Category: Lifestyle

When you look at celebrities the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kate Hudson rocking their stunning physique well after 40, you feel that the gap between your appearance and theirs is practically insurmountable. As if these moms are exempt from the changes that strike when you hit this milestone in your life. 

The key is to remember that every woman is different and that you have the potential to bring out your finest physique and feel invincible in your own skin after 40. What’s necessary is to create a strategic plan to conquer your fitness goals, focus on health and wellbeing, and above all, be patient with your expectations. 

You don’t have an army of nutritionists or personal trainers at your exposal like the listed celebrities do, so you need to do your best with what you do have: your own potential, hard-earned knowledge, and a few time-tested tips that apply to us all. 

Amp up your metabolism with the right foods

Moms, listen to your bodies, and you’ll discover indispensable cues that can help you figure out precisely what you should ditch from your diet and what you need to introduce to elevate your energy levels, improve your mood, and of course, stay on the right track with your fitness goals.

For instance, certain foods help boost your metabolism, such as vitamin-packed citrus fruits and dark leafy greens, whereas lean proteins such as chicken breast or turkey are key to help you feel full for longer. 

Nourish away your menopause symptoms

 

The dreaded m-word typically occurs in every woman’s life around and after the age of 45. The more you learn about your body during this period of change, the greater your capacity will be to stay fit and healthy. One of those common challenges includes tackling typical menopause symptoms, from hot flashes, migraines, all the way to depression and weight gain. 

In addition to building a healthy, wholesome diet and staying active, moms can learn more about and introduce menopause supplements into their lifestyle, to stay nourished and banish those symptoms. From natural remedies such as ginseng and turmeric, all the way to probiotics, you have a wide array of options that can significantly improve your efforts to improve your physique and your overall wellbeing. 

Stay consistent with physical activity

As a mom, you do your darn best not to miss a single dance recital or soccer game, and this commendable trait of yours can actually be useful in how you tackle your own health goals. Consistency is essential in all of your endeavors, because a week of healthy eating or a month of going to the gym won’t make up for months of no activity whatsoever. Instead, plan out your fitness efforts and schedule your meal-preps as well as your workouts to be able to keep up with what your body needs.

Keep stress at bay

Stress is an integral part of parenthood, but that’s no reason to simply roll with the punches and feel constantly exhausted with worry or agitation. In fact, moms that actively work on reducing their stress levels also contribute to their hormonal balance, they sleep better, and they have more energy on the whole. More energy and less stress will in turn provide you with ample motivation to train, eat well, stay resilient to those sugar cravings, and feel beautiful every step of the way towards your brand-new look. 

Make the most of recovery

Rest days, as every professional athlete will tell you, are key to maximizing your fitness results. However, they shouldn’t be your excuse to sit idly at home – try to see them as an opportunity to practice active recovery, which is a term for incorporating mild activity into your rest days. 

Think: walking, light yoga, stretching, or taking a casual swim instead of complete passivity at home. Keeping your metabolism active even during rest days allows your body to keep burning calories and developing lean muscle even while you rest.

Diversify your fitness routine

 

When you lack the motivation to get outside for a run or you feel exhausted for a standard aerobics class, your body will benefit greatly from a bit of imagination in your workout schedule. You can look to the latest fitness trends that appeal to you, be it trying some yoga, barre, or swimming.

Different routines help activate your muscles differently, so they pose a new challenge for your metabolism, and always keep you on your toes. This element of surprise is a great way to give your body that much-needed boost to burn more calories and grow stronger and more vital every day.

Say no to those vices, moms

Did you know that alcohol has calories? Even more importantly, in addition to increasing your caloric intake for the day, it has a negative impact on your health and wellbeing, which should be the primary reason for you to leave it out of your menu. Of course, the occasional glass of wine for a special occasion is not an issue, but succumbing to those vices daily can play havoc on your metabolism and your health.

Moreover, remember that your sugar cravings, salty snacks, overindulging in calorie-dense foods, and smoking are all habits you should ditch. As you can see, it’s often more about what you don’t do for yourself that will impact how your body reacts to your lifestyle after 40.

Perhaps your body might provide more resistance towards your standard, run-of-the-mill jogging routine, but you will soon get to know your body’s preferences and potential well enough to improve your strategy. Simple tactics such as the ones listed above often work wonders for moms in their forties and beyond, because they focus on ensuring your overall health while you strive to improve your physique – so you can get the best of both worlds and feel amazing in your own skin at all times.

 

Mia Taylor is  33 year old blogger who writes about beauty, fashion and travel. She had always been passionate about fashion and over time she had developed a style of her own.  Mia loves to mix and match and get inspire girls with her advice about outfit and accessories.  She loves telling a story about her travels, providing beauty tips with readers.

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Tattoos are kind of like sex, everybody has it but it’s sort of a taboo topic. No matter who you are,  having a tattoo always comes with judgement from certain kinds of people. If you’re a sound-minded millenial with a passion for tattoos and you’re toting them neck to ankle – chances are companies are going to give you a look and may not even hire you. So you spend your career in long sleeve shirts, treating one of your greatest passions as a secret. Or you could be a devoted mother of two with some meaningful designs, here and there and once you enter the ‘keeping up with the Joneses ‘scene, other parents start making you feel self conscious about them. So you end up getting them removed before they label you as a ‘dodgy’ mom. Our world is pretty progressive with some things and is becoming more liberal  by the day, fortunately. But there are other things that remain to be developed – getting tattoos being one of them. Still, you’ve got one life and you ought to live it exactly the way you see fit.  So if you want to get that tattoo, go ahead! Here are some facts and tips about tattoos that will give you peace of mind and help you camouflage into a narrow-minded society – without compromising your individuality.

Women actually get more tattoos than men

58% of the world’s females actually have tattoos, even if it’s just one, whereas only 41% of males have tattoos. This is a perfectly clear example of how what we consider as a ‘norm’ doesn’t always correlate with the facts. What people think of tattoos (being tacky and all) certainly doesn’t reflect on how many people actually get them. The sad thing is, women are more likely to get them removed – especially after committing to a serious relationship or having children. This, again, goes to show how easily we fall into what others think of us. The truth is, however, that prejudice lies within people and not tattoos. If someone gets picky about your tattoo, why not throw some empirical evidence at them and make them feel ashamed – for a change!

Ninja tattoos

Not literal ninjas – unless, ofcourse, you’re into that (then by all means). Rather we’re implying embodying the stealth of a ninja. You want to get a tattoo badly, but you really want to avoid people prodding their fingers at it and giving their 2 cents. It’s simply a matter of fact that they can’t judge what they can’t see. You could avoid getting tattoos in certain ‘judgement danger zones’. This includes any areas exposed by summer wear: arms, mid-thigh to ankle regions, neck, face and hands. Sure, maybe you had your heart set on one of these spots. But a little compromise won’t kill, plus you still get to have your tattoo at last! Your back, ribcage, beneath your collarbone, shoulders and upper-thighs are well-hidden by clothing and thus are ideal places to get a tattoo. Besides there’s something really satisfying about having a secret that’s only your business. It’s kind of like how a ninja feels when he successfully infiltrates a high security setting without anybody knowing.

What if my tattoos get all saggy with age?

Hate to break it to you – when aging, tattoos are the least of your concerns. Seriously, almost every part of your body is going to defy gravity and you’re worried about your tattoo? You’re thinking with the mindset of someone young and who still kind of cares what people think. If you have an old person in your life, you’ll know that they’ve left most concerns and worries in their youth. Older people have lived their lives and have levelled-up. They don’t care about fitting into bikinis or how awful their wrinkles look. They’re more concerned with reflecting on their lives and whether they lived it well and have had good memories. Which is exactly why you should get a tattoo that has a special meaning in your life. When you’re old and wrinkly, it’ll be a wonderful nostalgia that you can reminisce about whenever you look at it.

Style it up

So if you feel more comfortable with the idea of getting tattoos and are ready to put some tattoos on your body  – whether it be a ninja tattoo just for the sake of the art, or want to have a memory to look back upon when you’re old, thestyleup.com will have what you need to get started.  

Animals are brought into our lives for a reason. They are our teachers, healers, angels, and guides, showing us the way and helping us be the best people we can be. Through the benefits of animal communication, we can learn to tap into this amazing resource of wisdom in the form of our animal companions.

Since 1993 I’ve been guiding people all over the world to connect in a deeper way and better understand their animals through animal communication. Every day, I’m contacted by people who are desperate for insight into why their animal friends are acting in strange or dangerous ways. Or why they’re sick or dying with a seemingly untraceable cause.

These pet caretakers are worried.  Something isn’t right with their beloved companions, and no one, not themselves or any vet, can figure out what that missing piece is… They just worry they are missing something.

The truth is, they are missing something and it’s important.

People misunderstand their animals all the time. Animals are constantly trying to communicate with us but we often miss the messages.

When you learn how to recognize, respect, and even revere animals as the spiritual beings they really are, your relationships with them can reach new levels of understanding and benefit for both.  The way you do that is by learning to speak their language, listening to their thoughts, acknowledging their feelings.  Engaging in heart to heart, mind to mind conversations. People who have pets usually can communicate on some level with them, especially when it comes to communication with dogs.

Wouldn’t you love to have a more direct connection with your animal?

What if you could simply ask them what was wrong, where they hurt, how they felt, why they behaved the way they did?

How would knowing how to do this yourself change your life?

I put together a list of five amazing benefits you will experience when you begin to explore animal communication.

Five Benefits of Animal Communication:

1. Animal communication can help you become a better human.

Talking with animals and connecting at a deeper level helps you to be a better, more balanced, kind, and considerate person.

Just like human children, the animals in your life try to communicate with you all the time because they have a lot to share with you. Some of their wisdom is funny, loving, and kind and some of what they have to say is life-changing, profound and insightful. You only have to begin to really listen!

As with all healthy communication, animal communication helps you to be healthier and clearer about who you really are. Doing this one thing right can completely transform the quality of you and your pet’s life.

2. Animal communication will save you money.

Unfortunately, miscommunication between us and our animals can lead to expensive guesswork in the veterinarian’s office as they try to nail down the cause of an illness in a silent patient. A common phrase among pet owners is “if only he could tell me what’s wrong.” But the thing is they can tell us, we only need to start to listen.

As pet parents, we want nothing more than for our animals to be healthy and happy. Animals need to be able to tell you things so you can get them the appropriate care they need.

Also, sometimes when they are repeatedly not heard, animals can turn to destroy property to get the attention they need. Proper animal communication can open up lines of communication and prevent the costly replacement costs of damaged items.

Are you ready to learn how to talk to animals? Easy as 1-2-3! Start here at The Heart School of Animal Communication with your free ebook.

3. When you learn to speak their language, you’ll be a better communicator too!

Telepathy is just a fancy way of saying that you can feel, sense, and hear others over a distance. It is something you do every day, all day long, your whole life. You were born knowing how to do this. You may have shut down your senses in some way, or lost conscious awareness of how you’re actually receiving or sharing information with others, but you’re still doing it.

Learning to speak to animals, with all its challenges and rewards, can be a rich training ground for developing these inherent skills. Opening your heart to animals is a life-changing experience. And you will find that this new level of communication will spill over into all your other relationships.

4. A happier, heard animal is a better-behaved animal.

You can make your animals’ lives and your own a whole lot easier, more fun, and healthy through the power of a two-way, respectful conversation.

A large part of misbehavior in animals is the result of unexpressed trauma, pain, depression, loneliness, and anxiety.

Your animals can see what is in your mind’s eye, and they easily feel what you are feeling. Have you ever noticed how your pet disappears when it’s time to go to the veterinarian or when it’s time for a bath? Or how they can appear almost magically when you have something good to eat? They are paying attention, and they always know what’s going on with you. And when you learn how to pay attention, you can know what’s going on with them too.

If your animals are able to communicate with you in healthy ways, they won’t be forced to resort to misbehavior to get your attention.

5. Animal communication can help your companion stay healthier, longer.

Some of the saddest calls I’ve had to take are the ones that got to me too late. If we had talked with their animal before things got so bad, we might have been able to save their life.

Without knowing what your pet is thinking, you can get into interesting and sometimes awful predicaments. You may be having problems with sick animals, animals that your vet is having trouble helping to heal or struggling with obedience, training, or behavioral issues when everything you’ve tried so far hasn’t worked and you don’t know what to do next.

Or, you may be worried about a pending euthanasia decision; you may be in agony of indecision about whether it’s time to put your animal to sleep or not, wondering what is the right decision to make.

Animal communication can help to avoid these situations by being able to identify what is wrong with your animals before it becomes a crisis.

Every animal lover with beloved pets has had moments of wishing you could magically stick a phone inside your pet’s head so you could know what they’re thinking!

Good news! You CAN!

It’s time to learn how to talk to animals! Start here at The Heart School of Animal Communication with your free ebook.

Today is your chance to step into the wonderful amazing world of animal communication and reap the benefits yourself. Animal communication is THE Essential Key to enjoying loving, happy, and healthy relationships with animals.

This article has originally been published on ValHeart.com.

It is hard to find a person who doesn’t like coffee, whether a creamy latte or a bitter espresso. With the fast pace of our world, a lot of people prefer ordering coffee to-go, but many of them don’t know how much waste disposable coffee cups produce.

You have probably heard about the trend on reusable coffee cups, but many consider these items as only fashionable showing-off bought for taking photos. However, reusable containers are much more useful and beneficial than you might think. Here are five reasons why you need to buy a reusable coffee cup without delay.

It is surprising how much we can achieve by change so little”, comments zero-waste recycling guide Antonia Ko. “All we need is a small set of principles and habits focused on preventing most forms of trash or leftovers entering your bin. When you actually dive into it, you can encourage, rethink, and redesign the life cycles of so many resources so humanity can reuse most if not all products”, she adds.

Your Coffee Stays Hot for Several Hours

Most reusable coffee cups available on the market allow keeping the temperature of your drink. In contrast to takeaway cups that get cold even before you enter your office or cross the street, reusable cups can keep your coffee moderately hot for a pretty long time.

As, on average, the temperature of latte or cappuccino is about 160°F, you can expect it to stay warm for an hour for sure. If your cup is made of thick glass, you can leave your drink even for a couple of hours.

On the other side, disposable cups don’t protect your hands from hot drinks inside, either. By having a reusable coffee cup, you will forget about such a problem. Most models have silicon or wooden sleeves that protect your hands from hot liquids inside the cup.

 

No More Leakage and Spills

We all know what weak protection takeaway cups offer. Although they seem sealed, with only one opening for a mouth, it is easy to spill some coffee on yourself when trying to take a sip. Many reusable coffee cups allow closing the drinking opening so that you can walk on streets holding the cup comfortably or put it in your bag without worries.

Moreover, usually, reusable cups have a sleek design and don’t consist of many parts. It is only a cup, a cover, and a holder. While disposable cups usually have a separate glued bottom that may result in leakages of coffee and stained clothes, reusable ones were made as whole items with the convenience of coffee lovers in mind. Thus, they can be considered splash-proof and extremely useful for people who are always on the go.

 

Discounts in Coffee Shops & Other Saving

Many coffee shops, including global coffee chains such as Starbucks, offer discounts to the coffee fans that bring their reusable cups. It may sound like some cents saved, but within a year, you can actually save from $100 to $200, depending on how often you order coffee to go.

Moreover, by making yourself a cup of coffee at home and pouring it in the reusable cup, you can save even more on your morning coffee. Take your coffee from home instead of buying a pricey one in a coffee shop on the way to work, and you will save even thousands of dollars if you drink it daily.

 

Reduced Environmental Impact

According to Wired, in the long-term run, reusable coffee cups proved to contribute to reducing one’s environmental impact. The point is to use such an item as many times as possible and be smart about washing it. Instead of cleaning the reusable cup only, it is better to do a full load of dishes at once.

Also, disposable items form most of the plastic found in the ocean, with takeaway cups being the main ones. Therefore, by using a reusable coffee cup, you save the world hundreds of plastic cups and spoons yearly.

You may wonder, are paper coffee cups that bad for the environment? Unfortunately, they are not pure paper. All “paper” takeaway cups have a thin plastic lining for preventing coffee leaking. Thus, such cups can be processed in standard paper recycling mills and get accumulated in landfills, polluting the environment.

Most of the reusable coffee cups are made recyclable, with non-toxic materials, and BPA-free. Thus, you are assured of not only taking care of the environment but yourself. And even those items that are not biodegradable prove to be more environment-friendly in the long term, as you use one cup for many drinks and don’t throw it away after finishing your coffee.

A Stylish Items That Will Soon Become a Must-Have One

Disposable coffee cups have become such a huge problem and polluting source that governments of some states and even countries implement regulations regarding coffee to go. For instance, some insist on making coffee enthusiasts pay more for a single-use cup to-go, and this rule is already working in some coffee shops and areas. Others argue about the elimination of disposable coffee cups at all, the same as with plastic bags and other single-use items.

Although we can’t say for sure which laws will be adopted in the future, the fact that disposable coffee cups will be prohibited is undoubtful. Thus, if you want to be able to drink coffee not only at home or sitting in a café, it is worth getting yourself a high-quality reusable container and enjoy coffee anywhere. Thanks to the variety of sizes and colors of such reusable cups available on the market, one can choose the item to their liking.

 

Final Thoughts

As you can see, reusable coffee cups are the future. Nowadays, more and more coffee enthusiasts get themselves such reusable solutions for many reasons, including the mentioned above. From saving on a morning coffee to the comfortability of use, people stress out the benefits of owning a nice many-use cups.

As seen on GiftWits, such coffee cups are extremely useful. It is possible to find a splash-proof, BPA-free item of your favorite color that will serve you for many months and even years. This way, you will cut down expenses and waste produced by disposable cups.

If you haven’t got yourself a reusable coffee cup yet, here is a sign to pick one without delay. Choose the item according to your preferences and enjoy your coffee wherever you are.

The old saying that actions speak louder than words isn’t entirely true. We make all kinds of life choices with words only. Think of the marriage that starts with a simple “I do”, and all the promises and commitments we make every day with the help of language. 

It’s only natural to expect that same form of communication to have a negative impact, and a permanent one at that when it’s particularly hurtful and damaging. The need to conform to politically-correct terms is not just a legal issue, but a question of ethics and basic human decency – carefully choosing words to describe a feature to someone or describe someone’s identity can mean the difference between respect and verbal abuse.

Getting to know the subtext of what you say and recognizing negative patterns in communication is a great start to reducing and eliminating bias and prejudice from our perception, so it’s vital to start making changes in how we communicate.

You don’t know the whole story

We all have different levels of patience, different humor preferences, or different experiences that have shaped what we perceive as funny or acceptable to say to someone else. Simply taking into account that the other person may have gone through a traumatic experience that you’re not aware of can serve as a boundary for you to consider the potential consequences of your words. 

While some people might feel comfortable joking at the expense of sexual abuse and harassment, you’ll find that many who have had such an experience might not be so eager to laugh. These words can serve as triggers, cause anxiety, and diminish your chances to build a relationship because they will no longer feel safe in your company. Who knows? Maybe their abuser has made the same jokes before actually escalating to taking actions.

There are a time and a place

Each culture has different tolerance levels for vulgarity, profanity, and what can be deemed offensive or abusive in terms of your vocabulary. If you live in Australia, for example, it makes sense to rethink your verbal repertoire to adjust to local expectations, since there’s a clear legal difference between lighthearted humor with a few unsavory details and being clearly offensive and verbally abusive. This is especially vital if you conduct yourself inappropriately near a school or in a public area.

There are many different situations involving offensive language that experienced criminal lawyers in Parramatta and other cities in Australia can handle, but their outcome depends on the circumstances, so it’s wise to consult a professional to assess your situation. Laws clearly show cultural expectations and recognize the individual’s rights, they also protect your integrity when someone tries to use offensive language to undermine you, insult you, or cause harm.

No need to make someone feel uncomfortable

We swear all the time, and we often use a range of curse words even in front of our kids – which is precisely how they pick up these phrases. Yet we are role models, and we have the power to help our kids understand how using words can make their peers feel sad, hurt, or uncomfortable. 

Even if our words aren’t directed at the person to whom we’re talking, they might feel uncomfortable with your communication style. They might recognize patterns that reveal negative stereotypes, subconscious bias, or prejudice, all of which can further alienate them from you. Your kids might do the same and alienate entire groups of classmates if they start using the same negative language patterns they’ve picked up from you. 

A slip-up or a behavioral pattern?

Sometimes we may even surprise ourselves with how we choose to phrase something, which in turn, may become a vessel for self-discovery. After all, we speak, read, and write every day, and we use language in our thought processes, but it’s not a one-way process. While our thinking does shape our words, our words also have an impact on how we behave and think. 

From a long-term perspective, consistently using offensive language can become a reflection of your values and lead to unwanted negative actions. You may resort to hurtful behavior when you’re prone to using abusive verbal patterns. It pays to listen to yourself and to others around you who tell you how they feel regarding your own communication approach. Perhaps there’s a deeper issue than a one-time verbal slip-up, so use your language to uncover your attitudes and grow as a human being over time.

People often fret before their first date! The need to please a person reigns supreme. And for that, both men and women plan their attires and accessories for a long time. It’s essential to wear comfortable clothing so that you are at ease. Also, when it comes to accessories, you need to choose bags, belts, and shoes that complement your attire. Colour balance is crucial. However, when it comes to your watch, you need to go classy and decent. It’s here that you can count on the best brands.  

Contrary to popular opinion, you choose a branded watch to add more grace and style to your look, instead of bragging a name. And today, there are several options for you to choose from. There are online watch dealers that helps you to browse through their online collection and select the best wristwatch model. You can count on the Tissot watches and other brands as well. Make sure that you browse through the flagship and recent models so that you choose the best that you can afford. 

How does a branded watch help to create a great impression?

The first dates are mostly about impressions. It’s also about quirky conversations, fun, experimenting with food and drinks. But all that follows when you set the initial pace correct. And there are several ways in which your branded watch can help you create a lasting and decent impression. 

1. It adds to your style and feel-good

When you are confident, you feel good, and it automatically adds to your persona and overall mood. Wearing your choicest wristwatch adds a special mojo that helps you to strike a conversation funnily, that will make the other person comfortable and humor as well. It will give you a finesse with which you can conduct yourself on the first date.  

2. No over the top statements

 

Even though you should impress your date, there’s no need to go over the top. The best brands design their watches in a way that it blends in style and utility. You can choose from the smart leather and metal watches and avoid being over the top. When you make any over the top statements, it shows that you are trying too hard to impress your date. And that will work against you. 

3. Dressing well is always a bonus

If your date thinks that you wear well and your attire and accessories are well-coordinated, that’s a plus point. It shows that they have noticed you carefully and have taken a liking for your dressing sense and accessories. Branded watches have a subtle way of creating a lasting and classy impression. Both the watch dials and bands get designed in a way that it complements your casual and formal attire as well. People get attracted to you and want to spend more time with you.

So, if you have a date, make sure that you wear your best-branded watch. Choose a classy instead of a flashy design, and you are good to go. You can browse online to get the best watch models.