Overnight Overhauls

How to boost your body in 24 hours!

~ Book a Massage ~

A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology showed that regular pampering can combat water retention. 

~ Breakfast Bonus ~

Your metabolism works best in the morning (so mum was right when she went on about it being the most important meal of the day). Eating a big meal first thing and easing off portion sizes throughout the day can help fire up your metabolism.

~ Brush Baby ~

Dry skin brushing can help break up the toxic fatty deposits that cause cellulite, leaving your skin looking firmer. Brush upwards daily to reap the results.

~ Feeding Your Skin ~

Moisturise the night before and the next morning to leave your skin feeling super soft and hydrated

~ Say No To Sugar ~

Too much sugar can cause havoc on your skin and can lead to breakouts JUST when you really don't want them. If you're keen to see a difference with your skin, cut down on the sugar over a few weeks

~ Water, Water, Water ~

Replace your day's regular tea and coffee with 2 litres of water for clearer skin and eyes. Apart from boosting your metabolism and brightening your skin, it will help you stay hydrated and is normally the solution to when you feel the need to eat when bored.

~ Salt ~

Eating too much salt can lead to water retention leaving you looking puffy and feeling less than fab. If in doubt, try to flush it out with lots of water.

~ Burn Baby Burn ~

According to studies, green tea can boost your metabolism, which in turn can boost your fat burn. There's nothing wrong with drinking up to three cups in a period of 24 hours.

~ Bloat's Away ~

Try to avoid food that brings on bloating.

Yeast is a huge culprit, so don't go near bread, vegemite, or other fermented items like alcohol.

~ Getting Sweaty With It ~

Putting a high intensity workout into your lunch break will not only blast the kilojoules long after you've stopped, but the endorphin rush will leave you feeling awesome.

Words: My Own | Women's Fitness

Image: Pinterest

Busy Season Burnout

I was recently asked to write a post for my companies blog, on the risks of "burning out" during such a busy time of year. Although this was marketed at the hospitality industry, the majority of these tips and tricks will also apply to any of you that have a full time job, and in particular ones that require you to sit at a desk.

Enjoy!

 

According to a Permanent Life Situation Survey, the hospitality industry has one of the highest burnout rates as a result of stress. During the busy festive season, there's a higher demand on employees which is often compounded by the expectation to work more shifts and potentially longer hours. When stress is sustained for too long, it can result in headaches, low morale, lack of motivation and a decrease in work productivity and accuracy. Prolonged periods of stress that aren't dealt with may also result in depression, heart disease and ulcers.

As we say goodbye to another busy year and begin the preparations to welcome in a new one, it's important that as an industry we are aware of the tools that we can use to make the work/life balance adjustment a little easier. Here are five top tips for bypassing busy season burnout.

1. Make the most of your lunch break
If you can't step away during lunch, try to make it a habit not to check emails during the time that you are eating. Take a break and immerse yourself with your social media world, or listen to some music as you eat. Studies have shown that people that listen to music daily have an increase in morale purely by listening to what makes them happy/want to dance/strut around the office.

2. Build exercise into your day
Exercising is a great way to burn off some steam and help reduce stress levels. Even a quick 10 minute walk away from the desk has been proven to clear your head and improve your mood. Why go alone? Bring a colleague with you and hit the pavement together.

3. Plan a healthy diet and stick to it
Healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand. Always start your day with a high in protein breakfast (think oats, omelettes, protein smoothies) to get you through the morning, and start the habit of keeping a water bottle by your area to stay hydrated and alert. Use that bathroom visit as a worthwhile excuse to stretch your legs. Feel like that soft drink but know you don't really need it? Start a collection jar and put the money in the jar instead of buying that soft drink. Count your cash at the end of the month and treat yourself with a non-food reward!

4. Focus on the positives during your work day
Building rituals into your day is extremely important; taking little steps every day towards being fitter, healthier, more positive and a successful version of who you were the day before. Make a list of a few things that made your day amazing. Those moments when you're feeling stressed or down, re-read your list for a pick me up and remind yourself of the power of positivity. As you continue to practise and participate in your rituals, your attitude gradually shifts and your rituals become habits and you will begin to see the rewards and positive change that they bring.

5. Set achievable goals for the new year
Heading into a new year, the predictable question "What's your New Year’s resolution?" starts popping up. I prefer to think of this as a bucket list instead, and rather than coming up with one resolution that probably doesn't sound very appealing come February, a bucket list of points is easier to stick to and enjoy. Write it down somewhere you will see it - at your desk, on the fridge, on your bedroom wall - and fill in what your bucket list for next year will involve with the hints below:
In 2014 I will...

Learn, Grow, Make, Plan, Stop, Start

 

 

 

Words: My Own

 



Motivated - To be or not to be...

Sometimes you might feel some pressure, from yourself or others, to always be that sunny, bubbly and motivated person. To give everything your very best, your 100% every day.

Sometimes, you just aren't going to feel like it.

If you're finding yourself feeling a little low about work, life, love, exercise, health, congrats! you are a normal human being. We all experience it, we all think it, perhaps some more than others, but it doesn't make your individual issues any less important. 

With life actually speeding up now that we've hit December, this might be ample time to sit down, take a few minutes, grab a cup of tea and read through the below to remind yourself that feeling de-motivated is totally normal, and what you can do to help things along.

Accept your having a shit day, or things are not going as planned. Try to get the core of the problem instead of trying to distract yourself, or pushing it to the back of your mind. This is only going to let it fester and grow and take you back in a wider circle. Be honest with yourself and use the tools you have to take positive action. This might be exercising, baking, reading, yoga, going to the beach - however you unwind, use this.

If a friend notices your looking/feeling a little off, and asks, be honest and try not to close up. There's nothing wrong with admitting you're not having a great morning/day/week. Whether you choose to take the advice that comes from this honesty, your friends still care and are there to support you. I recently had a friend go out of her way, after a chat a few hours earlier, to text me and let me know how much she valued our friendship, and said such lovely and warm things about me. Sometimes if you can't believe yourself when you think these things, friends are excellent in reminding you of the qualities of yourself that you may tend to forget you have.

If you find yourself waking up on the wrong side of the bed, and you don't feel like getting out of bed, going to training, being happy on Facebook and Instagram or feeling typically social... you're not a failure. You are just in need of a motivation re-boot and once you recognise this, you're already on your way.

Words: My Own

Images: Pinterest

Things We Could Do Without...

If you are doing any of these this week, pick at least 5 that ring true, and aim to rid yourself of them

~ Doubting yourself

~ Negative thinking

~ Fear of failure

~ Destructive relationships

~ Criticising yourself and others

~ Anger

~ Comfort eating

~ Laziness

~ Procrastination

~ Negative self talk

~ People pleasing

~ Putting others needs before your own

~ Unnecessary worrying

~ Anything excessive

Words: My Own

Fitness Routine Time Savers

Things start to get  a lot busier this time of the year. The routine that you worked so well to perfect, probably is feeling a little disruptive right now. 

Here are some time saving tips on how to fit exercise in this festive season:

Make up for missed sessions by setting yourself some daily exercise goals that you may not even need to change into work out gear for. 

Aiming to complete 200 squats and 100 push ups over the course of a day, for example.

You could do 100 squats and 50 push ups in the morning, and then again at the end of the day, or choose to do 20 squats and 10 push ups every hour over a ten-hour period.

That modification will probably depend on your work schedule, it's probably not recommended to do your squat sets at your desk with colleagues in range.

Words: My Own | Women's Fitness

Images: Pinterest

100's and 1000's

Images: We Heart It

The Approval Game

I recently came across an article on approval. Why we care so much about what other people think, and more to the point - should we care?

Our doubts and insecurities manifest ourselves into - am I good enough?

Why is self acceptance not always enough?

We crave approval because we fear rejection in different areas of our lives, and according to psychologists, it's perfectly normal to be seeking the approval of others. I am also guilty of this. This post is as much a beneficial reminder for myself as it may be for you.

The real issue starts when we start to care and think too much about what others think, and continue to look for their approval in all aspects of live. People will always have expectations of us, but sometimes these expectations can be unrealistic or unreasonable, and feeling the pressure to meet these can damage your self worth.

If you start doing things to please others rather than yourself, or pretending to be happy and satisfied with things that you really aren't happy with, this will do nothing but damage your self esteem and overall mental health.

How do you stop worrying about what other people think and live up to their expectations?

Instead of wondering if others approve of you, focus on whether you approve of yourself.

Easier said than done for sure, but everyone has to start somewhere.

Accept that you have faults and weaknesses but remember that you still have a lot to bring to the table. Skills, talents, and plenty of other things to offer.

Think about how you would treat someone who you loved and cared deeply about. Then start to treat yourself the same way. Recognise your personal strengths, and learn to embrace them and use them. 

Most importantly, aim for a state of mindfulness. Mindfulness basically is paying attention to the present moment, where you acknowledge and accept each thought, feeling and sensation that takes place. It allows us to observe our own thoughts and feelings instead of having them control us. 

Distance yourself from any negative or unhelpful thoughts and try to remind yourself that they are not facts. Let them pass through your mind, and don't bring them back in.

Words: My Own| Women's Health

Image: Pinterest

Silly Season Organisation

 

Don't freak out when I tell you...that we only have 7 Saturday's left until Christmas.

Can you believe we are already in November, where did this year go?

 

Scoffing at how 'early' all the Christmas decorations, wrapping paper, chocolates etc that are now in the shops, will probably get me into trouble the week before Christmas when the realisation hits that I am not at all prepared.

 

Like many of the December issue of magazines currently out on the stands, this could have been a post about staying healthy during the festive season. How to eat and drink wisely and within your limits of control. But sometimes I think, the more you read those things, the more you want to rebel against them, and I won't be held responsible for that extra bottle of Veuve you had to have, nor the second helping of pavlova!

 

This post is instead a bit of a bucket list/wish list. Maybe January is still a little far away for you to want to think about making some new years resolutions. Instead this list I have created can be used as a fun way of putting to paper the things you'd like to achieve before 2014 graces us with its presence.

 

The fields are open to interpretation, and you can have more than one answer for each, but the aim is to print it, write it and stick it somewhere that's going to encourage and remind you, to give them a go.

 

I'd love to hear some of your lists and which ones you think you'd like to achieve first! For me, my most important, as always, will be -

 

STOP: Worrying

START: Living in the moment

 

Have fun with it

x

 

 

 

Words: My Own



Skin 101

With the weather getting warmer it's time to start paying more attention to our skin.

H20

What we drink is the key to happy skin. Dehydrated skin loses it's healthy glow and with higher temperatures this can lead to headaches and heat stroke.

The Institute of Medicine in the USA recommends women drink about 2.2 litres of water a day (which equals around 9 cups). This can also include herbal and caffeine-free teas.

From the Inside Out

Eating a healthy, balanced diet that is rich in fresh fruit and vegetables is a positive start. Particular nutrients that have been known to improve skin are Selenium, a powerful antioxidant thats found in brazil nuts, eggs, cereal grains and fish. Great for protecting against symptoms of sun damage such as age spots.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating with a homemade scrub or dry body brush. This increases circulation and leaves the skin feeling soft, smooth and glowing. Exfoliate before hopping in the shower, in small circular motions.

Moisturise

The best time to give skin a drink is after a bath or shower. Dermatologists recommend in the warmer months to keep your moisturiser- face and body, in the fridge, leaving the skin with a cool calming feeling once applied.

Words: My Own|Body & Soul

Image: Pinterest

Roadblocks and Hurdles

If you're a regular visitor to this little blog, firstly, thank you. You may have noticed there has been a longer length between posts.

Quite often, we can't always pull something poignant from our depths, and sometimes we just wake up one morning, and come face to face with a few hurdles.

Life is great, things are happy and happening, new things are occurring which I couldn't be more excited about, the kind of excited where your face hurts from grinning... yet I still felt like there was an obstacle in my way.

I guess this became the perfect example as to why I created this blog. To be that forum for those that woke up and came across their own hurdles, to come here, read through, and if nothing else, feel positive, motivated and self assured.

So last week it was my turn. Things were busy, things were stressful and I started to see glimpses of the old anxious me that I've worked so hard to conquer.

This was just a reminder that nobody is perfect, and we can always do more to look after ourselves and work on what we need to.

Without the loving support network I have, maybe I would still be in that funk?

Writing it down, talking it out, sweating it out and remembering to relax and enjoy the moment was really just the reminder that I needed. I go on so much about having your Sisters of Support network but last week I really did have it and it was awesome. It works. I don't write about what I don't know, and I don't write about what I don't experience, so trust me when I say, the support network works. Use it. Spread the love xxx

I came across this over the weekend and felt like it was the best reminder:

"If you're depressed, you're living in the past. If you 're anxious, you're living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present"

 ~ Lao Tzu

So what did I do?

I got the feelings out on paper. I vented to a friend. I said no to offers that I knew would only aggravate my mood, and I implemented a new eating plan. Emotions weren't the only thing at play here, I was getting so bored of eating the same routine, it was time to switch it up.

Basically, so many options for me to pep myself up and to look forward. There is so much to be happy about and grateful for. Allow yourself to have a meltdown if you feel like that's what needs to happen, some days are just plain shit, and we all have them, then get back on track and remember all the things you have to look forward to!

This week is a much different week, and after this week, next week will probably be even better. But we'll figure that out when we get to it :-)

Happy Wednesday 

x

Words: My Own

Image: Pinterest|My Own

Daydreaming...

 

Images: Pinterest | They All Hate Us



Nuts for the C Nut

 

 

For those that know me, I am rather organised. Appointments go in the iCal, post-its go up at my desk, notes get written on my hand. Shampoo and Conditioner running out? I'll probably stock up when it's halfway through (cos i'm a glass half full kind gal).

 

So last week, organised Nicole woke up with no moisturiser. #firstworldproblems

After years of problem skin, my patient facialist and I have finally found what works, and I'm holdin' on to that for dear life! So with no time-frame to get to said facialist before the weekend, I was in a bit of a bind. I don't wake up, or go to bed at night, without moisturising. So I thought I would take a risk and try out the coconut oil in my cupboard that I have been using to cook my food. To any males reading this...bear with me, this is not a trick post about that time of the month.

 

Hearing for some time about the multi-purpose benefits of coconut oil I considered it an experiment of sorts.

After only a few days of applying this morning and night, I found my skin hydrated, so soft and smooth!

The applying to my face still made me a little nervous, but I am still regularly using this on my body and it is amazing!

 

So after doing a little more research I came across some other really great benefits and uses of coconut oil...

 

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Coconut oil contains short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a "healthy" form of saturated fat compared to trans fat. Trans fatty acid consumption is linked with heart problems, depression and increased cholesterol levels.

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If you suffer from poor digestion or tummy bloating try adding coconut oil to your diet. Coconut oil has been found to benefit digestive disorders including irritable bowel syndrome and microbial related tummy bugs. Fatty acids in coconut oil contain anti microbial properties, which have a soothing effect on bacteria, candida, or parasites that cause poor digestion.

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Coconut oil is made up of healthy fats lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid which contain antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral prosperities to boost the immune system.

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A study reported in the Journal of Nutrition found that coconut oil boosts metabolism. Researchers found that participants who consumed two tablespoons of coconut oil per day burned more kilojoules than those who consumed less. A speedy metabolism helps boost the body's immune system and keep weight off.

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Coconut is not just for your cooking – it's a wonderfully hydrating treat for skin too. It keeps the skin's connective tissues strong, which prevents sagging and wrinkles. Apply coconut oil directly to your skin to soften the appearance of fine lines or use it daily on your face and body for a healthy glow. Be sure you use virgin coconut oil with no additives.

Don’t confuse this with Coconut Cream or you’ll just smell like a really delightful Pina Colada.

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Because coconut oil is a medium-chain saturated fatty acid, it gives it a higher smoking temperature than most polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils. If you're preparing recipes that require high temperatures you should consider coconut oil for this type of cooking. Unlike olive oil which will oxidise at high temperatures, creating free radicals.

 

Words: My Own| Good Health

Image: Pinterest