Choosing clothes that flatter your skin tone

Skin tones are defined in terms of the season. You are either a winter, a spring, a summer or an autumn. It is important to know the season of your skin tone. Different skin tones are flattered by different colors. Choosing clothes that flatter your skin tone helps you look your best.

It is always a good idea if possible, to have your color analysis done at a store or salon and by more than one person if possible. If this isn’t possible, you can try doing it yourself. I had mine done at Pelton's years ago, as ou may well imagine, I have no clue what she told me lol. 

Wash your face so that you have no makeup and then look at your skin in natural light. You might even want to hold a white piece of paper next to your face so that you have a clear indication of the undertone in your skin. You can also look at the inside of your wrist. Take a good look at your veins, do they look blue or more green. If blue then you are cool if green warm. 

Winter is a cool tone and most often seen on African American and Asians though it can also be seen in blonds, with white blond natural hair. Most often eye color in winters is dark. Winters have great depth of color and lots of contrast. If you are a winter you look best in rich colors. In dark colors, jewel tones are best, think ruby and sapphire and in lighter colors, go intense. Neural and bland colors will make you look just that so avoid them.

Summer is also a cool tone, almost to the point of icy. Summers are usually natural blonds but there are summers who have dark brown hair with very light skin. Summers almost always have light colored eyes. Summers have little contrast between their skin, eyes, and hair. The best colors are soft colors, neutrals such as camel and light gray and pastels especially blue are best. Muted is the way to go. Overly vivid or bright tones will wash away your looks and overpower your coloring.

Spring is a warm tone. You are best described as a subtle golden girl with definite undertones of gold to the skin. Often hair color is golden blond, golden brown or reddish blond. Eyes are blues and greens but not a vivid green, more of a blue-green. The complexion can have a rosy glow and freckles are not uncommon.

Springs look great in soft colors such as peach or in clear colors such as a bright true red. Avoid black and white, they usually are not flattering. Much better to choose colors that have a golden undertone such as browns and greens.

Autumn is a warm tone. You are truly the golden girls. Hair color is dark brown or red. Eye color is often golden brown or green. Rich colors are the most flattering with your coloration. The wonderful colors of fall are perfect, the browns, golds, and oranges will bring this skin tone to life. Pastels and especially light blues do not tend to flatter and stark white and black can wash you out.

Many people are more than one season. Once you have identified your predominate season you can experiment with the ones that may be close or slightly correct. Most people can tell when they try on a color whether it flatters but if not, ask a trusted friend or your mother for an honest answer. If a color makes you feel amazing, it is right for you. I have decided that I am an autumn, and I choose my colors accordingly. 

Natural ways to help your digestion

Most people don’t think much about their digestive system until it is not working correctly. By then it is often too late. The best course of action is to try to keep your digestive system healthy and happy. There are many ways that you can boost your digestive system naturally. Here are a few tips that can help you to keep things moving the way that they should.

Eating

The key to giving your digestive system a boost is to eat well, including plenty of fiber and good fats, exercise moderately to keep your muscles strong so that they are in condition to help the food move through your body and avoiding harmful things such as smoking and lots of junk food. There are a few additional items that can really go a long way toward boosting your digestive system.

Enzymes

Enzymes are an important part of the entire digestive system. Some of the enzymes that are used in digestion are produced by the bacteria in the bowel. Humans do not produce the enzymes that break down much of the fiber in vegetables and fruit. In order to get the maximum nutritional value from the things you eat, you need to have the correct enzymes. 

Enzymes are present from the beginning to the end of the digestive process starting with the saliva in your mouth which works on carbohydrates.

Stomach acid works mostly on proteins. Some foods you eat can help the process. Since protein stimulates the production of stomach acid, try to have some protein with every meal. Chew food well and drink enough when you are eating. These all help digestion go smoothly. 

Adding sauerkraut to your diet can help to boost the digestive system. It should be unpasteurized so that all the bacteria have not been killed. This is a simple and good tasting way to help yourself to enjoy better health. Many enzymes which occurred naturally in food are destroyed through the cooking process. By adding more fiber-rich foods and eating them in the natural state, you boost your digestive system immensely.

Bacteria

Bacteria is present in the digestive system. These are called friendly bacteria and according to Kathryn Senior Ph.D., they are mostly located in the lower digestive system due to the presence of stomach acid, which is quite strong, in the upper digestive areas. The bacteria in the bowel is believed to create a coating on itself to protect it from the enzymes in the bowl. This way they are not flushed out with the rest of the waste.

A disruption in this bacteria can lead to issue with digestion. This has led to a whole new sales pitch for manufacturers of yogurt. Yogurt can be used as a way to get these friendly bacteria back into your system. It is important however that you check the label of the yogurt to make sure that it has live culture. Adding one yogurt to your daily routine may just be the answer you are looking for. It is an easy and delicious way to add safe bacteria to your digestive system.

You can go to a natural food store and get bacteria and the enzymes in the form of pills or drinks but if at all possible, stay with the really natural approach and just add the foods to your diet. Most enzymes in the human body are produced by the pancreas and the liver, as we get older the production can slow down and you need to give it a little boost. There are digestive enzymes that you can buy and eat with all of your meals.

Some foods and spices are natural boosters of your entire system. Cayenne is one of them, try adding a little cayenne pepper to your diet and see if you notice the increased comfort in your digestion.

Honey is nature’s little powerhouse. It is healthy for your body for many reasons but it is also a great aid in the digestive system especially if it is combined with things like milk or cinnamon. Ginger is also great combined with honey due to its natural calming effects on the digestive system.

In summary, yogurt, combined with honey and cinnamon or ginger is a superfood. Add a fermented dish such as sauerkraut or kimchi to your diet as well and then drink lots of water, chew your food well and enjoy the benefits of a happy digestive system. These are all natural ways to boost your digestive system.

How to prevent migraine headaches

Migraine headaches can be debilitating. They can send you to bed unable to open your eyes or even to move. Once a migraine has started it needs to be treated. The ideal treatment is to try to prevent migraine headaches from starting at all.

There is not one simple answer to preventing migraine headaches. Many things can trigger a migraine but first, you must determine if your headaches are true migraines A variety of symptoms are indicative of a migraine. Is your pain only on one side of your head, are you sensitive to light and do your eyes hurt? Are you feeling nauseous or are you throwing up? 

Did you see strange lights or colors? Do you have other visual or audio phenomenon shortly before your headache begins(these are known as auras)? Any or all of these may mean you are a migraine sufferer.

Your best defense against a migraine is to identify what is triggering it. Most people have one or more triggers. A daily journal can be of great help in isolating the triggers that you have been exposed to.

Food and alcohol are common triggers with red wine being one of the top offenders. Other common triggers are aged cheeses such as Cheddar, Brie, and Gruyere, foods containing MSG or other preservatives (Chinese food and salad bars are places where you may be getting it), caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and colas, chocolate and aged, canned, processed, or smoked meats. Keep in mind that this list is not exclusive, your particular migraine may be caused by a food other than those listed here.

Changes in weather can also affect migraine sufferers. Sometimes it will seem as if your head is a weather barometer, you will be the first to know that a storm is brewing. Odors and perfumes are also very common triggers. One that affects many people is musk and while some people enjoy the smell of gasoline, for some migraine sufferers, it is a real headache. Perfumes may come from things as simple as a car deodorizer and candles to ones as complex as your dear friends. While it may prove awkward, you may have to request that certain friends not wear perfume when they are around you.

Missing a meal can trigger a migraine as can hormones. The best thing about menopause is that it may signal the end of hormone related migraines.

Stress is probably the most common cause of migraines. Stress is a part of everyday life, those with a tendency toward migraines are suffering from it. Trying to develop relaxation techniques can help to keep stress to a minimum and this may lessen the number of episodes you have to suffer through.

More recently, it has been suggested that gluten may contribute to incidence of migraines.  It appears that a sensitivity to gluten may be to blame. If you suffer you may want to give it a try to see if it helps you. 

Once you identify your triggers, you are better able to prevent migraines from happening in the first place. I am a lifelong migraine sufferer and have found that I have several triggers which I try to avoid. 

Mattress Review: Tulo

The mattress in our spare bedroom has been around since the fire in 1995. It was time for it to be replaced. I am a Serta girl all the way but Al needs to have a very supportive mattress and when he can't sleep he goes to the spare bedroom. That made getting a mattress that he likes important. My friend Cindy bought a twin Tulo and was very pleased. She had Al lay on it at her house and he found it comfortable.

Mattress Firm carries the Tulo so we went to their store in Glastonbury to try out the different firmnesses. It is a good thing that we did since Al did not like the twin, he felt like he would fall off the bed. We ended up getting a full and he preferred the firm to the medium. That is what we ordered. 

Unfortunately, I was told that the frame for the full would not be available until October.

I had the option of picking the mattress up at the warehouse in Windsor, having it delivered for a substantial fee or having it delivered to the store and picking it up there. I opted to pick it up at the store. I was told it would be in on Wednesday and that I could pick it up on Thursday. That was incorrect, I could not get it until Friday.

When I got home I went to Mattress Firm online and ordered the frame, seems it was available and I received it before I picked up the mattress. As you can imagine, I was less than impressed with the information I received from the Mattress Firm in Glastonbury. 

The frame arrived on Wednesday and I was able to put it together myself, it was very straightforward. 

The Tulo comes in a box, it is not light but the two of us were able to manage it. It fit in the back seat of our Forester. It takes a few hours for the mattress to rise to its full height of 10 inches. Reviews I read talked about a smell lasting 24 hours, I did not find the smell to be at all overwhelming. 

How do I like the Tulo? I love it. It is very comfortable and the total price was about $660. It comes with a 10-year guarantee.