Category: wellness

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

** Please consult your physician before adjusting your nutritional diet **

Before I dive into WTF IF is and why I’m such a proponent of it, let’s get something out in the open: I AM NOT A DOCTOR ( surprised? I know ). But seriously — what I’m about to share with you in regards to intermittent fasting is knowledge I’ve picked up from doctors and specialists throughout my own journey. If you have a history of eating disorders, blood sugar issues, or live a lifestyle that always keeps you hungry, IF is more than likely NOT for you. Always consult your doctor or specialist before changing your diet.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s dive in.

INTERMITTENT FASTING | a specific eating pattern that structures the time of day you eat and the time of day you are in a fasting mode. This is not a diet.

What does it do?

♡ increases human growth hormone which aids fat loss

♡ lowers insulin levels which increases access to stored body fat

♡ cell repairs in the body due to not being preoccupied w/ digesting food

♡ increases release of the fat-burning hormone noradrenaline

♡ help with inflammation in the body

For more detailed researched, read THIS article.

PERSONAL FASTING SCHEDULE |

This was actually a question I have been asked on my stories and is something I tried last year. Fasting has made a huge difference in not only my bodies appearance but also my sleep and my mental health. This does NOT mean I don’t eat, it just means I intake my calories for the day between 2 pm and 10 pm and fast the morning and night after these times where I have water, herbal tea, and black coffee. There is a lot of science that goes behind this that I don’t completely understand but I encourage you to research it for yourself before you start.

Intermittent Fasting shortens the time frame in which you’re eating throughout a given day. For example, instead of eating between 8am—10pm, you’d choose an 8-hour timeframe to consume all your food for the day— like 12pm-8pm, 10am-6pm, etc. While practicing intermittent fasting, most people fast for 16 hours of the day, while some prefer 14 hours or 18 hours. It’s totally up to you to find a time frame that works for your body, mindset, and schedule. Some people practice IF every day, and others keep it to 3-4 days a week. That’s why it’s called a “practice.”

PRO’S |

Done for a short time it can boost your fat loss, get you concentrated on your goals, give you a schedule to abide by to diminish the chances of excess eating, speed up the fat loss, give you mental clarity, lower sugar cravings. This is why I have started it again but only for 4 weeks. Sharing about this 4 week reset below.

♡ Promotes weight loss 

♡ Increases longevity 

♡ Acts as an anti-aging catalyst 

♡ Regulates insulin levels  

♡ Enhances hormone stability 

♡ Decrease meal planning stress

♡ Clears the mind

Of course, IF isn’t a “magic pill” that will fix all your problems, but it is a very realistic and effective step that will more than likely make a positive impact on your overall health and who doesn’t want that! Might as well try it, right?

CON’S |

This way of life should not be continued long term due to the damage it can have on your metabolism, muscle maturity, and energy levels. I made the mistake of doing this rigid schedule for 5 months and started to really see the negative consequences of it. I was ALWAYS tired, my muscles were weak, and I plateaued in my workouts/fat loss.

MYTHS |

♡ Skipping breakfast makes you gain weight.

♡ Eating more frequently burns more calories (it ALL depends on the thermic effect of the specific food NOT the frequency).

♡ You need to eat often for brain function (our bodies can burn the glucose storage in our bodies for brain function w/o extra food).

♡ Fasts put your body into starvation mode, this is more or less a mindset. You can easily go from not eating to eating everything in sight if you have no self-control.

♡ You will lose too much muscle during fasting, this is ONLY true if you are not consuming the needed nutrients the rest of the day including your protein intake.

4 WEEK RESET |

♡ Intermittent Fasting 8 – 10-hour window

♡ Calorie deficit (gradually lowering not extreme)

♡ 3 days of 1 hr long cardio

♡ 3 days of lifting and 30 minutes cardio

♡ 21 Day Detox by Flattummyco

♡ 96 oz of lemon water a day

♡ 5 high-fat calorie days, 2 high carb calorie days

What other questions do you have about IF? Comment below! 

FACE YOGA: AKA FREE FACELIFT

Published on by Lee3 Comments

Have you heard? Face yoga is all the rage. That’s right. I’m serious. Face. Yoga. You know, like yoga for your face.

In this post you’re going to learn 5 face yoga exercises that you can do at home. I did not invent these. These are all from the face yoga expert, Danielle Collins who developed face yoga to tighten the skin & defy gravity.

She created The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method after a couple years of teaching yoga. “Clients were enjoying the health benefits of yoga for their bodies & minds. I was getting more & more requests for a similar natural way for the face to look & feel healthier too. As well as my drawing on my training [in Pilates & yoga], I spent many years researching & trialing face techniques from ancient Eastern medicine, the latest studies on facial composition & renowned wellbeing strategies, & created The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method which is now enjoyed by millions of people worldwide.” { via }

Basically, face yoga is a completely natural alternative to antiaging remedies. Face yoga consists primarily of two kinds of facial exercises. Its concept of “waking up” sleeping muscles is believed to rejuvenate and strengthen the muscles in the face if practiced regularly.

The idea behind face yoga is that muscles in the face need and benefit from regular exercise as much as any other part of the body. The exercises are broken down into two categories: moves that wake up underused muscles in the face and moves that relax muscles that get overused or stressed. Muscles that some believe need to be awakened are in areas like the cheeks and under the eyes. On the other hand, relaxing moves are practiced in places like the forehead, around the mouth, and between the eyebrows, areas that typically get overworked.

Teachers of the practice explain that by using the same muscles day in and day out, those facial areas are prone to accelerated signs of aging. At the same time, certain facial muscles get no attention at all, causing them to lose elasticity and strength. By doing face exercises regularly, practitioners believe that these muscles are able to relax and strengthen simultaneously.

Let me tell you, it works. I’ve been trying it. Anyway, here are 5 face exercises you can do at home.

5 Face Yoga Exercises To Tighten & Tone:

♡ THE V

instructions how to do the eye firmer

Good for: drooping eyelids, crow’s feet, eye bags & puffiness.

Alternative to: Botox & eye surgery.

How to:

+ Press both middle fingers together at the inner corner of the eyebrows, then with the index fingers, apply pressure to the outer corners of the eyebrows.

+ Look to the ceiling, & raise the lower eyelids upwards to make a strong squint & then relax.

+ Repeat 6 more times & finish by squeezing eyes shut tightly for 10 seconds.

♡ THE SMILE SMOOTHER

instructions on how to do the face yoga cheek plumper

Good for: cheek lines & sagging skin.

Alternative to: lower face lift & fillers

How to:

+ hide the teeth with the lips to make an ‘O’ shape with the mouth.

+ smile widely while keeping the teeth hidden & repeat 6 times.

+ hold the smile shape while placing one index finger on the chin. Then start to move the jaw up & down as the head tilts gently back. Relax & repeat twice more.

♡ SMOOTH THE BROW

instructions on how to do the forehead smoother

Good for: horizontal forehead lines.

Alternative to: Botox.

How to:

+ place both hands on the forehead facing inwards & spread all the fingers out between the eyebrows & hairline.

+ gently sweep the fingers outwards across the forehead, applying light pressure to tighten the skin.

+ relax & repeat 10 times.

♡ THE FLIRTY EYES

instructions for doing the temple lift

Good for: deep eye hollows & dropping eye brows.

Alternative to: eyebrow lift.

How to:

+ place an index finger under each eye, pointing towards the nose.

+ hide the teeth & tease the top lip & bottom lip away from each other at the mouth.

+ flutter the upper eyelids while gazing at the ceiling for 30 seconds.

♡ THE GIRAFFE

instructions on how to do face yoga jaw stretch
instructions how to do the giraffe neck

Good for: lines & loose skin on the neck.

Alternative to: neck lift & jowl lift.

How to:

+ looking straight ahead, place the finger tips at the bottom of the neck & lightly stroke the skin downwards with the head tilted back.

+ bring the head back down to the chest & repeat twice more.

+ finally, jut the lower lip out as far as possible to pull the corners of the mouth down & place finger tips on the collarbone with the chin pointed upwards ( hold for 4 deep breaths ).

Benefits of Face Yoga:

♡ non-invasive alternative to Botox & surgery.

♡ increases blood circulation.

♡ allows more oxygen & nourishment to reach the cells of the skin.

♡ stimulates elastin & collagen production.

♡ creates a beautiful glow.

♡ tightens & smooths the skin.

♡ you can do them at home for free.

♡ Meghan Markle is a big fan (she’s also a fan of buccal massage)

Face yoga is something that I’m playing with & I can’t wait to do more posts on it, but I just wanted to update you guys that it is a thing, it is a trend, it does work, & it’s happening.

It goes hand-in-hand with facial massage which we talk about all the time. If you haven’t gotten on the facial massage train, you gotta.

Facial massage is life-changing. There is just no better way to depuff, debloat & look contoured like a Kardashian.

There are a few ways to go about facial massage. 1.) You can do it for free! 2.) You can get a little handheld machine. I love mine! Sure, I have a facial brush but this is different guys. This is like a vibrator for your face. In fact, it sounds like a vibrator, kind of looks like one, maybe you could even…oh, we’re getting off track here. But it’s very efficient. 3.) Lastly you can also do what I always do: the second I get back home, I haul my ass to the closest spa & get a lymphatic drainage massage. This works like a REAL charm. You go from swollen, Sloth from The Goonies to beauty pageant status.

Other ways to keep your face young for longer

There are a number of important ways to maintain healthy skin. All should be part of an overall daily self-care routine. 

  • Smile more. Smiling is a way to work the muscles in your face throughout the day. It is also a quick mood booster, and according to research, creates more feel-good brain chemicals than eating a bar of chocolate. 
  • Clean up your diet. The old adage “Beauty comes from within” is true. What you eat (and drink) plays a significant role in your skin’s appearance. Antioxidants like red berries and vegetables, green leafy veggies, healthy fats (like avocado and olive oil), and seafood can all go a long way to keeping your skin looking young. Deciding which foods to leave out (such as processed products, fried foods, and inflammatory fats such as canola or sunflower oils) is just as important as choosing which foods to put into your body.
  • Use sunscreen every day. Research has shown that the sun damages skin. Apply sunscreen every day, especially to your face, neck, and chest, and stay out of the direct heat of the sun during peak hours of the day.

So what are your thoughts on facial yoga. Are you getting into downward dog with your face or what?

Let us know by tweeting us at at @beautyleebar

x, lee

+ check out everything you should know about brow lamination.

+ check out everything you should know about sweat belt.

+ check out everything you should know about melanin is amazing but I need sunscreen.

5 Ways To Make 2020 Your Best Year Ever

Published on by Lee3 Comments

With the start of not only a new year but a new decade, it’s time to awaken the goal-getter within you. Stop leaving things to chance, set goals, manifest your future, and most importantly dream big. We realize we may sound like a cheesy Instagram caption but trust us; it works, and we have studies to prove it. With 2020 forecast to be the decade of health and wellness, don’t get left behind… Here’s how to make 2020 your best year ever.

1. Set Goals, Both Minor and MAJOR

When it comes to setting goals, we like to split ours into two categories: little and large! Start with smaller more achievable goals, like walking to work more often or eating a handful of berries in the morning, this way you’ll continue to feel motivated when you achieve them. If you set yourself a goal like ‘exercise five days a week’ when you currently don’t exercise at all, you’re likely setting yourself up for failure. Instead, think: ‘I will do three activities a week that get my heart going!’ There’s nothing more disheartening than setting goals you’ll never achieve. So don’t set yourself the unlikely goal of never getting an Uber to work (those rainy days can be a b*tch). Once you start smashing your targets, build on them, and eventually, you’re more likely to reach more major goals. Remember, it was the tortoise who won the race – baby steps!

Then there are those major goals – your BIG dreams. When setting these, try to think about what you’d aim to achieve if failing wasn’t a possibility. It will help you get past those negative thoughts. Once you’ve outlined both sets of goals, write them down and move onto manifestation. It’s also helpful to give yourself a time frame to complete them and don’t forget to check in with yourself each quarter.

2. Manifestest Your Success

When it comes to manifestation, there are three typical standpoints: first, the doubtful – you’re seriously skeptical that manifestation can bring positive results. Second, the confused, and third, the firm believers and daily practitioners. Let us begin by explaining that manifestation is the transformation from thought into its physical equivalent, aka an idea or goal that becomes a tangible reality through the work of your own feelings, thoughts, and positive affirmations. It doesn’t translate from “I want a pink Lamborghini” into a pink Lamborghini springing up on your doorstep one day, rather it opens your mind to positive thoughts and brings about the dedication and motivation to achieve a goal and the success that will enable you to buy your own pink Lamborghini.

Posts You’ll Love:

To manifest your goals for 2020, start by letting go of any negative thoughts, feelings, and doubt that surrounds that goal. The best way to do this is by writing down your fears, for instance, my move to Dubai will fail, then alongside it, acknowledge the feeling but follow with “This feeling will not serve me.” Once you have eliminated those emotions, you can start to cultivate the positive and manifest your happiness with a clean slate. Begin by writing positive affirmations, for instance, “I’m committing to moving abroad and I will open my heart, mind, and body to new opportunities.”

Another helpful manifestation tool is a vision board, which can contain any aspect of your life including relationship goals, career goals or materialistic goals using pictures or even words written on a post-it. Once it’s completed, light a candle and manifest.

3. Practice Gratitude Daily 

The practice of gratitude, aka taking time to actively be thankful for what you have, may seem like a simple practice, but it’s hugely beneficial for your state of mind and even your physical health. One study showed that it’s been shown to reduce depression and increase happiness, while another study showed that it reduced aggression and increased empathy. In fact, we’ve noticed a definite impact on our mental health when we are practicing gratitude as opposed to when we let the habit slip; we have a more positive outlook and feel less anxious. Beyond our mental health, it’s also been shown to improve your physical health as people who practice gratitude are more likely to exercise and have frequent health checkups.

So, while you’re enjoying your cup of tea or coffee in the morning think of three things you’re grateful for; it can be anything from a tasty meal to having a supportive partner. Try to make them different each morning. Alternatively, saying them aloud at night by thinking of three things you were grateful for that day also works – it helps get past the craziness of your day and remind you of the positive things.

4. Meditate

We’ll be real with you; meditation is a habit that you have to maintain to reap the rewards but once you do, it’ll quite literally blow your mind. The added bonus? It can amp up your glow game as it boosts blood circulation, delivering more oxygen to your skin. It also helps you stay focused, calm, and more balanced and there are SO many studies to prove it!

One study examined the impact of an eight-week mindfulness and meditation course on a group of people and found that their ability to stay focused increased. Other studies have also shown that it makes you more compassionate and kind to others as you’re more considerate of other people’s emotions. Try apps like Headspace (they have a great 10-day free course) and Calm for helping you understand and practice meditation.

5. Get Active in the AM

It’s no secret that being active improves your mental, and of course, physical health. In short: it improves your mood, focus, and quality of sleep while lowering the risk of health conditions like heart disease or high blood pressure. Even if you commit to walking for thirty minutes a day or taking the stairs every day, you’ll start to notice a positive impact in weeks.

If you’re ready to go the extra mile, start by exercising in the morning. By working out in the morning, you’ll instantly increase levels of dopamine (the happiness hormone) while lowering levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which spikes first thing in the morning. Not only will you boost your mood, but morning workouts kick start the process of neurogenesis; the creation of new brain cells. If the idea of dragging your butt to the gym each morning sounds hellish, try Flattummyco fitness app that provides simple, effective and quick at-home workouts. For a longer workout, flattummy app have 450+ workouts that is customized for your fitness level.

Let us know your 2020 goals in the comments below.

SELF-LOVE: How to Increase It

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Since time immemorial, poets, gurus, and philosophers have toiled to define the most potent and indispensable word in the human language—LOVE. Some have heralded it as the force that makes the world go ’round. Others have described it in terms of the pain it can cause when it’s not returned. It’s been used to denote the feeling a parent has for their child and that a lover has for their beloved. In truth, we hear about love all the time but don’t discuss as often as we should how important SELF-LOVE is—and more importantly, how it is the foundation for a healthy life, full of self-compassion. When we can establish habits, practices, and routines of self-love, we will find ourselves to be more authentic and honest, we will tend to enforce healthy boundaries in relationships, and we will be more grateful and compassionate.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE

To begin the journey of self-love, begin by implementing healthy routines for yourself. Be consistent! Go to bed at a decent hour and get six to eight hours of sleep every night. Establish a physical commitment, like walking 30 minutes a day, signing up for a workout class three days a week, or stretching and practicing breathwork when you wake up. Go grocery shopping and make healthy food choices every Sunday for the week ahead!

Create a routine that works for you and that you will be proud of. And when your head hits the pillow every night, congratulate yourself on how you honored yourself that day, that week, and that month, and see how much better you feel.

LEARNING COMPASSION THROUGH AFFIRMATIONS

One of the best methods for silencing the negative voices in our heads is to work with affirmations, especially guided meditations that can be listened to aloud. The gentle words of a healer can land deeply within our consciousness and replace the voices of those who damaged us. Over time, we can’t help but believe the new messages we are absorbing. There are many free apps on our phones. Or go online and Google “guided meditations”—YouTube has tons, and there is plenty of literature out there you can use too!

Looking into the mirror and reciting affirmations is likewise highly effective. Making eye contact with yourself and expressing love, appreciation, and respect may strike some as corny or over the top, but if that is your reaction, perhaps it’s time to give it a try. People who love themselves unconditionally can express self-love without making a joke out of it.

TRY:
– You are strong and capable.
– You are a lovable person.
– You deserve self-care and self-respect.
– You are beautiful inside and out.
I have lists of affirmations plus more information on self-love, self-compassion, and how to create healthy habits in my book, The Rewired Life.

Another extremely useful exercise I developed to help clients is called the Compliment Log. It’s a small journal you carry with you to record every nice thing that others say about you or you catch yourself saying to yourself. Being smiled at, invited out, hugged, or otherwise included/embraced also counts. If you do this consistently, you will be amazed by the changes in your perception. Suddenly, you may find the world full of benevolence rather than hostility. You will begin to accept your own wonderfulness and own it, no longer able to deny the evidence before you, all of which is attesting to your true value.

Erica Spiegelman is a wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of the new book The Rewired Life (2018) as well as Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery(2015), the Rewired Workbook (2017), the Rewired Coloring Book (2017), all published by Hatherleigh Press. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona and is a California State Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADAC)-II from UCLA. For more information, visit Erica’s website or follow @espiegelman on Instagram.