(Pre) Workout Tips

Here are some workout tips that have nothing to do with the actual working out process. These are more mentality guidelines so as to make the workout… work.

1.  Have a talk…

Before deciding that you are going to work out on Friday for 10 hours straight, so you can shed the extra weight off by Monday, set a realistic goal. Have “a talk” with your body and work with it and not against it; if anything you guys are in this together. What I mean is, cutting your previous lifestyle cold turkey will probably not work. You are the best judge to tell what type of dieting, exercising etc. works for you, so this is a great chance to consciously take into consideration how your body works in terms of food, diet, sleep, energy and whatnot and decide how to best reach your goal. Also, don’t set unhealthy goals, like losing too much weight or following a workout routine that might be unsuitable for you. You should want to get fit and toned for yourself and not to fit other people's expectations.

2. My way… 

How it goes down when I think I "should" work out in the morning

Integrate your workout routine into your lifestyle. If you’re not a morning person, waking up at 6am to run for two hours before having to go to work at 9am, because someone said that working out in the morning is better is not such a good idea. For as long as I can remember, I have never worked out in the morning in my life, because when I don’t have class or work, I use the morning for sleeping. So, if you have free time during another part of the day, use it. Between classes, during your lunch break, after you get home from work… or the morning :P Also, choose a type of workout that fits you: Pilates, running, yoga, spinning class, boxing; there are so many ways to work out and do something you find fun at the same time. Otherwise, you won’t feel like working out and will come up with a million excuses not to do it. 

3. Vice is its own reward…

  

An unhealthy diet can of course be the reason why the gym is your number one New Years’ resolution. And usually losing weight is associated with living off of water and tree leaves. Not really… You don’t need to be unhappy while you’re sweating on the treadmill, just a little more careful about what you eat. Think about what foods make you happy (like, truly happy): I doubt its junk food. So, cut out things that make you feel heavy and tired and with no energy. But don’t stop eating the (even slightly unhealthy) foods that you did enjoy. And in the process of changing your eating habits you will discover foods you hadn’t thought of before that are healthy and absolutely delicious!

 

When I decided to make a conscious effort to eat better and systematically work out (after a diet of burgers, pizza and what I think was burritos on steroids), I stopped eating all the things I would eat to just not starve and actually started to think about what I would like to eat and even learned how to cook a few of my favorite recipes.  However, chocolate spreads, and especially Nutella, make me very happy... and I didn’t want to give up on my favorite vice. I still enjoy a few tablespoons of Nutella – just not every day!

4. Think Oysters

There are certain foods that have been linked with creative and happy people and the number one on that list is oysters. What I mean is that you should be happy and creative with your weight loss or journey to getting more fit and healthy! It won’t happen overnight but if you start this with a positive attitude and an enjoyment of your everyday life, you won’t look at food and think of calories. And if your body asks for junk food, give it what it wants as a treat for working out every day this week! Don't think that one slip has ruined everything - if your body was asking for junk food, it means you needed it! And think of food as something good; it helps to think of what you’re eating as an aid in your weight loss as oppose to an obstacle. And in the process of figuring out what helps your body, you will change the negative things and replace them with positive ones!

When the trend is to count calories even in your sleep, it's easy to feel like you're committing some sort of crime, when all you're doing is eating everything in moderation - and enjoying it while you're at it!

After all, happy people eat not because they need to for survival but for the enjoyment of eating.

Also, take care of yourself in other ways. You might not fit into a size “perfect” yet or look as toned as you would like in order to hit the beach, but that’s not all you’re about, right? Buy yourself a book if you like them or new clothes (that might not be your desired size but they still look nice on you), go out with your friends for a drink or to the movies. Like I said before, don’t let working out restrict your life, it should be fitting into yours!

Good Luck!!

*S

Dont you ever forget

😆

 *A

The Wondrous Uses of Olive Oil - A Greek Beauty Secret

If you didn’t know, olive oil contains healthy fats, which means that they are consumed and burned by the body while actually helping with digestion and healthy food processing. A tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil contain about 45 calories and it is more than enough to add some flavor to your salad, fish, vegetables and meat.

Aside from consumption, olive oil has a lot of beauty uses as well. Below you will find 6 ways that you can use the olive oil in your house to achieve healthy skin, hair and nails among other things!

1. As a makeup remover

 

Even with the most gentle of makeup removers, you might sometimes feel that they are too harsh on your skin. Sometimes you end up using excess product to remove all make up, and you run out faster. Well, olive oil is a lot less expensive than bottles or liquid make up remover and it is a lot less likely to run out :P 

 

 Just add some olive oil to a cosmetic pad or a tissue and begin removing your make up while simultaneously moisturizing your skin. 

On a side note: don’t let the olive oil sit on your skin after removing your make up though. Especially if you have acne prone or oily skin, I would suggest washing your face or exfoliating after using olive oil to remove make up to make sure there is no excess oil on your face.  

2. As a hair conditioner 

 

This is an old remedy passed on between Greek women for generations. When dealing with dry, damaged and coarse hair, the best way to treat it is to use olive oil as a moisturizing mask. Heat up some olive oil in a bowl but make sure it’s not boiling hot. Test it out first. Then, dip the ends of your hair in it and wrap it up in a towel for maximum moisture or let it loose for about 10 minutes. 

It’s best to be doing this while taking a shower mostly because you don’t want to be dripping with olive oil around the house :P You don’t need conditioner if you use this treatment. Use a light shampoo to remove all excess olive oil from your hair so it doesn’t get oily. And there you have it: silky smooth hair with a product from your kitchen!!! The results last 3-4 days depending on how many products you use on your hair or how much you process it (straightening, curling, blow drying etc.) 

3. As a stretch mark treatment 

 

Even if you are skinny, you can still get stretch marks. These don’t just come from rapid weight loss or weight gain; it also has to do with your skin’s elasticity and genetic making. But don’t worry; there are things you can do in order to treat stretch your existing stretch marks or to prevent others from appearing. Olive oil is a natural moisturizer and is high in ingredients that can make your stretch marks fade! It won’t tighten your skin though. 

Other natural ways to treat stretch marks include using products high in Vitamin E, Hohoba Oil or Coconut Oil.

4. As a damaged skin treatment

Instead of buying a cuticle cream to treat your hands or a foot cream to treat cracked and damaged ankles or toes, use olive oil for both of these cases! The same result can be achieved again with Vitamin E oil or Hohoba oil but again, I think Olive Oil is a lot more accessible and it’s more likely to be found in the house. 

5. As treatment for the face

Perhaps this isn’t a good suggestion for people with heavy acne problems that are seeking medical assistance to treat their acne but for mild acne scars, olive oil can assist in the healing. You’re not supposed to bathe your face in olive oil, you rather spot treat the areas where you detect acne scars. Another thing to note is that olive oil will not make scars disappear overnight but rather assist in the natural process of the body reconstructing the damaged skin. 

Here are also some DIY facial mask ideas with olive oil that you can make in your own kitchen!

 Honey and Olive oil face AND hair mask

 You will need:

- 1/2-1 tablespoons of honey

- ½ tablespoon of olive oil 

- 2 tablets of common aspirin (if you're going to use this on your face. It's also better that the aspirins are not coated for better dissolving with the other liquids)

 

Mix the ingredients and let it sit on your face/hair for 20-30 minutes.

Egg Yolk, honey and olive oil face mask 

You will need:

 

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 egg yolk

Leave the mixture on your face until it's dry. This mask is great for dry skin or if you live in a dry environment.

6. As an exfoliator

Two other ingredients on your kitchen counter you can use with olive oil for another DIY are sugar and salt. Add an even ratio of sugar/salt and olive oil and you have your very own homemade scrub that will instantly illuminate your skin and remove the dead skin sells effectively!

Enjoy :)

*S 

Pimple Treatment - The Unexpected Zit

...And then you saw it. It came uninvited, unannounced and most certainly unwanted. The all mighty, annoying and sometimes huge… the unexpected zit. 

Lucky for us people who still have to deal with the unexpected zit even in our adult lives where you would hope that things like Clearasil and pimples would be a thing of the past, beauty science has come up with some effective ways to deal with said zit and maybe only have to bear with it for a quick period of 24 hours.

First of all, I would love to say that the best advice I have would be to not try to pop it, but I never could keep myself from doing so and so I had to find other ways to fix the damage. But, please, if you do decide to pop the zit make sure your hands are clean and you use napkins and not your nails. You will most likely scar your skin if you do.

So, below are three different ways I have found are best in dealing with the unexpected zit.

   Gel: A gel made for spot treating is great if you only want to treat one area. Neutrogena’s Rapid Clear Sore Pimple Gel is my suggestion; you apply a bit of product to cover the infected area, after you’ve cleansed your skin, wait for it to dry and go about your day. It’s best that you use this gel before going to sleep and let it work throughout the night. You will wake up with clear skin or with a much reduced-in-size pimple.

       
And, of course, this gel contains salicylic acid, which I am convinced by now is the answer to any acne problem. P.s this product is not just suited for sore and red pimples; it works for the ones that look kind of “bumpy” as well.

 

    Ice: This is a good option for a sore and red pimple because the cold will reduce both the soreness and the redness. After cleansing and toning the skin, take an ice cube and place it on the infected area. Don’t hold it there, lift it from the pimple and place it again. Check to see how your skin is reacting, if it’s hurting too much, don’t try this method. 

  

    

    Mask: The last option is to use one of the masks you might already have but instead use it as a spot treatment. Whatever mask you may be using, they all aim to give you the same result: better looking, even skin tone. In my experience, a clay mask is great for this because the way clay works is that it draws the toxins out of the skin. Also, clay as a substance is very drying, so when using it as a mask it would dry and "de-puff" the pimple. Clay also removes oiliness and dirt from the skin so overall it’s a great option for spot treatment.

      

    You don't have to use a particular type of clay. I have been using a brand with green clay for years now, but white and red clay work just as well!!!

 

    Happy pimple treating ^^

    *S