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Archives for May 2014

How to Get Fit Outdoors

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With this new weather shining and tempting you to leave the office and go outdoors, I am more encouraged to get active outside. Getting outdoors and working out is so healthy for you, not only are you getting fit but you’re also getting some time with nature. We are unquestionably nature deprived today and spend most of our time indoors bent over a computer screen. The only sign of outdoors is that fake plant collecting dust in the corner. Nope, that doesn’t count as nature.

Combine your workout time and outdoor time and get combined happy results! Humans need time to breathe in the fresh air, smell the flowers, and feel the sunshine on their face. And whatever other cliches you can come up with.

I enjoyed a bike ride this past weekend. I had forgotten how amazing riding a bike is and will admit I was a little shaky on it for the first couple minutes. Where had my professional bike riding skills as a kid disappeared to? I mean, I was a pro. But after a few minutes I felt like a child again whooshing by pedestrians, shops, and trees. Look how fast I’m going!!! Definitely would recommend you to get outdoors and ride a bike, brings some glee!

Never underestimate how healthy a brisk walk is for your body. Walking is great because it is good for you and isn’t harmful to your joints like running can be if your not taking the proper precautions. Take your loyal pup out for a walk, or if you don’t have one ask a neighbor! Trust me, most dog owners would love their dog to get exercise when they aren’t available.

Hike. I am desperately jealous of those people who don’t live in the vertically challenged plains. If I lived in Colorado, I would be ridiculously fit… or so I tell myself. But I would be out hiking every day! However this hiking destination, Robbers Cave State Park, wasn’t too bad. Way to go Oklahoma 🙂

What exercise do you enjoy outdoors?

Foods with Multiple Benefits

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Add healthy foods/habits to your diet! You can in quick simple ways without hardly noticing, until your skin is clearer, your pants fit better, and you’re healthier! It just makes sense! Making those conscious choices to be healthier is extremely smart and necessary. Eating nutritious food brings so many benefits to your mental and physical health. Health diagnoses happen, but you can lessen your risks by making informed eating choices. Why not choose to add some more healthy goodness to something? I dare you.

For example, I have started to add flax seeds to my diet. This seed is amazing and has many benefits to prove itself. Flax contains alpha-linolenic acid that is beneficial to the heart, it also reduces cholesterol and contains many vitamins that your diet is probably lacking. Flax seed may decrease your chance of getting breast cancer too! On a lighter note, it does wonders for your skin! It has an anti-inflammatory property that really helps keep skin clear and soft! You can easily add it into smoothies, protein shakes, or even cookies. Why not? It doesn’t have very much taste at all so you can hardly tell! Sprinkle, sprinkle!

Getting enough of that leafy green into your day can be a challenge. Spinach is the answer. Add spinach to anything and everything. Smoothies are easy ways to get added green in for the day. Blend some spinach, strawberries, and oranges together and you won’t be disappointed! (Flax seed too if you’re feeling crazy.)

Spice up your diet! Keep calm by adding hot peppers to your food, it boosts production of feel good hormones, like serotonin. They are also good for your metabolism! So why not add some red chili peppers ?!

Honey. Honey has so many health benefits and uses, such as clearing stubborn pimples, moisturizing your skin, or lightening your hair. Check more advantages out here.

And of course, take those vitamins everyday! Vitamins are very useful in getting all the necessary nutrients into your body. As much as I would like to be able to eat the right things to naturally give me all the correct nutrients, it’s nearly impossible. Someday I would love to have a personal chef to bring me everything to eat that is healthy, and yummy and needed in my diet. Dream on. Future post on the multiple vitamins I take…

How do you add in healthy tricks to your diet?

LatteFit Challenge 5 – Abs/Back

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Transverse abdominals, multifidus, diaphragm, pelvic floor…know what all of those muscles make? Your Core. You must work your back and stomach to create your strongest core.

The core is not a prime mover but helps the other muscles with overall balance. It is important to activate your core not only with crunches, but also by doing functional movements using your core (dead lifts, push ups, overhead press, etc). Higher core stability decreases your chance of injury.

I have become a huge huge fan of planks because my core is stronger than ever! I started off struggling to hold my plank for 30 seconds and now I can for 2.5 minutes. It takes dedication but can happen with hard work. If it were easy, everyone would be walking around with 6 packs instead of … well you know. Most of us could afford to loose a little around the middle 😉

Time to get those abs and back working! Only 2 more weeks until you look sleek and sexy in your bathing suit!

LatteFit Challenge – Week 5 of 6

Not know what a “stomach thigh lift” is? Me either, it was the best name I could come up with ha. Basically lay on your stomach with your head down and lift your thighs as high off the ground then lower, repeat. Back killer!

I like to move it, move it!

Hair Products that Break you Out

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After multiple unusual breakouts along my hair line I realized that something else had to be at play.

New skin makeup? No. New detergent? No. New face wash?No. So what was it?!

It took me awhile to realize it was my new expensive, amazing smelling shampoo and conditioner from Amika. I had heard such good things about the product so was quite disappointed. What a drag.

But it made perfect sense to why I was breaking out. Think about it, your shampoo rinses over your entire body and definitely around your hairline and neck. After thinking about this I did some additional research. It matters what chemicals and ingredients are in your shampoo. There are so many chemicals and allergens that can cause break outs, and I know I hadn’t even thought about how it was affecting my body.

Here are 5 interesting findings:

  • Peppermint really dries out your hair. It invigorates your scalp and should be used only about 1x a week.
  • Cocamide is added to shampoo to add viscosity. This chemical agent has been known to cause rashes around the scalp, neck, and possibly your hands!
  • Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate can break you out and is a known irritant. Yet, it is found in most hair products.
  • Panthenol is good for your skin and used to fight off bacteria. It goes deep into your skin layers to moisturize from deep within your scalp.
  • Use Paraben free products. Paraben has been found in breast cancer tumors and mimics estrogen in your body.

After this research, I did compare my shampoos and all of my hair products and found that many of my products had sodium laureth sulfate. I ended up purchasing some new natural hair shampoo and conditioners. I didn’t enjoy throwing full products out but I’m happy to know I’m not putting bad chemicals on my body.

Recommended Products:

  • Organix
    This product is gluten and paraben free. However, not entirely organic which you might assume given the title.
  • Aveeno
    Good product free of many chemicals and natural ingredients.Think about all the ingredients that you choose to put on your body each day. Do you know what you’re putting on? Doing some research first can naturally cure your body of acne, or other health problems.

Dress Me Up in Frills

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If there ever was a time to put on an overly frilly dress it would be Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a great excuse to adorn yourself with the sweetest dress, beautiful spring colors and delicate pearls. This event calls for feminine touches like bows, ruffles, and florals.

Think – the dresses that your mother would make you wear as a child that you would itch at during church – except now you can’t wait to wear it! Funny how things change… There is nothing I love more now than dressing up in an elegant dress and spending some quality time with my fab momma.

My top dresses for Mother’s Day are from BCBG, Alice+Olivia, Old Navy, Michael Kors, and J Crew. Currently crushing on fun cuts, added embellishments and structure.

  • The BCBG bright red dress is a knock out. I love this cut coming from the tiniest part of the waist and flaring out. This shape is flattering for curvy women with an hourglass figure. Calling out to those lucky teeny waists and volumptous curved ladies.
  • This blue dress says Summer has arrived. It is beautiful for those straight figures adding some curves with the cut. Pair it with some simple pearls and your set.
  • Who doesn’t love a beautiful maxi? The off the shoulder style and ruffles makes me want to book a cruise immediately. It can be super casual or dressed up. Every girl needs a versatile dress like this for Summer, whether your landlocked in an office or surrounded by water.
  • Ooo La La. Gorgeous dress and blue shade. The image doesn’t do this dress justice. The beaded neck halter is to die for, it’s great for showing off toned shoulders. Plus a high – low. Swoon.
  • Two words, Alice + Olivia. This playful dress makes me want to run around fields swooping up daisies. Yellow is my color so I adore this dress.

Shout out to my beautiful, talented sweet inspiring mother who has taught me so much. I was so lucky to learn from her fashion sense and her undeniable passion.

Mother walking the catwalk and being fabulous!