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Dry, chapped lips are something we all experience at one time or another. Our lips are sensitive and need to be protected. Elements like the sun, the wind, dry and cold weather conditions can really affect our lips. It’s time to take charge and say goodbye to chapped lips! 

The cold winter weather can wreak havoc on our skin and especially our lips. So here are my top five tips to keep your lips in their most kissable condition and ready for party season! 

How to protect yourself from chapped lips 

Chapped lip tip 1: Protection is key 
Our lips have a very thin outer layer of skin and they contain little melanin, which is necessary for protection against the sun’s rays. Always protect your lips from the sun by applying a lip product with SPF UVA/UVB protection. I keep one in my bag, one in my car, one at my desk … always within reach. Our lips are so vulnerable; we must remember to keep them protected. 

Chapped lip tip 2: Stay hydrated 
I drink a lot of green tea and water throughout the day because chapped lips are an indicator that your body is dehydrated and needs water. So fill your glass full and drink up! 

Chapped lip tip 3: Don’t lick your lips 
Our lips lack in both sweat and oil glands making them susceptible to dehydration. 

We tend to lick our lips as they begin to dry out. And while this may provide temporary relief, the reality is it can worsen the condition. As our saliva quickly evaporates, our lips are left even drier than before. It’s a vicious cycle that we have to break. Try to resist the temptation and keep reapplying your lip product instead of licking your lips throughout the day. 

Chapped lip tip 4: Take your vitamins 
Believe it or not, vitamin deficiencies can affect our entire body both inside and out. And, these deficiencies can lead to chapped lips. Be sure to eat a varied, healthy diet and consider taking a daily multivitamin that includes vitamins B, C and E to nurture your lips from the inside out. 

Chapped lip tip 5: Eat healthy 
A healthy diet that includes essential fatty acids is also important when it comes to our lips. If we are deficient in essential fatty acids the chances are that our lips will be affected. Some healthy food choices include fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains and olive oil. And I choose to take an Omega 3 supplement because Omega 3’s are amazing for our skin and lips. 

Follow these simple tips and you too can avoid dry, chapped lips and instead enjoy healthy, happy, kissable lips. 

Written by beauty expert, Jacquie Carter. Jacquie is Director of Outer Nutrition at Herbalife.

Try this 3-day 1200 calorie diet plan

Looking for sample menus for a 1200 calorie diet plan? This 3-day diet plan packs a lot of nutrition into 1200 calories.

A 1200 calorie diet plan calls for some careful planning – not that higher calorie level diet plans don’t – but when you only have 1200 calories to work with and you want to hit all your nutritional targets, every calorie really counts. This 1200 calorie sample diet plan gives you 3 nutrition-packed daily menus to follow.

Who should choose a 1200 calorie diet plan?

A 1200 calorie diet plan would be appropriate for an adult woman who gets little to no activity and who desires weight loss. If this applies to you, I recommend that you start with a 1200 calorie plan, but that you also begin a regular exercise program as well. A 1200 calorie plan may also be appropriate for small-to-medium framed women over the age of 50 who are only lightly active. This calorie level is probably too low for most men.

A drop of no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss. If you are losing weight more quickly than that, move up to the next highest calorie level. If you are losing more slowly, you should not eat fewer than 1200 calories per day – instead, you need to step up your activity level.

1200 Calorie Diet Plan Overview

This plan calls for three meals and two snacks each day. Here is the basic breakdown for the 1200 calorie diet plan:

Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ vegetables if desired)

Lunch: 1 Protein + 1 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable

Dinner: 1 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Fruit

Daily Totals:   3 Protein, 2-3 Fruit, 3-4 Vegetable, 1 Starch/Grain, 1 Protein Snack, Leafy Greens – no limit, 2 Taste Enhancers

I’ve structured the diet this way so that your meals and afternoon snack will be evenly spaced throughout the day, providing the proper nutrition to help keep your energy level up. However, feel free to move foods around if it suits you better. For example, if you feel that you need a snack mid-morning, you can move the evening fruit snack to the mid-morning instead. As long as you don’t exceed the daily totals for each food group, you’re good!

Take a look at my ‘How to Create Your Own Sample Diet Plan” article which provides all the details on portion sizes for each food group. This will help you when it comes to designing your own 1200 calorie diet plans. Also, you can always swap out one or two meals for a Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal Drink or an Express Meal Bar if you’re on the go or don’t feel like cooking from scratch.

3-Day Menus for a 1200 Calorie Diet

DAY 1

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) strawberries
• Sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch

Large salad made with:

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) – any amount
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomato)
• 3 ounces (85g) grilled chicken breast (link to video – quick way to cook chicken breasts)
• 2 tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing (link to salad dressing video)

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) soy nuts
• 1 fresh apple

Dinner

• 4 ounces (100g) grilled salmon with lemon
• 2 cups (160g) steamed green beans with garlic
• ½ cup (150g) cooked brown rice
• large leafy green salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• 1 orange

DAY 2

Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in nonstick pan with pan spray
• Topped with tomato salsa
• 1 cup (80g) cut melon

Lunch

Veggie stir-fry.  Saute together:

• 5 ounces (125g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (80g) broccoli florets
• Large bunch fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil to stir-fry
• Season with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and ginger

Snack

• 4 Tablespoons (60g) prepared hummus
• 1 cup (80g) baby carrots

Grain salad with protein. Toss together:

• 4 ounces (100g) grilled shrimp
• ½ cup (150g) cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, onion)
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie vinaigrette dressing
• Place on a bed of leafy greens

Snack

• 1 fresh orange

DAY 3

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• Sprinkle with nutmeg

Lunch

• 4 ounces (100g) grilled halibut
• 1 cup (80g) steamed asparagus with lemon
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed raw vegetables
• season with salt, pepper, dried dill or chives

Dinner

• 3 ounces (85g) grilled lean steak
• 2 cups (160g) roasted Brussels sprouts (halve, toss with olive oil, roast at 400 F / 205 C for 20 minutes)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil (for Brussels sprouts)
• Steamed kale, spinach or Swiss chard with vinegar – any amount
• ½ small sweet potato sprinkled with ginger

Snack

• 1 cup (80g) diced fresh pineapple

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.

Not sure what 1500 calories looks like? Here are sample menus for 3 days with delicious, healthy options.

A 1500 calorie diet plan is the plan I seem recommend most often to my patients. That’s because a 1500 calorie plan allows for a reasonable amount of food, and generally leads to a healthy rate of weight loss in most people – as long as regular exercise is part of the equation. I always encourage my patients to tackle their weight issues with a one-two punch of diet and exercise, and a 1500 calorie plan reinforces that strategy.

Who should choose a 1500 calorie diet plan?

A 1500 calorie meal plan might be right for you if you are a female who gets regular exercise but is still seeking weight loss, if you are a male who is only lightly active and seeks weight loss, or if you are a male over the age of 50 who gets minimal activity. It should go without saying that regular exercise is important for your health and can also help you reach your goals.

A drop of no more than 2 pounds (1 kg) per week is considered a safe rate of weight loss. If you are losing more quickly than that, move up to the next highest calorie level. If you are losing more slowly than that, you can try the 1200 calorie diet plan, but you shouldn’t cut your intake to less than 1200 calories per day. As with any diet plan, regular exercise is not only a healthy habit, it also helps you to burn more calories to help you reach your weight goals.

1500 calorie diet plan overview

This plan calls for three meals and two snacks each day. Here is the basic breakdown for the 1500 calorie diet plan:

Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ vegetables if desired)

Lunch: 1 Protein + 1 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch + 1 Taste Enhancer + 1 Fruit

Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Vegetable

Dinner: 2 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer

Snack: 1 Fruit

Daily Totals: 4 Protein, 3 Fruit, 4-5 Vegetable, 1 Starch/Grain, 1 Protein Snack, Leafy Greens – no limit, 2 Taste Enhancer

As long as you don’t exceed the daily totals for each food group, feel free to move your portions around. But try to keep the same general pattern of three meals and at least one snack – it’s not recommended that you skip meals and then “double up” at the next one. More evenly spaced meals will help you keep your energy level up, and protein at each meal (and for the afternoon snack) will help to keep you from getting too hungry.

Take a look at my ‘How to Create Your Own Sample Diet Plan” article which provides all the details on portion sizes for each food group. You can find other options if there’s something in the meal plan that you don’t like, don’t have time to prepare, or can’t get hold of. That way, you can customize your own 1500 calorie diet plans.

Remember that swapping out one or two meals a day for an Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal Drink or an Herbalife Express Meal Bar can be an easy alternative if you’re pressed for time or looking for a convenient alternative.

3-day menus for a 1500 calorie diet

DAY 1

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) strawberries
• Sprinkled with cinnamon

Lunch

Large salad made with:

• Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach) – any amount
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomato)
• 3 ounces (85g) grilled chicken breast
• ½ cup (150g) cooked white beans
• 2 tablespoons (30g) reduced-calorie salad dressing
• 1 tangerine

Snack

• 1 ounce (30g) soy nuts
• Carrot and celery sticks

Dinner

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled salmon with lemon
• 2 cups (160g) steamed green beans with garlic
• ½ cup (150g) cooked brown rice
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing

Snack

• 1 orange

DAY 2

Breakfast

• 1 whole egg + 4 egg whites scrambled in nonstick pan with pan spray
• Topped with tomato salsa
• 1 cup (80g) cut melon

Lunch

Veggie stir-fry. Saute together tofu and veggies:

• 5 ounces (125g) firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 cup (80g) broccoli florets
• Large bunch fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil to stir-fry
• Season with soy sauce, garlic, pepper and ginger
• ½ cup (150g) steamed brown rice
• ½ medium mango

Snack

• 4 Tablespoons (60g) prepared hummus
• 1 cup (80g) baby carrots

Dinner

Grain salad with protein. Toss together:

• 8 ounces (200g) grilled shrimp
• ½ cup (150g) cooked quinoa
• 2 cups (160g) chopped mixed vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cucumber, onion)
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie vinaigrette dressing
• Place on a bed of leafy greens

Snack

• 1 fresh orange

DAY 3

Breakfast

• 1 cup (250g) plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• Sprinkle with nutmeg

Lunch

• 4 ounces (100g) grilled halibut
• 1 cup (80g) steamed asparagus with lemon
• ½ cup (150g) whole grain pasta
• Mixed leafy greens salad – any amount
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) reduced calorie salad dressing
• 1 cup (80g) berries

Snack

• ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese
• 1 cup (80g) chopped mixed raw vegetables (carrot, red pepper and broccoli florets are a nice combination)
• season with salt, pepper, dried dill or chives

Dinner

• 6 ounces (170g) grilled lean steak
• 2 cups (160g) roasted Brussels sprouts (halve, toss with olive oil, roast at 400 F / 205 C for 20 minutes)
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) olive oil (for Brussels sprouts)
• Steamed kale, spinach or Swiss chard with vinegar
• ½ small sweet potato sprinkled with ginger

Snack

• 1 cup (80g) diced fresh pineapple

Written by Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD. Susan is a paid consultant for Herbalife.