Unclotting Vitamin K

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We’re looking at some new multivitamin products at work, and since my last post on Vitamin D, I was wondering what other vitamins I’m missing from my daily diet.  So everyone’s heard of Vitamin A, B, C, D, and E but what’s up with Vitamin K and why did we skip Vitamin F, G, H, and I?  The answer:  a German scientist who discovered this vitamin named it K because of its primary property in blood clotting (or “Koagulation” in German).

Where to Get Vitamin K

Naturally occurring Vitamin K (phylloquinone) comes from foods like green, leafy vegetables and green tea.  Some of my favorite products that are high in Vitamin K are:

  1. Broccoli
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale
  4. Romaine Lettuce
  5. Parsley
  6. Brussel Sprouts (New for me! I just discovered this while at a restaurant last Friday.  I never thought I could like this vegetable.)
  7. Collard Greens (so good!)
  8. Cucumber
  9. Tomato
  10. Blueberry

The other form (menaquinones) comes from bacteria in the gut (yes, healthy bacteria lives in our intestines).  Bacteria in the gut produce a range of vitamin K2 forms, each with side chains composed of a variable number of chemical compounds.  Menaquinones can also be found in food that contains bacteria like cheese and natto, or in animals that also produce the vitamin via their gut bacteria. Continue reading

2013 Golden Globe Hairstyle Trend Photos: Old Hollywood Glamour: How To Get Soft Textured Waves, Deep Side Parts

2013 Golden Globe Hairstyle Trend Photos: Old Hollywood Glamour - Soft Textured Waves, Deep Side Parts

Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

What a spectacles of fashion and beauty at last night’s 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards. Last night’s award show hair trends had one thing in common: effortless Old Hollywood glam! Jennifer Lopez, Rachel Weisz, Rosario Dawson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley all donned styles reminiscent of the glamour girls of Old Hollywood with relaxed side parts and flowing waves — all styled using Vidal Sassoon and L’Oréal Paris hair products! Read on to find out how to get these hair looks at home with step-by-step instructions from the hairstylists themselves.

2013 Golden Globe Hairstyle Trend Photos: Old Hollywood Glamour - Soft Textured Waves, Deep Side Parts
Jennifer Lopez

Hairstylist: Lorenzo Martin

Inspiration: Going into the night, Lorenzo was inspired by Old Hollywood to create a look that would complement Jennifer’s captivating Zuhair Murad gown. Lorenzo turned to a deep side part to modernize the Old Hollywood look of the romantic waves.

Step 1: Lorenzo prepped Jennifer’s hair with the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Triple Resist Shampoo and Conditioner ($4.99 each). Then while hair was wet, Lorenzo used the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Haircare Triple Resist Ultimate Strength Solution ($6.99) to reinforce the hair prior to styling.

Step 2: Lorenzo applied a quarter size amount of L’Oréal Paris EverCurl Sculpt & Hold Cream-Gel ($8.99) to condition the hair and prep it for being curled.

Step 3: Curled using a 1-inch curling iron and then gently sprayed L’Oréal Paris EverStyle Texture Series Beach Spray ($6.99) to each section helping to hold the curl and add texture.

Step 4: For each curl created, Lorenzo pinned the curl Continue reading

Gluten-Free Products

Last week, I started hearing a lot of buzz about gluten-free this and gluten-free that.  So I just wanted to write a post about what is “gluten-free”.  From a marketing standpoint, gluten-free is used to target a specific segment (those with celiac disease).  Without going into a lot of details, celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine and prevents it from absorbing parts of food. The damage is due to a reaction to eating gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, and maybe oats, etc.  There are a lot of substitutes and gluten-free grains out there (see here for a list).

That being said, were you also under the assumption that gluten-free products only make sense if these products are INGESTED?  As in:  they have to be consumed through your digestive tract in order for it to be an issue!  Why, then, do I see so many cosmetics and personal care products being branded as “gluten-free”?  Does that really matter?  Unless I’m eating my makeup and lotions (okay, so maybe some lipsticks/lipbalms make their way to your stomach…the amount should be insignificant anyway), how is normal absorption through the skin suppose to give you celiac disease symptoms?  Are people just too cautious?  Maybe I’m just not getting it because I’m not a sufferer.  But I’m here to help, so here are three skin products that are gluten-free:

  1. AminoGenesis Simply One 10 in 1 Skin Perfecting Treatment (although I’m not sure if their Vitamin E and Glucosamine come from plants/algae source, at least they’re GF!)
  2. KaplanMD Clinical Skin Therapy
  3. Pangea Organics Egyptian Calendula & Blood Orange Facial CleanserImage

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