Fitness, Health

How Much Water Should You Be Drinking?

Importance of Staying Hydrated and How Much Water You Should Be Drinking

Staying hydrated means taking in fluids. Drinking fluids especially water is important for your body. Your body needs water mainly because water makes up about 60% of your body. However, apart from maintaining that balance, there are numerous benefits to staying hydrated:

Improve Physical Performance

During physical activities especially those that are intense, our bodies use up a lot of water. These situations include during workouts, running or carrying heavy weights. Therefore, it is important to stay hydrated before, during and after such intense exercises. Proper hydration increases endurance, reduces fatigue as well as lowers your heart rate.

Cools Down the Body

As a person who is active in exercises, you should know that your body emits heat by increasing the size ofblood vessels close to your skin’s surface. This is why your face and other parts of your body becomes red when you are exercising. This results in more blood flow as well as more heat being released into the air. If you are poorly hydrated, then it takes more effort for environmental temperatures to trigger blood vessels to widen hence you stay hotter.

Promotes Cardiovascular Health

Water is essential to blood formation meaning that with fewer water levels in your body, your blood volume will also be low. This prompts the heart to work twice as hard to pump blood to get oxygen to your cells. In turn, this will make it more difficult for you to walk or walk up a normal flight of stairs.

Better Performance in Muscles and Joints

This is especially important for people who exercise. If well hydrated, then the water inside and outside contracting and expanding muscles facilitates movement of nutrients and oxygen into the muscles and movement of toxins and wastes out of them. This makes them perform better. Water also plays an integral part in lubricating joints.

It is recommended that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water which amounts to about 2 liters of water.

Click here to learn more about essential oils I use to flavor my water and provide additional health benefits

Fitness, Health

7 Tips for a Balanced Diet

More and more people realize that a good diet should be balanced. Apples, bananas and salad – they are all very healthy, but also boring. The goal should not be to eat only fruits, but to make your diet complete and varied. We have looked more closely at the question of what constitutes a healthy diet. In this short article, you will discover seven points which you should consider in a balanced diet.

1. Versatility

Say goodbye to the notion that certain foods are prohibited. Consuming the full variety of foods is a good idea as long as you pay attention to their nutrients and energy content. Your choice should consist of an appropriate quantity and combination of nutrient-rich and low-energy foods. If possible, you should not eat too many pre-prepared foods or fast food.

2. Cereal products

Bread, noodles, potatoes and rice are indispensable to our diet. And that is also good, because they are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals. If they are made of whole grain, it is all the better. It is best to combine these foods with low-fat ingredients.

3. Vegetables and fruit

You have probably heard that many nutrition centers recommend eating 3 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit every day. What exactly you eat is left to your preference. A serving can also be a glass of freshly squeezed juice. A good rule of thumb is to eat a portion of fruit or vegetables at each meal. So you have the food of the five portions easily integrated into your daily routine.

4. Meat

Fish contains many valuable nutrients and is, therefore, perfect in terms of meat. If you still prefer a different kind of meat, we recommend lean pieces of poultry, pork, veal or beef.

5. Less fat

Stick to vegetable oils and fats. Keep in mind that fat is often included in many other products. A total of 60-80 grams of fat per day is sufficient.

6. Movement

Good food is often not enough. It is necessary that you move regularly. The recommendation is 30 to 60 minutes of sports per day. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk short distances on foot or ride a bike – all of this will help you, while, at the same time, protecting the environment.

7. Lots of water

And above all is water. Drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day will cover your bodily needs. Very sugary drinks promote weight gain in the long term and should be avoided. Alcohol should not be consumed excessively.

Fitness, Health

Weight Management Protocol – Slique

Young Living’s powerful line of Slique weight-management products can help you achieve amazing results! As you begin to incorporate Slique into your diet, shift your mindset, make better choices, and start to move (a.k.a. exercise), you’ll be able to maximize your efforts and discover a slimmer you. Let’s go!

Quality Matters

From essential oils to weight management supplements, quality matters! When you shop with Young Living you are getting quality products backed by a ‘Seed to Seal’ guarantee that you won’t find anywhere else. You can expect that Young Living will provide you with only the BEST!

  • plant material that is grown on corporately-owned farms or carefully vetted partner farms (that you CAN visit!)
  • sustainable farming and sourcing practices, providing the purest oil
  • great care taken to preserve and protect natural resources
  • hand-weeded fields and ZERO use of pesticides
  • oils that retain all their natural constituents and therapeutic properties
  • use of food-grade distillers with state-of- the-art design and distillation methods
  • low pressure and low temperature distillation, without the use of solvents or synthetic chemicals
  • rigorous testing on each batch by internal labs and third-party facilities
  • oils that are carefully reviewed through every step of production in order to meet or exceed industry safety and purity standards (beyond organic!)

And the best part… if these products do not meet their high standards they are rejected and will not be bottled or packaged as a Young Living product. Now that’s amazing!!

Mind Over Matter

Before we dive into the products, we must talk about mindset. When you start on a journey to better health, it is uber important that the thoughts you think and the words you speak line up with the outcome you wish to achieve.

If you are like me, you probably have said “I need to lose weight” time and time again. What I didn’t realize was that when you speak of something being ‘lost’, the mind automatically begins to search for ways to find what is ‘lost’. I don’t know about you, but I definitely DON’T want my mind looking for ways to find weight!

When you use the words ‘want’ or ‘need’, it signifies lack or being without. It speaks to limitation and not having a choice. But you DO have a choice! Every decision, every change begins with a choice. You will feel more empowered, more in control, and more equipped to tackle this lifestyle change when you make the CHOICE to do it and you start consciously shifting your thoughts and words.

Repeat after me:

“I choose to make better choices.”

“I have the ability to take care of my body.”

“I deserve to be healthy!”

Can you feel the shift in energy?

Slique

Now that you have made the CHOICE to better your health, let’s take a look at some tools that will make this journey easier. Young Living’s Slique line can help you manage your weight, create feelings of satiety, and provide nutritional support when combined with proper diet and exercise.

A ‘Slique in 60 Satisfaction Guarantee’ is even available for Slique Kits. If you’re unsatisfied at the end of the trial period, Young Living will give you a product credit equal to the amount of your purchase. That’s incredible! For full details on the guarantee, click here.

*For most Slique products: if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult a health professional prior to use.

Slique Essence

Now let’s take a closer look at the individual products within the Slique line. Slique Essence is a blend that contains Grapefruit, Tangerine, Lemon, Spearmint, and Ocotea. These all work together to help control hunger. #praisehands

Slique Essence can be used as a tasty addition to a hot cup of Slique Tea or as an extra splash of flavor in your water (which you should be drinking plenty of!). The addition of Spearmint can also aid in digestion, while the stevia gives it a hint of sweetness without the calories. #winwin

Usage: Add 2-4 drops to 4-6 oz. of your favorite beverage, Slique Tea, or water. Use as needed throughout the day whenever hungry.

Slique Shake

This vegan-friendly meal replacement shake is formulated with Slique Essence (the blend we just talked about), making it very satisfying so you won’t reach for that chocolate bar later in the day. The high protein content also helps maintain lean muscle mass.

Slique Shake’s berry flavor is delicious mixed with almond milk or fruit (in a smoothie). It contains no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or GMO ingredients. Instead, Slique Shake is naturally sweetened with Stevia, organic coconut palm sugar, wolfberries, and strawberries. The formula also includes pea protein, quinoa, wolfberry, pumpkin seed protein, and alfalfa grass juice, making it an excellent source of dietary fiber and extra tasty! Slique Shake also includes a fruit and vegetable blend that provides essential vitamins and minerals that many meal replacement options don’t offer.

Usage: Just replace a meal every day with one shake! Easy enough, right?

Try this recipe!

  • 12 oz. almond milk
  • 1 handful of hulled strawberries
  • 1/2 small banana
  • Fresh mint or a drop of Spearmint/ Peppermint Vitality
  • 1 Slique Shake packet

Blend until thoroughly combined and enjoy!

Slique CitraSlim Capsules

Slique CitraSlim is an all-natural formula that includes a proprietary citrus extract blend, which some studies suggest may help support the body in burning excess fat when used in conjunction with a healthy weight-management plan. This polyphenolic mixture of flavonoids offers powerful antioxidants that are touted for their health benefits. This blend may also support the release of free fatty acids, which help break down fat.*

Bottom line: These natural ingredients all work with your body to achieve healthy weight management, burn excess fat, increase antioxidant activity, support energy levels, and boost your metabolism. Yes please!

Slique CitraSlim features a two-capsule formulation in a convenient dual-serving daily sachet.

  • Once-Daily Liquid Capsule: The liquid capsule delivers pomegranate seed oil, Lemongrass, Lemon Myrtle, and Idaho Balsam Fir essential oils. This blend is high in citral, which is a constituent that may increase metabolic activity.*
  • Powder Capsules: Three power-packed powder capsules contain a proprietary citrus extract blend, cinnamon powder, bitter orange extract, feungreek seed, ocotea leaf extract, and a customized blend of enzymes and four essential oils: Ocotea, Cassia, Spearmint, and Fennel.

Usage: Consume 2 powder capsules in the morning with 8 ounces of water. Consume 1 powder and 1 liquid capsule with 8 ounces of water in the afternoon, before 3 p.m. If you miss taking your capsules in the morning, you may take all 4 capsules together in the afternoon, before 3 p.m.

Sounds amazing right? Learn even more about this gem here.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

Slique Tea

Slique Tea is yummy!! If you haven’t tried it yet — you need to! Just imagine sipping on an exotic drink made from jade oolong tea, Ecuadorian cacao powder, and Sacred Frankincense powder! Oh my goodness, that sounds like a drink fit for royalty. Well, adjust your crown, my friend, because it can be yours.

Slique Tea is a great alternative to sugary drinks and sodas thanks to its natural ingredients that help support individual weight goals. The jade oolong tea leaves are handpicked from the high mountain regions of Taiwan, and are sought after for their rich aroma and powerful antioxidant content. The Ocotea leaf was traditionally used by natives for health and wellness. This unique blend is then enhanced with Sacred Frankincense powder…. and you know what Frankincense can do, right? If not — look it up! This drink is delicious hot or cold when you start to crave something naughty.

Usage: Bring 8 ounces of water to a rolling boil, let cool for 3½ minutes. Place one pouch in a cup, mug, or filter and add water. Steep for at least 3 minutes. Add your favorite Young Living Vitality essential oils as desired. Use daily before and after workouts, with meals, or any time you need a natural boost. Contains naturally occurring caffeine and tea antioxidants.

Slique Bars

Finally, a healthy low-calorie snack that actually tastes good! Slique Bars have a medley of exotic fruits and nuts that can help you feel fuller longer, moderate unhealthy cravings, and provide healthy calories and essential nutrition.

These bars come in Tropical Berry Crunch (only 140 calories) and Chocolate-Coated Tropical Berry Crunch (only 150 calories). Any chocolate lovers out there?

Usage: Consume before or between meals with 12 ounces of water to help control hunger. Individuals who may be sensitive to high-fiber diets should exercise care when consuming more than 2 bars daily.

Allergens: Contains baru nuts, almonds, coconut, and soy. Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, peanuts, soy, milk, and eggs. Contains bee product.

Slique Gum

Did you know that ancient travelers throughout the Middle East used raw frankincense resin for its nutritional content and ability to help control hunger? Slique Gum offers those same benefits in a modern-day form to help control food cravings and improve oral health. Cool, huh?

The natural sweeteners and the act of chewing can help alleviate snack cravings. The Peppermint and Spearmint essential oils also help to freshen your breath. #LearnSomethingNewEveryDay

Slique Gum is certainly different from the typical ‘gum’ purchased at the store but it’s a great way to curb those cravings!

Usage: Chew one tablet before or after meals.

Slique Kits

To help take the guesswork out of creating your own wellness plan, Young Living has put together FOUR pre-made Slique kits suited for any budget. You set your goals, then decide on the best kit to help you achieve them.

If you aren’t a member of Young Living yet, grab a Basic Starter Kit THEN add on one of these Slique Kits at the wholesale price! You will continue getting that same 24% discount on all your future YL purchases.

Slique Complete Kit includes:

  • (2) Slique® Shake (30-Day Supply)
  • (2) Slique Tea, 25 ct
  • (2) Slique CitraSlim™ (30-Day Supply)
  • (5) Slique Gum, 8 ct
  • (1) Slique Essence
  • (4) Slique Bars, 6 pk

Slique Advanced Kit includes:

  • (1) Slique Tea, 25 ct
  • (1) Slique CitraSlim (15-Day Supply)
  • (1) Slique Shake (15-Day Supply)
  • (3) Slique Gum, 8 ct
  • (1) Slique Essence
  • (2) Slique Bars, 6 pk

Slique Assist Kit includes:

  • (1) Slique Tea, 25 ct
  • (3) Slique Gum, 8 ct
  • (1) 15-ml Slique Essence
  • (1) Slique CitraSlim (15-Day Supply)

Slique Maintain Kit includes:

  • (1) Slique CitraSlim (15-Day Supply)
  • (1) 15-ml Slique Essence

Get the Best Deal

slique essential rewards.jpg

Who wants to pay full price when you can get the same thing at a discount?

Young Living has several options to help you get started and snag the best deal possible. Even if you already have your own Young Living account, there are still some money-saving tricks you need to know!

Not yet a member? Pick out your Starter Kit … HERE!

A Few Side Notes

slique extra.jpg
  • Information obtained here is meant for educational and informational purposes ONLY, and to motivate and empower you to make your own wellness journey based on your own research and partnership with your healthcare provider.
  • The statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Fitness, Health

9 pro tips to perk up your at-home workout

There’s a million and a half reasons to work out at home: global pandemics, budgets, little ones, time constraints. Or maybe you just prefer your makeshift gym and personal playlist! Even if you’re not a weekend warrior, you can still get into beast mode at home.

Tips for a successful at-home workout

Just because your gym session is under your own roof doesn’t mean you have to give up on gains! Here are some essential oils for your workout and some trade secrets on how to maximize your exercise.

Look forward to it

Instead of viewing your workouts as a chore, treat them like the opportunity of a lifetime. We’ve got these miraculous bodies—let’s get excited to move them! To turn your fitness regimen from to-do list to bucket list:

  • Find a podcast or TV show that you reserve for working out.
  • Diffuse a motivational diffuser blends during your reps.
  • Make it a habit! The more you do it, the more you’ll love it and hate to go without it.

Pencil it in

Designate 30 minutes to an hour that’s reserved for you and your health! Whether you start small with 1–2 days a week or go for the big time with daily reminders, make sure your calendar is set with notifications and alarms to get you going.

Rely on a support system

When that calendar ping isn’t motivation enough to throw on some leggings and start moving, have your friends and family jump in as cheerleaders. Gym buddies aren’t reserved for the gym. That’s why we call them fitness friends!

  • Find a pal you can text or call right before your workout starts.
  • Recruit someone in your household to join you! If adults aren’t available and the music is boppin’ enough, kids will love to run around with you.
  • Count on furry friends too! We promise—if your dog gets in the habit of a daily walk, he’ll never let you forget it!

Add pep to your step with pre-workout

At least 30 minutes before each workout, it is important to increase the amount of water you consume. Supplement this with your choice of NingXia Red® for added nutrition, NingXia Nitro™ and Slique™ Tea to increase alertness, and a clear capsule with 4-6 drops of Lemongrass essential oil to get ready for your workout. These products work together to help improve energy and endurance and increase thermogenics in the body.

Immediately following this preparation, it is important to warm up the body to prepare your muscles for the workout. If your muscles are sore, gently rub a few drops of Peppermint essential oil onto the affected area to help soothe the minor discomfort. As with any workout regimen, a healthy diet and proper technique will help you achieve your fitness goals.

Recommended Pre-Workout Products:

NingXia Red: NingXia Red’s cascading energy and nutrient-rich formula is a perfect way to prepare for any workout.

NingXia Nitro: NingXia Nitro is an all-natural way to enhance physical performance. Not only does it deliver a unique combination of B vitamins, essential oils, and green tea extract, but it also contains Bioenergy Riobose®, a premium ingredient clinically proven to increase energy, accelerate recovery, and reduce fatigue and muscle pain.

Slique Tea: By providing a rare blend of jade oolong leaves, ocotea, and frankincense powder, Slique Tea is a delicious beverage that provides a natural energy boost.

Slique Essence Essential Oil Blend: Young Living’s Slique Essence essential oil blend contains a unique combination of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, spearmint, and ocotea essential oils that uplifts and energizes.

Lemongrass Essential Oil: Lemongrass essential oil contains high levels of citral, a compound that may support thermogenic activity in the body when consumed.

Peppermint Essential Oil: When ingested, Peppermint essential oil supports digestion and may improve concentration and mental acuity.  When used topically, it soothes sore muscles.

ningxia nitro pre workout, weights, water bottle, running shoes

Mix it up

If you find yourself bored to tears by the same arm and leg workout, try something new! What about yoga? Online videos? A new video instructor? HIIT? Functional fitness or any of the other dozens of trending workouts? Hey, maybe even those old 80s videos hidden in the basement could be fun. If all else fails to grab your attention, turn on some jams and dance around the kitchen!

Give yourself some space

If you can, create a designated area you work out in each day. No extra room? Make do with that you have!

  • Push furniture aside to make room for yoga mats or floor workouts.
  • Use a kitchen chair for tricep dips, lunges, or step ups.
  • Use backpacks with books in them to add resistance or weight.
  • Anything goes! A kid’s old jump rope is your new cardio. A gallon of milk is your new 8-pound weight. Your kitchen timer is your new interval trainer.

Keep it fresh

With your weekday workout out of the way, you deserve a pick-me-up! Enjoy a spritz of fresh water and a revitalizing scent on your neck, chest, and arms.
In a glass spray bottle, combine:

Shake well before spraying.

PRO tip: Store the bottle in the fridge for water that is extra cool!

See how far you’ve come

When you hit the gym, you keep track of your PB (personal bests). Why not do the same at home? Every time you go an extra mile, do a few more reps with a heavier weight, or conquer that headstand, celebrate! Jot it down in your journal, share it on social media, call your mom. The important thing is to compete against yourself, not other people, and recognize every win!

End on the right note

If you do anything on this list, make it this one. The second you finish your at-home workout, it can be tempting to rush to the next thing. Treat your body right by recovering right!

Now that you are all warmed up with the pre-workout suggestions, it’s time to begin your workout! When working out it is important to remember three things: technique, hydration, and recovery.

Technique
Proper technique and form help you avoid injury and maximize results. A vital part of proper technique is how you breathe. During aerobic exercises, get your breathing into a pattern; when training with weights, exhale when exerting.

Keep Breathe Again™ close by to help open nasal passages. Know your limitations and don’t overdo it. If you are new to this type of exercise, start out with a basic workout.

Hydration
The importance of staying hydrated cannot be understated. Keeping your body properly hydrated helps flush out the toxins that are released when working out. Adding a few drops of Peppermint essential oil to your water keeps you alert during your workout.

Recovery
Once you’ve finished your workout, be sure to cool down and stretch the worked muscle groups to avoid injury. Drinking Pure Protein Complete™ after a workout delivers much-needed, essential oil-infused amino acids to muscles that have been broken down and worked. Protein also helps build enzymes that help your body adapt to sports that require endurance, such as running or biking.

When your muscles are fatigued, the use of Deep Relief™ Roll-on and PanAway®is encouraged. These essential oil blends should be a must-have in your gym bag and work to help soothe sore and tight muscles. Apply these as desired when you feel discomfort.

Lastly, don’t forget to supplement. Finish off your workout with a 2-oz. shot of NingXia Red® along with Master Formula, an essential oil-infused multivitamin packed with nutrient-dense superfruits, plants, and vegetables that will deliver a full-spectrum of bioactive vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your body. Follow that up with a Slique Bar to minimize hunger cravings between meals and you have the endings of a perfect workout.

Finally, don’t forget your Thieves® Wipes to wipe down your equipment and to keep yourself and family safe from germs.

We hope this series has helped you discover the myriad ways to infuse your workouts with the benefits of Young Living products. Please visit the comments section and share other Young Living products you like to use when working out!