Tag: self care

SINGLE and HAPPY

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

If you’ve just ended a long relationship or you’ve been looking for Mr. Perfect for far too long, there’s no better place to be right now.

Reminder: you have to stop wondering what to do with your life or how to spend your free time. Being alone doesn’t mean being lonely, and it gives you endless possibilities for discovering new dimensions of life and improving yourself.

There’s a time to be dating, and there’s a time to be alone. That doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Being single is all about being free and being happy. Let’s find out why.

Editor’s note: Although this article uses male pronouns, the advice applies to all sexual orientations and gender identities.

1. More me time

All this time that you used to dedicate to the thoughts of one particular man is now freed up and all yours. You can start new hobbies, focus on reading more, focus on your career goals, meet up with people that you haven’t seen recently, or just lie in bed and watch your favorite TV shows and relax all day, every day. Sounds like a great deal.

2. All decisions are in your hands

All couples can admit that, as a whole, they make most of their big decisions together. It’s not always nice having to agree on something just because your partner said so. You know the feeling … neglecting your needs and desires to satisfy your loved one is definitely not the best part of being in a relationship. So enjoy your freedom and make decisions on your own—no one is going to mumble about it.

3. No compromises

Relationships are built on compromises, and sometimes, there comes a time where you want to be free and not have to compromise with anyone. When you’re single, there’s no compromising about your love life, the way you spend your time, your hobbies, the people you see, where your finances go, and so on. You’re free to experience what you want.

4. Now’s the time … fill your passport

We all know traveling alone is an incredible experience, not to mention that, if you have a s/o, they’re not always going to want to come to all the places you want to go to. Problem solved. The best part of being single is that you can buy a ticket and go to any place in the world—and the only permission you need is your own.

For those of you recovering from a breakup, remember, you came to this world alone. At one point in your life, you never knew this person. So you can live without them and you will. And guess what? You will do just fine. Find your power, reach for life, and have fun again.
Dwelling on the past does not make space for the future. Sitting back and telling yourself “They really weren’t that bad” is the mind playing nasty tricks on you. If that happens, quickly call a friend and ask them to remind you of all the times you complained about your ex. That will help you squash that lie quickly.

I encourage you to find the courage to move on. A breakup creates space for something new. Let the newness of you in. Let whoever came to your life for a “reason” and “season” go. They have done their job. Now do your job and move on with the next exciting chapter of your life. Let the sunshine in.

Stop Neglecting Your Tongue! It’s More Important Than You Think…

Published on by Lee1 Comment

Dental health is seriously trending right now; from Kendall’s whitening Moon pen to pretty much every influencer’s fave teeth whitening gadget. But as intrigued as we are with the latest advancements in oral health; it’s the ancient practice of tongue scraping that I am currently obsessing over. It’s super simple, it’s basically free, and it has tons of health benefits.

What is tongue scraping?

Ok, so I realize it sounds kinda gross but Dr. Ghalili explains “Tongue scraping is the method to remove the remainder of the food, possible bacteria, and dead cells from the surface of the tongue and therefore out of the body.” Dr. Garcia adds, “Tongue scraping is nothing new and has been a part of Ayurvedic practice since ancient times. A scraper is designed to fit the anatomy of the tongue and scrape off bacteria and flora on the tongue that can produce volatile sulfur compounds.”

Why you need to start scraping… like NOW

Dental benefits: Dr. Garcia outlines the benefits of tongue scraping; “Tongue scraping can clear up bad breath and help to prevent an incidence of periodontal disease [gum disease].” Dr. Ghalili agrees, saying tongue scraping helps “To remove bacteria and toxins and this prevents them from getting reabsorbed into the body. This improves problems with bad breath and improves overall health.”

Other health benefits: But the benefits don’t stop at helping with bad breath, it’ll help remove toxins from your body, increasing your bodies immunity, and improving your health in general. Plus, don’t forget fewer toxins in your body = better skin. Dr. Ghalili explains how it works, “When bacteria and other possible pathogens remain on the tongue and get reabsorbed by the bloodstream, it can cause serious health issues all throughout the body.” Plus, Dr. Garcia notes that it’s the perfect practice to get into whenever you’re feeling under the weather, “Since bacteria lingers on the tongue, it’s especially beneficial to do regular tongue scraping when you’re sick with a cold or infection.” Oh, and last but not least, it’ll enhance your taste buds as there’s less mucus on your tongue – err, yes, please!

How to use a tongue scraper

The tools: Dr. Garcia recommends, “The tongue scrapers made from copper, tin or brass [which you can buy on Amazon, $8, here]. Using an ergonomic one only designed for tongue scraping is much more effective than using a toothbrush.” Whereas Dr. Ghalili keeps it simple, suggesting “A toothbrush or a tongue scraper. Both are effective. If you use a toothbrush, it is easier to use without toothpaste.”

The technique: With firm yet gentle movements, scrape the surface of your tongue with singular, long strokes using your tongue scraping tool, then rinse your tool in water. Repeat this five to ten times. Follow with mouthwash, flossing, and then brush your teeth as usual.

Let me know if you guys use a tongue scraper in the comments below.

Mirror Talk

Published on by Lee1 Comment

by SIANA LOVE  9 months ago in SLAM POETRY

Looking into the mirror what do I see?

I see a beautiful smart woman looking at me

I see pain behind her hazel eyes

I see sadness behind her smile

But I also see a glimpse of hope between her teeth as if it’s inside her looking for a way to come out

I see a girl that wasn’t loved enough

I see a girl who was loved so much that she can’t even see it

That’s why she wears glasses,

To help her focus on what’s really important in life

I glance down and I see her body

A temple created from the one she calls Father

But God forbid someone told her she was beautiful

She’d smile and politely say thank you but deep down that word would be the meaning of doubt in her ears

When she hears she is beautiful she stands confused

As if they need the glasses to see what she is seeing

She wonders if they call her pretty in a way of making fun of the fat girl with a nice face

Or a way of proving to her that they don’t fat shame

Did you know that she hates silence? The girl in the mirror

She can’t stand being in a room full of people and no one talking

She knows they can hear her breathing, gasping for air

Sometimes they would ask “why are you breathing so hard?” as if she does it on purpose

She can’t control it, but it happens

So she tries to make conversation, hopefully, this will distract them into a conversation and not focus on her breathing because that’s all shes focused on in a silent room

Did you know that she drowns in the silence?

Thoughts come over her like a wave storm and now she’s thinking about why her dad couldn’t be there for her like every other dad is, she wonders why she isn’t loved?

She turns to all this approval from men because she never got anything from her dad

She hides her shames, her tears, her pain… Behind that “nice” face

Those beautiful hazel eyes, they have cried themselves to sleep so many times

That smile… Is a reminder that she must be strong, for her, even if no one sees

She’s at war with herself, trying to be more outgoing but the extra skin on her body weighs her down so she stays hidden, waiting that hopefully someone will find her and give her the one thing she needs most…. Love 

If These Celebs Swear By This $1 Beautifying Ingredient, I Want It Too

Published on by Lee3 Comments

There’s nothing more satisfying than finding something completely awesome for your skin that costs next to nothing. It’s even better when you know that incredibly gorgeous celebs like Jessica Alba, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah (and the A-list list goes on!) credit their stunning figures and glowing skin to the same thing. Jessica Alba uses it in a smoothie to boost energy levels, Jennifer Aniston relies on it to keep fit and trim, and Lady Gaga swears by it for reducing her stress levels – we all know what stress does to our skin! The genius ingredient is green tea; its impressive qualities include the power to lower your sebum levels and fight against acne, reduce sun damage, flatten puffy eyes, and even diminish wrinkles. It’s literally the answer to all our prayers – for our skin and our bodies!

The magical ingredient comes from the Camellia sinensis leaves that originate in China. Green tea leaves have extremely high-levels of polyphenols, aka micronutrients that come from plants, which are packed with antioxidants that protect against skin-damaging free-radicals, infections, toxins, and even some cancers. Not only is green tea super inexpensive, but you can use it topically and internally for MAJOR health benefits – even lowering bad cholesterol and detoxing your body. Put the kettle on now; guarantee you’ll be wanting a brew…

The difference between green tea and matcha green tea: Green tea is referred to as your standard tea bag filled with dry leaves, and it needs to be brewed for a couple of minutes to release the goodness. Once brewed you can discard the leaves and drink the tea, or you can use the brewed leaves to make a mask. Matcha is green tea leaves that have been dried and finely ground, which you ingest completely, making matcha a much more intense dose of goodness. Matcha contains 137 times more EGCGs (powerful antioxidants, up to 50 times stronger than vitamin C and E) than green tea does, so you would need to drink around 10 cups of green tea to get the same benefits that you would from one cup of matcha green tea. Look out for organic matcha tea like this one.

Find Your Zen: Believe it or not, having a green tea brew will actually chill you out. The tea lowers cortisol levels (stress hormones) and contains an amino acid called L-Theanine that gives a calming effect and helps your brain to focus.

Fight against wrinkles: Free-radicals attack our skin and breakdown skin cells to deplete skin’s elasticity, causing sagging and wrinkles – they’re our ultimate nemesis! Fortunately, the high-levels of antioxidants (the best kind: catechins and polyphenols) in green tea help our skin cells to fight against the damage done by free radicals. They can both slow down the signs of aging and contribute to reverse skin damage.

Combat acne: Drinking green tea works in numerous ways to combat acne: your skin produces less sebum, your inflammation levels are reduced (that’s what causes pimples to get all red and angry), and your immune system is bolstered. The aforementioned EGCG is also a potent regulator of your hormones, in particular, male hormones, which cause your glands to produce excess sebum. Combined with its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, it makes a fierce face mask. Combine a tablespoon of matcha tea with a tablespoon of honey, or matcha tea with yogurt to balance and soothe your skin.

Reduce sun damage: Green tea can’t block UV rays like sunscreen can, but instead, it fights damaging free-radicals and reduces inflammation that the sun causes – it can even destroy cancerous skin-cells. To get the full benefits you can drink green tea and use it as a toner in the morning: dip a cotton pad in a cup of cooled green tea and wipe it across your face.

Boost energy levels and shed pounds: There’s a reason green tea is favored in Hollywood and among models, it’s been clinically proven to boost your metabolism and increase your bodies ability to burn fat. It’s caffeine content – about a quarter the amount of coffee’s – increases your energy and concentration levels, which can improve physical performance and mobilize fatty acids to be used for energy. A matcha smoothie makes the perfect pre-workout or morning wake-up replacement for your cup of coffee. Make a smoothie with one banana, one spoon of matcha green tea powder, ice, almond milk or coconut water (enough to cover all your ingredients in a blender), one tablespoon of almond or peanut butter, and a sprinkling of granola, you can even add a date or honey as a natural sweetener.

Deflate puffy eyes: Green tea bags make the perfect under eye treatment: the caffeine shrinks blood vessels, while the tannins constrict capillaries. Brew two tea bags for a couple of minutes, remove and place in the fridge until chilled (around 30 minutes – they should be cold but not dry) place the tea bags under your eyes and chill out for half an hour.

Even just drinking a green tea every day will do your body good, and it’s another alternative to help you reach your daily water target. It’s insanely good when you use it topically too, so play around with different recipes and find what works for you. There’s also an insane amount of products starring green tea, in case DIY isn’t your thing, check them out at ToGoSpa here.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?