Bring that magnetic Leo appeal into your kitchen!
Everybody knows you’re hot, hot, hot—but how about your palate? If your meals are lapsing into blandsville, it may be time to spice things up. Add jalapeños to couscous and grilled squash for a salad with some bite. Forget ketchup—garnish that burger and fries with a homemade sauce of Sriracha and mayo instead.
Liven up vegetables, stews, and fish with golden curry, turmeric, or cayenne, and reap potential health benefits, too. Capsaicin (it’s what makes hot peppers hot) may help to prevent heart disease. You’re a Leo, so you know you can stand the heat!
The surprising benefit of jumping…
Bet you didn’t know that you can strengthen your leg bones with stress. It’s true! Your bones are living tissue, and research shows that your skeleton needs (safe) impact to stay strong—pretty important as you age. What’s more, most people don’t get enough of that good type of stress. Walking doesn’t cut it but jumping does.
Try this every day for improved hip-bone density. Jump 20 times as high as you can, resting for 30 seconds after each jump. Want to feel like a kid again? Grab some friends and two jump ropes and play Double Dutch. Watch “Double Dutch Divas” on YouTube for inspiration!
This color helps you stand out, Virgo…
Gray is associated with Virgo. It might call to mind great-grandmother’s hair or a cloudy day, but it’s far from dull or gloomy. Gray can be dramatic or serene. Pearly gray nail polish is new, sophisticated, and just right for the office. Muted, stone-colored walls provide just the right backdrop for accents of green or peach. Charcoal-colored chalkboard paint turns any wall into a practical writing surface for lists and calendars (perfect for an organized Virgo). Even the garden can go gray. Shimmery silver plants from white to metallic blue include drought-tolerant succulents like agave. Try to add some gray into your everyday!
Perfecting your posture…
If you’re not a professional ballet dancer, chances are good that your posture could use a little tune-up. It’s surprising how much better you can feel when you stand up straight—taller, even lighter, too! Assess your stance by having a friend photograph you—front, back, side—standing naturally. Are your shoulders and hips aligned? Are your head and neck directly above your shoulders? From the side, is your ear is aligned with your shoulder? To help correct slouch when you sit for long periods, take a few minutes every hour to get up and stretch your back, neck, and shoulders to relax those muscles. It will help keep your body from falling into bad habits!
Virgo’s unique style preferences…
You know that attention to detail you bring to your work? It also shows up in the clothes you wear. Never gaudy or tasteless, your pieces are well-made and neat, but not prim or stiff. Even your business attire has to be comfortable! Natural fabrics and earth tones complement you, as do pastel shades. Show off your beautiful skin in sleeveless dresses and tops in terra-cotta, green, or ecru, or a leafy print. An elegant watch, classic mules, and sleek hair will help you look polished and elegant.
Take a few seconds to slow down…
There is something you do some 14,000 to 25,000 times a day that you don’t even think about. Breathing! It’s surprisingly complex, and chances are, you’re doing it wrong! I know, hard for Virgo to believe! Most people take shallow breaths that fill only the upper part of the lungs. But deep breaths through your nose that you exhale quickly and forcefully can increase energy and clear the mind, and what Virgo wouldn’t want that? Try taking a one- or two-minute deep-breathing break several times a day and see if you don’t feel better!
Sexy scents for Taurus, the most sensual of all signs…
Build a fragrance wardrobe by focusing on the scents associated with your sign. For casual days, choose the earthy sandalwood, sharp juniper, and smooth vanilla notes of Red Promisia Eau de Toilette from Sonia Kashuk. For the office, try the sophisticated scent of apple, rose, and magnolia in Karl Lagerfeld for Women Eau de Parfum. And for that very special evening, pull out all the stops with Calvin Klein Euphoria, blending black violet, pomegranate, black orchid, mahogany, persimmon, and lotus blossom. For men, try the casual Exceptional-Because You Are, which includes violet, sandalwood, cardamom, plum, musk, and bergamot!
The surprising tool Geminis should be using…
Shape up your shoulders, arms, and hands and burn calories with the simplest of tools—a rope! Whether you climb it, jump it, or make undulating waves with battle ropes, you can torch calories and tone every muscle in your body. Plus, jumping, an activity most people don’t do enough, strengthens bones.
For more of a challenge, find a heavier jump rope (not one with weighted handles, which can stress wrists). Other benefits of rope work, say experts, include better coordination and reaction time, which is good news whether you play softball or catch that Christmas ornament before it crashes to the floor! Hop to it!
This area of your Gemini body needs special care…
Your hands, ruled by Gemini, are two of your hardest-working body parts. Whether typing at a keyboard all day, carrying heavy loads, playing instruments or sports, or exploring (ahem) other things, they’re busy all day, year after year. Try this to show your hands some love, soothe sore muscles, and increase circulation.
The easiest, effective therapy for Geminis…
Maybe you’ve tried meditation but found it too hard to quiet your nonstop monkey mind. Here’s some good news that seems tailor-made for Gemini—laughter apparently sparks the same brain wave patterns as those generated in experienced meditators! This brain wave activity means that almost all of the brain’s higher cortical regions are operating on a common frequency. It’s the same as being “in the zone,” you know, when you’re so into an activity that you don’t realize an hour has passed? And the effect is almost immediate, as soon as the laughter starts. Finally! A way to get the benefits of meditation without all that “om-ing” and sitting still, and you get to laugh! The planets have aligned!