Tuesday Tips::Don't forget your health!

Happy Tuesday! Today's tip is based around healthy living and comes from blogger Ashley, with Lipstick and Berries! Even if you're not getting ready for wedding day, these are great tips to kick off the spring season and feel healthy!

You want to look and feel your best on your wedding day!

There are many things to take care of before your wedding, but remember to take time for yourself in the process! Let the process be as special as the wedding day. Make time for a healthy diet, exercise, and routine skincare. These all will ensure you look gorgeous on your special day!

An essential part of looking your best is to start from the inside out! Fuel your body and soul with healthy, nurturing foods. Diet plays an important role in giving your skin a radiant glow! Your skin reflects what’s going on inside. If you have a healthy diet, your skin will radiate that.

1. Eat the Rainbow!!

A good way to ensure that your diet is healthy is by "eating the rainbow!" By this I mean to make sure every meal is filled with fruits and/or vegetables of different colors. This will ensure you are getting a variety of essential nutrients.

2. Drinks loft of water!

Hydration is essential in keeping the skin clear and radiant! A fun way to add more water to your life is by creating your own Fruit Infused Waters! Also, one of the easiest ways to lose weight is to start drinking more water. Fruit infused waters are natually low in calories and contain no artificial sweeteners (which can cause bloating and water retention) so they are absolutely fabulous if you don't like the taste of just plain water, plus you can drink as much as you want!

My favorite fruit waters are Strawberry-Basil, Cucumber-Lemon, and Orange Mint! Just simply slice the fruits and herbs, place in the water overnight, and then pour into a glass container or mason jar to take with your during the day!

3. Simple Skin Care

A great way to brighten your skin is to do a weekly face mask! These do not have to be expensive. I have a wonderful Cucumber Lemon Face Mask that I make at home. It is easy, inexpensive, and effective! The acid in the lemon is a natural skin brightener, and the cucumber cools skin while reducing puffiness.

Cucumber Lemon Mask

-Ingredients

1/2 Cucumber

1/2 Lemon, peeled

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

-Directions

1. Pure Cucumber and lemon in blender

2. Add the coconut oil to the blender. Blend mixture on high until the container is slightly warm to the touch. You want the cococnit oil to liquefy. (Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature)

3. Pour mixture into a container and chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

4. Apple chilled mask to skin. Leave on 10 minutes. Place sliced cucumbers over your eyes to decrease dark circles! Rinse and apple moisturizer!

4. Drink Your Greens!

Clear your mind and detox with a daily Green Cocktail! Greens like Kale, Spinach, Watercress, or Swiss Chard are some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. What a fantastic way to start your day! Don't be scared, a green drink can be sweet and ultra-satisfying! Refined sugars and fats can create "brain fog." There are a too many decisions to be made during wedding time for a cloudy mind! Fresh greens and high cruciferous smoothies clear the mind and free your creativity!

Green Virgin Cocktail

- For those new to green smoothies, try this sweet green cocktail! You'll be pleasantly surprised at how delicious it is!! It's a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Baby Spinach has such a mild flavor; all you will taste is fruit! I have added ground flaxseed to this cocktail to keep your body satisfied throughout the morning. Ground Flaxseed is the perfect healthy fat for our bodies because it has the most almost balanced ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 Fatty Acids. For more delicious detox smoothies, visit my blog!

-Ingredients

1 Banana

1 Orange

1 Apple

2 Big Handfuls Fresh Baby Spinach

1 Tablespoon Ground Flaxseed

1/2 Cup Apple Juice, unsweetened

Ice

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in Vitamix or high powered blender. Blend on high until smooth! Drink up!

5. Drink Tea

Relax. Breathe. Take a bridal break at least one time a day. One of the best ways to release tension is with hot tea. Tea actually contains a calming amino acid called L-Theanine. L-Theanine has been shown to dampen the adrenal production of the stress hormone cortisol. Sipping on hot tea also strengthens the soothing levels of alpha waves in the brain. This helps the mind to block out unnecessary chatter and induce a state of wakeful relaxation. Try Chamomile Tea anytime of the day when you need a relaxing moment. Chamomile is a beautiful, light, and floral, caffeine free tea that rarely needs sweetening and actually helps improve digestion.