Tag: health tips

Sipping Pretty: Infused Water Recipes

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Aside from coming across as beautiful, drinkable works of art, infused waters have a subtly sweet taste and a cleansing effect on your body that is equal parts refreshing and healthy. From time to time, I find myself making a large pitcher of lemon cucumber mint water and drinking it for a week. And after embarking on a recent “pinge” on Pinterest, I discovered a few other infused water recipes that I was eager to try. I gave them a go and were pleased to find that they tasted as lovely as they looked. Here are the four infused water recipes I created (and couldn’t get enough of)…

  • orange + lemon + lime
  • lemon + raspberry + mint
  • lemon + cucumber + mint
  • blackberry + cherry + lime

To make any of these recipes, all you have to do is slice the fruit you want to use and drop them into your water. You can start drinking it right away, but you might not notice the flavors until it infuses for a few hours (four hours achieves the most potent flavor). I like to let my waters sit overnight in the fridge, and if I’m using a recipe that calls for lemon I will squeeze half a lemon straight into the water for a little detox boost. As long as you keep your water refrigerated, the fruit should stay fresh. If you are filling your pitcher with water throughout the week, keep in mind that it will dilute the flavor each time you refill. I would recommend drinking your water within 3-5 days and making a new batch once you notice that fruit has started to soften or turn your water cloudy. Which infused water recipe will you try first? Leave your questions and comments below! And if you liked this post, be sure to take a peek at my detox diary for all the details about my first juice cleanse. xx

Tone It Up: How Much Water Should I Drink?

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Hey everyone, today I have a little challenge for you. I want you to try to drink half your body weight in ounces of water (at least) throughout the day for the next 8 weeks! Here’s why this is so important…

Water increases your metabolism.

Your body is made up almost entirely of water. It’s hard to believe, but everything in your body is floating in a water-based suspension. Also, many of our bodily functions require water in some part of their equation to function properly. In this case, we are going to talk about the liver…

Water cleans out your system.

The liver is an amazing organ. Of its many functions, one is to take released body fat and break it down for use as energy (a process called lipolysis). However, when hydration levels get as low as 80 percent, the liver and kidneys have a difficult time functioning and filtering all that thickened blood. Since kidney function trumps liver function on the task-list of sustaining life, the amazing liver does what it can to take over for the kidneys. Wow, we are sure glad that is the case, otherwise we would all be in some serious trouble! If the liver isn’t able to do its job, our bodies cannot break down fat and use it for energy at the rate in which we need it to. Let’s just say that is not good for your body fat percentage.

In order for proper diet and exercise to be truly effective, you’ll need to maintain a proper hydration level so that the body fat released into the bloodstream can be broken up into proteins. You want these fat cells to be broken up into proteins because those are the building blocks of muscle! It’s a simple equation…more water equals less fat and more muscle.

How much water is enough?

Water increases your metabolism so much that if you’re chronically dehydrated, it can mean up to an 8-pound weight gain or more per year. No wonder weight creeps on! Your challenge is to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, someone who weights 150 pounds should be drinking 75 ounces of water a day. This doesn’t mean all at once, it means throughout the whole day.

We can all mistake thirst for hunger too, which leads to eating more unnecessary calories, so it’s important to always have water handy. Get that calendar out and mark it down to remind yourself!

Can you do the water challenge?

Let me know if you have any tricks for staying hydrated in the comments below!

XO BLB

Slim Suggestion: H2 Ohhh

Published on by Lee2 Comments

We all know that we’re supposed to drink lots of water everyday. Drinking 8-12 glasses of agua daily has countless health benefits. Also, your appearance benefits from drinking enough water each day. Water hydrates your skin making you look younger and it assists in weight loss. So why don’t we drink more? Because next to delicious lattes and flavored fizzy drinks water falls flat. It’s, dare we say, a little boring. So here are a few ways to jazz up your H2O…

  • Fruit – Slice it up and toss it in. Try different fruits or even different combinations of fruit. Some popular ones are cucumbers, lemons, limes, oranges, strawberries, raspberries… and the list goes on.
  • Mint – Try adding a few mint leaves to your water. It will give it a refreshing twist.
  • Ice – Fill an ice tray with your favorite all natural fruit juice and put it in the freezer. When the cubes have frozen try adding a couple to your water for a hint of flavor.

HOW DO YOU LIKE TO DRINK YOUR WATER?

10 Ways to Relieve Stress

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I haven’t touched too much on stress and anxiety on my blog, but I deal with it every single day. I have spine issues so stress really takes a toll on my body and back. It’s so easy to let stress get the best of me, so as soon as I feel stressed, I take a minute to become self-aware and begin de-stressing. Here are my 10 ways to relieve stress and I hope this helps you too!

  1. Breathe
    • When we get stressed or anxious, listen to your breathing – is it fast and shallow? As soon as you feel tense, try breathing slow and deep. The increased intake of oxygen will help calm your nervous system.
  2. Pamper
    • As a beauty blogger, this is probably my favorite thing to do.  Create a mini spa oasis at home – light some candles and pamper yourself with your favorite mask or give yourself a manicure. You deserve it!
  3. Drink tea
    • I love tea, like really love tea and recently I learned that there’s an art to drinking tea. Instead of just pouring yourself a cup, pay attention to the boiling of the water, the steeping of the tea, and then take a moment to savor each sip. Focusing on the experience can be calming, just make sure to drink decaffeinated tea like this one.
  4. Music
    • You know how you listen to music before heading into the shower? The same thing applies to your night in. Music can be a powerful tool to quickly change your mood and I love using apps like Spotify and Tidal that have ready-made playlists to match your mood.
  5. Journal
    • Sometimes when I have so much on my mind, I write down what I’m feeling and why I’m feeling that way. Once I have everything down on paper, it’s like having a weight lifted off my shoulders and then I can start tackling whatever is stressing me out.
  6. Read
    • If there’s one thing that’ll put me to sleep, it’s reading. Get lost in a story and it’ll take your mind off of your stressful day and chances are, it’ll put you to sleep like me.
  7. Exercise
    • Now I’m not the most active person but walking helps to put my mind at ease. This is something I recently picked up and I’ve been really feeling the endorphins! I love that feeling of knowing that I took time out of my day to get myself healthier.
  8. Meditation
    • I have been able to master this technique, and I know many people who love meditation. In fact, my therapist is a strong believer in meditation and recommends it for everyone, not just for people who suffer from anxiety, depression, stress and etc.    You can use meditation apps or find a guided meditation on YouTube.
  9. Stay offline
    • If work and emails are sources of your stress, turn off your phone and computer to reduce the temptation of checking and responding to emails.  As much as work is important to me,  I try to remember that my health is much more important. Social media can be strainful so try to separate yourself. I know that is hard especially for those who earn money through Instagram like myself but it is not impossible.
  10. Cry/Smile
    • Relieves Stress. A good cry can provide a feeling of relief, even if our circumstances still remain the same. Crying is known to release stress hormones or toxins from the body, and as a result, reduces tension. It provides an emotional release of pent up negative feelings, stresses, and frustrations.
      • When all else fails, smile. Smiling releases a hormone called serotonin (the happy hormone) and can boost your immune system. By having a positive attitude, you’ll have a sunnier outlook on life. Try it!

Don’t get me wrong I love makeup and using makeup to feel good, but working on my inner beauty is a priority for me too! Stress can be detrimental to your overall health, so remember to take at least five minutes out of your day to relax. Happy de-stressing!

HOW DO YOU DE-STRESS?