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| They sleep-- a lot WHY? Choose TV over getting a good night's sleep and you've just cut your body's nightly tune-up short. Yup, studies indicate that in the wee horus, your body acts like a mini mechanic-- sending out hormones to help rebuild your skin (so it's smoother) and your muscles (so they stay firm and strong). In fact, if you get too little sleep, your body will actually age faster (as in wrinkles and loss of muscle tone-- not pleasant). And you thought puffy eyes and tonsil-exposing yawns were bad! Tip: If you can't fall asleep because your mind won't shut up, try writing in a journal right before bed. Putting your thoughts down on paper will help clear your noisy ming and allow tension to drain from your body. Feeling sleep? |
| They guzzle water WHY? Okay, this sounds dramatic. but water is a miracle drink. Sure, it quenches thirst, but did you know it also helps your blood carry important nutrients to your cells? (That's why downing lots of water helps your skin look smoother.) Plus, it washes away bacteria in your mouth for fresher breath-- and it flushes out your digestive system so your don't get as bloated! Tip: So how do you know you're getting enough water? Well, take your weight, divide it by two, then drink that number of ounces. To get three, drink a glass when you wake up, bring a one-liter bottle to school to sip between classes, and have a glass at meals. (You'll know you're on track when your pee's light yellow.) |
| They love their hair.. as it is. WHY? Working with your natural hair texture prevents styling damage- and saves you precious time (an hour of styling a day adds up to more than two weeks a year!) You'll also find that letting your brown, straight or kinky hair go au naturel will reveal a look that's uniquely you. Tip: Now, it may seem obvious, but before you can work with your natural texture, you need to know what it is. To find out, shampoo-- then let your hair air-dry. (Is it wavy? straight? limp?) Now look for a cut that suits your type (talk to a stylist or check out some cool hair magazines).What you want is a style that takes 15 minutes (tops) to prep and requires no more than three products. |
| They work out--regularly WHY? Well, it goes without saying that exercise tones your body. But it also boosts your metabolism (so you can eat a fresh baked cookies for dessert without a second thought), and it increases your blood's circulation (so your skin will get that pretty flush). It will also help protect your body from health problems later on (serious stuff like heard disease and osteoporosis). Convinced yet? Tip: At a minimum, you should squeeze three 30-minute sessions of cardio (like biking, swimming, or one-on-one basketball), plus two to three strength-training sessions (like bicep curls, stomach crunches or yoga), into your week. If you hate, hate, hate to work out, try sneaking exercise into other stuff you already do-- like walking the dog (just pick up the pace a little bit), washing dishes (stand on one foot for 2 minutes to tone butt and calves). You can do crunches during commercials or just boogie-out to music! |