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Woman of the Week: Linda Stephenson

How often do you look at the ingredients of your beauty products?  It’s not a common practice. Most people are unaware of the chemical names of toxins that linger in popular beauty products. If you’re fairly good at looking at ingredients in the foods you eat, it’s time to become more aware of what you put on your body. That’s where Linda Stephenson comes in. Stephenson is the CEO and the brains behind Mereadesso skincare products, a luxury brand of plant-based products that are targeted to cover a range of skin issues in a one-step approach.

It only took a few minutes of chatting with Stephenson to know she’s a ‘chemically aware’ beauty guru who cares about the health of her skin — and my skin as well. While enrolled at the University of Toronto, Stephenson studied Chemistry and Biology with a minor in Botany. After landing successful positions at Mary-Kay cosmetics and MAC in the mid-90’s, Stephenson moved on to a purely technical position at  Estee Lauder. Stephenson left her corporate roles to work privately with clients and to study brand acquisition, focusing on how beauty products are positioned in the industry.

Stephenson was always on the go and working tirelessly to market well-known beauty products with a reinvented look. When Stephenson started her family and have birth to her son, she barely had time to think. She was used to being the person that was good at branding and helping people, but it became time to do it for herself.

Stephenson loves to travel, and got used to compressing all of her beauty products to fit into her tiny travel bag. As a busy mom. she noticed all her friends had similar lifestyles — working moms, travellers or even guys who are minimalists. That’s why around eight years ago, Stephenson made use of her educational background ,as well as her corporate directory of contacts, to launch Mereadesso, her own skincare line.

“For me it was a natural evolution from a technical background with over 20 years of experience.” said Stephenson “My products are pretty much plant based— I don’t believe in the ‘magic’ ingredient theory. Our skin is an organ, we live and we work, we need vitamins and minerals.”

With this idea in mind, Stephenson set out to nourish the skin by using natural and real ingredients to calm, heal, and soften the skin by supplying the skin with vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes, botanical extracts and minerals that our bodies can extract.

Unlike many water-based beauty products, Mereadesso is over 30 per cent aloe based with infused minerals and vitamins. One of the things Stephenson wants customers who shop in the beauty industry to be aware of is the ingredient list of products. Look for paraben-free products with real ingredients that are easy to understand. For instance, if you want more Vitamin A, the chemical name is beta-carotene or retinyl palmitate, so look for that listing in your ingredients lineup. The highest percentages will be listed first eg: water and the lowest ingredient of percentage will be listed last eg: fragrance.

“Look for the selling point, not the label claim. Take awareness to your own skin, look for what you need and what you can manage.” said Stephenson.

One of Mereadesso’s best selling products is the original one-step and all in one moisturizer. This moisturizer is aloe based and is a combination of a day cream, night cream, serum, primer and moisturizer. It is also a product designed for all skin types. As Stephenson said, most clients would come to her saying they have sensitive skin, but what does that mean ? Stephenson says to look for the commonality in the products you use that can cause redness and rash and most often this is linked to fragrance. Mereadesso products are fragrance-free in addition to being free of sulfates or artificial colours. Over all, there are about seven different product categories that users can enjoy with Mereadesso, including another best seller — the face and neck cleanser. This cleanser was designed to come with a gentle exfoliating cloth for easy cleansing.

” People need to exfoliate. Cell renewal rate slows down as we age and by removing the dead layer of skin cells, this prompts our skin to renew.” Stephenson said.

Stephenson pays a lot of attention to packaging. For instance, the travel kit comes with a reusable pouch. This kit was actually one of the selling points for landing Stephenson’s products in luxury retailer, Nordstrom. Most products don’t have a secondary purpose, but Stephenson plans to utilize her packaging.

In fact, Stephenson let me in on another skincare secret — avoid buying anything in a jar. The blanket rule is that the preservative system in a jar is there to kill mould and bacteria from forming on your moisturizer, but after being exposed to air and the constant dipping of your hands, the preservative system has to be more aggressive, which is no use to your skin. Mereadesso uses pressurized products in metered dose pumps to protect the product and keep out bacteria.

As Mereadesso continues to grow, Stephenson keeps her team small, but mighty, as her products are mostly available to order online in the United States; although it is also being featured on The Shopping Channel and is available at Nordstorm.

If you are wondering about the name Mereadesso, it was simple. ‘Mere’ means mother in French and ‘adesso’ means ‘now’ in Italian. When Stephenson became a mother, this was when her life changed and she decided to put all her beauty steps into well-rounded and unisex products for minimalists. Because of this, and more, this name will always be close to her heart.

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5 ways to manage and reduce stress

When I was younger, I would hear news reports that listed the leading cause of death in the world — the number one cause often being stress. I never understood the self-inflicting harm associated with stress and adulthood. When people are younger, they tend to enjoy life, to live freely with caution to the wind. As you get older,  you transition and are shaped by your environment. By adulthood, people tend to have their own personality, which they reflect on to the world and are often affected by change. Depending on a person’s psychology and personality, they treat themselves differently in these stressful situations.

Some people love the push and rush associated with stress-related work deadlines, and some people crumble at the slightest sign of disruption. From personal stress in your relationships to professional stress related to your job, they are all causing you harm that may end up being a silent killer.

A recent survey conducted by job site Monster Canada, found that stress is the leading motivator of people leaving their jobs. Results indicated that employees in Quebec and Ontario feel overworked. The study found one in four Canadians quit their job in 2016 due to unbearable work related stress. Causes are often related to poor salary, location, age and most importantly a work- life balance. While some companies support a positive work-life balance, other jobs can be so demanding there is no work-life balance.

Understandably everyone is different. So maybe you’re on the grind, a business entrepreneur, working for your family, living your dream job, but always remember to support the healthiest version of your self and that includes you mental health and managing stress. Women’s Post has compiled some short tips on how to live a more relaxing lifestyle.

Just Breathe

Sometimes, we all need a little break — just a small moment to ourselves. Deep breathing is often found to calm your heart rate and promote a state of relaxation. Five deep breaths are all you need. Maybe even try breathing exercises or meditation and set aside ten minutes in your day.

Relax

Just take a day, or a couple  days off if you need to regain control of your life again. When you take a day off, commit that day to your self and putting your priorities first. Get a massage, read a book, go shopping, go to a movie alone, and find time to enjoy your own company and activities you love.

Healthy eating + activity = a healthy mind

On the note of relaxing, it’s vital to also spend time focusing on your diet and exercise. Sometimes these activates escape us and the thought of sleep is much more appealing. While sleep is fantastic, working out also hits you with a rush of feel-good endorphins so you end up feeling really fantastic after a workout. Our diets are also very important. A recent study found that eating too much pasta can trigger depression. Now don’t go giving up your favourite foods — just adjust your diet accordingly.

Say No

Sometimes saying ‘no’ can be the healthiest thing to do for your self. No excess burdens and obligations. Don’t feel bad about what other people think. Do things for your self, don’t over commit and prioritize! If you rather take the time off to go see a movie than volunteering this weekend, do it! Make yourself happy.

Love and Care

Spend time with those you love, speak about your problems, your friends and family should be a positive source in your life. Spend time with the people that make you happy, even quick phone calls to the one you love can help alleviate daily stress. Too often we spend our time around people who are full of negative energy and are emotionally draining. You should just cut that negativity our of your life.

Just remember that in the end, life waits for nobody, so if you’re finding it hard to keep up, just take a break and I hope by reading this you feel less stressed already.

Share some peace and love in the comments below!

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Health & Fitness

Try running gadget-less once a week

I was preparing for my usual morning run when I felt something was missing. I glanced at the broken watch on my bathroom counter before perusing the lily white stripe on my otherwise tanned left wrist, and I wondered whether or not to run without a watch or any gadget device. The watch was as much a part of my gear as shoes, shorts, and cap, especially now in this techno-driven world in which we reside. Without a watch or a Fitbit tracking device to keep tabs of my time seemed so untrendy.

I was so programmed to run with a watch or GPS that the notion of running watch-less had never occurred to me. How would I know how well (or how poorly) I was running? You can’t go from ‘A’ to ‘B’ without knowing how long it took to get there – or can you?

Under a clutter of fridge magnets is where I chart my daily workouts. With the evidence in black and white I noticed my times have improved. Sometimes it would take weeks for my times to improve significantly. Other times I might as well have been stuck in quicksand because the speed wasn’t happening. Always there was my ticking timer to tell the terrific (or terrible) truth.

On this day, however, I realized the sudden demise of my watch could be a positive thing. It just might alleviate a lot of pressure that had been building, allowing me to run more relaxed and in control, subsequently making the entire running experience more enjoyable. This is not to say you should never run without a watch — indeed, I look forward to getting a new one — but I won’t wear it every day.

My planned workout was going to be a fartlek session, which was always done with the aid of a watch. Fartlek is Swedish for ‘speed play.’ For the uninitiated, it means sprinting and jogging for various periods of time with various periods of rest following up. For example, you might sprint almost full out for 60 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest before sprinting for 90 seconds followed by 40 seconds of rest. It can be done on road or trail and has been accepted world wide as an important training tool.

I thought to myself, this would be mentally challenging doing a fartlek session watchless. I would run to the next tree or pole and estimate my time of rest between each hard effort. As I got into a rhythm, my running time wasn’t a factor in this workout now. It was just the trail and me running at my best.

After a 10 min warm-up, I worked out for approximately 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute cool down. My familiarity of the route certainly helped in estimating the sprint and rest times. Without a watch I had to listen more to my body, which meant needing to concentrate on my breathing and overall running effort.

Feeling a sense of exhilaration as the pressures of time disappeared allowed me to relax and just enjoy the moment. Turning the last corner to home I thought of my broken watch and how much I had relied on it to get through my workouts. I didn’t really miss it on that day after all. Now, I have a new training goal —to run without a watch once a week and to rely more on listening to my body instead.

Essentially, what I learned from running watch-less is I can still perform well without knowing exactly how fast or slow I’m running. Next, I might run shoeless, but only on manicured grass and only in good weather conditions. A long sandy beach might be perfect!

 

www.runwithit.ca

Twitter: @christineruns

Run With It YouTube Channel – Run With It

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Health & Fitness

5 benefits to cupping

Cupping seems to be all the rage these days. With Olympians sporting big, round bruises on their backs and shoulders, and our very own Prime Minister Justin Trudeau showing similar marks on his arms, the 50000-year old ancient healing method is certainly coming back into the limelight.  The practice originated from Chinese culture, and has been popular in Arab, Indian, and more recently, Western cultures over the past few decades.

What is it? It is a safe and non-invasive procedure that is said not only to cure many diseases, but also prevent them. Cupping can help relieve headaches, back pain, arthritis, injuries, asthma, cellulite, fatigue, anemia, depression and emotional problems, atrophy, sciatica, common cold and flu, skin problems, blood pressure, menstruation problems in women, weight loss, infertility, constipation, diarrhea, and more. The plus side? It has no side effects if performed properly.

How does it work? Cupping involves placing glass, bamboo or plastic jars on the skin and creating a vacuum by suctioning out the air. The underlying tissue is raised, or sucked, partway into the cup. The purpose of cupping is to enhance circulation, help relieve pain, and pull out the toxins that have built up in your body over those late night snacks, Netflix binges, and lack of care for your overall health. (Guilty!) The cups create a tight sensation, one that feels relaxing and rather soothing.

There are five main benefits to the ancient healing procedure, one that can benefit anyone looking for any type of relief from bodily pain:

1. Detox, Detox, Detox 

The main cause of many illnesses is the accumulation of acidic toxins and impurities in the blood. It’s difficult to stay healthy when the blood circulating in your body is full of toxic waste. However, cupping claims to help get rid of this unwanted and harmful blood, improving the performance of your body organs. With purified blood flowing in your body, you can prevent sickness and recover quickly if ill.  The effect of this cleansing treatment is quite visible after a few treatments. Dull complexions will be a thing of the past!

2. Circulates and appreciates 

Your health is dependent on the circulation of blood and bodily fluids such as hormones and lymphatic fluid. Your body suffers a lot if the flow of these fluids are somehow restricted from their regular movement. Cupping can draw out the congested blood and increase the circulation of blood and plasma. When blood reaches all your organs properly, your body functions are better regulated, making those flights of stairs a lot easier to walk up.

3. Cures the common cold

Cupping can also strengthen the body’s resistance against illnesses by improving your immune system. It kicks off the defensive mechanism of your body. When small incisions are made on the skin, the defensive cells get activated to heal the bruised area. This prepares your body to fight against diseases and prevent illnesses. However, it is important to keep up with other health practices, such as drinking lots of fluids, in conjunction with cupping therapy.

4. Regulates your systems

Performing cupping on corresponding points on the body is used to treat disorders such as liver and kidney problems, respiratory diseases, digestive disorders and some gynaecological disorders. Due to its strengthening and stimulating effects, it has been used successfully to regulate body systems and treat several conditions.

5. Less ows, and more wows 

One of the biggest advantages of cupping is in reducing pain and stiffness of muscles and tendons. It removes stagnated blood from the area of discomfort and increases the flow of detoxified blood, allowing fresh nutrients and oxygen to reach those areas and giving instant relief. This can result in increased elasticity of your muscles and better performance of body organs.

Have you tried cupping? Let Women’s Post know in the comments below!

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Fashion

The good, the bad, and the ugly of going braless

I remember getting my first bra. I was 12 years old and my mom took me to the store. I was embarrassed and excited at the same time. I wanted to be a ‘grown-up’ and equated being an adult woman with wearing a brassiere. But in all honesty, bras are really just a pain in the…back.

Lately, the media has been buzzing over women in Toronto going braless and I decided to join the trend for a week. I wanted to know how it felt to let the ladies roam free and during this experience I learned a lot about myself and my body.

Going braless made me feel insecure initially. To be honest, I felt a bit of internal shame for my reaction amidst a feminist world of ‘free the nipple’ campaigns and bra burning predecessors. Why did I feel so thrown off my not wearing a simple undergarment? Full disclosure: I often opt in for hot shorts (popular name for very short shorts) instead of underwear because they are comfortable. I am not bothered at all by this change, yet not wearing a bra nearly set me into a full-blown panic attack.

I pushed through the anxiety and left my house feeling ready to tackle the world with my found fashion sense. I ride my bike to work every day and was worried that it would be an issue, but found no one cared. At all. The insecurity that comes with wearing a bra is an invention of the mind. Wearing a bra or not, people are so busy staring into the abyss of their phone that they are too busy to notice a pair of knockers swinging by.

I also found that weather impacted my comfort level. When it is really hot outside, it is surprisingly uncomfortable to go braless. It just doesn’t feel nice. A bra helps to lift the breasts and cool the body down. It is also uncomfortable to have no covering layer with cold air as well. However, on a nice mid-weather, warm fall or spring day, it is wonderful to feel the breeze and be unencumbered by a bra. Some women are comfortable with the effects of fluctuating weather patterns on the breasts, but I found this anxiety-provoking.

My back and ribcage felt much better while I was going braless. I also started to notice my body more often, meaning the way I moved or if I was sitting and standing straight up. Bras give us an excuse to slouch because our over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders give extra support that allow for bad posture. Going braless doesn’t allow for slumping at all.

Certain styles of clothing and materials are more compatible with the free flowing look as well. Avoid itchy and tight cotton shirts. I had a very bad day wearing one of these tops. Instead opt in for satin, which is smooth on the nipples, or other soft materials like velvet. I also found cinched dresses very comfortable. It was loose at the top and tight on the bottom, which gave me a nice shape and also gave the ladies room to breathe.

I would recommend going braless for a week. It forced me to look at my body in a whole new light and to love the more natural elements of the female physique. I also realized the bra gives breasts an unrealistic shape and is systematic of the patriarchal ideal of the woman’s body. Round soft curves are beautiful and I’m glad I celebrated that this past week. I will also admit though that I will wear a bra here and there in my future. Sometimes bras can be comfortable depending on your outfit and other times they are not. Do not forget though, they are an option and only need to be used when desired. Try taking one day off a week with no bra and check out #nobrathursdays and #nobrarevolution to get involved. Enjoy the freedom ladies — it feels great.

Try going braless and let Women’s Post know how you felt in the comments below.

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Desk yoga to help alleviate aches and pains

Sitting at a desk for the better part of the day is hard on the body and can cause back aches and discomfort.

Instead of sitting still for hours staring at the computer screen, desk yoga provides an opportunity to get up and stretch to ease those aching bones. Here are a few easy poses that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to return back to work without aches and pains.

Scale Pose

Sitting on the edge of your chair, press your hands onto either side of the chair and lift your legs and buttocks off the chair. This will stretch your abdominal muscles and help relax your back. Engaging your core is revitalizing and stretching your arm muscles helps to engage different parts of your body. Hold for three to five breaths and repeat two or more times.

High Altar Pose

Place your arms above your head, and clasp your hands together. Stretch to both sides and breathe in and out while moving slowly downward. This action will stretch your lower back muscles, and realign your spine. It also engages your core, and expands your stomach muscles. Sitting for long periods of time can be damaging to the digestive system and stretching stomach muscles can help.

Cat and Cow

Sit on the edge of your chair, and round your back into the cat position. Hang your neck, allowing it to relax. This motion also stretches the spine, and eases pressure on the lower back muscles. Take a deep breath and move into cow, where you push your shoulders back and engages the back of the shoulders. Stretching the shoulder muscles will also expand the lower back and further relax the area. This pose is amazing on several levels for the back and shoulders.

The Twist

Sit with your feet flat on the floor, and your palms face down on your knees. Turn your body to either side, until you can see behind your shoulder. Repeat this on the other side. The twist stretches several areas of the body, from head to toe. The pose itself is fairly easy to do and will stretch out your back muscles, the shoulders, neck, and buttocks all at once.

Three-part Breathing

Breathing is vital to our nervous system. If we do not take the time to breathe, we will feel unwell mentally and physically. Taking time to breathe is the most important stretch of all, and will revitalize completely. A three-part breath begins with breathing in, followed by engaging the stomach muscles deeply by holding the breath for a second, followed by a deep release. Doing this movement several times will calm the system, and give you energy in a way coffee never could.

Taking time to stretch and taking deep breaths should be of equal priority to working during the day. It will help you be a better employee overall and will ease the build-up of stress in the workplace. Try to get your colleagues involved. Enjoy being an ache-free working yogi.

What kind of stretches do you do at your desk? Let us know in the comments below!

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60 second workout is a dud

What if you could work out for 10 minutes a day instead of losing a whole hour to exercise?

A new study was released by graduate students from McMaster University that indicates 60 seconds of high intensity workout training followed by recovery exercises has the same impact as 50 minutes of endurance training.

Twenty-five men were divided into two groups — endurance and SIT — and observed over a 12 week period. The endurance training group would workout for 50 minutes with a warm up and cool down period before and afterwards. The men participating in SIT would do intensive exercise for 20 seconds followed by two minutes of recovery and then cycle through again for a total of 10 minutes.

It was concluded that “twelve weeks of brief intense interval exercise improved indices of cardiometabolic health to the same extent as traditional endurance training in sedentary men, despite a five-fold lower exercise volume and time commitment.”

It appears that SIT could be beneficial for people on a time crunch and can provide similar health benefits to longer exercise.

Though SIT has potential time-saving benefits, I have concerns about embracing this new exercise fad wholeheartedly without critical inspection.The intense exercises have the potential to remove the natural high that is created in fitness activities. It becomes an almost cathartic and relaxing escape from deadlines and helps to relieve stress and release endorphins. Will fans of the gym achieve the same level of happiness if they constrain their workout to a 10-minute routine? Joy is, arguably, an essential result of daily exercise. It would be interesting to analyze the level of satisfaction for both study groups in their respective exercises.

Another concern is the level of skill needed to participate in this intensive fitness activity — there is no need to lose a limb. Pushing yourself to your absolute physical limit to ensure you are getting the most out of your one minute of exercise may be a recipe for pulling a muscle, or having an asthma attack. Endurance training helps to slowly adjust your body to working out and doesn’t endanger you, or push unnecessary limits.

The study also includes 25 men and NO women. It is unclear whether fast-paced exercise would be appropriate for both sexes, and it is interesting that they were not a part of the primary study in the first place. The students did mention that a second study is underway for women. The experiment also did not indicate whether people with chronic injuries or women who are pregnant could do SIT.

The 60-second exercise phenomenon appears to be an exclusive trend that includes men who want to push themselves to the absolute brink of their physical limits and not waste time, or enjoy their workout. I think it is safe to say SIT training can get up and walk out the door to join other failed workout fads.

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