decline.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of magnesium for adults is 420 milligrams (mg) per day. Yet that’s an average amount since it depends on a number of other factors such as one’s body weight, level of physical activity and the amount of sugar one consumes. Generally speaking, the heavier you are, the more active you are, and the more sugar you consume, the more your body needs on a daily basis.

So what are the best food sources of Magnesium? High-fiber foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, unrefined grains, nuts and beans. Yet since so many North American diets are lacking in this regard, it should come as no surprise that most diets are 40-80% deficient. Most people can get enough magnesium by eating the right foods but If you’re concerned about low magnesium, ask your doctor for a blood test, preferably an RBC (red blood cell) magnesium test.

*Magnesium is needed for many cellular metabolism tasks. It’s involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body. Muscles need this mineral to contract; nerves need it to send and receive messages. It keeps your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong.

However, low magnesium intake is relatively common.

It’s primarily found in people who follow a typical Western diet, one containing lots of processed foods and refined grains while lacking in leafy green vegetables and legumes, which provide magnesium and other important nutrients.

**The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium for adults is 310–420 mg depending on age and gender.

I eat exceptionally well and supplement with an additional 300 (sometimes less) mg of Magnesium Citrate daily.

But every individual is different. The table below shows the recommended daily allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI) of magnesium for adults, infants, and children.

Age	Male	Female
Birth to 6 months (AI)	30 mg	30 mg
7–12 months (AI)	75 mg	75 mg
1–3 years (RDA)	80 mg	80 mg
4–8 years (RDA)	130 mg	130 mg
9–13 years (RDA)	240 mg	240 mg
14–18 years (RDA)	410 mg	360 mg
19–30 years (RDA)	400 mg	310 mg
31–50 years (RDA)	420 mg	320 mg
51+ years (RDA)	420 mg	320 mg

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency:

The symptoms of magnesium deficiency are usually subtle unless your levels become severely low. If you believe you may have a magnesium deficiency, your suspicions can be confirmed with a simple blood test.

You may have a deficiency if you feel the following…

Muscle spasms, cramps or pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, insomnia, anxiety, headaches, heart arrhythmia, osteoporosis, nausea, weakness, decreased appetite.

As magnesium deficiency worsens, symptoms may include: numbness and tingling.

Here’s an excellent book on the subject written by a medical doctor and researcher who is considered to be the world’s leading expert on the actions and uses of this vital mineral.

Source:

*Harvard Medical:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-you-should-know-about-magnesium2

** Healthline.com (for different types of Magnesium Supplements):

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-dosage#recommendations-by-age

Health + LifeStyle

Feel-good Friday: Happy Feet

Well if this isn’t feel good then I don’t know what is!

Replenishing your well-being, from your toe to your soul.

A one hour reflexology foot massage is what I’m talking about. With a glass of champagne for added relaxation.

ToeToSoul Relax Lounge opened its doors with a fresh new outlook on reflexology and massage therapy – they say with an aim to infuse the chic and luxurious lifestyle of modern urbanities with the promotion of bodily health and soulful relaxation. Sounds good. Only problem is…I could get hooked on this!

While unwinding in a luxurious leather recliner, pressure is applied to reflex points on the feet that correspond to vital organs and glands in the body. This helps reduce body tension, increase blood circulation, restore nerve function, and establish balance within the body.

Relax, Rejuvenate, Refresh, Repeat.

https://www.toetosoul.com/

fyi – my sister supplied the bubbly and treated me to my latest addiction

Have a soulful weekend!

beauty

Don’t forget to wear your mask at night too

No, no; don’t worry…I’m not talking about that mask. It’s enough that we have to wear those masks everywhere as is. I’m talking about an overnight face/lip mask that’s like a breath of fresh air. One where you’ll wake up with much softer skin. Who wouldn’t love that?

One from a Korean luxury beauty company called Laneige. You should know that the Koreans are taking over as a leader for innovative beauty products. They’ve been quietly doing this for quite some time. They’re pretty darn good at making other things too, like cars for instance (which maybe are not so beautiful as much as they’re practical – but that’s another story).

LANEIGE is extremely popular throughout Asia. Meaning “the snow” in French, Laneige pursues water science as its philosophy to help women achieve a radiant, dewy complexion.

I first found out about this company when I went to choose my VIP birthday gift from Sephora this month. There were three different popular and useful sets to choose from. I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone who’s shopped at Sephora at one time or another is considered a VIP. And once you start racking up points there’s no turning back. But It’s a nice incentive on your birthday month and a chance to try different products. Otherwise I wasn’t wanting for anything. I already had full size products of their two other gift sets (former beauty junkie that I am was). So I went for the overnight masks since my skin is drier in winter. And I’m loving them. Especially the lip mask. I’m really picky with everything lip products as my lips are very dry and this one is one of the best I’ve ever tried. I’ll tell you about my favorite hydrating lip color another time.

LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask

Recharge dehydrated skin while you sleep with this quick absorbing, deeply hydrating mask. Formulated with highly concentrated Hydro Ionized Mineral Water to deliver high doses of moisture to stressed, parched skin. Calming Sleepscent™, infused with orange flower, rose, and sandalwood provides a relaxing and comforting scent while apricot and evening primrose extracts helps visibly brighten and purify fatigued skin.

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

What is it? A leave-on lip mask that soothes and moisturizes for smoother, more supple lips. Lip Sleeping Mask has a softening balm texture that closely adheres to lips for quick absorption. Enriched with vitamin C and antioxidants, its Berry Mix Complex offers a nutritiously sweet and fragrant blend of raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, and blueberry extracts to indulge the senses. Very much like a smoothie for your lips.

btw I’m guilty of using this daytime too.

For more info visit:

https://www.laneige.com/

Health + LifeStyle

Canine Cuisine

Cooking for your canine is easier, healthier and cheaper than you think.

If you’ve only fed your dog kibble since the very start, then I would recommend starting off slowly with so-called “people food.” But the word “people food” is nonsense because pet food companies convinced people that pet food (kibble and canned) should be the only food your pet should ever eat. It’s not!

But I’m not knocking all commercial pet food. I also feed my dog kibble. There are some good quality ones to choose from depending on your dog’s age, size and breed. It’s just that not all pet food is a healthy option. Same with our food choices; we have to read labels. Unfortunately for them, they depend on us to do the reading.

Having said that, many dogs enjoy eating their regular pet food (and what they don’t know cannot hurt them) but wait until you introduce something fresh into the mix – their tails will wag and it’ll be such a nice change. Imagine how boring it would be to eat the same thing every single day? I would hate that!

Many of you may not agree with me, but your dog will definitely approve – on that you can bet!

Weighing out the options of wet, dry and homemade:

If we serve dogs dry food only, their food gratification could be lost because a biscuit will never be as appealing as wet food. Dry food doesn’t contain some of the “natural” nutritional benefits of wet food, such as vitamins and minerals because it’s more processed.

If we just feed our dog wet food, we could lose the many benefits associated with chewing – our furry friend would eat the meal much faster avoiding mastication, which is the first stage of digestion. In addition, soft food does not massage the gums, which helps when dogs are teething, nor does it help with dental cleaning.

Best Option: feed your pup both dry and wet food to take advantage of the positive features of each option. That’s what I do for Layla. She gets dry in the morning and wet homemade in the evening. My vet told me that whatever I’m doing for her, keep doing it.

Here’s an easy, relatively inexpensive recipe:

This recipe I found on the internet is a good base to start with. I sometimes substitute turkey for boiled or roasted chicken and switch up the veggies. They can safely eat red bell pepper, snap peas, asparagus and yams, cooked and cut into bite size pieces. I have checked beforehand to make sure all these foods are safe for our furry friends.

1 1/2 cups *brown rice.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
3 pounds ground turkey.
2 cups baby **spinach, chopped.
2 carrots, shredded.
1 zucchini, shredded.
(sometimes I chop the carrots and zucchini)
1/2 cup peas, canned or frozen.

Make sure all is properly cooked. Then you can divide it into portions which may last days or even a week or more. You can freeze them too.

Another good option is cooked beef liver which contains vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc, essential fatty acids, and more. Liver cleanses the blood of toxins and supports healthy vision. It’s also a nutrient boost for dogs that have been injured or sick. Cooked salmon contains Omega-3’s. You can buy them frozen in pieces (wild with skin-on is best).

You can safely feed your dog 1/2-3/4 of a cup of food for every 25 pounds of body weight. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, you need to remember that homemade dog food is much more nutrient-dense than most commercial diets.

*Costco sells an ancient wild rice blend (with quinoa, lentils, wild & brown rice) which is a healthy option.

**Check to make sure you dog can eat spinach. Some breeds should only have it sparingly and on occasion.

Canines can also eat the following, and as usual; everything in moderation:

Plain, low-fat Greek yogurt.
Mild cheese such as mozzarella.
Cooked white or sweet potatoes.
Cooked eggs, such as scrambled eggs.
Rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed. They can easily choke on the bones.
Google to check on which cooked or raw fresh vegetables they can safely eat. You’ll be surprised to find out how many choices they have.

If you’ve never fed them homemade, give it a go. They already love you…but they’ll love you that much more.

THINKAboutit

Monday Mood: Color Therapy

Ever notice how certain colors make you feel?

From calming to invigorating and everything in between…while some just make you want to scream. Colors definitely have an effect on our mood. Maybe that’s why so many of us experience mood swings?

Remember the mood ring? Me neither. The ring apparently changed color depending on your mood. When it went black you knew you were in trouble. When it turned red you knew you were in love. I mean without wearing the ring how would you know how you felt?

Well now I’m poking fun. But really, I’m looking into the psychology of color more seriously now because I want to re-paint two of the rooms in my house. My bedroom walls because I have to, and my office space because I want to.

I’ve lived in the same house for 20 years now and in all that time I’ve only felt like changing the color in only one room – upstairs bathroom. It was a boring neutral beige tone and now it’s not. One wall in that bathroom is now turquoise but it works. I just found out that turquoise is associated with meanings of refreshment, feminine energy, sophistication, wisdom, serenity, wholeness, creativity, emotional balance, good luck, spiritual grounding, friendship, love, joy, tranquility, patience, intuition, and loyalty. Yes; I’m listening!

That’s a lot of explanation for one color. And to think that I only painted it that color because I came across a small can of paint in my garage and thought “I’ll try to use this somewhere – how about my bathroom?”

All the rooms in my place are painted in the colors of the landscape and design found in the Southwest desert. They’re all rich, warm tones. I never tire of them.

My office space is actually a reconverted closet. You would never know it unless I pointed that out. Then you’d look at it again and say “ah, now I see why you have such a small workspace.”

But it’s a really good use of space because when you think about it, you only need little space to put a desk with laptop and a printer, an always hungry paper shredder and few other items. That’s the room I want to now have fun with. Right now it’s a warm yellowish tone but I’ve recently been thinking of having it painted red, or somewhere in that spectrum.

When a spiritual sign appears in your life that is red, it usually represents that you are ready to take action on a new goal or project that you have been putting off. How about that? I’m ready.

I’ve been checking out color therapy too for ideas. Color therapy uses these powers of color to heal, energize, and soothe us. Let’s have fun with this.

If you want to look into it on a deeper level here’s a link:

What Is Color Therapy, What Is It For, And Is It Right For Me?

https://www.regain.us/advice/therapist/what-is-color-therapy-what-is-it-for-and-is-it-right-for-me/

LUSCHER COLOR TEST – It might be fun to take this test:

The Luscher color test is based on the assumption the unconscious colors’ choice often reflects a person’s focus on a certain activity, mood, the most stable personality traits, and the functional human state.

https://psycho-tests.com/test/lusher-color