reddevil's Blog

Pregnancy can be an exciting and worrying experience. Particularly if you are carrying your first child, you will be concerned about the health of your baby, and of course your own well-being as a secondary factor. On top of that, you're dealing with all sorts of hormones and emotions, which can make pregnancy difficult for the best of us. It's a simple fact that most women gain weight after their pregnancy from improper eating and a lack of exercise. This doesn't have to be the case, and there are ways in which you can survive pregnancy without gaining too much weight.

The first thing to consider during pregnancy is exercise. Of course, a couple of hours at the gym isn't going to do the trick if you're eight months gone, but by remaining active and independent for as long as is possible, you can help keep your body in shape, and prepare it for the physical ordeal to come. Additionally, this will help you keep relatively fit, and stop you from piling on too many pounds waiting on baby to arrive.

Pregnant women often report certain cravings, some of which can be very obscure. If you experience cravings for fatty or sugary foods, try to opt for low calorie alternatives in mitigation. Although it may not be what you are looking for, it is the best way to keep your body healthy and satisfy your urges.

Another essential thing to consider during pregnancy to avoid excessive weight gain is a healthy and balanced diet. Just because you're pregnant shouldn’t give you the idea that junk food is ok. You still need to eat sensibly to avoid putting on extra weight. On top of that, maintaining a healthy diet will also improve your overall health, which will obviously have a positive effect on your baby. Furthermore by boosting your fruit and vegetable consumption, you'll be consuming vital vitamins and minerals for the health of your baby.

Pregnancy is undoubtedly a difficult time, and looking after your body might not be your first and main concern. However, by living a standard healthy balanced life, you should find you'll be able to keep in shape, and avoid putting on excess weight. Furthermore, this should help you recover from the pregnancy, so you'll be back up on your feet in no time, to continue your healthy, happy lifestyle.

Warm weather is here, and that means most of us will be wearing nail polish more often to show off our hands and feet. The barer summer clothes and sandals mean your feet and hands will be center stage, so putting a few extra minutes into proper nail care is must for the prettiest looks. Whether you are applying nail polish to your hands or toes, the basic principles to make your manicure or pedicure last are the same.

1. Prepare your nails properly before polishing. Nail polish won’t adhere well to nails that are dirty or oily. Wash your hands thoroughly to remove any lotions, dirt or oils, and then brush each nail with a bit of nail polish remover. This will remove all oils from the nail itself and prepare it for accepting polish.

2. Lightly buff your nails and file off any rough edges. Polish will be more prone to peeling and flaking if the nails are rough around the edges or have ridges in them. Filing and buffing gives a smoother surface so that polish won’t flake.

3. Choose the right polish. Did you know that nail polish expires? Most brands will only last about a year before they become thicker and start to clump. Polish that’s too thick will go on thicker and won’t dry well, leading to more chance of smearing or smudging. Most nail polish formulas are similar and will last almost a week, but fast drying formulas are an exception. The extra ingredients that allow fast drying polishes to set so quickly also makes them peel more quickly, so try to avoid fast-dry formulas unless you absolutely have to use them. The extra few minutes spent drying a standard nail polish will be well worth it if your manicure lasts days longer.

4. Care for your polish properly. Summer weather is especially tough on nail polish – the high temperatures can cause polish to separate and the color to change. To keep your nail polish in top condition, refrigerate it in the summer. You should also clean the polish bottle carefully after each use by wiping the outside edge of the bottle with a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover to keep the bottle from sticking shut. Finally, be sure that you gently blend the nail polish before applying by rolling the bottle between your hands. Shaking a bottle of polish will create air bubbles in the polish that can cause bumps and clumps when you apply it – guaranteed to shorten the life span of your manicure or pedicure.

5. Use a base coat and top coat. It takes a bit more time to do a complete manicure rather than just throwing on some polish, but its well worth the effort. After your nails are clean, be sure to apply a base coat; this product prepares the nail for polish and gives nail polish something to cling to so that it lasts longer. Follow this with two thin coats of polish in the desired color, and then finish off with a quality top coat. When you apply the top coat, be sure to run the brush horizontally across the tip of the nail with a bit of it going under the edge of the nail. This will help prevent peeling and seals the manicure properly.

6. Don’t rush things. Be sure to let your nails dry five to ten minutes between each coat. If the coat below isn’t completely dry before you add the next one, your nails won’t dry properly for quite a while, leading to chips and smudges. If you are in a rush or simply impatient, plunge your nails into ice water for a few seconds between coats – this will quickly dry and seal the polish.

Enjoy your beautifully painted, long lasting nails! Remember not to open soda cans or pick at envelopes with your freshly painted nails. Using your nails as tools won’t help you keep your nail polish fresh at all!