My girlfriend Claudia ask me to do some research on a new super food called Chia Beans. After reading many different articles; I found myself very interested and wanting to try this new Super Food! Chia seeds(beans), are really a old super food revered by the early Aztec and Myan cultures. It is making it’s come back in the 21st century. These beans have been resurging in population in the last few decades. They have many dietary benefits. They help the body retain fluids and electrolytes, it forms a gel in our stomach that slow the conversion of carbohydrates to sugar; plus helps build muscle and other tissues. Chia source of protein and boron aids the absorption of calcium. Chia seeds contain 20% protein, 34% oil, and 25% dietary fiber. This bean has concentration of omega 3 fatty acid approx.64% in the oil. No gluten is in this bean. These beans are harvested from the plant Salvia Hispanica plant, it is a type of sage in the mint family. There are many ways you prepare them. They can be made into a porridge or cakes. They can be used to make a gel that one can substitute for oil or other fats in a variety of recipes. The gel can be added to any sauces, Jellies, or any baked goods. The beans aren’t the only important part of the Chia Plant. The sprous are also edible and can be used in salads, sandwiches and other dishes; much like bean sprouts. After reading and researching this food, I had to give it a try. I found it online and not expensive. Prices range from 9.99 to 59.99, depending on how much you order, 14oz to 10lbs. My order is in and I am very excited to try them and see the benefits work on me.

Five years ago I went to my annual doctors appointment. At the time I had been struggling with my weight for years. After my second child was born, I just couldn’t seem to get the weight off. I would lose 5 to 10lbs, but never really changing pant size weight. I also was a single Mom of two dealing with my sons father and his challenges. Working full time, taking care of two kids and a man, was alot of stress I had put on myself. Just giving you readers alittle history of my excuses to getting to this point at the doctors in 2006. When you are called back to see the doctor, everyone knows what happens first. That nurses assistant tells you; first we are going to take your height and weight. I really don’t mind that, but always hoping to be alittle taller and slimmer. Well of course the height never changes, but that damn Weight! This day I got on the scale and was the same size as when I was pregnant with my daughter, 188lbs! I was so disappointed in the scale and myself. All I could hear was 200lb. I calculated in my head, that it was almost winter and in the winter I can sometimes gain 10lbs and 10 more pounds is 198, round that off and you got 200lbs. Everything was normal and healthy that day; other than the fact that I now know I am 188lbs. Now I have to figure out how to keep from gaining that extra ten pounds this winter and to get myself to a normal weight. I walked out of the Doctors office that day on a mission to be healthy. I decided, it was time to make a life change. At the time I didn’t know where to start. My best friend Claudia, who never had a weight problem and not much of a exerciser;swore by walking. She and her husband walked faithfully for only a few months. She looked, acted and felt better during that time. I did not have money for a trainer to show me and uplift me. I just had myself knowing what I want, my best friend as my support and the internet for tips. That week I started walking 3 miles everyday, no days off. I love music, so I bought a cheap little fm/am headset. Music kept me walking. In two weeks I up my miles to four and the next two weeks, I was walking five miles. The pounds started coming off slowly. I felt better day to day. By Mothers Day of 2007, I had lost 10 to 15 pounds. I was happy, not satisfied. My Mothers day gift was a Ipod Shuffle. That was the best present ever;at the time. This little gadget holds about 250 songs, you download your own music and as long as it’s charged; non stop music. That was a great motivater. I give thanks to Apple for the Ipod, because that shuffle played a huge part in my weight-loss. After getting bored with walking, I decided to start riding that bike that had been sitting in my garage for a year. It was time for a change, so I took that bike with my new Ipod shuffle and would just ride and ride. I started riding 6 miles and bout time I was bored with riding; I was riding 12 to 15 miles, five days aweek(off on weekends). Now mind you I started my own health plan, so still wasn’t eating my best. I did lose 30lbs in one year. I was 157lbs, which made me proud of myself. I thought I was satisfied wearing a 8,9,or 10. I was a 14, that was good job to me. Well winter hit and guess what there goes that stupid 10lbs. By spring of 2008, I was 165lbs and stayed at that weight the rest of the year. I was still faithfully working out, but not changing those eating habits. We moved the fall of 2008. I really got frustrated because I didn’t know were I was going to workout. My old Rec Center wasn’t close enough and I didn’t know much about my new city yet. Plus being that we moved to a more expensive place and town; it wasn’t affordable to go to a gym or even a rec center. It was getting to cold to ride or walk. I did not want to gain my weight back or another winter 10lbs. So what to do? I started reading articles on the internet. Anything about how to stay healthy from the inside out. How to make healthy a life time change. I took my vitamins and workout almost everyday up until this point. When I started reading info on staying healthy and slim, I was leaving out two major facts. Eating right and adding weights to my workout. Cardio is great and needed, but to get the full potential, you have to put some weight on it. I went to Walmart to look for some weights(dumbells), but instead there was these weight balls sizes 2lbs, 5lbs, and 8lbs. I bought the 5lb that day, later moving up to the 8lb. The bonus was, that it also came with a dvd. The dvd shows a 24min workout you can do with this ball. The workout is 24min and you only need to do it every other day. I started eating good foods, I stop living to eat, but instead ate to live. I didn’t eat 3 hours before bed time. Let me tell you readers! It took me 1 year to lose 30lbs when I didn’t eat right and workout everyday. I started my weightball workout in December of 2008 along with better eating habits. By March of 2009, I was 135lbs. I wasn’t even reaching for that, it just started coming off over night compared to the first 30lbs. I lost in 4mos. what it took in a year to lose when I wasn’t eating right and working out everyday. My total weight-loss in two year is 50lbs. It is December 2011 and I am still 135lbs. I made a life change, working to make myself better and from that I got results. You have to Keep on keeping on in what ever you do. In the end things turn out better than you intended. I was just looking for good and got great. I continue to keep up with my healthy lifestyle, not just physical, but mental and spiritual also. My point is to be beautiful inside and out. I take my multi vitamin, eat my fruit and vegetable, exercise a least three days aweek. I keep my spiritual mind by reading my law book(The Holy Bible) everyday. This is my life change. This is what makes me Beautiful from the inside out. I am beauty:)

I wanted to get the information out there about good and bad ingredients in products we use on our skin. We are spending any amount of money to make ourselves look better and younger(understandable of coarse). If your going to spend your hard earned money, you should know what your getting. There are ingredients in some of these products out here, that are more harmful, than helpful. There is a high demand in the Industry of topical care. The more product that manufactures will flood the market place to capitalize on this demand; leaving less concern for research and development. On the surface everything looks great, with glossy avertisment and youthful models. Companies spend a fortune paying for marketing; whether it be on the container to paying the youthful models. That is alot of the reason these products are so costly. We have to take time to research products. There are products out there with ingredients you should avoid. Mineral oil is cheap and alot of our skin products have it in there ingredients. Mineral oil prevents the skin from breathing, clogs your pores; which can interfere with your skins ability to eliminate toxins. Dioxane is also use in our products today, one word to explain ETHER. California has linked Dioxane as a chemical that can cause cancer. Fragrances, We all know that fragrance is something we shouldn’t use on our skin, only good for perfume; not skin products. Paranbens has many names to look for. Paranbens also has the names cmethyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl paraben. Of coarse Alcohol is not good for skin, even though it is used in alot of our products. Alcohol dries out the skin. These ingredients are what you should avoid. There are good ingredients that you want to look for also. These good ingredients are good for all skin types, more natural for your skin. Collagen, it is best to find a product with ingredient that have been shown to stimulate your bodies own Collagen. Phytessence Wakame, a exotic kelp native to the Japanese Sea. Elastin, is always good for firmness. X Tend TK is a new substance that actually stimulates your own collagen. It doesn’t only stimulate the regrowth of collagen, but elastin promoting firmness. Coenzyme(Co Q10), is great for health and nutrition. It’s an antioxidant that helps neutralize harmful free radicals, which are one of the causes of aging. Coenzyme in skin cream can be helpful to most people over thirty. The levels of Co Q10 in the skin are below opitimum, resulting in lesser ability to produce collagen, elastin, etc.. Co Q10 may boost skin repair and regeneration and reduce free radicals damage. This is info I needed to get out. There is alot of people that don’t know what is damaging to the skin or what is the best for your skin. Just always remember to beautifie yourself from the inside out. Keep stress levels down, drink lots of water and eating the right food can make a world of difference for your mind, body and skin.