XOXO

XOXO A complete work out is what you need to pump your health

Keep yourself hydrated

WATER is the best for you.

GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BODY! Benefits of Coconut Oil Beauty mistakes that may be affecting your health: Watch out!

May 2015 85¢US

XOXO MAGAZINE 1 IMAGES: Getty

Letter from the Editor

This magazine was published as a school project for my class of Publishing Design, as part of the final project for my seventh semester of my college career on Graphic Design.

Mostly, with this magazine I aim to promote a healthy lifestyle, with tips that range from healthy eating, drinking, exercising, natural beauty, organic products, etc. I hope all the information that has been edited in this magazine helps you, the reader, to have a more fulfilled and healthy living, as it has helped me through my path of loving life.

“

It is never too late, or too early, to start on this journey that us, humans, have been trying to find for years: happiness.”

Karla Ivetth Zúñiga

facebook/XOXOmag twitter/XOXOmag 2 XOXO MAGAZINE

May

2015

ON

5How Much Can You

THIS 7 ISSUE: publisher EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DESIGN AND ART DIRECTOR:

Karla Ivetth Zúñiga

Really Increase Your Metabolism?

10 Proven Health

13 SoyMilk,

20 5 Beauty

14 Exercise:

To Do On Sunday Nights

what is it?

our new best friend

Benefits of Coconut Oil

16 4 Bizarre

10 This month’s

Always Get Zits & How to Prevent Them

favourite: WATER!

12 Peanut Butter and

Jelly Sandwich Cookies

Places You

18 5 Makeup

Habits That

Could Actually Make You Sick

Treatments

22 A Low-

Maintenance Hairstyle That’s Flattering on EVERYONE Actually Exists

25 How to Tell if a Nutrition Bar Is Actually Healthy

27 Testing

Cosmetics

on Animals Could Soon Be a Thing of the Past

XOXO MAGAZINE 3

atrevete a romper las reglas 4 XOXO MAGAZINE



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Exercise, or more specifically, strength training, can help support a healthy metabolism.

After all, pound per pound, muscle burns more calories than fat. However, the difference might not be as big as you think: four calories, to be precise.

How Much Can You Really Increase Your Metabolism?

IMAGES: Getty

Drink green tea. Build more muscle. Eat chili peppers.

The list of ways you can increase your metabolic rate are endless.

BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS

But when it comes to reaching your weight-loss goals, how much of a difference do those tactics really make?

Not as much as any weight-loss warrior would like, says Tim Church, M.D., M.P.H, Ph.D., professor of preventative medicine at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. That's because your metabolism largely comes down to two factors: your genetics and your size. If your mom and dad had slow metabolisms, you probably will, too. There's not much you can do to change that, says Church.

Meanwhile, the larger you are, the faster your metabolism actually is. “Someone who is morbidly obese burns an enormous amount of calories every day,” says Church. On the flip side, the smaller you are, the slower your metabolism is. After all, it takes less fuel (i.e., calories) to run a tiny person than it does to run a large person. It’s a cruel twist for any woman trying to lose weight and get in shape.

Still, while you can’t exchange your metabolism for that of a much luckier woman, a few calories here and a few calories there do add up. For instance, research shows that drinking two to

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four cups of green tea per day may raise your metabolism by 50 calories per day.

That’s a lot of tea and not a ton of calories, but, hey, that equals a good five pounds lost in a single year.

Meanwhile, in study published in The American Journal of Clinical, people who consumed capsinoids (compounds in chili peppers) every day for 12 weeks didn’t enjoy a significant increase in resting metabolism, but their rates of fat oxidation and their levels of belly fat did decrease. And according to research from the University of Utah, for every three percent of your body weight in water you lose (for example, if you weigh 140 pounds and lose 4.2 pounds of water weight), your resting metabolism drops by two percent.

Again, not huge, but it makes a difference over the long term. What’s more, exercise, or more specifically, strength training, can help support a healthy metabolism. After all, pound per pound, muscle burns more calories than fat. However, the difference might not be as big as you think: four calories, to be precise. A pound of fat burns two calories per day, and a pound of fat burns six. To put that into perspective, losing two pounds of fat and replacing it with two pounds of muscle will increase your resting metabolic rate by only eight calories per day.

However, the biggest calorie-burning benefit of exercise isn’t muscle—it’s getting moving. “The key to burning more calories is always going to be more active,” says Church. “In the end, weight loss comes down to pure hard work. People don’t like to hear it, but it’s true.”

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IMAGES: Getty

10 Proven Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

IMAGES: Getty

By Kris Gunnars

Coconut oil is one of the few foods that can be classified as a “superfood.� Its unique combination of fatty acids can have profound positive effects on health. This includes fat loss, better brain function and various other amazing benefits.

Here are the top 10 health benefits of coconut oil that have been experimentally confirmed in human studies.

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se 24 hour energy expenditure by as much as 5%, potentially leading to significant weight loss over the long term.

4 IMAGES: Getty

The Lauric Acid in Coconut Oil Can Kill Bacteria, Viruses and Fungi, Helping to Stave Off Infections

1

Coconut Oil Contains a Unique Combination of Fatty Acids with Powerful Medicinal Properties

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated. However, new data is showing that saturated fats are harmless. Many massive studies that include hundreds of thousands of people prove that the whole “artery-clogging” idea was a myth.

Additionally, coconut oil doesn’t contain your average run-of-the-mill saturated fats like you would find in cheese or steak. No, they contain so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length. Most of the fatty acids in the diet are long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently. They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source

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energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy and Alzheimer’s.

Bottom Line: Coconut oil contains a lot of medium chain triglycerides, which are metabolized differently and can have therapeutic effects on several brain disorders.

2

Populations That Eat a LOT of Coconut Are Among the Healthiest People on the Planet

Coconut is kind of an “exotic” food in the Western world, primarily consumed by health conscious people. However, in some parts of the world, coconut is a dietary staple that people have thrived on for many generations.

The best example of such a population is the Tokelauans, which live in the South Pacific.

They eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts and are the biggest consumers of saturated fat in the world. These people are in excellent health, with no evidence of heart disease. Another example of a population that eats a lot of coconut and remains in exce-

llent health is the Kitavans.

Bottom Line: Plenty of populations around the world have thrived for multiple generations eating massive amounts of coconut.

3

Coconut Oil Can Increase Your Energy Expenditure, Helping You Burn More Fat

Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world. While some people think obesity is only a matter of calories, others (myself included) believe that the sources of those calories are critical too. It is a fact that different foods affect our bodies and hormones in different ways. In this regard, a calorie is NOT a calorie.

The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer chain fats. One study found that 15-30 grams of MCTs per day increased 24 hour energy expenditure by 5%, totaling about 120 calories per day.

Bottom Line: The medium chain triglycerides in coconut oil have been shown to increa-

Almost 50% of the fatty acids in coconut oil are the 12-carbon Lauric Acid. When coconut oil is enzymatically digested, it also forms a monoglyceride called monolaurin.

Both lauric acid and monolaurin can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi. For example, these substances have been shown to kill the bacteria Staphylococcus Aureus (a very dangerous pathogen) and the yeast Candida Albicans, a common source of yeast infections in humans.

Bottom Line: The fatty acids and breakdown products in coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens, potentially helping to prevent infections.

5

Coconut Oil Can Kill Your Hunger, Making You Eat Less without Even Trying One interesting feature of coconut oil is that it can reduce your hunger. This may be related to the way the fatty acids in it are metabolized, because ketone bodies can have an appetite reducing effect.

In one study, varying amounts of medium and long chain triglycerides were fed to 6 healthy men. The men eating the most MCTs ate 256 fewer calories per day, on average. Another study in 14 healthy men discovered that those who ate the most MCTs

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coconut oil has proven to be a superfood thanks to its many benefits not only for health but for hair, skin and just almost everything! at breakfast ate significantly fewer calories at lunch. These studies were small and only done for a short period of time. If this effect were to persist over the long term, it could have a dramatic influence on body weight over a period of several years.

Bottom Line: The fatty acids in coconut oil can significantly reduce appetite, which may positively affect body weight over the long term.

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The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Are Turned into Ketones, Which Can Reduce Seizures

A so-called ketogenic (very low carb, very high fat) diet is currently being studied to treat various disorders. The best known therapeutic application of this diet is treating drug-resistant epilepsy in children. This diet involves eating very little carbohydrates and large amounts of fat, leading to greatly increased concentrations of ketone bodies in the blood. For some reason, this diet can dramatically reduce the rate of seizures in epileptic children, even those who haven’t had success with multiple different types of drugs.

Because the MCTs in coconut oil get shipped to the liver and turned into ketone bodies, they are often used in epileptic patients to induce ketosis

while allowing for a bit more carbs in the diet.

Bottom Line: The MCTs in coconut oil can increase blood concentration of ketone bodies, which can help reduce seizures in epileptic children.

7

Coconut Oil Can Improve Blood Cholesterol Levels and May Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

Coconut oil is loaded with saturated fats, which actually do not harm the blood lipid profile like previously thought.

Saturated fats raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype.

In one study in 40 women, coconut oil reduced Total and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL compared to soybean oil. There are also rat studies showing that coconut oil reduces triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL and improves blood coagulation factors and antioxidant status. This improvement in cardiovascular risk factors should theoretically lead to a reduced risk of heart disease over the long term.

Bottom Line: Studies in both humans and rats show that coconut oil improves important risk factors like Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol, which may translate to a reduced risk of heart disease.

8

Coconut Oil Can Protect Hair against Damage, Moisturize Skin and Function as Sunscreen

Coconut oil can serve various purposes that have nothing to do with eating it. Many people are using it for cosmetic

purposes and to improve the health and appearance of their skin and hair.

Studies on individuals with dry skin show that coconut oil can improve the moisture and lipid content of the skin.

Coconut oil can also be very protective against hair damage and one study shows effectiveness as sunscreen, blocking about 20% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Another application is using it like mouthwash in a process called oil pulling, which can kill some of the harmful bacteria in the mouth, improve dental health and reduce bad breath.

Bottom Line: Coconut oil can be applied topically as well, studies showing it to be effective as a skin moisturizer and protecting against hair damage. It can also be used as a mild form of sunscreen and as mouthwash.

9

The Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Can Boost Brain Function in Alzheimer’s Patients

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia worldwide and occurs primarily in elderly individuals. In Alzheimer’s patients, there appears to be a reduced ability to use glucose for energy in certain parts of the brain. Ketone bodies can supply energy for the brain and researchers have speculated that ketones can provide an alternative energy source for these malfunctioning cells and reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

In one 2006 study, consumption of medium chain triglycerides led to immediate improvement in brain function in patients with milder forms of Alzheimer’s. Other studies support these findings

and medium chain triglycerides are being intensively studied as potential therapeutic agents in Alzheimer’s disease.

Bottom Line: Studies show that the fatty acids in coconut oil can increase blood levels of ketone bodies, supplying energy for the brain cells of Alzheimer’s patients and relieving symptoms.

10

Coconut Oil Can Help You Lose Fat, Especially the Dangerous Fat in Your Abdominal Cavity

Given that coconut oil can reduce appetite and increase fat burning, it makes sense that it can also help you lose weight. Coconut oil appears to be especially effective in reducing abdominal fat, which lodges in the abdominal cavity and around organs. This is the most dangerous fat of all and is highly associated with many Western diseases. Waist circumference is easily measured and is a great marker for the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity.

A study in 40 women with abdominal obesity, supplementing with 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day lead to a significant reduction in both BMI and waist circumference in a period of 12 weeks.

Another study in 20 obese males noted a reduction in waist circumference of 2.86 cm (1.1 inches) after 4 weeks of 30 mL (1 ounce) of coconut oil per day. This number may not seem too impressive on the surface, but be aware that these people aren’t adding exercise or restricting calories.

They’re losing significant amounts of abdominal fat simply by adding coconut oil to their diet.

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IMAGES: Getty

This month’s favourite: WATER! You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. Water also helps transport oxygen to your cells, removes waste and protects your joints and organs.

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Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when you lose more water than you take in. You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you’re active than when you’re sedentary.

Diuretics, such as caffeine pills, certain medications and alcohol may increase the amount of water your body loses. Lost fluids must be replaced by the fluids in the foods you eat and the beverages you drink.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, pains in joints and muscles, headaches and constipation.

A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color, may also indicate dehydration.

Note: riboflavin, a B vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow when you take dietary supplements that contain large amounts of riboflavin. Certain medications can change the color of urine, as well.

How Much Water Do You Need?

IMAGES: Getty

The foods you eat supply about 20 percent of the water you need. The rest comes from the beverages you drink. One method of determining your need for water is by taking your weight in

pounds and dividing that number in half. This gives you approximately the number of ounces you should drink each day.

For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you might want to drink at least 80 ounces of water or other fluids per day.

My hydration calculator can help you determine how much water you need to drink each day. It also takes your activity levels, altitude and other factors into consideration.

Best Sources

Water is probably the best choice for hydration because it’s cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. Sweetened soft drinks and sodas have extra sugar but no additional nutritional value.

Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, which is good for recovering after a hard workout, but look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want at all.

Fruit and vegetable juices have vitamins and minerals, but read the labels because most vegetable juices are high in sodium.

Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee count too, but too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.

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5 Tips to Help You Drink

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water: Have a beverage with every snack and meal.

Choose beverages you enjoy; you're likely to drink more liquids if you like the way they taste.

Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.

Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag.

Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you're watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.

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RECIPE

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies Peanut butter cookies make the perfect base for a layer of sweet strawberry spread. Serve these sweet-and-salty cookies for an afternoon snack or a sweet lunchbox surprise!

Ingredients 1/4 cup margarine, softened 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup calorie-free sweetener 1/4 cup sugar 2 large egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup strawberry spread Cooking spray

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350째.

2 Beat margarine and peanut butter

with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sweetener and sugar, beating well. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring well. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating well.

3

Shape dough into 40 (1-inch) balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray.

Flatten cookies into 2-inch circles using a flat-bottomed glass. Bake at 350째 for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on pans; remove, and let cool completely on wire racks.

4

Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons strawberry spread on the bottom of each of 20 cookies; top with remaining cookies.

12 XOXO MAGAZINE

SoyMilk, what is it?

SUPERFOODS

Soy milk, sometimes referred to as soya milk or soy drink, is a liquid made by grinding and boiling soybeans with water. This milky beverage has a similar nutritional content to cow’s milk and is staple food in many Asian countries. Its creamy texture, high nutritional value, and animal free ingredients have made soy milk popular around the world.

By Bethany Moncel Soy milk is a popular dairy alternative in the West, and it has long been a traditional beverage in China, Japan and other parts of Asia.

Some people opt to drink soy milk because they are lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive, while others drink it for ethical reasons (such as an interest in animal welfare or in reducing your environmental footprint by eating lower on the food chain) or health reasons (such as wanting to reduce cholesterol intake).

How is Soy Milk Made?

Soy milk can be made from either whole beans or soy flour (dried and ground soybeans). Soybeans must be soaked in water prior to making soy milk, anywhere from three to 24 hours, depending on the temperature of the water. After soaking, the beans are ground with a 10:1 water to bean ratio.

As with any soybean

product, the mixture must be cooked to destroy the soybeans’ natural protease inhibitors, which can be toxic to humans. After boiling the ground soybean and water mixture, the soybean solids are filtered out. The resulting fluid is a suspension of fat, protein, and carbohydrates, very similar to cow’s milk.

Nutrition

Soy milk contains roughly 3.5% protein, 2% fat, and 2.9% carbohydrates. This profile is very similar to cow’s milk although the amino acids provided by soy milk differ from cow’s milk.

Despite being a plant source, soy products do provide all of the essential amino acids and are therefore considered a complete protein source.

The natural sugars in soy milk also differ from cow’s milk, making it very beneficial for those who are lactose intolerant. Soy milk contains sucrose, which is safe for people who can not digest lactose and also children

with the rare metabolic disorder, galactosemia.

One cup of plain, unsweetened soy milk provides roughly 132 calories, 4.3 grams of fat, 15.4 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, and 1.5 grams of fiber. Soy milk is not a good source of calcium naturally, so many manufacturers fortify the drink with easily absorbable calcium. Unlike cow’s milk, soy milk does not contain any cholesterol and is very low in saturated fat.

Varieties

Plain soy milk has a mild creamy flavor and is now widely available in many supermarkets across the United States. To make the drink more palatable, flavors like vanilla and chocolate are also available. Some varieties of soy milk simply have a small amount of sweetener added

IMAGES: Getty

without any additional flavors. Many manufacturers also fortify soy milk with added nutrients to make it a more comparable substitute to cow’s milk.

Soy milk is most often found in the refrigerated dairy department, although it is also sold unrefrigerated in hermetically sealed aseptic containers. Once opened, the containers must be refrigerated. Unopened aseptically packaged soy milk can be kept at room temperature for several months, but should be consumed within seven to ten days after opening.

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FITNESS

Exercise: our new best friend

Whether you’re just starting exercise or you’ve been at it for awhile, there will come a time when you want to give up. It’s at this moment, when you doubt yourself, when you stare at the scale and wonder why it doesn’t move faster, that you need to dig deep to keep going.

One way to do that is with a motivational pep talk. Sure, pep talks are a little cheesy, but what you say to yourself in these moments is critical to keep you going. These exercise tips and reminders will keep you from giving up on your fitness and weight loss goals.

By Paige Waehner Exercise Expert

1. This Will Get Easier

The first time my client did a pushup, she did one, collapsed to the floor and gasped, “Worst. Exercise. Ever.” I’m pretty sure she said that the second time and the third, but what she forgot was one important fact: This will get easier. It doesn’t feel that way in the beginning, but every time you do those killer exercises -pushups, lunges, squats- you’re building stronger muscles. This happens secretly and in a way the scale won’t recognize, but know that deep in your body, your muscles are growing. Deep in your cells, your mitochondria are increasing. Your heart is pumping more blood to your muscles and your body is becoming more efficient at burning fat.

The moment you really feel your own strength is the moment you commit to exercise for the long run.

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To get there, however, you have to keep doing it.

Action Plan

Track Your Workouts.

Keep a workout log and track your exercises, reps, sets and weights so you can see your progress from week to week.

Take your time. It only gets easier if you gradually build strength and endurance. Start with what you can handle – say, 20 minutes of cardio and a basic total body workout. Each week, add a few minutes of cardio and more reps, weight or sets to your strength workout.

Enjoy the process. We get so impatient to see results, we want to skip the boring part at the beginning. Doing that is like trying to learn a foreign language without learning the alphabet. The first few weeks of exercise is like your alphabet; Essential for building a strong foundation to prepare you for more intense and frequent exer-

cise. You need this to avoid injury and burnout. Find a way to enjoy each workout for what it is.

2. I Don’t Have to Be Miserable

I’ve heard some people compare their workouts to a jail sentence, which makes me think they’re either melodramatic or they’re doing some seriously boring workouts. Too often, we lock ourselves into a workout routine, regardless of whether we’re actually enjoying it. Remember, you don’t have to do things you hate and exercise shouldn’t be miserable.

If you ever find yourself staring at the clock, the seconds ticking by at glacial speed, remind yourself: “I don’t have to be miserable.”

You’re in charge and you’re also free to change what you’re doing at any time.

Action Plan

Change your routine.

Try changing your strength workouts if they’re getting boring or try a new cardio workout. Circuit training is a great way to add more fun to your workouts and keep you from staring at the clock.

Plan something new. A new exercise video, exergame, group fitness class or even a new workout playlist can rejuvenate your workouts.

Find support. We often feel that there’s something wrong with us if we don’t fall in love with exercise. Talking to other people, whether it’s in an online forum or with people you know will give you some perspective and help you realize we all struggle with exercise.

3. I’ll Feel Better Once I Get Started

The hardest part of working out is usually getting started. Sometimes the

Action Plan

Warm up. A good solid warm up is crucial for getting both your body and mind ready for exercise.

Start with dynamic exercises that mimic the workout you’ll be doing and allow your heart rate to increase gradually; Walking before running or 5-10 minutes of cardio before lifting weights.

Allow time for an extra long warm up on those days it’s hard to get moving.

Prepare. It’s already hard to get started with a workout, but it’s even worse if you have to scramble for basic things like your shoes, workouts clothes or pre-workout snacks. Get into the habit of preparing everything the night before so you have fewer excuses to skip your workout.

Draw on your inner strength. You have a variety of tools to help you get moving– Discipline, your commitment to your

health and future and even competitiveness – you don’t want all those people at the gym right now beating you, right? Try a workout mantra you can turn to when things get tough.

4. I Only Have to Do This Today

If you think of exercise as something you have to do for the rest of your life, you’ve set an impossible goal. If it’s hard to do one workout, how on earth will you find the strength and will to do it every day?

This is the time to remind yourself that you don’t have to. You only have to find enough motivation for today’s workout. When tomorrow comes, you’ll find motivation for that one too.

Action Plan

Focus on what you’re doing. During each workout, pay attention to what you’re doing. Concentrate on your form and the muscles you’re working during strength exercises. Monitor your intensity during cardio to track what your heart rate is doing. Get to know your body during this workout and forget about the rest.

Reward yourself. Plan rewards for all your successes. Plan time for your favorite activity (reading, listening to music, etc.) each time you finish a workout.

After a week of workouts, plan a night out or some new workout music. After a month of workouts, schedule a massage or a weekend trip. Having something to look forward to will make your workouts easier.

XOXO MAGAZINE 15

IMAGES: Getty

idea of going from sitting or sleeping to jumping up and down and sweating is so overwhelming, we can’t imagine bridging that gap.

This is the time to remind yourself that you’ll feel better once you start moving.

There may be some discomfort at first as you get your heart rate up but, that initial discomfort fades as your body warms, your temperature rises and blood flows into your muscles. When the endorphins kick in, you’ll feel even better and, at the end of the workout, you’ll get more satisfaction because you worked out even though it was hard.

4

Bizarre Places You Always Get Zits & How to Prevent Them

BY GRACE GOLD

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As if a raging red zit isn’t enough to deal with, having one crop up in an unusual place can really throw a curve ball into your routine. But you don’t have to hide away underneath a hat. Find out exactly what causes these annoying breakouts, and learn how to prevent and treat those weird pimples so you can put your best face forward.

IMAGES: Getty 16 XOXO MAGAZINE

Oily Ears Can Lead to Breakouts “The ears have many sebaceous glands, which makes them a breeding ground for pimples—and when oil from the glands clogs the pores, acne occurs,” says Eric Schweiger, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. The best way to prevent bumps is to make sure you’re cleaning your ears out properly, especially after applying any sticky hairstyling products that can leave grime behind. Use a medicated acne pad containing salicylic acid to wipe the outer and inner parts of the ear, taking care to not go too deep into the ear, says Schweiger.

Yes, Nostril Acne Is a Thing Known as intranasal acne, this kind of pimple forms inside the nose when a hair follicle becomes irritated or inflamed, says Schweiger. You can accidentally invite infection into the area by plucking or clipping nose hairs that in turn irritate the follicle and cause an en-

try point for infection. Breathing in dirt and dust can also irritate the follicles, but wearing a protective mask over your nose in these kinds of environments can prevent inhalation of particles. Refrain from scratching or shaving inside the nostrils. “To treat nostril acne, use an antibiotic nasal spray or apply a topical antibiotic ointment with a Q-tip,” says Schweiger.

Scalp Zits Are Actually Very Common Acne on the scalp forms the same way as acne on your face—by pore blockage. Not only does the scalp produce sebum that can get trapped in pores and cause blockage, but heavy hair products you use, like serum and spray, can also clog pores. Washing hair frequently enough to prevent buildup is the best way to prevent scalp acne, as is staying away from product formulas that contain thick oils. “I recommend Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo ($14, walmart. com), which is anti-inflammatory,” says Schweiger, who recommends alternating that with a shampoo containing sa-

licylic acid. Never use benzoyl peroxide on your scalp since it can bleach your hair color. Yikes!

And Then There Are Eyebrow Pimples Heavy eye shadows and brow gels can cause zits to crop up in and around the eyebrow, but that’s not the only cause of brow blemishes. Hair products in bangs that graze the eye area can also cause breakouts, and people who wax or pluck their brows may see pimples result from irritating the hair follicle in that region. The easiest way to treat eyebrow pimples is with an acne-fighting ingredient that won’t sting or cause irritation around this sensitive area. “Dab on a spot treatment containing tea tree oil or sulfur, and let it sit overnight,” says Schweiger. Again, avoid using benzoyl peroxide products that can accidently bleach brows. To prevent eyebrow acne, take the time to thoroughly cleanse the area every night as part of your skin-care routine, and keep skin-care products containing heavy oils or petroleums away from the area.

Your Dirty Habits Might Be to Blame

IMAGES: Getty

Have the habit of putting your mitts all over your face when you're stressed or reading emails at your desk? You might find yourself getting acne in the same exact spot over and over again, says Zeichner. "Touching your face repeatedly in the same area can push dirt and oil into the pores in those areas and lead to pimples," he says.

How to deal: Besides keeping your hands off of your face (we know, it's hard), Zeichner recommends using salicylic acid-based products to keep those areas clear, as well as incorporating benzoyl peroxide treatments into your routine to kill the bacteria left behind from your fingertips.

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IMAGES: Getty

5

Makeup Habits

That Could Actually Make You Sick

BY COURTNEY LEIVA

18 XOXO MAGAZINE

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We’re all guilty of indulging in a few bad habits every now and then. But when it comes to your makeup routine, there are things you might be doing that you didn’t even know could be harmful to you. Here, we’ve rounded up some common makeup habits that can cause major damage to your skin—and your health

IMAGES: Getty

Sharing Makeup with a Friend

You share clothes and jewelry with your BFF— so why not that flattering-on-everyone lipstick you love…right? Wrong— very, very wrong. Sharing your favorite lip color with your besite could lead to something nasty—and we’re not talking about getting upset when she doesn’t return it to you. “Sharing makeup with a friend comes the risk of infection,” says David Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mount Kisco, New York.

“In sharing eyeliners and

lipsticks, you can run the risk of contracting viral infections such as conjunctivitis and cold sores.” Oh, and one Australian woman claims she got a staph infection—that has left her in a wheelchair permanently—from using her friend’s makeup brush.

Using Expired Makeup

“Expiration dates exist for a reason, and most people don’t throw out products when they should,” says Bank. So just as you’d trash milk that’s past its prime, you should also toss that mascara

or lipstick or whatever other product you’ve had forever.

You run the risk of getting an infection like pink eye or unwanted skin irritation if you use something that’s expired since products can start to harbor bacteria. Most products have a symbol on them that will tell you how long it’s good for once you’ve opened it. Mascara and liner generally have the shortest shelf life (Rebecca Taylor, M.D., an ophthalmologist and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, recommends getting rid of them after three months).

Sleeping with Your Makeup On Too tired to take your makeup off at night? You could be waking up to big problems in the morning, as regularly snoozing in your foundation can do a number on both your skin and your eyes. “Sleeping in your makeup can lead to clogged pores, but it can also cause eye irritation, as well,” says

Bank. “When you toss and turn your head throughout the night, traces of makeup can migrate into the eye.” Eye makeup contains oils and waxes, and as the products sit on the eye overnight, those ingredients can block glands, resulting in bumps on the skin around your eye, or even a stye, says Taylor.

Getting Lash Extensions

“Some lash glues contain formaldehyde, which can irritate the eyes,” says Taylor.

“If applied poorly, extensions can cause lashes to become brittle and break off.” That being said, getting lash extensions can be perfectly safe as long as you take the right precautions. Taylor recommends not overusing extensions, which can lead to hair loss, researching where you schedule your appointment to ensure you’re going somewhere safe, and doing a patch test to determine if you’re allergic to any extension glue.

Applying Eyeliner to Your Waterline

“Your eyes have their own set of natural bacteria, and by using eyeliner pencils, you can introduce foreign bacteria,” explains Taylor. “To avoid infection and clogged oil glands, don’t line your inner rims or waterline [inside your lash line].” In fact, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Waterloo, researchers found that 15 to 30 percent more particles of liner moved into the eye’s protective layer—the tear film—when people applied eyeliner here, as opposed to outside the lash line. Talk about gross.

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IMAGES: Getty

Sunday nights were made for relaxing.

Seriously, what’s better than curling up on the couch, watching Mad Men and Game of Thrones, and unwinding before another busy week begins? This weekend, take the time to pamper your skin and hair. Try one (or all!) of these easy, expert-approved tips for a glowing complexion and healthy hair on Sunday night—you won’t believe how good you look when you wake up!

BY SHANNON FARRELL

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What to Do on Sunday Night to Look Gorgeous on Monday Morning

IMAGES: Getty

Whip Up a Brightening DIY Facial

Use the ingredients you have in your pantry to make this face mask, courtesy of Ildi Pekar, a celebrity facialist.

Ingredients: Eight to 10 leaves of spinach, half a banana, and a few drops of organic avocado oil Directions: Blend lightly—just enough so that you can spread the mixture evenly on your face. Leave the mask on for 30 minutes, then rinse.

"Spinach provides oxygen to the blood cells, which will improve your circulation and give your skin a healthy glow," says Pekar. Banana, meanwhile, contains natural oils that will increase your circulation and collagen production, while the avocado oil will help soften your skin and boost your radiance.

No time to DIY? Karen Fernandez, aesthetics director at SkinSpirit Skincare Clinic and Spa in California, likes Jan Marini Retinol Plus Mask ($90, janmarini. com). “It combines salicylic acid, which is clarifying, and retinol, which is brightening, as well as peptides that feed the skin,” she says. Keep it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing.

Moisturize to the Max

To really revive dry skin, swap your traditional lotion for any product with hyaluronic acid, which helps your skin lock in water, says Fernandez. To really reap the rewards of your moisturizer, exfoliate first. Fernandez likes SkinMedica GlyPro Exfoliating Cleanser ($50, skinmedica.com) which contains glycolic and salicylic acids to slough off dead skin.

Prevent Puffy Eyes

That Saturday night margarita could be to blame for your under-eye puffiness—but you can undo the damage before the work week begins. “Under-eye puffiness is normally water retention [and it’s] usually caused by eating too much salt and not drinking enough water,” says Fernandez, who recommends sleeping with

your window open a crack on Sunday night.

“Coldness inherently takes down inflammation and helps shrink cell sizes,” she explains. Another option?

Use an anti-inflammatory eye cream—we like SkinCeuticals Eye Balm ($18, skinceuticals.com)—and pop it in the fridge for a few hours before using for a similar effect.

Show Your Scalp Some Love

When you’re super busy during the week, it’s hard to find the time for a scalp massage. This Sunday, commit 10 minutes to a full massage like you’d receive at the salon.

Massaging your shampoo into your scalp “stimulates blood flow, which helps the cells repair themselves,” says Mitch Stone, celebrity hairstylist (and an Academy Award winner for Best Hairstyling).

Perform circular motions with your fingers, pressing the product into your scalp for deep penetration. If you’ve got a dry scalp, Stone recommends applying tea tree oil, letting it absorb before you rinse it out.

Deep Condition Your Strands

Pick a nourishing hair mask like It’s a 10 Miracle Hair Mask ($30, ulta.com) to help repair damage, keeping the product on for 30 to 60 minutes. “[After applying the mask] get in the bathtub or shower because heat opens the cuticle of the hair,” says Stone. “Or put a warm wet towel over your hair.”

You can also decide to leave the product on overnight and loosely braid your hair before bed. “Not only does it help keep your hair together, but when it dries overnight you wake up to a really cool waved look,” says Stone.

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A Low-Maintenance Hairstyle That's Flattering on EVERYONE Actually Exists

Just in time for summer!

BY JILL PERCIA

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sorts. If you have a long neck or are tall, go an inch below your clavicle (see: Nicole Kidman) to keep things in proportion. Or rock it an inch above the collarbone, à la Emma Stone, for “an elongating effect on your whole body,” says Speck.

IMAGES: Getty

3. It Hasn’t Met a Texture It Didn’t Love

>>

It's no wonder so many celebrities —from Jennifer Lawrence to Kim Kardashian— are sporting this collarbone-grazing style.

Here are five good reasons you'll want to ask your stylist to chop your locks to this universally flattering length.

It's Versatile

Named after the delicate body part it skims (Anatomy 101: clavicle = collarbone), the clavicut can be worn up or down and won't send those with long locks into haircut PTSD. "I call it the short cut for long-haired girls," says Travis Speck, a hairstylist at the Sally Hershberger Downtown salon in New York City. No wonder this style is literally trending.

When Kim Kardashian chopped her locks? Twitter.

Blew. Up. "My clients come armed with pictures from Instagram," says Steven

DeCarlo, a hairstylist at Mizu Salon in NYC. "There's this whole new lob community online." (For the uninitiated, a lob is a long bob.)

It’s Got Just Enough Edge

The clavicut is a miracle length, stylists insist. “It helps maintain volume and thickness in fine, straight hair,” says Speck. “But it’s long enough so curly hair won’t puff out as it would with a more traditional-length bob.”

And—from your lips to the hair gods’ ears—it’s not one of those cuts that requires a blowout to look hot. It’s just as flattering tousled as it is smooth.

Color? Couldn’t Be More LowMaintenance

A few strategically placed streaks are all this cut needs. “I hate to use the word ombré, but I love the technique on this cut,” says Angela Haight, a colorist at the Marie Robinson Salon in NYC. “The bottom front pieces should be the brightest and have the most pop.” Ask your colorist to paint only the front and sides (skip your underlayers; the darkness

adds richness and depth), making the clavicle-grazing strands a touch lighter than the rest. Or copy this technique at home by using a lightening kit, like Revlon Color Effects Ombré ($10, at drugstores). Go for caramel if you’re brunette, pale gold if you’re blonde, or copper if hair’s red or auburn.

It Makes Hair Look Healthier

As with any cut, you’ll be lopping off at least a few inches of ratty ends. But the clavi is especially clutch when you’re trying to grow out damaged front layers. As hair gets longer (a.k.a. older), the pieces around your face tend to look thinner and wispier than the rest of your head.

Almost seems like they’re never as long as the back, right? That’s because front strands are “most susceptible to wear and tear,” says Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist at the Philip Kingsley Clinic in NYC. “They can get caught between your shoulder and bag strap, you touch them more, and they’re hit hardest by tightly wound hair elastics.”

The clavicut means there will be less of a stark contrast in length between the back and the front, so any scrawny, thin stragglers there will look thicker and healthier.

Magic!

The newest spin is to wear the front slightly longer for a graduated angle that “adds a cool-girl kick,” says DeCarlo.

The back pieces should rest on the nape of the neck, with the face-framing strands dipping an extra inch until they kiss the collarbone. Play around with this benchmark for an optical illusion of

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She's looking good!

Kim Kardashian recently shared with the world that she had shortened her hair, and the results didn't look half bad!

A whole new look can mean a whole new life! Kim made the change to her hair this past Friday and it seems like Kim’s team has really outdone themselves this time! She’s looking perf!

IMAGES: Getty

We weren’t expecting Nicole Kidman to chop off her signature chest-length strands.

The actress just debuted a new, sleek do while promoting her film Queen of the Desert in Berlin. The star lopped off some serious inches, now sporting a modern, asymmetrical cut that grazes her shoulders.

Kidman usually likes to experiment with texture — from loose curls to sleek superstraight strands, but we haven’t seen her hair this short in a while.

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How to Tell if a Nutrition Bar Is Actually Healthy Not all packaged bars are created equal.

IMAGES: Getty

BY ROBIN HILMANTEL

Y

ou may have heard the recent news that the FDA sent a warning letter to KIND Snacks. The agency's main beef with some of the company's bars? They call themselves "healthy"—even though certain flavors contain more than 2.5 grams of saturated fat (and the FDA's definition of being "low in saturated fat" is having less than one gram per typical serving and no more than 15 percent of the calories coming from saturated fat).

The FDA also took issue with the fact that the KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein and KIND Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxidants products use the "plus" symbol as part of their name without adhering to the agency's standards for that term.

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IMAGES: Getty KIND of course responded on its blog in defense of its bars, pointing out that it uses real food as ingredients, some of which are naturally high in saturated fat. But the whole thing got us wondering—how can you tell if a nutrition bar is really, well, nutritious? We went to Alexandra Caspero, R.D., founder of Delicious Knowledge, to see what she looks for when picking them out on her own. Here are her criteria for a grab-and-go bar that's actually healthy:

Calories

If you’re eating the bar as a snack, you want it to be about 200 cals—although Caspero says she will go up to 250 if the bar is fruit- and nut-based. “Those items tend to be more caloric but are also nutrient-dense,” she says. “There is a huge difference to me in 200 calories of cashews versus 200 calories of puffed rice.” If your bar is standing in for your lunch, you can go up to 400 or 500 calories. “For my busy clients, I sometimes recommend adding to the nutrition bars for a full meal,” says Caspero. For example, having an apple, string cheese, or yogurt and a bar made of whole foods can make a great breakfast or lunch.

Protein

Four to five grams of protein will help keep you satisfied

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if you’re eating a bar as a snack. If you’re having one as a meal replacement, look for 15 or more grams of this filling nutrient.

Fiber

“I look at the ingredients list first on this one to determine where the fiber is coming from,” says Caspero. “Is it from inulin [a component food manufacturers sometimes use to up their products’ fiber content] or dried fruit?

There are a few bars out there masquerading as ‘health bars’ because they have added fiber. Just because they list six-plus grams doesn’t mean they’re a good choice.

I like to see three-plus grams from [whole-food ingredients] for fiber.”

Fat

“I hate to sound like a broken record, but honestly, ingredients are so, so important,” says Caspero. If the fat is coming from oil or nuts, Caspero’s okay with the fat count—and even the satura-

ted fat count—being a little higher. “For my nut-based bars, 10 to 11 grams of fat is a good range, with about two grams of saturated fat,” she says. “For others, five to six grams is a good range to look for.”

Sugar

If the sweet stuff is coming from dried fruits like dates, cranberries, and raisins, you’ll be getting extra nutrients along with it—so 10 to 12 grams of sugar is okay.

But if glucose, honey, or agave are high on the list of ingredients, you might want to skip the bar altogether (or at least make sure it packs no more than six to seven grams of sugar).

Sodium

Nutrition bars in general tend to be pretty low in sodium, especially if they’re made from whole foods.

Caspero suggests picking a bar with no more than 200 milligrams—or 100 milligrams if you have a medical

condition that requires you monitor your sodium intake really closely.

Still, Caspero doesn’t think a bar that falls out of range for any one of these categories should necessarily be off-limits. “I like to look at food in a larger picture, not just nutrient by nutrient,” she says. “The FDA requires that ‘healthy’ can only be used if the food has less than three grams of fat or one gram of saturated fat per serving.

It’s a good guideline, but it doesn’t take into account that some foods are contradictory. [For example,] nuts are a really healthy food, but they have fat and to a lesser extent, saturated fat. Since KIND Snacks are primarily nut-based, they contain nutritious fats that exceed the amount allowed under the FDA’s standard.

Regardless of this change, I will still recommend their snacks to my clients as they are chock-full of nutritious ingredients like nuts, whole grains, and seeds.”

Testing Cosmetics on Animals Could Soon Be a Thing of the Past

BY CHRISTINA HEISER disruptive innovations across industries that have the potential to transform the beauty business," said Guive Balooch, global vice president of L'Oreal's Technology Incubator, in a press release issued by the company.

"Organovo has broken new ground with 3D bioprinting, an area that complements L'Oreal's pioneering work in the research and application of reconstructed skin for the past 30 years. Our partnership will not only bring about new advanced in vitro methods for evaluating product safety and performance, but the potential for where this new field of technology and research can take us is boundless."

Whoa. Is there anything a 3D printer can't do? The future is lookin' bright.

IMAGES: PETA

Animal testing could finally (finally!) be a thing of the past one day soon, thanks to 3D printing technology and one beauty brand's innovative idea. L'Oreal has partnered with Organovo, a 3D human tissue company, to figure out how to print actual human skin—and lots of it, reports Bloomberg. This skin would then be used to test the efficacy and toxicity of cosmetic products.

L'Oreal already has a farm in Lyon, France, where they grow skin samples from tissues donated by plastic surgery patients. But by partnering with San Diego-based Organovo, the company hopes to speed up and automate the process within five years, according to Bloomberg.

"We developed our technology incubator to uncover

One beauty brand’s innovation could change the entire cosmetics industry.

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iPhone 5 C Colour YOUR life

iPhone Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China Model A1428 FCC ID: BCG-E2599A IC: 579C-E2599A IMEI:013424003502058 0682

iPhone Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China Model A1428 FCC ID: BCG-E2599A IC: 579C-E2599A IMEI:013424003502058 0682

iPhone Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China Model A1428 FCC ID: BCG-E2599A IC: 579C-E2599A IMEI:013424003502058 0682

iPhone Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China Model A1428 FCC ID: BCG-E2599A IC: 579C-E2599A IMEI:013424003502058 0682

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