Health and Beauty

Lean and Keen in 2013: The Year of the Hands

handtreatment

I have decided that this is definitely going to be the year of the hands.

I’ve never had particularly attractive hands and, yes, I ignore them and hardly ever use hand cream, but why bother?  They work, which is good, but they’ve never been my best body part. However, I just caught a glimpse of my hand on the shoulder of my grandchild in a Christmas photo and, honestly, it looks like The Claw. Along with the thin skin and ropey veins are what look like darkened freckles (from years in the sun), the dreaded brown spots and the red spots—also from the sun. And now a bump on my thumb joint, too. Could be a cyst or arthritis—I’ll have it checked out.

I’ve started tearing out articles from magazines and newspapers regarding what can be done, and it’s amazing what treatments are available for hands. A New York dermatologist advertises the Ruby laser for $500.  Some women get injections of filler to plump out the hands—hmmm. A local dermatologist advertises removal of the veins.  Doesn’t sound promising, as the skin is still the same translucent, thin skin that would leave us looking like a biology project in the chapter on circulation once the veins are removed.

My nails keep breaking, but long ago I gave up the “sculptured, silicone nails.”  Now there is something new, less damaging, called Shellac.

My feeling is that anything that requires a special drying lamp and is instantly dry to the touch can’t be that good for you. Polish has to be soaked off. I’m sure it’s not as bad as the silicone, but the nails don’t conceal the hands.

Neil Diamond sang about hands in “Sweet Caroline”:

“Hands,
Touching hands,
Reaching out,
Touching me,
Touching you.”

I don’t want someone to cringe when I reach out, after all.

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The Land of Dr. OZ

 

Followers of Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz

We have become a nation of menopausal Munchkins; followers of the wizard–Dr. Oz.  We connect to him. It’s the sound heard round the world or at least in the United States; educated, middle-aged women, waiting on line in pharmacies buying up Green Coffee Bean Extract, the touted fat-burner. I went into the CVS and asked for the latest weight loss product, Raspberry Keytone. A woman next to me interrupted with ipad in hand and careful notes on the latest Dr. Oz show. Was there something I’d missed? Which one should I buy—Raspberry Keytone or Green Coffee Bean Extract?  Should I buy both?

Lose weight, build bone, stay looking young—fix any health issue.  All this can be yours by ingesting a few recommended supplements. Get rid of arthritis pain, indigestion, acid reflux, inflammation of all body parts, save your eyesight, lose weight and blast belly fat!

It’s hard to explain this cult following.  We have fallen in love with the infallible, Dr. Mehmet Oz. I am convinced that if we pursue his advice on health issues, we can all live to be 130 years old.  If I eat a shot glass worth of pine nuts a day, add fiber to my diet, drink pea protein power shakes, do Yoga, and take a fat-burner supplement to control my weight I will arrive in Munchkinland? If I do not, will I experience the Apocalypse? I have a cabinet full of these supplements, I ‘m just too old to remember what they’re for. Well, gotta go; I’m off the see the wizard, the wonderful wizard called OZ because because because . . . It’s time for his show and I don’t want to miss a thing!

Is Dr. Oz really a wizard? Does he have all the answers?  What makes us believe him?  How many of you follow and heed the advice of Dr. Oz?

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STAYING CONNECTED

 

STAYING CONNECTED

Let’s say you are going on a much deserved vacation—perhaps out of the country.  Let’s say you don’t have your own company so you can leave without something falling apart in your absence–others can carry on your job.  You have an opportunity to really “get away from it all.”

But can you?  Is it possible for you to go without checking emails and Facebook for a few weeks?  How tough are you?  What are the chances you’ll be missing something major? Your closest friends and family members can most likely reach you by phone in the event of an emergency. Will you lug around your laptop and/or i pad?  We have become communication addicts.  Addicted to minute-by-minute updates from friends.  “Hey, I’m at the mall.”   We think we have to “like” what they say and leave a comment.  But why?  Do we care that our friend is at the mall?  Can we live without the endless baby and wedding photos? How about the links sent including tips from the pros like how to clean your lampshades: To clean your fabric shades, use a fine brush or a lint remover on your lampshade to remove any accumulated dirt and dust.  Who cares? We are overstimulated with useless information.

When you have a chance to get away, take it and use it to restore your sanity.  Give your brain a break.  Read a book. Learn something new. Give people a chance to miss you. Disconnect and enjoy your vacation.