Monthly Archives: January 2019

January 31, 2019

MORE THAN A DIET


Subtle changes for life long RESULTS.

As we move into February, I hope that everyone’s New Year, New You commitments are in full effect and hopefully you are adhering to those changes.  If you are finding it difficult to stay true to your commitments, then let’s talk about your approach. When you look at weight loss and weight management, you are doing it for the long term, well at least that is how you should be looking at it.  Many of us don’t, myself included, so, I decided to look at my approach and focus on making subtle changes that will give me long term and sustainable RESULTS.

Just as all diets aren’t created equal, you have to first understand your lifestyle and sometimes trial and error may be in order in the beginning.  For some of us who have been on this diet thing for a minute now, we may have to think about what we did when we were successful in the past. With a bit of tweaking, we may come to realize that the promise to making a lifelong commitment to a healthier lifestyle isn’t too far out of our grasp after all.

Here are some tips to get you started on changing your approach.

1.  If going out or if socializing with food is a large part of your social life, you may want to try to be on the organizing end of this and suggest that you meet up for an ACTIVE event, i.e Zumba class, spin class, belly dancing etc.

2. If the event is a dinner at a particular venue.  Pay attention to the calories you have earlier in the day, hence, saving your calories for dinner which will overall have a good effect on your weight in the long run.
Example menu:
Breakfast – Yogurt
Lunch  – Salad w/ Chicken & Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Dinner – Open with plenty of calories to spare
Note: Be mindful of the appetizers.  Try to eat fruit ONLY!

3. Increase your protein to help keep you fuller longer and throughout the day and it helps to stabilize your blood sugar and helps maintain lean muscle mass during weight loss.

I hope these reminders help you with your approach to obtaining a healthier lifestyle that fits your busy schedule.

January 31, 2019

GET MOVING

For overall optimal health and wellness daily exercise is KEY for total well-being.  The most asked question is “how do I fit it in?” If your day is hectic at the workplace or with the kids, there’s still hope, you just have to put yourself as a PRIORITY and just as you schedule your conference calls at the office, you can set an hourly alarm reminding you to get up from your computer and take a five minute stroll around the floor or up and down the stairs.  With so many activity tracking apps or devices, it is now easier than ever to stay ACTIVE. If you aren’t motivated enough yet, and you need a little encouragement, make this new declaration of daily movement known to your friends and family and enlist them to join you on your journey, you’ll be surprised how many people want to get started too.

Remember, the biggest step is just getting started and once you do, you’ll say “this isn’t so bad after all.”

January 31, 2019

BON APPETIT

BANANA PROTEIN PANCAKES

Ingredients

½ c. gluten free old fashioned rolled oats (it’s okay to makes this a heaping)

½ medium banana

¼ c. low fat, no salt cottage cheese

½  tsp. Vanilla extract

½ tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1 Egg

2 tbsp. Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk

Optional Add In: Peanut butter, Berries

Instructions

Place all ingredients into a blender until completely smooth.

Lightly coat a griddle with butter or cooking spray over medium low heat.

Pour batter on griddle.

Cook until bubbles appear on top.

Flip over to cook on underside.

Makes 4 pancakes.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1

Serving size: Entire recipe

Calories: 290

Fat: 3.2 grams

Carbohydrates: 46.8 grams

Sugar: 10.4 grams

Fiber: 6.2 grams

Protein: 20.2 grams

January 31, 2019

HEALING POWER OF ART

ART THERAPY
A Coloring Exercise

Stamp: Budding Peony #D1831 www.cindysplace.CTMH.com
So over the past year, we have been discussing with our MIND BODY LIVE audience the importance of art as therapy and the calming and healing factors it plays on our minds and thoughts and eventually our bodies. So this issue we are going to attempt to put into practice what we have been talking about, and it will hopefully accomplish the following things for us.


So, download the image and print it out. Have a coloring session on us, and if you really love the image as I do, you can purchase this stamp set from Close To My Heart. The stamp set is named Budding Peony #D1831 and it can be ordered through my website. www.cindysplace.CTMH.com

  1.  If your hands are actively engaged in a writing or coloring exercise, you are not eating.
    2.  If you are engaged in a new activity in which you have not done before, you are more inclined to be paying attention to what you are doing. In other words more FOCUSED on the activity in front of you and not food.
    3.  When you are coloring you don’t want to mess up your paper, your coloring or your work, so you will not be eating at that time either …… DUH.

January 31, 2019

WELLNESS CORNER

Essential Oil Spotlight: Eucalyptus Oil

So we are more than halfway thru flu season, but we are not out of the woods yet.  So I want to tell you about an oil that I know many of you are not thinking about ….. Eucalyptus.  Don’t sleep on this oil.

To begin with I’m going to list a few primary uses :  Asthma, Arterial Vasodilator, Brain Blood Flow, Coughs, Body Cooling, Diabetes, Disinfectant, Ear Inflammation, Fever, Flu, Inflammation, Jet Lag, Kidney Stones, Lice, Measles, Pain, Pneumonia, Over exercised muscles, Respiratory Viruses, Sinusitis, Tuberculosis.

The main chemical components of this oil make it an ideal oil to promote clear breathing & respiratory functioning and its great to use on sore muscles.  Eucalyptus also has purifying properties which makes it awesome for the skin and cleaning the air and surfaces. Studies have shown it effective in helping to lessen anxiety, and supporting a healthy inflammatory response.  Eucalyptus is widely found in mouthwashes to rinse & freshen breathe and promote oral health.

 

PRODUCT OF THE MONTH ………… BREATHE  BY DOTERRA

 

This is a product that you should not be without especially during the winter season.  Breathe is an essential oil blend by Doterra combined to make you breathe easier. This blend consist of the following essential oils: Laurel Leaf, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Ravensara and Cardamom.  All of these essential oils are known for their positive effects on the respiratory system.

To order Doterra’s Eucalyptus and Breathe, go to

Https://mydoterra.com/spwellnesscorner

 

January 31, 2019

AU NATURAL

Natural Hair Guide 101: Moisturizing Vs. Sealing Oils


Welcome back to another segment on Au Naturale. Today I will be focusing more on hair, rather than the skin care that we have been talking about lately. Yes, we all know it is important to take care of our hair, but how many of us really know what’s best for our particular hair? I can be the first to tell you all that I learn new things about my hair all of the time. So for this article, I want to talk about a topic I most recently learned about! It helped me and I’m sure it can help you all as well. Let’s talk about Oils.
We all have heard that oils are important for moisture, hair growth, etc. However, not all oils are created equal. There is a big difference for example on moisturizing oils and sealing oils. Let me tell you how.
As we all know, moisture for natural hair is our best friend. Why? Well, it is the key to reducing breakage, of course. Now, oils are one of the best ways to fight dryness and keep our hair moisturized. I’m here to tell you which oils are the moisturizing one. “Well, can’t all oils act as a moisturizer?” No! While there are some that can moisturize your hair, the others will sit directly on top of your strands and seal in whatever moisture, or lack thereof, that you have. These are sealants.
Moisturizing Oils:
Moisturizing oils can soak straight into our hair shaft. These are best used with hot oil treatments or as a pre-shampoo. This is how to get the maximum benefits from the moisturizing oil. Similarly, these oils do very well with a water-based leave-in conditioner/ lotion, hair milk, or with simply water itself.
Here are some moisturizing oils you should know:
Coconut Oil – We all know this one! It has amazing antibacterial properties, as well as being antifungal and it’s super moisturizing for hair and skin. It’s said to penetrate the hair better than any other oil. This oil can also act as a sealant if you want it too, making it the best of both worlds.
Olive Oil – I particularly love Extra virgin olive oil for skin and hair. It adds softness, shine, and strength to your hair and would be a great addition to your natural hair routine.
Avocado Oil – This oil is also an amazing one. It is said to be great for those who suffer from dryness due to heat damage and/or environment factors. It’s high in Vitamin E, so it can also help prevent breakage while still leaving your hair smooth. Lighter than olive oil, this oil is awesome as. a pre-poo!
Babassu Oil – Before doing my research, I hadn’t heard of babassu oil before, but after reading up on it, I’m curious to give it a try. It’s a bit similar to coconut oil, however, it’s a bit lighter. It can be very helpful for women who have differing hair types/ porosity levels in their hair.
Sealing Oils:
Sealants are definitely where some of my favorite oils come from. It’s easier to mix and match or find an oil that works the best for you. Here are some of my favorites.
Jamaican Black Castor Oil – Just as coconut oil is a famous moisturizing oil, JBCO is a famous sealant. This oil is a bit on the heavier side, but it softens hair while also helping to draw out the impurities that prevent hair growth. Since it’s a heavier oil, it is also great for thicker hair textures.
Jojoba Oil – Jojoba oil is also a favorite of mine. It adds shine to hair and is lightweight, with a nice smell. It resembles the natural hair sebum that our body makes naturally, which is great. It’s definitely great to seal moisture during a wash day. What’s more, it helps with people who suffer from dry or flaky scalp as it helps restore the pH in our hair.
Almond Oil – Almond oil is another lightweight oil that can bring a lot of shine to your hair. Almond oil is high in protein and vitamin content, such as Vitamin A, B, and E. It also can help improve scalp circulation and hair growth when massaged!
Grapeseed Oil – This oil is extremely lightweight and has the ability to withstand a lot of high heat. It’s best for women with finer or thinner strands since it can seal in moisture on their ends without weighing the hair down.
There you have it. These are the differences between moisturizing and sealing oils, as well as some of the best of the best. I hope this helps guide you on your natural hair journey, as it is helping me with mine! Stay beautiful everyone!