There is nothing worse than dry and itchy skin! The one thing I loathe the most about the winter is having dry skin, especially on my elbows, hands and feet. It’s as if all of the moisture you stored up from the warmer months disappears completely when the cold air arrives. I know this is my anal behavior revealing its ugly head again, but I actually keep a heavy hand cream (i.e. Eucerin) near my bed because my hands can become so dry in the middle of the night. Yes, I sometimes wake up to put on hand lotion. What’s wrong with that? Dry skin can be very annoying when you are trying to sleep. I have found that putting it on beforehand works well. Apparently, wearing moisturizing gloves to bed, work too, but that just doesn’t seem comfortable. Also, putting petroleum jelly or similar on your feet and then sleeping with socks will keep your feet very moisturized. Dry and cracked feet are just not cute when you are trying to spoon with your honey.

Why is your skin drier in the winter and colder climates? It is true that the moisture is reduced and humidity decreases during these times. The heating units in our homes and our places of employment suck up what little moisture is left in the air. Because our bodies lose moisture in the cold, it can be very uncomfortable with cracked skin and ashy legs and arms.

The National Women’s Health Resource Center has some basic cures for your dry, dull and ashy skin this winter.

I am going to be taking a week-long hiatus from blogging due to my heavy travel schedule this week. But next week I will be back with a bang and kicking off my Holiday Hooplah (aka Holiday Stuff)! Everyone is doing Holiday Tips so I thought, let’s do something different. Instead of tips, daily posts will focus on a topic, theme or issue related to the holidays and packed with all sorts of great information. Of course quick tips will be weaved throughout a few of the themes and issues, for those of you who still want items they can refer to quickly. Topics/themes will range from getting into your little black dress to holiday sweets for your heart. I promise you will enjoy these and other topics, and will receive great information from my guest bloggers who are certified personal trainers, wine gurus, and pastry chefs. Who better to help you move through the holiday season?

I would like to leave you with a tidbit of information related to the issue on the cover of last week’s (Dec. 10) Newsweek - Fertility and Diet. I encourage you to pick up the issue or visit their website for the article. It is truly enlightening, cutting edge and extremely informative. This is an issue that impacts all women in their reproductive health years who want to have children. This especially effects those of us in our 30s and 40s, since we are faced with more infertility issues than women in their 20s. The article provides a detail overview of Harvard researchers’ examination of how diet, exercise and weight control play a role in fertility. While I have not finished the article, so much of the information has me thinking carefully about what I am eating. We have to be very aware of what we put into our body and understanding the impact food can have. In the article, it highlights the Nurses Health Study which showed that carb choices influence fertility. Eating lots of fast carbs like white bread, potatoes and sugared sodas increase the odds of a woman’s struggle with ovulatory infertility. Eating more slowly digested carbs that are rich in fiber can actually improve fertility. This is only the tip of the iceburg. Read the article to find out more about fertility, food, and exercise.

I will be back on the 15th with the Holiday Hooplah!