Tackling the 5 Most Common New Year’s Resolutions: Part II

New Year’s is a time of renewal and rebirth, when you see packed gyms and picked-over vegetable aisles more than other times of the year. In our last post, we talked about the common goals of exercise, dieting, and an improved appearance along with tips for reaching these goals, such as introducing healthy habits gradually and user friendly products like NeriumAD. Keep reading for the last two common resolutions and tips for keeping up with your goals this year. 

4.            Quitting smoking

As a common bad habit, I often have clients telling me they want to finally quit smoking this year. There’s no one best way to quit smoking, so perhaps after trying a method without success, such as patches, going cold-turkey, cutting down gradually, or  medication, look into something different. Quitting smoking is a great goal, so keep at it! 

5.            More time with loved ones

Whether it’s your significant other, family, or friends, many want to spend more time with loved ones for their resolution. Try planning regular time together, such as weekly date nights and family nights, monthly dinners, or whatever works for your relationship.

No matter what your New Year’s goal is this time, there are some important things to keep in mind so that yours don’t fall in the category of the estimated 92% of resolutions that fail. Before resolutions even fail, there are common issues with resolutions that make them difficult to keep: 

·         Over-ambition

The most common source of a failed resolution is over-ambition. If you decide to go from couch potato to body builder, it’s easy to either get burned out or frustrated that it’s so difficult to keep your resolution. The nature of resolutions cause people to think that their habits must change drastically starting January 1^st. Taking smaller steps make a habit easier to keep. 

When starting an activity, people often picture an end goal when making their resolution—like getting six-pack abs. But when this doesn’t happen immediately, it can be disheartening. Try a resolution that involves reasonable goals and extensions after you reach those goals. Or if you have a general goal, focus on smaller aspects and then expand your routine. 

For example, in my last post, I mentioned the goal of improving appearance. Take the easiest steps first, like integrating NeriumAD into your bedtime routine for those that hate seeing fine lines and wrinkles every time they look in the mirror. A simple nightly application of this one-of-a-kind product, the only to contain Nerium oleander extract, can give encouraging results. Developing a habit that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles can help stick to your goal—it’s hard to make a habit with a method like seeing a dermatologist, since finding the time and available appointments doesn’t always work out regularly. Once you have this habit down, you can look into other avenues of appearance like wardrobe or hair care. 

Check back soon for our last installment of this series, where we’ll look at more reasons why resolutions fail and tips for keeping them.

Tackling the 5 Most Common New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year where everyone’s making New Year’s resolutions and joking about how long they’ll last this time. There’s a reason why studies have found that although around half of Americans make resolutions, only around 8% succeed—it’s easy to get overly ambitious as you’re pumping up for the excitement of a new year. In this three-part series, we’ll take look at the most common resolutions, and then consider the reasons why New Year’s goals so often fail. With the help of a fresh perspective and products like NeriumAD, you can start the new year out strong. 

Some of the most common New Year’s Resolutions include: 

1.       Exercise 

Any regular gym member can tell you how packed gyms get in January – and how quickly attendance drops as the year goes on. These exercisers often get frustrated with the new routine and give up, or gradually go less and less until they decide the membership just isn’t worth it. If you want to stick to your goal of exercising, try to set reasonable fitness goals so that you don’t get burned out, and don’t allow the habit of giving in to excuses. The gym isn’t for everyone; try finding a form of exercise that works for you, and keep in mind that you can always find an excuse not to go to the gym. 

2.       Dieting

Our top two most common resolutions typically tie in with an overall weight loss resolution or better health. One problem with making dieting a resolution is that the nature of most diets makes them difficult to keep long term. I say, get rid of the strict routines and simply work on healthy eating habits. Don’t think of it as a diet—this term comes with connotations that can subconsciously make you want to rebel against your own restrictions. Diets like the cookie diet, juice cleanses, or pre-prepared meals are difficult to maintain for too long and may result in a weight that yo-yos up and down along with carrying a higher risk for “relapse”. Rather than jumping into particularly restrictive or trendy diets that require a complete change in your eating habits, it may be a good idea to introduce healthier options gradually into your routine. 

You can trade white bread for whole wheat, cut down processed foods, switch to skim milk, and stock your fridge with more fresh fruit and veggies until you get more used to the healthier diet. Eventually, you may lose the taste for unhealthier foods and eat better for the long haul. 

3.       Improving appearance

I commonly see a desire to improve one’s appearance outside of diet and exercise. The key is to start small rather than overwhelming yourself with an overhaul in your routine, and to develop habits that are easy to maintain long-term. If you want to give high heels a try, start with a lower heal and practice your strut to work your way up. For a wardrobe update, find a few well-fitting and stylish yet tasteful staple items. If you want to do something about those fine lines and wrinkles, integrating an easy-to-use product like NeriumAD into your bedtime routine is a simple way to see big results. NeriumAD contains the powerful Nerium oleander extract, and clinical trials showed that subjects saw an average 30% reduction in the appearance of their fine lines and wrinkles in 30 days. The ease of use and encouraging results make products like NeriumAD a simple part of your goal to keep.

For our last two common new year’s resolutions, along with tips for keeping them, check out “Tackling the 5 Most Common New Year’s Resolutions: Part II”, coming soon!

Why Does Skin Get Irritated?

Before I changed my skincare regimen, I often dealt with skin redness. I thought that perhaps there was something else wrong with my skin, but the problem was actually my daily habits. It took several changes to my routine, including the addition of NeriumAD, to get my skin back to normal.

Unless you have a specific medical explanation for irritation or you’ve recently spent time in the sun, irritation is often caused by issues with your skin’s protective barrier. Your skin can easily become dry, red, itchy, or otherwise irritated when this barrier is damaged. 

-Hot showers

Hot showers, especially long ones, can take a toll on your skin. Hot temperatures can soften your skin’s natural oils, which showers and baths can then strip away. One issue is that damaged skin is not always recognized as such. You may notice that after getting out of the shower, your skin may be shiny or red. This is sometimes mistaken for that “squeaky clean” feeling after washing thoroughly, but this could actually be skin that is damaged. Habitual hot showers may lead to dryness as well. For most people, lukewarm is the ideal water temperature.

-Harsh products 

After using harsher products like chemical peels or chemical exfoliation, some see skin redness or irritation a sign that it is working. While this depends on the product, it may actually be that the product is damaging your skin. Trying out gentle products is may be a better route.

-Over scrubbing

When I dealt with acne as a teen, I sometimes thought that scrubbing harder or longer would clean my skin better. By the end, I’d be shiny and red. I also overused a mechanical exfoliation brush in my attempts to scrub my blemishes away. Problem is, I scrubbed away good skin oils and the protective as well, which just left my skin vulnerable to more problems. 

-Too many products

I also thought that when it came to treating my skin, more was better. Cleansers, exfoliators, masks, peels, serums, moisturizers, anti-aging creams—when used correctly, these can be great tools, but using too many products is sometimes just too much for your skin to handle. I wanted to use everything every day and as many times a day as I could. It totally wrecked my skin. 

Now I’ve cut it down to a gentle cleanser, sunscreen, wrinkle cream, and moisturizer as needed. The biggest change came with switching out my anti-aging arsenal of sub-par products with one daily product that really works—NeriumAD. It’s gentle enough to use every day, but gives big results. Containing Nerium oleander extract, NeriumAD is the only product that worked to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and it’s safer for my skin than all the chemical peels and serums I was using.  

Your DIY Guide to a More Spectacular Holiday Season

My family and I love this time of year, but our favorite part of the holidays is trading tips on how to enjoy the season without the added effort. One way we alleviate stress during December is through gifting one another NeriumAD. Here are some of our tried-and-true strategies for celebrating in ways that are fuss-free and fabulous:

-Handmade and homemade gifts leave a lasting impression

Handmade gifts will not only have the people on your shopping list smiling, they can also be budget-friendly. Pot some of your favorite low-maintenance plants and include gift tags (no wrapping necessary.) Use mason jars for jellies, jams, or your go-to homemade cookie mix, even hot chocolate makings! Sprinkle the top of your cocoa powder mixture with chocolate chips and marshmallows for a festive touch. Adorn your mason jars with a brightly colored holiday bow, a gift tag, and skip shopping for friends, neighbors and co-workers this year. They’ll love the thought that went into the gift, and you’ll love spending less time at the mall.

-Spice up your holiday baking with ease

By adding a little bit of innovation in your holiday baking, you can increase the wow factor while simultaneously making your cooking agenda simpler.

• For out of town guests, save time by utilizing the make-ahead method. Google “easy make ahead recipes” and discover a number of crowd-pleasing dishes like quiche. Quiche works perfectly for breakfast, lunch or as a dinner entree. Use fresh spices or add chopped prosciutto to liven up any quiche recipe.
• Red and green food coloring will add a festive touch to your classic deviled eggs recipe. After your peeled hardboiled eggs are cut in half and yolks are set aside, fill 2 small drinking glasses, each with 1 cup of water and a teaspoon of vinegar. Add 8-9 drops of red or green food coloring to each glass. Dye your egg whites to the desired shade (add more food coloring for darker hues,) air dry them on a paper towel and follow the remainder of your deviled eggs recipe as you normally would. Impress your guest with ease using this tiny twist on a traditional holiday appetizer.

-Give the gift of NeriumAD 

As many families do, we have a tradition each Christmas Eve where each of us are allowed to unwrap one gift. We permit the children to unwrap pajamas, house slippers, Christmas-themed DVDs, or other items that will be relevant to the evening. However, the adults in our family take charge of the content of our Christmas Eve presents. NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment is a favorite among my parents, sisters, brothers, and even our extended family. Our aunts and uncles are thrilled to escape the trap of being “surprised” by socks and sleepwear because they know that NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment will have their skin well on its way to boasting a more youthful glow by New Year’s Eve. NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment fights the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, soothes redness, and balances out the appearance of uneven skin tone. Unwrapping NeriumAD on Christmas Eve has the young-at-heart in our family ready to embrace the New Year without stress or anxiety over aging skin.

Share your holiday DIY tips below, and have a very merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

3 Fantastic Tips for the Soon-to-Be Bride

Possibly since you were a little girl, but definitely since the moment that he placed an engagement ring on your finger, you began envisioning your upcoming wedding. While decisions concerning place cards and wedding favors are on the “to do” list, chances are the importance of those pale in comparison to the excitement you feel over thoughts of the dress and the shoes. Appearance is naturally one of the biggest concerns of any soon-to-be bride. Why not have an applause-worthy skin care solution like NeriumAD at your fingertips while prepping for your day in the limelight? Upon further reading you’ll discover more details about NeriumAD and find additional tips on how to dissolve the stress that comes with wedding planning. 

-Love the glow that NeriumAD will give your skin

Fine lines and wrinkles should be the least of your worries. NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment is a stellar anti-aging solution that can deliver results within weeks of the initial application. While perusing your wedding “to do” list, tending to tasks that fall along the lines of “weeks and months” before your big day, ease future anxiety by including skin care on that list. Revamp your image with NeriumAD Age-Defying Treatment nightly and own the confidence that comes with knowing your skin is well on its way to boasting a rejuvenated appearance.

-Etsy is your friend

From browsing for something blue to purchasing bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts, etsy.com is the place to shop. Find handcrafted accessories and gifts on this little gem of a website. Search for ornate garter bands, jeweled bouquets and veils for your own ensemble and lockets, necklaces and cufflinks for your wedding party. When it comes to tailoring your wedding with innovative items, Etsy delivers with elegance and confidence.

-Break in your shoes (and have a back-up pair) 

During the days leading up to your wedding, wear your day-of shoes around the house and while running errands. By doing so you’ll be able to detect any discomfort in advance instead of being surprised by the beginnings of blisters while walking down the aisle.

Prepare to dance the night away at your reception by having a back-up pair of shoes on standby. Four inch heels will certainly elongate your legs and flatter your frame during your ceremony. However, after a few hours in stilettos, you’ll be happy to give your tootsies a well-deserved break via a pair of kitten heels or ballet flats. A grimace will never translate as gorgeous in your wedding photos, so choose to plan ahead and keep an extra pair of shoes on reserve for when your feet start to ache.

Relish in these shortcuts to creating an unforgettable day. I’m happy to say it: congrats on your engagement! I wish you all the happiness in the world! Make this day your own. Get innovative and turn it into everything you dreamt it would be!  Share with us the knowledge you come across along the way by posting your own wedding-prep tips in the comments section below and stay tuned for more tips on health, wellness and lovelier living.