Author: Debbie King

A blog about LIFE and STYLE
FUN

B Well – Saving Face!

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPF & UVA/B. Healthy Skin Care - Copy   sun2 Listen up, ski bunnies! 

You may not think you have to worry about wearing sunscreen in the winter, but the most damaging rays are still wreaking havoc on your face.  Save your skin with both UVA and UVB protection.  The latest scoop on keeping your skin happy, healthy and younger looking all year long.

When the FDA recently announced it was updating labelling guidelines for sun-protection products, beauty companies noticed.  What’s new?  The buzz is all about UVA – which has been proven to cause the most long-lasting damage to skin health.  Research shows that these rays are the real culprits behind premature wrinkles, dark spots, uneven complexion, inflammation, sagging – even skin cancer.sun1

Right now most products focus on SPF, or Sun Protection Factor as most of you know by now.  But we’re learning SPF measures only UVB levels (the rays that cause sunburn).  So if you’re concerned with aging (and really, who isn’t?), you need to tune in to UVB and UVA protection.  The problem is even if you use broad-spectrum sunscreen, which claims to protect against UVB and UVA, there’s no way of knowing just how much UVA you’re getting because standard guidelines don’t exist in North America.

Enter the FDA’s new labelling regulation, which proposes that suncare products list the UVA protection right on the bottle.  You may already be familiar with this practice if you’ve been shopping in a Paris or Tokyo drugstore, where sunscreen bottles feature one important extra symbol: PA+, PA++ or PA+++.  Also, in the U.K., they’ve embraced the Boots five-star rating

Now Health Canada is re-evaluating its labelling requirements too, and expects to establish its own guidelines for UVA protection soon.  .  Until then, look for products that have science behind them like the following:

La Roche Posay I personally recommend & use: La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ tinted extreme fluid.  It’s feels weightless, does the trick and gives a nice sheer tint.

neutrogenaAlso good & less expensive is Neutrogena age shield repair sunscreen with SPF 55.  It goes on light but doesn’t feel sticky or make your face look white.

Clinique broad spectrum moisture surge and Biotherm Skin-Vivo both with SPF 15 were also recommended by Chatelaine Magazine.

**Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health experts – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America. Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health

FUN

Gingham Style…

…and Classic Design.  FABRIC THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME:  You can resort to wearing this even if it’s not exactly considered “RESORT” wear.

Kirsten Dunst, Jackie Kennedy & Marc Jacobs shirt on model.
STYLE!  Kirsten Dunst (cute in gingham dress), Jackie Kennedy (this woman made even wearing gingham look chic)  & Marc Jacobs (a sophisticated gingham shirt on model.)  A little bit goes a long way with this fun fabric.

gingham2

Personally the design reminds me of an old fashioned Italian style picnic.  But that is why I love my gingham lined wicker picnic basket & pieces of gingham paper lined small wicker trays for storing cheese in the fridge.   In summer I sometimes wear a head scarf on the beach with denim on one side & you guessed it….gingham on the other, conjuring up images of Annette Funicello in the movie beach blanket bingo. Don’t even remember the movie but I’m sure they had loads of fun shooting it.  Gingham is a timeless piece when it’s not overdone – or It can be too cutesy.

my picnic basket needs to be filled
my picnic basket requires nice weather
Sean Connery as James Bond
Sean Connery wears a manly Gingham shirt as James Bond – nothing cutesy about him.

FYI The word “gingham” is derived from the Malay word “genggang” meaning striped. Gingham fabric first started off as a stripe pattern when it was first imported to Europe in the 17th century, but crazy folks making fabrics in Manchester England experimented with check versions.  Over time the word gingham evolved to be mostly associated with the check pattern.

gingham3

In the 50s, women wore gingham dresses, but men rarely wore gingham shirts.  We know this from watching a few episodes of Mad Men.

In 1963, James Bond (Sean Connery) sported a large blue and white gingham check shirt with his swimsuit in From Russia with Love.  Casual stuff.

At some stage (guessing it was in the 70s) someone designed a tablecloth with this pattern and became very successful.  Since then gingham has been cursed with the name “table cloth pattern”.gingham3 - images for italian style

In the 80s and 90s, bankers never took gingham seriously. Neither Patrick Bateman nor Gordon Gekko would even consider wearing it to work.

Even Nike has a cool gingham print
Even Nike has a cool Gingham style print

At some stage, perhaps due to marketing of Ralph Lauren, gingham dress shirts went mainstream.  Natty British socialites wore them to rugby matches.  Suburban WASPS embraced gingham as the perfect shirt to wear under their blue blazer with their white pants when they went to the country club.  Glenn Beck wore them on TV.  Frat boys wore them to class.  Now wearing a shirt or dress can be fashionable when kept simple.

Fun Fact: DorothyDorothy wore a blue gingham dress in the Wizard of Oz –  One of my all time favorite movies.

Research taken from “The Proper Cloth.”

 

Food + Drink

Argentinian Chimichurri

Flavourful Chimmichuri
Flavorful Chimichurri Sauce

This FRESH HERB Chimichurri is what is commonly used for steak sauce in Argentina and there’s a good chance it may make you leave your regular one behind.

Make it in a blender, food processor or with a mortar.  But whatever you do don’t do as I once did camping where chopping everything up by hand with a not too sharp knife became very time consuming.  You can make this a few hours or even a day ahead so the flavors really start to meld.  To be enjoyed on steak, fish, chicken, macaroni even sandwiches.

½ cup chopped cilantro, packed

½ cup parsley, packed

¼ cup of olive oil

1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. best quality red wine vinegar

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. crushed chillies

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

Cut all ingredients as small as humanly possible to make a nice rustic sauce, or better yet pulse in blender or food processor a few times. chimmi2 - Copy

Best served with grilled skirt steak.  Cut meat across the grain into thin slices and serve with sauce in between slices.

Here is an equally delicious smoky red version of same sauce:

1 small red onion, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup of aged sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. pureed chipotle in adobo (smoked chillies canned in red sauce)

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 Cup of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbps. Finely chopped fresh oregano

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Send me your feedback after you make it.

Check my Food Folder out on Pinterest –  http://pinterest.com/intrigueimports/

FUN

Animal Quotes

Animals by nature are reliable, full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to.
Alfred A. Montapertcatand hare

I like animals because they are not consciously cruel and don’t betray each other.
Taylor Caldwell

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated – Mahatma Gandhi

He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals – Immanuel Kant

Waiting for Adoption
Waiting for Adoption

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals – George Orwell

We have abolished the death penalty for humans, so why should it continue for animals?
Brigitte Bardot

All animals, except man, know that the principal business of life is to enjoy it.           Samuel Butler

Humans are the only animals that have children on purpose with the exception of guppies, who like to eat theirs. P. J. O’Rourke.  **Well at least they product their own food source.

Ever occur to you why some of us can be so concerned with animals suffering? Because the government is not. Why not? Animals don’t vote – Paul Harey

Wild animals never kill for sport – only people but they are NOT good sports for doing so.

cheetah making a run for itMore amazing animals on my Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/intrigueimports/

FUN

B Well with Spice Rack Remedy Superstars

spicesDID YOU KNOW that your kitchen counter might already hold the cure for what ails you?

Since time immemorial, humans have used spices to better their food and their bodies.  Our ancestors knew which spices would settle an upset stomach, relieve inflammation, and more.  Now studies have finally proven that whether you’ve got achy muscles, a cold that just won’t quit, or a case of the blues, reaching for a natural healer may be just what the doctor ordered.

CORIANDER (or CILANTRO) in its leafy form is a powerful bacteria fighter.  The oil from coriander seeds (which destroys cells by damaging their membranes and interfering with cellular respiration) is effective in wiping out strains from E. coli to salmonella.  You can add the seeds from everything from fruit salad to pasta.  You can dry toast them for a minute and toss them with olive oil and quinoa.

CINNAMON may lower your diabetes risk by triggering enzymes that stimulate insulin receptors and inhibiting enzymes that deactivate them.  It can improve cells’ ability to absorb glucose from the blood.  It has also been found to reduce triglycerides and harmful cholesterol.  I add about half a teaspoon to my coffee in the morning but you can also use it for savory dishes like lamb & tomato soup.

TUMERIC  is thought to have cancer fighting properties.  UCLA researchers have found that curcumin, an antioxidant in the spice, can help prevent and treat head and neck cancers by blocking a protein that promotes tumor growth.  That same protein causes joint inflammation, so curcumin could also reduce arthritis risk.  Use not only in Indian dishes but you can add a bit to lemonade for an extra dash of tartness or things like hummus for a sunny burst of color.

GARLIC helps protect your immune system by boosting production of infection-fighting white blood cells.  Allicin, garlic’s main active component, is thought to block enzymes that lead to viral infections.  We all know what we can use garlic on……almost everything.  Try driizzling a head of garlic with olive oil, roast it, then squeeze and spread the cloves on your sandwiches.

SAFFRON might help alleviate mild to moderate mood depression.  In a 2005 study, saffron supplements (didn’t know they did supplements) were as effective as a common anti-depressent in reducing depressive symptoms.  In a 2008 study, 76 percent of women who took saffron capsules daily reported a 50 percent drop in PMS symptoms like mood swings and fatigue.  Steep saffron in any liquid to infuse whatever you’re cooking with its flavor.  I love it with rice or quinoa.

GINGER has anti-inflammatory properties.  It blocks serotonin receptors in the small intestine so it can help keep you from feeling nauseated or throwing up.  A study has shown that it also helps in reducing muscle pain from exercise.  You can saute fresh ginger with veggies, fish or chicken.  Steeping ginger in hot water is great for tea.  Just add a bit of honey. I usually add it to fresh juice for a little zip.

Taken from “Feeling Good” an article by Nicole Frehsée for “O” Magazine.

Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America. Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health
FUN

Let’s forget the superstition and make 2013 just a SUPER YEAR!

calendaryearWe arrive every year at what our calendars deem to be the beginning of THE NEW YEAR with the optimists looking forward to it with delight and anticipation and the pessimists who dread it, worrying about the future.  Hey it’s just a calendar! calanderyear4 Why not take it in stride, laugh with it, laugh at it, but, most of all: LAUGH – and laugh out loud so the whole world can hear you!

HONORING NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

The reason we rarely follow through on resolutions is because of four annoying facts:

The first fact is that we get too grandiose in our goals, creating too many high hurdles for ourselves to achieve.

The second fact is that we fail to take those resolutions and break them down into much smaller goals that are easier to achieve.

The third fact is we allow those striving goals to drag on far too long, killing our enthusiasm that began the journey in the first place. Choose goals that can be achieved in short spurts of time like a few days or a few weeks. Once you let it drag on too long it is easy to get discouraged and then you end up abandoning your resolution.

And the fourth fact? Waiting all year long to suddenly make a course correction is like taking an old ruin of a 100 year old house and finally deciding to renovate it and so it becomes a dizzying course of action.

2013 ADVICE AND TIPS

Do yourself a favor; make small personal Life corrections all year long and then you can celebrate how much progress you’ve made for the year. Instead of piling a “To Do List” onto yourself at the beginning of a new calendar year, celebrate with a “Finished List” like a birthday celebration of good things. That way you celebrate what is best about yourself instead of worrying about what is not perfect.

Treat yourself kindly, make small personal Life corrections often all year long and then you can breathe a sigh of smug relief when each NEW YEAR begins!                           Excerpts taken from thesocialpoets.blogspot.ca

A few quotes to begin the New Year:

Anonymous
Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.

Jay Leno
Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.

P. J. O’Rourke
The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year’s Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you’re married to.

Bill Vaughan
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

Oprah Winfrey
Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right.

 We’ve been given lots of chances so let’s hope we make it right this year!

FUN

GOD’s Top 10 New Years Resolutions

Author and humorist, James Napoli, recently interviewed GOD.

“Hi, everyone, it’s me, God. Hey, I’m just like anyone else. I feel the need to take stock of things as we bid farewell to the year just passed and usher in the year ahead. I hope you will find some inspiration in knowing that I have issues, the same as all of you, and that I, too, resolve to make some changes and take up some self-improvement over the next 365 days. Which of these resolutions I break remains to be seen, but if you came up with ten, what do you think your success rate would be? Have a wonderful year, my people!”

Here are GOD’s top 10 New Years Resolutions: 

1. Get on Instagram:  god Can you mere mortals even conceive of the jaw-dropping photographic images I can create whenever I bloody well feel like it? And I’ve got artsy filters you can only dream about. Facebook is going to want a piece of these soul-stirring shots, so move over, shutterbugs. Oh, and if it’s any incentive, I will endeavor to respond personally to every comment you post.                       

2. Start a Viral Dance Craze:goddance It was pretty inspiring when the Gangnam Style dude knocked Justin Bieber off the top of YouTube’s most-viewed videos list. So, I figure if anyone can arrange to get a billion hits, it’s me. Still working out what to call this one, though. Maybe RodnStaff Skank or GodGod Style. Either way, the back up dancers, as you can see, are killer.

3. Update My Privacy Settings:  I need to start taking care of myself and not be available every time you petition me with some half-baked demand. Of course, as bad as it is to be hassled with friend requests, what’s even worse is all these nut jobs posting to my wall.

4. Get Off The Anti-Depressants:  I remember when my shrink first prescribed these things. It felt like the perfect way to even out my thinking after countless years of dealing with the stress of controlling your sad little lives every day. Now who’s got the sad little life? This year, no more selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for this deity, I can promise you that.

5. Make An Amends:  god1You think you have it tough going back over your history and seeing who you might have pissed off? It’s a good thing eternity means nothing to me, because I’m going to need it.

6. Reconsider Free Will:  I just never know what you whack jobs are going to do with it.

7. Retire ‘OMG’: godomgThe fact is, you lazy, slothful humans, with just four more letters you could return this acronym to all the glory of its original full-length phrase. I don’t like to make threats (transcribed evidence to the contrary), but if you don’t put the ‘God’ back in ‘OMG’ real soon, you will be SOL.

8. Win an Oscar:  godoscarGiven how your stewardship of the planet has made it especially easy to futz around with the weather, I feel I have been unjustly overlooked for Outstanding Achievement in Special Effects for way too long now. And as a Supporting Actor (Or actress, I’m not telling), you have to admit my presence (or lack thereof, depending on your predilections) has played a pretty significant role in the movie of your sinful little life

9. Start Some New End-Of-The-World Rumors:  From what I saw of how you reacted to the predictions of my Mayan friends, you people seem to need some kind of Sword of Damocles hanging over your morbid little heads. And God knows (LOL) there are tons of other ancient calendars out there. So, just to make sure we get a little mileage out of this, I’m saying the Apocalypse will hit next on June 8, 2017. See you then!

10. Stop Helping Sports Teams Win:  This has gone on long enough, ladies and gentlemen. You’re always giving me a shout-out whenever you make a touchdown or score a free throw. Sure, every once in a while I happen to be floating by and I decide to give you a leg-up, but most of the time I have a lot more important things to do than make sure you open a can of whoop ass on the competition. From now on, you’re on your own.

Well there you have it straight from the man himself.  Whatever you do for God’s sake make it a good & prosperous New Year!

 

 

FUN

RESOLUTIONS…2013

happynewyear2 - CopyRES·O·LU·TION: (a noun) –  a firm decision to do or not to do something.    

As in today I’m going to the gym but on my way to said destination I decide to stop for a vanilla latte & scone.…then end up not going at all.

The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination…..I really wanted that scone.

Resolving to do something…..I’ll go to the gym tomorrow.

A course of action determined or decided on…..I decided to go tomorrow instead.

Are you making any for 2013?  You might want to know YOU’RE NOT ALONE!           Check back tomorrow to find out what GOD’s resolutions are for the New Year.