Grocery Haul of the day! We are what we eat. So nourish your mind, body, and spirit.

- MEATS: lean ground turkey breast, salmon burgers VEGGIES: spinach, portabella mushrooms, cauliflower, and cabbage
- DRINKS: chicken broth, coconut milk 
- NUTS: raw pecans, roasted seaweed snacks
- DAIRY: Fat free ricotta cheese, lite 3 cheese blend, FAGE greek yogurt.


The key to seeing weight loss and maintaining it is making small changes in your lifestyle that can be carried on long term rather than short term. Greek yogurt is a great breakfast food when you sprinkle some nuts on it or even add some berries.  Nutritionally dense, filling, high in protein and has a small amount of healthy fat. This gets 2 thumbs up from me. Happy grocery shopping folks. 

Want radiant skin? Are you having trouble with acne.... It stops here

Healthy skin starts with a consistent skincare regimen. I have some favorites when it omes to comercial skincare products, but personally, I believe some of the most effective solutions to obtaining a clear radiant complexion is in your kitchen. In this install, I will be featuring some commercial products that are my staples. Next week, I will be featuring homemade solutions to gorgeous radiant skin. Let's proceed...


My regimen:
- wash face 1x in the morning
- wash face 1x in the evening before bed
- exfoliate as needed (usually 1-2x per week)
- deep clean as needed using a mud/clay based mask

Note: I recommend always exfoliating during your nighttime wash rather than your daytime wash, as exfoliation removes surface skin layers and can make your skin more vulnerable to sundamage.


Products that I love for face care:

1. Kiehl's facial fuel 
(yes I know it is a mens product but it works amazing for women as well and doesn't have a manly scent)
- This scrub is on the rougher side, which I completely prefer. However, if you are not one who likes abrasiveness, dont use this. If you want some big time exfoliation and a brand new feeling, Kiehls facial fuel is definitely worth trying. love love love this! I am rapidly depleting my boyfriends stash of this one.

2. St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub

St. Ives Blemish and Blackhead control scrub is awesome for removing blackheads. Also this scrub has salacilic acid which is a medication proven to fight acne. 

3. Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask. 
- This mask feels sooo refreshing on the skin, and it really cleans your poors well. I would recommend using this at least once a week. I sometimes use it 2 or 3 times per week.

Dessert Swap of the week! - Have your Cake and Eat It Too

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Are you a cake lover? Do you want an easy guilty pleasure swap? A regular piece of cake can be upwards of 400 calories. If you buy traditional cake mix, and swap the eggs, oil, and milk with a diet soda. You can use any flavor diet soda along with any flavor cake to customize your flavor. Have fun with it. You cant tell the difference in taste, but you wouldnt believe how much fat and calories you are cutting using this method. Try it and let me know what you think.

Waistlength Wednesday - Episode 1

Hey fabulous people! If one of your goals is to obtain healthy waistlength hair, this the post for you. If your goal is just to have healthy hair, this post is for you too :) I think one of the absolute BIGGEST things that can contribute to longer healthier tresses is LOW MANIPULATION. Yes, you heard right. If you have HIHS aka Hand in hair syndrome, I suggest you really avoid playing in your hair. This also means combing your hair less. As an alternative you may try finger combing your hair half of the time, and combing it the traditional way on your wash and deep condition day. Some low manipulation styles includes braids, twists, buns, braidouts, twistouts, or simply putting your hair in a ponytail. Leave your hair alone, and it will surely grow. I will be doing some tutorials on these styles in upcoming episodes of Waistlength Wednesdays. Check in for those.

The second tip that I am going to give today is to avoid physically breaking off the hair that you are working so hard to maintain. This means satin/silk scarves to bed is Not optional, it should be thought of as required. If you are not one who likes to wear scarves, a silk or satin pillow case will suffice. The reason is that sleeping with cotton touching your strands creates ample friction which can weaken and break strands while you sleep. Satin and silk generate very little friction against the hair shaft which = no nighttime breakage for you.

Yes there are other components to growing your hair healthy and long. I will mention more to come. But these two are vital to maintaining your length. They have been helpful for me. Currently, my hair is about 4 inches from hitting waistlength in it's flat ironed state, by utilizing these two techniques along with others. Check in next Wednesday for more tips on growing stronger, healthier, longer hair. Till next time...

Recap:
1. Low manipulation
2. Satin pillowcase and/or satin or silk scarf or bonnet at night


*I do not own these pictures

Love your Tresses-Tuesday: Can somebody say Castor Oil?

Now you must have heard of this awesome hair oil. If you haven't PLEASE listen up folks. When most people think of castor oil, they think of constipation. But listen up my friends. This oil is amazing for sealing in moisture on your hair shaft. It's also great at moisturizing your scalp and thus preventing flaking of the scalp. Remember, healthy follicles = healthy hair! There is no scientific backup, but many people testify that castor oil helped them to grow longer hair. I would attribute this to a moisturized scalp and castor oil aiding in moisture retention in the hair shaft. More more left in each strand meas a decreased chance it has of snapping. In my experience with this oil, it added shine to the hair as well as a feeling of increased thickness. I must admit, it is a thicker oil, so it's a tad bit stickier than the others, but I give you Jac's 2 thumps up. Give it a try if you desire more supple, and longer tresses.

Note: A little goes a long way

Superfood Monday: Cocoo for Coconuts!

Coconuts are so nutritious that the coconut palm is nicknamed "The Tree of Life." Coconuts posses oils that are antibiotic, antifungal. Studies have shown that coconuts increase the absorption of key vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from other food sources. They contain vitamins A, B, and C and is a source of iron and healthy fats. Coconuts are also very high in fiber. Fiber = a fuller you for a longer time= less calorie intake = slimmer figure. woo hoo! Yes coconut oil does contain saturated fat, however this type is lauric acid, also considered one of the most beneficial components in breast milk. It is easily absorbed and  is used as an immediate source of energy.

Get this: Studies have shown that consumption of coconuts can increase thyroid function by up to 20%. This translates to a faster metabolism for you, and that translates into a healthier and trimmer you.

Beauty Connection: The oil extracted from coconuts can be used on hair, skin and nails. Studies have proven coconut oil to be the ONLY oil to be fully absorbed into the skin hair and nails. Coconut oil enters the hair shaft and nail infrastructure and actually prevents protein loss while infusing rich fat, thus preventing dryness. I am a long time advocator of coconut oil! It's a total win for me. Regular application of coconut oil means shinier and silkier hair, stronger and longer nails, and more supple skin. Coconut oil can be purchased in a variety of forms, but I would recommend that you get extra virgin coconut oil because it is unheated and thus retains it's nutritional properties. You're still reading this? Run to the store right now and try this multipurpose and highly nutritious food!

For the ice cream lovers out there

If you are a self proclaimed ice cream lover, but regret it whenever you endulge in the calorie dense food, this is for you. I was introduced to Arctic Zero brand ice cream dessert. For anyone who is watching their weight and health, this product is a dream. This product has only 150 calories in the ENTIRE PINT! Yes, I meant to say the entire pint. Even better, a pint of arctic zero has 8 grams of protein and 14 grams of whey protein. Typically products that are low in fat, sugar, and calories are packed full of chemicals, but this is not the case for this brand. I was skeptical of the taste of this product before trying it because I thought "How could this ice cream be good if the calories are so low?" To my delight, this treat satisfied all the taste and texture markers of a traditional ice cream dessert. I give arctic zero a thumbs up for weight watching and a thumbs up for nutrition.