5 Ways to put yourself first this holiday season

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.

The holidays can be a stressful and difficult time for many of us, so I wanted to remind you of 5 ways you can take care of yourself and ease your burden this holiday season.

For many of us it can be extremely difficult to put ourselves, especially during the holidays. As a wellness expert please let me tell you it is so important that you take care of yourself (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) so that you can go out and give your best and be your best for everyone else.

Here are 5 ways you can take care of yourself and put yourself first this season….

1. SLEEP.
The holidays can be such a busy time. They are filled with tons of emotions, parties, and checklists. You need to take time to unwind every day and allow time for your body to recharge. Perhaps, you can go to bed just 30 minutes earlier every night for the rest of the year.

2. NUTRITION.
The holidays are notorious for cookies, candy and spiked egg nog. Be sure to balance out your indulgences with tons of fruits, vegetables and water. Start your morning with the Lean and Green Body® Triple Play and you’ll be off to a great start! Increase your daily recommended water intake from 8-8 oz glasses daily to 10-8 oz glasses of water per day; this will help keep you hydrated, and will assist in cleansing the body.

3. MOVE.
Take a minimum of 30 minutes every day to move your body. Ride your bike, take a walk with loved ones, try a new fitness class... sweat every day! Exercise not only helps keep our physical body healthy, but helps to keep our mental and emotional body in balance as well.

4. PLAN.
Plan your weeks out in advance. One of my favorite things to do on Friday’s is to plan the following week out. I write down all appointments, meetings, dinners, and schedule my workouts. This allows me to clearly see what I am dealing with and create a plan of action. I can schedule mid-week grocery runs, holiday parties, and leave room for the unexpected.

5. MEDITATE.
Meditation is the key to a balanced life. Taking a few minutes, if you are a beginner perhaps start with 5 minutes, every day to sit in stillness and just breathe. Find a connection to your breath, letting go of the outside world, your to-do lists and just tune into your body. There are numerous benefits of meditation; one of my favorites is that it helps me to slow down. I am constantly on the go, and the holidays seem to be even busier, my meditation practice allows me time to check in and pause. Afterwards, I feel a sense of renewal and peace.

The holidays can be a very busy time, don’t forget to take time for YOU! 

5 Benefits of Epsom Salt Baths

Looking for a way to unwind without the wine? I’ve got you covered!

One of my favorite ways to unwind after a long day is a nice hot epsom salt bath. This practice is incredibly healing and nourishing for my body and soul.

Epsom salts are a great addition to your typical bath routine, and can be incredibly soothing for the body. These salts help to alleviate aches and pain, perfect after a long workout or tough yoga class. Epsom salts also help to heal tired muscles and even promote recovery, sounds ideal for anyone who is active.

If you suffer from sore muscles, inflammation, sprains, stiff joints, skin irritations, or stress epsom salts bath may really help you heal and destress. I always feel more relaxed after a bath! I soften the lighting, sometimes I read or listen to music…I create an atmosphere of soothing and healing vibrations.

An added bonus…epsom salts are high in magnesium. Surprisingly, the majority of Americans are deficient in magnesium. This mineral is essential for proper functioning of the body and is vital in many energies pathways in body, epsom salts are an excellent way to boost magnesium levels in the body.

I typically add 2 cups of epsom salts to my bath, and soak for about 20 minutes.

Valentine’s Day Ideas for You & Your Sweetie!

Although it may seem like COVID-19 has been around forever, and some days it may feel like quarantine will never end - it’s been less than a year. Which means this is our first Valentine’s Day in quarantine. I thought it would be fun to share some COVID safe ideas that you can do with your sweetie this Valentine’s Day!

Personally I believe that you should show your love 365 days a year, but society like to put a ton of pressure on this one day. So we’ll roll with it.

First, be present. There is nothing I love better than being fully present with my loved ones, and having them be fully present with me. There is nothing worse than having someone mindlessly scrolling through their phone while you are trying to connect (this goes with all relationships). So put the phone down, and give your loved ones some really focused time.

“Presence is a gift for ourselves, and others.” - unknown

Second, go for a walk. Okay I realize that in some parts of the country this is just not an option right now unless you want to be under several feet of snow. If it is an option, get outside and go for a walk. My husband and I started taking a few walks together every week, and it really is some of my favorite time. We even went down to the beach a few days ago, and walked under the moonlit sky - what an incredible experience that was.

Third, have a picnic! Even though restaurants are fully open here in Florida, we still are’t really dining out yet. This is the perfect idea and totally customizable for each couple or family! Put together a super fun…maybe a little romantic…picnic. Include some of your favorite treats, maybe a little bubbly, and maybe something specials for the little ones if you are bringing them along! You can take your picnic to your favorite park, the beach, or even to your living room. I feel like most rules are out the door now with COVID, and a picnic in the living room sounds pretty amazing!

Lastly, take some time to do something that makes you super happy. Valentines day is often so focused on couples and love…but we often forget about self love. Once we master self love, and really open ourselves up to it, that’s when everything else starts to fall into place. So take some time today- and everyday- to love yourself and do something that makes you truly happy!

xxx

Photo By Jontel Chere

Morning Routine Update!

For as long as I can remember I have been a morning person… like suns up, I’m up kinda morning person. 

I cherish that time before everyone is awake to fuel my body and my soul. How we choose to start our mornings in essential and can really lay the ground work for the rest of the day.

For years I have been talking about my morning routine…on my blog, on my social media and at my events…I have made a few changes over the years and thought it was time that I updated my morning routine for all of you!

My mornings are sacred to me. 

I love to wake up at least an hour before everyone else, when the house is quiet and it’s still dark outside. This is my time to just be and breathe. Once the day begins I give so much of myself to my family, friends and clients there isn’t much “me time” for the rest of the day. 

I start my day with 8 oz room temperature water with 1/2 an organic lemon. Each morning when we wake up our bodies are dehydrated from working so hard while we sleep. The room temperature organic lemon water rehydrates our cells, energizes our body, and helps to pull out toxins. It is essential that the lemon is organic. An organic lemon is alkalizing, where a conventional lemon is acidic. This was mind blowing the first time I heard this…but it’s true! A food is determined to be alkalizing or acidic depending on how it responds inside the body.

The lemon water responds almost like coffee to the body, and provides a boost of energy without the jittery feeling associated with too much coffee.

I then take 1 TBSP of Braggs apple cider vinegar and mix it with about 4 oz of water (be sure to always mix with water!). The apple cider vinegar comes in to helps neutralize the body. When we wake up our bodies are in an acidic state, the apple cider vinegar helps to increase the pH of the body making it a more alkalizing state. An alkalizing state is important for the body because it is not an ideal state for cancer, disease and illness. Apple cider vinegar, Bragg’s particularly, is one of my favorite holistic remedies because it performs hundreds of benefits to the body.

The third and final part of my Lean and Green Body® Triple Play are my greens! Currently I’m loving the Amazing Grass detox and digest greens, or the Amazing Grass energy greens (caffeine free). My greens are one of my favorite “supplements”. These greens are juiced and then dried to allow for easier digestion and absorption in our bodies. They also allow for super clean green energy! Having the greens juiced first helps our bodies assimilate and utilize the greens and nutrients much easier. Since it is a powder it is easy to travel with...I make sure to bring this with me on every trip. Greens will help to boost your immune system and keep you energized! The benefit of having these greens first thing in the morning as part of your triple play is that they will energize the body. Juiced greens provide raw energy to the body.

I know it seems like a lot to take first thing in the morning - I promise your body adjusts. We wake up so dehydrated every morning and all of this water is so beneficial. 

I used to wake up and check my phone and emails right away - this was so energy draining, the opposite of what I was looking for. I now make a cup of tea and write down 5 things I’m grateful for, this helps to set the tone for my day. Some days I read a passage in “Journey to the Heart” to find some inspiration or guidance. 

Then as I digest my water (Triple Play) and fill my heart with gratitude, I breathe. This may sound simple, but most of us go through our entire day unaware of our breath. I take a few moments each morning to intentionally breathe. This helps to lower any stress or anxiety I may have, it also brings my body back into parasympathetic (rest & digest) mode. It allows me time to focus on whats real. 

From here I often go through my schedule of my day, and create a list of the top 4 things that must get completed that day. This helps me to stay on track, prioritize and not feel overwhelmed by the never ending to-do list. 

How do you start your day?

Setting Yourself Up for Success in the New Year

The holidays are over and the New Year is quickly approaching.  Instead of setting traditional New Year’s resolutions this year, why not try something new?

This year let's set intentions for the New Year, instead of looking at these as resolutions or jobs, that many of us will forget come March.

Consider setting intentions, consider what you need, and allow yourself to be open to receiving.

Here are a few of my Intentions for 2018:

1. Self-care. Take 30 minutes every day just for ME.

2. Read. Every day, not contracts and emails, something that will stimulate my mind and my soul

3. Date my husband.

4. Live my best life.

5. Smile every day. Have fun! Life does not always have to be so serious.

Take some time to breathe and really think about your intentions for 2018. 

We can’t wait for you to share what your intentions are!

Take Time For YOU

The holidays can be a hectic time. Full of expectations, juggling daily life, holiday parties, and all the things that come with this season. This is said to be one of the most stressful times of the year…and yet it is also the happiest time of the year.

How can you juggle everything, find your balance and spread holiday cheer?

Take time for YOU!

We cannot take care of others, unless we are taking care of ourselves. 

You cannot serve from an empty cup.

Take 20 minutes per day just for you. I’m not talking about working out, power yoga or  answering emails with a glass of wine. 

Find 20 minutes in your day for you. Our workouts and workaholic lifestyle has become a daily part of our life. At some point, we need time to unwind and relax.

When are you the most relaxed?

What are you doing? What does it smell like? What is the lighting like?

Find time to create these moments everyday. 

Perhaps, you enjoy reading with soothing lighting and a vanilla candle. Perfect!

Or you enjoy the beach, sitting there as the sunrises, smelling the salty air. Great!

Or perhaps you enjoy sitting by the fire and just breathing, the smell of the wood burning and the feeling of your stress melting away. Wonderful!

Think about what relaxes you. Choose to make yourself a priority this holiday season.