wellbeing Archives - Page 2 of 11

Let’s Start Enjoying Breakfast Again

December 22, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 1 Comment

Breakfast, we are constantly told that it is the most important meal of the day. Why is it, then, that so many of us skip having an actual meal in favour of a measly snack bar and caffeinated drink? It’s not healthy and, more importantly, it just isn’t that satisfying.

For many, the reason for skipping breakfast is because of time. Not getting up early enough to allow time to prepare and eat breakfast before leaving for the day is a terrible habit to fall into and, while you may cherish that extra half hour in bed, nothing prepares you for the day ahead like a nutritious meal.

Make Time for Breakfast

Understandably, convenience food is the pick of the day for many who already contend with busy mornings before setting off for work and/or the school run. What if, though, the healthy option didn’t mean slaving in the kitchen for an hour to serve up a meal?

Cereal and wholegrain options make for easy options that, when added with fruits such as berries, are a delicious start to the day. Alternatively, scrambled eggs take no more than just a few minutes to prepare and are a terrific source of protein that sets you up for the day. [Read more…]

Why a PreNatal Vitamin Should Replace Your Daily – Even If You’re Not Currently Trying to get Pregnant + A GIVEAWAY

December 21, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 11 Comments

*This Post contains affiliate links for which I will be compensated when purchases are made.

I’m one of those weird, rare few who has chosen not to have children. While you would think taking a prenatal vitamin would be the furthest thing from my mind, you might actually be surprised to learn that I do in fact take one daily, and actually have for quite some time!

It all started years ago when I first when on birth control, my ob/gyn told me to start taking a prenatal vitamin. “What?! I’m only 19! I know they like to start young here in Utah, but that is soooo not in my plans right now! I’m young! I’m going to college, I want to start a career first, and marry…” and a million other things ran through my head in that moment. My doc quietly chuckled and went on to tell me how much better a prenatal actually is for me than a regular daily vitamin.

If you do a quick google search, you’ll see that prenatal’s contain more of what you need, (including folic acid, calcium, and iron) especially if you ARE trying to get pregnant, (and it’s recommended you start taking prenatal vitamins up to 3 months before even trying to conceive). While I wasn’t vegetarian at the time (but currently am now), these are actually some good-for-me vitamins, I could really use some extra dosages of, as they are commonly found in dairy and meat.

Obviously, it’s always good to talk to your doctor before starting a prenatal vitamin or thinking about getting pregnant, so you don’t overdo it (as too much of a good thing can still do more harm than good) but a prenatal can be a great way to get an extra dose of what you need if you happen to be running low on some of these key vitamins already…

ENTER TO WIN a Year Supply at the bottom of this post! 2 WINNERS!

[Read more…]

The Many Benefits of Using a Himalayan Natural Salt Lamp

December 20, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 5 Comments

*This Post contains affiliate links for which I will be compensated when purchases are made.

I was recently approached to try out a Himalayan Salt Lamp from Skyfield for review, and honestly, I had no idea what they were really for, other than I knew they looked nice and made for some lovely home decor. But upon a little researching and trying it out for myself this last week, I actually found there are a TON of both physical and mental health benefits to using one regularly, as well as some benefits for your home and even surprisingly, a pretty amazing beauty benefit too!

Benefits for your home

The way Himalayan salt lamps work is that when heated with LED lights, the salt releases negative ions into the air, which neutralizes a lot of the positive ions found in the home. This means that it neutralizes electromagnetic radiation that can be found in the home caused by using household electronics. The negative ions of the salt lamp also helps to prevent the build-up of static electricity as well. Hello, no more frizzy winter dry hair – so using a Himalayan salt lamp has actually got an amazing beauty benefit too!

The lamp also helps reduce bacteria in the home (found in humid air) so it acts as a natural purifier for the home as well!

Benefits for your Physical Health

The negative ions released by heating a Himalayan salt lamp (when it comes in contact with you) have also been found to boost blood flow, increase energy, improve sleep, and it also helps calm asthma and allergy symptoms, such as coughing and better breathing. The benefits of using a salt lamp also help improve the immune system, so it’s great for helping you ward off colds and flu’s that are rampant this time of year!

Benefits for your Mental Health

The Himalayan salt lamp is great for helping to promote focus, increase performance, and it helps reduce stress by calming and relaxing the mind as well. It can help improve mood by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, so it’s great for those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) this time of year, or even depression.

I keep mine by my desk- obviously, to help me be more productive and increase my focus while I write and, of course, because this is where I spend most of my time each day. I also love to move it to the living room where I do yoga and meditation to help promote relaxation and to help me clear my mind and reduce stress too.

The Himalayan pink salt lamp from Skyfield (with it’s packaging that is as beautiful as the product), makes a fantastic gift if you’re still looking for last minute gifts for loved ones! [Read more…]

Vous Personalized Multi-Vitamin for Your Loved Ones – Holiday Gift Guide

November 16, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 4 Comments

Being a vegetarian, it can be difficult making sure I’m getting all the correct nutrients and vitamins I need. I remember when I first told my mom 7 years ago that I was permanently cutting meat out of my diet (for the love of animals), one of her first comments about it was, “How are you going to stay healthy? Your dad worked with a vegan lady years ago and she was so frail and tiny.” Well luckily the food industry has come a long way since then, and high-protein (non-meat) foods are much more readily available. But I struggled for a bit finding the right vitamins to take. For instance, vegetarians and vegans often tend to be low in vitamin B as well as zinc, and other metals found in meats.

Over the years, it’s been hard balancing vitamins and as my boyfriend will tell you – I take A TON! Which as you guessed, can become quite expensive too! That dough I just saved on NOT buying that prime rib at the grocery store just went into my vitamin cabinet and then some! Supplements can be expensive! Especially when you’re taking 5-8 a day!

This is exactly why I was so thrilled when I came across Vous Vitamin, which helps you personalize your favorite vitamin, based on your daily habits, your diet, your exercise or lack of it, and more! It makes a great gift for those loved ones in your life who have special diets and need a specialized multi-vitamin to accompany it! It’s the perfect gift of love AND health! Wrap it up with a vegan cookbook (or whatever their diet is) and you’ve got a great gift! I will no doubt, be sharing this awesome gift idea with my loved ones, with fingers crossed that it will be showing up on Christmas Day wrapped in a bow!

Vous Vitamins were created by practicing physicians Romy Block, MD, and Arielle Levitan, MD, who were constantly being asked by patients, what vitamins to take. “Patients and friends alike were confused and perplexed by the vitamin aisle and bombarded with conflicting messages from the media. People were telling us about products that they were taking that were unsafe and unnecessary or they were taking potentially dangerous doses of supplements. Many were avoiding vitamins altogether because they were so confused about what they should take.”

[Read more…]

Ways of Staying Active and in Shape Without Visiting the Gym

November 14, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 6 Comments

Are you blaming time for not working out? Don’t, because a good organization is half the battle. Force yourself to make it a habit to workout daily. Not only will you feel energized throughout your busy days, you will also be healthier, more confident and more relaxed. Therefore, find time for your body, and you will heal the mind as well.

Nowadays, there are plenty of available exercises that don’t take much of your time and still make you active and in shape without visiting the gym.

If you are still going to make excuses for yourself and put the blame on not having enough time, move along. If not, read on.

Workout at your own pace

Whether you want to save money, time, or you’re just not a gym kind of person, there are plenty of ways for you to stay fit. Furthermore, these ways allow you to workout at your own pace. Seven or 60 minutes, arms or your rear, cardio or strength, workouts at home and outdoor alternatives can help you with your goal.

All you need to do is find a perfect spot, determine the time for a workout (early in the morning or a couple of hours before going to bed) and start. The most important thing in all of this is that you feel good about yourself and stay active.

Consistency is the key

[Read more…]

A Better, More Supportive Mattress for a Better Night’s Sleep: Spoon Mattress

November 2, 2017 by MyStyleSpot 9 Comments

My boyfriend and I recently took the big step to move in together. As a woman in her mid 30’s if there is one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that I’m very particular, and quite stubborn too. I know exactly what I want and compromise, even for my very easy-going natured-self, has become very hard for me.

During the last 3 weeks as we’ve set up our new home together, I’ve learned he is even more like me than I thought. We butt heads on how we like things to be set up around the home quite a bit, and we’ve had a few squabbles about what nightstand to get, where to place the new couch, and what cars are going in the garage. Among these disagreements, we also found ourselves with the good old bed problem. His mattress is hard as a rock, and I’ve seen him actually sleep on the floor for a good nights sleep! I know, crazy! Me?! Well, I’m the complete oppositive of course! My bed feels like a cloud. It is huge, and puffy, and has a pillow top AND a memory foam topper too! You seriously melt when you lie down it! My boyfriend has always complained about my bed being way too soft when he has slept over, and when I’ve stayed at his place… yep, I’ve told him how much I’m not a fan of his bed too! Luckily for me, my bed (being that it’s bigger) won, and we’ve been sleeping on that. But because it is so over-the-top soft, he sinks into the middle and I know it’s been rough on his poor less-than-perfect hips from his surgery after a major wakeboarding accident he had years ago.

So of course, it naturally came up one night “We need a new bed” as I was cozying up in my corner, sinking into my super soft, plush bed. The cloud I have been sleeping on for the last few years quickly turned to a dark instead. 🙁 “Oh man, I love my bed so much, I can’t even think about a compromise on this.” I’m a light sleeper as it is and have always been super picky about beds and where I sleep, the thought of getting a new mattress we could both actually agree on, literally made me sick to my stomach, because I knew he would want the super firm, and I might as well be sleeping on the floor myself if that’s the case!

Well VERY lucky for me, I got it hit up by an awesome mattress company, called Spoon, that makes and sells amazing memory foam (mattress in a box) mattresses for both the firm and soft-bed lovers, just in the nick of time!

I love my memory foam topper and the added softness it added to my already soft bed, so I immediately loved the idea of trying out a memory foam mattress. The difference between Spoon and other mattresses-in-a-box brands, is that Spoon uses a firmer, more supportive, sleep pillar design, which is created to help with back, hip (my boyfriend is now happy!) and shoulder issues! It uses high-grade engineered memory foam pillars that contour to your body perfectly (sort of like it gives you a big hug and “Spoons” the body), even after hundreds of thousands of compressions. [Read more…]