Blog - Page 3 of 13 - Body by BlasianBody by Blasian | Eat. Live. Hustle. Repeat

8 Awesome Yoga Blogs

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged fitness, tips, yoga | Leave a comment

Just in case you didn’t know, there are a ton of yoga blogs out there just for you. I personally love yoga and can’t get enough of it, I’m so happy that it’s been one of the go to fitness exercises in the market today. There are so many types of yoga as well, that just choosing is a challenge in itself. To top things off, I decided to write this article in order to help you discern some of the more widely known and very interesting yoga blogs that can help further your fitness, so please keep on reading.

Yoga Dork – If you are new to fitness and to yoga, then this is the blog you want to go to. It keeps things light and has some very interesting articles that can really open up your mind to the world of yoga. Aside from that they pretty much touch on any topic related to yoga, so you’ll always be in the loop if you keep checking in on this website.

Yoganonymous – One of the bigger names on this list, Yoganonymous has been a go to site for a rather long time for a lot of yoga loving people and for good reason. As soon as you go to the website you’ll see so many links to a ton of articles that will really get you into fitness, some new age stuff and a ton of yoga information, you’ll love it from the start to end. Regardless if you are new to yoga or otherwise, take the time to check out this site and you’ll be happy that you took the time to click on a few links here and there.

Yoga Times – Starting off your own yoga studio or plan to travel a lot around the world? Well this is the yoga blog perfect for you then. Yoga Times has a ton of information for anyone who is willing to go through the inner depths of this website, it will further their fitness of that I can assure you. Plus if you are looking for yoga centered events, this could be the site you are looking for alright. Of course the site also shares some great recipes and other health tips that you’ll definitely want to go over.

Do Yoga With Me – There are a few people out there who prefer videos rather than reading and quite frankly, that’s alright, everyone has their preferences. And if fitness and yoga is what you are looking for, go on to the Do Yoga With Me blog for some very awesome video resources. They cater to newbie’s and veterans alike, giving some of the most detailed and skilled videos that will pretty much show you how to get down and yoga. What more could you ask for in a blog right?

Yoganomics – Being an independent yoga instructor is not easy, not that I am one but at the very least I can understand where they are coming from. Yoganomics site is dedicated to these people and will help you grow your yoga studio to the goal and target that you’ve been working a sweat towards. See what I did there? Yeah, I totally went there. But seriously if you need a little pep talk or some tips that will help your yoga small business or studio, even the work from home yoga instructor business, this will be the ideal website that you visit on a daily basis. With over 10 years of online experience banked together, how else can you go wrong with this one.

Daily Downward Dog – If you are a yoga pose perfectionist, then I’m sure you must have been to the Daily Downward Dog website more than once a day. After all this site is dedicated to making sure you get the maximum effect and the correct posture for pretty much all the yoga poses. Pretty much the best friend of fitness junkies, this site can really help you get that tricky pose down, add some sprinkling of for fun yoga articles that will both inspire you and keep you interested, this website will really get the yoga junkie a good fixing.

Yoga.com – Pretty much exactly what the website address tells you, this is the yoga blog that will not only launch your fitness on to the next level, but it will help you stay on the yoga boat, assuming there ever was one. Yoga.com promises to share some of the most innovative and interesting news regarding yoga, while also sharing some detailed videos that can really help you get out of a slump or learn a thing or two. Riddled with a ton of articles, you can read or watch a few days away just by checking out their front page, if you go deeper into the site you’ll be welcomed by a ton of information that is just waiting to be shared with anyone who is interested in yoga.

Yogatoday – Perhaps one of the longest running blogs on the web to this day, still lauded as one of the best ones to this day, Yogatoday is the information capital of yoga and fitness, you’ll want to take a few minutes a day to check out the site for some new videos, articles and poses. Additionally you can even sign up for an online class for yoga that has a test trial and what not, the fitness in this site is no joke and you can really feel the love for yoga as you keep watching the videos. Manned by some very talented instructors, the online class can really take you to another level and all in the comfort of home, I’m sure that will really get a lot of you going to this site.

Special mention: F*ck Yeah Yoga – If your ideal yoga blog is on social media and you happen to be on Tumblr, this is the fitness blog you’ll want to add or follow. This special mention is because it’s not a stand alone site but if you really just want some quick snippets of yoga and fitness, you’ll definitely want to sign up for a free Tumblr account to check out some crazy poses, inspirational banners here and then, plus you’ll be able to message some of the other enthusiasts on site, what’s not to love?

So there we have it, 8 yoga and fitness blogs that will really bring you to your next plane of nirvana, well 8 ½ if you really think about it. Make sure to practice yoga properly, the information is all online but the sweat, blood and tears sometimes doesn’t get through the sites, you need to be serious about your fitness plans and goals if you really want to make the most of any of these blogs. Don’t worry though if you’re new to yoga, these sites will happily help you and hope that you’ll get as hooked on the exercise as they all are. Stay healthy!

The Best Wines For Your Waistline

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged fitness, food, health, tips | Leave a comment

My dear friends, if you are anything like me you enjoy a glass of wine every now and again, however drinking your calories is a good way to really let your waistline go as most of us have learned over the years. That should be a head’s in itself to watch your waistline and keep your wine drinking to a minimum or casual, however I’m happy to share with you some tips to the best wines for your waistline, after all a happy tummy is a happy you.

Check the alcohol by volume – While there is no nutritional value in most bottles of wine, actually I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one in any bottles but oh well, the alcohol by volume or the ABV tells you how much percent alcohol is in wine. The higher the alcohol by volume, the higher the potential content of calories in it which will pretty much go to your waistline, so the lower the better if you are watching your weight.

European wine is the way to go – Given the tip above, European wine usually has stricter regulations, meaning lower alcohol by volume, which in turn leads to less calories for your waistline. Unlike US brands or other countries, European wine has quite a hold and rather strict regulations regarding the produce of their bottles, so that makes it a good win for you.

White wine is a good choice and even better when shared with friends.

White will make it right – Another simple tip to drinking wine is to drink white, as once more they tend to have less alcohol by volume and again that means less calories for the waistline. Of course on occasion red wine is alright but again it’s all about control and moderation, but if at all possible go with white wine to save your waistline the unwanted gains.

Avoid champagne – As fun as champagne is and how great it is for special occasions, if you want to keep your waistline in check, then keep the champagne as such special occasions indeed. The sugar content within a bottle of champagne is quite significant as opposed to regular wine, that is just unwanted sugar consumption, calories and much more. Stick with regular white if you want something special for the night but feel free to splurge every so often, after all every so often is alright just don’t go crazy here.

Spritzers are a viable option – I’m not saying to do this with really good, expensive wine, that would be atrocious and an insult to the makers, even if it does help your waistline. However if you are just looking for something a little special in the evening after a long day of work, make that white wine a spritzer and you’ll not only cut down the calories, you’ll enjoy the drink and still keep your stomach in reasonable proportions. That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Opting for spritzers won’t hurt either.

Share that bottle – When in doubt about the calories and your waistline, call in the cavalry. Enjoy the bottle with friends, a glass of wine goes a long way with good friends but if you drink a whole bottle alone, well you really get the blunt of the calories, sharing you can almost split the calories in half. Plus you get to enjoy a nice evening with your friends or family, which makes it a ton more fun.

And there we have some pretty great tips to cut down with the calories of a bottle of wine, making sure that while you enjoy your night, your waistline won’t wake up to regret it. Stay healthy!

Mistakes Vegans Make When Trying To Lose Weight

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged tips, vegan, weight loss | Leave a comment

Diets can be difficult for anyone, vegans included. People immediately assume that if you are vegan, weight loss isn’t a problem or it isn’t one of your concerns, but let me tell you, a difficult diet can affect anyone. While diets can be as easy or as difficult as you want them to be, truth of the matter is it depends on who you are and how your lifestyle will be affected, let’s not forget the degree of difficulty of the diet itself, but truth of the matter is, it doesn’t matter if you are on a vegan lifestyle or a regular diet, mistakes can be made. In fact I’ve written this article for that very reason, let’s look at some of the more common mistakes that vegan people make as they are trying to get some weight loss going.

Just because it’s vegan, it’s good for you – Let’s not start this shall we? Not all foods are created equal and even though it is vegan, does not mean it is good for weight loss. Make sure you avoid this common mistake as it is a big one! Just because a food item is vegan, doesn’t mean you can go to town on it, technically a rather popular cookie brand with chocolate cookies on both side and a middle white sweet center is vegan friendly doesn’t mean that eating that for your primary diet will assure weight loss, no matter how often you twist, lick and dunk it, just eating cookies for a whole day won’t be good for you. So the sooner you avoid this mistake the better.

Going processed – As soon as you start a vegan diet, you feel as though all vegan products will help you with your weight loss, the idea of not having animal by products in whatever you are consuming gives you a feeling of relaxation. Well this is a bad idea altogether. The fact that you are thinking that just because it’s vegan it can’t be too bad for you (see my point above once more), really opens up the doors for processed foods. If you are focusing on weight loss, never ever go with processed foods. Stick with the healthy, fresh items and you’ll be doing pretty well in the weight loss category as long as you don’t go nuts on the carbs.

Stick to the healthy ones no matter how tempting unhealthy foods are especially after workout.

Forgetting the exercise – A diet, regardless if it is a vegan, all vegetable, no carb diet, can only do so much. A healthy body and proper weight loss needs exercise period. There are no two ways about this, just because you started eating healthier it doesn’t mean you can forget going to the gym or hitting the open road. As a vegan, it is great that you are helping your body cleanse itself and really help the environment, but that does not stop you from getting the proper exercise that you direly need. No matter how good a diet your weight loss plans have, without getting a good sweat on, you’re going to hit a rather hard and tough wall, so make sure you plan this out properly.

Eating too many healthy fats – While healthy fats are great, they can help maintain your cholesterol and pretty much help with weight loss in the long run. However in our ever-increasing need to increase the intake of the good fats, we tend to ignore everything else that comes along with consuming the food. Once more we tend to think that just because it is vegan friendly, we can consume as much as we want, plus with healthy fats, it’s good for us right? Well yes and no, true healthy fats will help you with weight loss, however if you eat more, you will also get more calories, it does come with the food that you’re eating and your body can only take so much. So if you end up eating too much, you’ll not only lose your way to weight loss, you’ll even gain more if you keep at it, regardless if the food is vegan friendly or not.

Skipping out on the protein – Well this isn’t just a problem for a vegan who is aiming for weight loss, this could be a lot of people’s problems. Protein is a very basic building block for the body and everybody needs it in order to really grow and be healthy. People tend to think that just because you are vegan that you won’t get enough protein, but we know for a fact that there are a lot of sources of protein other than animal meat such as legumes, seeds, chickpeas and so much more. Now as someone looking for some weight loss, they tend to avoid the food items mentioned, but you shouldn’t overdo it. Research has shown with proper consumption of protein and regular exercise, the results have shown an increase in weight loss. For vegan or non-vegan people, the consumption of protein is important even during weight loss, so make sure you get enough of it in your diet.

Getting bored with your food – Okay, so being a vegan limits you by a little since you can’t have animal by products, with a diet on as well for weight loss, it scratches off a few more items off your list. While there are a ton of things that you can actually cook up, people tend to feel constricted during a diet and eventually get bored with their food, which then makes it easier to cheat on. Quite frankly you’ll have to look for the solution for this weight loss challenge. As a vegan the options as mentioned before aren’t few at all, if you know what you’re doing in the kitchen or you know a good restaurant that has very specific meals with counted calories, you are in the home stretch already. The culinary world is an adventure waiting to be uncovered, it just needs a little willpower to get through it, even on a diet, the options are crazy broad, you just have to know where to look.

Nope. Salad isn’t your ONLY option!

Being vegan is a trend – Well some people think this, and it isn’t right at all. The vegan diet can be tough but it is a lifestyle choice, not necessarily just a diet or a fad that you can give up as soon as you hit your goals. While most of the time becoming a vegan to get a step up with weight loss is a sound idea, I hope that the cleansing feeling will get you hooked on it and you choose to follow through with that lifestyle. It’s more than something that you do at a whim and it’s something that has a lasting affect on not only to ourselves, but on everyone else as well. It’s something you should really consider and think about.

And there you have it, some of the most common mistakes of vegan people during a weight loss extravaganza. Make sure to take these into account if you are trying to shed off some of that unwanted waistline, but in the end all that really matters is how you feel and do. The mistakes above can either make or break your weight loss goals as a vegan. Stay healthy!

Vegan Festivals And Events

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged events, food, vegan | Leave a comment

The world is turning vegan! Well not really but at the very least it is much more vegan friendly than ever, with so many events out there, it makes you feel like my initial statement is true. Awhile back there would only be a handful of people who were taking the vegan lifestyle seriously and back then they had people looking at them as if they were crazy, nowadays however almost every other house has a vegan or two just enjoying their new found lifestyle and even restaurants have started offering vegan options, that is no simple turn of events my friends, let me tell you that. Anyways here is a quick list of some rather popular events that are vegan centered to really get your vegan on!

US – Let’s start off with what’s in our own backyard, after all if the events are within arms reach, let’s enjoy them!

Ashville Vegan Fest – Have fun in Ashville, with the Ashville Vegan Fest where you can enjoy some awesome vegan meals, get some cruelty free products and so much more.

Vegan Street Fair – When we are talking about vegan events, how can we not mention the Vegan Street Fair? Bring the entire family and enjoy the day and night, dancing, eating and drinking. The organizers promise an even better time this year than the last, so what else are you waiting for?

The Vegan Street Fair is very much ready for 2017!

Vegan Beer Fest – The Vegan Beer Fest in California is a very well known vegan event, the beer events of all vegan beer events in my opinion. Enjoy some live music while you sample beers, wines and much more in this vegan event, for sure you’ll have the time of your life.

Vegan Faire – Located in good old Anaheim, this beer and wine celebration will really cater to vegan people and will showcase a number of unforgettable booths, workshops and so much more, make sure to clear up your entire day as you’ll be sure to spend it there.

DC Veg Fest – While not being predominantly vegan, this Veg Fest as you have it will have over 130 vendors that will really catch your eye, while you enjoy the live music, the beer and if you have your family with you, the Kid’s activity area, one of the many events that the entire family can enjoy. Keep your eyes open for multiple locations for the Veg Fest events, you’ll be glad to join pretty much most of them.

Chicago Vegan Mania – When you are in Chicago, make sure if you are attending any vegan events, this is the one you make it to. With attendance, workshops and presentations from a number of well known vegan celebrities, this event is gearing up to be a big hitter. Bring the kids too, not only will they have a lot of fun, they will enjoy the festivities as well.

Europe – By some chance you are in Europe check out these events catered to us as people who enjoy the vegan lifestyle.

Indian cuisine by Nishma of Shambhu’s – When you enjoy the vegan lifestyle, there’s a very good chance that you like Indian cuisine. If that sounds like you, then this is one of the events you should keep a look out for. The ins and outs of Indian cuisine can be tricky, but with this vegan event, you’ll definitely learn some great recipes, some awesome tips and much more.

VegFest UK is right up this October!

VegFest Oahu – Looking for a vegan friendly event that the entire family can enjoy? Then turn to the VegFest Oahu, where you can enjoy a lot of events rolled into one happy vegan festival. Eat vegan food from local restaurants and hear some inspirational speakers talk about the environment, health and much more, definitely something you can bring the entire family to.

The Garden of Eden, Vegan Fair – Well with a name like that you can really expect some wonderful vegan events on this site, and quite frankly with some live music, vegan food and a vegan bar even, plus much more, I don’t think you will be leaving disappointed.

Vegan Cruise in France – Ah France, what could make it even more special? How about a vegan cruise, that just puts a lot of other events to shame? Well sign me up! Join the famous blogger Fat Gay Vegan, I kid you not that’s his name, and take a cruise around the lovely French countryside. Fall in love, eat well and live better, sounds like one of the great vegan events that you can join.

Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival – Now that vegans are known to be very health conscious, if you want one of your events this year to be focused on yoga, meditations and life changing workshops, then you have got to join this event. Again this event is called a festival so expect some great music, exhibitors, organic food and so, so much more. A definite must for those who want to improve their overall health and mindset, plus it’s always good to let go of your wilder vegan every so often.

Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival is scheduled this November.

Animal Aid Christmas Fair – Indulge in some vegan friendly food, while happily going through stalls and stalls of animal-free shops. Among all the Christmas events listed here so far, Animal Aid wants to make sure while we enjoy our holidays our animal friends will be safe from any cruelty that may befall them due to our enjoyment. You can find gifts, souvenirs and mach more in the fair, you’ll love the vegan food ready for consumption as three vegan caterers will be there for this year’s event.

Gosh if I could keep going on other events that are catered to the vegan lifestyle, we’d be here for weeks at a time but for now let’s cut it off there. Both Europe and the US have some pretty great options as events goes, the only hard part is planning which one to go to. Personally there are so many that I want to attend my head is simply spinning, but that’s the great thing about being a vegan nowadays – choices, choices oh so many glorious choices. Stay healthy!

Must-Have Cheap Equipments In Your Home Gym

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Fitness | Tagged fitness, tips, workout | Leave a comment

Going to the gym is something most of us do or have at least experienced, after all we all need to get a good workout in and maintain our fitness as well. However I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes it is a bit costly to maintain a gym membership but there are solutions around that, at the very least be quite a bit cheaper, with a few negative sides here and there. While you may not be able to afford every extreme machine out there, at the very least with some research and a little elbow grease, you can have some rather great workout options in the very comfort of your own home. Again you may lose out on some quality time with a trainer, but there’s something about making sure you’re attending to your own fitness in your own home, that makes it so satisfying. So if that is something you are interested in, keep on reading and you may never need to go to the gym again.

Free weights – The sheer versatility of free weights or even adjustable weights is something every home gym must-have and quite frankly it’s why this item is on this list. Of course the cost can be from cheap to astronomically expensive but you can pretty much gauge your own workout need and decide from there. There are so many options available in the market I wouldn’t even know where to start really, but the one thing that is for sure is that your fitness will not go unchecked if you keep using these weights at home. Best part of having these is, no line in the gym to use them too, pretty sweet deal.

Free weights are one of the most common home fitness must-haves. Huge variety, affordable and can be stored easily.

Chin-up bar – Talking about cheap equipment, a chin-bar is a must have workout tool for your home. Chin-ups, pull-ups and what have you can really get a good workout going if you know what you are doing and with a chin-up bar, it makes it all possible. Aside from it being rather cheap, it can pretty much go toe-to-toe with the bulkier and more expensive gym equipment that is used for fitness. Just make sure that you install it properly as an accident on it can really hurt your entire body, if you catch what I mean.

Punching bag – A punching bag is something you can definitely use at home. If you are looking to really get a good sweat going for your workout, plus you know what to do with a punching bag, this could be the ideal item for your fitness, plus it really helps that it is rather cheap to purchase, the only challenge is to figure out where and how to place it in your home. Make sure you leave enough room to allow the punching bag itself to sway around. Add a boxing ring and you’ll have your own boxing gym… just kidding, where would we ever buy a boxing ring anyways?

Stretching mat/yoga mat – Don’t forget the simple stuff, simple and cheap is always good. Notice how every time you go to the gym there is a ton of a mats available for everyone’s use, now why is that? Because they are very useful for most fitness workout plans, so why wouldn’t you want this in your own home gym? Simple, there are a ton of exercises that you can definitely do on mats, in fact a whole workout program can be done purely on yoga mats or stretching mats, so this is maybe one of the better, cheaper purchases you should have.

Jump rope – While a treadmill or an elliptical machine would be great thing to have in the house, let’s face it, some of those machines are not cheap, in fact some of them cost an astronomical amount, it’s almost like putting out a small loan for a car. Truth of the matter is not everyone has that amount of cash ready for such a purchase. So looking for a simple solution, turn to a cheap and easy to purchase jump rope. No loans required for this one, but if you start getting into the groove of a fitness induced workout, this simple purchase will really sky rocket your workout plans. Don’t worry that you won’t be doing so well at the start, it takes time and quite a bit of rhythm to get it down, but in the end what is really needed is practice, practice and did I mention practice?

Exercise ball – Another good purchase, and rather cheap too while remaining quite sturdy. This can take a lot weight, and quite a bit of beating so you don’t need to dance around it while you are diving into your workout. Getting serious with your fitness, that means you’ll want to focus on your core quite a bit and an exercise ball is exactly what you need. The exercises on this thing is pretty versatile and you can keep training until you’re an expert.

Exercise or what some people call gym ball is one of my top must-haves when working out at home.

Resistance bands – Now these aren’t what I’d call new, but they haven’t been around for a long time, at least not the ones available in the market today. Not only are the newer ones rather sturdy, they are affordable, useful and finally handy to have around. Great for a lot of workout options out there, getting a few resistance bands is something that will really help you with your fitness plans. Another item that is rather simple but multi-talented tool that can really do a lot of stuff that the gym equipment could do, making it a definite must-have for your own home gym.

Kettlebell – Much like the free weights or dumbbells, this indispensable little home necessity is something no home gym should be without. There are quite a bit of exercises that can work with this item, plus it’s not that expensive in fact for how useful it is, I’d say it’s downright cheap in fact especially considering everything it can do for your fitness. Make sure to research the proper exercises for this wonderful tool, you won’t be sorry you ever bought it, after all you’ll be too busy with your workout to think about those things anyways.

Medicine ball – Another handy device that can really put your home gym to another level, the medicine ball can help your fitness get to where you want it to. There’s always a good workout that can be done with a medicine ball, plus keeping it handy when you’re working out with a friend opens a world with a ton of opportunities to workout. Use the medicine ball to get a little extra weight in a lot of normal exercises, such as squats, maybe up the difficulty of push ups and much more.

Booty-shaping routines at home is made is easier with a kettle bell.

Weight plates – Ideally if you have a little cash set up, I think a full bench would be great in any home gym but facts are facts, those are not cheap. The weight plates however are much more affordable and can be easily purchased. These work as well as dumbbells and kettlebells, so any of the three options would be ideal if you want to get your fitness workout done while at home, get at least one of these options and you’ll be pretty set. Sure they take up some space but again what gym doesn’t right?

And there we have it, some of the must-have and somewhat cheap gym equipment that you should have at home. They are handy and can give your fitness workout a good run for their money. The challenge is knowing what to do and how to do it properly, then from there it’s wash, repeat, wash and repeat again. All of these home equipment options are pretty great, however they won’t do much if all they do is sit in a corner. You need to figure out how to get your workout into your daily routine, your fitness takes time and needs a regular schedule, so regardless if it’s a a home gym or a real gym, take your time and get used to the workout, it will do you a world of good. Stay healthy!

The Most Deceiving Unhealthy Foods

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Food | Tagged food, health, lifestyle | Leave a comment

Everyone wants to be healthier, after all a healthy person is a happy person they say. With the advent of health and exercise being something that everyone is concerned with, health food is a big must for a lot of people. However companies are starting to take advantage of that and started releasing some rather unhealthy food that is marketed otherwise. At the very least they could be shown to you in a rather different light, that makes you put it in your grocery basket, but let’s take a closer look at these deceivingly unhealthy food that you really need to avoid.

Smoothies – You’d think that this is a good way to really get your needed fruits and maybe even some vegetables, but unfortunately in most cases a smoothie is something we can count on as an unhealthy food. In order to make some smoothies more palatable and a lot more salable, they add a ton of sugar that cannot be good for you, in fact some of them have so much sugar it’s like you’re drinking a milkshake, which is a large bulk of the calories you need for the entire day. I’d rather recommend you make your own healthy smoothie at home.

Sushi – I know that this is somewhat a shock for a lot of people, after all sushi is thought to be less processed and rather healthy. I wouldn’t say it’s a completely unhealthy type of food however it depends on what and where you order something. While the basic and delicious regular sushi is great, there are a lot of variations that uses a ton of mayonnaise, cheese, fried items and so much more. While this potentially unhealthy food can seem harmless as most can be eaten in a single bite, it can pile on the more you eat and the more fried items or creamy sauces are mixed in to each sushi, so just be weary and you’ll be alright.

Rather than pre-packed goods, go for homemade as much as possible as you would have control over the calorie and sugar intake of the food you will eat.

Turkey and veggie burger – Shocked? I’m pretty sure you are, but don’t worry not all turkey and veggie burgers are unhealthy food items, at least it depends where and what you get once more. There are products out there with a shockingly high amount of calories in each patty, let’s not forget about the toppings, fries and so on. These can really pile on and eventually you’ll be eating your intended daily calorie intake in one sitting. Take the time to read the packaging and know what you are consuming.

Pre-packed yogurt – With fruit in the bottom of the cup is rather high in sugar, almost soda can sugar high if you catch my drift. I love yogurt and fruits, but I tend to avoid the pre-packed items as I know that they add quite a bit of sugar in them, it makes it more palatable and of course it is so much easier to sell something sweet to the consumer. Make sure you avoid this unhealthy food simply by getting plain yogurt and getting fresh fruit from your local market, you’ll be fine and the freshness just brings it to another level.

Granola – Yes the go-to healthy food of a lot of people, can turn dangerously unhealthy if you aren’t careful with your proportions. Make sure to watch your intake with this as it’s so easy to overeat and if you go overboard with the mix, you’ll also be consuming too much sugar. Pre-packaged ones are even more dangerous as they usually pile on the sugar content into it to make it easier to eat for a lot of people, in the end the safest way to eat granola is to make it yourself which isn’t too terribly hard to do plus the freshness can’t be beat.

Salad – The salad option has really launched off into a diversity unseen before, when you used to go to a restaurant they would have a viand or two as appetizers, nowadays you can see an entire restaurant dedicated to salads. As healthy of a food this is, it can quickly turn unhealthy just as fast, so be weary of your salad. The calories can pack on depending on what is in your salad, plus the dressing is a big contention for calories, sugar and much more. Make sure you watch your dressing as that can really be the one that can make your salad a food that is healthy to something rather unhealthy.

Sports drinks – If by some chance you think this is a healthy drink or better than juice, I’m afraid to burst your bubble. Although not really considered part of the food group, I wanted to make sure that you know that sports drinks are unhealthy for you. Once again it depends what you get but if you don’t really get into sports or exercise a lot, you are just accumulating unneeded sugar in your body, especially if this is your everyday go-to drink. So unless you’re rather active, which I hope you are, sports drinks are a no-no, in fact even if active go for water instead. It’s delicious, refreshing and has no sugar, pretty much what you want in a drink.

It’s the dressing and the sides that add up to the unhealthiness of food sometimes.

Fat-free items – Speaking of unhealthy food, items packaged with the words: ‘fat-free’ is something a lot of us buy, but we don’t really realize that while it is fat-free, in fact in some cases, it is reduced fat only, the calories inside of that particular pre-packaged food is full of calories. Calories and fat are not the same, so marketing experts use that confusion to their advantage. Read the label and know what you are getting to make sure your healthy food stays that way and doesn’t turn into an unhealthy habit.

Trans fat free – The idea of being trans frat free is to have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, which pretty much allows a lot of products to get away with murder. And yes I used the word murder because it pretty much is, just because the particular food item you are looking at says trans fat, you tend to go for it, but be weary that it could still be very unhealthy for you.

Whole wheat anything – While I completely agree that whole wheat is better than processed stuff, in the end though people end up eating more of these types of food, thinking this is healthy for us but with over consumption it ends up becoming rather unhealthy. Once more take the time to really read the packaging of each type of food you buy to make sure that you are not getting an unhealthy meal packaged in a healthy masquerade.

And there we have it, some of the most deceiving food options out there, they can really catch you off guard and because of that you can end up eating more than you should or consuming more than you originally need, thinking it is healthy and sadly learning how unhealthy that meal really was. Become a smart shopper and consumer, read the labels and know what you are putting into your body, your body deserves that much care. Stay healthy!

Toxic Ingredients On Beauty Products And What Alternatives To Use

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Health | Tagged beauty, health, tips, wellness | 2 Comments

Beauty is quite a thing, the pursuit of beauty has been an obsession to many, a gift to others, a curse for many more and the bane of countless others. However, poetic introduction aside, many people do turn to beauty products to achieve their ideal look and quite frankly, I don’t see anything wrong with that. Save for animal testing and toxic ingredients of course, since the first is the safety of all animals and the latter is safety of you as a consumer, these are the things that gets my eyebrows raised in shock. I thought perhaps people don’t know just how much toxic ingredients are in beauty products and I wanted to level the playing field to make sure that your safety is always number one priority.

Below is a list of toxic ingredients that you need to look out for and the reasons why you should, remember several beauty products may list some of them, but since this is a fairly unregulated market sector, they get away without listing byproducts either which is a scary thing.

1,4-Dioxane – One of the toxic ingredients not listed, as it is a byproduct. This chemical found in beauty products has been linked to cancer, which is more than enough reason to fear for your safety.

Acrylates – Looking for a nail product? Then turn away from one when it has this listed, as this item on the long list of toxic ingredients can cause organ system toxicity, cellular and neurological damage and much more. Even when questioning the safety of consumers, this ingredient continues to find its way into nail beauty products.

It would be best to go natural and opt with genuinely organic products.

Benzophenone – This item on toxic ingredients is often found in lip balm, nail polish, baby sunscreens, hair conditioners and much more. This chemical has been known to cause cancer, give toxicity to development and reproductive system, which makes it dangerous for kids and women mostly but be forewarned, given that it can be found in a ton of places, everyone’s safety is of concern.

Coal tar – Found in shampoos and scalp treatment soaps to name a few, this chemical can be linked to cancer, organ system toxicity and much more. Given that the beauty products it can be found in is quite broad and used by pretty much everyone, everyone needs to be on their toes to really keep track of their safety.

Formaldehyde – This science experiment gone wrong, has found its way into your beauty products and as one of the more known toxic ingredients on the list, I’m sure you’ve heard this chemical a few times over. This dangerous chemical can be found in a number of beauty products such as nail polish, hair gel, body soap, baby shampoo and much more, now you can really see that everyone’s safety is in question when products made specifically for babies have something like this in it.

Now I can keep going and share how many dangerous toxic ingredients are in a number of beauty products, but we’d never end and quite frankly you and I don’t have the time to go over it. However given that everyone’s safety is indeed a concern, I will now share some alternatives and tips as to how to avoid these chemicals.

Read the label – Companies are obligated to place all items on it, non-toxic and toxic ingredients as well. So beauty products are not absolved from this responsibility as well, despite having looser regulations, this is still not something they can avoid. Now as a rule of thumb, if you are unfamiliar with the ingredient listed and think it could be harmful to your safety, research it and see the feedback about said ingredient. Personally if it’s impossibly difficult to say the ingredient, that could be a red flag getting calling out to me, so that can be a good measure for a lot of people.

Keep it simple – Sometimes simple is the best, a lot of people pay for the natural look, but sometimes the real natural look is the best. Need a little oomph in your hair? Nah, avoid the hair gel, you don’t need that, just take the time to style it with a brush and what not. Need softer skin, you don’t need that lotion, all you need is a steady diet of proper nutrients and your skin will glow, or opt for organic natural oils like virgin coconut oil. When you do stick with the natural look, you can avoid some nasty toxic ingredients, which in turn ensures your safety and to top it all off, you won’t spend so much on beauty products as well, so I don’t really see the downside of this tip, so make the most of it and go natural.

Make sure to always check the label. It is often disregarded, but the ingredients of what we put on our skin matters a lot.

Avoid the extra stuff on you – While keeping it simple is a great tip on it’s own, there are times when you are required or assume you need to use items, case and point: when you bring your baby out under the sun. Don’t reach for the sunscreen or other beauty products – that stuff could be loaded with toxic ingredients and could be detrimental to your child’s safety. Dress your baby in better and more sun protected clothes to be safe. There are always ways around the extra garnish or other needs, if not natural alternatives are preferred in order to really avoid extra exposure.

Beware the fragrance – When things seem too good to be true on certain beauty products, they probably are. Now one word to be afraid of is: fragrance – that can mean a lot of toxic ingredients mixed into your item and that can spell trouble for safety. Go with unscented or natural items if at all possible, avoid the fragrant smells and the toxic ingredients that it brings with it.

Be careful of organic – Now this is strange coming from me, I suppose but please do listen to this safety tip. Regardless if a product says “organic” or “USDA-certified” that means that perhaps most of it is organic but that still leaves some space in that bottle to put in some toxic ingredients, after all beauty products will be beauty products. So again the word caution should prevail and you need to keep reading the labels regardless of the big shiny signage of rather empty promises the beauty products marketing team has come up with. Be a smart consumer and take the time to learn about the ingredients of what you consume.

There it is, some of the scary toxic ingredients, the list is way longer than the items I shared above, believe me on that one but it’s something to definitely get you started. I believe beauty, health and hygiene products are something we have gotten used to over the years, but most of them are unneeded especially if they put into light our safety, you can avoid most of them but if not there are always healthier alternatives. Be smart and read up on what you end up buying and using, don’t just blindly follow the hype and you’ll be fine. Stay healthy!

Natural Deodorants Versus Antiperspirants

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Health | Tagged health, hygiene, natural, wellness | Leave a comment

A lot of people, admittedly even myself, often mix up natural deodorant and antiperspirant, which is usually bundled up together and again I am not afraid to admit that I thought about them as interchangeable names for each other. After some thorough research however, as you may have guessed, there is a natural difference between the two especially between natural deodorant and antiperspirant. As the name implies, antiperspirant is used to stop your body from sweating, while as a natural deodorant works hard in removing the nasty smell. While those are indeed rather glaring differences, there is a bit more to go over between natural deodorant and antiperspirant.

Deodorants smell better – Considering that the main job of a deodorant is to stop or at least reduce the smell of your bodily functions due to sweat, it just smells better doesn’t it? I mean this is a general assumption between natural deodorant and antiperspirant so I can see how this can be a norm. I like how most of the scents are named after a weather outcomes if you may – Spring Rain, Misty Autumn, Summer Breeze… I wonder if I got any of those right, I’m just guessing scents here.

Antiperspirant uses aluminum – Well not aluminum exactly, but I suppose close enough to the aluminum that we know. Most aerosol antiperspirant, if you actually take the time to read what’s actually used in most of the items you consume, yes I am guilty of this, you will notice something such as aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex, can we appreciate how difficult that last word was for a moment or two? I certainly can, took me 3 tries to type that in. In any which case, these chemicals or ingredients in antiperspirant usually clogs your pores in order to reduce sweating, thus the name of the product. I’ll get into it deeper in the next point.

Clogging the pores with antiperspirant is a no-no – The ingredients above has been one of the main causes of debate or concern for antiperspirant use, as opposed to natural deodorants. The concern was that antiperspirant causes cancer, but I will say that even now the National Cancer Institute has not released whether this is true or otherwise, so safe to assume that a lot of people have turned to natural deodorant rather than antiperspirant due to this rumor. What has been confirmed however is that aluminum is not good for people with kidney problems, as it can reduce the kidney functions, there is a stern warning on the front stating to check with your doctor before using. I suppose this is mostly to avoid any pending lawsuits if some health concerns come up, but you can really see that the difference between natural deodorant and antiperspirant, and honestly who needs the extra aggravation when you put on your underarm protection?

Sweat is good for you – The body’s natural way to cool down is to release sweat, if you are a dog person, you’ll know this is why dogs pant a lot as they do not sweat, just a little tidbit that I want to share. So I got a little sidetracked there, but anyhow sweat is pretty much good for us, despite the way it feels and smells, so you can see how this will bode poorly for antiperspirant and will give natural deodorant a leg up. Antiperspirant stops your body from sweating, so pretty much the toxins in your sweat save up and fairly much gets your body to overheat quite a bit. On the other hand natural deodorant, doesn’t stop the flow of sweat but rather hides it in various scents, allowing your gym buddy a little breathing room.

Some if not many are not fully aware of the difference and risks that our daily hygiene staple has.

Both are FDA approved – As you can tell, both are FDA approved and natural deodorant and antiperspirant can be purchased over the counter without the need of a doctor’s note. However this does not mean that there are no risks to the product, as you can see above the aluminum chemicals in antiperspirant really does bring about a risk. The FDA makes sure that they are labeled properly and that the benefits outweigh the risks in each product, quite frankly which gives me more reason to turn towards a natural deodorant as to the other option.

Aluminum has been linked to some neurological diseases – While the aluminum ingredient already has some scary side effects, and again there are no conclusive findings as to the direct link to it and cancer, there have been studies that say there is a direct correlation a few neurological diseases. Among them Alzheimer’s has been cited among them, which gives me immediate pause. The accumulation of aluminum in the system has been proven to cause disorientation, loss in coordination and much more. So the active avoidance of ingredients with aluminum in it, has made a lot of people turn towards natural deodorant rather than antiperspirant.

Natural over chemically enhanced – Just in case you didn’t know, I’m more into the healthy and natural options, but hey who knows, you might be new to the site. Anyhow, if you go over the ingredients in a natural deodorant seems a lot more natural and if you are a ingredient enthusiast, not sure if that’s a thing but if it is, I totally am one, you’ll notice that most of the items listed can be identified or at the very least you’ve heard of them. I’m not saying it’s all 100% but at the very least the amount of natural ingredients in well, natural deodorants are more nature friendly shall we say. Moving on to antiperspirant, you can immediately hurt your tongue and eyes just by reading some of the stuff in them. Personally if it seems almost impossible or challenging to say, it has a higher chance of being a chemical in my opinion. Anyhow as you can see on a can of antiperspirant, the list of chemicals are very unnatural and you can almost picture someone in a mask and white lab coat preparing it as you continue to read through the ingredients. Given the choice of either natural deodorant or antiperspirant on this point, I would definitely award it to natural deodorant, but again that’s just me.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, the difference between natural deodorant and antiperspirant is rather glaring but please do not take this to mean that I endorse either of the items, I am simply saying that the pros and cons of each item is rather apparent and given the option of either, why not choose one that has less harm listed on it? I leave the decision up to you my dear friends, I am only sharing the information I gathered and thought it was best for you to be as informed as possible. After all a smart consumer is a learned consumer, and now you can consider yourself both. Stay healthy!

Why You Need Vitamin D

Posted on September 28, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Health | Tagged health, lifestyle, wellness | 1 Comment

Do you remember the times when you were younger and your parents would continually bug you about going outside, get some sun or things like that? Turns out, like most cases I’ve learned over the years, that our parents were right. By going outside and getting a few minutes of play time under the sun, we not only get the exercise we most likely need, we also get a healthy dose of vitamin D. Now what is vitamin D, you may ask? Well it is the vitamins that your body can create upon being exposed to the sun, now vitamin D has a lot of stuff that will really benefit your body, I’ll get to that in a few minutes, however let’s simply say that it also helps you absorb calcium and facilitates your normal immune function, so that in itself is plenty reason to go out and get vitamin D. Can you get this from other sources? Honestly yes, however if the sun is out and it’s free, why spend for it or go through the trouble at all of finding an alternative source? Anyhow let’s see why you need vitamin D from the good old sun.

It fends off a ton of diseases – As mentioned above, with the right amount of vitamin D from the sun, you can really help your body absorb more calcium, making your bones and teeth stronger and tougher. These will fend off any skeletal diseases that nobody wants to have. Additionally research has shown that proper exposure to vitamin D reduces the likelihood of being exposed to heart diseases and the flu in fact all that just from going under the sun for a few minutes a day, sign me up.

While the right amount of exposure from the sun is a good source of Vitamin D, there are food sources for iit as well.

While the right amount of exposure from the sun is a good source of Vitamin D, there are food sources for it as well.

Getting depressed, get some sun in your life – Now I know why gloomy and sad people are often depicted in cartoons as under a rain cloud, because of the lack of vitamin D. Scientists did research to see how people with depression handled supplements with vitamin D, after taking some of these supplements there was an improvement in their symptoms. While no it will not cure clinical depression, at least not that we know of as of now, however for small bouts of depression, the good old shining sun and vitamin D might be what you need, just make sure not to stay under the sun for too long.

Want to lose weight, vitamin D to the rescue – Ok I may have over exaggerated that one a bit, but still… research goes on to show that people who were exposed to vitamin D did lose weight, while it was not mind blowing weight loss, stick to a good diet and an ideal workout, there were signs of some weight loss. It was further studied that the higher absorption of calcium has a minor appetite suppressant side effect, which is likely the reason for the change of weight. Even though it is rather a small effect, anything to help lose weight I vote a definite yes to, don’t you agree?

Avoid the pain – Now while the sun is indeed free and a few minutes of exposure to it can provide you with natural vitamin D, beware of any deficiencies that may arise due to not having enough exposure. Mind you it could be more than just going outside, perhaps it is the pollution where you live, the sunscreen you use or much more, regardless if you lack direct exposure every once in awhile you can expect to get some muscle aches, joint pains, general tiredness and stress fractures. The lack of vitamin D makes it harder for you to absorb calcium, and less calcium in the body means a weaker skeletal structure, that in itself is most likely the cause of the pains and aches.

Bring down diabetes – Well type 2 diabetes at least. Research has found that patients who take vitamin D have reduced risks to diabetes. This is perhaps because circulation is improved with proper exposure to vitamin D, plus since we already know that your heart and bones are stronger after being exposed to the sun, it is likely that you can help your body more and avoid type 2 diabetes, which no one in their right mind wants, simply by making sure you don’t have a vitamin D deficiency.

Fight off cancer – Perhaps not entirely but research has shown that vitamin D is one of the most potent inhibitors of cancer-cell growth in the body. Getting enough calcium into your body helps you fight off the big c, plus it also hampers metastasis, which is the term used for when the cancer spreads and goes to different body parts or organs. As someone who really wants the world to take a look and fight cancer, I cannot stress enough how important this is for everyone. Get your vitamin D and go out, get a few minutes of sun and go on your merry day, this does not take much and will barely dent your schedule. Trust me, anything to fight off cancer, do it, together we can win this war and beat it down to extinction if we can!

Vitamin D can also be taken from supplements.

Don’t become a sun worshipper – While vitamin D is indeed important and you can get it from the sun, over exposure is still a very bad idea. Aside from rather painful sunburn, which is the least of your problems if you continue to get over exposed to the sun, you can open the door to a ton of diseases including cancer. A little ironic as vitamin D helps stop the cancer growth, but still again any over exposure is a bad idea in general. Any dermatologist worth their salt will tell you from the onset that while the sun is indeed a great source of vitamin D, you only need maybe 10 – 15 minutes of exposure a day to get what you need. Any more without sunscreen or sun block is just asking for a world of hurt. So don’t go out and sacrifice any virgins to the sun or anything like that, in fact don’t ever do that. Much like anything else in life, moderation is a must.

And now you know why vitamin D is important and why the sun can be both your best friend and worst enemy. Please note however that the minutes differ depending on what climate you live in, best to do your proper share of research for that. Case and point if you live in Alaska, maybe you’ll need more sun as opposed to someone who lives in the Sahara or something, I’d imagine one minute of sun is enough vitamin D to last a life time over there. Anyhow make sure to take the time and get your healthy dose of sun which will in turn become vitamin D, and that will turn into a happier and longer life for you. Stay healthy!

How To Get Back In Shape After You Quit Smoking

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Lillian Lewis / Posted in Health | Tagged fitness, smoking, tips | Leave a comment

You have finally shaken that crutch and you have quit smoking, you have high hopes that your new healthy lifestyle outlook will stick and you plan to get back in shape while the iron is still hot. Let me first applaud you for a job well done, to quit smoking is quite a feat and you have achieved it, keep strong and don’t stop your winning streak against smoking. However if you are reading this while just about to wrestle with the whole quit smoking fiasco, you can read more about it on another blog post I had. This can really help you get a leg up against that giant you are about to tackle. Now that smoking is out of the way, you can start building towards a healthy lifestyle, don’t worry we won’t dive right into it but I’m here to help you out and give you some really useful tips to get back in shape.

Start it off slow – Your body is still recovering from the beating it took while you were smoking, your lung capacity isn’t optimal, you probably lose your breathe quite easily and you are having a hard time keeping up with all the other runners/joggers/bikers or so on. No worries, don’t let this dissuade you. Some research says that a few days after you quit smoking, your blood cells should be in better working shape however if you haven’t been working out or living the healthy lifestyle, those could be big factors. Don’t rush and don’t get frustrated with short and quick workout sessions, you’ll need to build up your fitness. I won’t lie to you, this will be an upwards battle but the fact that you’ve quit smoking, you’re already going in the right direction.

Having a fitness buddy is always a good idea, whether you hit the gym or do yoga!

Have a check up with your doctor – Don’t you worry, now that you’ve quit smoking and you are trying to get into a healthy lifestyle, the doctor will help you out. Some people don’t like getting chewed out by their doctors, and quite frankly if you are a smoker, they have been hounding you to quit already. Well now that you have, now is the time you will need your doctor’s help more than ever in fact. Your doctor can now tell you just how fit you are or how you are doing after you’ve quit smoking, this will help you figure things out. You don’t have to do this alone and you should seek as much help as you possibly can in order to get into shape.

Get a workout buddy – Getting into the groove of a workout, especially if you haven’t done it in a long time or ever in fact, is a little difficult for some people. So when in doubt, call in a friend. Ideally this friend has been bugging you to quit smoking for quite awhile, and is an avid fan of the healthy lifestyle, I’m sure you must know someone like this, anyhow he or she should be thrilled to help you start your workout, if you’re lucky they have been doing this for quite some time now and have some great tips to try out. This will really help you stay on track when you quit smoking and get into the rhythm of working out, that way you’ll have an easier time heading down the road of a healthy lifestyle, which in the end is what you want.

Join a class – When in doubt, and when a visible active, healthy lifestyle friend isn’t readily available – then join a class instead! There are a ton of classes all over the place, but since you just quit smoking or you’re just starting to get back into the healthy lifestyle, maybe don’t join a hardcore one right away as that can really leave you out of breath. Take the time and join a beginner’s class so that you can get the groove of things and allow the whole quit smoking to really sink into your system, this will allow you to test out several classes to really figure out an exercise or cardio that works best for you. Don’t be afraid to try them all and fail, at the very least you tried and again maybe you’ll luck out on the first try.

Make sure to start and to keep doing it – As hard as it is to start the healthy lifestyle, constantly exercising is a challenge in itself. So after you quit smoking, you have to make sure that you actually do try to get fit. You have to keep moving, otherwise you’ll never really get anywhere at all. Again I’ll be frank, after you quit smoking, starting the healthy lifestyle and all, starting to workout and keeping at it will be quite a hurdle to overcome but it makes it all the more satisfying if you work on it little by little everyday.

Have a good diet under your belt – Diving into the healthy lifestyle after you quit smoking is a good idea, in fact I’d say it’s a great idea, but it’s not all about exercise and not lighting up a cigarette. You need to keep your nutrition in check by eating the right foods and getting the proper vitamins in your system. Smoking has caused quite a bit of deficiency especially if you’ve been smoking for years at a time, it probably worked your body over quite a bit, and now you have to make up for the damage. Decide on a good diet, preferably one with a lot of greens and other vegetables, with healthy meats if you do choose to eat that and you’ll be cruising the healthy lifestyle street in no time.

Gear up on living a healthy life and get on a good and nutritious eating habit.

Stay off the cigarettes! – Needless to say, when you quit smoking and want to really get into a healthy lifestyle, don’t return to smoking. A lot of people tend to falter when things don’t go their way, maybe it was a bad workout or perhaps they just couldn’t get the hang of their cardio program, either or they get stressed and end up lighting a cigarette or two, thinking it won’t do too much harm. Sadly that’s when they fall back on their crutch, one cigarette becomes two, then three and then a pack, and so on, don’t do it. You already quit smoking, why would you want to go back? You realize it was difficult to quit smoking and you’ve experienced it already, why allow yourself to feel it again? To stay on a healthy lifestyle track, you cannot start smoking again, quit smoking and stick to it.

There you have it my healthy lifestyle friends, when you quit smoking you made a promise to your body and to yourself, to become healthier. Now that you are planning to get back in shape, you are enforcing that promise by taking it to the next level. I applaud you once more and really hope that you can continue down the road of the healthy lifestyle and that you continue to quit smoking for pretty much all of your life, everyone deserves a long and healthy life. Stay healthy!