Today Is a New Day

Just read this article and loved it, what a great way to start 2012!!

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”  Nothing could be closer to the truth.  But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself.  Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.  Read Stumbling on Happiness.
11. Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely.  It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company.  There’s no need to rush.  If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet.  Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you.  But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you.  Concentrate on beating your own records every day.  Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own.  Ask yourself this:  “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you.  You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough.  But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past.  You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation.  So smile!  Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart.  You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate.  Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.”  It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.”  Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself!  And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too.  If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway.  Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things.  The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.  Read Getting Things Done.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile.  Don’t take the easy way out.  Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while.  You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well.  You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears.  The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life.  When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out.  But making one person smile CAN change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy.  One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?”  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Love,

Monica

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Alcohol and Calories: Does Drinking Cause Weight Gain?

I had this article come sent to my inbox to be contributed on the blog... I love when that happens!  If anyone ever has something health related catch their eye, feel free to send it to aleishamartin@gmail.com. 

Here is the link to the actual article: http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/Alcohol-and-Calories-Does-Drinking-Cause-Weight-Gain

So I was driving along in my car, listening to National Public Radio, shaking my head at the reports on Afghanistan and the economy, when suddenly I was assaulted with the worst news ever: “Having a mere three ounces of alcohol,” intoned a diet book author being interviewed, “reduces fat-burning by about a third.” Now, if there are two things I love in life, it’s drinking wine and burning fat. Hearing they were in opposition was like when I heard Jon and Kate were splitting up: How could you choose between the two when they’re both so delightful? The author continued, “If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably need to stop drinking alcohol. You booze, you don’t lose.”
It’s not like I thought cabernet was made with Splenda. I knew it was calorific, but the idea that it was double-crossing me by slowing my body’s ability to burn fat was almost too much to bear. I normally believe anything NPR tells me, but I decided to do a little fact-checking. I mean, beer is among the top 10 energy sources of Americans (right up there with soda, doughnuts, cheese spread, and corn chips—and, no, I am not making that up). Since the majority of Americans need to lose weight (last count, 67 percent of us are overweight or obese), and health officials are always looking for reasons to tell people to stop drinking (don’t drink if you’re pregnant, don’t drink if you have breast cancer, don’t drink and drive, nag, nag, nag), wouldn’t we have heard by now if Bud Light were some evil fat-storing demon foodstuff? And beyond that, moderate drinking is linked with lower risk for heart disease and diabetes and increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol—how could it do that and be working overtime to make you fat, too? As I suspected, the story is more complicated than the diet book author suggested—although, sadly, she was not totally off base. How alcohol affects your figure depends on genetics, your diet, your gender, and your habits.
When you drink alcohol, it’s broken down into acetate (basically vinegar), which the body will burn before any other calorie you’ve consumed or stored, including fat or even sugar. So if you drink and consume more calories than you need, you’re more likely to store the fat from the Cheez Whiz you ate and the sugar from the Coke you drank because your body is getting all its energy from the acetate in the beer you sucked down. Further, studies show that alcohol temporarily inhibits “lipid oxidation”— in other words, when alcohol is in your system, it’s harder for your body to burn fat that’s already there. Since eating fat is the most metabolically efficient way to put fat on your body—you actually use a small amount of calories when you turn excess carbs and protein into body fat, but excess fat slips right into your saddlebags, no costume change necessary—hypothetically speaking, following a high-fat, high-alcohol diet would be the easiest way to put on weight.
This does not mean that you cannot drink moderately and lose weight. In one 2004 study, when 49 overweight Germans were randomly assigned to one of two1,500-calorie diets—one including a glass
of white wine a day and the other a glass of grape juice—the wine group actually lost a slightly larger (albeit statistically insignificant) amount of weight.

Still, alcohol is not a diet food: A 5-ounce glass of wine has around 150 calories, a 1.5-ounce shot of vodka or 12 ounces of light beer, 100. For every drink you have, you have to subtract something else from your diet or log another mile on the treadmill— or risk weight gain. Further, people eat about 20 percent more calories when they drink with a meal, possibly because alcohol interferes with satiety or simply because it makes your judgment fuzzier about whether or not you should have a second helping of doughnuts or potato skins.
On the other hand, when you look at the epidemiological data, alcohol consumption doesn’t seem to correlate with excess weight among women. Numerous studies have found that women who are light drinkers tend to have a more stable and lower body mass index over time than their teetotaling or heavy-drinking counterparts (the same does not appear to be true for men, who seem to steadily gain weight with increasing alcohol consumption). You have to take epidemiological data with a grain of salt—it could be that women who drink moderately have scads of other healthy habits that keep their weight in check despite their drinking, but it could also be that drinking alcohol keeps other appetites in check.
Using data from nearly 90,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study, Harvard researchers found that women who drank between two and four drinks a day had lower BMIs and they seemed to eat fewer carbs, particularly in the form of candy, than their counterparts on either end of the spectrum. The authors also noted that “[a]mong alcoholics, newly sober patients appear to develop a carbohydrate appetite, or sweet tooth,” and that perhaps alcohol suppresses the yen for carbs (or carbs suppress the yen for alcohol).
Scientists have long noted that alcoholics aren’t as portly as you’d expect, given the staggering number of calories they consume in alcohol. Metabolic studies of chronic alcohol abusers have turned up something interesting: If you drink enough, you pass a threshold after which a certain portion of your alcohol calories are “free.” Basically, you do so much damage to your liver that it can’t efficiently process alcohol anymore and you “waste” the calories or store them in your liver, giving yourself a disease called fatty liver, which can lead to cirrhosis and death if you keep at it. “It’s similar to the way you make foie gras,” says Marc Hellerstein, MD, PhD, professor of human nutrition at University of California, Berkeley. “You stuff a goose with carbohydrates, the liver stores it as glycogen and fat, then they kill the goose, and it’s full of fat and sugar, so it tastes really great—that’s foie gras.” And that’s an alcoholic’s liver. Yummy!
Still, even if abusive drinkers do get a few rounds on the house, calorically speaking, it doesn’t add up to a knockout figure. Habitual excessive alcohol consumption has long been linked to an increased waistto-
hip ratio (a fancy term for a beer belly). Brand-new research shows, however, that even infrequent binge drinking can thicken your midsection. In a large as-yet unpublished study of more than 28,000 middle-aged men and women in Eastern Europe, Martin Bobak, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology at University College London, found that men who drank 100 grams of alcohol (about seven drinks) and women who drank more than 60 grams (about four drinks) on one “drinking occasion” at least once a month had larger waists than did moderate drinkers.
So what’s a girl to think if she wants to have her wine and her waist, too? You have to consider your genetic risk for heart disease versus cancer (even moderate drinking has been shown to increase cancer risk, particularly for breast cancer), whether you’re willing to make the necessary calorie cuts in your diet to make room for alcohol, and if you’re truly able to drink moderately (how often does one drink turn into four or five? Be honest with yourself). “Here’s the truth serum answer: If you want to drink moderately, you will improve your HDL cholesterol, but you will get those calories,” Hellerstein says. “If you want to be a really heavy drinker, you may not get as many calories stored but you probably won’t get the benefits to the heart.” I’ve always gone with my heart, so I’m sticking with my glass-or-two-a-day habit.

XOXO ALEISHA

Delicious, Healthy Lentil Soup

My sweet friend, Lisa, shared this recipe with me. She is "eating clean" right now as a way to detox all of the junk food and has used this soup to help!

1 onion- chopped
2 carrots- diced
1 tbl. Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic- minced
2 bay leaves (if you don't want to buy a bunch of bay leaves you can buy them individually at Sprouts)
1/2 bag of dry lentils
Salt and pepper
Vegetable broth- use the large carton

In a large pot, put the carrots, onions, garlic and olive oil and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cover. Cook on low heat for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally.

*you may need to add more broth since the lentils soak up quite a bit. Feel free to add more veggies if desired!

Happy Fall!
Monica
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Tips N Tricks

When giving in to your sweet tooth, be sure to eat protein with your sugar to keep your blood sugar levels from spiking then crashing!

XoXo Aleisha

How Does Skinny Feel?

I have issues with the word skinny.  I don't believe it is ever a compliment {even when said with the best of intentions} to hear, "you are SO skinny".  I associate the word skinny with being unhealthy.  "Skinny" is not ever something to strive for in my opinion; healthy is. 
When people set out to change their lives and bodies with the goal of "skinny" in mind, it usually leads them down a very unhealthy road.  When trying to become "skinny", food is usually put on the back burner.  Food is the fuel to our lives and our health.  It should never come second to anything.
 
But to have a goal of "healthy" is a much different road than the "skinny" road.  To become "healthy" you have to make life changing habits.  You become educated on what food really is and what is can do for our bodies and minds.  Not everyone has to be a size 2 to be beautiful.  You can be curvy and lively and healthy all at the same time.  And in my book, you will be better looking than the "skinny" girl. 

Healthy shows on you.  Wear it well.

XOXO ALEISHA

Do You Feel Hungry?

XOXO ALEISHA

Tips N Tricks

When feeling hungry, both children and adults tend to grab something that supplies convenience over nutrition.  So take one hour this week to wash, peel, and cut up some of your favorite fruits and veggies.  Place them in the front of the refrigerator and you are sure to increase you fresh foods intake and decrease the junk food.

XOXO ALEISHA

We LOVE Fall! -Healthy Pumpkin Treat-

Aleisha and I love Fall but one thing that tends to come with Fall is a lot of unhealthy treats and weight gain. It doesn’t have to be that way! One of my good friends, Britt Epperson, just shared this tasty yet oh so healthy treat with me:

 

Organic Pumpkin Puree

Nonfat Greek Yogurt

Drizzle with a little honey, pumpkin pie seasoning and cinnamon and enjoy!

 

You can also add some granola or a banana! This would be a good breakfast or an after dinner treat.

 

Pumpkins are extremely high in antioxidants, Vitamin A, C and E so find more recipes that include pumpkin for a healthier Fall/ Winter.

 

Enjoy!

Monica

 

 

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Mmmm..... What's Really in McDonald's Chicken Nuggets?

Anti-foaming agent found in Chicken McNuggets

(NaturalNews) Ever wonder what's really found in Chicken McNuggets? Some of the ingredients, it turns out, seem to belong more to an industrial factory of some kind, not a food retailer. According to the McDonald's Corporation, its famous Chicken McNuggets are made with ingredients including autolyzed yeast extract (which contain free glutamate, similar to MSG), sodium phosphates and sodium aluminum phosphate. But that's not the freaky part. According to McDonald's own website, Chicken McNuggets are also made with "hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness" and "Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent." (http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutr...) At least two of these ingredients are artificially synthesized industrial chemicals. TBHQ, a petroleum derivative, is used as a stabilizer in perfumes, resins, varnishes and oil field chemicals. Laboratory studies have linked it to stomach tumors. "At higher doses, it has some negative health effects on lab animals, such as producing precursors to stomach tumors and damage to DNA. A number of studies have shown that prolonged exposure to high doses of TBHQ may be carcinogenic, especially for stomach tumors." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TBHQ) Dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, is used in caulks and sealants, as a filler for breast implants, and as key ingredient in Silly Putty. Says Wikipedia: "PDMS is also used as a component in silicone grease and other silicone based lubricants, as well as in defoaming agents, mold release agents, damping fluids, heat transfer fluids, polishes, cosmetics, hair conditioners and other applications. PDMS has also been used as a filler fluid in breast implants, although this practice has decreased somewhat, due to safety concerns. PDMS is used variously in the cosmetic and consumer product industry as well. For example, PDMS can be used in the treatment of head lice..." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimeth...) Not that the other ingredients are any better. Because cotton is not regulated as a food crop, cottonseed oil may contain chemical pesticides that are banned in food production. It is also almost always genetically modified. Hydrogenated oils, of course, typically contain trans fats, the artificially produced fats that are unusable by the body and that studies have linked to a number of detrimental health problems. And autolyzed yeast extract is a chemical taste-enhancing ingredient containing free glutamate that manufacturers use as a friendlier-looking replacement for MSG. And what about the chicken in Chicken McNuggets? It's factory-farmed chicken, not free-range chicken. So it's the kind of chicken that's typically treated with vaccines and hormones while being fed conventional feed products that are medicated with pharmaceuticals and grown with pesticides Yum!! Don't forget to ask for extra dipping sauce. We haven't even talked about what you'll find in there...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/032820_Chicken_McNuggets_ingredients.html#ixzz1ZljLMTf9

Love,

Monica

Motivational Thursday

Sorry it is coming to you so late tonight!  I do hope it still helps to keep you going and motivated through the weekend!  Just keep going!

YOU CAN DO THIS.

xoxo Aleisha

Spirulina- The Superfood

Spirulina - Packed with protein, B12 and iron

 

Spirulina contains a high amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It is about 60-70% protein, which is greater gram for gram than both red meat and soy. It also contains all of the essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein; this is not very common in plant foods. It contains a large amount of Vitamin B12, which is very difficult to find in other plant foods. That is one reason why Spirulina is such a great choice for vegetarians. Spirulina is very rich in iron, which is the most common mineral deficiency. Spirulina also contains calcium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, B, C, D and E. Due to its ability to withstand high temperatures, it is able to retain its nutritional value during processing and shelf storage. Many other plant foods will deteriorate at these temperatures. It only contains 3.9 calories per gram and still has all of these great benefits. It is a low calorie, nutrient dense food. Spirulina has been known to increase energy. It may also be useful in helping diabetics to control their food cravings, which would result in decreased insulin intake. It also has been used to help with weight loss/treat obesity, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, hay fever, stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, and premenstrual syndrome. It may also help with alcoholism, herpes, arthritis, and cancer. As little as 2-3 grams per day can have great health benefits. Woman who are pregnant or breastfeeding should first consult with their health care practitioner before adding Spirulina to their diet. Also, it should not be used by anyone who might have auto immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and pemphigus vulgaris; because it may cause the immune system to become more active, it may increase the symptoms of these diseases. It should also be avoided by anyone who has Phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder where the body cannot metabolize phenylalanine, since Spirulina contains phenylalanine and may make Phenylketonuria worse. Try putting a little in your smoothie or even putting a little in your children`s fruit smoothie. You can also tap a little onto salads for a little protein boost.   Enjoy! Monica

 

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Giveaway #2!!



I am so excited to announce another giveaway!  It is open for everyone to enter and the stipulations are simple:

1. If you haven't found us on Facebook yet, do so.  We are listed under "Healthy Happens By Choice".
2. "Like" our page.
3. Send all your friends over and have them "Like" our Facebook page as well.
4. Have your friends leave a post on our wall with YOUR name so we know who sent them. (Your friends can also enter by sending their friends too!)

The person who sends the most people over to our Facebook page, "Healthy Happens By Choice", by October 7th, 2011 at 5pm will have their choice of a $40 gift card from either Lulu Lemon, Sports Authority, or Dick's Sporting Goods.

GIVEAWAY STARTS NOW!

XOXO ALEISHA

Motivational Thuraday

The only person to ever compete with in life is yourself. In your career, personal life, fitness goals, parenting techniques, etc. know what you are capable of, then push yourself to expand a little further. Step outside your comfort zone {if even for a short time} and allow yourself the opportunity to grow.

XOXO Aleisha

Spa Day at Home for a Healthy Self

I am very picky about how I spend my money.  Some may call me frugal, but I am okay with that.  Afterall, it is my money and I work hard to earn it.  And let me tell ya something; paying someone in an overpriced salon to put chemicals on my skin is not my idea of a dollar well spent. 

However, I am a fan of pampering and skin and hair that glows with health!  So where do I find my common ground?  With these DIY home spa recipes.....

Avacado Carrot Cream Mask This mask combines avocados, which are rich in Vitamin E, with carrots, which are high in beta-carotene and antioxidants, and cream, which is high in calcium and protein. These ingredients will rebuild skin collagen, improve tone and texture, and fade age spots. 1 avocado, mashed 1 carrot, cooked and mashed 1/2 cup heavy cream* 1 egg, beaten 3 tablespoons honey Combine all ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Spread gently over your face and neck, and leave in place 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cool water and follow with your favorite toner. *it is rare that I have heavy cream on hand, so I improvise with plain organic yogurt* Deep Conditioner Blend up this simple recipe for a deep hair conditioning treatment that will leave your hair soft and silky. The fats in the avocado and heavy cream are rich in emollients that quickly penetrate the hair, while the honey keeps your scalp's moisture level at an optimum balance -- not too dry or too oily -- and acts as a natural antibacterial agent. 1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon honey Mix ingredients in a blender. Comb mixture through freshly washed hair. Wrap head in plastic (a grocery bag will do), and cover with a towel. Let sit for 15 minutes, and rinse well. Banana Facial Recipe: 1 small ripe banana 1 small ripe avocado 2 Tbl. plain natural yogurt 2 drops vitamin E oil (slice open the vitamin and squeeze out contents) Mash the banana and avocado together to form a thick lime green-colored paste. Add the yogurt and vitamin E oil; mix well. Cleanse and gently steam your face over a bowl of boiling water, covering your head with a towel. Massage the mixture into your face and leave on for 15 minutes; then rinse. This mask can be left on for up to 25 minutes, though for sensitive skin, 10 minutes is enough. Beauty Benefit: The potassium and natural oils in the banana and the high fat and protein (plus vitamins A, D, and E) in avocado moisturizes and refreshes dry or sun-damaged skin. If you have a favorite DIY recipe you would like to share with the rest of us, please email me at aleishamartin@gmail.com! XOXO Aleisha

Tomato Soup. Quick and With a Kick.

While it is still in the 100's here, I realize most of the US is experiencing some signs of fall.  So I am posting my favorite fall soup recipe to just put the vibes out there that Arizona is ready for fall weather already!
This is a great soup... it is fast and amazing and pairs well with grilled cheese sandwiches. If you're making it for the littles, you might want to cut back on the red pepper flakes.  It is a little on the spicy side for them.  Enjoy!

3 tbsp Olive Oil {i substitute in Coconut Oil}
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Small Onion, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1  26oz jar Marinara Sauce {i like to choose an organic sauce with basil in it}
2  14oz cans Chicken Broth
1  15oz can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 C Pastina Pasta {or any small pasta}
1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Warm the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots and onion, saute until soft, about 5 mins.  Then add the garlic, saute for another minute.  Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, and black pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Effortless Chicken Burritos

This is one of my go-to meals.  When I know I have a busy evening ahead of me; not leaving much time to prepare dinner, this is my life saver. 

Chicken Burritos
4 frozen chicken breasts {frozen.  you got that, right?}
15 oz corn {i choose to cook corn on the cob and then cut it off the ear}
15 oz can black beans
1  16oz jar of salsa {im slightly obsessed with Herdez medium salsa}

Place all four ingredients in the crock pot for 4-6 hours {until chicken is cooked enough to shred easily}.  Shred chicken and stir all ingredients together.  Place in soft tortillas, add spinach, a little bit of cheese, and more salsa {if you're a salsa freak like me}.

XOXO Aleisha

Protein Balls

These tasty treats are by far the fastest vanishing treat from my refrigerator.  Kids love em.  Adults love em.  They're easy.  And they're healthy.  What more could you ask for?

Protein Balls

1 C Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 C Rolled Oats

1/4 C Wheat Germ

1/2 C Rice Krispies Cereal

1/3 C Peanut Butter

1/2 C Honey

Mix it all up {fingers work best}.  Roll into 1" balls. Throw in a Ziploc bag or a bowl with a lid and keep in the refrigerator.

XOXO Aleisha



Motivational Thursday

Chances are, yesterday, you said "tomorrow".  There is no better day to start than today.

xoxo Aleisha

Legs

Alright ladies.  This workout routine is tried and true by yours truly.  I did it this morning and it is AWESOME!  The only thing I switched up was the 40 toe touches... we all know I'm a whiz at toe touches... on the trampoline.  But I am not so much as gifted to toe touch on the ground.  So, instead I used the ball, laying flat on my back, heels on top of the ball and rolled the ball up to my butt and back down 40 times. It worked as a great alternative.  

I counted this sequence as one set.  I did two sets and about threw up (mind you I added weights to every single exercise) so on the third set I cut it all in half.  If this seems a little intimidating to some of you newbies, feel free to do these moves without weights and cutting the numbers in half from the start if need be.  

Taylor this to fit you.  As long as you are doing something, you are doing more than the people on the couch.

xoxo  Aleisha

Tasty lil' Pistachios

Here's the scoop on pistachios... (Pun intended.) No really, pistachios are one of the lowest-fat, lowest-calorie and highest-fiber nuts. Plus, they offer the most nuts/kernels per serving (1 oz.) compared to any other snack nut – 49 to be exact. And... in that ounce, they provide 12% of your daily fiber, twice than an ounce of walnuts and about the same amount as in a serving of oatmeal. Snack on, my friends.

 

Enjoy!

Monica

 

 

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How Are Your Gym Manners Stacking Up?

I had a reader request I post about what is acceptable and expected at a gym from other fellow members.  So here it is, my rendition of gym etiquette:



Oh my. That's what I was saying to myself at the gym the other day as I got on a treadmill and noticed the glistening puddles of sweat left behind from a previous exerciser. Sigh.
Anytime you smush groups of sweaty people together in small spaces, there are bound to be problems and, though there may not be rules posted around the gym for how to act, there are some unspoken rules that all of us should be familiar with, whether we're veteran exercisers or we're just starting out.
The Basics
While it's perfectly acceptable to sweat, grunt and make mean faces while working out, there are a few behaviors that aren't acceptable. Here are just a few rules for getting along with your fellow exercisers:

• Share. If you're doing multiple sets on a machine, it's common courtesy to let others work in during your rest periods. This may not always be practical, but offer to share whenever you can.
• Clean up After Yourself. My biggest pet peeve is someone who walks away from a machine, leaving a slimy pool of sweat behind. Thanks! Always bring a towel with you and wipe the machines down when you're finished. Most gyms offer wipes or sprays strategically located around the gym for this purpose.
• Leave no trace. My next biggest pet peeve is the person who leaves six million pounds on the leg press machine. I don't know, maybe I look stronger than I am. The point is, always put your weights back when you're finished.
• Don't hog the treadmill. Many gyms have time limits on cardio machines during busy hours. There's a reason for that, and you should obey it. And no, throwing your towel over the display doesn't fool me.
• Keep it down. Most gym-goers I know have seen That Guy. The one pumping away on the treadmill while screaming into a cell phone. Unless it's an emergency, save your chat-time for after your workouts.
• Cover it up. I respect the confidence that allows some people to walk around the locker room naked. Know what else I respect? Seeing you wearing a towel after your shower to keep the locker room a comfortable place for everyone.

Aside from practicing good manners at the gym, you also want to make sure your workouts are safe and effective. Use the following tips for navigating the confusing world of gym workouts.
How to Workout at the Gym
There are days when I cringe watching people workout. I see people flinging weights wildly, dropping heavy weights on the floor, hanging onto treadmills for dear life and just generally using bad form with their exercises. Here are a few tips for getting an effective workout without hurting yourself:

• Use good form. Good form is different depending on what exercise you're doing but, in general, good form includes the following:
1. Don't swing your weights. Unless you're doing a sports specific workout, use slow and controlled movements. If you have to heave the weight up, it's too heavy.
2. Don't drop or throw the weights down. That's a great way to break a toe--yours or someone else's. If you're using a heavy weight, have a spotter nearby to help you.
3. Don't lock your joints. When you get to the end of a motion--like a squat--keep your joints soft to avoid hurting yourself.
4. Don't slump. Keep your abs engaged during all of your exercises and stand up straight to avoid injury and get the most out of your exercises.
5. Learn how to use the machines properly. I've seen people doing crunches on a leg press machine. If you don't know how a machine works, either look at the diagrams on the machine or ask someone to show you how it works. Most gym-goers are happy to help.
• Learn how to set up a good workout for your goals. Rather than just showing up at the gym and randomly picking machines, have a plan before you walk in the door. This might mean hiring a trainer or educating yourself about the basics of exercise.
• Learn how to monitor your intensity. Since I started training, I've seen more than a few people puke after working too hard on the cardio machines. Beginner's often aren't sure of how much they can handle and end up working too hard, exercising too soon after eating or exercising without having eaten at all, all of which can cause stomach problems. Educate yourself on how to monitor your intensity and the right way to begin a cardio program.

Being a newcomer to a health club is tough for anyone, even veteran exercisers, especially when you're not sure how things work. Things will typically go much more smoothly if you take the time to follow the rules, be a pleasant gym-goer and, most of all, learn how to set up a safe, effective program. You'll be much more more likely to keep showing up for your workouts and make some new friends with like-minded people.

xoxo Aleisha

Motivational Thursday

Get out and move!

Xoxo Aleisha

Coconut Oil Amazingness

Coconut Oil: it must be sent straight from the heavens. The possibilities are endless and the benefits are limitless. Enjoy!

Hair Care:

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shiny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. It is therefore used as hair care oil and used in manufacturing various conditioners, and dandruff relief creams. Coconut oil is normally applied topically for hair care.

Skin Care:

Coconut oil is excellent massage oil for the skin as well. It acts as an effective moisturizer on all types of skins including dry skin. The benefit of coconut oil on the skin is comparable to that of mineral oil. Further, unlike mineral oil, there is no chance of having any adverse side effects on the skin with the application of coconut oil. Coconut oil therefore is a safe solution for preventing dryness and flaking of skin. It also delays wrinkles, and sagging of skin which normally become prominent with age. Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections. Therefore coconut oil forms the basic ingredient of various body care products such as soaps, lotions, creams, etc., used for skin care. Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its antioxidant properties.

Heart Diseases:

There is a misconception spread among many people that coconut oil is not good for the heart. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats. However, coconut oil is beneficial for the heart. It contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful as it happens in case of other vegetables oils. It does not lead to increase in LDL levels. It also reduces the incidence of injury in arteries and therefore helps in preventing atherosclerosis.

Weight Loss

Coconut oil is very useful in reducing weight. It contains short and medium-chain fatty acids that help in taking off excessive weight. It is also easy to digest and it helps in healthy functioning of the thyroid and enzymes systems. Further, it increases the body metabolism by removing stress on pancreases, thereby burning out more energy and helping obese and overweight people reduce their weight. Hence, people living in tropical coastal areas, who eat coconut oil daily as their primary cooking oil, are normally not fat, obese or overweight.

Digestion

Internal use of coconut oil occurs primarily as cooking oil. Coconut oil helps in improving the digestive system and thus prevents various stomach and digestion related problems including irritable bowel syndrome. The saturated fats present in coconut oil have anti microbial properties and help in dealing with various bacteria, fungi, parasites, etc., that cause indigestion. Coconut oil also helps in absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Immunity:

Coconut oil is also good for the immune system. It strengthens the immune system as it contains antimicrobial lipids, lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid which have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Healing and Infections

When applied on infections, it forms a chemical layer which protects the infected body part from external dust, air, fungi, bacteria and virus. Coconut oil is most effective on bruises as it speeds up the healing process by repairing damaged tissues.

Infections: Coconut oil is very effective against a variety of infections due to its antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. According to the Coconut Research Center, coconut oil kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis, herpes, SARS, etc. It also kills bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, and gonorrhea, etc. Coconut oil is also effective on fungi and yeast that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete's foot, thrush, diaper rash, etc.

Other:

Liver: The presence of medium chain triglycerides and fatty acids helps in preventing liver diseases as they substances are easily converted into energy when they reach the liver, thus reducing work load on the liver and also preventing accumulation of fat.

Kidney: Coconut oil helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases. It also helps in dissolving kidney stones.

Pancreatitis: Coconut oil is also believed to be useful in treating pancreatitis.

Stress Relief: Coconut oil is very soothing and hence it helps in removing stress. Applying coconut oil to the head followed with a gentle massage helps in removing mental fatigue.

Diabetes: Coconut oil helps in controlling blood sugar, and improves the secretion of insulin. It also helps in effective utilization of blood glucose, thereby preventing and treating diabetes.

Bones: As mentioned earlier, coconut oil improves the ability of our body to absorb important minerals. These include calcium and magnesium which are necessary for development of bones. Thus coconut oil is very useful to women who are prone to osteoporosis after middle age.

Dental Care: Calcium is an important element present in teeth. Since coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay.

HIV and Cancer: It is believed that coconut oil plays an instrumental role in reducing viral susceptibility of HIV and cancer patients. Preliminary research has shown indications of the effect of coconut oil on reducing the viral load of HIV patients.

Finally, coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

There are endless benefits awating you with the use of coconut oil. I personally prefer the use of coconut oil over olive oil in my cooking now and I hope you do too!

xoxo Aleisha

Vegan Enchiladas

Here are the enchiladas thanks to michelle baker!! Delicious!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Why Lifting Weights Is SO Important For Women

I got this article from womenshealthmag.com and it explains why lifting weights is just as important if not MORE important than cardio for women. Learn how to get rid of the flab:

 

The Best Strength Training For Women

LAUREN AARONSON

 

Tired of sweating all over every piece of cardio equipment at the gym and still getting zero love from the scale? You need more iron. Not in your diet—in your hands. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea. Need more convincing? Read on for more solid reasons why you should build flex time into your day. 

Torch Calories 24/7
Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle. 

What's more, increasing that after burn is as easy as upping the weight on your bar. In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max). 

There's a longer-term benefit to all that lifting, too: Muscle accounts for about a third of the average woman's weight, so it has a profound effect on her metabolism, says Kenneth Walsh, director of Boston University School of Medicine's Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute. Specifically, that effect is to burn extra calories, because muscle, unlike fat, is metabolically active. In English: Muscle chews up calories even when you're not in the gym. Replace 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of lean muscle and you'll burn an additional 25 to 50 calories a day without even trying. 

Target Your Trouble Spots 
If you've ever tried to ditch the saddlebags and ended up a bra size smaller instead, you know that where you lose is as important as how much. As great as it might be to see the numbers on the scale go down, when you're on a strict cardio-only program your victory is likely to be empty. A recent study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham compared dieters who lifted three times a week with those who did aerobic exercise for the same amount of time. Both groups ate the same number of calories, and both lost the same amount—26 pounds—but the lifters lost pure chub, while about 8 percent of the aerobicizers' drop came from valuable muscle. Researchers have also found that lifting weights is better than cardio at whittling intra-abdominal fat—the Buddha-belly kind that's associated with diseases from diabetes to cancer. 

Just don't rely exclusively on the scale to track your progress in the battle of the bulge. Because muscle is denser than fat, it squeezes the same amount of weight into less space. "Often, our clients' scales won't drop as fast, but they'll fit into smaller jeans," says Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California. And it's the number on the tag inside your bootcuts you want to get lower, right? 

Start Pumping
Begin with three weight-training sessions each week, recommends Joe Dowdell, founder and co-owner of the New York City gym Peak Performance. For the greatest calorie burn, aim for total-body workouts that target your arms, abs, legs, and back, and go for moves that will zap several different muscle groups at a time—for example, squats, which call on muscles in both the front and back of your legs, as opposed to leg extensions, which isolate the quads.

For each exercise you do, try to perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps with a weight heavy enough that by your last rep you can't eke out another one without compromising your form. To spark further muscle, William Kraemer, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, suggests alternating moderate-intensity workouts of 8 to 10 reps with lighter-weight 12- to 15-rep sets and super-hard 3- to 5-rep sets. (For a more detailed fat-blasting workout, check out "Do This at Home," below.) 

And remember to fuel your workout properly. Too many dieters make the fatal error of cutting back on crucial muscle-maintaining protein when they want to slash their overall calorie intake. The counterproductive result: They lose muscle along with any fat that might have melted away. Sports nutritionist Cassandra Forsythe, Ph.D., co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Women, recommends that you eat one gram of protein for every pound of your body weight that does not come from fat. For instance, a 140-pound woman whose body fat is 25 percent would need 105 grams of high-quality protein. That's roughly four servings a day; the best sources are chicken or other lean meats, soy products, and eggs. 

Ready to turn yourself into a lean, mean, calorie-torching machine? Then go get pumped!


Do This At Home 
Get ripped with this WH exclusive
Personal trainer Rachel Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California, created a built-to-burn strength-training routine exclusively for Women's Health readers that you can tap into online. Each move works multiple muscle groups, so you'll burn a ton of calories and rev your metabolism into high gear for 24 to 48 hours afterward. For best results, do 10 to 12 reps of each move, breaking just long enough to catch your breath in between; repeat for two to three sets. Get the workout. 

Love,

Monica

 

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