Risks of drinking fizzy drinks

Fizzy drinks are very easy to get hold of and a lot of people order it pretty much anywhere, bars, clubs, restaurants, petrol stations, cafes, corner shops, supermarkets etc. 

There are often promotional offers on the drinks hence why people stock up and drink more than what they want to drink.

Fizzy drinks include the popular ones such as Coca Cola, 7up, Cream Soda, and even sports drinks. There is absolutely so much choice!

A few restaurants have refill services where you pay for one cup of fizzy soft drink and then they can refill whenever they want for no extra cost. It seems like a good idea as it's almost like you can have as much as you want but how much toxins are you putting in your body?

We crave for sugar when we feel lethargic or 'depressed' or just need a quick-fix of a fizzy drink.It helps us feel better and have lots of energy, especially after exercising or after a really savoury meal.

I use to drink fizzy drinks, cherry coke, dandelion & burdock and cream soda were my favourites. I love fruity flavour things, and cream soda always fascinated me. I use to mix the drinks with fruit to make myself believe that I am still getting a good amount of the right nutrients lol!!! For parties I use to buy the most colourful drinks and mixed it with fruit pieces and jelly making them look so fascinating and as fruity as possible lol!!

I then started to realise how much trapped gas fizzy drinks gave me, (not attractive to have a bloated stomach lol) my teeth use to feel coated in the sugar as well as staining them! I never enjoyed my meals if I drank too much fizzy drinks because of the amount of gas my stomach was filled with. Not only that, but my mouth would feel dry quickly and it would make me crave for more fizzy drink when I didn't need it.
I realised how bad fizzy drinks were for you, I could see and feel how bad they were for me, I then decided to challenge myself to not drink it for a week, it was difficult and then I tried to not drink it for another week, then another week...... etc.... now it has been about 3 years since I last had a fizzy drink. I drink mainly water now. It was a challenge to not drink fizzy drink but I am glad I have stopped!

There are factors that related to the risks of drinking fizzy drinks, which not many people think about. Not everything is healthy, small quantities is OK for you but once you get addicted, you need to know where to draw the line but if you can stop the risks then I suggest you to do it!
Have you ever thought about:

• the amount of calories each fizzy drink have? Each can of fizzy drink can contain 7-10 spoonfuls of sugar
• risk of diabetes type 2
• high risk of ageing in the skin - A 2010 Harvard University study found that phosphate – a mineral which makes many soft drinks taste tangy – accelerated the ageing process in mice
• fizzy drinks can thin the bones, eventually causing osteoporosis
• addiction of the caffeine 
• rotting the teeth- can you imagine the dentist bills?
• the fizzy drinks are highly acidic and this acidic nature of carbonated drink can cause a high extent of damage to our brain and we need it to function to our every day life! 
• it affects our digestive system which means it affects our immune system which is important! The healthier our immune system, the longer we live.
• fizzy drinks gives you bad breath!!

I am not a dietician or doctor, but they are the main reasons why I stopped drinking fizzy drinks and I am sharing my facts to you! The choice is yours to take but looking after yourself is very important.

Looking good VS Feeling Good

Main Visible Signs of Ageing

How important is it to you that you look after your skin? Our skin is the largest organ on our body, it protects our cells, nerves, organs and bones.
Roughly every 30 days our skin renews itself, that's why we have flaky skin, we rub and scratch our skin and there are dust everywhere!! Does it scare you to know the dust particles are dead skin cells from people around us? HEEHEE!

We can't control time, no one can and we age every single second of the day. Ageing is the accumulation of changes over time, age is just a number, a chronological order and we sometimes judge people for it.

Some people look older when they are younger than others and some people look older than their real age but why? Have you ever stopped for a minute of your life and think why?
There are many main factors around us that make us age quicker and we can control these factors as much as we want. Some factors you cannot control but how do you look after your skin? How important is it to you that you look the best you can?

Ageing in the skin is the most visible sign including wrinkles and sagging of the skin. When we see any form of lines on a persons skin, we automatically assume a higher age than they already are.
Facial lines can be from smoking, laughing, frowning or sagging of the skin. We can prevent these lines, not by stopping being happy and laughing but to use the right products to maintain our skins youthful elasticity no matter what age we are. Reading the ingredients and look for proven results is how I decide on purchasing or trying the product, it's going to be layered on my skin so I want to know what goodness is going to be sat on my skin. I don't want harmful poison to make my skin worse so I advise people to make sure they know what they are buying. You wouldn't buy a rotten apple to eat would you? It wouldn't give you the same satisfaction and nutrients as a full grown juicy apple would it? It's the same principle for facial products.

There are many layers of skin and it is divided into 3 different parts.

• epidermis - the outer part which contains your cells, pigments and proteins (thinnest part is on your eyelids which measures of about 0.05mm)
• dermis - the middle part contains your blood vessels, oil glands, hair follicles, sweat glands
• subcutaneous layer - nerves, arteries, veins

Factors that make our skin age include:

• harmful UV/UVA
• pollution
• deprived sleep
• stress levels
• diet
• our genetic factors
• dietary intake
• environment
• exercise intake
• smoking
• alcohol intake
• hormonal changes
• skin disorders like eczema, acne, sensitive skin, allergies 

It is vital to know what we are layering on our skin because it can do more damage than you think and causing reactions such as redness, rashes, break outs and can cause scarring which can be permanent.
We can use clothes and make up to hide our 'imperfections' but that can cause more damage. For example, old acne scars on the face, you can use make up (foundations, concealers, powder) to cover them up but how long does it last for before you re-apply? Then 12 hours later how many layers of product have you layered on that skin? Have you cleaned your face thoroughly enough to let your skin breath? Are you getting enough sleep to let the skin work whilst you dream about getting rid of the imperfection?
I believe in having a strict skin care regime, including cleansing, toning, moisturising as well as drinking the right amount, sleeping the right amount and eating as well as I possibly can.

It's only hard work if you make it hard work but spending a few minutes each day in your life to carefully care for your own skin is a beautiful thing! It belongs to you so look after it and make it the best you can.

Estee Lauder Stress Relief Face Mask Product Review

I use facial masks atleast once a week and I look forward to the end result of the mask!
I love noticing the packaging, the texture of the sheet and serum, how it feels on my face and also the texture of my skin after it is peeled off.
Not all masks give you the result it promises and certainly not all masks cater to everyone's skin which is why I keep on trying different ones. Of course, the same masks don't always give you the same result as it depends on your skin texture, environment you are in, how hydrated/dehydrated your skin is, your diet, what products you been recently using on your skin.
 How you look after yourself can really show in your skin, so it is very important to look after yourself as best as you can.

I enjoy using Estee Lauder skin care products.
I think their products are very unique, up-to-date, and the collections of products are suitable for every skin.

There are so many products out there who claim to give you maximum results, preventing wrinkles, hydration, smooth skin etc. but not all work and there are different factors which result in how you feel about the products.
These face masks claim to be a 'stress relief' mask, which doesn't mean it will help wipe away my stress from the day or in my life - but can help to eliminate red patches, oily skin,supercharge the skin and calm the skin.
 I really wanted to give them a try! I read up on so many mixed reviews on them and I was curious to find out was my money worth spending on these masks and the results it would give me?

For about £26.00 you get a box of 5 masks in total.
They are presented in the green colour box and green colour packing which is easy to open from the top.
There are eye masks from this range for the same price.

To use these masks, after a fully cleansed face, you open the packet, layer the mask onto the face and let the serum soak into the face for 10 minutes then peel off!
I personally use the masks for abit longer because I can feel that the serum is not all soaked onto my face and it doesn't cause any irritation to my face. Some masks do when you leave it on for longer than the recommended time so be careful. When the face starts becoming itchy then it's time to peel off the mask!
Luckily I haven't had any reactions to these masks and I have left them on my face for 15-20 minutes.

Pro's:

• the smell is so fresh, cucumber-like
•  soothes the skin irritation from the cold weather on my sensitive skin
• great box and packaging

Con's:

• very rare to find this product in stores and online, it may even be discontinued now!
• the sheet didn't fit my face therefore not all parts of my face was having the benefit of the serum!
• the mask sheet felt slightly dry for my liking
• results last less than 24 hours

After the mask has been peeled from the face, you massage the serum into the skin so that it is applied all over. The serum feels cool and fresh which can help to calm the skin and allowing the skin to be cooled down.

Compared to other masks I have tried, I don't feel that these are my favourite but it is a great gift for those who like high end skin care products and can benefit from un-stress skin!

XOX

Estee Lauder Idealist Product Review

Estee Lauder is one of my favourite brand of skin care products since I was in my early 20's!
 I have tried the some of the make up including lipsticks, eyeshadows, lip liners, eye liners, mascaras, blushers, and I quite like it.  It's very subtle and I feel like it really caters to my skin type and tone. Not every brand can do this for me and it is important to know which products work well for my skin as well as the brand.

I wanted to try this skin serum for a long time!! This is also known as the 'Idealist' illuminator. I saw it being advertised in magazines, in the malls, TV adverts and I really wanted to try it out.


I do have alot of uneven skin tone and it is mainly dull due to the heavy signs of ageing attacking me!!! Mainly from the deprived sleep and shift pattern change from one extreme to the other and lack of sun in my system. I was eager to try this as it seemed to have been a huge advertisement everywhere I went.

The main point of a serum is to moisturise your skin deeper than a moisturiser can! Serums cost a lot more than facial moisturisers because they have added nutrients in which help tackle the signs of ageing, some can prevent acne and some are catered for those with oily/sensitive skin.
Facial moisturisers and moisturisers are not the same thing either! your face has been through a lot of harmful UV rays, different weather, spots, etc, therefore your skin is more sensitive than other parts of your body that are protected, for example, clothes. Facial moisturisers are formulated so that you have nutrients to treat and protect your face, and prevent reactions like more oily skin, spots, rash.


The Idealist is £47 for 30ml and is a huge hit for Estee Lauder.
 It claims to:

• Research proven to significantly reduce the look of uneven skin tone:
  • blotchiness
  • blemish marks
  • dark spots
  • discolourations
   
• This intensive, yet gentle oil-free serum features powerful technologies to address the look of every key sign of uneven skin tone:
• Triple-Optic Technology provides skin with a brighter, more luminous look from the very first application.
• Correct Tone Technology reduces the appearance of uneven skin tone Made with anti-oxidants.

I have been using this serum in the morning with my skin care regime and 30ml has lasted me about 3 months.  Each time I use it, I use just less than a full pump because it's quite liquidy (if that's even a word?!)

It makes my skin feel softer and acts like a primer which is great because it helps my make up to glide onto the skin and giving it that boost of glowing in colour!

Pros:

• The golden sheen does give your skin that glowing colour, there's tiny shiny glittery-like particles which help the skin to glow
• didn't make my skin more oily or dry whereas some serums do
• great primer for the skin
• Love the bottle colour and packaging

Cons:

• This product claims to reduce the size of your pores but I didn't feel that it did. If anything, it blocked them which created more blackheads!!! It's actually silicone based which means it acts like a clear film over my pores which defeats the object of clearer skin.
•  the price is just too much for just 30ml! It doesn't give me amazing results for that price!

I wouldn't be buying this product again but I am glad I tried it to see what the hype was all about. Sadly it didn't 'WOW' me for too long but well done Estee Lauder!!

XOX

Galvanic Spa from Nu Skin Product Review

There are tonnes of research about how to make skin look good but what is good skin exactly? How do you know you have good skin?
I care alot for my skin and I do invest alot of time and effort as well as my money into treatments and products. Good skin to me means that I wear less of a mask and not have to worry about the signs of ageing.
Our skin ages every second of the day, we can't control time but what we can control are the factors around us that cause our skin to age quicker and not alot of people know what the main factors are, simply because they haven't actually thought about it or they just don't care.

Factors that make our skin age include:

• harmful UV/UVA
• pollution
• deprived sleep
• stress levels
• diet
• our genetic factors
• dietary intake
• environment
• exercise intake
• smoking
• alcohol intake
• hormonal changes
• skin disorders like eczema, acne, sensitive skin, allergies

The main sign of ageing include:

• hydration
• uneven skin tone
• fine lines
• wrinkles
• texture
• skin structure
• radiance
• large pores
• discolouration

I am still in my 20's and I have very uneven skin tone, dehydrated skin in the cold seasons (no matter how much product I layer on my skin, it doesn't make it feel fully hydrated all the time!), large pores especially in the warm heat, old scars from acne/spots and lines on my forehead.
I have a messed up sleeping pattern as I work about 40-60 hours a week, doing day and night shifts, don't have a stable sleeping pattern at all.
I try to eat as healthy as I can, but I do junk every day as I don't have a consistent working/sleeping pattern.
Environment changes from work and where I travel to. I hardly see daylight to be honest and I love being in the sun.
I try to use the best products on the market and adjust to certain products to maintain youthful skin but it doesn't always work. It depends on your skin structure and texture for the products to work properly.
My skin results to being spotty, dehydrated and extra sensitive which really annoys me! 

I decided to use the galvanic spa as it was introduced to me as a product worth investing in. I researched about it, saw the before and after pictures and was eager to give it a try!! I needed something to help my skin change and get rid of the horrible pimples!

Now, don't under-estimate this piece of technology, it's amazing!! It's called the Galvanic Spa from Nu Skin .
It's about the size of my iphone 4S, lighter than my iphone and does amazing wonders for my skin!
It uses 2 AAA batteries, no need to charge it up.

It is so easy to use with just one button to press and one screen to see the options.

Super convenient to carry with wherever I go and I wont have to miss a treatment!

There are changeable conductor heads for different treatments for the hair, chin, arms, and small conductor for concentrated areas like under the eyes or to get rid of fine lines around the lips.


Each treatment just takes 5 minutes - literally. So there really is no excuse of ' I have no time to look after my skin' . How you look after your skin is your own result, prevention is better than cure!

It's an amazing device that uses positive and negative charge in conjunction with the treatment gels (purchased separately) at the comfort of your own home.


Each box of treatment gels contain 4 x pre-treatment gels and 4 treatment gels.

For maximum results, use it for 8 weeks and your skin will be thanking you endlessly! People will be asking you about your skin and the whole point of having a good skin care regime is to wear less make up, which means feeling good and looking good! It gives me so much confidence and that's the price I pay!

In just 4 weeks of using the Galvanic Spa my skin had changed all over! I loved the way it look, the way it felt and all the compliments I got! People ask me why does it look like I have a tan but outside it's been snowing and terrible cold weather! Thanks to this baby, I have positive results!

It is an anti-ageing product from Nu Skin part of the ageLOC line. It doesn't mean you can only use it when you are 'old' or at a certain age. I used it to detoxify my skin, draw out the impurities and hydrate it at the same time. I have used many products from skin peels, Clarisonic , cleansers, toners, moisturisers, serums, face masks, heat masks, mud masks, etc but they don't give me the results in just 5 minutes the way the Galvanic Spa does and there is a 2 year guarantee for this product which is amazing!!

This machine is for men and women of all ages!

Dove Silk Glow Lotion

Love using Dove products on my skin! I love the smells, how soft and moisturising each product is!
I have been a fan of Dove ever since I was a teenager and even my mom uses Dove!

Dove does a range of products including hair care, deodorant, soaps, hand creams, men care range, bath lotions. Their scents are pretty strong but I like it.
The scents remind me of a mature smell, as it's not fresh and fruity.

I moisturise twice a day to make sure my skin is hydrated and looking supple. Straight after my shower I moisturise and after I wake up I moisturise.
Moisturising is important as the skin lose its hydration levels through sleeping, exercising, stressing, harmful UV rays and can cause the skin to 'age' quicker.
I like to make sure I am using a good moisturiser all the time, reading the ingredients is vital to me because it's going on my skin! I would rather use my money on a good product than to use several cheaper ones that don't work or aren't good for my skin.

One of my favourite products I have been using over and over again is this Silk Glow body lotion!

For £5.49 you can purchase this in drug stores or cheaper online to be honest. 
There is 250ml one size only and it lasts me for a few weeks as I don't use too much. 

There are tiny glitter particles in this to give your skin the 'glow' which is fabulous especially if you are trying to tan! When I apply this to tanned skin, it looks AMAZING!!

I have not got a tan at the moment, BUT look at the sheer glow I have! 

Pros:

• gives a sheer glow to wherever you apply
• moisturises the skin
• not a sticky lotion
• mixes in well into the skin giving you silky skin
• absorbs quickly
• not oily

   Cons:

• this product has the least favourite scent out of the collection

Suitable for all ages!

XOX

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Japanese Aloe Vera Toner

Not everyone is born with good skin, we have to be responsible to look after ourselves. Everyday our skin is damaged from the pollution around us, our stress levels, lack of sleep, diet, and harmful rays around us. Gradually, you will see signs of ageing sooner than you think, your skin goes through so much every single day and it is the largest organ of our anatomy so it is vital you protect it!

I have a skin care regime, I always cleanse and tone after I have washed my face with a good cleansing oil/foam/gel. 
Cleansing is important because it removes every trace of make up, dirt, excessive oils and dust from what you have gathered all day. Sleeping with the dirt on your face can irritate your skin, produce more oil, give you acne and the skin is suffocated.
Toning is important because it gets rid of any residue from your cleansing step and also balances your face's pH levels and giving your hydrated skin.

Depending on what products you use, their ingredients and what their promises are, you wont get top benefits from the products if they don't work therefore it is important to understand what you are buying before you apply it to your face.
I enjoy using aloe vera products on my skin, as well as drinking aloe vera juice. There are many aloe vera benefits for the health and skin when it is applied directly, it is known to help heal sunburns, cuts, grazes, basically cellular rejuvenation.
The more natural, the better because if the product is mixed with any other ingredient, you are not getting the maximum benefit of the plant.

When I was in Hong Kong, I purchased this  bottle of toner. I love buying my skin care from Hong Kong because there's so much choice and majority of the products contain natural ingredients that our skin needs.

It wasn't expensive, I can't remember the price unfortunately!  I bought this from "Bonjour' which is a drugstore in Hong Kong.


 Cons:

• Now, one huge problem with this product is that the details is stuck on to the sticker and also the bottle is wrapped with the film with details. I don't know why but after I used it all, I had the thought of 'what if the bottle didn't contain 100% of aloe vera juice? what have I been using on my skin?!' Even though the first layer of information is in japanese, I can't understand japanese text so that wasn't good. 

• The product didn't hydrate my skin as well as other products I have.
• my skin felt so tight after using it in a warm environment - I do wonder how much alcohol there is in this bottle?!
• the lid allows us to introduce bacteria back into the bottle when we tip the bottle onto a cotton pad when we tilt the bottle forwards and backwards!

I wouldn't be buying these kind of products again because it doesn't do much for my skin other than damage it to be honest. 

If you want to look after your skin, then do it properly. I have made many mistakes of using the wrong products, have damages to my skin.

I've Had My Carotenoid Levels checked!!

Uh-Huh , that's right!! I have just had my carotenoid levels checked!! I am no scientist or have ever been good at science but this amazing machine detects how protected you are from free radicals, essentially, how healthy you are.

What are free radicals? They are basically molecules in the environment around us that 'steal' electrons from other molecules, which affect every individual in terms of ageing, (how we look and how we feel.)

There are many factors around us that affect our carotenoid levels in our tissues which we never think about simply because we are use to our routines or has it never crossed your mind how much free radicals hit us every single day?!
Factors in our every day lives including our levels of stress in our daily lives, pollution, diet, sleep deprivation, your body, mass, index, alcohol, smoking, low exercise intake, supplement intakes all make a difference to our carotenoid levels.

The main purpose of this amazing machine is to measure how healthy you are and how much your body is protected by the anti-oxidant levels in your body from what you do to 'protect' it.

I must admit, I don't have a good routine to my lifestyle.

Sleep - it's not a routine due to shift changes in my jobs, I have broken sleep from things going on and noisy neighbours.
Diet - I do try and eat healthy things but I snack and never know when I am full so I over-eat. I eat a lot of sweet things to keep awake for 15-20 hours per day.
Stress - due to the nature and demands of being a nurse, I deal with high amounts of stress.
Alcohol/smoking - I don't smoke or drink
Exercise - I hardly have a routine for exercising, I get too tired from working and having a permanent back problem, I am restricted to movement.
Supplements - I am taking Vitamin C 1000mg, Omega 3,6,9, Green Tea I drink 3-5 days a week,
BMI - mine is within range luckily lol!

How do you know what you're taking is working? I challenged myself and went for a scan to see my results. I was shocked by my results but at the same time, I didn't expect them to be high as I have many reasons for it to be lower than higher! 

Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner is the world's first measuring took that gives you an accurate score immediately. It takes about 90 seconds and is painless. I was very amazed by how quickly it took for the machine to read my levels and shame to say, my levels were not good!


What amazed me was the fact that my brother's score was exactly the same as mine! He doesn't eat vegetables and never really has, he goes to the gym 3-4 times a week and is a body-builder, he takes various supplements to weight gain and build his muscles, he takes various supplements to build his immune system, has a more stable sleeping pattern than mine, more active lifestyle than me, lives in a more quiet environment with greenery, does not smoke or drink alcohol and avoids sugary food or food with high amounts of saturated fat and un-natural products in. The point is, no matter how healthy you think you are, how do you know what works for you and how much of it is actually absorbed into your tissues?
If you have the opportunity to be scanned with this amazing piece of technology then challenge yourself and be prepared to face the truth!

Pharmanex looks after you, they have an guarantee on their LifePak®+ supplements for 90 days on a monthly automatic delivery program, take twice a day only and if your SCS (Skin Carotenoid Score) does not improve, then you get your money back guaranteed!


The BioPhotonic Scanner has won awards for its results and reliability. Once you know your results, you will have a choice of whether to protect your immune system or continue to live without trying.

I am going to challenge this and see what difference it makes! After all, what have I got to lose? With such an amazing garantee offer, Pharmonex really care for us!

Watch this space for results!!!

XOX