SkinnyGirl

UP Beauty Online

        “Really, I don't care if people think I'm too skinny. This is my body. If they don't like it, screw it.

                                                                                   ~ Ellen Pompeo

You know that we think looking and being fit is the new skinny, but with that said, there seems to be some skinny bashing out there that needs to be addressed. Let’s be clear, we agree partially with the above quote, or at least a slightly watered down version. Our body is our own responsibility, and since we all have free will as an undeniable human right, assuming we are not causing harm to ourselves or another, if we choose to be skinny, then so be it. Some occupations, believe it or not, to some degree depend on it. Take the curious case of Bethenny Frankel, owner, founder and the face of her Skinnygirl brand.

Granted, in the bikini shots that seem to be drawing the ire of skinny bashers, Bethenney looks pretty tight, skinny perhaps, but in her defense, she is very fit and toned. I would personally term her ripped, toned, muscular, fit or having low body fat over skinny. And by no means does she look sickly skinny, if you know what we mean. The term skinny itself is nothing more than observational terminology or an interpretive judgment, and regardless of how we get there, it ends up being a label we put on someone. Personally, if I had a Skinnygirl company and was the face and personality of the brand, I’d look just like her if I could (although I may be missing some key DNA chains contained in Ms. Frankel’s genetic code, as well as an off switch when it comes to certain indulgences).

Bethenney Frankel’s Side of the Story

First, this is not the only time Bethenney, 44, has been taken to task over her weight. As a matter of fact, it seems to be a recurring theme. But this time she fired back. Speaking with her friend Meredith Vieira on TV, she tossed out a few retaliatory bombs. Apparently she was ill over the Holidays (the bikini picture in question was snapped shortly thereafter) and as she disclosed this to Meredith, she asked, “Do I look bad? Do I look like I need to eat a burger”?

Just as we do, Meredith told her she thought she looked great. “I don’t know. I feel like who cares, they are always going to say something,” replied Bethenny. “I do have a brand called Skinnygirl so I am going to get beaten up for it. It would be bad if I was overweight and had a brand called Skinnygirl, could you imagine?”  

Meredith retorted, “Now that would be ridiculous.” And if it seems like Meredith was just being a ‘yes man’ (excuse the term) during the interview, she wasn’t. Bethenney and Meredith went on to friendly head butting over their last interaction in which Meredith felt she may have been  lied to. There was some female finger wagging and the b---- word was even slung around a couple of times. It was actually somewhat in jest as the two are friends in real life.

Look Better, Feel Better, Live Better

So what is the takeaway here? First, if you are anything like me, you may tend to judge others too quickly, whatever the label we end up attaching to our judgment. If we’re honest with ourselves, making snap decisions about others is probably done more often than we would prefer. Maybe a conscious effort on all our parts would soften the negative process of our judgments as well as limiting them in occurances.

We think it’s also paramount when commenting on social media, especially when anonymously voicing opinions behind a user name with no picture attached, that we remember our words are sometimes weighing-in on another person or persons, all of whom are real and come complete with feelings. Don’t allow the impersonal nature of social media or your anonymity to dull your senses to others feelings. Real people read what you write and as a result a new social media rule needs to be invoked as a modern riff on an old adage: don’t write (post) anything about others that you wouldn’t want written about you.

             “At the end of the day, we all live in this world together and to practice bringing peace onto social media is a huge step into bringing peace into our world.”
                                                                                        ― Germany Kent

PS: Peace, love, kindness, and compassion never get old or go out of style.

Inclusion

UP Beauty Online

  “When we think of the most common deadly diseases we usually think of Aids, Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity or Heart Disease, among others. We (Klemmer & Assoc.) say the most deadly, and the most common disease is the need to be “right”. As this particular strain of needing to be right makes everyone else wrong, it is both divisive and toxic to all relationships, from interpersonal to international.”

                                           - paraphrased from a Personal Mastery Seminar, Klemmer and Associates

   

The world and how it operates can be a funny thing. And we’re not talking funny as in ha-ha, either, but rather funny as in quirky, ironic and sometimes very backwards in nature. The issues are most always influenced by power, money and control and that is why organizations, especially when political and/or religious in nature, rely on exclusion as a rallying cry despite what they may broadcast in their PR and marketing mantras. You see, exclusion makes organizations powerful, or so they think, because their members can band and bond together over one ideology or another, in essence issuing a war with those who believe otherwise.

This narrow focused ‘oneness’ amongst group members causes every form of division, from verbal spats all the way up to violent wars. And it’s not just organizations and countries that are afflicted. There is a saying that you can either be right or be married (or in a successful relationship). In a word, the take away is that the Ego-centric need to be “right” destroys every association from individual relationships to global allegiances.

A Positive for the Fashion Industry

We have on occasion taken pot shots at various members of the fashion industry for some of the heinous ways they tend to shape public perception. This, especially when undermining the self-confidence and self-esteem of women with ads and promotions touting unreasonable and unattainable physical expectations in regards to weight and appearance. And in our defense, we’ve even found a random occasion or two to applaud those in the fashion business who seem to buck those destructive industry trends (plus size models and real life mannequins, to name a few).

We at UP Beauty are all about INCLUSION, pure and simple. Inclusion, of course being the polar opposite of exclusion, as discussed earlier. Well, applaud-applaud, we have another trend-bucking fashion company to celebrate. Enter the new Tiffany and Co’s ad campaign for their time-honored, classic engagement rings. Only this particular marketing movement features two gay men, who by the way are not models, but real life partners. Who knew there were little boys who dreamed of getting a Tiffany blue box from their partner after popping the big question? Of course we are teasing, and so enthralled with Tiffany and Co. for taking a stand and voting, as we do, for inclusion!

Look Better, Feel Better, Live Better

As thinking humans, we need to be careful to evaluate the nonsensical rhetoric that gets passed on to us under the guise of sensible information. Give everything you hear that has power over you the intuition test (in other words, the ‘b.s.’ test). Do not be swayed by repetitive messages that don’t personally resonate. Pick apart the drivel that gets projected your way and tap into your values, morals and your spiritual side.

When we slow down enough to contemplate life and it’s choices for ourselves, the path and focus of our lives can then reflect the true us, the kind, compassionate, logical and clear thinking individual that can’t be swayed against his or her will. This person will likely see the value in loving all people as equals, or in other words, inclusion at its very best.

                “There are no nations. There is only humanity. And if we don't come to understand that soon, there will be no nations   because there will be no humanity."
                                                                                         -- Isaac Asimov

PS: There are different levels of inclusion, from warmly embracing a philosophy or an ideal to just simply agreeing to disagree with it, minus the animosity or need to convert. A softer, gentle stance is still a stance. J

Vitameatavegamin?

   “Vitamins, if properly understood [and used], will help us to reduce human suffering to an extent which the most fantastic human mind would fail to imagine.”

                   ~ Dr. Albert Szent-Gydrgyl, PhD Nobel Laureate in Physiology and Medicine

While we would never argue with a Nobel Laureate, we would certainly clarify the generality called “vitamins” in the quote. Knowing that there is a HUGE variance in available multivitamins, as well as other common supplements (fish oils, probiotics, metabolism and muscle boosters, etc.),  we might add the caveat, “vitamins and supplements that function at optimal levels of nutrition” as the kicker to the above quote.

For instance, multivitamin offerings by a couple of the leading advertised brands that populate drug store shelves don’t score very well when tested and are nowhere close to delivering optimal levels. Ironically, these are both manufactured by or are subsidiaries of major pharmaceutical companies. These are the same corporations that sell high profit drugs to supposedly cure some of the very diseases that may be held at bay if we would wake up and start taking optimal doses of vitamins daily. This vitamin supplementation is of course not to take the place of, but as a  supplement to, eating a nutritional and well balanced diet.

Does anyone else see the contradiction here? Big Pharma puts out an inferior vitamin option, advertises and markets the crap out of it, coaxing the uneducated (on vitamins) amongst us to take their brand daily. We then settle for an ineffective vitamin, almost a placebo in effect, thereby forsaking our opportunity to seek out and take an effective, optimal vitamin. A double disservice is perpetuated: we are lulled into thinking we are taking an effective vitamin, and thus, don’t bother to seek out better options.

The Optimal Solution

So how does one find a potent, optimal brand of vitamins? If your health depends on it, and it may, a bit of research is paramount. But here is a short list of some common attributes of a great multivitamin. And as sad as it may sound, you get what you pay for to some degree.

A Seven-Point Product Quality Checklist

1.    Are the potency levels of the ingredients high enough to provide optimal levels of nutrient intake as a means of preventing degenerative diseases?

2.    Is the product complete with a broad-spectrum of balanced ingredients?  Some combinations of nutrients can inhibit or heighten the action of others. Taking “stand alone” products can upset the metabolic balance of minerals in the body, especially Zinc.

                             

3.    Is the product manufactured to pharmaceutical-grade standards under the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)?  This standard makes sure that what is on the label is exactly what is in the bottle, in the amounts specified. Number 2 is important here because the GMP isn’t effective for optimal health if the broad-spectrum ingredients aren’t there.

4.    Is the safety profile of each ingredient thoroughly researched and evaluated. How is the quality of the raw materials evaluated and tested for purity and safety?  Does the product contain Vitamin A or Beta-carotene?  Beta-carotene is safe and converts into Vitamin A when the body needs it.  Is Iron in the product? Iron toxicity or overload can cause a health disorder and should not be in supplements.

5.    Is the product formulated to meet UPS absorbability standards for full disintegration and dissolution? Nurses refer to inferior grade vitamins as “bed pan bullets”, ie: they pass through the system without even dissolving.                          

6.    Is the product manufactured in-house or contracted out? 

7.    Is the product listed in the PDR (Physicians’ Desk Reference)

Look Better, Feel Better, Live Better

I’m kind of a vitamin nerd, but I realize even the above guidelines may be Greek to some of you, so I researched the web for the best, non-biased multivitamin rating guide I could find. Here is the link:

Best Multivitamins 2015

If you pick and take something in this listing from the top 5 or 10 rated, you’ll be getting optimal or near optimal levels of vitamin support for your body. From there, many things are possible, from potential disease prevention to less inflammation, and/or feeling alive with new found stores of energy to sleeping better and beyond. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll require less or even no pharmaceutical drugs to function, hitting Big Pharma right where they’ll feel it the most - in the wallet!!

              “With the proper intakes of vitamins and other nutrients and by following a few other healthful practices from youth or middle-age on, you can, I believe, extend your life and years of well-being by twenty-five or even thirty-five years.”

                               ~ Linus Pauling

PS: Linus Pauling was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century. In discussing the benefits of optimal vitamin intake, one must be careful not to make unsubstantiated claims. But I think Linus, winner of two Nobel Prizes by the way, makes the possibilities pretty clear.

Battle of the Bulge

         “We must not constantly talk about tackling obesity and warning people about the negative consequences of obesity. Instead we must be positive - positive about the fun and benefits to be had from healthy living, trying to get rid of people's excuses for being obese by tackling the issue in a positive way.”
                                          ~ Andrew Lansley

In keeping with the spirit of the quote, we are going to stay positive here (or try our best) in discussing our Nations fitness by revealing the fittest cities listings. I really do like the tactfulness of encouraging the positive and could embrace that as an area of improvement in my own life. Hmmm, there’s a New Year’s resolution. Additionally, as an ‘over 50’ (that’s as close as you’re getting to my real age) I can personally attest to the joys of health, the blessings of feeling youthful with an abundance of enthusiasm, energy and vibrancy every day.

In taking a couple of healing days off from exercise per week, as some intense resistance training is a large part of my routine, (even with the understanding that the healing benefits are necessary) I still greatly miss the endorphin high and often feel my most sluggish on ‘off’ exercise days. Even my sleep is sometimes affected. It’s truly hard to imagine what it must feel like to not participate in an exercise regimen, however simple.

Winning the Battle of the Bulge

There are healthy people everywhere, but it’s most certainly easier to feed off the energy of fitness and vitality when the community you are in is radiating as such. Otherwise, your journey to healthful living may be uphill and against the grain of your particular stagnant region, although anything uphill and against the grain should burn more calories. (Come on, we’re practicing positivity here).

Some of the commonalities among the cities exhibiting the most healthful behaviors and surrounding conditions are:

- Low pollution with a low number of high ozone days
- Warm temperatures (not a guarantee of activity, but helpful)
- Active population with a surging fitness standard and facilities
- High percentage of residents with a healthy body weight and low smoking rates
- Lots of open spaces (park land), bike trails, nature and hiking trails
- Happy residents as attitude is part of health
- Healthy eaters/non-fast food fanatics
- Strong economic climate (obesity correlates with low incomes)

Fittest Cities in America

Let’s give a hand to the fittest cities in America. It’s probably no coincidence that Portland has just under 55% of adults that perform at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five or more days per week, the highest percentage of people that bike to work as well as being rated a top biking city with a noted ‘farm to fork’ palette to boot. Fresh air, fresh food and a thriving fitness culture with easy access to world class health care make Portland tops this year.

San Francisco boasts around 31% of their residents that eat veggies at least five times a day and the highest percentage of locals with a healthy body weight. Boston has the lowest percentage of fast food purchasing with 92% less than the national average spent on fast food. Albuquerque has 67.5 acres of Park land per thousand residents and Oakland boasts a 90% non smoking population. You can start to see why these cities rank perennially at the top.

And special props to Oklahoma City as three years ago, they made the ‘fattest cities’ listing. They win the ‘success story of the year’ prize and should be congratulated for a remarkable comeback!

1. Portland 

2. San Francisco 

3. Albuquerque 

4. Oakland 

5. Boston 

6. Seattle 

7. Denver 

8. San Diego 

9. Minneapolis 

10. Honolulu 

11. Tucson 
12. Austin 
13. Colorado Springs 
14. San Jose 
15. Omaha 
16. Washington 
17. Milwaukee 
18. Virginia Beach 
19. Sacramento 
20. Jacksonville 
21. New York 
22. Wichita 
23. Oklahoma City 
24. Nashville 
25. San Antonio                                    
(source: Men’s Health)

Look Better, Feel Better, Live Better

While where you live isn’t an end all, be all to your health and fitness quotient, your attitude and participation in your own life is. Seek balance in all things, but move. If you won’t get serious about your health for your own sake, then do it as an example for your children. With the New Year, make it a new you!

           “If only we correct our eating habits then not only we would have perfect body weight, but also we can get rid of most of the diseases.                           
                     - Subodh Gupta

PS: If UP Beauty’s Anti-Cellulite Cream can smooth out some rough spots while you fitness up in 2015, we’d be pleased to help!