Marisa Miller surfer chick

While the rest of the northern hemisphere is shivering, people in places like California, the Caribbeans, and Hawaii are soaking in the sun and surfing. Athletic model and native Californian Marisa Miller has always enjoyed surfing. Marissa told Spirit Mag: "When I’m not modeling, surfing is still the thing I most love to do to relax and connect with the Earth. It’s not just the physical aspect of riding the waves, but also being outside, in the ocean, letting go, and being free. And it just takes a few easy steps to get onboard. Everyone should try surfing. You can’t help but feel like a brand-new person."

Because of her love for surfing Miller was named AOL's Action Sports Girl of the Year for 2008. Before she became a swimsuit and lingerie model, Marisa worked in a surf school. In the December issue of AccessDirecTV, Marisa says, "My husband (Griffin Guess) will clear the water out for me if I'm going to take off on a wave. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I want to make sure that people aren't taking off on me because you can collide. You're dealing with fiberglass and fins. It can be bad. So for my job, I have to be careful."



In this picture Miller is surfing at the Kelly Slater Surf Invitational in 2004. Marisa Miller's "job" is modeling for Victoria's Secret and Sports Illustrated among other global brands. In this photo Marisa is backstage at the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, getting ready to dazzle the audience in her glittering and expensive "Fantasy Bra":



Good genes, a sporty lifestyle and Marisa Miller's healthy eating habits, have given her a beautifully curved and toned body. But surfer chicks are also required to have a good balance and a strong core (abs, obliques, hips, lower back).



Marisa Miller working out in Shape magazine. A variant of leg raises, where the legs are raised till they're perpendicular to the floor and then brought down, working out the abs and hip flexor muscles. But here the legs are raised to only six inches off the floor, slowly bent into the chest, and then straightened with one leg kicked straight up and the other lowered back on the floor.

Marisa has said that she could only really be with someone who appreciated the surf and the Northern California lifestyle she grew up around. And something the healthy chick cannot stand in her men? "Smoking, I could never deal with that." Surfers have to deal with the sun, whether it's winter or summer, and what it can do to your skin. Miller says, "Staying out of the sun has made a world of difference. Not that you have to hide from the sun by any means, but it’s important to use sunscreen and do it in moderation."



And you don't need the sun for tanning, just use the Victoria's Secret Bare Bronze Slef-Tanning Body Spray. Marisa says it was one of the secrets of fashion shows: "It makes a big difference on the skin for hiding imperfections. It’s all about the way the light hits your skin. This sheen in the Shimmering Body Oil reflects the light differently. All the Victoria's Secret Angels were like 'more, more, more'!" In the photo Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Marisa Miller covered in shimmering self tanning spray.

Read More......

Honey medicinal elements

Honey has been used for ages to cure colds and coughs, and to treat wounds and burns. Over the last couple of years, reputed medical centers have begun using honey for treating varied ailments. Honey is widely regarded as food medicine because it contains vitamins and minerals, and has antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Bees collect nectar from wild flowers and herbs, mixing it with their enzymes to produce honey. The medicinal elements in honey come from these two sources: enzymes and flowers. Hydrogen peroxide, used as a wound disinfectant in hospitals, comes in honey from the enzyme glucose oxidase. Treating wounds and burns with honey leads to faster removal of dead tissue and growth of healthy tissue. Honey also helps in cutting out the smell from wounds, which is beneficial for the patient's psychological recovery.

Honey is a useful supplement in treating patients recovering from throat cancer. In addition, researchers are exploring honey's potential to treat neutropenia (loss of white blood cells during chemotherapy), restorative sleep, cough suppression and mental abilities in the elderly. Honey is considered a natural sedative because the natural sugars simulate the production of serotonin, inducing relaxation. Honey contains antioxidants, and the darker the honey, the more antioxidant content it has. These help in removing free radicals from our body. Honey is also used for treating gum disease, mouth ulcers, acne and digestive problems.



Whether honey is beneficial to diabetics is still disputed. Honey contains trace elements like Chromium, Manganese, Magnesium, Vanadium, Zinc, and Potassium, all of which are deficient in diabetics. But honey has more calories, and is much sweeter than sugar, as it contains both glucose and fructose. Honey cannot treat diabetes, but is a good sugar substitute for the rest of us. The vitamins and minerals are present most in organic raw honey that has not been pasteurized, clarified or filtered.

Sadly it's impossible to get organic honey in western industrialized countries. In the UK organic honey is defined as that where nectar and pollen sources are wild/uncultivated, and hives are made from natural materials. We use too many pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and industrial chemicals to allow for the production of organic honey. Because of the health benefits and medicinal properties of honey, people make fake honey using sugarcane juice and brown sugar, or by treating syrup with chemicals to make it looks like honey. It is best to buy honey from a nearby farmer's market.

Or if you travel overseas, sample the local honey collected from wild hives. In different countries the type of bees, and the varied flowers and herbs, produce honeys with a variety of curative powers.

Read More......

Hilary Rhoda athletic derrière

Striking Hilary Rhoda wearing a Stella McCartney dress to Capitol File Magazine's Holiday Season celebrations at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC on December 14. The Maryland native was chosen cover girl for Capitol File magazine's holiday issue. "I was honored when they asked me to be on their cover," she told the Washington Times. "It's great to be proud of where you're from and being on the cover has been a great experience for me and my family." Sporty Hilary Rhoda is known for her healthy body image and wears size 4(US).



Hilary Rhoda wearing a stretch mini dress by Gucci in the September issue of Ocean Drive. "I'm athletic," Rhoda told the magazine. "I did ballet for a long time growing up. I played lacrosse and field hockey....from the beginning, I knew I wasn't going to change into some emaciated look. Playing sports is my background. I have an athletic build—you can take it or leave it."

But in the Fall 2009 issue of Genlux Magazine Hilary Rhoda talked of one part of her athletic body which she has issues with: "My derrière, but it’s a work in progress!" I think Hilary Rhoda's derrière, the fancy French word for her bottom, is just fine. And she tells the fashion magazine about her fitness routine: "I work out with a trainer most days of the week, but when I’m traveling I use hotel gyms. It’s important to get a good sweat every day, and most of the things you’re eating should be healthy. I grew up with an athletic background, so exercise to me is fun!"



Hilary Rhoda's athletic body was revealed to the wider male population in last year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, and the photo shoot for the 2010 issue has already taken place (above photo). Hilary Rhoda, who loves tropical places, went down to India's royal retreat of Rajasthan. In the photo shoot Rhoda is posing with langur monkeys, perching atop craggy fort walls, and wearing her bikini inside luxurious palaces! Hilary's derrière looks curvy and athletic enough here.

Read More......

Curvy model skinny girl

Victoria's Secret beauty Candice Swanepoel considers herself a curvy model. In the November issue of Ocean Drive magazine Candice says: "I love the look of the sexier, curvier model. I want us to go back to that: back to when women had bodies and boobs. In New York, it's crazy how skinny the girls are."

Yes it is crazy looking at the young and thin models in fashion shows....all bones with no boobs or butts! But sexier and curvier though Candice is, she's actually skinny by her body measurements. The South African model is 5'10" tall and she has a 33 inch bust, a 23.5 inch waist, and 34 inch hips.



So in the world of fashion Candice Swanepoel is curvy, but in the real world she is skinny. But that is healthy skinny. Because the real world has a problem of obesity, while the fashion world has a problem of anorexia. When she started out modeling, Swanepoel was also fashion world skinny: "I was 15 at the time—-superthin and so insecure. When I arrived in New York, my body started to change and get a bit curvier."

But not curvy enough for the real world. Out here only someone like Crystal Renn, with a figure of 39-32-43, can be called curvy. In the fashion world, Crystal is called a plus-size model. As seen in the photo above, Candice Swanepoel's shapely posterior is petite, and what makes her fashion world curvy are those hips that bloom outwards beautifully from her narrow waist:



21-year old Candice says she loves tropical places and hanging out on the beach. She also enjoys shopping and dancing, and is taking ballet classes. Swanepoel told a South African newspaper about staying in shape: "Good genetics are a start, but I have to go to the gym, look after my skin, and drink lots of water. It's my job to take care of myself and my body. Happiness plays a big part in your appearance too."

Read More......

Stretch and strengthen with lunges

Lunges are a great way to build leg muscles, strengthen the knee, and stretch other neglected muscle groups. Also known as split squats, beginners learning this exercise should not attempt to touch their knee to the floor, as the fit young lady above. And beginners may also hold on to a chair or ski pole for balance.

The lunge begins with a long step taken forward, and then bending both knees, while keeping the back straight and looking straight ahead. The body weight is evenly balanced between the front foot and the ball of the back foot. Your front knee should be directly above your front ankle and not extending forward. Inhale as you go down and exhale as you straighten. Start with one set of 10-12 repetitions for both legs. As your balance and muscle strength improves over the weeks, take the back knee all the way down, and increase the number of sets.

Bulgarian split squats are meant for bodybuilders; they keep the back leg elevated on a bench so that the muscles of the front leg experience an intense burn. Not advisable for regular people! But even regular split squats need some precautions. Never lean forward and never let your knee extend in front of the ankle. You bear the risk of falling over and dislocating your knee.....female athletes in any case are more susceptible to knee injuries like tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Done properly, lunges strengthen the vastus medialis muscle (inner quads), the gluteus maximus (buttocks), calves, and the knee ligaments. For the back leg, lunges are a good stretching exercise; they help to stretch and relax the hip flexor muscles and the hamstrings. Another benefit of lunges is that they improve your balance and decrease your risk of falling.

Read More......

Champagne for health?

A new study, to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition this week, finds that champagne has the same health benefits as previously found in red wine. Champagne is made from a mixture of two black grape varieties, pinot noir and pinot meunier, and one white grape variety, chardonnay. Champagne contains polyphenol antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the effects of cell-damaging free radicals in the body.

In the study, by a team led by Dr Jeremy Spencer of Reading University, healthy participants were given cholesterol tests after drinking a 375ml glass of champagne. Dr Spencer told a Sunday newspaper: "We have found that a couple of glasses a day has a beneficial effect on the walls of blood vessels – which suggests champagne has the potential to reduce strokes and heart disease. It is very exciting news."

If this "exciting news" makes you wanna drink daily....DON'T. A couple of glasses of daily drinking will lead to sessions when a whole bottle is polished off. And then you're on the dangerous road of alcohol addiction, which leads to horrors like breast cancer, brain damage, liver failure, and disruption of family life. But like most women I enjoy champagne; the bubbles, the taste, and the romance.....I just reserve it for special occasions.

Read More......

Behati Prinsloo smoking hot

Victoria's Secret Angels Behati Prinsloo, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Marisa Miller pose during a holiday gift picks photo call at the new Victoria's Secret SOHO Store on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009 in New York.



Behati Prinsloo is smoking hot and richly deserves her 'Angel' status. The 5'11" tall model played lots of sports as a schoolgirl and has a healthy body, with a figure of 32-24-34. But the pastor's daughter from Namibia has picked up one bad habit in her modeling career....smoking!



Behati Prinsloo smoking at fashion week (pic from Esquire magazine). Describing a typical New York day when she's not working, Behati told Fashionista: "So anyway I’d look for stuff for my apartment and then I’d go have lunch outside somewhere and just sit in the sun smoking cigarettes all day with my friends."



Luckily Behati is only 20 and may give up the smoking habit when she's older and wiser. Prinsloo's other habits are healthier, like enjoying food: "Breakfast is my favorite. I love home fries, scrambled eggs with avocado and toast on the side." Her holiday season wishes are eating her mom's amazing food, getting a tan, and happiness and good health. Speaking of health, Behati Prisnloo says she used to get bored easily with working out in the gym. "So then I found this guy, through Miranda Kerr actually, and he’s awesome. He does something different every time, it’s like actually fun to work out."

Read More......

Antidepressants treat Neurotics

A new study by Tony Tang, a psychology professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, finds that antidepressants treat factors such as neuroticism that make a person more likely to be depressed in the first place. The study, which appears in the journal 'Archives of General Psychiatry', examined subjects who took GlaxoSmithKline's antidepressant Paxil, known generically as paroxetine.

"Our data suggests that modern antidepressants work partly by correcting key personality risk factors of depression," says Tony Tang. People who are neurotic tend to experience negative emotions and be emotionally unstable, often experiencing wide mood swings in a day. This seems to confirm the general belief in medical circles that antidepressants only cure the symptoms of depression. To come out of this debilitating mental health disorder requires immense patience, family support, counseling, and an exercise program.

Read More......

Lindsey Vonn body design

Pretty Lindsey Vonn is the poster girl for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. The US downhill skiing champ is challenging fans to design the artwork for the helmet she'll wear at the games. "Now that the World Cup season has started, I’m getting very excited for the Olympics," Vonn said in a statement. "I really wanted to do something that allowed my fans to share in my Vancouver experience, and this is what I came up with. I’m looking forward to seeing what people create for my helmet."

Fans can send in their designs to NBCOlympics by December 21; the winner gets a free trip for two to Vail.



Meanwhile downhill skiing is one sport where gaining weight is a good thing! Speeds in downhill skiing come close to 120 mph, and increase progressively with body mass. The more the weight, the greater momentum is generated. David Eyre, a former math professor at the University of Utah, explains: "It's pure physics. If a skier with more mass can get into a tighter tuck than her smaller competitors, she'll create less drag and get down the slope a lot faster. In other words, if you're bigger and have better technique, you have a really significant advantage."

Lindsey Vonn is 5'10" tall and weighs 160 pounds. Obviously too much weight is a bad thing, even in downhill skiing, and Lindsey Vonn stays in shape with weight training, riding a stationary bike, and playing tennis and golf. But during skiing season, Lindsey gets to eat chocolate ice cream supplements to pack on those extra pounds for the winning edge!

Read More......