Hydrate With Cucumber Water

It is that time of the year, that time when your skin feels dry, pale and dehydrated from the Winter months, the heat and cold air take a toll on our skin and hair. One of my favorite go to remedies is Cucumber Water! It helps hydrate parched skin and hair, it hydrates and plumps skin from the inside.

I have been drinking this for years, I learned about it after going to different spa destinations such as Vail Colorado, Paris France and Lake Placid New York to name a few, while they are far away from each other they all have one thing in common, after your treatment, they give you a refreshing glass of cucumber water to sip, relax, hydrate and detox.

Not only do cucumbers keep skin hydrated and healthy, they also add a great fresh low calorie flavor to plain old water, and cucumbers are full of nutrients like vitamin C, K and A, iron, calcium and potassium, they reduce inflammation in the body because they act as a diuretic by helping to reduce excess water and bloating. Cucumbers also help build bone strength with vitamin K so it is a bonus for menopausal women too. There are so many other benefits in addition to these.

I recently purchased a really great glass decanter (pictured below) that is just the right size for my refrigerator, when I make my cucumber water I start with two to three ripe, juicy cucumbers that I slice on a cutting board that has little grooves along the edge to trap the juices that run off during cutting, I place the cucumbers and the juice in the decanter and fill it to the top with fresh chilled filtered water, I usually remove the skin and seeds but it is not necessary and a matter of preference. Depending on how much time that I have, I put the decanter in the window sill for an hour in the sun to really bring out the cucumber taste, but do not leave it for hours and let the mixture get warm and spoil. Just soaking the mixture over night is good enough to reap the nutritional benefits.

My little extra treat: when the water is gone if I do not eat all of the delicious chilled slices, I will make an eye mask for puffy eyes or just a quick pick me up, you could be reaping extra benefits like younger looking, glowing skin because the vitamin C increases collagen and elastin production.

Start being fit inside and out with cucumber water, cheers to good health and glowing skin!  

For more tips on beauty and skin care go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

How Are Your "New You" Resolutions Going?

It is already February; how are your fitness goals for the New Year going? 

Let's make it happen! Succeed At Your Health and Fitness Goals in 2015! Learn how to eat right and  exercise effectively.  are a few healpful tips to out you on your path to success!

The secret to a Successful New Years Resolutions is to first choose an attainable goal that will work for you. Choosing to make a fitness resolution year after year that you may have been unsuccessful at in the past only sets you up for frustration and failure.

The average success rate for New Years resolutions is a just 20 percent but do not let that discourage you, there are ways to assure that you will be in that 20 percent category. Here are a few suggestions to get you on your way to your own personal success and how to enjoy exercise and a healthier lifestyle.

First of all, fitness and a healthy lifestyle need to be a part of your everyday life and you need to give yourself a break and realize that results take time and a lot of effort on your part, most experts agree that it takes an average of 20 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become part of your everyday life and you need to mentally prepare yourself and get motivated for your fitness success.

Most people focus on the SCALE and the number that they see for their weight, I consider this to be one of your "BAD" habits and it should be the "FIRST" resolution that you make and keep! Watching the scale will make you lose focus on your goal because you are too focused on what you consider negative, which is your weight and the number on the scale. Remember muscle weighs more than fat and weight training increases bone density, muscle mass and strength while burning fat!

My advice to people who really want to achieve their fitness goals is to start exercising with a personal trainer  before the holidays are in full swing. Try not to wait until January when you already have overdone all the extra food, holiday cheer and parties that come with the holiday season. But if you really prefer the traditional "New Year's Resolution" that is fine just plan accordingly with your goals mapped out and set your mind to succeed!

The 20 percent who succeed start slow and gradually, making the necessary adjustments that it takes to succeed with their fitness goals over time. Enjoy the holidays, your family and friends and begin your exercise program now by exercising as you go through the season’s festivities, it will help burn those extra calories and even reduce the stress of all the extra responsibilities that come with the holiday planning of the season and it has the added benefit of increasing your energy too! Give yourself the gift of a personal trainer with a health coaching background that can help you focus and achieve your goals.

Make 2015 your year for the “NEXT” level of your fitness goals!

For more Health and Fitness tips go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com