“Impossible” Standards for Models

Aspiring Models…Listen up!

Meet Crystal Renn.  She is a beautiful woman who is 5’9″, and when she was 16 years old she entered the world of Modeling.

To fit into the Modeling Industry’s standard, she developed an eating disorder by starving herself and exercising up to 8 hours a day in the gym. She weighed only 95 pounds, and could have killed herself. Crystal was told at castings that she still wasn’t thin enough. When she was 18, she stopped exercising and starving herself and finally started to eat…and began eating some more. She ended up fitting into a size 14 and became a very successful plus-size model.

Was becoming a plus-size model better, or just as unhealthy as before?

Right now, Crystal is 24 years old and her main focus is being healthy. This last year she reintroduced a healthy amount of exercise into her life, and started eating better. Because of her healthier lifestyle, Crystal started to lose weight, and she now wears a size 8.

Because of Crystal’s weight loss, the Modeling Industry and critics are giving her a hard time because now she is “too thin” for plus-size modeling, yet still “too big” for traditional modeling.

The End or New Boost of a Modeling Career?

The big question now is, will Crystal’s career as a model be over now that she doesn’t fit into either mold of the Modeling Industry?

Crystal Renn is getting more jobs than ever before! Below is a more recent picture of Crystal, who looks absolutely stunning.

I hope that Crystal will maintain her healthy lifestyle, and allow for us all to see models who focus on being healthy rather than trying to fit into a specific size – big or small. It shouldn’t be about fitting into a specific standard. If you starve yourself and over exercise, it’s not healthy. If you binge eat just so you can stay bigger to remain a plus model, that’s not healthy either. Either extreme isn’t healthy, and with proper nutrition and exercise, Crystal Renn is finally coming to terms with how her body should really look. Not too thin, not too big…just right.

I want to make it clear that there are women who exercise and eat healthy that are a size 2. This doesn’t mean that they are unhealthy because they actually do fit into the Modeling Industry’s standard. Again, it’s all about how you became a size 2 that matters. It’s about taking care of your body and being healthy.

Change starts with You

The Modeling Industry is quite picky. You are either too big or too thin. I am hoping that someday, the Modeling Industry will allow women, like Crystal Renn, to just focus on being healthy.

Image Credits: letmeget.com and Harper’s Bazaar shoot for the December  2010 issue

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Tags: anorexic, Celebrity, Crystal Renn, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, Healthy Diet, Model, Modeling Industry, Nutrition, overweight, plus-size model, Unhealthy

Causes and Treatment of Cold Sores

Cold sores are small sores that appear on the lips, mouth, or nose. The sores can be painful and usually last a few days.

What causes Cold Sores

Cold Sores are caused by an Autoimmune problem, which is not the same thing as a viral infection. Cold Sores can sometimes be a reaction to a weak immune system, stress, or even certain types of foods such as chocolate, citrus, or wheat.

Correct Diagnosis?

A lot of people (including WebMd!) confuse Oral Herpes with Cold Sores – which are two very different things. It is important that you get the correct diagnosis because cold sores will not respond to medicine meant to aide herpes.

Below is a video by Dr. Mercola about Cold Sores and Herpes – and how to naturally treat them.

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Tags: autoimmune, Canker Sore, Cold Sore, Dr. Mercola, Healthy Diet, Natural Healing, viral infection

Benefits of Interval Training

We all know that exercise is essential for controlling blood sugar, normalizing insulin levels, and getting or staying in shape. There are different techniques that can help you exercise, and Interval Training is one of them.

What is Interval Training?

Rather than just doing cardiovascular exercise, Interval Training is a type of physical training which involves bursts of high intensity work and then followed by periods of lower intense workouts.

Interval Training can be used with different types of exercise methods, such as running, stair climbing or cycling.

Most adults should be able to handle this type of exercise, but if you have a known heart condition, you should see a doctor (cardiologist) first to give you the clear to start incorporating Interval Training into your exercise routine.

How to Incorporate Interval Training

During your Exercise:

1)  Choose an exercise  such as the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine.

2) Warm up.

3) Exercise: Workout at an intense pace for 30 seconds, then recover with a lower intensity for 90 seconds.

4) Rinse and repeat for 8 sets, for a total of 16 minutes.

5) Cool down.

Important: You can do Interval Training one or two times per week in replacement of your regular exercises during the week. You shouldn’t do Interval Training more than two times per week, due to the extreme intensity and strain that is placed on the body. As Interval Training can be very healthy for you, you don’t want to over train, since this increases your risk of injury.

Before/After  your Exercise:

Sleep! You need to be well rested to maximize the benefits of your workout.

Drink plenty of Water . Don’t drink soda (especially diet), sugary juices, or vitamin water.

Eat a well-balanced diet, and be sure that you are consuming a proper amount of calories. It’s very important that you stop eating Junk Food and Candy! Proper nutrition is vital for exercise, especially when you perform an intense workout such as Interval Training. Sugar and grease are the last things your body needs.

What sets Interval Training Apart

Improves Aerobic Capacity – Helps to increase the length of workouts and at varying intensities.

Boosts Fat Burning – With the intense workouts mixed in with regular paced exercises, most people will notice a decrease in body fat.

Increases HGH – Interval Training helps to increase the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is a natural growth hormone which aides muscle strength.

Boosts Metabolism – Interval Training helps with burning fat throughout the day by increasing your metabolism.

Start seeing the results of a healthier lifestyle with Interval Training! Who’s ready to start?

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Tags: Aerobic Exercise, boost metabolism, Boosts Metabolism, cardioligist, cardiovascular health, cool down, diet, elliptical machine, exercise, Fat Burning, fat loss, Fitness, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, HGH, Human Grown Hormone, intense workout, Interval Training, Nutrition, stationary bike, treadmill, warm up, water

Do you really need Health Insurance?

Many people look at Health Insurance and wonder if it is really necessary for them and their family. Unfortunately, most people put it at the bottom of their priority list. In reality, it shouldn’t even be a question whether they should have it or not.

Don’t let money hurt your health

I know too many people that need to go the Doctor to take care of some serious health concerns, but they don’t because they think they can’t afford the trip to the Doctor’s office. I believe there are some things in life that are priceless. Your health is one of them, and a lack of money should never be a reason why you don’t take care of yourself or your family. The cost of Health Insurance is more than worth it for your family’s health.

Buy it before you need it. Yes, Health Insurance costs money. A trip to the Emergency Room without coverage cost even more. In a state of emergency and panic, you don’t want to worry about money.  Make sure you are getting the treatment you really need.

You can avoid the worry in emergency situations by choosing a health plan that you understand, and a deductible that makes sense for you.

Healthy or not- You need it!

Are you already in good health? Whether you are healthy right now or not, you should always strive to maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly. This will not only help with the cost of your Insurance premiums, but may also reduce the risk of needing to go to the Doctors for  a serious health concern. Prevention is key!

Do you have a family history of Heart Disease, Cancer, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, etc? If you do, even more reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle and all the more reason to make sure you have Health Insurance – just in case. I know we don’t like thinking about it, but who does? By having Insurance, it can give you and your family some piece of mind.

Cost of not having Insurance

Not having Health Insurance is not worth the risk for yourself or your family. Here are a couple of common procedures, and the cost associated with each – if you don’t have insurance.

•Back Surgery – Do you have a herniated disc like I did? If I had to have surgery, according to surgery-guide.com, it would cost about $8,000. If you need a more complex back surgery, it could cost upwards of $17,000.

•Heart Surgery – The cost can be $20,000 or more.

•Cancer – There are so many different types of cancers. Based on the type of cancer and it’s location in your body, will be a determining factor to the total cost. So what are some people paying for cancer treatments? The cost can be upwards of $200,000 or more without insurance – this would be for the surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, X-Rays, etc.

•Medications – A single pill can be several hundred dollars. Depending on your needs, it can cost $2,500 or more each month to keep taking the pills your Doctor prescribes to you.

•In hospital stay- Need to stay overnight at the hospital? Plan on it costing anywhere from $750 to $2,500 a night.

Help

I am a huge believer of natural healing and preventative care. Sometimes you have to do more (I don’t like to admit it either), but just in case you need the hospital’s help to get you back on your feet, be sure you get the help you need without breaking the bank.

If you are in need of Health Insurance, check out www.explorehealthinsurance.com to see what options are available to you, and find the plan that is best for you and your family.

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Tags: Back Surgery, cancer, Cost, exercise, Healh insurance, Health, Healthy Diet, heart disease, high blood pressure, Hospital, Insurance, Nevada Insured, obesity, Preventative