The Easy Way to Exercise More

The Easy Way to Exercise More

Hint: You may need a bottle of sunscreen.

SHUTTERSTOCK

Is your gym membership gathering dust? Try adding a dose of green to your workouts: People who exercise outdoors at least some of the time are more active than those who always work out inside, according to a new study in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

The researchers analyzed the exercise habits of 11,649 people and found that those who incorporated some outdoor workouts into their routine logged more than twice as much exercise as those who stuck to only outdoor workouts.

That seemed to translate to better mental health: Doing a combination of indoor and outdoor workouts protected against tension, stress, and poor emotional health among women. Specifically, the ladies who broke up the monotony of gym time with outside exercise were 28 percent less likely to report a poor emotional state (e.g., feeling depressed) than those who only worked out indoors.

The researchers aren't certain why a run through the park gives your brain a boost but speculate that nature activates your parasympathetic nervous system (which helps you relax) and that the light exposure boosts your levels of vitamin D (which has been linked to mood).

Another theory: Spending time outside restores your "directed attention"—the mental reserve required to weed out distractions during stressful tasks—so you feel more refreshed after outdoor exercise. (Hint: Take a jog outside during your lunch break. Your boss will thank you!)

Many of the women split their time between the two—for example, running or jogging outside for about half of their workouts and hitting the treadmill the rest of the time. So be flexible. Nice day? Enjoy it with a trail run. Less time to invest? Crank out a quickie on the treadmill. You get the idea.

Link   http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/exercising-outdoors

Face cream

Apple and Pear Anti-Wrinkle Facial Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp. apple juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. lime juice
• 3 tbsp. buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. rosemary leaves
• 4 grapes (seedless)
• 1/2 pear
• 3 egg whites

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients into a blender; blend until smooth
• Using a soft tissue or cotton ball, gently apply to areas where wrinkles are present
• Let the mixture dry
• Rinse with warm water

*If stored in the fridge in an airtight container, this mixture can last up to 5 days.

Facial Cream with Ginger

Moisturize your face with this soothing ginger facial cream!

Ingredients:

• 2 inch piece fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. light sesame oil
• 2 tsp. apricot kernel oil
• 2 tsp. vitamin E oil
• 1/2 cup cocoa butter

Directions:

• Grate the ginger piece and squeeze over a small bowl to get all the juices out
• Discard the pulp
• Add the remaining ingredients to the ginger juice in the bowl
• Heat in the microwave on the lowest setting in 15 second intervals until all the cocoa butter has melted
• (Stir between heating intervals)
• Transfer the mixture to a jar or container for storage and store in a cool place

Nourishing Facial Night Cream Recipe

Wake up with soft and nourished skin with this soothing facial night cream!

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. lanolin
• 1 tbsp. sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp. almond oil
• 1 tsp. lavender oil

Directions:

• In a double broiler, melt the lanolin
• Add the sunflower oil and the almond oil to the melted lanolin
• Mix well
• Remove from heat and let mixture cool
• Stir/beat the mixture and it will thicken; then stir in lavender oil
• Transfer the mixture into a jar or container for storage
• Let cool completely before using

D.I.Y. Lavender Face Cream

Cleanse and moisturize with this soothing lavender facial cream!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white beeswax
• 2 tbsp. anhydrous lanolin
• 2 tbsp. rosewater
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

• Combine the beeswax and lanolin in a double boiler (or in the microwave) and melt
• Combine the olive oil and the aloe vera gel in a separate container; whisk together
• Add the oil and aloe mixture to the melted mixture; stir in the essential oils and rosewater
• Stir until mixture starts to thicken
• Transfer the mixture to a container for storage

D.I.Y. Eucalyptus Moisturizing Facial Cream

Cleanse and moisturize with this hydrating facial cream!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. aloe vera gel
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white beeswax
• 2 tbsp. andydrous lanolin
• 2 tbsp. rosewater
• 3 drops eucalyptus essential oil

Directions:

• Combine the beeswax and lanolin in a double boiler (or in the microwave) and melt
• Combine the olive oil and the aloe vera gel in a separate container; whisk together
• Add the oil and aloe mixture to the melted mixture; stir in the essential oils and rosewater
• Stir until mixture starts to thicken
• Transfer the mixture to a container for storage

Soothing Moisture Facial Cream Recipe

 

Hydrate your face with this easy to make soothing facial cream!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. aloe vera pulp (scraped from leaf)
• 1 tsp. honey

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients; whip together with a fork until it becomes smooth
• Gently apply to a clean face by massaging into skin for a few minutes

*You can use this cream two days in a row if stored in the fridge between uses.  However, any left over after the second use should be tossed.

Link   http://beautyblunders.wordpress.com/category/diy/face-creams/

Home made facial scrubs

Mandarin Orange and Almond Facial Scrub

Treat your skin to this delicious facial scrub!

Ingredients:

• 3 tsp. almond meal
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. mandarin juice

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients; mix well
• Apply to face (avoid the eye area)
• Gently massage mixture into skin for a couple of minutes
• Rinse with water

Honey Lemon Face Wash

Wash your face free of impurities and dirt with this facial wash that smells delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup liquid castile soap
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. vitamin E oil
• 10 drops essential oil (whichever you prefer)

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients; blend with a hand blender until smooth
• Pour into a bottle or pump dispenser
• Put a few drops in your hand, add a little water and lather together
• Apply to face (avoid the eye area) and wash
• Rinse with water

Pineapple Facial Scrub

posted in Beauty, DIY, Face Scrubs, Skin

Scrub your face and exfoliate skin with this tropical pineapple face scrub!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup cold olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

• Place the pineapple in a blender; blend slightly
• Add the olive oil to the pineapple in the blender; blend to nearly smooth
• Add the parsley to the blender; blend (but don’t blend until it is a runny liquidy texture)
• Apply to clean skin (avoid the eye area)
• Let sit for 15 minutes
• Rinse with warm water
• Follow up with your favorite moisturizer

Lime and Honey Facial Scrub Recipe

An invigorating facial scrub cleanser for oily and combination skin types!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup unsalted nuts (any type will do)
• 1 tbsp. grape seed oil
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup milk
• Juice from 1/2 lime

Directions:

• Combine the oats and nuts; grind together using a food processor until they are fine/powdery
• Add the remaining ingredients; mix well
• (the mixture should be of a thin consistency, if not, add more milk)
• Apply to face and neck; massage into skin
• Rinse with water

 *Can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week

Milk Facial Scrub

Cleanse, nourish and brighten your face with this milky facial scrub!

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. powdered milk
• 1 tsp. honey
• 3 drops lemon juice

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients; mix well
• Apply to a clean face and gently massage into skin
• Rinse with water

Sunflower Face Scrub

A summery facial scrub that will leave skin glowing!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. raw shelled sunflower seeds
• Couple teaspoons distilled water

Directions:

• Grind the seeds in a food processor until they resemble course sugar
• Mix 1 tablespoon of the seeds with a few tablespoons of water (enough to create a paste)
• Massage the mixture onto a clean face
• Rinse with warm water
• Follow up with your favorite moisturizer

Link    http://beautyblunders.wordpress.com/category/diy/face-scrubs/

Home made body scrub recipes

Body scrubs are great!  They leave skin feeling fresh and smooth as well as healthy and glowing by exfoliating off old layers of dead skin.  (They are also a must before applying sunless tanner or getting a spray tan.)  However, sometimes you just don’t have the money to buy one or just don’t have one on hand to use when you need a good scrub.  No worries….you can make your own body scrub using any one of these amazing recipes below with ingrediants that you most likely already have stashed in your kitchen pantry.

Below is a collection of body scrub recipes that I have found while scouring the web….enjoy!

Just remember the consistency of your scrub should be not too oily/runny but it also shouldn’t be dry/crumbly…you want to find that “happy medium” between the two.  Also, you can always adjust any of these recipes to better suit your needs and preferences.  If your scrub is too oily/runny just add some more sugar or salt.  If your scrub is too dry, add some more oil. 

ULTIMATE SEA SALT SCRUB

(All scrubs that incorporate sea salt into them are excellent at detoxifying)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup course seal salt
• 1/2 cup baby oil (if you don’t have baby oil, you can substitute with vegetable oil)

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir
• Cover the bowl and let it sit for 24 hours
• Stir the mixture
• Apply to body and massage into skin for a few minutes
• Rinse

CITRUS SCRUB

Ingredients:

• 1 cup course sea salt
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
• 10 drops sweet orange essential oil
• 5 drops lemon essential oil

Directions:

• Combine the sea salt and sugar in a small jar (do not fill to the top)
• Heat coconut oil on low heat until it becomes a liquid
• Remove coconut oil from heat and add esstential oils
• Pour coconut oil and essential oils mixture over the sea salt and sugar mixture (do not stir ingredients)
• Apply to body and massage into skin for a few minutes
• Rinse

SAGE SEA SALT SCRUB

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fine sea salt
• 1 cup olive oil
• Fresh sage (4-6 leaves)
• 1/2 cup date sugar
• 1 grapefruit (red or white)

Directions:

• Puree the olive oil and sage in a blender for one minute on high
• Pour puree mixture into sea salt and date sugar and mix well
• Zest rind off grapefruit and add to above mixture and mix well
• Apply to body and massage into skin
• Allow scrub to sit on skin for a minimum of 1 minute
• Rinse

(Any remaining scrub can be stored for up to 14 days in a refridgerator)

IRISH CREAM SUGAR SCRUB

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. dry milk
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• Couple drops of peppermint oil
• Couple drops of green food coloring

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (oil last); mix well
• Apply to body and massage into skin
• Rinse

IRISH COFFEE SCRUB

(Coffee works to reduce the appearance of cellulite.  Anyone battling cellulite should try a scrub that incorporates coffee into it.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coffee
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup organic nut oil
• Couple drops of mint oil

Directions:

• Apply to body and massage into skin
• Rinse

DELICIOUS SCRUB

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• 1/3 cup celtic sea salt
• 1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 2-3 tbsp. almond oil
• 1 tbsp. vitamin e
• Couple drops of lavendar essential oil

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (oils last); mix well
• Apply to body and massage into skin
• Rinse

SUGAR OLIVE OIL SCRUB

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients and mix well
• Apply to body and massage into skin
• Rinse

(Any remaining scrub mixture can be stored for up to 30 days)

Link   http://beautyblunders.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/diy-homemade-body-scrub-recipes/