Category: healthy living

5 Beauty Secrets Your Hairstylist Isn’t Telling You About

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By Guest Blogger Mandi McGee

5 Beauty SecretsBeauty is in the eye of the beholder right? What is your definition of beauty? Maybe it is the uniqueness that makes all of us different. It could be that beauty is found only in our outer appearance and physical body, or it’s a state of mind, or a combination of all three.

Working as a hairstylist and make up artist for the past decade has taught me many things about the average woman’s standard of beauty and it’s this:

We want clear, unwrinkled, glowing, soft skin. Strong, shiny, un-frizzy, hydrated, perfectly voluminous, easy to maintain hair. Glossy, un-brittle, trimmed and polished toes and fingernails. We want a tight jawline and high cheek bones, along with a slender, pore-less, perfectly oval face shape. And the last but certainly not least, is an outgoing positive ,on top of the world, self-confidence that effortlessly lights up a radiant smile that’s contagious to everyone she’s around.

Often times during a hair or makeup consultation, my clients never fail to point out very common issues. The dryness in their hair, it’s brittle, breaking, dull and doesn’t grow! The skin on their face and even scalp is either flaky or overly oily. Chapped lips and crusty cuticles along with never ending episodes of pimples , blackheads and uneven skin texture. For the most part , all of these common beauty downers can be alleviated in one day at the salon and spa. We can give you a deep conditioning treatment along with a coat of fresh hair color, snip off the dry ends then send you over to the nail tech to trim, hydrate and apply some nail strengthener and lastly checking in with the aesthetician to get a facial that will clean out your clogged pores, apply a hydrating mask then slap on some anti wrinkle cream, load up on your products for home and voila! You’re good to go! For 6 weeks… When my clients ask me in the salon about their dry skin or flaky scalp, the first thing I always ask is “ Are you drinking enough water?” This question always seems to turn up eyebrows and usually throws people off. Our beauty products that promise hydration and shine are only HALF of what we need to actually see the results. The other half is what we fuel our bodies with on the inside!

Here are 5 more Beauty Secrets that go far beyond the mirror:

1.) Work up a sweat– Working out does more than just getting us swim suit ready, its a powerful component to our mindset and all around beauty! Regular exercise (3-5 days a week for 30 mins) has been proven by numerous studies reduce stress, cure anxiety and depression, improve your sleep and boost self esteem. One major benefit of an intense sweat session is sweating detoxes your body and skin. Each time you workout, sweat literally pushes junk out of clogged pores, releasing toxins that cause pimples and blemishes. Always remember to wash off those toxins after your sweat session . Exercise also boosts oxygen to the cells in our skin and scalp, creating a radiant glow and healthy hair follicles.

2.) Eat the Rainbow- “ You are what you eat “ is a concept that everybody has know for decades. Consuming fresh fruits , vegetables and water is where beauty begins. Incorporating more of these foods into your diet and less of the crappy foods (you know what they are.. fast food, soda, fried foods, chips, candy, blah, blah, blah..) You will slowly start to decrease the harmful effects these foods do to your body and the healthy, nutrient rich foods with actually have a chance to take over and beautify from within, leaving you with plump, glowing, collagen rich skin and new, strong protein and mineral rich hair and nails. Look for all different colors of fruits and veggies. The different colors leave different clues as to what vitamins, nutrients and minerals they’re made up of!

3.) Meditate- The beauty benefits of meditation are astounding! As we know, stress is a burden do our body and our cells, which can either make us age faster or make us age with grace. Deep breathing allows your facial muscles to relax while at the same time increases the oxygen in your blood , allowing your beauty nutrients to flourish throughout your body. Teaching your mind to work with you and not against you is the key to self love, confidence and all around beauty! If you’re new to meditation, you can always listen to a guided meditation to walk you through the basics. 4.) SleepA third of our life is spent sleeping, and for all good reasons! When we hit the pillow our bodies turn into mini health and beauty factories. During sleep, all of our natural anti-agers kick into overdrive boosting our cell activity to promote collagen in our skin, reverse skin damage and repair our body just in time to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated! Your sleep is important to your overall health , happiness, beauty and wellbeing. You can’t cheat your way through sleep and money sure won’t buy it! Just as you set an alarm to wake up in the morning, set an alarm on your phone that tells you to go to bed at night! This will ensure you’re getting to bed early enough to get the beauty sleep you deserve!

4.) Sleep- A third of our life is spent sleeping, and for all good reasons! When we hit the pillow our bodies turn into mini health and beauty factories. During sleep, all of our natural anti-agers kick into overdrive boosting our cell activity to promote collagen in our skin, reverse skin damage and repair our body just in time to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated! Your sleep is important to your overall health, happiness, beauty and wellbeing. You can’t cheat your way through sleep and money sure won’t buy it! Just as you set an alarm to wake up in the morning, set an alarm on your phone that tells you to go to bed at night! This will ensure you’re getting to bed early enough to get the beauty sleep you deserve!

5.) Think on the bright side- Having a positive mindset give you the ability to control all the thousands thoughts that pass through in minds in a day. Life is spontaneous, filled with unexpected situations and we all have the choice to react two different ways. We can either let a problem dig at us all day, or we can choose to brush it off our shoulders and move on. How does this have to do with beauty again? When we plant positive thoughts into our minds, they reap incredible powers that portray in our appearance. A smile is the most beautiful thing on anybody, and you can be assured that there is always a positive thought behind that grin. Being able to see the bright side of any situation will leave you happy and confident. And confidence is what makes everyone look beautiful!

So the next time you visit your beauty professional, let he or she know just how much you appreciate that they are there to take care of the other HALF of your beauty. Your Hairstylist, Aesthetician, and Nail Tech are all there to provide you with all of the knowledge, skills and expertise to supply you with everything you need to improve your outer beauty, so they will be thrilled to know you’re taking the effort to meet them half way when you take action to beautify from within!

Mandi McGee
Beauty Life Expert, Hairstylist and Health Coach.

If you would like to learn more about how to look, live and feel beautiful inside and out, visit mandimcgee.com and sign up for email updates!

The Wonders of Apple Cider Vinegar

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By Guest Blogger Heidi Wickstrom

I never thought I would say this but I’m addicted to Apple Cider Vinegar. Yes, you heard me right. After a discussion I had with my personal trainer about drinking ACV daily for several reasons, I decided to do some research myself. It’s beneficial for pretty much anything—your skin, your hair, and your house can benefit from its qualities. Raw, organic, unfiltered and unpasteurized, apple cider vinegar is so much more than a salad dressing!

Top 10 Reasons to use ACV:

1. ACV can aid in weight lossDesign
Many people claim the Apple Cider Vinegar promotes weight loss by speeding up the metabolism. Just mix 2 teaspoons with 16 oz of water, sip it throughout the day for daily weight management. (Warning, it’s a bit bitter, but you can always add honey or stevia)
2. Gives hair body and shine
Make your own healthy after-shampoo hair rinse by mixing 1/3 of a cup (75 ml) of ACV into a quart (1 liter) of water. You can then store this mixture in a plastic bottle and keep it in the shower for ready use. Apply the vinegar rinse after shampooing and then rinse it all out, or for extra conditioning, you can leave the rinse on your hair. This natural hair care product can be used once or twice a week or more often as needed.
3.You can use it as a toner
Psoriasis sufferers praise apple cider vinegar for reducing inflammation. Apply a few drops to a cotton ball and rub on your T-zone or other dry spots to prevent breakouts and minimize blemishes. I also like to add a drop of lavender essential oil. Therapeutic-grade lavender is highly regarded for skin and beauty.
4.Teeth Whitener
Gargle with ACV in the morning. The vinegar helps remove stains, whiten teeth, and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums. Brush as usual after you gargle.
5. It’s a Tummy Tamer
It acts as an effective agent against the viruses that cause stomach flu. It is also a rich source of pectin, which helps soothe an irritated stomach. Moreover, it helps treat stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and gas.
6. Leg cramps and Restless Leg Syndrome
Sipping on an apple cider vinegar drink can increase low potassium levels in your body, a suspect in nighttime leg cramps and restless leg syndrome.
7. Reduce swelling
Rubbing ACV onto swollen hands or feet reduces swelling. A wonderful thing during pregnancy!
8. Soothing bath soak
The next time you get ready for a nice warm bath, add one to two capfuls of ACV. It draws toxins out of the body, leaving behind toned and moisturized skin. Again, I love to add a drop of Lavender essential oil.
9. Sunburn remedy
You can relieve the pain of a sunburn and minimize peeling by applying a wash cloth soaked in ACV to the area. Don’t worry about the smell it dissipates quickly.
10.Natural deodorant
Lots of people don’t like to use an antiperspirant, so ACV is a great option. ACV absorbs and neutralizes odors. Simply rub a bit in your underarms. The smell will disappear once it dries.

*I do recommend Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, you can find it almost anywhere! It runs about $3 dollars for a 16 ounce bottle. What a bargain!!

**Huge thank you to Heidi Wickstrom for contributing this article.  Heidi is a Fit & Busy mom of 2, who loves learning & sharing healthy, holistic, tips for living a healthy lifestyle.

Succeeding in the Real World

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By Guest Blogger Erin Woodbury

It’s often easy to stick to your “diet plan” while at home or at the office. Preparation is the key to any program, which is why the structure of home-life and office-life isn’t too challenging. It’s the restaurants, birthday parties and life events that tend to make or break most nutrition plans. The first thing you need to understand is that food is GOOD. Food is used to comfort, to celebrate and should absolutely be enjoyed. That’s why you should have a “splurge meal” once per week when you reach your maintenance phase. That meal should be the best and most satisfying thing you love, because you want to feel completely satisfied after it’s over so that you’ll be able to get right back on track. When you’re not eating your splurge meal, but find yourself having to dine out, there are many tips to help you stay on track. In general, people have good intentions on the way to dining out, but completely crumble when they smell the warm breadsticks or chips inside a restaurant. They then make deals with themselves as to why cheating seems like a good idea, chalking it up to a special occasion, a well-deserved treat, or simply a moment of weakness. There are ways to stay on plan AND enjoy special occasions. Try the following strategies the next time you’re faced with the diet-dilemma of real world events that don’t jive with your nutrition goals.

  1. Study restaurant menus carefully and research options online if you know where you’re going to be eating. Select your meal before you ever leave the house, and don’t be tempted by the menu. If that’s not possible, request the nutritional menu at the restaurant and make your healthy selection based on the calories and ratios listed.
  2. If that information is unavailable, stick to what you know: vegetables cooked without oil, lean meats, with sauces and dressings on the side.
  3. Order an appetizer as a meal, and stick to items like ceviche, shrimp cocktail, or chicken satay.

Low-Sugar diets are key to keeping blood sugar low and warding off diseases. Cancers thrive in high-sugar environments. Exercise, which reduces elevated insulin levels, can, conceivably, slash your risk if done consistently, especially when it is varied and combined with a diet low in sugar.

Here’s a fun, easy and delicious brownie recipe that has no sugar:

QuestBrownie

Quick & Fudgy Eggless- Flourless Brownies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup Trader Joes Cashew Butter
1 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (I recommend Quest)
1/3 cup zero-calorie sweetener
2 TBS dark cocoa powder
2 TBS almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
1 Double Chocolate Chunk Quest Bar
1 Chocolate Brownie Quest Bar
(Optional: sugar free chocolate chips)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Stir together the applesauce and cashew butter.
3. Add in protein powder though salt and stir.
4. Crumble in the Double Chocolate Chunk Bar and stir.
5. Spread into an 8×8″ pan that’s been coated in cooking spray. Top with crumbled Brownie Bar and any sugar free chocolate you’re using.
6. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until nearly set (keep them slightly underdone in the center).
7. Cool slightly before cutting into 12 squares.
Serves 12
Calories: 100
Protein: 10g
Fat: 4g
Net carbs: 5g

**Huge thank you to Guest Blogger Erin Woodbury of Erin’s Test Kitchen and Living Lean with Erin.  for contributing this article!  She is a chef at Quest Nutrition, an elite fitness instructor, and fit & busy mom of 3.  Make sure to check her out her YouTube Channel, and find many of her delicious recipes on Instagram @livingleanwitherin.

Fabulous Foods Super Fast

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greenjuice2pinkBeing busy doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice eating your greens!  Juicing is one of my FAVORITE quick ways get lots of healthy stuff into my family’s diet, even when we are short on time.  Imagine how long it would take me to convince my kids to eat a a huge pile of kale, spinach and cucumber!  It could very well take me until the end of time.  BUT, if I juice it up with some apple and lemon, voila!  They can drink it down (with NO complaining!) in a matter of a few minutes!

Juicing takes no time at all, and it literally counts as a meal in a cup.  Chase it with a little protein and healthy fat, and you have a balanced and super healthy meal in minutes.  I have an inexpensive juicer from Costco that works great, and my kids enjoy helping me choose the fruits and veggies to throw in.  We have made so many awesome combinations, but this green juice (pictured) is definitely a family favorite.

Be creative when you juice!  Choose any colorful veggies that are in season, and you really can’t go wrong.  We love making concoctions with beets, carrots, collard greens, chard, romaine, celery, etc.  When you are juicing root veggies , throw in the tops as well!  The green part of the beet or carrot is an awesome addition to the juice, and is loaded with nutrients.  The sweeter the veggies are (ie. beets and carrots) the less fruit you will need to add to sweeten it up.  When you fall in love with juicing up your greens, be sure rotate your greens from time to time, to prevent a disruption in your thyroid that can happen when you eat too many of  a certain type of green (I guess there really CAN be too much of a good thing!).  There are so many awesome greens to choose from, so play around with it.

Anderson Family Favorite Juice Recipe:
5-6 kale leaves
1/2 bunch spinach
1 cucumber
2 apples
1 lemon
2 inches ginger root
Enjoy your greens!
xoxo,
Malea

Superfood Salad

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 2014-02-05 12.48.22

 

Are you always on the lookout for nutrient dense and calorie light lunch ideas?  I know I am, and, in addition to it being light and healthy, I also want it to be quick and convenient.  That’s not too much to ask from a lunch, is it?  Anyway, I love when I come up with new ideas to add to my lunch rotation, and what’s the fun of having a great new idea if you can’t share it with your fit friends??

 

 

 

Ingredients:
¼ C of uncooked quinoa
½ bag of Trader Joe’s “Cruciferous Crunch” salad mix (I’ve heard that they have a similar mixture of kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and green & red cabbage at Costco and Vons as well)
½ lemon
1tsp Dijon mustard
1tsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp dried cranberries
1tbsp slivered almonds
Optional toppings:
Goat cheese crumbles
Sliced cooked chicken breast

1. Prepare quinoa with ½C water according to package instructions
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Dijon, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste
3. Pour salad mixture into a medium skillet over med-high heat, pour lemon dressing over the top, and toss together for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is coated and just begins to wilt.  The kale should turn a bright shade of green.
4.  Turn off the heat, and add in your cooked quinoa, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds.  Toss until combined.
5.  Place in a bowl, top with optional toppings if desired

 

This salad is light, fresh, and FULL of fiber and nutrients.  It also takes no more than 10 minutes to prepare.  Now THAT is my kind of lunch!  Enjoy!
xoxo,
Malea