I recently shared an interesting new site, YouBeauty.com. I signed up for the "Daily Aha!" and though some of them are instant-deleters, some are great reminders, like this one about Protein ...
Excess protein can do more harm than good.
Food manufacturers are packing protein into everything from cereal and granola to chai tea. But excess protein can tax your kidneys and up your risk of bone loss and osteoporosis.
Protein should take up about 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories. For women, that means about 46 grams a day—the equivalent of a container of yogurt, a three-ounce piece of meat and a cup of beans. Unless you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or an athlete, stick to traditional sources—like lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans and nuts. You'll get the nutritional (slimming!) benefits of protein without the downsides.
Plus, it arrives with this adorable pic of the fantastic nerd-duo (Drs. Oz and Roizen), and what's not to love about that?

In other news, I have given up on my "cheap shampoo is just as good as expensive shampoo and it's *only* shampoo" quest (Yes, Mel - someday, no 'poo, I promise). My hair is one of my most valuable assets in terms of pure vanity ... I may not be at a body weight that I find attractive, I may not have clear skin most days, and I may be sprouting wrinkles and crepey eyelid skin at an alarming rate, but I do have good hair - and my self-esteem needs it to be at it's best, as sometimes it's the only thing I can smile at in the mirror. That's a big responsibility, also while doing the least harm possible to the planet and my overall chemical intake/absorption levels. Enter my new love: Living Proof.
Side Note: I did try Wen for about a month. Wen of the late-nite infomercials promising hair magic in exchange for a monthly shipment of expensive product. I've been suckered into that game before (I'm looking at you, Winsor Pilates in my 20's), but when Sephora began carrying a 'starter kit' I figured now was the time to give in to my curiousity. Result? It was good - it did nice things to my hair and was free of many chemicals I don't want to be buying and using. But it is expensive, and you have to use a lot of it, and even with only washing my hair 2-3 times per week, it just felt excessive. But in lieu of finding anything else to try, I went back to Sephora to get another sample kit to give it another shot - but as fate would have it, they were out.
A product rep who helped me look for Wen asked me if she could tell me about her product line, Living Proof. She was lovely about it so I said yes - and she totally sold me. Well, she and the InStyle article she whipped out announcing Jennifer Aniston's recent commitment as spokesperson and investor in the company. I mean, come on - Jennifer has gorgeous hair. And she was on 'Friends' and I'm 40 and that was a pivotal show in my life, and hair - especially Jennifer's hair - was a pivotal part of that show. How could I go wrong?


Long, wavy, straight, short, Rachel ... even a messy pony, Girl's got nice hair. And stylists and stuff. But still, awesome, natural-looking, just ran a brush through it-looking, dreamy hair.
I digress. I brought home the shampoo, conditioner, and a good sample amount of the nourishing styling cream of the 'no frizz' line (delightfully spelled frizz on the bottles) and I have to tell you - I am crazy impressed with this stuff. The site tells me that the primary causes of frizz are friction and humidity. And they tell me this: "When our scientists looked at the thousands of existing products on the market, they discovered something very interesting: most of them contain the exact same ingredients that have been used for over 30 years—silicone and oils. The problem is that silicones and oils do not effectively block humidity or eliminate friction weightlessly. They just weigh hair down so styles don’t last and strands feel heavy and greasy." Okay ... as a person with lots and lots of very fine hair, I can raise my hands and shout 'amen!' at that. So then they go on and on about their patented, top-secret, uber-sciency formula (silicone and oil free) that coats the hair, blah blah blah and repels humidity and "The formula is weightless, so hair is glossy and smooth without ever feeling heavy or greasy. In fact, No Frizz technology is clinically proven to be 70% more effective in blocking humidity than conventional anti-frizz products."
I'm running my fingers through my hair right now ... light, seriously soft, not frizzy. Not exactly glossy and polished and perfect, but certainly healthy and seemingly frictionless-ish. There is also some business about how their formula repels dirt so hair stays cleaner longer, which requires less hair washing and YES YES YES TO ALL OF IT. I've been using it for 2 weeks now (which means about 5 washes) and my hair looks so much better between washings it's like a pre-Christmas miracle. Air dry? Don't mind if I do! What? No ponytail starting the day after a wash and until it's washed again? Okay!
I'm a convert. And I'm going to try a few more products from the other lines (like Amp2 or Full). Also? Take a sec to read the "Origin Story" here. I really liked it. And no, these folks have no idea who I am - but I'm totally sending them a link to this post because if they felt like sending me some samples to provide more reviews, I would definitely not say no - I am truly a giver like that.
But really? Thanks for your science, Living Proof. My hair is awesome right now.
And with all that ... I'll pray that I've conquered my steroid-induced insomnia so I can sleep a few hours before returning to work for the first time since last Wednesday. I'm grateful to have had steroids as an option to reduce the outrageous tonsil-swelling so I could eat solid food (today is day 5 of strep-throat-induced misery. I am not exaggerating about the misery), but I have been awake all day and right now at 4am, my brain feels as bright-eye'd and bushy-tailed as it usually does at ... well, almost never, actually. I'm *awake* in a pretty serious way. I heeded the pharmacist's warning to not take after 10am, but I'm extra sensitive, I guess. The muscle relaxer I took Sunday night actually caused near-hallucinations, also resulting in very little sleep. I don't often take drugs - this could be why. 4:07am. Tick tock.
You're awake too? Here's another of my favorite articles of Mel's, "Top Ten Toxin Sources to Eliminate From Your Life" ... it's good stuff. Also a sort of mea culpa as Living Proof isn't exactly as chemical-free as it maybe should be to fulfill the second part of "works great and doesn't kill me/the planet" ... Ummm ... better living through science? Gulp. Look! Mel's home-grown organic berries!
