How you can prepare for Pregnancy

If you have the luxury of planning for your pregnancy, here are some helpful tips to get ready for pregnancy.

Visit your Doctor or Midwife

It’s a good idea to visit with your Doctor or midwife before you try to get pregnant to discuss relevant medical concerns, your pregnancy plan, and answer any questions you may have. If there is any health concerns, they will be able to help you prepare your body for Pregnancy.

Healthy eating habits

You shouldn’t be on a “diet” per se while you are pregnant, but before, during, and after your pregnancy you should have a healthy, balanced diet. If you are eating a lot of fried or sugary foods, you should start eliminating them out of your regular eating habits as soon as possible. You should focus on eating healthy food, not only fuel for your own body, but nutrients that will help develop a healthy baby too.

Prenatal Vitamins

During your pregnancy it’s crucial to have the right amount of vitamins and minerals in your body so that your baby gets the nutrients he/she needs in order to develop. Ideally, you should take Prenatal vitamins at least 6 weeks before you get pregnant. doing this,  you will be able to build up what your own body may be lacking in vitamins and minerals, and may help prepare your body for your developing baby. Folic acid is one of the many nutrients you will need which is found in Prenatal vitamins, and is  crucial to take – especially in the early stages of pregnancy – to prevent birth defects.

Work out

It’s healthy for you and for your baby to be fit before you get pregnant and to stay fit during your pregnancy. Of course,  you will want to make sure you aren’t doing anything too intense while you are pregnant because you don’t want to compromise your baby’s health. It’s not a bad idea to speak with your Doctor or Midwife about what type of exercise is appropriate for you.

Quit those bad habits!

Before you even try to get pregnant, you should stop smoking and drinking alcohol. You don’t want to wait until you have a confirmation that you are pregnant because in most cases, you don’t know you are pregnant until you are 4 weeks along already. As you may already know, consuming alcohol and smoking are extremely harmful to your baby during pregnancy and even after they are born – ever heard of second-hand smoke? Don’t allow your baby to suffer from something they have no control over.

I know it will be hard to stop drinking alcohol and/or stop smoking…but it will benefit you and your family in the long run, and I promise that you won’t regret it when your healthy baby comes!

Labor and Delivery

It’s always good to start with a plan of how you are going to have your baby delivered. Educated yourself on what to expect, what your choices are, and what’s best for you and your baby. If you are planning to get pregnant, or are already pregnant, I recommend watching a documentary called “The Business of Being Born“. It’s controversial and I love it because it will at least give you the other side of the story when it comes to having a baby. I feel that all soon-to-be Moms should at least know about natural births and the benefit that comes from them.

Tags: Baby, Business of Being Born, diet, doctor, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, healthy baby, healthy pregnancy, labor and delivery, midwife, minerals, no alcohol, nutrients, Pregnancy, Prenatal, prenatal pills, prenatal vitamins, stop smoking, vitamins, workout

Gym Etiquette guidelines to follow

Whether you are new to the gym or a seasoned gym rat, here are some common gym etiquette guidelines that you should be sure to follow:

•No muddy shoes on gym floor – you are sharing this gym with a lot of people, and nobody wants a dirty gym.  In most cases, the gym will provide a rug for you to wipe off your shoes.

•Must wear gym shoes while exercising – typically, you will not be allowed to exercise wearing  sandals, slippers or flip flops. This is obviously for safety reasons, and should be followed.

•No gym bags on gym floor – It’s never fun tripping over someone else’s gym bag just after you had an intense workout. Most gyms will have a policy in place to keep gym bags off of the floor, which is for everyone’s safety.

•No alcohol, smoking, or drugs allowed on premises – this should be an obvious, but it still must be mentioned!

•No offensive or abusive language – you are exercising around a lot of people, and should respect the fact that others will not want to hear your offensive language.

• Don’t talk my ears off! – Most people want to go to the gym to exercise rather than engage in social hour. Nothing’s worst than having to listen to someone else’s conversation about anything and everything for your entire workout. Respect the fact that other people are around you and don’t want to hear about your problems. If it’s just you and your friend at the gym, that’s another story. Then again…how can you have a successful workout if you are talking the whole time?

•Before changing TV stations, see if others are watching the TV or not – It’s OK to change the TV channel only
if nobody else is watching the channel that is currently on. If you change the TV channel without prior approval, it’s just plain rude.

•Share equipment – allow others to use the equipment during your rest period. Unless the equipment has your name on it,  you have to share.

•Share the lane – If your gym has a pool, be sure to share the lane with others. Just because you got there first, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share the lane.

•Stop working out on a defective machine – If you are on an elliptical machine that keeps squeaking like crazy, get off and get onto a new machine. This is respectful to those around you who don’t want to hear the squeaking, and respectful to the gym so that they can have the machine repaired for future use.

•Return weights to the racks or plate trees after use – This is necessary for several reasons: 1) Everyone wants a clean gym rather than having weights laying around 2) You are sharing the equipment, and having a standard location to find the free weights makes sense

Now that you know the appropriate Gym Etiquette, you are ready to hit the gym!

Tags: equipment, etiquette, exercising, Fitness, gym, gym rules, machine, share, shoes

Get rid of Acne – Naturally!

Acne is one of those horrible things that seems to haunt us during our teen years. Finally, here’s some information teens and adults can put to use for clear and healthy skin!

Get rid of Acne

What actually causes acne? This is a great debate, and you can have acne for several reasons. Here are some common causes of Acne, and how you can get rid of it.

•Wash your face before you go to bed – This seems like an obvious technique to prevent and get rid of acne, but it must be said! If you want to get rid of acne, you must wash your face before you go to bed, especially if you wear make-up. When you wash your face with your cleanser, rinse your face with warm water (this opens up your pores and gets rid of the make-up and dirt on your face), then splash your face again with cold water. You want to end with cold water since it will tighten your pores and prevent your pores from being exposed to dirt, make-up, and other bacteria – all which would cause breakouts.

•Stop touching your face –  Whether you realize it or not, you are probably touching your face a lot throughout the day. First order of business here is to stop touching your face! Your hands are not as clean as you may think, and when you constantly touch your face to either ease a scratch or move your bangs out of your eyes – all of this causes pimples.

•Workout with shower afterwards – Working out is a great way to get rid of toxins in your body by sweating. This is something that can actually help you get rid of acne. The problem comes when you sweat and don’t shower afterwards. Be sure to take a shower afterwards rather than hitting the sofa for a quick snooze!

•It may be the make up – Not all make up is created equal. Depending on what type of foundation you are using, your acne might just be
from the make-up that you are using. Be sure to look for a foundation that is either “oil-free” or “non comedogenic”. If you are able to, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go a day or two without any foundation make-up at all. Perfect excuse to stay in on a Saturday and watch chick flicks with the girls. By doing this, you are giving your face a break from your make-up, which can help you clear up your skin.

•Don’t Stress! – I hear that many people link stressful situations with acne. Don’t stress about it, and stop worrying about it. It won’t make your acne go away. Focus on the positive, and imagine yourself with clear skin.  Acne isn’t the end of the world, and there are natural ways to help you get rid of it. That’s why I am writing this post in the first place.

•Drink lots of water – Water is a natural, zero calorie way to cleanse your body. Be sure that you are drinking enough water every day. A habit that is good for you – inside and out!

•It’s your eating habits - This is the most understated cause for acne. A lot of people may feel that your eating habits have nothing to do with your acne, and unfortunately, they are just plain wrong!

“Diet plays a big part in your skin. Your skin is your biggest organ, so if you are polluting your body with bad food, your skin will be the representative of those bad habits” says Sabrina Lytle, Aesthetician and owner of Ambrosia Lashes.

Food has more to do with your acne than you realize. Avoid a diet that will increase the insulin levels in your body. Basically, avoid processed sugars and all grain carbohydrates (which just turn into sugar). Yes, if you want to get rid of your acne, you need to stop eating candy, chocolate, cereals, bread, pasta, corn, rice, and potatoes. Be sure to get carbohydrates through vegetables, since your body needs carbohydrates – now you will just have a healthier version of it. Once you have gotten rid of your acne, you can slowly incorporate those foods back into your diet, but in limited quantities. Always choose the healthier version, if there is one. Choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate, or brown rice over white rice.

Do it Yourself

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and cheap at-home regimine for skin care, Sabrina Lytle says to “Mix salt and lemon juice and do a light skin scrub. Afterward, take RAW honey and put a light layer on your skin and leave on for about 20 minutes. Raw honey has many antioxidants and properties that are very helpful to use on skin that has acne or irritation caused from a sensitivity to products”.

What NOT to do!

•Antibiotics - This may get rid of the acne, but it also gets rid of a lot of healthy bacteria in your body too! Plus, once you stop taking the medication, your acne comes back. Isn’t it just better to get rid of the root cause in the first place?

•Birth Control Pills - Trying to get rid of acne isnt a reason to start taking birth control pills. Birth control pills have synthetic hormones, and the long term side effects aren’t worth the clear skin in the end.

•Salicylic Acid – This is the main ingredient in Aspirin. When did acne become so bad that you needed to take a drug to get rid of it? Yes, acne can get pretty bad, but there are natural, healthy solutions to solving this issue. Taking a drug isn’t one of them.

•Benzoyl Peroxide - Many people are tricked into believing that this is the miracle acne cure. Unfortunately, these “reputable” sources don’t tell you that it will dry out your skin, increase redness and irritation on your face, and won’t actually get rid of the problem. The company wants you to keep buying their product for more than just a one time use.

Good luck with your clear skin endeavors – remember to be patient (try!), and get rid of your acne – naturally! You will be happy you did!

Tags: acne, antibiotic, benzoyl peroxide, birth control pill, Cleanse, diet, eating, face, make-up, natural, pimple, salicylic acid, shower, stress, wash, water, workout

I want to be Deprived Of…

A lot of people wonder why I am even trying to be healthier.  People will actually wonder why I am making a conscious effort to change some bad eating habits of mine. Hey, I am not perfect with my eating and exercising habits.  I am not claiming to be perfect, but I DO want to try my hardest to improve my overall Health.  My question to those who question my motives is “Why not?” There really isn’t anything to lose by improving your health, except for maybe a couple of things you just don’t want anyways.

“Living a healthy lifestyle will only deprive you of poor health, lethargy, and fat.”

-Jill Johnson

I want to be deprived of Poor Health, Lethargy, and excess Fat!

♥Twinkie

Tags: beneficial, deprived, eat healhy, eating habits, exercise, fat, healthier, Healthy, healthy habits, lethargy, Lose Weight, Organic, Perfect, poor health, quote, Skinny Tips & Quotes

3 Easy Tips on how to be Healthier today

You can be skinny in a number of different ways. To narrow it down, you can become Skinny by doing unhealthy things to your body (diet pills, drugs, anorexic, etc), or you can become Skinny by being Healthy (excercise, eating healthy, etc).  I try to focus my efforts on being healthy, which in the end is what is going to help my body resist deseases, illness, fatigue, depression- and be “Skinny”.

From my own observations, here are a couple of things you can get in the habit of, to help you become more healthy.

1) Replace your Soda with Water

The average 12 oz can of regular Soda has about 150 calories in it. Multiply that by how many cans of soda you drink aday, and it adds up. Even if you are drinking “diet” soda with 0 calories, that doesn’t make it healthy for you. Swap the Soda and other sugary drinks like juice for water. Your body will thank you.

2) Park your car far away from the store

Get some more walking in your day! Europeans are known for walking a lot, and Americans need to get in this habit as well. Walking is easy on the knees and body, so if you are physically able to, try to make excuses to walk more. Make sure with your added walking, you are wearing comfortable shoes that support your feet. This will not only be better for your body and it’s posture, it will help prevent aches and pains with your added walking and will help encourage more walking.  Every extra step counts!

3) Eat out less or not at all

Practically all fast food and restraunts are breeding ground to loads of saturated fats, oils, excessive sugars, and unhealthy sized portions. When you prepare food at home, you get to have more control on what you are putting into your body. Try to use Coconut oil rather than Vegetable Oil, use Honey or Agave to sweeten your foods rather than using  Sugar or Aspartame, and try to eat plenty of vegetables and smaller portions of meat on your plate.

You can start small. Start with these 3 simple steps that can help you in a big way.

Tags: agave, coconut oil, drink water, Healthy, honey, Lose Weight, Skinny, soda, vegetables, veggies, walking, Weight Loss