What percentage of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep? Would you believe it is a whopping 70%?  There really is something to that little saying about getting your beauty sleep! Not getting enough rest will take a toll on your looks and it may be so gradual that you won’t really see how dramatic it can be. Truly, getting too little sleep may slow collagen production and promote wrinkles.
So how can this be helped? Well, maybe you just need some advice about how to wind down, perk up in the morning and feel your best all day.
First off, let’s talk about how you go to sleep. It may be beneficial to snack yourself to sleep. No kidding! Eating a small carb-heavy snack with a little protein 1-2 hours before you catch some zzz’s will trigger your brain to produce the calming neurotransmitter serotonin. Try a rice cake with some peanut butter or ice cream with berries.
Another way to fall into a deeper, more restful sleep is by keeping cool at night.  It will signal your body to sleep more deeply! Try 68 degrees and see how it works. You should also avoid having blinking lights in the room when you fall asleep.  Your Blackberry, computer, tv, you name it.  The blinking lights can disrupt slumber. Also, if you have to wake to use the bathroom in the night, keep the light on a dimmer so you can turn it on very low.  Even a short exposure to the bright light of your bathroom in the night will lower levels of melatonin, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
What about mornings? You’ve rested and it feels so hard to get yourself out of bed now. Waking up is tough to do but try these tricks to see if one might work for you. You need to stop your habit of hitting snooze. The fragmented sleep before you wake up can leave you more groggy so you are setting yourself up for feeling more sleepy. Instead, place your alarm clock across the room so you are forced to get up and shut it off–and then stay UP!
Your body will appreciate hitting the gym in the morning.  Exercise will increase blood pressure and heart rate and activates the whole nervous system, which gives you a healthy boost in the morning. You should also pay close attention to what you eat and drink in the morning.  Down a couple of glasses of plain water as soon as the alarm goes off.  We all wake up dehydrated and every biochemical reaction relies on us having enough water–like our thinking processes and muscle contractions. One thing you want to avoid in the morning is carbohydrates like bagels.  After giving you a quick spike in blood-sugar levels, simple carbohydrates will leave you more sluggish than before. A better choice would be a protein shake or a piece of whole-grain toast with fruit or yogurt.
Java lovers? Ok, we’ve got one to make you smile here. Ingesting some caffeine in the morning will not only inhibit the body’s chemicals responsible for drowsiness but will also prompt the release of adrenaline, which increases blood flow to the muscles, speeds the heart rate and opens the lungs’ breathing tubes. An 8 ounce cup in the morning (about 50 mg of caffeine) is enough to kick-start most people. In fact, the best brew is a latte.  The proteins and carbohydrates in milk are ideal for fueling the brain and muscles.

So there you have it…put these to the test and let us know how it is working for you! Happy sleeping! 🙂

April is here, the grass is getting green and the trees are budding! This is such a rejuvenating time of year. Did anyone fool you good on April Fool’s Day?
We hope you made it out to shop for some of the latest trendy colors for spring.  Let’s continue with part 2 of our fashion trend update for spring.

• Anoraks: While you may not be familiar with this term, you likely know what they are already. They’re a super lightweight, casual cover-up that will give your look a sporty edge with lots of style. You’ll find them shiny or matte, long or short, and neutral or colored. Fabrications like nylon, polyester and acetate give them a particularly authentic active appearance.

•  Pink short suits: A blazer with shorts? Yep, that’s right. It may take the right person to pull off this look, but it definitely is on the trend list for spring!

• Peplum skirts, shirts, and dresses: These are defined by a short flared ruffle that sits at the natural waist. Show off your curves in this look! They do look best on more slender women, however. They can add bulk to the hips so if this is your problem area, maybe reconsider.

• Open shoulders: They make the entire outfit look relaxed and seductive.

• Wider shorts: We wore lots of shorts last season, but they just got wider this year!
• Futuristic prints: You’ll see a lot of strange, colorful prints out there this year, but floral prints are still very much a hot item, too.
• Boatneck shirts and dresses: This look shows off your feminine shoulder line. For formal occasions, designers offer more demure versions of this trend but for casual garments, neckline can go as deep as you wish.

• Hot pants: This trend will definitely motivate us to get working out if the thought of the quickly-approaching swimsuit season hasn’t already! It isn’t the first spring/summer we’ve seen these.  It doesn’t look like they are going away anytime soon.  If you prefer to hide your legs more in the summer, maxi dresses are still very trendy so you won’t have trouble finding full-length dresses! 🙂

If spider veins are keeping you from showing off your legs this spring/summer in the trendy fashions, stop in to learn more about treatment options! There are a couple of different ways to treat these unsightly veins and one is using a laser–so no injections at all! Sclerotherapy treatments happen to be on SPECIAL right now, as well. Take 15% off treatment packages now through April 30th! Helping you look and feel your best is our specialty.

What would your vote be? Yes or no?
We found a thought-provoking article put out by Psychology Today that confirms those of you who’d vote YES.  It is true–your love life does affect your health!
Consider how closely your heart health (and more) is related to your love life when you read this excerpt:
The tone of your love nest factors into your medical status, too. Women in marriages full of hostility have more coronary artery disease than those in warmer relationships, while men in more controlling relationships (whether they are the dominator or the one getting bossed around) have more coronary artery disease than those in egalitarian marriages. Both situations likely activate stress responses, which are known to contribute to, if not cause, an array of ailments.
Soul mates can even develop the same afflictions over time—a condition in one spouse often places the other at increased risk for the same disorder. This may be true for cancer, stroke, arthritis, hypertension, asthma, depression, and peptic ulcer disease. One study shows that a person’s hypertension risk doubles when their spouse is diagnosed as hypertensive.
That’s probably because commitment typically leads to shared meals, activity patterns, financial resources, and social networks. Couples may also find themselves true partners in health by means of social control, in which one spouse tries to keep the other wholesome, and mood contagion, where one partner’s anxiety washes over the other and even takes a toll on his or her body: Men whose wives are upset by their work are nearly three times more likely to develop heart disease.
Communication is one of the most basic and important parts of any relationship.  When we pair up in a relationship, we often end up with one person being more expressive and the other being more prone to keeping feelings inside.  There is a benefit for those couples who learn to meet in the middle and communicate openly in a way that makes both people feel comfortable.  Consider what the article has to say about bottling up feelings inside and how that affects health:
…women who “self-silence” during arguments with their spouses are four times more likely to die over a 10-year period than their peers who express themselves. These women (23 percent of the wives studied!) may be bottling up anger out of fear of the husband’s reaction. But suppressing feelings clearly has a negative effect on physiology, probably akin to stress damage, though the exact pathway isn’t yet known.
Bet you didn’t know just HOW much that bottling up those emotions could affect you and your health! These insights (and the changes you might make in response to them) could dramatically impact your life and even your longevity.  If you’ve been ignoring poor communication for a long time, this Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to make a step in the right direction! For your happiness AND your health! If you are reading this as a single person, use this new info to choose wisely when you do find that special someone for keeps. Research shows that their habits, lifestyle and communication with you will ultimately affect your health.
Here’s to healthy bodies and love lives!
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Belladerm!
To send your significant other a little hint about what you’re REALLY hoping for this Valentine’s Day, click here and fill in the form! Make it easy for them and get something you really want! It’s a win-win!