Bathing Beauties: Numero Dos

image: athenabeauty.co.uk

For those of you who took action with Part I of this body revamp adventure, props to you!  If you weren't around for it, it's never too late to start treating yourself right with this at-home spa body overhaul.  Find it HERE.

Of course, Part I isn't a requirement and you're welcome to start with or utilize any individual phase of the process.  Also, don't feel pressured to make it a weekly task if it starts to feel like a chore.  If you can manage every other week or even once a month, you're on the right path.  

Know that when you hit the sunny shoreline and see another gal with enviably glowing skin, bright eyes and silky hair -- you can always come back to Estoy, Je Suis for the goods on how she did it with all three parts of this summer prep post.

Part II of your guide to a happy bare-it-(nearly)-all summer lovin' good time!

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Making Waves

feeding those head turning curves with an added dose of clear skin

I'd like to impart the importance of a healthy diet. 

image: wineinyourdiet.com

DIET is not the dirty word we've all been taught to fear from the depth of our beings.  

DIET: (per merriam-webster.com)

a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed

b : habitual nourishment

Eating and drinking 5-6 small meals throughout the day is a great way to maintain energy and nourishment without overfilling.

Now, although I have been certified as a wellness instructor, Yoga, Pilates, group and private exercise teacher with a bagful of specializations, I do not claim to be a nutritionist.  Every individual should consult a licensed nutritionist and/or his or her general physician regarding dietary intake.  The following serves merely as an example of healthy intake based on the average well man or woman.

Serving size: Think of the palm of your hand (fingers not included) as a measuring assistant.  A serving of anything should be the size of YOUR palm in circumference and depth.  Your fist is about the size of your stomach.  If you fill it with something the size of your palm, then it's about halfway full.  So, you can't exactly fill your plate with 5+ things the size of your palm.  

If you're having tapas, pick one of each.  If you're having pasta, the rule is pretty clear.  A burger - maybe only eat the bottom half of the bun with the patty & a few fixin's.  Salads are tricky.  Just because it's green doesn't mean it needs to be loaded with a million toppings to make up for flavor.  Pick a dressing, it doesn't have to be low-cal, but follow the serving guide on the label (usually about 1-2 Tablespoons).  Add fruit and pine nuts OR tomatoes, avocado & cucumber.  The toppings are where the palm rule comes in handy.


Chew slowly.  Sit down to ENJOY your meals and try to take delight in each savory bite.  Eat only until you feel satisfied.  That's the moment right before you take that last bite... the one you KNOW will send you into food-coma oblivion.  Stop there, even if there's still food on the plate.  
It's OK.  Really.

Content:  I can't tell you what to eat, but I can outline a day in my dietary life as a possible outline for yours.

Breakfast

 8 oz glass of water to start.

1 cup of hot green tea, plain

1 cup of oats w/ warm water, a teaspoon of honey and a dash of cinnamon 

OR 

1 medium orange and a slice of gluten-free plain toast

Snack

 Depending on what I had for breakfast, I'll often fill this spot with the other choice.

Lunch

 8 oz glass of water to start.

1 cup of hot or cold black tea, plain

1/4-1/2 cup of Garbanzo Bean salad w/ 1/4 of an avocado sliced on the side

OR

Grilled Sockeye Salmon and a handful of Spinach lightly salted

Snack

 I like fruit for snacks in the afternoon because the natural sugar gives me a little spark of energy.

Usually, a banana and a small handful of almonds.

image: healthy-usa.com/

Dinner

 8 oz glass of water to start

Drink your Antioxidants! 
Grown up gals: 1 glass of red wine, Young un's: 100% Cranberry Juice half diluted w/ water

Kale lightly sauteed with fresh garlic & EVOO

AND a cup of pure Butternut Squash soup topped with a dollop of sour cream

Evening

 1 cup of hot Chamomile tea with 1 teaspoon of honey

It's light and you'll see that I don't eat a lot of protein, mostly because my body doesn't digest it properly and the doctors have said to limit my intake.  On weekends, I do enjoy an omelette in the mornings.  

I definitely like to expand my horizons when out to eat... but, again, it all comes down to portion control.  You can eat ANYTHING you want as long as you watch your portions and you don't have an allergy to that food.

image: instant-art.com/

A great way to determine if you have a food allergy is to engage in a food elimination/reintroduction diet.  This is definitely something to consult with your physician.  In the end, I personally found that certain fruits containing natural molds are not something I can enjoy regularly as well as large amounts of yeasty foods and those with high sugar contents.  Another way to figure out what may be holding you back from the body you want is to take a look at the foods you eat most.  What do you crave regularly?  If it's bready foods like pasta, panini, can't live without croutons on your salad, biscotti and cupcakes, then you may have a sugar or wheat allergy.  Then, a slight elimination/reintroduction diet may help you decipher if it's one or both.  

When we're allergic to foods or ingredients, it doesn't necessarily dictate a no-go zone on that particular item.  What you may find is when you stop eating that particular food or ingredient for a week or so, the weight begins to melt off!  

We often develop cravings for and addictions to our allergies because the remnants of that food's culture are struggling to survive in a hostile environment -- our immune system.  As our body attempts to build more and more resistance to the unwanted ingredient, the antihistamines are signaling us to "eat more so we can flourish".  This is similar to when you have an ant bite or poison ivy.  Your body's natural defense system is signaling you to scratch and remove what it is pushing to the surface... but you don't, because as we all know scratching leads to spreading.  So why would you "scratch" that "itch" in your digestive tract if it's only going to produce more unwanted weight?


Clear Skin Tips

image: teenvogue.com

AGUA
You've read and heard it a thousand times.  Water clears your skin.  It's true!  H2O clears our system and thus clears every organ that system operates.  Your skin is your largest organ, baby.   


Common Skin Issue
Agonizing over unsightly bumps on the back of your arms and throat?  It may be time to visit the dermatologist.  A condition called Keratosis Pilaris is a genetic predisposition that causes your hair follicles to plug up and form those little bumps, but it is also related to your diet.  When you clean up your diet and reduce sugar and preservative intake, your skin will respond gloriously.  However, if you are diagnosed with KP, try adding fennel to your seasoning list... grind it up to a fine powder, mix it in with your favorite cold cream and massage it in as a mask for five minutes before rinsing with warm water, cleansing as usual and patting with cool water to close pores.
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Come back next week for PART III and keep up the good work!
Feel free to write me with your questions, comment with suggestions that you have found helpful and let us know how your swimsuit season prep is progressing.

xoxo, 

Disclaimer: Estoy, Je Suis and it's author(s) are not a professional medical resource and, as such, not liable for your personal health and safety.  If you have a medical condition that may be agitated by any step in this article (especially heart, thyroid or skin conditions), please consult your health professional as to whether this process is safe for you to conduct and/or how it may be modified to best suit your personal needs/ circumstances.