Tag Archives: self care

Six Ways Drinking Water Benefits Hair And Scalp

In a business training and support group I’m part of within Sassy Suite, Empower Social where we learn to use social media properly and better, we are doing a “water challenge. ” The water challenge is encouragement for making healthier choices, and to help us (quite simply) drink more water. It’s also to promote better self care.

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I have a new Contigo glass 20 ounce water bottle with a silicone sleeve, which I am refilling 3-4 times/day. Go me! It seems to keep my water cooler longer. The draw backs are that it has no straw and it’s a bit heavy to carry. But, I love that it doesn’t spill, and it does have a way to put your wrist through a strap to carry it.

There are lots of great reasons for health to generally be drinking more water. Our bodies are 2/3 water. Drinking water is superior to any other fluid intake, like soda, coffee, or other beverages.

Staying hydrated is important for all body systems to work properly, unless otherwise directed by a physician for a specific condition. Hydration is especially important during this hot summer season and during exercise. Your skin appreciates good hydration, preventing aging and skin disorders. And, your kidneys thank you for helping them flush out the waste accumulated. “Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones and other problems.” You will have more energy, less brain fog, a more regular colon, and regulated body temperature. There are so many benefits to maintaining water intake! Really, all body systems require hydration to work properly.

Medical News Today reports that most men should be drinking around 100 ounces of water/day, and women should drink about 73 ounces of water/day.

Tell me, how many ounces of water do you drink a day?

What are the many benefits of drinking water for hair and the scalp?

First, one of the major benefits to drinking more water is a hydrated scalp, which reduces flaking, itching, and dandruff. A good shampoo helps, but hydration is important.

Second, for adequate hydration prevents hair loss and promotes hair growth. Water repairs hair and adds needed nutrients. It even makes hair shinier.

Third, increasing water intake prevents hair breakage and frizz. Especially if there is frequent chemical processing, which dries out hair, being hydrated strengthens cuticles and hair follicles.

Next, drinking more water balances hair pH, as well as filters excess toxins and minerals found in blood that affect hair health.

In addition, “Water activates all these nerve endings and other sensors in our skin and scalp that enhances the natural vitality of hair roots.”

Finally, hair hygiene also matters. Rinsing hair in cool water, rather than hot water promotes shine and gloss. Softer water makes hair more manageable, and prevents color fade.

Are you receiving my email newsletters? The current one is here, but to be sure you are receiving them monthly, opt in here, and receive a FREE ebook 23 Tips For A Healthy Scalp and Hair.

Drink up, friends! Here is to a healthy body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and to healthy hair.

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?
You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Blessings,

Deb

Black Bean & Brown Rice Burgers with Spinach, Mushrooms, Bacon, and Cheese

We’re a pretty adventurous family when it comes to trying new recipes and new foods. We don’t mind spicy, we love vegetables, and we’re even okay with meatless options. We don’t subscribe to any one diet other than portion control, focus on protein and vegetables. We try keto, grain, dairy, and egg free recipes, Whole 30, Paleo diet, meatless recipes just because they sound good to us, believing any extreme diet is likely unhealthy, but they each have their good points. We’re up for most anything.

A little while back we went to a restaurant with my parents. Our youngest daughter, nine at the time, shared that she was tired of kids’ menu options that are boring and not particularly filling. She politely asked if she could try the adult menu. We said she could, but imagine our surprise when our nine year old opted to try spicy black bean burgers! That is definitely not something I would have tried with all the other options on a restaurant menu, nor would I have expected from a child! She tried them, though, and not only did she eat the entire burger and sides, but she loved spicy black bean burgers!

I’ve been traveling. My aunt just celebrated her 80th birthday, and my cousin was throwing her a surprise birthday brunch back in New England. One only turns 80 once, and I miss many celebrations because of the distance. I didn’t want to miss this milestone celebration!

My 80 year old aunt, cousins, brothers, and my son and his wife.

Plus, my niece is in Girl Scouts and she’s selling cookies. What better travel staple than Girl Scout cookies from my young niece! And my Lilla Rose bobby pins and hair band!

But, I’m chasing squirrels here…because I had been traveling, and because I’d left sick children who weren’t eating much, there isn’t much in the way of food in the house. While I was away the children and husband survived on a 16 quart pot of chicken noodle soup I’d prepared for the sickies before leaving, and there were lots of eggs from our chickens for the non sickies. Imagine four days in a row of chicken noodle soup and eggs. The family is quite bored with their food options! Yet, yesterday I had appointments, errands, and did I mention not much food in the house? I didn’t have time to prepare a fantastic meal last night.

I had a stash of cooked and frozen black beans, left over frozen rice….and staples in the freezer or pantry. I knew I had to be creative around the time limitations, but not make the family feel deprived.

I decided to make black bean burgers. I consulted with a few recipes before coming up with my own. I topped them with a spinach, mushroom, bacon, cheese sauce because we had those ingredients too. The family thought they were great.

Black Bean & Brown Rice Burgers, LoveLeavingLegacy Style

4 cups of soaked and cooked black beans
4 cups of cooked brown rice
2 green peppers diced
1 large onion diced
2 shredded carrots
7 oz can diced chili peppers
minced garlic to taste
2 beaten eggs
2 heaping tablespoons chili powder
2 heaping tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons of tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs as needed

In the food processor blend the beans and rice. Mix in remaining ingredients except bread crumbs. Then, add bread crumbs a little at a time until the mixture holds a burger form. Form 8-12 burger patties on a broiling pan, and broil til crispy and brown on low broiling temperature.

While burgers are broiling, prepare the spinach, mushroom, bacon, and cheese sauce.

Spinach, Mushroom, Bacon, and Cheese Sauce

1 large poly bag spinach (one that serves 10)
1 large onion
minced garlic to taste
4 8 oz packages of sliced portabella mushrooms (My family thinks I should have chopped these more finely.)
12 oz package of turkey bacon
8 oz non fat cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste

In a large pan, saute bacon, onions, and garlic. When bacon is nearly crispy, add mushrooms and saute until almost softened. Add spinach and saute until wilted and incorporates easily into the rest of the bacon/vegetable mixture. In the food processor, blend together remaining ingredients. Add to vegetable bacon mixture, and stir over low heat until melted and creamy.

Serve over Black Bean and Rice Burgers. Serves 8-10. Option: Serve with whole or halved cherry tomatoes on the side.

I love that spring fruits and vegetables are on sale again, and we loaded up on cantaloupe and berries at the grocery store. We served a cantaloupe cubed as a sweet side to our dinner last night.

As I said, my family raved, and they’ve asked me to make them again. Score one for Mom!

Maybe they were just grateful it wasn’t another chicken noodle soup night?

If you try our concoction, tell us what you think in the comments!

Blessings,

Deb

Love Is In The Air…Or In The Hair? Practicing Self Care

It’s Valentine’s Day, and of course, everyone thinks that means Love Is In The Air.

Maybe it is for some! That’s awesome! For others it’s a lonely time. That’s not so awesome. If you are someone struggling from a serious hardship or depression, unexpected loss, deep mourning or grief, or unexpected tragedy, which are all valid life changing grief processes, this is not meant for you. While there may be some takeaways in this post, I don’t want to minimize the validity of a grief process, or perhaps the need for spiritual or emotional counseling. In those circumstances, that route would be their self care.

This post is for those who find themselves feeling generally tired, feeling unappreciated, or overworked. Maybe they are lonely. These feeling are common threads in conversations amongst women, whether they are work outside the home women, work at home women, mothers, women without children, or extended family caregivers. For these people, unless they have learned to be content in all circumstances, embrace life changes, to love or value themselves, get outside help for within the home, and appreciate their own company, there can be sadness and loneliness. For these people, I’m talking about self care.

What do you love about you?

What are your hobbies, food preferences, favorite physical, mental, or spiritual attributes? What do you love about your own character and talents? Who do you prefer to spend your down time with?

Write a list of things you love about yourself, and celebrate them! Don’t wallow in your disappointments and sadness. Keep persevering in growth, skills, and empowering of yourself.

This brings me to your self talk and your self care!

Loving yourself and how you were created is awesome!
Consider some things. How do you talk about yourself? How do you celebrate your daily or weekly or monthly accomplishments? What are things you do to care for yourself?

For instance:

How often do you go to the hair salon?
How many times a year do you love a massage or a manicure/pedicure?
How many times a year do you take a personal day and go somewhere you enjoy?
How often do you work on a hobby that you enjoy?
How many books do you read each year?
How often do you buy yourself a new sweater or pair of earrings, just because?
How often do you make time to exercise?
How often do you read your Bible, attend a Bible study with others, or go to your place of worship?
How often do you arrange to meet your closest local friends for coffee or lunch?

Practice self care.

Put the things that help you care for yourself on the calendar, like an appointment, and don’t cancel!

It’s good for you and your physical, mental, and spiritual health!

You are worth the time!

For the past year, I’ve written about a health journey, weight loss, eating healthy, and a general quest for good health. This was an effort to practice self care.

However, I am struggling with gaps in my self care. I do lack face to face friend time with my local friends! I lack hobbies. My husband and I are work a holics! Sadly, we’re passing that over work ethic on to our children. It really is okay to take a break, (~~Deb)~~ people!

Needless to say, there is quite a lot of tension as a result. For at least the past six months, maybe longer, I’ve been having major headaches, facial numbness, neck and shoulder pain, eye twitching, dizziness, major fatigue, and a fog brain. It’s super easy to chalk it up to being a busy homeschooling mom, having a small home based business, lots of recent traveling, and other things. I was scheduling regular massages, and I do treat myself to coffee out sometimes. As some point, though, coffee wasn’t cutting the fog brain, I’ve been less productive, struggling to stay focused on tasks, and obviously, a bit grumpy in my responses to others. I always say “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” but obviously, something was “broke” and it was time for a change.

Of course, the problem is that I had a fear that I was struggling with something chronic, like multiple sclerosis or Lyme disease. It’s super easy to want to stay in denial that I didn’t have something needing fixing or that it was “just because I….” My massage therapist, who is also a dear friend, very firmly told me that I might be prideful thinking I could keep handling it all myself, and that I needed to seek help. What I was doing for self care had ceased working.

Being super conservative about health care, I started with seeking the opinion of a chiropractor. He did an x-ray, ruled out bone spurs and super scary things like degenerative bone disease and tumors. He said my neck was inverted to the direction it ought to be–out of alignment, I guess is the verbiage. He said he could help, and that it is a blessing I didn’t continue to tarry in seeking a resolution.

Praise God! His first adjustment had my facial numbness and eye twitching symptoms gone! By the third adjustment, I had enough energy to drive myself and four children to Florida and back as the only driver, and to attend a two day business social media conference. I was not out of pain, but I could tell that I was improving.

2018 is the Year for Better Self Care.

I obviously needed help, and I’m thankful I sought it out. I continue to improve with my 2-3 time/week adjustments. Soon I will be in maintenance mode, rather than treatment mode. My pain continue to resolve itself.

This Valentine’s Day, vow to ascribe to love yourself enough for self care, no matter your circumstances. Drink that treat coffee, go out to lunch with a friend, go get the massage, take a walk in the woods, eat healthy foods and exercise, join a gym for accountability, do the hobby you love to do, play your piano, see your doctor or chiropractor! Just do it, however your self care looks. You will thank yourself.

You are valuable.

You deserve to love yourself with the talents, aspirations, gifts, and resources for which you were created.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and of course, everyone thinks that means Love Is In The Air.

Or,

Love Is In The Hair!

What is your hair color?

Is changing your hair color part of your self care?

It doesn’t happen to be mine, but I know for many ladies, experimenting with new hair color highlights, hiding the silver wisdom highlights, or even drastic color changes, is part of their self care, and they find it fun and exciting.

Accessories To Coordinate With Hair Color

There is a wide variety of color and style choices for “blinging up” Valentine’s Day, or any day of the year. This handy little guide helps choose what would look best in some hair colors.

I tend to coordinate more with my clothing and jewelry wardrobe, but I have noted that black clips can get drowned in a person’s hair who is very dark. There needs to be a balance and consideration of hair color. Sometimes a person does want her clip “muted” against her hair color. No matter what, the Lilla Rose products are still beautiful against all colors of hair and personal styles.

I love using clips, and purchasing them is a “self care” tactic for myself and for my girls.

Don’t miss out on the sizing video on my website but this handy guide helps determine a starting point for flexi clip sizing.

And, finally, maybe you want to reward yourself and try a clip out. The perfect time is with A Lilla Rose Sale!