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CAROL'S
COLUMN |
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Views
& tips from your side of the counter........
Curl
Power!
Yes I know! Hair is smooth, sleek, shiny
and very definitely straight at the moment and anyone
who's anyone wouldn't be seen dead or
dying
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without their trusty ceramic straighteners. Buts it's no use. Girls
with curls, like me, have to fly in the face of fashion every now
and then and go 'au natural'. That means letting the curls run wild
and do their own thing for a change. Well, not necessarily. You
see if I let my curls do their own thing they have a tendency to
split up and go their own separate ways. Some take off northwards,
adding inches to my height but generating odd looks from colleagues,
and some point blank refuse to do anything other than stick out
at right angles from above my ears. Only a very few decide to play
nice and hang down in ringlet formation down my back. So from time
to time I have to take away their rights to free expression and
show them who's boss.
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Naturally
curly hair has a tendency to be dry, coarse and frizzy. Thankfully
modern styling products can define curls and leave hair more
sleek and shiny than before. |
It
takes time to find products which suit your particular hair and
what you want to achieve. Admittedly with 'difficult' hair, like
mine, it's easy to find a product that suits and stick to it. But
advances are being made all the time so it pays to experiment occasionally.
I think the basis of good hair care, whatever your type is a suitable
shampoo and conditioner. Dry curly hair thrives on rich, creamy
products so go for opaque products rather than clear and invest
in some 'special treat' products to help out in a crisis. Whilst
its not always true that the best product is the most expensive
product, hair with special needs benefits from using good quality
ingredients - cheap detergent products will only make the hair even
frizzier. Salon formulas are more expensive than high street products,
but worth it if they get the job done.
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Myself,
I can never get away without using a hair serum after washing.
I hardly ever blow-dry my hair, buts it's baby-fine and incredibly
flyaway so without serum, even air-drying causes frizz.
Air-drying is usually |
considered
best for curly hair as it allows the hair to dry more slowly, retaining
valuable moisture as long as possible. I find it does take longer
to dry with a serum added but definitely worth it - curls retain
their shape and definition and the added weight means the curls
lie down more uniformly. If you need to dry in a hurry, always use
a diffuser and the lowest heat and power setting.
I also find it useful to have several 'tried and tested' rescue
styles. For years I stressed out every morning trying to force my
hair into a style that I wanted only to find my hair wanted something
quite different. These days I've come to a compromise. On good days
hair will do just what you want it to, but on days when it won't.
Revert to your 'tried and tested'. I have an 'updo' style that I
can do in minutes that actually looks like I've sat with the tongs
for hours and for particularly bad days I have a brilliant scrunchie-cum-comb
thingy that saves the day in 30 seconds. So I you don't want to
spend all your time straightening, choose a versatile style that
doesn't require everyday styling to look good, invest in some good
products and save any elaborate, time-consuming styles for weekends.
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OVER
PROCESSED? |
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Weight
gain isn't a problem in the developing world, where
there's restricted food availability, says Dr Jane Varey
a senior lecturer in nutrition. Nor is there an abundance
of processed food.
Not so in the UK, where not only is there no food shortage,
but we grab food that can be eaten on the run. 'Convenience
foods tend to have a lot of hidden fats and sugars'
Dr Varey says, which of course can pile on the weight.
Unfortunately, although your health may pay the price
later, junk food is often the most convenient and cheapest
form of 'filling a gap'.
It really takes a conscious effort and determination
to switch eating habits but we reckon that if you try
it for a month you'll see the benefits. If you're short
on time then invest in a 'quick-cook-time' recipe book.
I found mine invaluable and actually, I quite enjoyed
shelling peas and peeling vegetables more than I did
unwrapping burgers! |
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| WINTERS
APPROACH |
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As winter approaches this is the
right time to get our immune systems into shape. Many of us wait
until a cough or flu overtakes us before dashing down to the chemist
hoping for a miracle cure! By far the best way to avoid winter ailments
is to boost your resistance now. Although we think of fruit and
veg as a 'summer thing' they are invaluable at this time of year
for their vitamin C content. And now is just the right time to start
supplementing your diet with echinacea. Echinacea has long since
been established as a really useful supplement for fighting off
infections and shortening the severity and duration of winter coughs
and colds. It is recommended that it is taken on a non-continuous
basis for best effect eg a week on, week off or even month on, month
off rota, so now is the perfect time to start. Many people finds
it helps with skin problems too both taken as a supplement or topical
application via cream (try Liz Earles range) and remember, buying
the most expensive supplements doesn't always mean you're getting
the best - look for strengths as many 'own brands' contain the same
strength and quality as the more recognised names.
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