Five Ways to Stay Hydrated During the Summer Months

When we are laughing and playing in the sun we don’t think of much else. But, even if you don’t think about anything else, remember that keeping up your fluid intake is important. Learn to stay hydrated during the hot months of the year.

The heat of the sun feels good on your skin. The summer months are a time to get outdoors and breathe the fresh air and have a bit of fun. Some people don’t pay attention to the weather when it is warm. If it were raining or storming, umbrellas would go up and people would drive slower.

In the heat, we should also take care. There are many heat-related deaths each year. And, it’s not only the elderly and children that have to be careful. Anyone can be affected by too much heat and too little fluids.

So, if you need to be outside, remember to keep some form of hydration close at hand.

Five Ways to Stay Hydrated During the Summer Months:

1. Drink water before, during and after a workout – When the weather gets warm, you’ll lose even more fluid through sweat during a workout, indoors or out. Drink at least two or three glasses of water before a workout and eight ounces for each 15 minutes that you exercise. Afterwards, recharge those cells with another glass or two of water. It quenches your thirst like no other drink.

2. Eat fresh fruit – Fruit has high water content. It is one way to increase your intake of fluids, especially if you don’t like drinking a lot of water. For a treat, freeze a fruit, like grapes, and then munch on them as a cooler when hanging out outdoors.

3. Avoid drinks that steal water from your body – One thing to avoid is drinking caffeine and alcohol. Both can dehydrate your body. If you want something more than water, try using drink mix sticks or lemon and a sprig of mint.

4. Have a sports drink after heavy prolonged exercise – The body doesn't just lose water but also electrolytes. Too much heat without replenishment of sodium and potassium can lead to an electrolyte imbalance in the tissues, which is serious. Choose a drink that is low on sugar but high in the electrolytes that you need.

5. Drink throughout the day – Even if you are not participating in organized activity, you are still moving around outdoors so the heat can affect you. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. It can also help you eat less. Most of the time when we eat, it is not actually hunger but thirst that we suffer from.

Water is important to every living thing and that includes you. During warm weather, stay hydrated.

{summer stock photo by www.pixmac.com}


Now it's YOUR turn: How do you like to stay hydrated during the warmer weather? Share your tips with us in the comments!

Drinking Tea Can Have Several Health Benefits

Image courtesy of sakhorn38 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although experts are divided on exactly how healthy natural teas are, there is no doubt that drinking tea has some health benefits.

For example, green tea shares all the health benefits that are thought to come from black tea, except in a more effective form, as the tea is fresher. Tea can help reduce your chances of getting heart disease by up to half, as well as fight dental plaque and cavities (although it will also stain your teeth if you don't make sure to drink plenty of water and brush regularly, so watch out!).

Drinking tea can help you to burn calories because your body has to cool down the hot drink once you drink it, that in itself takes energy. Tea often burns more calories than it contains which means  that natural teas can potentially help you to lose weight if you drink enough of it.

Not only can drinking natural flavored teas help you with weight management, here are a few other added health benefits to keep in mind:

• Chamomile tea is known to help calm the nerves
• Sweet Hibiscus tea helps aid heart health
• Sweet 10 Blossoms tea helps with your bodies digestion
• Sweet Cinnamon Tea can help give your body a boost of energy
• Sweet Green Tea with Mango is filled with antioxidants {antioxidants help prevent certain health issues and diseases}
• Black Tea is known to help reduce some symptoms of heart disease and may even help to keep blood cholesterol levels from rising

After listing these few health benefits from adding tea to your diet, you may be wondering where you can find some of these natural teas. Allow me to assist you with that.

Recently, I had the chance to try out a few specialty teas from a new Hispanic tea company known as Te Tiempo.

Te Tiempo specializes in producing naturally sweet herb infused teas. These delicious specialty teas are not only easy to prepare, the tea is infused with such a heightened level of sweet herb flavor, that there is no need to add any sugar to your cup of tea. This is especially important to those of us who are currently working on maintaining their weight.

Te Tiempo teas contain zero calories without compromising the taste or flavor.

To give you an idea of how you can prepare these teas, take a look at this recipe we shared on our food website - Sweet Hibiscus Lime Sweet Tea.

For more additional information about Te Tiempo tea products please visit their website: www.tetiempo.com


Now it's YOUR turn: Were you aware of all the health benefits that can be achieved by drinking tea? Which flavor tea from Te Tiempo would you like to try? Let us know in the comments!


Disclosure: This post was made possible by our sponsors, Te Tiempo. We received two complimentary tins of tea for review. All opinions stated in this post are 100% my own. To see a detailed disclosure for this website, please refer to our Disclosure Policy page at the top of this article. Thank you.

5 Simple Tips To Fix 5 Mistakes We Almost All Make When We Put On Makeup

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Have you ever been putting on your makeup and when everything is going well, you suddenly make a mistake that ruins all of your effort? Have you had to take off your makeup some time because, without meaning to, you've ruined your makeup? Surely you have; it happens to all of us.

In today's makeup post, you will find five of the most common mistakes and the best tips to quickly fix them without having to take off all of your makeup...


"I'VE PUT ON TOO MUCH FOUNDATION"
This is a very common mistake that we all make when we put on makeup. If you are totally made up, to take off any excess foundation, do the following:

Lightly moisten a clean sponge with water (the sponge should be almost dry and without any makeup residue) and sponge all of your face with downward movements.

TIP: It's very important, most of all, to avoid excess foundation and concealer around the eyes. To eliminate any excess in this area, perform the same step and afterwards use your fingertips to softly blur the product in that area.

"MY EYESHADOW LOOKS TOO DARK"
If you've put on too much eyeshadow, or it looks too dark, follow these steps to quickly fix the problem:

If it happened on your upper eyelid, blur the eyeshadow toward the edges with a clean brush to reduce the color. If it still looks very dark, apply a little bit of matte cream eyeshadow with a brush (if you don't have cream eyeshadow, you can use translucent powder) and blur the eyeshadow.

If it happened on the lower part of your eye, use a fine, clean brush to blur, or pat it softly with a Q-tip.

If as you were blurring, you've left the contour of the eyelid and the shadow looks very dark, blur it with a clean sponge and afterwards apply a little bit of foundation, patting lightly to fix the foundation.

"I'VE PUT ON TOO MUCH BLUSH"
If you applied too much blush, try the following tip:

Stroke your cheek with a thick, loose powder bush the brush should be completely clean. If you still have too much blush on, apply translucent or clear powder with the same brush, just over the blush. That way the two powders should mix, clarifying the original color.

"I'VE PUT TOO MUCH MAKEUP ON MY EYEBROWS"
When we put too much makeup on our eyebrows, we look harsh and we can't even recognize ourselves. Follow the following tip to quickly solve this:

Simply brush the eyebrow with a clean Q-tip, going against the grain of your eyebrow. You will see how quickly the color you initially applied disappears.

"I'VE SMEARED MASCARA ON MY EYELID"
That's all right. Just follow these next steps and you'll see how you can quickly fix the problem:


Continue applying makeup and when you have finished, allowing enough time for the mascara to dry, apply a Q-tip right over the smudge. You'll see how it quickly disappears and you don't need to remove the makeup from your whole eye.

TIP: A good trick to avoid smudging yourself is applying makeup first to your inferior eyelashes and then to the superior.


Now it's YOUR turn:  Do you have any makeup tips you want to share? Let us know in the comments!

DIY Beautifying Smoothies for Healthier Hair, Skin and Hydration

It's been a while since we last shared a do-it-yourself beauty post, so we wanted to get back on track by sharing not one but three different do-it-yourself beauty recipes. Yes, you read that correctly - three new beautifying smoothie recipes.

Warning: These are not going to be the usual recipes; these beauty elixirs are from one of Hollywood's hottest Nutritionists, Kimberly Snyder, who shared these with the editing team at OK magazine.

Are you ready to see what smoothies are recommended for our hair, skin and hydration?

First up: Stronger Healthier Hair

A green smoothie like the one below packs a week's worth of veggies in one single serving. How long does it take before the results are noticeable?  According to the article, it's said that skin will appear more vibrant after one week, and both hair and nails are healthier after one month of drinking this green smoothie. Not that bad, huh?

The Glowing Green Smoothie

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 head organic, romaine lettuce, chopped
• 3-4 stalks organic celery
• 1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach
• 1 organic apple, cored and chopped
• 1 organic pear, cored and chopped
• 1/3 bunch organic cilantro
• 1/3 bunch organic parsley
• 1 organic banana
• Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon

Add water and chopped head of romaine to blender. Blend at low speed until smooth. Add in celery, apple and pear - blend on high speed. Add in cilantro and parsley. Finish by adding in banana and lemon juice.

Next up: Smooth Radiant Skin

This smoothie has one super food that is essential for our skin's health: the Acai Berry. The Acai Berry has a very high content of omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and fiber.

Rain-forest Acai Smoothie

• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 packet frozen acai
• 1 tbsp. raw cacao (this ingredient is optional)
• Stevia to taste
• 1/2 avocado (this is also optional)

Using a blender, blend the acai and almond milk at low speed until you have broken down the acai, then move to a higher speed. Once the liquid is smooth, add in the cacao and Stevia. Add the avocado to make this smoothie into a much denser snack or have this for dessert.

Lastly: Hydration and Added Antioxidants

The essential ingredient to this smoothie is the chia seed. These little seeds provide antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. It is also said that the seed is capable of absorbing 10 times their weight in water which will help keep you hydrated all day long.

Power Protein Smoothie

• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or water
• 1/4 cup hemp or brown rice protein powder
• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 frozen acai smoothie packet
• liquid Stevia to sweeten
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add the almond milk and or water to the blender first, then add in all the remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.

In my opinion, I think I prefer the fruit smoothies over the Green Smoothie. Although, I am looking forward to trying the Glowing Green Smoothie, I am just not completely sure how I will react to this mix of veggies. One detail that I can point out is that most of the ingredients needed for these beauty recipes can be easily found in the organic/natural section of most grocery stores; if that is not the case in your local area, then I would suggest perhaps visiting a specialty store, such as Trader Joe's instead.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at our related post - Are you up for a 3-Day Detox Cleanse? {HERE}

Now it's YOUR turn: Which beautifying smoothie recipe are you willing to try? Let us know in the comments!

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90-Day Creative BioScience Beauty Challenge - Day 1

Happy Monday Beauties & Fashion-istas! I hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend along with the hot summer weather... 

As promised, I wanted to share a quick post with you in regards to a previous post where I told you about a 90-day beauty challenge that I am going to be participating in sponsored by Creative Bioscience.

You can read the entire introduction post here

I finally received my package of the African Mango Lean dietary supplements. There were two bottles in the package each containing 60 capsules. The capsules are quite large, however, I did manage to take one capsule this morning with an eight ounce glass of iced tea with no problems.

According to the bottle, the correct daily dosage is two capsules, but since this is my first day, I thought I would just take one to see how my body reacts to it. Most likely, I will continue to only take one daily for my first few days then if there are no issues (which I highly doubt that there will be) I will move on to taking two capsules in the morning as directed.

Enclosed with the bottles, was a small brochure detailing the "diet instructions". This regimen is quite simple to follow. You can choose from two plans: 800 Calorie Plan or 1200 Calorie Plan. (as seen below)

I have chosen the 1200 calorie diet. I believe this would be the best option for me at this point. I don't do well on less than 1000 calories; not to mention my family would not be able to handle me if I am under fed!

Now, my favorite part of this 90-day beauty challenge: Allowed Foods (as seen below)

The foods that are allowed are nothing out of the ordinary:

• For protein, instead of the entire egg, only whites are allowed.
• Appears to be that most fruits and veggies are okay;
• Grains allowed are oat-bran and melba toast;
• Lean dairy speaks for itself which is just fine because we only drink skim milk; 
• Spices and seasonings have no limits; as for sweeteners it is recommended to use either Stevia or Sweet'N'Low.
• Beverages - water and black coffee are allowed which means I don't have to give up my caffeine! Huge bonus!

Over all as you can see, this beauty challenge does not appear to be that complicated. I am hopeful that with a little determination and meal planning, the end results should be what I am expecting. But, like the saying goes: "Only time will tell."

Now it's your turn: After reading this information, what are your thoughts? Would you be able to comply with this dietary regimen? Is there anything that you would change?

Please share your thoughts in the comments. I am excited to continue this convo with all of you! As mentioned, today is my first day on this program, so please stay tuned as I will be providing updates as I continue forward with this challenge.

Anti-aging Foods for Beautiful Skin

photo credit: ghetty images 

Every woman today does it. Some women go to extremes when they do it. Other women dream of having the sources at their disposal so they can do it.

Do you have an idea as to what every women does that makes us all have this one thing in common?

The answer is simple: Every woman at one point or another, are on a personal quest to stop the effects of aging.

Yes, we are all guilty of "doing it". Some women spend money trying to reclaim their youth by going "under the knife". Not to say that I am against it because I am not. I will say that I am in the group of women that would much rather turn to less abrasive methods than the knife. Why? Easy, you hardly ever end up looking as beautiful after surgery then the way you looked before it! That is of course, my personal opinion.

Okay, so how can we stop or at least slow down the inevitable aging process?

I am not a doctor or a know it all, but I do read a lot. I have found that much of what we consume on a daily basis will either do us good, or do us harm. Well, we all know that, right? But what foods in particular are we talking about? 

I came across an email late last night from eatingwell.com  One of the websites writers, Brierley Wright, wrote an article that grabbed my attention, "Anti-aging Foods for your skin". In her article, Brierley listed six (6) foods that can be beneficial in helping us retain youthful looking skin.

Here is the list of foods:

1. strawberries

2. tomatoes

3. tofu

4. tuna

5. coffee

6. cocoa

Are you surprised? Out of the six foods, I was aware of two: strawberries and cocoa. I had no clue that coffee could be considered as good for our skin! Did you?

When I look at this list of foods it appears to be that this is an easier, and cheaper way of consuming "anti-aging" ingredients that could help nourish our skin rather than sitting in a cold sterile room waiting to get sliced and diced by a plastic surgeon! Not to mention the fact that, most of us probably do not have that kind of disposable income for surgeries - but it would be nice!

Wouldn't you agree?

Now it's your turn: What's your take on anti-aging? Would you rather seek medical intervention? or perhaps go the "natural" route? Please share your thoughts, inquiring minds would like to know...


To read the entire article written by Brierley Wright, please visit eatingwell.com

A Month on 4X PRO-B - Practicing #DigestiveCare

During the first week of March, I shared news with all of you about the changes I started to make towards living a more healthy lifestyle. The first change I did was deciding to take care of my "digestive" health. How? By drinking a pro-biotic supplement called 4X PRO-B.

Honestly speaking, it has now been a little over thirty (30) days since I started taking the pill. For the first week, the progress was not that visible. Not to say that it was not working because it definitely was. I could tell that I had lost in inches more than weight per-say. But the biggest change was the regularity of my digestive system. That was exactly what I needed!

Now, that I could feel the changes that were happening with my digestive health, I then took it up a notch. I started to change the way I eat. As a caterer, this can be my downfall but I was not about to give in! There was NO way I was going to let myself think that just by taking the 4X PRO-B was going to suffice.

Therefore, I started to prepare healthier versions of our favorite foods: 

Egg White Parmesan & Cinnamon Raisin Breakfast Sammie

Pork with Caramelized Onions on a bed of Bib Lettuce

Homemade Fresh Peach Ice Cream - Delicious!

Another change my familia chose to do was to take advantage of the warm weather we have been experiencing in Gahanna by walking to the park and playing basketball together.

My Dear Husband, Alex, and I walking to the park

My Husband and Lil Diva - She had just tried to get the basketball in the hoop!

During the day, however, since I am blessed to be able to have my office at home, I try to take a few minutes in the morning to exercise using my workout DVD's and work out bands.

Here is the most recent workout DVD I have purchased - I love working out to Gold Gym

In conclusion, let me just say that I am very satisfied with the 4X PRO-B. I highly recommend incorporating this probiotic into your healthy eating routine.  The product does exactly as it claims: "Promotes gastrointestinal health & digestive system balance"..."When taken daily, this product helps maintain digestive health with active probiotic bacteria"... I can assure you, these statements are 100% true!

These are only a few of the benefits of taking 4X PRO-B, for more detailed product information - go to costco.com

If you are curious to see where you can purchase your very own box of 4X PRO-B, do not worry, I have you completely covered! Take a closer look at my google+ shopping story.

Again, trust me when I tell you: Taking 4X PRO-B will do your body some good!

For more information please visit costco.com / Costco Facebook Page

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias However, ALL photos and opinions are 100% my own

Mini Detoxes For Everyday Living

photo credit

Spring is in the air...We can hear the birds chirping happily during the morning hours...Our moods are slowly becoming more uplifting... Now is the time to take hold of the "springing-forward" momentum.

But how? Small changes over time can prove to be much more effective than trying to make drastic changes all at once.

Here are a few simple "Mini Detoxes" Ideas to get us started:

For Your Mind: Right about one hour before your bedtime - turn off all of your electronic devices. This means your computer, smart phone, Ipad - everything!

For Your Closet: Pick a day or evening to dedicate to this mini detox. Go through your closet - Select every piece of clothing that you haven't worn in months, pieces that make you feel "less than awesome" and get rid of them! You can choose to donate the clothes, or if they are in good condition, sell them on Ebay. But get rid of it!

For Your Bathroom Cabinet: Take a close look at all the cosmetics, medicine, lotions - check the expiration dates on these. Throw out anything that is past their time.

TIP: Most of us tend to hang on to our makeup way past their prime. Here is a general guideline to use in order to make sure we are not applying expired makeup on our faces:

• Cream eye shadows: 12 months
• Powder eye shadows: up to 2 years
• Eye liner (pencil): 12 months
• Eye liner (liquid): 3-6 months
• Mascara: 1-3 months
• Lip liner: 12 months
• Lipstick: up to 2 years
• Lip gloss: 18 months
• Cream to powder: 12 months
• Powder: up to 2 years
• Blush: up to 2 years
• Cream blush: 12 months Cream foundation: 18 months
• Liquid foundation (oil free): 12 months
• Concealer: 12 months

Note: These timelines would begin when the item is purchased.

Your Diet: Try to prepare whole foods - basically try to eliminate any type of processed can ingredients from your meals. Try to eat more fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains.

As you can see, just by making a few small changes, mini detoxes can really help us feel better as we move forward into the warmer seasons.

Now It's Your Turn: Do you have any "mini detoxes" you like to do in order to get ready for the spring and summer months?

Practicing #DigestiveHealth Using 4X Pro-B

During the earlier weeks of February I was given an opportunity to participate in a project revolving around the issue of digestive care. I was (and still am) ecstatic. I was literally “gun-ho”, thinking of all the changes I could make to improve my health and well being.

As part of this project, I was mailed a 21 day supply of 4X Pro-B. Here is what one week supply looks like packaged.

If you are not too familiar with this product, don’t worry I will explain. The 4x Pro-B is a natural probiotic, “a live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit”, that has four strains of natural bacteria that is beneficial in stimulating a healthy digestive routine. In addition, taking probiotics also contributes to support immune system function.

If you read that and seemed to be shocked or slightly disgusted, please don’t be. Did you know that probiotics are consumed everyday without you even know it? Yes, this is true.

Probiotics can be found in some brands of yogurt, soy yogurt and even in certain dietary supplements. So consuming probiotics is not that strange as one would think. Personally, I was a little taken back but once I started taking my daily dose – I could feel the benefits!

It has now been exactly 25 days since I started this project. I take my pill once in the morning – then continue on with my day as normal.

At first, I thought to myself that it would probably take the entire 21 days + before seeing any kind of results, but was I wrong! I noticed changes in my body after the first week. I felt lighter. I could tell that I had lost a few pounds – mostly water weight but pounds lost are pounds lost!

As the second and third weeks have gone by, I can tell that inches have come off my waist line. Pants that were hard to button are not hard to wear anymore. Taking the probiotic once a day has definitely made a huge difference in how I go about my day. Along with this natural supplement, I have made a few changes in my eating habits, I have been trying to work out daily, and overall be more active.

Sometimes this can prove to be a challenge, especially in my case being that my office is in my house – where I have complete access to my kitchen ALL day. One thing I can say is that, the probiotic has put a curve into my appetite. I don’t have those afternoon sweet treats anymore. I am able to have to have my three main meals – breakfast, lunch, dinner – and a snack.

I have been preparing healthier foods as well. Eating a healthy balanced meal goes hand in hand with this type of supplement. I mean, it would not make sense to eat nothing but greasy, fatty foods thinking that the probiotic will take care of the excess fat – it does not work that way. I wish!

To give you an idea of the type of dishes I have been preparing for myself and family please look at these few recipes I have posted on Latin Cooking Diva  – All of them are less than 400 calories!

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Strawberry Banana Nutella Crepes
Empanada Pie 
Collard Greens & White Bean Spaghetti 
Vegan Pancakes

For my workout routines, which I prefer to do in the morning right after breakfast, I have been doing a number of workouts. I do cardio, Pilates and Yoga.

I am the type of lady that likes to have variety in my workout routine – I do this to keep the activity fresh and exciting – I get bored fairly easy. But, switching DVD's has been an enormous help.

Another thing I do which I believe has helped me with this project is that I tend to wear my sneakers through out the entire day.

My wonderful husband bought them for me months ago, but they help with toning my lower body – even when I am not working out. It’s like they say: “every little bit – helps”.

You may be wondering where the 4X Pro-B can be purchased, well I have ordered my very first supply from Costco.com. It was super easy, the site is very informative, and you can easily compare this brand with others to see how they differ from one another.

I was able to put together a slide-show of my online shopping experience on my google+ page

For even more information on 4X Pro-B and Costco please visit their facebook page

This is not the end of this project journey – this is only the beginning. Please join me during the entire month of March, where we will talk more about health, exercising, as well continuing this topic of #digestivecare with a second future post.

*this shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias..Please Note: All photos and opinions are 100% my own*

WorkOut Biggest Loser Style

One of my TV guilty pleasures this year is watching, Biggest Loser every Tuesday evening. It is very inspiring to see the struggles, ups and downs, but more importantly the achievements of the contestants.

Not only do I watch the show, but my Lil Diva enjoys the show as well. So, because of this we always make sure that all our chores are done by 7:30pm. To give you an idea of how much we enjoy Biggest Loser, during the introduction episode where all the contestants are introduced, Lil Diva was surprised to see Santa Clause on the show!

No, not the real man Himself, but a very close look-a-like! During the first challenge, Lil Diva was screaming, (at the top of her lungs, mind you),"Come On Santa! You can DO it! You got to work it for the reindeer back at the North Pole!"
How is that as a motivator? If only the contestants could hear our words of motivation!

Ending this post with that same spirit, the team at allyou.com sent out a "freebie" email containing a downloadable Work Out Mix . There are six (6) tunes to play during your workout routine. How motivating is that?

To get the download, all you have to do is submit a valid email address.

Don't for my Luvlys, please come back to share your comments. Reading this post, do you feel a little motivation to continue working out?