The #BlissfulForties WINTER EDITION
SECRET TO KEEPING YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
BRING OUT YOUR INNER FRENCH GIRL
WINTER
INTERVIEW WITH JAMIE CAT CALLAN
Health & Well-being issue
Happy New Year!
In this issue...
Reading Preparations Are you ready or the second phase of your life? Cheers to new beginnings Yearly Round-up Planner Winter New Year, New You A ‘could-do’ list for January How to Set Your Priorities Straight & Live a Life You Love Interview with Jamie Cat Callan 10 tips to bring out your inner French Girl Meditate The Detox Diet How to Detox at home 5 tips for natural skincare 5 natural mood boosters Self-Care Quiz 10 steps to total wellness 5 Exercise Tips for Optimum Wellness Mind, Body, Beauty & Well-being Miracles Design the Lifestyle YOU Desire Podcast Show A Fashion Stylist’s Tips on Dressing ell every day Self-Love & Self-Care Calendar Detoxifying to Attract Mr. Right #FREE eCourse: Femme D’Un Certain Age De-Cluttering Calendar
Reading Preparations 1 A divine cup of tea, coffee or any beverage of your choice - Wine would do
to :)
3 2
A journal or a notebook
4 Your Sacred Space
6 Set your intentions
5
Wear something comfortable
During reading this magazine, allow yourself to be fully present
Light your favourite Scented candle, my favourite is from Landon Tyler
Get cosy in your sacred space
After each article, if possible - take out about 5-10 minutes to journal about the experience, reflect on what you have been thinking / writing down. On a scale from1-10; how good, confident and determined do you feel right now? (*1 feeling low / same and 10 feeling great and inspired.) If you for some reason can’t take out any time to reflect right a bouquet of your favourite now, make sure you schedule some flowers, I love Prestige Flowers’ reflection time before you start the next Haute Florist Collection lesson.
Rose Hill Designs by Heather Stillufsen
Kiran Singh
Jamie Cat Callan New Dimension Fitness Luisa Kearney Madisyn Taylor Robyn Howard
Hello my lovelies :) First of all, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy New Year! Hope you had lovely Christmas & New Year Celebrations with your loved ones! And I do hope you took out some time for yourself? If you've made a resolution to be healthier and happier in the New Year, you may be asking yourself, okay, so now what? The choices can be overwhelming - so hopefully you’ll find some inspiration in this issue which is all about Health & Well-being! Are you feeling sluggish after the festive season of indulging in chocolate, wine, mince pies and all the delicious and almighty Christmas dinner? Why not kick off the new year with Detoxing? Detox not only your body, but your life! If you're feeling emotionally and physically drained it may be time to detox your house too. I pack away Christmas on the 27th of December every year and do a proper de-clutter and deep-clean of my sacred home. I even change the colours! January is Winter and frost, so my colours (curtains, cushions , blankets and accessories) all go duck egg blue! It’s calming, tranquil and relaxing. It’s my reset ritual before the new year begins! The last half of December, I have been reflecting and reviewing over the year gone, created goals, created a Health plan as my theme for 2018 is ‘HEALTH’. It’s time I put my health first. You only realise how important your health is until you face some issues which makes you see life from a whole new perspective! So I’ve decided to become a Wellness Coach and will be sharing my journey with you over at Designthelifestyleyoudesire.com/blissful-forties.
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Winter In times past, the bare-limbed trees, long nights, and biting chill of winter signified to all that the time had come to slow down. Humanity emulated the animals, retreating into cosy dwellings where they sustained themselves on foods harvested late in autumn and passed the time in peaceful reflection. Today, most people proceed ruddy-cheeked through winter's frosts, ignoring the profound effects cold weather has on their bodies and their minds.
by Madisyn Taylor and stimulating sensory experiences to be had - in the intricate beauty of individual snowflakes, the patterns of frost that form on your windows, the tang of smoke from wood-fuelled fireplaces, the crunch of freshly fallen snow under your feet, and the briskness of the air. Do not be afraid to venture joyfully out into the cold and the snow as you may have when you were a child.
A tingling and reddened nose is a small price to pay for a clear mind Yet the beauty and significance of and invigorated soul. If your body wintertime cannot be so easily articulates a desire to rest, give overlooked. As the temperature yourself permission to spend your plummets, leaving the air crisp and free time reading, writing in your the landscape bare, we tend to journal, daydreaming, engaging in crave warmth and relish rich foods. artistic pursuits, playing board The presence of loved ones seems games, working a puzzle or more comforting when blustery meditating. winds rattle window panes and we feel compelled to conserve our Many plants, like the tulip and the energy by engaging in only the apple tree, would not blossom in most soothing of activities. the springtime were it not for the period of dormancy that is the gift Though your daily schedule may of winter's chill. Their example can remain more or less the same no inspire us to use this season of matter what time of year it is, you slumber to cleanse ourselves of will find in winter many spiritual and emotional detritus like opportunities to honour the way in flora shedding lifeless foliage so which you are impacted by this that we, too, may emerge from most magical of seasons. At first under the frost refreshed and glance, the world may seem renewed when spring arrives. desolate during the coldest months. Yet there are many unique
New Year, New You… As 2017 dawns and the refrains of Auld Lang Syne fade, have you made the inevitable list of New Year resolutions? More importantly, have you resolved to keep them? Everyone, not just women and mothers, need to ensure they achieve and enjoy life satisfaction. This is only done when all aspects of life are balanced. Setting New Year resolutions is a great way to identify areas within life that are in need of improvement. Typical resolutions include:
Do more things for me Spend more time with my family Work harder at my relationship Improve my health and fitness Discover work/life balance
How do we achieve these goals? Often many of us give up before the last bang of the New Year fireworks. People focus on what they should do rather than on what they really want do. Worse still, people think about what they should stop doing, rather than thinking more positively about what they would like to achieve. There is also a tendency to concentrate on the what and not consider how to achieve their aspirations. In order to bring about these
improvements, the initial and most important work is to assess where your life is now and where you really want it to be within a specific timeframe. This then provides you with a ‘gap’. You need to break the gap down into bite-size, achievable actions. This will support and encourage you to realise your ultimate goal and true ambitions. Most barriers to success and happiness include fears and illusions or old, outdated belief systems. These obstacles cost you time, energy and perhaps even money. Life is time. It’s all about boosting people’s confidence and self-esteem, and supporting them to make their own positive decisions. By providing encouragement and support, people will quickly achieve confidence, balance and joy. Make 2018 a great year and live with intention.
Breath Yourself Happy! When you breathe deeply and allow your body to relax, levels of stress hormones reduce in the bloodstream; the more you practise the better your body gets at it. Aim for 10 minutes a day to rejuvenate.
A could-do list for January! Do a de-clutter Take a break from your gadgets from 6pm and onwards Make looking after yourself your main priority Cook with seasonable produce Create a vision board
Exercise:
Plan 5 things to look forward to and put them in your diary now. 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.)
“It’s a privilege to be a woman; every woman should abuse that privilege. Forget the past. Do everything according to love, pleasure, and passion.’
Interview with Jamie Cat Callan
Describe yourself in a 5 words. Devoted to helping women everywhere.
times, I do believe with all my heart that we could all use a little more charm.
What inspires you? Paris, bien sur! I am inspired by French women and living an artful life. I love to travel and talk with everyone, and learn new things. I especially love dancing, music and of course, writing.
What inspired you to become an Author? My mother’s life was so dramatic, truly epic and as a little girl I wanted to record her story. I feel that all the books I’ve written (”French Women Don’t Sleep Alone”, ”Bonjour, Happiness!”, ”Ooh La La!” and now ”Parisian Charm School” are all inspired by my mother’s tumultuous life.
I'm good at... Listening. I care deeply about the people I meet and I am always trying to be a better listener. I learn so much that way! What is the inspiration behind your books? I’m bad at... My grandmother was FrenchTaking the time to rest, relax and American, and I grew up under her rejuvenate. I think this is why I am tutelage. She was so very French so inspired by the French Women’s and elegant and I learned so idea of The Secret Garden - a much from her. place where you escape the hectic world and simply be. I love What is the French way of living? this concept! Why is it so famous? The French have never forgotten What are the highlights of your their history. They live discreetly and career thus far? believe in the joys of simple, The most thrilling highlight of my ordinary, everyday pleasures. They career is the publication of my walk everywhere and take their latest book, ”Parisian Charm time with meals. They spend time School: French Secrets for with their family and friends and Cultivating Love, Joy and That their community. Certain je ne sais quoi.” My new publishing home is Penguin How can women adapt the French Random House and I’m so excited way of living? and so honored! I know this book is Simply, slow down. Embrace the going to resonate for a lot of moment. Breathe. Buy less, not women—and quite a few men. more. Repair, rather than replace. We are living in such uncharming
What is your advice for women entering their forties? In our forties, we take the first step to enter into the role of mentor. It’s a time to begin thinking about legacy and how we can help the next generation. Do you plan your meals? My husband and I live on a little farm in Upstate New York. Our meals are planned around the garden and what nature has to offer us in any given season. Do you have any tips for women who work long hours and don’t have time to cook? I would suggest going to the farmer’s market during the weekend and then planning the week’s meals according to what you find at the market and what’s in season. How highly do the French rank pleasure when it comes to food? For the French, food is love and so yes, the French rank pleasure very highly when it comes to food. This love and appreciation for good, fresh food is also the secret to how they keep slim. When a meal is very fresh, bought at the market that very day, carefully and lovingly prepared, and served on your grandmother’s china - well, then you simply can’t gobble it down. You slow down and appreciate the bounty of nature.
What is the secret of French Women’s beauty? Less is more, even when it comes to beauty. And so, the French will often embrace Le No-Make-up Look. They go for a natural beauty that doesn’t hide their individuality. They never try to look like someone else, but rather, their own unique self. That’s the secret! Would you say French Womens eating = to Mindful Eating? Yes, exactly! What’s your favourite food / cuisine? I love my husband’s cooking! He’s a great cook and so anything he makes from our garden is always delicious. That said, I adore his coq au vin! What is your favourite exercise? That’s an easy question. I love to dance and I exercise by taking lots of dance lessons. It’s also very French. What has been the most exciting collaboration you've worked on so far? I’m so thrilled to be collaborating with Penguin Random House on Parisian Charm School. What are you working on at the moment? I am writing a novel about three American women who go to Paris.
Do you have any words of wisdom that you would like to pass on? Be gentle with yourself. What is the best piece of advice you have been given? My father always said, have fun! And while, it may sound very simple, it’s always guided me in terms of what I should be doing and where I should be going in my life. Before I enter into a new project, I ask myself, is this going to be fun? If I get that open-hearted, pulse-quickening, blissful feeling—I know it will be fun and I know enough to say yes!
What is your must-have item for next season? I am searching for a pair of black patent leather boots with a chunky heel. I saw a pair in a shop last year in Toulouse, but I didn’t buy them, and now I’m obsessed! Who’s your favourite Style Icon? Diane Von Furstenberg. I adore her fashion style, as well as her style as a business woman and a philanthropist and as an inspiring femme d’un certain age! Most inspirational person you have met? My French Grandmother.
What is your most treasured possession? Your favourite location? My red plaid skirt. I met my Paris! husband wearing that skirt and I still wear it today! In a nutshell, your philosophy is... Have fun.
Pre-order your copy!
Ten Tips to Bring Out Your Inner French Girl by Jamie Cat Callan
1.
Chose quality over quantity.
French women believe in choosing
only the very best, whether it comes to food or wine or clothing or perfume.
2.
Be mysterious.
3.
Don’t Date.
4.
Take your Time.
5.
Dance.
French women don’t tell you everything that’s on their mind in any given moment. They live in that uncertain in-between place. Rather, French women will go out in groups or host dinner parties. These are wonderful ways to get to know a gentleman in a non-pressurized situation. Walk, rather than drive. Enjoy a leisurely meal. Sit at a café for hours, reading. Wander the boulevards. Daydream. Young French girls take dance lessons and keep it in their
lives, always. It’s their secret to good posture and grace.
6.
Read!
7.
Know your history.
French women are intellectual and can discuss philosophy and literature. They attend the latest gallery shows and cultural events in town. This engagement with the world around them makes them trés charmant! French women will look to their grandparents
and ancestors to deconstruct fashion cues and signifiers. They study other cultures and incorporate a world-view into their style decisions.
8.
Look at love as a story.
9.
Let go of perfection.
10.
Find balance.
French women take the long-view when it comes to love. They understand that some love stories have happy endings and some have sad endings. It’s the journey that counts, not the destination. French women don’t believe in perfection, but not only that—they find beauty in imperfection. French women never over-do anything, but rather find the perfect balance and moderation in all things. That said, French women have been known to fall madly, passionately and unapologetically in love.
Heal
lth & Well-being
The secret to keeping your New Year resolutions By Sharon Morrow - New Dimensions Fitness
It’s that time again. Christmas is well and truly over and we’re in the throes of January. The month is long and cold yet good intentions of better health and fitness are upon us once more. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love January, as it’s very busy in the fitness industry with New Years Resolutions, but what makes people quit after just a few weeks and how can you keep motivated for the whole year? Many of us believe it’s down to willpower, but from spending 2 decades in the fitness industry, I can say for sure that isn’t a sustainable theory for keeping you motivated and on track. Willpower is like a muscle, if you over use it, it will become fatigued and eventually stop working correctly. Having a more mindful approach to attaining and reaching goals is key to maintaining your health and fitness throughout the year. Read on to discover the three key areas to concentrate on for long term results.
Nutrition
potatoes, root vegetables, and quinoa. Also, plan and prepare treats yourself so you know exactly The festive season has the potential what you’re indulging in. to provide us with some seriously Focus on eating the healthiest, rich food including carb heavy most nutrient dense foods you can. meals that send our hormones (think ‘REAL’ food here, not foods crazy and craving more of the with a long list of ingredients you stodge can’t pronounce). The more The thing to remember is to try and healthy whole foods you eat (with plenty of protein and healthy fats), avoid an unnecessary increase in the less room you’ll have for higher your carbohydrate intake. The temptation is to add bread or other calorie processed foods. When you carb-rich sides to soups and stews, give your body what it truly needs, you’ll have fewer cravings for when you are already getting all empty calories and ‘junk food’, the nutrition you need from the and this usually leads to consuming main ingredients. You don’t need fewer calories throughout the day. the added carbs! Carbohydrates are by no means bad for you. We all need some in our diet, but the current recommended daily allowance of around 60% is, in my opinion far too high and the recommendations of where these carbs should come from are ambiguous at best.
Exercise
Your main carbohydrates source should be vegetables. Try to consume seasonal, leafy greens and vegetables that are fibrous, which in winter means things like kale, lettuce, cauliflower, leeks, and sprouts.
But even if you decide it’s too cold out to go for a run, or boot camp in the freezing January rain just isn’t floating your boat, that time in your day has already been put aside for exercise, so execute an alternative!
Carbs high in starch such as white potatoes, white pasta, and white rice can easily be replaced with less starchy alternatives like sweet
The temptation to skip out on planned exercise in favour of the warmth and comfort of the sofa can be strong, especially if you’re new to a fitness routine.
There’re loads of free bodyweight exercises that you can do at home that do not require any equipment or expensive video guides. If you’ve got a bit of clear floor,
whether it’s in the dining room, living room, or even the garage, you can do a full and proper workout at home that’ll feel just as good as a gym workout. Just remember to included weight bearing exercises, commonly known as multi-joint exercises that are functional to daily living. For example, a squat uses multiple joints and muscles to perform. It also mimics the action of sitting down on a chair or toilet, meaning its functional to everyday living. If you get bored easily try to mix up your workouts. Adding resistance training is key and what you need if your goal involves reshaping your body. Avoid doing the same routine week after week. Our bodies adapt to new demands put on it rather quickly, so by switching things up, you'll see results quicker. Doing cardio-only exercise is not going to work long term and can actually stall your weight loss efforts. It’s good to change your routine every 30 days or so. Increase the time, frequency and/ or intensity of your workouts. If you’re not seeing results, it’s worth looking at how often you’re working out as well as the length of your workouts and how hard you’re pushing yourself. If you’ve been exercising 3 days a week, it’s probably time to bump it up to 4 or 5 to start seeing results again OR do
longer workouts on the 3 or 4 days if appropriate. You’ll also want to look at your intensity and evaluate if you need to bump that up a bit as well. Are you giving it 100% or just ‘showing up’ most days? We all have days where we aren’t 100% and that 70% effort is certainly better than no effort, but evaluate your effort level on most days.
Mindfulness This is the most frequently overlooked but is the foundation to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Being aware of your behaviour, habits and emotions is paramount to any health and fitness transformation. Try keeping a journal to record your thoughts and feelings when you’re stressed, unhappy or feeling low. What action does this mood drive you towards? You may find that whenever you’re under pressure you always seem to over indulge and lose control. Understanding your obstacles and reactions can often prevent relapsing into old behaviours. Being mindful of your environment and surroundings will help you make better decisions related to your health and fitness goals. When you are with like-minded people who are positive, energetic and happy, you will find yourself motivated to be the best you can be.
One of the best tools for practicing mindfulness is meditation. Imagine you are training for a marathon, you would follow a running plan that gradually increased your distance to become stronger. The same applies to your brain if you want better performance, you will need to exercise your mind. Life has many distractions that can consume and overwhelm us, so taking a few minutes each day to focus on breathing and bringing yourself into the current moment will create clarity and reduce stress. If you’re new to this, there are
plenty of apps to try like calm.com or headspace. Lastly, make sure you get enough sleep. Yes, this is a big deal! When you’re under stress and/or you’re not getting enough sleep, the stress hormone, cortisol is elevated and this can hinder weight loss. Also, when you’re tired, you’re more likely to eat more (studies show people consume up to 25% more calories when they’re tired) and make fewer healthy choices during the day.
About Sharon Sharon Morrow is Personal Trainer and Owner of New Dimensions Fitness Studio in Northampton. She is Launching a new online coaching programme specially for females in January 2018 called Fit Focused Female, visit her website today and complete your application form.
MEDITATE Meditation is a way to calm both your body and your mind - it helps you slow down, clear your mind of clutter and feel calm. Take a few minutes and try this simple meditation exercise: Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet room, either on a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Close your eyes. Focus your attention on a silent thought, word or phrase. If your attention wanders, gently re-direct it back. Concentrate on the sensation of each breath as you inhale and exhale.
“Your new beginning starts when YOU say it does. Stop letting the day define u & start defining the day!�
The Detox Diet Detox, short for detoxification, is the removal of potentially toxic substances from the body. Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to diets, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body for general health. This is a sample two-week detox diet plan to support detoxification by increasing elimination from the body, cleansing the colon, enhancing circulation to clear toxic substances, eliminating foods from the diet that require detoxification or are allergenic, and providing nutrients to support and protect the liver, the main organ involved in detoxification.
Foods to Eat Fruit | Fresh or frozen fruit. Vegetables | All fresh vegetables. Vegetables thought to be particularly good detox foods include broccoli, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, onions, garlic, artichokes, beets, red and green vegetables. Rice | All forms of rice, including rice cakes, rice crackers and rice pasta. Brown rice is typically preferred. Other Grains | Quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat can be used instead of rice. They can be purchased at a health food store or in some grocery stores. Beans | Split yellow and green peas and lentils are easiest to digest and require the least
soaking time. Other good options include kidney beans, pinto beans, mung beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and adzuki beans. Nuts and Seeds | Unsalted nuts or seeds can be sprinkled over salads or eaten as a snack. Good options include flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and walnuts. Nut butters are permitted. Peanuts and peanut butter are usually not recommended. Oil | Extra-virgin olive oil is a preferred oil. Condiments | Vegetable salt, sea salt, vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, all herbs or spices. Tea | Herbal teas, green tea. Other Beverages | Water, lemon water, pure unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, rice milk
Drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, warm or room temperature. Take the time to chew food well, especially grains.
Foods to avoid
To alleviate stress, celebrate the amber light of fall afternoons with an herbal tea ritual.
1. Warm a teapot by filling with boiling water; drain.
2. Use a blend of Âź cup dried
Sugar | Includes sugar, products containing sugar, and hidden forms of sugar, such as sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, brown sugar, and turbinado. Artificial sweeteners are usually not recommended. Stevia and erythritol are allowed natural sweeteners.
rosehips, 2 tablespoons dried crushed lemon balm, 1 tablespoon leaf sage, 1 tablespoon dried orange peel and 1½ teaspoons whole cloves with 6 cups boiling water, then cover and steep 6 to 8 minutes.
Dairy Products | Milk, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and other dairy products.
cups.
Wheat | Wheat and products containing wheat, such as pasta and bread. Gluten | All gluten-containing grains: wheat (including spelt, triticale, and kamut), rye, and barley. Coffee | Although most detox diets recommend avoiding coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, one cup a day is usually acceptable and may reduce the occurrence of caffeine withdrawal headaches.
3. Pour tea through a strainer into
How to Detox at Home Detoxing isn't just a dramatic one-time event, or something you do when you're at a detox spa. It's an ongoing process. And you can do much of the important work of detoxing at home by changing the way you eat and taking a closer look at what you put in -- and on -- your body.
1 Drink eight to ten glasses of
5 Increase the amount of fibre in
water (preferably filtered) every day. This flushes your system and replaces the water your body loses day just through respiration and elimination.
your diet. Eat complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Fibre promotes a healthy digestive and intestinal tract.
2 Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates like white flour. They lack nutritional value and give you a sugar "high" that leaves you hungry and craving more sugar. Explore substitutes like agave nectar.
6 Stop overdosing on protein. Eat less dairy and meat, especially factory-farmed products loaded with hormones and antibiotics. Focus on tasty, non-animal sources of protein.
3 Break the caffeine habit. Caf-
7 Reduce your exposure to toxins
feine is a powerful stimulant to your central nervous system. Like sugar, it sends the body on a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. It can also interfere with healthy sleep.
by re-evaluating the products you use at home. Green your beauty routine, green your kitchen, and green your cleaning supplies.
Commit to a "detox lifestyle." Choose healing foods and practice mindful eating. Help your Get healthy fats into your diet. body detox with saunas, steam, Essential fatty acids can be found colonics, skin brushing, epsom salt in unrefined flax seed oils and baths, and massage. Learn how to walnuts. Avoid unhealthy saturated lower stress through meditation, fats (Big Mac!) and hydrogenated visualization, relationship-building, fats, often found in processed short and long-term goal-setting, foods like crackers. yoga and laughter.
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Start with lemon At the beginning of each day, kick-start your kidneys and other organs with a glass of warm water and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add a little honey for sweetness.
Image Credit
5 Tips for Natural Skin Care 1. Give Yourself a Dry Brush
Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board established recomExfoliation mended fibre intakes. For men A dry brush exfoliation can be aged 19-50 years, 38 g fibre is recdone in the morning before you ommended, and for men over 50, shower. It eliminates dead skin cells 31 g fibre is recommended. For and allows the skin to detox (skin is women aged 19 to 50 years, 25 g the largest organ of elimination). fibre is recommended, and for Dry brush exfoliation also improves women over 50, 21 g fibre is recomlymph and blood circulation and mended. decreases puffiness. An added benefit is that the gentle pressure is Some suggestions: calming to the nervous system. To give yourself a dry brush exfoliation, Add Whole Grains - Choose you'll need a soft, natural bristle whole grain products over brush. refined. Have brown rice instead of white or make your own 50:50 combination. Rev Up Your Digestion An Apple a Day - Have an In alternative medicine, good skin is apple, skin on, as a snack. a reflection of a good digestive Eat Cauliflower. system. People with skin disorders High-fibre snacks - Snack on such as acne, rosacea, and nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, psoriasis often suffer from such as dates, figs, and constipation, imbalanced "good" prunes. vs. "bad" bacteria, leaky gut, and Try a "Prune Power" Smoothie other digestive conditions. The two Prunes are a great source of most common sluggish digestion fibre. Start your day with this culprits are: tasty Prune Power smoothie. Eat Beans and Legumes Culprit #1: Not Enough Water Open a can of your favourite Water bathes cells and eliminates beans or legumes. Rinse them waste products, preventing well and add them to your constipation. meal. Ground Flaxseeds - For any Culprit #2: Not Enough Fibre Most easy fiber boost, sprinkle people lack fibre in their diets - the ground flaxseeds (available average person eats only 12 g of at health food stores) on rice, fibre a day. In 2002, the National
2.
salads, oatmeal, or any other meal. protein molecule by sticking to it. Store flaxseeds in the fridge. The new molecules formed are called advanced glycation Invigorate Sluggish end-products, or AGEs. AGEs Circulation damage collagen in skin, cartilage, and ligaments and promote a loss Do you sit at your desk for hours, of elasticity. Wrinkles form and skin only getting up to go to the begins to sag. bathroom? One of the best things you can do for your skin, stress Try This - It may seem impossible level, and overall health is to get to reduce your sugar intake, but it moving! Inactivity may affect skin can be done! A gradual approach and promote bloating and works best. In the next week, puffiness, acne, cellulite, and loss of choose one thing you're going to muscle tone. do to decrease the amount of
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Here are some quick suggestions:
Take a quick break to go outside and walk around the block. Book a massage therapy appointment. Close your door and stretch. Go to the gym. Start each morning by stretching. Get a skipping rope
sugar you consume. For example, start by cutting the amount of sugar in your daily coffee or tea by half. Every week, find another way you can decrease your sugar intake. Pretty soon, you'll be surprised at how far you've come
5 Eat Some Good Fats
Essential fatty acids are simply fats your body cannot live without. They are needed to make cell membranes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Essential fats are Avoid Excess Sugar thought to keep your heart healthy, fight inflammation, and Most people do not realize this but possibly prevent cancer. They are excess sugar is considered one of also particularly important to the main causes of premature people with inflammatory aging. The more sugar we eat, the conditions such as eczema and more sugar we have entering our acne, and also for people with dry bloodstream. Over time, this can skin. People with essential fat result in a process known as deficiency sometimes notice glycation, which is when a glucose bumps on the backs of their arms. (sugar) molecule damages a Here are my suggestions on getting
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more essential fats:
Flaxseed and walnut oil - Use flaxeed oil or walnut oil with balsamic vinegar as a salad dressing. Be sure to keep these oils refrigerated. They should not be heated or used for cooking. Cold water fish - Sardines are a good source of essential
fats. Salmon is another good source, however these salmon accumulate toxic polychlorinated biphenyls otherwise known as PCBs) in their body fat during the 95 percent of their lives they spend at sea. Supplements - Consider fish oil supplements
“If your skin looks dull and dry, give it a ‘cut and polish’ by exfoliating with a skin brush or loofah. If using a skin brush, keep your strokes upward, long and light; if using loofah, keep them gentle and circular. Follow up with a rich moisturiser and your skin will thank you!”
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5 Natural Mood Boosters We all want to feel happy, but the challenge is doing it when daily stresses, frustration, and anger get in the way. But it turns out that there are some simple things you can do that can have profound effects on your mood.
1 Go for a walk Not only is walking a great mood-booster, but walking can burn calories and reduce body fat.
neurotransmitter involved in mood.
2 Go to bed early
If late nights are a regular way of A study by researchers at Dalhousie life for you, it may be affecting your University found that 30-minute mood and outlook on life. Getting walks were effective at reducing less sleep than you need can tension, anxiety, and mood increase anxiety, tension, and disturbances and increasing sadness. energy and vigor. Studies have shown that lack of What you can do: sleep reduces emotional and physical well-being, reduces A pedometer can help you optimism, and even contributes to get motivated, make walking the onset and worsening of fun, and help you stick to physical pain. healthy new exercise habits. What you can do: It keeps track of the number of steps taken, total distance travelled, and number of Try to go to bed 30 minutes calories burned. And if you earlier every night. hate the idea of having a gadget strapped to your Make your bed a restful ankle, not to worry. Omron haven. Splurge on good makes a pedometer that can pillows. Also consider treating be slipped into your pocket, yourself to soft sheets with at purse, or clipped to your belt. least a 300 thread count.
Going for outdoor walks has an added benefit: the natural light stimulates the brain to produce serotonin, a
Sheets made of pima, supima, or better yet, Egyptian cotton, which tend to be softer than muslin or percale.
3 De-clutter your space It's almost impossible to relax and feel great when everywhere you look, there are bills, papers, and appointment cards piled on workspaces and spilling out of drawers. Organizing your home and office is a great way to start off the new year. Having everything in order can help calm anxiety, and some people find the actual cleaning part therapeutic.
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Listen to music Music has a powerful effect on mood. It activates areas of the brain involved in the feeling of happiness. Research has shown that it can lower blood pressure, heart rate, stress hormone levels, and may even improve cognitive abilities. What you can do:
What you can do:
Each weekend, tackle a different area of your home or office.
Turn to home stores for help. There are many types of organizers available to store your things in a neat, easily accessible way.
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Listen to music while travelling to work, during your lunch, or before you go to bed. What is most important is that you listen to music that you enjoy. Try music especially designed for relaxation or nature sounds. Consider aromatherapy
If you don't have one already, Aromatherapy involves the use of consider getting an agenda concentrated, aromatic plant oils or notebook to help you called essential oils. organize your thoughts.
You can also make to-do lists (rather than memorize them) – it can really help to calm anxiety and checking off each task as you accomplish it provides a sense of fulfilment.
If you've never heard of it before, you may have seen it before in the form of naturally-scented bath salts, body lotions, and massage oils. A study in the International Journal of Neuroscience found that people exposed to the scent of lavender or rosemary essential oils felt more
content than people who didn't use essential oils. What you can do:
Lavender essential oil is thought to have calming properties. Try it in an essential oil diffuser (a table-top gadget that lightly scents the surrounding air.
Other options are body lotions, massage oils, and bath salts. Make sure that pure essential oils are used, as many products are made with artificial scents.
“Lavender is highly regarded as a calming herb. If you’re tired and stressed or you’ve been crying, place a small moist lavender-bag over your eyes. Relax like this until you feel settled and refreshed.”
10 Steps to Total Wellness Do you want to be healthier but don't know where to begin? Are you tired of feeling drained and depleted? Are you losing your vitality, your health, your "spark" and want to reclaim it? Most people want greater health, more energy, and vitality, but are battling with hectic schedules and no real time to overhaul their lives. Then try these 10 simple steps that will get you on your way to transforming your mind, body, and soul.
1 Replenish Your Energy
4 Revamp Your Diet
Energy is essential in this sleep-deprived, overstretched, high-speed world. How do we recharge our batteries when there is a constant drain on our resources?
We are a culture of extremes and our diets are no exception. Many people are either "on" a healthy eating program, doing everything right and going to the gym faithfully, or they're living on coffee and fast food. But there is an in-between.
2 Care For Your Skin Skin is the body’s mirror of our inner health and wellness, both physical and emotional. For example, prolonged stress can affect appearance and accelerate aging of the skin.
3 Revitalize Your Spirit Many of us go through the day with so many responsibilities that we don't have even a minute to care for ourselves. Meeting deadlines at work, taking care of the kids, responding to that demanding client - we react and respond to the needs of others. It's time to do some kind things to honour yourself.
5 Cleanse Your Mind and Body Our minds and bodies are constantly processing food, drink, thoughts, and emotions. In our 100-miles-per-minute world, we can easily feel overwhelmed. I'd like you to take one day every week or month to stop and clear the mental and physical burden. These helpful suggestions can keep you feeling vital and refreshed
6 Improve Your Digestion Do you inhale your food? Are you so busy that even chewing seems like a luxury? Poor digestion is often at the root of many chronic
ailments, such as low energy, pain, you decompress? How do you inflammation, arthritis, and make time for friends, family, and allergies. In this part of the Wellness leisure? Makeover, I'll address some of most common culprits that can lead to Move Your Body sluggish digestion. Oscar Wilde said, "To get back to my youth I would do anything in Be Connected the world, except exercise, get up The beauty of alternative medicine early, or be respectable" Do you is that it appreciates how consometimes feel like doing anything nected the physical body is with but exercise? our minds, emotions, and spirit. We are also connected to our Be Supplement Savvy surroundings and to each other. Many people who first come into my office literally bring bags of De-Stress Your Schedule vitamins and supplements they're You want to, but where to begin? taking. Some are recommended Work stress alone has been linked by friends and others by health to depression, heart disease, and food store clerks. An organised, other ailments. Short of changing focused approach saves time and jobs, how can you de-stress to help money.
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5 Exercise Tips for Optimum Wellness 1Weight Train If there is a such thing as a panacea, weight training is it. Weight training increases bone density, builds and tones muscle, burns fat and calories, improves posture, boosts self-esteem, releases anti-aging hormones, and prevents injuries. If you're a newbie, the easiest way to create a realistic program is to join a gym. The trainers there can guide you on how to use weights safely and effectively, and can help you customize a program that you can continue on your own. For people who like more structure and motivation, most fitness clubs also have group classes that use weights.
2 Try Rebounding or Skipping Skipping or using a mini-trampoline or rebounder stimulates the lymphatic system, which consists of millions of tiny channels that parallel our network of blood vessels. The lymph channels transport fats and other substances around the body and helps with the elimination of waste products from cells. Unlike blood, which has
the heart as a pump, the lymphatic system doesn't have a pump. It relies on exercise and deep breathing to keep it moving. The problem is that many people spend most of their time sitting down. To make matters worse, stress causes shallow breathing, which can further reduce lymph flow. The end result is sluggish lymph flow, leading to frequent colds and flu, tiredness, and increased risk of chronic disease. Skipping is the easiest way to target lymph flow (although any exercise will help). It's inexpensive and can be done at home or at the gym. The mini-trampoline, or rebounder, is another option. Five minutes every morning and night is sufficient for most people.
3 Balance Your Workout With Calming Exercise Ancient practices such as tai chi, qi gong, and yoga improve flexibility and balance. They use breath, mind, and body to restore energy, reduce stress, and calm an agitated mind. These practices have become sufficiently mainstream that classes can be found in many neighbourhoods.
exercise tools:
4 Target Your Core Your body's "core" - the area around your trunk and pelvis, including your abs and your low back - is where your centre of gravity is located. Targeting these muscles not only gives you toned abs, but they support your low back. Over time, a weak core can make you susceptible to poor posture, low back pain, and injury.
Exercise ball - Performing exercises on an exercise ball enhances flexibility, balance, and co-ordination, and strengthens and tones muscles. Doing exercises on a wobbly ball builds a lean and strong core, which is the key to better posture.
Resistance bands - Resistance bands are another efficient way of exercising. You get more out of the return part of each movement Traditional abs exercises, like sit-ups compared to using free weights or and crunches, focus on the rectus machines. abdominis, but it's important to work all the core muscles because one weak area can cause poor posture and make you susceptible to injury.
Note
The best core exercises involve moving your limbs while stabilizing your abs. My favourite tool for working the core muscles is the exercise, or stability, ball. It's effective because you have to balance on the inflated ball while exercising (it looks like a big beach ball), which engages your core. There are many exercise videos available using the balance ball. The one I use is Gunnar Peterson's Core Secrets.
5 Use Bands and Balls Resistance bands and exercise, or balance, balls are two effective
If you haven't exercised for a while or have a medical condition, get your doctor's okay to start.
Take a Class If you find it difficult to meditate, breathe deeply or concentrate on one thing at a time, consider taking classes in meditation, which could help give you a valuable life tool for relaxation.
Podcast Show New episode every Wednesday!
Design the Lifestyle YOU Desire Podcast Show launched in 2016 and comes out with a brand new episode every Wednesday. It covers topics such as personal development, health & well-being, law of attraction, positive thinking, how to design the life you truly want and desire and more. With life’s hustle and bustle, we barely have spare time, so this podcast is kept sweet and short, but with a powerful message which will hopefully leave you with an ‘aha’ moment or two and inspire you to take action towards creating wealth in every aspect of your life – one step at a time.
A Fashion Stylist’s Tips on Dressing Well Everyday! by Luisa Kearney, Online Personal Stylist
I’m Luisa Kearney and I run Online Personal Stylist - a fashion and style blog powered by a professional fashion stylist, offering an education in fashion and style through paid services (online) and a wealth of free content and style lessons. I believe that by providing my readers with convenient, digestible tutorials teaching you how to dress your best for your personal physical characteristics, you will be able to make more informed decisions when shopping for clothes, dress better and feel better, as well as minimising textile waste! Step 1: Defining Your Personal Brand In order to start dressing better and presenting yourself in the best way possible, you need to define your personal brand first. Dressing better and being stylish doesn’t resolve around you rushing out and buying this season’s fashion trends if there is no strategy behind your buying decision. It may sound boring but developing a style strategy and honing your own personal brand will be the best thing you ever do for your style, wardrobe, self-esteem and bank balance! A personal brand seems very business-like but actually it starts and ends with you – no business needed!
who we are, how we should dress and where we fit in. So how do you manage to juggle so many roles and have a suitable wardrobe to match every situation and position? The answer is to establish your own unique high quality style and personal image, proving that all you need is one unique style that suits you.
Step 2: How to Modify Fashion Trends to Make them Work Well for You It’s fun to follow moving fashion trends and be seen wearing garments that are on-trend right at this very moment, but don’t be a slave to fashion. Fashion comes and goes but style is eternal! If your One of the best and simplest ways daily life doesn’t allow you to wear to succeed at whatever you are 4 inch heels or eccentric styles then trying to accomplish is to show you customise what you see on the have the power and ability to catwalk and make it work for you! present yourself well while still During Autumn/Winter 17 we will retaining your own individual see lots of animal prints on clothing personality and style. items, but this doesn’t mean that you have to wear leopard print As women we tend to bear a number of roles and so it is only trousers if they don’t appeal to you. natural that we become unsure of
Instead, if you like the print, consider wearing it on a garment or accessory more practical for you, such as a handbag or a headband. Another tip is to experiment with alternative textures that give a garment a similar appearance. For example, if you wanted to wear faux leather leggings/trousers but found that the leather-look was too harsh for your physical appearance or you just didn’t like the way they looked, ideal alternatives that give a similar but softer look would be items such as wet look leggings, shiny yoga pants, and black silk-look trousers. Step 3: How to Look Stylish Everyday Even When You are Short on Time! Investing in yourself is the single best thing that you can do each morning, the only issue is that time is generally of the essence for most of us. Fortunately, there a mere five minutes goes a long way so use this time wisely and invest it into your personal appearance. These 5 minute fashion tips will help you to get ready quickly, as well as boost your mood and make you feel super empowered and glamorous in just a couple of minutes!
Keep an emergency/SOS style kit in your handbag, which should include essentials such as: wet wipes, safety pins, tissues, and plasters.
Keep “style basics” that you can easily put on quickly to elevate your look in your bag or desk drawer. These could be small things that are convenient to put on: nice earrings (hoops are very versatile and suit everyone if you choose the right size for you), your favourite lipstick, nice rings, your favourite nail polish, etc. If you find yourself staring down at your hands all day writing/ typing etc. then give yourself something nice to look at. Keep your hands moisturised, wear a nice nail colour, wear nice rings, bracelets, etc. Plan your outfits in advance. Set aside around 10-30 minutes a week to go through your clothes and see what items you could put together to create a great outfit. If you wear neutral coloured clothing, opt for brighter accessories. If your clothing is bright, choose nude accessories. In case of a style emergency, look for different ways in which you can use a single item that you have lying around. For e.g. eyelash mascara has up to 4 potential uses: as a mascara, as a liquid eyeliner (dab some mascara on to the back of your hand and use a brush to apply it as you would normal liner), as a hair mascara for covering greys
or uneven colour, and if you are very careful and use it lightly it can be used as an eyebrow mascara. Have you been so busy that you’ve missed a hair appointment? Top up your colour instantly by buffing an eye shadow/bronzer onto your roots/on your hair using a make -up buffing brush. On the other hand, if you’ve recently dyed your hair and it’s a bit too dark, buff in some talcum powder to take the colour down a shade or two. Do you avoid wearing face cream and hand cream because you don’t like the sticky feeling on your hands, which is also an inconvenience when using the computer and
working? Use a flat foundation brush to apply the cream instead. It works as a great tool and if you want to avoid sticky palms – don’t apply cream there. Use the brush to apply hand cream to the backs of your hands only! Fake tan – do you like a subtle hint of colour but can’t stand the application process? If you want to keep your tan topped up without risking orange hands and streak marks, simply apply your fake tan using a buffing brush and brush the tan into the skin in circular motions. You can apply this technique to an all over body tan, but it works especially well for the face because of the size of the brush!
Detoxifying to Attract Mr. Right By Robyn Howard When we hear about detoxing, most of the time we think about cleansing our bodies of impurities. I would like to show you how detoxing relationships in our lives can prove effective in attracting better men. Our relationships with others can often times make or break us when trying to attract the right man into our lives. If you are hanging out with your friends who are constantly complaining about how there are no good men around, you start to pick up on their thought process and before you know it you are in a down mood. And when Mr. Right does come along you aren’t able to recognize him because you have already created your own reality, there are no good men around. Contrast that with hanging out with friends who are positive about men. You have a different attitude. If you are in the presence of friends who continuously talk about all the good men in their lives then you have a different attitude towards them, you are hopeful that you will meet a good man too. That makes all the difference.
good men around actually met any good men? It’s a downward cycle, and if you subscribe to it you are joining the ranks of women who never meet quality men. This year it is important to take an inventory of our lives and our relationships. What relationships have had positive effects on our lives and which relationships continue to pull us down and offer no good value?
This is important because our energy whether positive or negative usually comes from our conversations with the closest people in our lives. In order to create a better life and attract a better man, it is imperative to examine our relationships and purify them, so to speak. And when you are spending your time with If you are still a little skeptical about those people who uplift you instead of pull you down you how your relationships affect your become more attractive to the ability to attract a good man, just opposite sex. You will meet more ask yourself this; when was the last men simply because they can feel time one of your girlfriends who the great energy you are giving. complained about there being no
Think about your relationships with your family and friends. Who has positive views about men and which relatives or pals usually just complain about men? It may be difficult to cut off all communication with a friend or family members who have negative feelings towards men, but you can always reduce your time with them or even reframe the conversation.
that you can say to yourself in the mirror. One could be, “I am positive that I will meet the right man for me.” Something as simple as this when said over and over gives you that positive energy that is so attractive to men. Men are attracted to women who truly have a positive view of men!
For instance, instead of engaging in conversation about how all men suck and how things are not how they used to be, politely excuse yourself from the conversation or if you can not get away you can reframe the conversation in your mind. “This may be true for her, but it is not true for me, because I am confident that the right man will come along.” The most crucial relationship you must detox or purify to meet the right man is your relationship with yourself. How do you feel about yourself? Do you feel you deserve a good man? Do you feel that men will be attracted to you? This is important, because your answer to these questions effect what type of men you met, if any at all. Positive self talk is the best way to detox negative thoughts out of your system. Write down 2 or 3 positive affirmations, little sayings
Love & Relationships
A Femme D’Un Certain Age
Turning 40 (‘Blissful Forties‘ as I define it), is a milestone and often a time of transition. As you get older, there is a sense of ownership of your life and the choices you’ve made and I think with that, comes a lot more confidence and a sense of not being as vulnerable to what other people think. There’s power in that. ‘Blissful Forties’ is all about rediscovering your authentic self, your passions and purpose – simply enhancing your quality of life.
ENROL HERE!