If I Had to Choose, I’d be Sleeping Beauty!

Princess Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty, not only got several great nights of sleep, she reaped the benefits, too. What a beautiful girl she was from all that rest! When I grow up, I would so love to be Sleeping Beauty J. Ok, back to the real world. You know - the world where you would sell your kids on eBay for a good night’s sleep!

Before we delve into the many health benefits of peaceful sleep, let’s talk about the harm of sleep deprivation.

v  Increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and many other health problems

v  Memory and concentration problems

v  Brain fog

v  Moodiness and irritability

v  Lack of motivation

v  Increased risk of having an accident

v  Difficulty making decisions

v  Weight gain (that’s a BIG one!)

v  Reduced immunity to colds and infections

My personal analysis is that growing up and being a Big Girl is stressful. And stress tends to wreck the whole Sleeping Beauty scenario. If you want to trash all possibility of a Vibrant and Beautiful You, just go without sleep for a while.

Unfortunately, life today is fast-paced and chock full of stress. I’ve heard it said, though, that stress is mostly self-inflicted. In that case, there’s actually something we can do to induce a good night’s sleep - DE-STRESS!

Merriam-Webster’s definition of De-Stress is: “to release bodily or mental tension: Unwind”

Here are a few ideas to help you unwind and I’d certainly welcome your tips, too.

v  Practice 10-20 minutes of deep breathing

v  Go for a relaxing, slow-paced walk

v  Drink a nice hot cup of  herbal, caffeine-free tea – a sleepy time variety

v  Punch a pillow (for those really stressful days)

v  Pay your kids to give you a foot or back rub or sweet talk your hubby ♥

v  Watch a good comedy or call a ‘funny’ friend who makes you laugh

v  Snuggle up in your favorite blankey and read a good book

v  Spend some quiet time reading your Bible and praying

v  Play some of your favorite relaxing music

v  Eat fish – the Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce stress

v  Turn off the computer and television a couple hours before bedtime

v  Take a hot bubble bath by candlelight (wine is optional)

But isn’t it interesting, that the very BEST de-stressor of all is a good night’s sleep.  According to a recent report on Fox News, there are some amazing benefits of getting your rest:

v  It improves your memory

v  Possibly lengthens your life and improves the quality of your life

v  Curbs inflammation that is now known to be linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and premature aging

v  Results in more creativity

v  Improves physical and mental performance

v  Aids in controlling your metabolism

v  Lowers stress

v  Decreases depression and anxiety

v  Prevents accidents

Remember:

“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together

~Thomas Dekker

May God bless you with peaceful sleep...

Life Can Hand Me Lemons Anytime!

Forever Friday

My love for LEMONS probably began because, quite simply, they’re my favorite color, which is YELLOW!

Did you know that the Crayola crayon color ‘Lemon’ was added in 1949? I would also like to say that one of my favorite pies is homemade LEMON. And one of my favorite cakes is LEMON pudding bundt cake served with warm LEMON sauce made with real butter and topped with whipped cream. And one of my favorite candies is LEMON hard candy drops. But, sad to say, none of the above is healthy – except maybe the LEMON Crayolas L. 

True Confession: I had a sugar addiction that was totally out of control. Thus the birth of my journey to wellness, that has taken me to a healthier place and time… J

The Benefits of Lemon: Until recently, I was unaware of the many health benefits that are power packed into this gorgeous, little yellow fruit! When I was forced to eliminate soda, caffeine and sugar from my diet, plus most other foods (and I do mean forced), I began to check out the alternatives for beverages. As I noted in my last blog, I wasn't too thrilled about drinking water all the time! I ran across a product called True Lemon that came in one-serving packets. They worked great to carry in my purse to use in restaurants, when I was hankering for a substitute for my beloved soda. I also loved to nurse a cup of hot lemon water every morning and afternoon while sitting at my desk.  It was a sweet, tangy and tasty drink and, I must admit that at the time, I had no idea how healthy it was for me. What I did know was that I wanted some sort of 'sweet' fix to replace my beloved sugar. I began purchasing the large bottles of lemon juice and using it in my hot and cold drinks and adding it to my salad dressing. It was becoming my dearest and best friend ♥.

Some of the great health benefits of drinking lemon water are:

v  Lemon juice boosts your immune system

v  Acts as an anti-aging remedy

v  Aids in digestion when mixed with hot water (heartburn, bloating, nausea)

v  Cleanses your system while detoxifying and flushing out bacteria

v  Helps with constipation

v  Enhances the appearance of your skin, giving you a healthy glow

v  Aids in weight loss (really BIG plus!)

v  Helps control high blood pressure, because of the potassium content

v  Reduces mental stress and depression

v  Helps breathing problems and aids the respiratory system

v  Acts as an anti-bacterial property (good for sour throats)
v  AND it will help your finances by saving you $'s spent on expensive beverages!

Lemons are a rich source of vitamin C (one lemon=40% of your daily requirement) and also contain vitamin B and riboflavin. Lemons also contain minerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

Helpful Lemon Hints:

v  Choose a lemon with firm, thin, smooth skin that is heavy for its size. This will ensure the sweetest lemon with the most mineral content.

v  Lemon drinks are especially healthy when consumed in the morning.

v  If you weigh under 150 lbs., use the juice of ½ lemon twice a day.

v  If you weigh over 150 lbs., use the juice of a whole lemon twice a day.

v  Add a smidgeon of organic honey for a unique twist to your hot lemon drink

v  Use with olive oil and Stevia on your salad. It enhances the flavor of the veggies instead of drowning the flavor out with a heavy salad dressing! Much better for you, too, and very yummy!
v  Drink lukewarm lemon water with honey, when you need to quickly lose some water weight

...and you thought life handing you lemons was a bad thing!

Water is Life

“I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man.”
    ~Henry David Thoreau

Last week we began our journey to Finding a Healthier More Vibrant and Beautiful You by incorporating the habit of deep breathing into our daily routines. We learned that filling our lungs with life-giving oxygen and exhaling toxins from our body has many healthful benefits.

The next essential, second only to oxygen, is WATER. Amazingly, there are many people that drink everything but a glass of water.  I can relate to that because for many years I drank very little water. In fact, I was absolutely sure that I disliked it. My usual day consisted of sugar-laden juice for breakfast; hot tea while at work (a diuretic); and Diet Coke after lunch with a Tylenol (Yikes! what a toxic cocktail!). Looking back, I’m sure the headaches I had every day were due to dehydration. The only water I did drink was with meals, and that was only if there wasn’t any soda in the house. I honestly don’t remember when I started to realize that I needed to change my drinking habits. It was interesting that the more water I drank, the more my body thirsted for it. I gradually weaned myself off of soda and caffeinated drinks altogether. Recently, I created a water chart with rows of blue smiley faces and I check them off as I drink my water requirement each day J.

Today advertisers tempt us with fruit juices, sport drinks, energy drinks, fitness waters, carbonated beverages, coffee, tea, lattes and flavored waters to name just a few of the diversions.  Sadly, most of them contain:

                Sugars

                Caffeine

                Flavorings

                Colorings

                Artificial sweeteners (chemically processed)

                Phosphates in colas (bind with calcium and weaken bones)

                Additives (if you can’t pronounce their names, you probably

                      shouldn’t be ingesting them)

                PLUS Calories galore!

If you’re substituting these drinks for water, you have just annihilated any health benefits of a glass of water! Check out these amazing benefits attributed to pure and refreshing water: 

• Helps your body detoxify
• Fuels metabolism for energy
• Improves your skin’s appearance
• Aids in weight loss

Can denying my body water make me fat?  If your body is starved for water, it will begin to misinterpret thirst signals as hunger. A good way to see if you’re really hungry is to drink a glass of water and wait to see if your hunger pangs subside. If they do, after ten to fifteen minutes, then you were just thirsty. Just imagine how many calories you could save by drinking a glass of water instead of reaching for an unnecessary snack!

What if my city's water is treated with chlorine? It is vital that you drink purified water, if your local water is treated with chlorine. According to the U. S. Council of Environmental Quality, “The cancer to people who drink chlorinated water is 93% higher than those who don’t.” Invest in a good water filtration system that guarantees removal of the chlorine and other harmful ingredients such as lead and mercury. Another option is purchasing bottled water that is purified.

How much should I drink each day? Calculate your water needs by using this simple formula: Divide your weight in half and use this number for the ounces you should drink. Example: Your weight is 140 lbs. divided by two equals 70. You will need to drink 70 ounces of water a day. Be sure to increase your water intake if you’re exercising; the weather is hot and humid; you are ill; pregnant (10 cups per day); and breast-feeding (13 cups per day).

I challenge you to track your water consumption to see if you're consuming enough of this life-giving liquid each day.