So, as I mentioned last week, I’m doing the Slim-Fast Challenge. The company has challenged me and a few others to try their products for a few weeks and see if it helps us get our perfect summer bod.

Or, as close to it as my non-exercising butt will get.

So far, the days have been going relatively well, but I am having problems achieving the boundaries of “sensible dinners”. I love the shakes, and have no problem drinking them for breakfast, but when you spend just about every evening at some variant of a cocktail party, how do you achieve the right mix of crab cake and shrimp on a stick? I don’t know.

My friend Carolyn of The Daily Obsession is also on the challenge, and we were attempting to negotiate this at a few parties this week. We also noticed that eating less substantial meals during the day made us able to handle less alcohol at night - also a good thing. But should we start to eat pre-event and not let ourselves fall prey to sliders and shirmp tempura? It seems the logical answer, but not a not really fun one.

This weekend, I’m in Atlantic City - here, sensible dinner is even harder to negotiate. Buffets are, by definition, the opposite of “sensible”.

Yes, my friends - that is my biggest issue. I can shake by day, I can bar by afternoon, but I still can’t lose my issue with portion control and eating the right foods! Which is probably what GOT me to this situation.

What I love about Slim-Fast: It really is delicious! And it is filling, too - AND, I noticed, saves money. I shake for lunch is a lot more affordable than anything I’d buy. So, I’m going to keep at it. It’s the only sensible thing to do.

Image: Sxc.hu

I’ve been feeling a little bit less spectacular lately, and it’s beginning to show from the inside-out. I finally realized that the outward symptoms may be directly related to my spazzing out on taking my vitamins.

Just in time, I got a shipment from GNC. They sent me a variety of products from the line, and right now, I am testing their BeWHOLESOME.

This is a set of health and beauty vitapaks that contain a month’s supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

Is it hard for you to remember what to take, when? The daily packs are super-travel friendly, and already divided up into exactly what you need to take, and when. It’s especially formulated for women, too, and each pack contains triple strength fish oil, multivitamin, hair/skin/nail formula, mobility & stretch formula, and bone strengthening formula.

My hair and nails haven’t been as healthy as they should be lately, and my sleep patterns aren’t all that. Lets see what this can do for me!

Image: GNC

Exciting news from here in Alyland - Slimfast has contacted me with an awesome proposal.

As we all know, wedding and beach season has crept up on us, and all of us have a few pesky pounds we want to lose just in time. And whether you have a big party to attend, a wedding, or just want to look hot on your summer getaway, it’s crunch time!

To show how easy (and inspiring) it can be to lose a few pounds, Slimfast has issued a challenge to me: They sent everything that me and a friend need to do Slimfast for one month - shakes, bars, even a sexy new yoga mat. (Said friend can feel free to comment below to ID herself!)

At the end of the successful challenge, should we succeed, we get a gift certificate for a new swimsuit or LBD - AND one reader will win the same challenge kit we both got. (Which, let me tell you, is IMPRESSIVE.)

And the plan is quite simple: Replace breakfast and lunch with a shake or meal bar and then have a sensible dinner (25% carbs, 25% protein, 50% veg/fruit) and u se snack bars to curb hunger mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Plus we can go online and sign up to slim-fast.com (free registration) and get the benefits of their meal-planners and access to RDs if we have any questions!

It’s too easy for me to mess up…except, in my case, “sensible dinner” usually involves crabcakes and a cocktail at some event. I must learn how to adapt!
We will give you weekly updates about our progress - both of us really only want to lose a few pounds, but it’s still exciting!

Image: Slimfast

A while back, during a media event, a dermatologist pointed out a mole on my thigh and asked about its origin. The crazy person in me immediately freaked out, but when I told her that I’ve had it forever, and it’s always pretty much looked the same, she visibly relaxed. It’s their job, it seems, to notice random skin things in the same way it’s my job to notice that she had an excellent blowout.

But, lets face it, none of us want to think we are going to like, die, or anything, and cancer is a biggie. So, when I read today that raising your level of vitamin D can reduce our risk of cancer (studies showed it would prevent 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, and three quarters of deaths from these deaths from these diseases in the US and Canada according to a newly published study in the Annals of Epidemiology by Cedric F. Garland), I was fascinated..cause, well, adding Vitamin D to our lives is just plain easy to do!

What has vitamin D? The Sun! What else? Fish and eggs! So, you can sit in the sun and eat some cerviche and be halfway there!

Science is awesome.

Image: Sxc.hu

I just learned that this month is National Toss Your Makeup Month.

Why would you want to toss out perfectly good makeup? Well, quite honestly, if you don’t, you are asking for breakouts, bacteria, and just useless product! (Plus, it’s an excuse to get pretty new shads for the season.)

Not only are expired cosmetics not going to work as well (or at all) but they can also be bad for you!

Contamination can occur whenever the product comes in contact with your eyes, mouth and fingers - the most germ-prone areas of the body. (That’s why it’s so bad to share makeup with anyone - even close friends or family.)

Always try to play it safe by looking for a change in color or consistency, or even a bad odor – yes, i’ve had old powders start to SMELL - and if any of these occur, throw them out immediately. Don’t put them anywhere near or on you!

Image: Sxc.hu

Sad but true: Finding quality dental care can be expensive, even in good times. This causes people to skimp on necessary treatments, or even avoid dental appointments at all.

It is even more of a stretch during tight economic times. We can’t let our mouth fall apart though - how unpretty would that be? We chatted with, Dr. Lee Gause, DDS of Smile Design Manhattan, and he shared a few tips for keeping those pearly whites beautiful and healthy.

Don’t Skip your Cleaning!

Cleaning is great example of an inexpensive treatment that prevents problems from developing (cost: approximately $200). Many patients will put off cleanings and let problems develop into more costly problems. For example, if a patient has a small cavity (cost: $400 for a filling) and allows it to grow, it could easily become a tooth needing a root canal and crown (roughly $3,000 procedure).

Payment Plans are a Great Option

For cosmetic dentistry procedures, such as teeth whitening, or porcelain veneers, payment plans are often tremendously useful. Care Credit is a GE company that gives 12 month interest free loans to people that are interested in dental procedures. This allows patients to space out payments and not pay large sums of upfront money for dental work.

Yes, Over-the-Counter Does Work

Some over the counter whitening treatments are relatively effective. The most effective whitening is an in-office whitening treatment, but if a patient simply needs to whiten their teeth only a few shades, Crest White Strips and Listerine Whitening Rinse are two good over the counter products.

Image: Sxc.hu

Interestingly, even though my vocation has led to me getting many fabulous massages, I’ve never had a Swedish one or ANY at the Four Seasons - this weekend, I finally got to “lose my virginity” in both respects.

While in St. Louis for their local Fashion Week festivities, the Four Seasons Hotel invited me to stop by and check out their spa. My partner-in-crime (or indulgence, as the case may be), stowed away our worldly possessions in lockers, put on robes and slippers, and settled into a cozy lounge before our appointments.

We were both, as I said, getting Swedish massages - and while I was peripherally aware of them, I wasn’t entirely sure of what made them different from others.

In short, Swedish massage is the gentle giant of the spa and massage world - it’s relaxing, stress-easing, soft, and delicate, and when done right, can actually help to detox your sins away. It does so by broad, gentle strokes and kneading; this loosens your muscles, which then helps to release toxins.

Now, for those of you spa-shy, I have to tell you that this is a bare skin massage - but at the Four Seasons, it’s done in the most respectful way possible. Your therapist will show you into the treatment room, but then leave to give you some privacy while you undress and lie on the massage table. You will then be covered by a warm cozy towel, and during the massage, your therapist will fold the sheet back in order to massage different parts of your body, but leave other parts covered so that you don’t feel too exposed.

I have to say, at the end of my hour appointment, my always-knotted neck felt A LOT better.

But the day was far from over - after our massages, we were both welcome to freely enjoy the spa. We spent a few minutes in the steam room (we wanted to soak in all the essential oils we could!), and then visited the hot tub - nothing says BFF like hanging with your gal pal post-massage in a buzzing whirlpool and sipping a cocktail!

Do we love this place? Yes, yes we do!!! But, it’s the Four Seasons…I would have been surprised had we NOT loved it. Something to note, though: We were invited guests, but an hour massage is generally only $95 - and includes use of the sauna, cold plunge pool, and hot tub, and all spa lounges, etc. How shockingly recession friendly is that??

Images: Four Seasons

This weekend, I was invited out to the new Water Club, a signature hotel by Borgata in Atlantic City, to experience their fabulous hotel (and even more fabulous spa).

As a beauty editor, I get to experience beauty treatments pretty often, so it’s often best for me to judge a spa based on their signature treatments…here, I was in for a treat. There were tons of completely unique and innovative ones to immerse myself in.

Interestingly, this spa at The Water Club is actually CALLED the Immersion Spa! For those not yet familiar, it is a 2-story wonderland of treats for the face, body, and mind, many of which you may think involved a secret jaunt to the Far East.

I must say, the experience was unique and exceptional from beginning to end.

As soon as I checked in, I was shown to a ladies lounge, where I was allowed to sip a tea specifically chosen to complement my spa appointment. Then, I donned a cushy robe and slippers, and lounged about until my tech called me for my appointment.

I was scheduled for Thai Sacred Soak, Bath Ritual, which sounded exotic from the very description, and once in the treatment room, I sort of felt like I had escaped on a trip to Thailand. (Being that I am addicted to Thai food, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing at all.)

I can’t even call it a scrub or a massage - it’s pretty much a complete and total body experience. It started with a coconut full body scrub, and I mean FULL, with a scrub that smelled just like Mounds bars. And then, after the scrub, I was left to soak in a floral bath for a nice long warm stretch, and then, after the bath got an intense acupressure massage with lemongrass essence. The entire treatment was about two hours long, and by the end, I felt simultaneously relaxed and rejuvenated.

This also marked the first time I had received a massage from a male (well, in spa-terms!), and there really is a difference. If you love great amounts of pressure in your massage, it’s definitely something to try…it loosens all those kinks.

Oh, and at the end, before being sent back to the lounge area - I was given chocolate!!! Dark chocolate with ginger - sexy, energizing, and enriching - just like my treatment! I am in love. I have to say - and take this from a girl who gets spa treatments pretty much weekly - Immersion Spa is pretty much as good as it gets.

Image: The Water Club

Ever been about to buy glasses online, and then be halted by sheer, unadulterated fear that they will be ALL wrong for you?

Silhouette, known for their rimless styles, now lets you “try” glasses on before buying them - through the web! Their site has something they are calling a Virtual Mirror, a interactive tool allowing readers to upload images of their face and tailor the ideal pair of glasses. There’s over 400 options, including:
· Base model

· Accent colors

· Lens shape

Sunglasses are extra important this time of year as the sun is more and more in our eyes - but is actually important year round! Sunglasses with UV and blue light filters – such as those from Silhouette – protect the eyes from powerful sun rays. The effects from glare can be eliminated through polarized sun protection lenses such as those using IQ POL technology. Wrap-around sunwear gives protection against sun rays coming from the sides, too, which a lot of other glasses don’t do.

To that end, we are awarding one winner Silhouettes’ Harmonia Sun Shield Model 8100, shown at left. To have your chance to win, go to the site, play around, and tell me what you think is the coolest aspect of having a virtual mirror! Deadline is April 1!

Image: Silhouette

Just in case you were super eager for your mouth wash to match your spring styles, I have exciting news…

Listerine now comes in purple. Alert the media.

In all seriousness, Listerine Total Care Anticavity Fluoride Mouthwash is a prettier bottle, and purple IS the color of the season. We need to remember to use mouth wash anyway, it might as well be in a pretty colored bottle that also happens to fight bad breath (ew) and strengthen teeth (yay fluoride!).

Image: Listerine