Laura Gómez (aka Blanca Flores) spills beauty, fitness, and diet solutions so good, they’re almost criminal.

It's hard to believe they're the same person!

We all know what watching too much TV can do to your health, but the Netflix original, “Orange Is the New Black,” is an addiction worth indulging. The Emmy-nominated comedy tells the fish-out-of-water story of self-proclaimed WASP Piper Chapman’s experience behind bars, and the drama that unfolds with her fellow inmates.
Blanca Flores (Laura Gómez) – an inmate known for her out-to-there hair and sporadic outbursts — took a break from filming season three to sit down with Everyday Health to reveal the healthy snacks that keep her energized (seaweed, anyone?), why Citi Bike is her favorite mode of transportation, and how Groupon helps keep her skin clear when she’s not on set.
What it takes to transform into Blanca Flores: Gómez looks nothing like her character Blanca Flores (see above) but a talented team of makeup artists can give her the impressive make-under in very little time, says Gómez. “The change comes from my hair and unibrow,” she explains. “They use a brow pencil to create the unibrow and a little bit of the darker spots on the eyes, just to make her even deeper in terms of how raw this woman is,” she adds.
But what does take a little extra effort is to make her hair big and wild. “Sometimes they make it wet and then they tease it, but they always dry it big and use a lot of spray,” she explains. “I didn’t know I had so much hair until the 'Orange Is the New Black' team made me aware of it.”

On keeping her hair and skin in shape between seasons: Since her hair takes the brunt of the abuse to create Flores, Gómez is conscious about giving her hair time off when she’s not on set and uses a Salerm mask on her strands. “I’ve been dating other products forever, but this has always been my go-to mask,” she says of the reliable treatment.
She also looks to Sexy Hair products to keep her mane healthy. “I noticed that the shampoo and conditioner – which I’ve never paid that much attention to – is important. I didn’t think the shampoo would be such a big deal, because sometimes we take it for granted, but using the right one makes a difference in the look of my hair,” she says.

“I didn’t know I had so much hair until the 'Orange Is the New Black' team made me aware of it.”

Laura Gómez  TWEET

When it comes to her skin, she keeps it simple – and affordable. “I use Vaseline when I’m home for the lips, in the morning and at night,” she says. And to remove the thick makeup from the show, she uses liquid Purpose soap. “I absolutely adore [Purpose soap] because it keeps my face soft, and I’ve had very expensive brands that just make your skin feel dry,” she reveals. And like her skin care routine, her strategy for finding the best facials is also refreshingly affordable. “I go to Groupon to find facials. I’ve discovered the most amazing places!”
The healthy snacks that keep her energized through long days: Gómez’s diet couldn’t be further from the prison food that’s placed in front of her while filming. “I’m a fruit eater,” she says. “I love berries in the morning with my cereal or oatmeal, and then I like a banana in the middle of the day because it kind of pumps up the energy.” Gómez also gravitates towards Caribbean fruits like pineapple and papaya when they’re in season.
Her post-workout snack? A Luna bar in Lemon Zest or seaweed from Trader Joe’s. “They’re my favorite. Don’t eat potato chips, eat seaweed for 10 calories!” she raves.
Her earth-friendly workout: Since a recent ACL surgery forced the Dominican-beauty to sit out from running – her favorite form of exercise – she took up biking instead. “I used to have a bike, but I don’t have it anymore because of space right now so I discovered Citi Bikes instead,” she says, adding that she’s afraid of riding in traffic so she goes to central park instead.
Her commitment to safety doesn’t end at her choice of location – Gómez also always wears a helmet. “A very good friend of mine had an accident biking and she told me that the helmet saved her. She said ‘don’t ever go out without a helmet because you just don’t know,’” she cautions.
What she’s learned about being a woman in prison from the show: “The need for love,” Gómez says.
“The idea of prison dehumanizes a person,” she adds, saying that her eyes have been opened to the great injustices in the system. “There are people who make a mistake who are paying a sentence of 15 years in prison for sometimes just using [drugs],” she says. “I don’t mean everybody, but there’s a lot of re-evaluation to be done because we cannot just put people in a box and forget about them. That is just not fair.”

Read More

What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

 What's a parent to do when a child can't pay attention? Learn about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and find out if it's behind your child's forgetfulness.

Your very smart child somehow manages to lose her homework assignment while walking from the car into the house. She forgets to bring the right books home from school. You can send her to her room to get ready for bed, and 30 minutes later find her in another part of the house intrigued by a book or a game. Is she just being willful and refusing to focus? No — she may have ADHD.

Understanding ADHD

It's extremely frustrating for a parent when a child can't pay attention. But for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it's not a conscious decision or an issue of disobedience but rather just the way the child's brain is wired.
ADHD is used to describe a particular set of actions; it's a behavioral disorder that can affect both children and adults.
"The definition [of ADHD] has at its core three primary symptom areas: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity," said Michael Manos, PhD, head of the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at the Pediatric Institute of the Cleveland Clinic.
These primary symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may appear as distinct behavior patterns, such as chronic forgetfulness, always being disorganized, unable to finish projects, and unable to sit still.

Nearly anyone may have such symptoms on occasion, but in people with ADHD, it's constant and persistent, and, said Manos, "it's associated with dysfunction." These symptoms can really interfere with life and the ability to succeed socially, academically, and professionally.

What’s going on internally in people with ADHD? Everyone has two basic kinds of attention: fascination and directed attention. "Fascination is sort of the natural state of the brain," said Manos. "The natural state is to be interested in something." On the other hand, directed attention is what you use when you have to do something that you don't enjoy and will suffer consequences by not doing it, like getting a bad grade for not studying.
For people with ADHD, the directed attention is what's challenging. It's not that they don't try or don't want to do things that they know they need to do. They just can't do it, and get easily distracted by something — anything — that's more interesting to them.

Causes and Risk Factors of ADHD

It's unknown exactly what causes ADHD or what the particular risk factors are. Research shows that there's most likely a genetic link. Some of the potential causes and risk factors that are currently being studied include:

• Being underweight at birth
• Exposure to toxins in the environment, like lead
• Being delivered prematurely
• Use of alcohol and tobacco while pregnant
• An injury to the brain

What doesn't lead to ADHD is too much television or sugar, too many hours playing video games, food additives or preservatives, or family issues like financial hardship or family instability.
Although it's hard to predict who will develop ADHD or exactly why it occurs, the good news is that it can be well managed with therapy and perhaps some medication. With treatment, the prognosis for people with ADHD is good — they can lead extremely successful lives once they learn how to manage the disorder.

Read More

How To Use Acupressure Points For Lower Back Pain

Acupressure, the therapy of making use of applying pressure on specific points on the body with the aim of restoring the balance of the body is now being accepted widely as a form of treatment of many disorders especially chronic ones.mere application of pressure of the points located on the body given below

 

Lower back pain, hip pain and sciatica pain can be effectively treated by mere application of pressure of the points located on the body given below. Applying pressure on these points clears the blockages developed in the meridians (energy flowing channels) of the body and maintains a balance, thus reducing pain and

other symptoms associated with the condition.

 

Celestial Gathering (Small Intestine 11)

You can locate this point easily. It’s situated right in the middle of your shoulder blade. You can either press the point for about 2-3 minutes or press and release numerous times. Pressing this point relieves shoulder tension and reduces lower back pain.

Kidney Shu (Bladder 23)

Pressing this point has shown relief for lower back pain and is well known for reducing muscle tension. It is situated halfway between the ribcage and the hipbone, in the middle of the waist on the back. Get someone to work with this point on you.

Life Gate (Governing Vessel 4)

At the same level as the bladder 23 point, this point is located between the vertebrae at the waistline. It is probably the most effective in treating lower back pain.

Kunlun Mountains (Bladder 60)

Excellent for relieving back pain and stiffness of the neck, this point can be found halfway between the Achilles tendon and the outer anklebone.

Read More