Tag Archives: exercise stress test

Baby-Friendly Nail Polish

Fashion has gone a bit by the wayside since my daughter was born. My former beauty routine is becoming a distant memory. Put on a full face of makeup? I’m lucky if my face is washed before going out of the house. Curl my hair? It’s a rare morning that it’s even blow-dried. Whiten my teeth? Let’s be realistic; my daily goal is to brush my teeth before lunchtime. And yet, some days I miraculously find the time to look almost normal. I look in the mirror and realize I somewhat resemble my pre-baby self. It’s on these days that … Continue reading →

How Do Monkeys Keep Their Nails Clipped?

Do they even have nails to keep clipped? These are the type of burning questions that keep me up at night. (Okay, they don’t keep me up at night. But I was thinking about it before I drifted off last night.) So I did some cursory Internet searching today and found that apes and most monkeys do in fact have nails, but some have claws. I could not find any mention of how they keep them trimmed. While clever, I’m fairly certain no ape or monkey colony has come up with a nail salon out in the wild. But if … Continue reading →

Fingernail Mistakes Quiz

Are you good to your nails? Ask yourself these four questions: Do you file your nails using a back and forth motion? Do you use an acetone based nail polish remover? Do you cut your cuticles? Do you use nail polish that you purchased before 2007? If you answered YES to any of these questions, you’re making a fingernail mistake. Read on to see what you can do to protect your nails: Filing your nails using a back and forth motion actually weakens nails and can cause them to split. Use a soft emery board and file in one direction … Continue reading →

Biotin for Nail Strength

The things we eat can have a huge impact on our bodies inside and out. If your nails are weak, brittle, and prone to splitting, you can give them a boost from the inside out with a biotin supplement. Biotin is a B vitamin that is found naturally in foods like eggs and liver. However, the amount of biotin in a serving of eggs or liver may be too low to make a difference with your nails! Eggs contain 25 mcg of biotin per serving; liver contains 27 mcg per serving. A Columbia University study found that a daily biotin … Continue reading →

Cuticle Care Tips

Okay, nail biters… I’m mostly back on the wagon. I’m giving that whole “stop biting your nails” thing another try! One problem I have is this: when I stop biting my nails, I tend to attack my cuticles instead. So to be completely honest, I’m only redirecting the chewing behavior, not stopping it. At the moment, I’ve got eight “good” nails, two slightly nibbled nails, and two hands full of sad looking cuticles. Cuticles are dead skin that overlaps the exposed portion of your fingernail — the nail plate. The cuticle makes a seal between your skin and your fingernail … Continue reading →

Pretty Nails: Save $500 A Year

If you learn how to do your own acrylic Nails, you can save $500 a year or more. Thanks to the advice of a woman who does nails professionally, you can have pretty nails at home. Last night, my husband and I decided to put in our wedding video. We hadn’t viewed it in ages, and our kids had never seen it. “Mom, you look different,” my five-year-old said. “Well, Kid,” I thought to myself, “Three children will do that to you!” But he was right in a sense. In the video, I had been pampered, something I have been … Continue reading →

Falling Off The Fingernail Bandwagon

Time to confess defeat. I thought I’d triumphed over my lifelong nail biting habit, but I’ve fallen off the nice nails wagon. In one afternoon, I chewed away several months’ worth of nail growing progress and am back to square one. It’s my own fault, really. I’d been doing so well because I’d take the time to shape and paint my nails every few days. When my nails were pretty and colorful, I didn’t bite them. But I stripped off the polish without repainting them, and BOOM. No more nails. I hardly noticed I was doing it, at first. Then … Continue reading →

How I Stopped Biting My Nails (a work in progress)

I’ve been a nail biter for longer than I can remember. When I was younger, my grandfather used to try to bribe me to stop — at first, he offered me twenty dollars if I could stop biting my nails for just a month. Before he gave up, the bribe was up to two hundred dollars for just a month of not biting my nails. And still… I couldn’t do it. I’ve tried to stop on many occasions. But nail nibbling is a long-ingrained habit. Just wanting to stop isn’t enough for me. As soon as I stop paying attention, … Continue reading →

Protect Your Brittle Nails

Are your fingernails thin and brittle? Do you tend to get vertical splits? You may be able to blame your diet. Brittle nails may also be simply a sign of aging. If your fingernails have vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip, don’t get too upset. These ridges are often a sign of aging. The lines exist all along, but as you age, your nail beds can dry out, making the ridges more prominent. So how do you help your brittle, splitting nails? Wear gloves when washing dishes, giving the kids a bath, or doing any other … Continue reading →

What is a Stress Test?

If your doctor orders a stress test, you may be wondering what you’re headed for. A stress test — also known as a treadmill test or an exercise test — helps your doctor see how your heart handles work. Your body is put to work on the treadmill, so your heart will pump more blood and your body will use more oxygen. Don’t stress about your stress test! You will be hooked up to equipment that will monitor your heart — your heart rate, blood pressure, and electrocardiogram will be monitored. The medical folks will also keep an eye on … Continue reading →