Catch Some ZZZ's

Disney Princess Sleeping Beauty figured it out before anyone else! Who wouldn't want to wake up looking Beyonce flawless?! 

Today, I am sharing the importance of a good night’s sleep for a happier, healthier and youthful you! Throughout the many busy hours in a day our body deserves and crave a full eight hours of sleep. Yes, I said EIGHT hours of sleep!  Studies confirm the importance and benefits for everyone to make it a routine to sleep for eight hours a day on a regular basis for optimal performance. 

The right amount of sleep has the following benefits:

•     Improves moods
•     Helps maintain a healthy weight
•     Improves athletic performance coordination

With exam season fast approaching I thought it would be fitting to outline the MANY more benefits of sleeping. Many studies have shown the positive correlation of sleeping right and increasing your ability to pay attention, retaining new information and helping in lowering stress. All nighters are not beneficial for us at all.

Once you have developed a consistent sleeping schedule you won’t believe how much your skin will actually glow! Our skin repairs almost magically over night to improve skin elasticity, texture and moisture. Sleep actually allows your body to build up its immune system to help fight acne blemishes naturally.

One of my current favourite sleep products is a sleep mask from Shop Bop. After the first couple of nights with it I doubt I will ever go into dream land without one!

Make sleep a priority and come sunrise you’ll be ready to conquer the world! 

Rawr Rawr Raw Foods

Who wouldn't want to bring out their inner super powers

with some of the world’s most powerful raw foods?!

The more raw foods you add into your diet the more your body will refuel and energize making you look and feel youthful. Instead of neglecting your body’s craving for nourishment why not take charge for being the best possible you. I promise that after reading this post you will feel motivated to make these little changes that will result in BIG positive changes!

It’s doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that the more good stuff you add into your diet, the less room you have for the bad stuff. Although this rule is simple you must put effort into planning your meals in order to follow through. I have a couple of guidelines that help me keep up with raw food intake:

•  Start your day with a tall glass of room temperature water with a lemon
•  Eat 2 -3 pieces of whole, organic fruits
• Have a big spinach salad every day
• Have a green smoothie loaded with vegetables every day

Try this SUPER yummy green smoothie:

Substituting processed, sugary and fried foods for raw foods allows your body to rest rejuvenate and heal. Some of current favourite super foods are the following

• Avocados: The monounsaturated fats help improve skin tone, maintain optimal skin moisture and protect your skin against wrinkles.
• Blueberries: Contain anti-cancer compounds and antioxidants.
• Peppers: Packed with antioxidants that protect cells and stave off aging.

Personally, I immediately noticed I had more energy, better sleep and my skin improved as soon as I increased my raw food intake. Everybody can benefit from eating more raw food on a daily basis and I think this is a wonderful goal for all of us. As always remember to honor the changes you make and celebrate your progress with it.

I would love to hear from all of you in the comments below if you have noticed a change with your body from trying the tips listed above! 

P.s As promised I will share with you last week's riddle answer: Scent, cent and sent

Mind Games

A Healthy Mind = A Healthy You

The brain is the control center of your ENTIRE body! Mental stimulation improves brain function, preserve memory, and helps protect against cognitive decline to ultimately help you stay youthful inside and out.  It is important for all of us to take time out of our busy schedules to challenge our minds every day. If you continue to learn and challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow, literally.

The BEST part of this is there are so many fun and easy ways to stimulate your brain to experience the positive effects. Board’s games, quizzes, crossword puzzles, riddles and brain teasers are great games that you can start at a beginner level and work your way up.

There are many online resources available if you are looking to challenge yourself in an online interactive way. One of my current favourites is “Mastermind” and it focuses on memory retention. Check it out.

If you’re not a game junkie, not to worry I didn't forget about you! Learning any new skill provides the same mental stimulation your brain craves.Learning to cook, ski, dance are activities that require memory & learning new movements which are equally effective.

I could literally sit here and list off thousands of new activities you could challenge yourself with! The point is you need to find something new and different that YOUR curious to explore and learn. 

I came across this fun riddle this week! Let's put our minds to it and try to solve it:
I am a word of meanings three.

Three ways of spelling me there be.
The first is an odour, a smell if you will.
The second some money, but not in a bill.
The third is past tense, a method of passing things on or around.

Can you tell me now, what these words are, that have the same sound?

Comment below once you have figured it out! Play fair and don’t share the answer!

Check back next week when I post the answer. 

Me, Myself and I

Audrey Hepburn couldn't have said it better herself. There is no doubt that truly feeling and looking youthful comes from within all of us. The truth is as times goes on our minds can get younger if we smile, sing and stay positive. The best part is these techniques require nothing more than just YOU!

Smiling is one of the most effective ways to feel young and it is so effortless. Research studies have discovered that smiling lowers blood pressure, boosts our immune system and releases powerful endorphins that counter stress. Scientists have found that one smile can trigger the same reaction in the brain as receiving $25,000. The “Million Dollar Smile” saying might have more truth to it then we all thought! So find what puts a smile on your face and spread the love with friends and loved ones.

Singing has similar biological benefits as smiling! The best part is that it can be done anywhere at any time. Sing in the shower, sing with your friends in the car or sing when your home alone.

 Training our minds to have positive thoughts is the basis of good mental, emotional, and spiritual health. With so much happening in our lives it is easy to let the little things bring us down. We owe it to yourselves to cultivate positive thoughts and let the burden of worries and anxieties roll off. The more you hear a message the more likely you are to truly believe it. Take time to remind yourselves that you are beautiful, accomplished and loved! 

NUTZ 4 Coconut Oil

Take responsibility for being the best possible you.
 Know what you are putting in and on your body
 

After some research and experimentation with this miracle substance, let me tell you that I am NUTZ 4 coconut oil! I could not live without this multi-purpose lifesaver. Not only can it be used as a substitute for food but it has many healthy, healing benefits outside of cooking. The number of health benefits will help bring forth a more youthful glow inside and out. 

I am so excited to share my coconut regiment with all of you. My goal this week is to show you the different ways in which you can incorporate coconut oil into your life on a daily basis. Let’s get started! 

Every morning before putting anything into your body, start off your day by consuming one teaspoon of organic coconut oil. The reason I start each morning by doing so is because it can help reduce your hunger. The combination of fatty acids have a powerful effect on your metabolism.



Recently, I have substituted my moisturizer in exchange for coconut oil. I find it an excellent way to soften and hydrate dry, rough, or damaged skin, leaving you with an irresistible long-lasting soft touch. Now YOU can too!

Take the natural route by making your own DIY hair mask. I make it a habit to incorporate coconut oil into my hair at least once a month. Check out three of my favourite hair mask recipes. An inexpensive way to flaunt healthy, beautiful hair! 

I challenge you to try at least ONE of these in the next week. Let me know how it goes! 

Ready Set Go!

Raise your hand if you have made exercising your resolution for the New Year – and happened to not start it yet? I don’t know about you, but that definitely applies to me! Losing weight was the number one resolution for 2014 and staying fit and healthy was ranked fifth on the list.

This year let’s ACTUALLY follow through with our resolutions TOGETHER by making it fun!

It shouldn't be a surprise that exercising has countless benefits for your body and mind. Toning your body by building muscle builds good posture which instantly makes you look younger. Research shows daily physical activity can decrease the inflammation in your body that comes with aging. This decreases the risk of diseases such as depression, heart disease, loss of muscle mass and diminishing mental function. Many studies demonstrate a connection between exercise and fighting brain aging effects. Many people might not know that exercise increases blood circulation which gives yourself a glowing youthful complexion.

Let me guessssssss…you don’t have enough time/hours in the day to exercise? Yes you do! Making the conscious decision to use a flight of stairs instead of the elevator ADDS UP. One of my go to exercise activity is calf raises while washing the dishes or making lunch. If you REALLY want to make every minute count, I challenge you all to try either squats or wall sits while brushing your teeth.

One of my current all-time favourites is hot yoga. If you want to jump on the bandwagon stop by your local hot yoga studio and explore your inner yoggie!

Keep Calm & Stay Young

Need to take a breather and just chill? Sometimes things come and go beyond our control which can take a toll on our bodies. Today I have some quick tips that are the key to relaxation and bringing an overall calming zen to your mind, body and soul to help you stay youthful.

Green tea – make it your best friend! Incorporating green tea into your daily regime can do miracles to your body! Who wouldn't go for this? One of the many amazing properties green tea has includes L-Theanine which is an amino acid compound found in the tea and it has a calming effect on the nervous system. Not only does green tea act as a healing method internally but it also takes cares of you externally. Each cup of tea is PACKED with rich antioxidants giving your skin a healthy and youthful glow.

Meditation is an essential way of taking care of your health, psychological well-being and looks. As little as 12 minutes of daily mediation plays an important role in healthy cell function. Not many people realize that cells play a significant role in the way we look and feel. Many studies have also shown that meditation can decrease our overall aging process. One of the ways it decreases the aging process is by lowering your blood pressure and increasing blood flow in critical areas of the brain.

Namaste