DASH Named The Best In 2012...And We Ain't Talking Kardashians

DASH has been named The BEST, for the 2nd year in a row.

And no, we are NOT referring to the KARDASIANS this time around.

We're talking about The BEST diet plan by US News & World Report, which conducted the research for BEST overall diet around.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

And it's a weight loss plan that should appeal to many people, because it features lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. And it's physician-recommended and approved by these prominent organizations:

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (one of the National Institutes of Health, of the US Department of Health and Human Services)
The American Heart Association (AHA)
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
US guidelines for treatment of high blood pressure
The 2011 AHA Treatment Guidelines for Women
The Mayo Clinic

The DASH diet appears to be a very well-balanced plan that can be designed around the entire family. Just look at the DASH diet tips we found at their website:


1. Use grocery store salad bars for lots of cut up fresh vegetables.
2. Frozen vegetables make it easy to add 2 or more servings of veggies to your meal.
3. Double up on veggies. A serving is 1/2 cup, so a full cup makes 2 servings.
4. Berry-licious is having fresh berries on your cereal.
5. Nonfat fruit yogurt, artificially sweetened, makes a wonderful snack or quick breakfast.
6. All nuts are heart healthy. Making yours salt-free boosts their DASH benefits.
7. Some convenience foods make your DASH diet great. Look for bagged ready-to-eat cut up veggies, like baby carrots, broccoli sprigs, lettuce, cabbage slaw, broccoli slaw, cauliflower tops, etc.
8. Make your plate colorful. Add 1 - 2 cooked vegetables and a side salad with more than just greens.
9. Make your coffee a latte with 8 ounces of skim milk.
10. Smoothies made with skim milk, fresh fruit, and no added sugar make a fast way to maximize the DASH potential of your diet.

If you have a few pounds to drop and are looking for a solid diet that's big on results in a healthy way, then consider trying the DASH diet plan.

For more information, click DASH.

Do-It-Yourself Cosmetics: A New Way To Make Pretty In 2012

We had heard about this fascinating beauty website before, and then we saw more about DIYCosmetics.com on the Today Show this morning. So, we thought we would do a little research on "Do it yourself cosmetics, a green boutique."

If you know your skin tone, skin type and what colors and beauty products look best on you, then you would really appreciate a site like this one, that shows you how to actually MAKE your OWN cosmetics.

No fooling! You DON'T have to have a degree in beauty chemistry. DIYCosmetics provides all the raw materials, the pigments and fillers, the presses and molds, the pre-made bases, and a whole lot more, including thorough directions.

For instance, you can buy your own DMAE and Vitamin C Ascorbyl Palmitate....2 skin-care items that are featured in high-end products by Dr. Perricone's skin care line. And you can blend them into your personalized beauty serums.

There are also wonderful flavor oils that you can add to your do-it-yourself lipsticks and lip balms.....like Bavarian Creme and Black Raspberry.

And if you're hunting down Vegan products, they've got them, too. Plus, the DIY company also offers cute little powder pots with puffs, pretty compacts, syringes, lipstick/gloss barrels, etc., to put your custom-made makeup inside.

You must check out DIYCosmetics. There's nothing else like it!

Jason Wu Unveils Target Budget Clothing Line In 30 Days

In exactly 30 days, well, 31, to be completely accurate, one of the First Lady's favorite designers will launch his budget fashion collection to Target Dept. stores.

Jason Wu is excited to bring his eye for beautiful clothing to the masses, at much lower prices. The look is French chic.

"My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection," explains the Chinese-born designer, who says that inspiration for these "gamine chic" pieces came from French New Wave films and the actress Jean Seberg. "Instead, I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own."

Take a peek at Jason Wu for Target in the photo. Here we have the Riviera cotton striped A-line dress ($40) and canvas satchel($50).

The Target line looks very feminine, delicate, and sporty, all at once.

We all remember when Michelle Obama dazzled admirers at the Inauguration Ball when she entered the hall in a custom design Jason Wu one-shoulder ivory gown. Many say that she made the designer famous in an instant.

We're wondering if there will be another Missoni for Target dash to the retailer, come February 5th. Remember how crazy that was? There wasn't a piece of Missoni in stock after that launch. Not sure if the Jason Wu for Target collection will attract such huge throngs of designer-crazy shoppers. Then again, Michelle Obama adores Jason Wu fashion, and whatever the elegant First Lady puts on, people take notice.

Stay tuned!

Love It Or Hate It: Cameron Diaz Gets New Ellen Barkin Bob For 2012

Is Cameron Diaz' sassy new bob part of her next movie role? Or is the actress just sporting a new look for the new year?

Either way, we think the 39-year-old beauty looks great, and even resembles actress Ellen Barkin, whose signature do is a sexy bob cut.

Cameron was photographed in Hawaii recently, frolicking on the beach with friends and showing off a super-toned bikini body. The new haircut is also a lot blonder than we've seen on her before.

It hasn't been an easy week for Cameron Diaz. Her ex-boyfriend Alex Rodriguez has gone public with his new gal-pal, WWE cutie Torrie Wilson, and her other ex-ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, has supposedly, just proposed to longtime squeeze, Jessica Biel.

A bob cut is a classic hairstyle with a playful edge, and we think it suits Cameron nicely. It's a look that NEVER goes out-of-style. Remember when Jennifer Aniston chopped off her blonde locks into a long bob last year? She even lightened up her blonde shade, too, with the new cut.

Whatever the case, Cameron's hair looks healthy, full and chic.

We know that most people equate long hair with sexiness, but that isn't always true. A sassy,above-the-shoulders bob cut is also very appealing.

Would you follow Cameron Diaz' trend, and go for the bob in 2012?

Taking Care Of Teeth Never Looked So Glam: Try Flossbox

Imagine this:

A dental flossing kit complete with a mirror and 16.5 yds. of floss, and it all fits into a small and skinny as a credit card container?!

Believe it. This is a cool trend for 2012. It's called, Flossbox, and it's a glam new way to keep your smile healthy and fresh. And we love the sheer flatness of this flossing kit. This is a MUST for every makeup bag. And besides, what girl doesn't love a mirror to make sure everything is where it's supposed to be or not to be---like that spinach stuck between your teeth.

And it comes in a variety of gorgeous packaging. Check out the leopard, just $4.99. Plus, you can personalize it at Flossbox.com with a message for fun and inspiration.

Let's be honest....Flossing your teeth can become quite the bore, but we all know that it's a very important step in our daily healthy teeth routine. So, why not make it a bit more exciting. These tiny Flossboxes are ADORABLE and would make for great gifts. And they're avaliable at your neighborhhood drugstore.

For more details, visit Flossbox.

Paper Facial Masks: Asian Beauty Trend To Hit Sephora Stores In 2012

Paper facial masks.

Hmmm. We like to believe that we are up on all the best beauty and skin care science out there, but this one, clearly got away from us.

Paper facial masks are big in Asia, and now that trend is headed our way. Sephora stores will begin launching these single-use facial masks in March.

It reminds us of papier mache, the fun school craft we excelled at, where thin strips of paper are dipped into a flour/water glue paste and applied to a balloon, for example, as the base of the project you are making.

Paper facial masks are much less complicated. These individually-sized facial packets are friendly to the environment---made of bio-degradable ingredients, like cellulose, silk, bamboo fibers, or thin paper.

And just like a clay mask, you put it on and relax for about 20 minutes. After that, just peel the paper mask off. Then toss it away.

Korea is known for its great paper masks. And these instant beauty fixers are cheap over there---some as low as $1.00 each.

We did a little digging online and found a few shopping beauty sites offering paper facial masks, including popular Sasa.com. Some were quite inexpensive---just $2.00!

We also found a popular paper facial mask brand in Vancouver called, MyFaceWorks at Zuneta.com. From rose water to aloe vera, there's a paper facial mask for you, each one infused with effective anti-oxidants to give your complexion a firm lift and healthy glow.

BeautyTipToday will keep a sharp eye out for the Sephora launch this March. We are intrigued by the entire paper mask concept.

Let's Walk In 2012! Add A Vest And Melt Even More Pounds

You don't need special training to walk. As health/wellness expert, Jillian Michaels says:

"Walk! You can do it anyplace, anytime.".

Jillian's right, ladies. Happy New Year! Let's walk in 2012!

Walking is a super easy, inexpensive form of exercise. And it does a body GOOD, says Dr. Craig Williams a sports science lecturer at the University of Exeter in England. He told the British UKDailyMail.com this:

"It can improve muscle endurance as well as muscle strength, especially in the lower body.
"It is good for bones and improves the body's cardiovascular system. It also helps boost circulation.
"Power-walking - keeping a brisk pace at moderate to high intensity - can burn the same amount of calories as jogging or running. So it is useful for helping with weight loss.".

And, he adds: "Because it is low-impact, it does not have the same potential for injury as jogging. Yet it can offer all the benefits.".

You can also add this little article of clothing to your walking work-out----a vest, and watch pounds melt away quickly.

The Walkvest. It's a brilliant idea---weights are placed in the vest to help the wearer drop pounds. TV star Valerie Bertinelli wore a Walkvest while on the Jenny Craig diet plan to melt away even more lbs and to tone up.

The Walkvest costs just under $70, but then again, what a smart investment for the new year.

Walk on!