Countdowns are the best, right? The countdown to Friday. The countdown to your next vacation. The one leading up to the next Marvel masterpiece! All amazing! But one countdown takes the cake for those of us who work out daily and adhere to a diet — the countdown to your official cheat meal! It's the time where calories, carbs, and/or sugar intake aren't counted. This day could not come any sooner! But before you dive into that entire pizza, here are a few tips on how to handle your future cheat meals. 1. Eat at a Table.Do not head to your couch, or God forbid, your bed! The chairs at tables allow for better posture, and therefore, better digestion. You're also more likely to just fall asleep on your couch or in bed after you've wrapped up some extra calories and fat. 2. Share!3. Have a Cheat Meal on a Workout Day.Inevitably, we have a day off from our workouts. Do not also make that the day your cheat meal occurs. It's a recipe for disaster! Working out energizes your metabolism, and you're going to need your metabolism working on all cylinders if a full plate of chicken parm is on the menu for your cheat meal. 4. Water + Protein.The age-old adage of having a glass of water before a meal also applies to eating the protein on your plate first! The water and protein will fill you up quicker and you'll be less likely to overindulge on whatever grain, pasta, or bread accompanies your meal. 5. Actually Enjoy Your Meal Choice!Remember while you should enjoy the hell out of your cheat meal, you should never overindulge. Do not completely ruin your week's worth of hard work.
Any people in your life who could use this information? Please share! Or simply leave any parting thoughts you'd like to share with me. Home Page photo: Photo by Ogo from Pexels
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The final fire sign season has descended in 2020 - Sagittarius.
Then, because we were no longer going into the office, we slept in way later than we had accustomed our bodies to. Our metabolisms did not like that! Even though there's a chill in the air now, it's time to get back up and get active again. So to talk about both health AND the best sign in Astrology, Health Like Me wants to dive in and discuss what a Sagittarius should focus on in order to get back in pre-2020 shape! As seen above, the centaur of mythology is a known symbol (with its bow and arrow) of a Sagittarius. Because of this, it should be no surprise that a Sagittarius rules the hips, thighs, legs, lower back, pelvis, and internally, the liver. What does that mean exactly? Well, the Sags power is centered on this lower part of the body. It can also be their weakness.
Next, scale back on the alcohol! A Sagittarius' liver is very sensitive. But make sure it's not just reducing alcohol intake. Take the time to eat some yummy essentials that are known to be effective in cleansing the liver, such as:
Basically, lots of fiber, anything that is high in fatty acid, and high in antioxidants! Astrology has so many deeper aspects than your star sign (date of birth). Like we learned today about how which part of the body each sign rules. If you have some free time — and you probably should nowadays — go and get lost learning about your individual signs, including your moon, rising, mercury, etc.
But for now, if you're like me, channel the Sagittarius within you and end the year right! Here's hoping you enjoyed getting in tune with this wildly unpredictable fire sign! Sourdough bread baking. Work Zoom happy hours. TikTok choreographed dances. If all of these quarantine trends seemed either too much work or too much pressure, than you probably found yourself asking, "how can I get through this endless quarantine?" At first, mine was creating these amazing 2,000-piece puzzles! But when I ran out of room to store them, I turned to an age-old past time: binging TV shows! And since we're stuck living our best lives quarantined and wearing yoga pants all the time now, why not pair it with some wonderful shows? So instead of spending time scrolling through your streaming services, I'll give you a crash course in some of the shows you'll definitely want in your queue to binge watch starting now. Grace and FrankieGrace and Frankie currently has six seasons on Netflix (and one final season scheduled) so you'll be in for many, many hours of binging to catch up! Sweet MagnoliasAnother one about starting over with your friends by your side. How can you not love these? This Netflix rom-drama is based on the novels of the same name. Yup! There are 11 novels. So, if you end up enjoying this one-season binge, go and read them to enjoy even more awesomeness. Alexa & Katie
The Spanish PrincessI binged the first season after I watched its predecessors. Now, I block off a whole hour each Sunday to watch this historical drama about Queen Catherine of Aragon (King Henry VII's first wife) on Starz! This is one you can watch without a streaming service, but if you don't get those premium channels included in your cable package, you can binge watch The Spanish Princess for free with the Starz app for seven days! Enjoy! ReignReign was my go-to show in college. Also on Netflix, Reign follows the early story of Mary Queen of Scots in France. And while the fashion isn't historically accurate at all, it's definitely a selling point to watch this show. There are some historical accuracies you can learn, though, since there aren't too many Hollywood depictions of this misunderstood queen. Normal PeopleAwesome writing? Check. Perfectly cast? Check. Will you cry? Check. The BBC really knocked this one of out the park! And thanks to Hulu, us Americans get to binge this amazing show. Sadly, there is only one season, and it will probably stay only one if the book is any indication. But trust me when I say you won't regret watching the one and only season of Normal People because you'll relate in one way or another to the characters since we are all normal people, too! Schitt's CreekWhile we'll never figure out how to "fold in the cheese", we do find out why Schitt's Creek is definitely the show of 2020! It's pure comedic genius brought to us by the father-son duo Eugene Levy and Dan Levy. No family is perfect, and this one takes the cake with dysfunction. But despite the quirkiness of them all, you see the (tough) love emanating in the most hilarious ways! Currently streaming on Netflix and the free streaming service, CW Seed, prepare yourself to laugh until you cry for six whole seasons. Spoiler alert? This show killed it at this years' Emmys. If that's any more indication as to why you should binge watch this show! Never Have I EverWizards of Waverly PlaceBring back your childhood memories with the classic Disney Channel Original Series Wizards of Waverly Place. It's available on the popular streaming service Disney+. Reminisce and laugh through four seasons about the shenanigans of Justin, Alex, and Max Russo. Not only is this show hilarious at its best, it's the feel good show that focuses on family values you'll be excited to watch with your children one day! Friday Night LightsRounding out the list and continuing on the flash-back trend of oldies but goodies, Friday Night Lights' five seasons will send your emotions through the rollercoaster! Available to stream on Hulu, Friday Night Lights will worm its way into your soul and will "Texas forever" stay there. This show set the ball running for many present-day household names like Michael B. Jordan, Taylor Kitsch, and Jesse Plemons. You don't have to love football to enjoy this show, you just have to love damn good tv. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose! Do you have any other shows you've binge watched recently, or are getting ready to start? Share with us which ones are your favorite past times in the comment section below!
Sold yet?Well, here are five reasons to further convince you why Snap Kitchen should rent space in your refrigerator. 1. Location, Location, Location.The Southwest sure does love their Snap Kitchen because you won't find a location north of Tulsa, Oklahoma! The majority are in Texas, and most of the places you can find Snap Kitchen are located within your local Whole Foods Market in the Prepared Foods section. While I don't necessarily think a Snap Kitchen is terribly out of reach for anyone in the DFW Metroplex or the Houston area, the current pandemic makes it harder for some to get out and go to a grocer. But, if you're okay with going out (while wearing your mask properly), and one is just a bit farther than you'd prefer to drive, try.... 2. Delivery!
Speaking of the app... 3. User-friendly App.
4. Everyone Has Options.As a Pesco Pollo Vegetarian, my only meat options are fish and chicken. In the app, you have the ability to select your preferred dietary options. If you only prefer to eat seafood, Snap Kitchen has salmon and shrimp options that keep you from feeling as if you're stuck eating the same thing. And, their breakfast options include some amazing veggie options! And if you've ever wanted to try the popular Bone Broth soup, Snap Kitchen has an amazing Turmeric Chicken Bone Broth that I can attest to. It. Is. Awesome. Snap Kitchen also has snacks, juices, and healthy drinks that range from wellness shots to alkaline water. 5. Convenient for Your Health JourneySnap Kitchen has a wonderful feature where you can scan the barcode on the packages to automatically keep track of the nutritional content that are important to you and your health journey. Facts like calories, protein, and carb are added into your choice of fitness tracker!
No more hand-written diet journals to make your wellness journey even more of a headache than it tends to be. Morning or night, a great skincare routine for your face can leave you feeling super cleansed and looking youthful! For many, soap and water does the trick. And while there's nothing wrong with that age-old practice since your face is still getting a great cleaning, others like myself opt for a more thorough routine. One regimen I do twice a week in the evenings is my charcoal face mask! I remember the first time I tried one a year ago and wondered why I hadn't been doing this all along! Charcoal masks have been on trend for a long time now, but per normal, I was late to the game. There is a weird feeling of satisfaction when I am slowly peeling my mask off after 15 minutes. Afterwards, I reveal a deeper clean from the chin up! Charcoal works by magnetically attracting things that latch onto your skin no matter how active you are a day. Things like dirt, toxins, heavy metals that are truly bad for your skin. And things like soap and water can't treat. Because I have sensitive skin, I went looking for a charcoal face mask that did its job, but at the same time wasn't too harsh on my skin. I also don't have large pores or suffer from black heads. That meant I could stay along the lines of peels or polishing masks. Thankfully, these tend to be less expensive. Double bonus! Since I adopted using my charcoal mask, I notice each time it leaves my face feeling supple and looking brighter with a truly deep clean, and after only six times, those closest to me saw the effects! Which is why I wanted to share my go-to charcoal mask that I turn to to provide my face with the well-deserved and necessary attention it craves. My choice: Formula 10.0.6 Charcoal + Plum Peel Mask (pictured above). And yes, I do have some wine while I wait for the mask to work its magic.
So we all know how wonderful water is for you. No need to go into the specifics. With our bodies made up of about 60% water, it's important to drink the necessary amount daily. Trust me, your kidneys and brain will thank you. But a recent trend has hit the health world in the form of alkaline water! And it's one I can admit I've hopped on. What is Alkaline Water?It's ionized water. Meaning the pH level in this water has been increased. Our normal bottled drinking water comes with a pH level of 7. Remember in middle school when we learned that the pH scale ranges form 0-14 and that a level below 7 is considered acidic and anything above 7 is basic or “alkaline”. Alkaline water can neutralize the acid in your body. For water to be considered alkaline, it needs to have a pH level of 8 and above. Benefits?While experts claim that there isn’t substantial evidence to support the health benefits that alkaline water provides us, having common knowledge indicates why this water could work in our favor. Like:
And it's just plain refreshing! On the note of dehydration, if you ever overdo it on some wine the night before, and wake up feeling like the 30 year old you are, reach for alkaline water instead of your usual bottle of water. I wish I had known about that in college, yes? But Don't overdo it on the "super base" water!
Because of our current climate, everyone everywhere is stocking up on cases of their favorite water, leaving brands of alkaline water to simply kick back and collect dust. Grab a box or a liter of alkaline water and watch how much slower you go through your bottled water! Money saver? Count me in!
You can find alkaline water in any of your local groceries, plus Costco and Sam's Club! Any other benefits I might have missed? Have you been drinking alkaline water long before it became popular? Share what you think of the "super base" water below! |