Our skin is a marvelous living fabric that covers and protects our bodies. It requires ongoing care to keep it healthy and beautiful.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. The thickest part of the skin is on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. The thinnest part of the skin is around the eye area. The average thickness of the skin is around three sheets of paper. The skin is composed of 34 layers.

One square inch of skin contains:
15 feet of capillaries
65 hair follicles
100 sebaceous glands
650 sweat glands
78 yards of nerves
Your skin is your body’s largest organ
Makes up about 16% of our total body weight
Every 24 hours, the surface of the skin sheds a layer of dead cells, constantly renewing about every 28 days
Dead skin cells make up about 90% of household dust
An average of 40 kilos of skin is shed during a lifetime
Varies in thickness from 1mm on eyelids to 3mms on palms and soles

Hulya Aksu : Today at 2:00
Selena, you are a woman in the know, are you and local health officials worried about the swine flu? Should we worry?
Selena Brown:Today at 2:05
From what I understand, it's like any flu virus, however, most of us have never been exposed and thus have no immunity. It is a subset of the influenza A virus. The danger is in the respiratory complications just as with any influenza virus. Severe illnesses, such as pneumo nia and respiratory failure, as well as deaths, have been reported with swine influenza infection in people, as well. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions. There have been other outbreaks in the US, in 1976 there were a reported 200 cases and one death.

Stop wasting your time on those cockamamie diets like the cabbage soup diet that doesn’t do anything but give you gas or the high protein diet that stresses your kidneys.

Try this on for size. I am opening my column with Unpopular Statement #1—which is: I am tired of being called a Skinny Bitch. It’s sooo not true—well, at least, the first part isn’t. I am not skinny. I’m 5ft. 6 in. and have weighed 118 pounds since high school. Want to know my secret? Okay, you asked for it. Here’s Unpopular Statement #2. I never diet. Really.

You see, dieting is about denying yourself the things you want. I deny myself nothing: I choose to be healthy, and this takes only two things. 1. Eating healthy and 2. Regular exercise—that’s it. There, I said it—so shoot me.

Listen to me, my Northern Virginia girlfriends and everyone else on the planet. Stop wasting your time on those cockamamie diets like the cabbage soup diet that doesn’t do anything but give you gas or the high protein diet that stresses your kidneys. They don’t work. Instead, start consciously making choices to eat natural, healthy foods.

Aren’t you sick of listening to women who tell you they “eat nothing” but still gain weight? Well, I hate to rain on their Self-Pity Parade, but that’s a scientific impossibility. M&M’s might weigh nothing but they contain hundreds of calories! No matter how one might try to rationalize it, Snickers bars, Big Macs and DQ Blizzards are NOT healthy foods. You have to get real and eat natural food; you know, food that has more nutritive value than the packaging it comes in.

The best time to workout is first thing in the morning when your body’s metabolism is at its highest rate.

The cosmetics and plastic surgery business is booming—even in this economy. Women (and men) are spending thousands and thousands of dollars, removing and adding to their bodies. But is it always necessary? Then again, what if you can’t or don’t want to spend the money, or what if you prefer not to go under the knife? Can something be done at the gym or even at home? Roger Mack, the fitness trainer who helped a local America’s Biggest Loser couple—the Capers—shed hundreds of pounds and get into shape, shares what he tells his clients. It’s all about skyrocketing your metabolism to melt away fat and to build a lean strong body. Incorporate the following tips into your life and see the difference:

DIET
Dieting is not about just watching your calories. It’s also about getting the right amount of carbs, and consuming the appropriate amount of protein. Carbs boost your energy while protein allows you to burn more fat through your training program. The best time to consume protein should be within an hour after your workout.

HEARTH
Getting your heart rate up while working out is key because it is at this point, that your body will burn more calories and fat. Maintain this accelerated heart rate for at least 20 minutes through your cardio workouts.

Part sustainable water company, part art project, part philanthropic project, and completely modern. We like modern.

Started with the simple idea of creating a new bottled water brand that is kinder to the environment and gives back a bit - and in no bottle at all, but instead, a box. You are all too familiar with rows of boxes in the refrigeration isle of your supermarket. Milk, juice, lemonade, egg whites, eggnog and most things liquid are boxed, so why not water.

The good news is about 90% of the Boxed Water container is made from a renewable resource, trees, that when harvested in a responsible, managed, and ethical way serve as an amazing renewable resource that benefits the environment even as it's renewed. The carbon footprint is dramatically lower as the boxes are shipped flat to the filler and filled only as demand is created, opposed to most bottled water companies that ship their empty bottles across the globe to be filled, then shipped back for consumption. So flat is in. It is better for the most famous modern mom, mother nature.

So will you buy boxed water?

In my quest to find inspiring moms who have made healthy changes in their lives for the next issue, I could not help but become aware that while I was searching for moms who would inspire you all, I was lacking inspiration myself.

Here I am looking for ways to change you, so that you pay attention to you first, to be happier moms, to be healthier moms; I was putting my health on the side burner and not doing a single thing about losing the extra 30 pounds I have been shlepping around for 2 years since my daughter's birth.

Monday, I woke up and decided to do something about it. I am now watching my food intake and exercising everyday before I start my day. Yeah for me. I hope to show you progress as I reach each milestone.

Here is the reason I am writing to you. I took a Yoga class at Lifetime Fitness on Saturday. The class description read: Fitness Yoga. So, here I thought I would be sweating and getting a solid workout while listening to some funky yoga beats and doing a headstands (no that I could do anything even close to a headstand). As soon as I walked in to the class and made myself at home sitting tall on my own yoga mat (my own yoga mat here represents my commitment), I heard the instructor say that she would focus on stretching. Great! I hate stretching. I hate it so much that I would do anything to avoid it. Here I am, committed to the back of the class, furthest from the door for the next hour and 15 minutes.

There are, in fact, scientific standards to beauty. Beauty is purposeful, because it’s how humans have historically communicated who we are to potential mates. Beauty, in fact, is really about your health and happiness.
Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiothoracic surgeon, a health expert on the Discovery Channel and Oprah Winfrey TV and radio shows and a best-selling author of several books including the YOU: The Owner’s Manual series. Recognized
by the media as “America’s doctor,” Dr. Oz can claim one more moniker: The I Am Modern Doc. In this issue, once again, “our own Dr. Oz,” has answered the questions we were dying to know in his own inimitable no-nonsense style.

IAm Modern (IAM): In your new book (co-authored with Dr. Michael F. Roizen) YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner’s Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty, you identify and discuss the three dimensions of beauty: looking beautiful, feeling beautiful and being beautiful. Are you saying there is a close correlation between beauty and health?
Dr. Oz: There are, in fact, scientific standards to beauty. Beauty is purposeful, because
it’s how humans have historically communicated who we are to potential mates. Beauty, in fact, is really about your health and happiness. (Dr. Oz says it’s all based on a biological genetic code. In looking beautiful the docs discuss the correlation between self-esteem and health. In feeling beautiful they remind us that beauty means nothing if we have the energy of a slug and tell us how to energize and revitalize our lives. Being beautiful discusses relationships and achieving happiness, with the ultimate goal being to have all three levels of beauty working together.)

Stretch and strengthen muscles, improve joint mobility

I speak to so many people who are unhappy with their appearance, know they need to get healthier and realize the importance of exercise. Yet, for a variety of reasons going to the gym just doesn’t work.

Some don’t like the crowds, others are shy, and still others don’t like to commit to long-term contracts. I can understand all of the reasons to avoid a gym but just as the American Medical Association has recently said, getting regular exercise is critical.

If you fall into this category and are looking for a new alternative, Gyrontonic® may be your solution. Although this unique methodology was developed in the ‘70’s, until now, mostly only the celebrities have known about it.

Unlike other forms of exercise, it consists of a series of spiral motions and breathing patterns designed to tone your body, both inside and out. The movements are performed on a pulley tower with constant resistance of 10 to 35 pounds.

Under the supervision of a certified instructor, clients develop lean and toned muscles, feel better, and experience an increase in performance. In addition, the specialized techniques used can significantly increase the mobility and stability of your spine and connective tissue.
The result is improved flexibility and a more proportioned body, which helps your body be less prone to injury. The exercises, for many people, can help alleviate symptoms ranging from lower back pain, stiff neck and other musculoskeletal problems. 

This is the perfect time to focus on your health. The holidays are stressful, and end of year activities often leave our bodies fatigued, depleted of nutrients, and full of unwanted toxins.

Why not change things up a bit and commit to getting healthier? What do you have to lose except for some unwanted inches, unnecessary fluid, and some extra weight that probably doesn't belong on your body anyway?

 Endermologie will give you cosmetic results with therapeutic benefits

The first FDA approved treatment available for cellulite; Endermologie reshapes the body, promotes healthy weight loss, and tightens sagging skin. By significantly increasing your circulation and metabolism, endermologie will you a healthy boost to jump start your new routine.