Amazon Finds

  During quaratine, I admit that I've bought a few things. Most of my shopping has been on Amazon since they sale so many things. I'm actually a part of a test group for Amazon where I give my opinion on movies & shows they have in the works. Some of the prices of these items  skyrocked at the beginning of Covid due to people buying all the free weights/dumbbells to workout at home right before everything shut down. The finds are a mixture of products from all areas:

Reusable Produce Bags 

I bought these after a Youtuber I follow talked about them. These have kept any fruit or vegetable I bought fresh longer.  They come in a set of five which was nice. To clean them, you just use regular soap & water. Then, let them air-dry. 

DMoose Fitness Ankle Strap for Cable Machines

At the gym, it's though to do leg cable exercise with just the handle attachment. I use this when I want to work my outer & inner thigh along with my glutes. The picture is deceiving because it only come as a single, not two. 

NVRGIUP Exercise Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt

These bands, I use most at the house now. I did take to the gym before Covid hit when I would do my ab work there. Now, I use them at home for leg & glutes. They are a better quality than most since they are a thick fabric, not elastic. You will definitely get a workout using them.

Stainless Steel Handheld Electric Milk Frother 

This has made mixing my powder supplements so much easier. A RD on IG I follow suggested using this instead of a spoon or fork. For the price, it's a great investment. I use it for mixing other liquid together as well.

FEIYOLD Blue Light Blocking Glasses

I bought these after I accidently sat on my other pair a few months ago. I actually like these better than the original pair I had. You do get two pairs, which is super nice. I alternate between them now. They are great if you work on the computer, watch television, or play on your phone for hours at a time.

Next week, I'll share the clothes that I've gotten from Amazon through their Prime Personal Shopper program that I'm a part of now. Until then, have a great Wednesday. Peace & blessings!!!

Fitness Tuesday: Why you should try Breathwork

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     Happy Tuesday!! Hard to believe that it is the last Tuesday of Black History Month, February, & Fat Tuesday also. Already decided what I am giving up for Lent & what I am picking up as well. Will go into that next Tuesday since it is wellness related. Besides that, I went to my first Pilates class in about 3 years yesterday. It did wonders for my neck & back. For the first time in a long time, I went through all day Monday with no neck, back, or shoulder pain. 

Today I wanted to talk about Breathwork. One of the things that I love about the beginning of the year is seeing all the new trends & ideas that are coming out of the health & wellness space. I did Breathwork around when I started mediating regularly, after my car accident in Fall of 2016. However, I fell off some reason. Most do Breathwork while they are mediating, which is how I was doing it. Now, many are doing it by itself, which is useful during a work day or a stressful time when you can not meditate. Here are a few reason from mindbodygreen why you should try adding Breathwork to your day:

Helps with stress & anxiety

Doing repeated sessions of Breathwork have been found to lower levels of the cortisol, the stress hormone. Having high level can cause chronic inflammation. Controlling your breathing in a stressful situation can help tell your body relax, reducing the release of cortisol.

Aid in lowering blood pressure

Practicing breathwork to music for  around 10 minutes a day can reduce blood pressure. It has been found that in people with hypertension after practicing slow, deep breathing there was a drop in their blood pressure. 

Reduce symptoms of depression

Pairing breathwork with other stress reducers can help in reducing the symptoms of depression. People who engaged in breathwork & yoga together for 12 weeks saw a decline in depressive symptoms. A study done found the breathing-based meditation eased severe depression in some people. It also helps with boosting ones mood by reducing the part of the brain that controls the fight or flight response. 

Make focus sharper

Practicing breathwork in a regulated way can help with the amount of noradrenaline, a natural chemical messenger that affects attention and certain emotions, in our brain and ultimately enhance focus.

Help with pain management

Breathwork through slow deep breathing has been found to help reduce the perception of chronic pain, helping them better cope with physical discomfort. It can also help alleviate back pain by breathing through your diaphragm, creating blood flow and movement in that 

back & spine.

If you would like to learn more on Breathwork here are some articles & books to read:

Articles

-The Science Behind Breathwork + 5 Benefits Of The Practice

-Is Breathwork The New Meditation? 5 Reasons This Instructor Believes It's More Useful

-How Breathwork Benefits the Mind, Body, and Spirit

-Breathwork Is the Latest Wellness Trend People Are Trying

Books

-Life With Breath: Iq + Eq = New You By Ed Harold Jr

-Chakra Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras by Margarita Alcantara

-A Little Book of Self Care: Breathwork by Nathalia Westmacott-Brown 

Peace & Blessings, all. Have a great Tuesday!!

Books I read in August

I know we are already eleven days into the month but I wanted to share some of the books that I read in August. For those who do not know, read a wide variety of books from Nutrition to True Crime to Non-Fiction. At the beginning of the summer, I was going to try to read some of the books that I bought earlier this year. Epic fail!!! At the end of July/beginning of August, I got around to reading some of them. Every other Wednesday, I will share three books that I have read over the previous two week. Here were the books that I read from mid-August to the beginning of September:

How to Sleep Well

Recently, people have started becoming more concerned about their health, in particular sleep. If you ever had questions about how sleep effects you and why it is important, there is as lot of valuable information in this book. It breaks down some of the myths about that we have all been told about sleep & includes some facts we should all be aware of. Who knew sleeping in separate beds from you significant others could improve your health & sleep.

The People Factor

Moody uses examples from the bible to go over what type of relationships & people we need/should remove from your life. One of my favorite quotes from the book is to have people who "promote you, not demote you". The message I got from the book is that our relationship with God is first but it is important to have the right kind of relationship in your life. Having bad relationships can affect other areas while good ones can enhance it.

An Appeal to the World

This book is more of a question-answer interview between the Dalai Lama & journalist/author Franz Alt. For me, there were two main points that I gained from the book. First, in order for people/countries/the world to have external peace, there needs to be internal peace. I think that is a message that can be used in our day to day lives. Many of us put on a happy external face but dealing with a number of internal battles. 

Second, compassion, tolerance, and respect for others would resolve many issues. Problems arise when were one decided to go with our prejudices and stereotypes. He feels that is we should show our humanity when deal with our enemies and those who different views from ours. This point can be carried through everyday when going through our daily task, interacting with others.

With today being the anniversary of 9/11, I think we all of  should feel blessed & thankful for being alive, getting to experience life & gain new knowledge. It is crazy thinking that 18 years ago today I was a freshman in college, getting ready for one of my first college communication classes when the planes hit. All of it makes you realize that life is bigger than the small things we stress about daily. So, everyone tell your family & friends that you care & love them because tomorrow may not be given to you. 

Not to be a downer. I anyone have any question on any of the three books, just let me know.

Peace & Blessing, all & have a great Wednesday!!!

Fitness Tuesday: Foam Rolling

     Since the last time that I wrote somewhat regularly in May, I have been trying out different health activities and techniques to see if they would help with some of my physical pain that I have been having. Originally, we thought that it was a side issue from my thyroid problem. Recently, we narrowed it down to a pinched nerve (not sure where thought). One thing that I started doing is foam rolling for the problem.

I have been trying to find some different ways to use my roller, which I bought at Marshall. They sell roller online and at Physical Therapy offices/facilities as well. When buying a roller make sure to get the correct length for your height. One thing I learned is that it hurts that's not a good thing. It has to do with the fascia underneath the skin. According to Mosby's Dictionary of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, fascia is an elastic connective tissue found throughout the body that surrounds and supports various muscles and organs. Unhealthy fascia can cause cellulite and pain among other issues. Here are a few foam roller exercises to tryout to work out any stiffness or pain in your body:

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This muscle roller is the one that I bought from amazon a while back. I usually roll in the morning and before bed. Personally, I found that it has helped with the tightness in my legs. I also use a large foam roller to lay on to stretch out my back after sitting for most of the day. This roller is similar to the roller that I have (mine is a 36').

If you need more resources on fascia. Here are a few resources about fascia:

The Top 5 Ways Fascia Matters to Athletes by Brooke Thomas

Latest Wellness Trends for 2019 from Simple Roots Wellness

Feeling Achy? The Body Part You Don't Know You Have by Corrie Pikul

Gave some of these exercises a try if any of you have chance. Peace & Blessings, all. Have a Great Tuesday!!!

2018 Goals

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Happy 2018!! In know that we are already through the first half of the month but I wanted to share my 2018 goals with all of you. I have been M.I.A  due to being busy trying to get my classes sorted out for the semester which has consumed my time for the first week and a half. The last week of December, I did some reflecting on the year. I have been trying to decide what I wanted to focus on this year. I tend to make goals at the beginning of the year so I can track my progress a little better. Many of the goals tie in with each. 

Get healthier
Health and wellness is on everyone list at the start of the year. Getting healthier this year is not just about the physical but the mental and spiritual as well. After gaining all the weight I did last year, I have not really been feeling like me. Since last Sunday, I have been doing a 21 days of prayer and fasting through the church I go to but do not go to (I watch online since I like the 8 am service and they are literally on the other side of town at the moment).

 Now, I am not completely fasting. I am just cutting back/ taken out some items from my diet for the next 21 days: caffeine, sugar, white carbs, and alcohol. For the most part, I feel pretty good. I did have headaches from the caffeine withdrawal for three days. This has been a good time for me to reflect about a number of things in my life that I feel need to change to grow.

Journal
I use to write pretty much everyday from the time I was ten until about four years ago. I find that writing can be pretty therapeutic. One of the reason that I started back is because it has always help be release any feels or thoughts that I have that I can not verbalize to others. The only difference this time is that I write first thing in the morning and at night as reflection of what happened during the day. I have been writing in a journal from Cardtorial. The covers are made out of wood with the words or design being made using a laser cutter. They have a variety of journals and covers. This is the one my friend gave me for Christmas:

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Try to not stress as much
 For the last almost three years, I have been meditating with the Calm app on my phone and a Prana  breathing technique every morning . Both of those have helped a great bit. I am looking for other ways to handle stress (writing again has part of that).

Take control of finances
Last year, I did put a dent in getting rid of some of my debt. This year, I set amount of my debt that I want to pay off. I know that I am going to have student loan payments for a while so I have
to make a game plan. This year I want to travel some and I have a wedding to plan too. I decided to take a spending break and not buy anything unless I really need it (food and gas are not included in that).

Been doing good so far except that I did need buy this dress and this dress from Tuckernuck for the spring/summer since they are having a ridiculous sale right now. Plus I bought this tank in four colors: black, white, silver, and pin from Victoria Secret. They are on sale for $15 right now so I decided to stock up since I had a $30 off coupon. I will wear all of the items so it is not random spending.

Get organize

To get organize, I am using a planner to stay on track. This year I decided that I wanted to use a different planner after using a Lilly one for the last few years. The planner that I am using I bought on Amazon and is called The Simple Elephant .

There is an area at the beginning that ask what you want to focus on for the year and the five main goals that you want to achieve. A space is even designated for a Mind Map where you write the steps you want to take to reach the goal and a Vision Board. The main item that I like is at the beginning of each week it has an area where you write the goals for that week. At the end of the week, you have an area to write what you accomplished and what you need to work on. 

The other planner I would recommend is the Passion Planner.

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One of my co-workers has this one. This planner has more broken down areas such as a section to write about positive things and personal/ work to do list. I was going to buy this one but the one The Simple Elephant one is as the name says more simple. I may buy the passion planner next year.

Tomorrow, I am going to go more in depth about what I am doing to reach my health and wellness goal. Peace & Blessings, all. I would love to know what your goals are for the year and some of the steps you are taking to reach them. Have a great Monday!!!

Eat Smart Digital Food Thermometer Review

This is a sponsored review. The views & opinions expressed are mine & mine alone.

Why hello there! Yes, I pulled another disappearing. No, I didn't mean to do it.  I've been super busy trying to tie up loose ends with my second semester of Graduate School starting (my first class is tomorrow). The real reason though that I have been M.I.A for the past couple of weeks is due to some big things happening: I bought a house & I got engaged all in the same day. These weeks have been full of packing, moving, & all the other decisions that come with owning a house. I've been so busy that I haven't even really thought about wedding plans. I will be sharing that & home decorating ideas down the road.

Since moving into the new house I have started to get back into cooking again. Recently, I received the EatSmart Digital Food Thermometer through the Fit Fluential facebook group.

One of the things that I like about it was that it's not super bulky like some of the other food thermometers that I've seen. Another great thing about the thermometer it that it list the temperatures of  of all the different types of meat.

Back in July, I was used it for the first time when I was cooking burgers & brats. The temperatures being listed did help me make sure to not overcook or under cook them. Also, it's super easy to clean & to store. The best part of the thermometer is that it's a reasonable price. You can get it on the EatSmart website or on Amazon. I had more pictures & video of  me using the thermometer but I accidentally deleted them. I may try using it again this week since I'm finally going to use my air fryer (there will definitely be a blog post about that).

I've said it before & I'll say it again: I'm going to try to start writing more. I still haven't really taken to the whole calendar/planner for the blog thing that others do. I guess eventually, I will try one but until then......I'll figure out something.

Peace & Blessings all!! Have a great Monday & start to your week!