Most of us try to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, that ‘s hard to sustain long term, so it’s best to allow yourself to slip! Be honest and no need to feel guilty. The 80/20 rule could work (the 20% is for indulgence!!)
If it is hard to keep on track, here are a few things worth remembering.
Plan indulgences ahead, if you know you have a very sociable weekend ahead, be good during the week.
Choose your chocolate. A processed chocolate bar contains a lot of sugar, fats and artificial flavourings! All contributing to health problems long term. However, chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa powder ( 70%) is full of antioxidants, flavonoids, nitrates, vitamins and minerals.
Choose your wine. In excess alcohol is dangerous and can cause liver and pancreatic damage. However, wines especially reds contain antioxidants which help improve bone density and reduce heart disease. Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon have the highest concentration of antioxidants. More than one glass a day can lead to health risks.
A glass of grapefruit juice in the morning can cut your bad cholesterol down.
Adding low fat yoghurt (unsweetened) to your diet can lower your risk of high blood pressure. ( but keep your calorie intake the same)
Drinking coffee in moderation (2 cups a day) can lower your risk of heart failure.
Get out into the sunshine more often. Low levels of vitamin D put you at a higher risk of having a heart attack. However, it’s important to remember , too much sun can damage the skin, causing it to age more quickly or lead to skin cancer.
Red meat in excess has been linked to certain types of cancer and diabetes. Lean red meat is a good source of protein, minerals and vitamins. Intake should be limited to small portions a few times a week.
All best laid plans can fall to the wayside, and you won’t always keep the healthy habits up! But be aware of them ,you can have plenty of new beginnings so you can just keep starting all over again.
Need to lose some inches? to kick start the new you,( as well as your new healthy lifestyle)visit Beauty Haven and try a Harley Body Wrap. Added to the ‘drop a dress size’ advantage, this is also good for skin conditions such exzema, and helps improves the appearance of cellulite.
Now, How happy do you want to be today? It’s your choice.
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor
Just say no. Eliminate activities that aren’t necessary and that you don’t enjoy. you’re feeling stressed and don’t need to.( Need some stress relief, try our back and Tension Massage)
Hum along. Music soothes, studies have found music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness.
Laugh out loud. Just anticipating a happy, funny event can raise levels of endorphins and other pleasure-inducing hormones and lower production of stress hormones.
Practice mindfulness. Be in the moment. Instead of worrying about tomorrow while you are with your family and friends focus on the present — the food, the company, the conversation.
Take the dog for a walk. There are numerous studies that attest to the stress-relieving benefits of pets. (No dog! Chill out with our Indian Head Massage)
Visit a quiet place. Libraries, museums, gardens, find a secret haven just for yourself, (Maybe Beauty Haven could be your secret Haven!!, our professional staff will look after your every need)
Count your blessings. Pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of your life .
Realize that anything is worth doing even badly! Challenge and novelty are key to happiness. New projects will give you a powerful sense of satisfaction. (Try a treatment you haven’t had before, Acid Facial, Reflexology or an Indonesian Massage)
Sleep well. Don’t neglect sleep. A good night’s sleep can have a noticeable effect on your mood.
Do more of whatever it is you like doing. Do more of the things that you enjoy doing, particularly those things that involve something creative, productive or sociable and provide some sense of connection or accomplishment. (Try Beauty Haven for a Prescriptive Facial)
Smile. Science suggests that when you smile, whether you’re happy or not, your mood is elevated. So smile all the time if you can! Smiling reinforces happiness, just as happiness causes smiling.
Be compassionate. Compassion is all about doing something kind for someone in need,. A brain-imaging study revealed that people gain as much happiness from watching others give to charity as they do receiving money themselves.( Treat someone you love to a Beauty Haven Gift Voucher)
Treat your body like it deserves to be happy. Researchers have found that exercise, healthy diets, and regular sleep are key factors in growing more happy.
Stress will be reduced as endorphins are released.
Your body will become more relaxed, which aids good health.
Smiles are attractive.
Laughter can prevent heart disease
Enhances resilience.
Attracts others towards you.
Helps defuse conflict.
Just hearing laughter primes your brain, you will often start to smile yourself or perhaps even join in the fun.
Normally we smile when we are happy, but, research has shown that even if you are faking it, you begin to feel the associated emotion ; so, make an effort to fool your brain, a happy expression will elevate your mood and change ‘the game’.
Visit Beauty Haven, relax, smile and have a chat whilst enjoying a luxury manicure, pedicure or gel nails, we can even manage a smile from you during a leg wax! A lovely new treatment to bring a smile to your face is the ‘hot stone foot and leg treatment’, a 60 minute treatment incorporating a massage and soak, with paraffin wax and hot stones.
To detox is to give your body a rest, nurture it, feed it with ‘good ‘ nutrients and give it a good clean out .
If you are feeling sluggish, eating rubbish, not exercising , having aches and pains , bags under your eyes, mental confusion it’s probably time to ‘detox’
However, remember, in general your body is naturally designed to remove toxins(detox) through the skin (by sweating), liver, colon and kidneys. So perhaps being a bit more disciplined and sensible with our diet and exercise may prevent us feeling out of sync and needing to carry out additional detox from time to time.
Some ways to help detoxify.
Eliminate alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, saturated fats and refined sugars…(these are actually forms of toxins in the body)
Eat plenty of fibre.
Reduce stress as much as possible, this releases hormones which in large amounts create toxins which slow down the enzymes in the liver which are needed for detoxing. Try to focus on the positives in life.
Drink plenty of water.
Include plenty of Vitamin C in your diet this produces a liver compound that drives toxins away.
Drink Green Tea, and eat more detox foods…see below.
Breathe deeply helping oxygen circulate better through your body.
Fast .
Use a sauna so you can eliminate waste through perspiration.
SOME GOOD FOODS TO HELP WITH DETOXING THE BODY.
GARLIC. This helps stimulate the liver into producing enzymes which help get rid of toxic residues from the digestive system.
GREEN TEA. Packed with antioxidants which increase liver function and also due to its liquid form toxins are flushed away.
LEMONS and LIMES. Lemon juice helps the liver in its cleansing process, a lot of people will drink a glass of hot water with lemon every morning. These citrus fruits also help give the digestive system a kick start producing much needed enzymes.
BROCCOLI SPROUTS. These stimulate the detoxification enzymes in the digestive tract.
GRAPEFRUIT. High in vitamin C and antioxidants, grapefruit increases the natural cleansing processes of the liver. A small glass of grapefruit juice will help boost production of the liver detoxification enzymes that help flush out toxins.
AVOCADOS.This super-food helps the body produce glutathione, a compound that is necessary for the liver to cleanse harmful toxins.
APPLES. High in pectin, apples hold the chemical constituents necessary for the body to cleanse and release toxins from the digestive tract. This, makes it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.
WALNUTS. Contain high amounts of the amino acid arginine, they aid the liver in detoxifying ammonia. Walnuts are also high in glutathione and omega 3 fatty acids, which support normal liver cleansing actions.
OLIVE OIL. Oils such as olive, hemp and flax-seed are great for the liver, when used in moderation. They help the body by providing a lipid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body. In this way, it takes some of the burden off the liver.
Beauty Haven can offer assistance with your DETOX with the Harley Body Wrap, the wrap helps dislodge fats and eliminate toxins. The appearance of cellulite is improved as is the condition of the skin.
An activity with huge benefits which takes hardly any effort!
The amount of sleep we need varies from person to person, but most adults need between 7 and 9 hours per night , teens 8.5 to 9 hours and children 9 to 11 hours.
Whilst you are sleeping your brain keeps working ensuring ‘maintenance’ work is kept up to speed. Restorative sleep is essential for our physical and mental health; we need to be able to work to our true potential. Your energy levels and efficiency will noticeably improve when you are getting the sleep you need, the best indicator for this is to evaluate how you feel during your day.
Symptoms for lack of sleep.
Get weary in the afternoon.
Fall asleep very quickly when you go to bed.
Get sleepy in meetings.
Find it hard to get up in the morning.
Fall asleep when watching TV.
Effects of lack of sleep.
Lack of motivation.
Concentration and memory problems.
Can’t deal with pressure.
Weight Gain.
Accidents occur more often.
Some Ideas to help you sleep.
Make sure your bedroom isn’t too hot or too cold. Ideal temp. Is 18c
Ventilation is important, keep a window open, fresh air encourages sleep.
Lavender oil on your pillow, can improve the quality of sleep.
Wear comfortable nightwear, loose and natural fibres.
Keep the room as dark as possible. Darkness stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin which induces sleep.
Don’t have a TV in your bedroom.
A warm bath relaxes the body in preparation for sleep.
Avoid alcohol.
AND FINALLY…..A fun idea!! Google ‘ the dream man cuddle pillow’.
For those of you with insomnia, it’s important to remember it is not a physiological problem, but a psychological one, usually caused by stress. To treat insomniacs the problem needs to be dealt with when they are awake. At Beauty Haven some treatments to help deal with stress and induce a state of relaxation would be;
