Wellness

Breast Explant Tomorrow

Sunday Sol, Wellness

Tomorrow I’m having my breast implants taken out. I’m nervous about the surgery, but not about the decision. And no, it’s not because I’m feeling sick or having any physical problems with them.

I had the implants put in because I was 44 and the “girls” were sagging. Originally, I thought of just a lift. After the consultation with the doctor, I decided an implant with the lift would have the best results. So that’s what I did. Did I get caught up in the moment…..probably. I was never unhappy with my size.

The recovery was not bad, but I was diligent about the pain meds. I do remember feeling like I had bricks on my chest when I breathed. After a few months, they still were not looking like I had envisioned. My implants were high. So after 6 months, I had a revision done. They looked better, but still not the “perfect” breasts you imagine you when you get implants. I wasn’t willing to do another surgery, so I accepted them.

It’s been 6 years now and as I’m getting older, my breasts are following nature, but my implants aren’t. A revision is necessary again, but why? The implants never really gave me any boost of confidence about my body. If anything, shopping for clothes became more discouraging. Having larger boobs just made me more self conscious. (I’m not a “show off the boobs” type of gal.)  Yes, my boobs were fuller, but were they prettier? For me, not really.

The bottom line is my implants never really felt like a part of me mentally or physically, not to mention the possible health risks. So it’s time for them to go.

 

10 Ways to Elevate the Everyday

Wellness

Take time to have your morning beverage outside on the balcony or in the garden.

Wear your favorite perfume, even if you’re staying home.

Take a break from social media.

Use your best home items: towels, china, glasses, etc.

Wear a piece of your mother’s jewelry.

Instead of wine, have champagne.

Take a class and/or learn something new.

Have a piece of dark chocolate for dessert and stop at just one!

Keep a gratitude journal.

Fresh flowers for your home and/or office.

 

I’m in a Healthy Lifestyle Backslide

Wellness

 

I read a definition of backsliding as, “The conscience is awakened, but the mind is not changed.” Today this is where I am officially at. My healthy vegetarian eating has become non existent this passed month. I’m not beating myself up, it’s simply time to start again.

Time for a self reminder:

The best way to start healthy eating is to start adding, not subtracting. Add the fruits, vegetables, and grains on a daily basis, and the processed, unhealthy foods fade away on their own. Time to get to the grocery store.

 

Yoga Crying…Yep It Happened

Wellness

Toward the end of my yoga class today, I was feeling a little weepy. Then during savasana, the tears really wanted to come. What the heck is happening? STOP! Afterwards, I sat up and here they come again. Flow-o-rama.

It turns out, this is normal. A little embarrassing, but normal. Yoga is all about connecting mind, body, spirit. You stretch your body, open and relax your mind, and feelings get released. It’s a good thing.

Beach Benefits

Travel, Wellness

I’ve been staying at the beach and recently realized how healthy my nails look. There’s no polish on them and they’re clean, clear, and white. And then I was thinking about it, my skin looks and feels better too. Well, there’s a reason. The beach is a healthy place to be.

  • Sand is a great exfoliator for the skin.
  • The Sun gives us much needed Vitamin D
  • The Sea Air is full of negative charged ions which helps our lungs and immune system.
  • The Sea is full of vitamins, minerals (magnesium’s a biggie), amino acids, all which are great for skin, hair, and nails.
  • Swimming in the ocean is a sweatless, fun workout.
  • The Beach is a stress free environment. Perfect for when you need some R&R.

So going to the beach is kind of like going to a day spa no charge. I think I’ll make another visit tomorrow.

BTW: You can find this bench in Tulum Mexico!

 

Tongue Scraping

Wellness

I scrape my tongue every morning and can’t imagine not doing it now. During the night while we sleep, our bodies are still detoxing. That gunk on your tongue in the morning is bacteria, and that bacteria helps cause digestive issues and bad breath. If you’re thinking I brush my tongue with my toothbrush, it’s not the same. Trust.

Tongue scrapers are cheap. I think I paid $8 for mine. All you do is literally scrape your tongue with your U shaped scraper. I usually do it a 3-5 times every morning.

One Month Vegan

Cravings, Wellness

I have once again jumped on the vegan bandwagon and it has officially been one month. Here’s what I’m feeling.

 

  • The biggest change physically is how much lighter, less lethargic I feel.
  • My digestion has improved dramatically. My almost constant bloat I usually have has disappeared.
  • I realized I do not crave meat or eggs, and this was from day one.
  • I’ve probably ate more vegetables this past month than I have the entire year.
  • Eating healthy, I’m less hungry. I’m assuming because I’m eating more nutritious foods.
  • I feel good about what I am putting in my body and what I’m keeping out.
  •  I’m much more of a conscious consumer in general.

 

I went vegan earlier in the year for 3 months and stopped due to how fat and mushy I was getting. This time around I am actually unintentionally losing weight. The difference is I’m keeping the breads/tortillas/pastas at a minimum. I’ve also implemented 3 veggies/fruits minimum per meal. Lastly, a handful of nuts is very satisfying when I’m feeling the munchies.

The hardest part of eating vegan is figuring out what to eat. I read somewhere it helps the beginner vegan to have 10-15 go to recipes. I probably have 3 at this point. So my goal is to get 10 easy vegan recipes under my belt to start the new year off with (and without chickpeas. Turns out, I hate chickpeas. Bummer.)

Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Balls

Cravings, Wellness

I’m so over smoothies for breakfast, especially with colder weather coming. And for whatever reason, eggs just aren’t floating my boat. I found this protein ball recipe on cottercrunch.com. A few of these with some hot tea made for a good breakfast. Per the website, each protein ball has approx. 78 calories.

  • 1 heaping TBSP ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (around 65-75grams) Vanilla Protein Powder
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey if you are not vegan.·
  • 1/2 cup almond meal or peanut flour (you can also just finely grind raw almonds) ·
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup nut butter (creamy no stir works best)
  • 3/4 cup of gluten free quick oats or gluten free cereal of choice
  • Vanilla extract

 

  1. Grind up your oats or cereal in a food processor and transfer into a mixing bowl. This is optional. YOu can keep them whole as well and adjust the addition of honey.
  2. Add your almond meal, protein powder, cinnamon, and nut butter. Stir ingredients all together. • Add in your honey and vanilla then mix again well with hands. •
  3. You might need to add more honey or nut butter if batter gets to dry. See notes.
  4. Roll into 1-1.5 inch balls and place on cookie tray or plastic ware with parchment paper underneath.
  5. Let them freeze for 20-30 minutes then transfer into a Ziploc bag.
  6. Dust with additional cinnamon and vanilla protein if desired.
  7. keep in fridge or freezer for up to 6 weeks.

 

How I Became Motivated to Exercise

Wellness

I hate the thought of exercising and then I do it and feel great. So, why do I dread it? For me, it’s the starting that’s difficult. It’s putting on the yoga tape, getting in the car to go to the gym, stepping out the door to walk.

Now, I do yoga and exercises on the regular. What changed? I took the pressure off of myself. I didn’t say, “Tomorrow Im going to start an exercise routine… Tomorrow, I’m running 5k… This week I’m going to the gym 3x”. I just woke up one morning and did 3 poses of yoga. Why? Because I read about these poses and wanted to try them. And then the next morning, I did it again (just because). Before I knew it, it started feeling good to begin my day this way. My body started feeling stronger and I started feeling more positive. I slowly added more poses until I was doing a 20 minute yoga sequence. Now, I’ve added 5 exercises to that.

Sometimes, I skip sequences and sometimes I skip exercises, and sometimes I skip days, and honestly I’ve even skipped weeks.  It’s all okay. I don’t beat myself up. It’s not a “routine” that I have to do. I’m not letting myself down by not doing it. It’s something I do because I enjoy it and I want to. No pressure is the key for me.

So my advice is tomorrow do a stretch, any stretch. And if you feel like it do another. And if you don’t, that’s okay. Maybe the day after tomorrow…if you feel like it.