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Tips on How to Feel on Top of the World Again

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Feeling like you can go out and conquer the world is possibly one of the best feelings there is. But you can only attempt to do so if you are feeling healthy and fit as can be. If you are an African-American woman and wish to focus on your health and wellness, visit the LBX Fitness website for motivational tips on how to put your health first.

 

Find the right diet plan for you

Depending on your health goals, it’s vital to find the right diet plan to get you to where you need to be. Bear in mind that not all diets are going to work for you at the end of the day. This is where consulting with your doctor might be helpful. Or, if you don’t want to book an appointment just yet, you could look for suitable diet apps to help you adjust your eating habits to enable you to eat the right food for your body type (or as determined by your doctor).

Find time to exercise

The key to staying in shape mentally and physically is to find the time to exercise daily. When you enjoy a particular exercise, whether it’s weightlifting, cardio, or a low-impact exercise such as swimming, yoga, or Tai Chi, it’s vital to find something that you enjoy and works well for you if you are going to stick with it to the end.

If you find you can’t make the time for doing a regular sport or exercise just yet, you can still put in time for exercise at work, for example, by opting for a standing desk instead of sitting all day, walking to colleagues, and communicating with them instead of just sending an email, parking further away from the office to increase your steps daily, etc.

Make sleep one of your priorities

If you have been neglecting your sleep lately, the simple lesson here is – don’t, as we all require a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep per night to have the energy to be able to pursue our goals.

Minimize your stress

Stress can be extremely damaging to your health which is why you should make every effort to reduce this by all means possible. If your stress is caused by your current working situation, then it may be time to switch gears career-wise. Taking a course or degree online is a good idea if you want more time on your hands but still want to pursue an education. You can choose from many options online, including a degree in teaching if you have always appreciated working with and teaching children. When looking at the options, be sure that the online institution you choose is accredited so that you have a valid degree at the end of the day.

Make time for some downtime

It is essential to find that time during your day or week to reflect and do something your heart is calling you to do so. If you can squeeze in a mini weekend getaway or a vacation every so often then this could be even more beneficial in giving you the space and time you need to catch your breath so that you’re equipped to handle whatever life throws at you. You might even feel the need to purchase health products and items to help your family manage stress better, such as essential oils or home exercise equipment. If you do, be sure to read up on reviews by the general public or trusted professionals before purchasing anything of significant monetary value so that you have a good idea of these products beforehand.

Incorporating health strategies like these and more should help you view your current lifestyle in a different light as you pursue a healthier one.

Written by: Justin B.

Should I Do a Detox?

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Let’s first discuss the difference between a detox and a cleanse.  

According to LESMILLS (https://www.lesmills.com/knowledge/newsfeed/detox-versus-cleanse/) “Detox refers to the liver and kidneys, and their primary function to remove harmful toxins and chemicals from the body.  The goal of a detox is to enhance the body’s own detoxification pathways, while eliminating any negative effects on the body from pesticides and additives in our food.” A detox helps to eliminate the toxins stored in our body’s fat cells, increases our metabolism and helps in the process of weight loss.  Toxins also affect how we burn fat naturally.   The more toxins that are in our body the more difficult it is for our body to burn fat naturally.

A cleanse helps to clean our digestive tract which includes the colon, from undigested foods, toxins and parasites.  A cleanse is a gentler way of removing toxins from our body.

Before a cleanse or a detox, you must have a plan.  A plan?  Yes a plan.  First know why you are going to cleanse or detox your body.  Second, what are you looking to get out if it?  Third, how will you handle temptation?  Fourth, how often will you cleanse or detox your body?  Finally, after cleansing your body, what types of food do you plan on eating?  

There are many types of detox/cleanse products on the market now.  When you choose one, read the directions carefully before buying, read the reviews, ask if someone has tried it and what their experience was during and after.  One thing to remember, after you have detoxed/cleansed your body and you begin eating solid food again, your weight will go back up some.

There are side effects when detoxing/cleansing.  A few are listed below:

  • Headaches: You don’t want to take anything because it can disrupt the detox/cleanse.  Use ice or massage your temples.
  • Frequent and/or uncomfortable bowel movements: Make sure you stay hydrated and try drinking lemon/cucumber water
  • Gas: Try chamomile oil on your stomach
  • Fatigue, weakness and lethargy: Avoid excessive physical labor and exercise.  Pay attention to your body.  If you begin to feel dizzy, stop what you are doing, sit down and relax until the feeling goes away.
  • Bad breath: Floss, brush your teeth often, gargle with  mouthwash and scrape your tongue.
  • Cravings and temptation: Increase the amount of water or lemon water you are drinking

Again, always, always, always read the instructions if you are doing a product based detox/cleanse.

If you aren’t looking to use a product based detox/cleanse program, there is a very easy, simple program you can follow.  You can naturally detox and cleanse your body with the food you eat and what you drink.

Below are food and liquid you can eat to naturally cleanse your body on a daily basis:

  • Drink plenty of water.  Why is this important? Our kidneys work hard to remove waste from out body. Our kidneys remove uric and lactic acids from our body but they need a lot of water for this removal to occur.  Did you know that we lose 10 cups of water a day from sweating, using the bathroom and breathing.  Make sure you increase your water intake (let me drink some now).
  • Eat vegetables (preferably organic).  Fiber plays an important part of the detox/cleanse process.  What type of vegetables can you eat?  You can eat: artichokes, avocado, beets, broccoli (can make you gassy), cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, dandelion root, celery and seaweed. Also dill, cilantro, fennel, green tea, lemons, milk thistle, onion, garlic, wheat grass, probiotics, apples, blueberries, grapefruit, cranberries and flaxseeds. 

Another way to detox your body through the skin is to sit in a sauna for 30 minutes at 145 degrees; less time if its hotter.  You also want to make sure you have as little stress in your life as possible.

What I do

Every 4 weeks I do what is called a mother nature cleanse.  For 5 days, I will only drink water or herbal tea (no sweetner of any kind), fresh fruits, raw veggies (nothing cooked), roasted and unsalted nuts (no peanuts).  If having a salad; lemon, vinegar, balsamic vinegar can all be used as salad dressing.  When I first did this cleanse, the first day went great, days 2-4, were a little rough.  I started to get a headache and wanted to eat cooked food and other foods.  But I held out.  Now that I do it every 4 weeks, my body has become accustomed to the cleanse and I don’t get headaches any more.  I always feel great after the cleanse.

Should you detox/cleanse?

A detox/cleanse is great for your body. Don’t do it to lose weight.  That is why a lot of people do it.  A detox/cleanse is more than just making your stomach smaller or feeling less bloated.  It can help to eliminate the toxins in your body.  One thing to be aware of is, our liver, kidneys, small intestine and colon has its own self-cleaning system that keeps it working properly.  If you are going to do a cleanse, do a natural one where you are eating the foods I listed above.  Do your research.  If you have an ailment, detoxing may not be something you want to try.  When researching products, look carefully at the ingredients.  A lot of the products will contain a laxative.  

For more information on should you cleanse, click the following link: https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/should-you-go-on-a-cleanse.html

Always speak with your physician prior to changing the way you eat.  Discuss your desire to do a detox/cleanse and why.  

If you have ever completed a cleanse or detox, please let us know what your experience was.  The good, bad and ugly.

Zhivi Williams has over 30 years of experience in fitness. She is the founder of LBX Fitness, LLC, author of Who Needs a Gym? Using Social Media for Weight Loss, speaker and a health, wellness and fitness accountability coach.  She has remained on the cutting edge of the health, wellness and fitness industry by developing training programs and meal plans, writing magazine articles and books, developing strategic partnerships to help individuals increase their personal health and providing personal training to help people improve their lives.  For more information on her health, wellness and fitness services please go to http://www.lbxfitness.com. 

 You can also connect with Zhivi Williams through social media:

 

Lifestyle Journey

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When you start your healthy lifestyle journey it is all about you.  It is about you losing weight and eating healthy foods.  You are trying not to let the cravings get the best of you and not to let people talk you into eating things you know you should not eat.  You are battling working out and getting up earlier if you want to workout early in the morning.  I have been through this.  This can also be an emotional roller coaster.  When you fall down, you feel terrible because you didn’t workout or you at the bag of chips or had cookies.  Now you are beating yourself up about it.  The one thing to remember is that living a healthy lifestyle is a journey.  Just like life, there will be good days and there will be bad days, but you don’t give up on live.  You learn how to get through those days.  On your healthy lifestyle journey if you fall down, get back up.  Don’t stay down, don’t bet yourself up about it and don’t let anyone else beat you up about it either.  When you fall down, this is when you learn what to do so you don’t fall down again in that area.  If you at the chips because you got bored, you know that now. When you start to get bored, do something. Go for a walk, grab fruit to eat or some veggies.  You can do it, I know you can.  Remember, what you think and say it what you believe.  If you say you can’t do something, you won’t do it.  Start speaking positive words into your life.  You want to speak life not death into your life.  Sometimes you have to take this journey alone and that is alright.  One thing you will notice on your journey, if you are consistent is, others will begin to ask you what you are doing and how you are doing it.  They will begin to follow what you are doing.  This is when the journey is no longer about you, but about others around you.