Monday 17 April 2017

Health: Physical Detox Routine


Hey everyone and welcome back to my Self-Improvement Blog!

Health: Physical Detox Routine



Easter just passed and left most of us with a lot of toxins and side effects of unhealthy lifestyle during the last days. This state is really applicable after the most common holidays, summer vacations, post partying hangovers and excessive periods of unhealthy habits due to stress, work etc. 

Enjoying ourselves once a while isn't necessarily bad but it certainly requires a healthy routine right after, to detoxinate the body, form the best possible conditions for it to recover and boost our health inside out. If you had some wild days, you want to get rid of the toxins and some extra pounds or/and refresh yourself while preparing for a special occassion, keep reading.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram already know that I consume as clean food as possible most of the times so I usually don't feel like "urging" to remove the unhealthiness from my body. However, the last week I overdid it with traditional candies and cakes as well as the excessive amount of food combined with an increase of spare "treats" in my diet (snacks i didn't really plan to consume but shit happened - who can say no to surprise donuts?)  so I got a souvenir of 3-4 pounds! I don't regret it as i enjoyed these meals a lot ( Snorlax calling muahahah ) but I am a warm supporter of healthy lifestyle and self improvement, feeling the need to jump back into the healthier, leaner and brighter version of myself. Consuming clean food also improves the quality of hair, skin, nails, refills the organism with healthy fuel and tons of energy, having also a significant impact to our mental state and brain activity.

What I personally follow (and suggest) is combining an internal and external body detox to achieve the maximum amount of purification and refreshment. This article develops the routine for internal detoxination whereas here you can find the external beauty detox routine.

Let's write down a few simple yet important things I use to detox myself the day after.
(If It's an excessive period you've been under unhealthy habits add these to your daily routine for at least 3-4 weeks).





MORNING DETOX AND FUEL

Right after opening my eyes, I make a strong detox mixture of some baking soda and fresh lemon juice in a glass of lukewarm water. During summer you can use cold water with lemon and spearmint or other wonderful alternatives. Be careful with the proportions, for 300mL of water i use half tbsp. of baking soda and just squeeze some lemon.
Next step is a healthy, clean and nutritious breakfast including all the necessary vitamins, protein and healthy carbs you need to start your day. I usually accompany it with a nice smoothie or fresh juice it it doesn't already contain fruits or I consume a cup of verbena tea (It's hyper fat burning if you consume it daily) or a cup of unsweetened filtered coffee with 1/2 tbsp. of cinnamon (fat burning as well).




EXERCISE


Oh yes, here I'll be cliché again and spam how important it is to exercise regularly (not only during detox periods) as it should be a part of your general lifestyle. If you're an active person you can increase your workout routines adding 10-15' of extra cardio 3 (or more) times per week but I completely understand that not everyone has the time to hit the gym everyday so 15 minutes of DAILY stretching and some simple exercises performed indoors or outdoors can play a key-role to reclaim your physique and get all the benefits for your body. So..... NO EXCUSES!!!!


Tip: If I'm not having a gym session (i usually train in the afternoon) I LOVE having workouts at home or outdoors (the increasingly warm weather also supports this) in the morning. It helps the body wake up, prepares you mentally for a productive day and increases a bunch of hormones that keep you active and happy. In case you're having morning shifts at work, wake up 15 minutes earlier and give yourself the opportunity to benefit from this habit, it worth the "sacrifice" all the way.

WATER MANIAC (She's a maaaaniac, maaaaniac🎶)

Be a water maniac. You need a lot of it not just to stay hydrated but also to help your organism digest better and remove efficiently anything that is not useful. Set a target of consuming 1L more than the daily needs of your body. If you struggle drinking water, try using bottles so you can measure the exact amount you drink and find alternatives to make it more appealing. Water with strawberry and lemon slices, water with cucumber, the options are so many.





KEEPER OF THE SEVEN TREATS (Metalhead readers will laugh a little- Salute to you!)



Stay away from: External Sugar, Anything made of white flour, Energy and Soda drinks, Sweets, Junk Food, Packed Industrial Snacks/Juice AAAAAAND Alcohol . Use a friend as a keeper If you can't resist! 

HEALTHY DIET

Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, protein, whole wheat products and vitamin/mineral sources you consume. You can find a more detailed description of it accompanied with a lot of tips Here.





SLEEPING BEAUTY (contrasting to the waking beast we usually wake up)

Fixing your sleeping schedule is  an A-priority for your body as it needs specific timetable and a lot of rest to function at its finest. 

Go for 7-8 hours of high quality sleep at a specific time everyday. Personally this is my enormous struggle but I guarantee that right by achieving this you won an epic battle and you'll be able to observe the rewarding results instantly.



RESEARCH FOR NEW GOALS

Make a research, get inspired, explore the world and new experiences, set new goals and organize your day/targets/a trip/whatever. Nothing compares to the refreshing feeling you get and the energy it provides.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR EXTERNAL DETOX ROUTINE

I made a detailed presentation of my personal routine for you, here.


BREATHE 


No I'm not kidding. You're breathing every few seconds automatically but 1) the quality of air you absorb and 2) the frequency of your breath intake can have a strong impact on your health and body function. Make sure you're breathing fresh air, visit places with clear atmosphere as often as you can, If you're at work use the 15 minute break you have to get out of the building, walk a little (improves your blood circulation), benefit from the sun exposure and breathe fresh air. Also controlling your breath during stress, panic attacks or right before sleep, and increasingly slow it down will naturally relax  your body and mind.



 


That's it guys! Hope you're making the Start for a healthier, happier and brighter Era today. Remove anything toxic from your life (physically and mentally), put on your widest, sincere smile and enjoy your life! 



Thank you for your visit and I hope to catch you back soon. Feel free to send a word, share my blog and follow me on social media. Your requests/feedback/questions and thoughts are always very welcome. Have a wonderful and productive week!
Hugs,
Irina





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Happy Easter




God Påske/ Happy Easter/ Καλό Πάσχα !!!


Easter is here, a holiday where a lot people tend to argue about the religional aspect of it.
I personally do not really celebrate this part of the Easter but I certainly love the custom/tradition of the whole family connected together, sharing lovely moments, eating A LOT (!) while enjoying the nice spring sun.

Wheather you celebrate the Christian Easter or not, If you are religious or an atheist Easter is always a nice opportunity to use your days off, spend some time with your favourite persons, relax and enjoy the spring's sence of rebirth.

I wish you all days of joy, health, smile, luck, moments of love and laughter.
It is so hopeful observing people with different beliefs, religions, origins respecting eachother, passing positivity and passing happiness.

Did you eat like a beast this Easter?👀  Go detox yourself inside out with my new guide coming up. 😏

Enjoy yourselves and stay tuned for (even) more updates!

Irinä



Motivation: A little push-up for your hard days


Hello my dearest friends.❤

This is an article I always wanted to compose as a little "buddy" to remind you a few things you already know but you tend to forget (we all do so) here and then. It is pretty normal, since bad days of various intensity occur occasionally, to not feel 100% positive 24/7 but after all the evaluation of a day as good or bad is basically how you choose to react towards the events you have to face. I decided to write down a few thoughts I always have on mind but I tend to not pay the proper attention to when I feel sad. I realized that If i consciously choose to recreate these little things in my thoughts during a hard time I actually regain my motivation and courage back really fast, I deal with any matter more efficiently, my mood lifts up and I am not longer having a bad day. I tried it and it works and that's the basic reason I felt the need to share it here, in hope of inspiring/helping you too. But first I would like to take a moment to express my gratitude for each one of you reading these lines.
                                               
   *Introductory super thank you part* 😂

A really important thing here is your constant support during this entire journey of mine, including some really busy periods in my life. Significantly, the past months, I received a lot of messages especially on my Instagram and Facebook both from people I have helped in person and individuals who felt inspired just by coming across my posts. I also got some requests for personal guidance, advising and support that i was more than glad to respond positively and provide my help, tips and constant support. EVERY SINGLE text I received, got its place in my heart and filled me up with happiness and inspiration to push back and start posting here more actively as I noticed there are more people interested in what I do than I could expect. Your sweet words and sincere smiles have a larger impact on me than you imagine as I feel fulfilled, proud and inspired from your attitude, progress and passion as well!>>

A few more words about me..
The main aim of this blog is to share my beliefs and tips for improving yourself physically and mentally, creating a solid positive background on your days so you can end up upgrading the quality of your life, as I experience this process too on my own life.


I am trying to spot and focus on the positive side of circumstances, even though it seems impossible some times. We all face difficulties, we all come through days that we doubt ourselves, we break down, we struggle through exhaustion, disappointment, despair, fear, anger and confusion but that's pretty normal and necessary.

 Life is more like an open ocean. It can't be calm all the times, It has to experience storms and stress but It's designed to handle it. It will take some time but eventually things will fall in place again while the stress (and consequences) of the storm will be used to improve the function of this system.

So does life. It can't rain all the time. It can't be always sunny either. It has to shake us, challenge us, push our physical and mental existence to the limits so we can realize we are meant for more. 




We tend to limit ourselves (or simply accept the limitations of others) and these particular periods of struggle are here as a precious remindation:

We are FAR MORE POWERFUL than what we think.

 We need to fight and overcome the obstacles while learning to accept and love ourselves, embracing the reasons that make us unique.

A person in peace with himself is able to achieve anything he sets as a target.


In my point of view, the boldest struggle during this era of self-doubt and insecurity is to motivate ourselves to stand up and chase our dreams. All we need is that extra "push" to lift our feet an inch and realize we can still fly. This can be a person, setting a new goal, observing something inspiring or simply being fed up with the constant exhaustion. No matter what the helping mean will be, we need to stand on our own feet and get out of any negative situation/routine. I highlighted this statement on purpose to get a pass on something really important: any person or mean that offers comfort, inspiration, motivation etc is really beneficial if it remains to the position of a "push up" . The work must be done by the person individually and not depend on others. There are a lot of cases where people are getting "addicted" to someone's constant effort and they refuse to be independent and work for themselves leading to 1) a guaranteed failure of this improvement process 2) the formation of sick and toxic relationships/environment as they can be really possessive.

So where is the fine line between a healthy, beneficial push-up and and a harmful brace?

The answer is far short and simple. It's the self-consciousness of the person wishing to change. If you are conscious enough to realize (and admit) that you are not satisfied with yourself, your life, your daily routine, your choices etc and you seek self-improvement while being willing to fight hard for it, then you are on the right path. Once you take charge of your own self and choices, it's up all up to you. It's up to you to reclaim your strength and confidence, limit the impact of external factors on you, use the "push-ups" for your own benefit while fighting for your personal goals.



I highly insist on finding sources of motivation/inspiration as they can be key-important during periods of tiredness, disapointment or difficulties that tend to deviate us from our way to positivity and success. Talking from my own personal experience, nothing compares to the feeling I get when I feel inspired for something. It feels like a whole waterfall of energy runs across my body, my brain feels active, generates ideas and ways to solve problems and my whole existence gets happy inside out. This is the fuel your body and mind needs to heal, recover and seize the day on your way to become the best and happier version of yourself.

Close your eyes, dream of what you wish to be and start smiling. Set a target, organize small and reachable goals to your target, RESEARCH as much as you can to get all the information and stimuli you need and finally make a start!!! Acknowledge your big or small achievements, reward yourself, be loyal to your journey and make sure you're staying motivated during the hard times that occassionally pop out. Except seeking inspirational sources, a great must-do is treating yourself nice, doing things you love and recharge  your batteries as well as trying new things and experiences. It will certainly refresh your mind, fill your time beneficially and will be a wonderful breath to minimize the effect of hard days on you.

I'm sending positive vibes out there and I hope you feel even a dash of motivation after my update. Thank you for spending some time reading my article and I am more than happy to mark my active come back on this blog with this topic.


If you are interested on self improvement make sure you're staying in touch through following me on social media, checking out frequently the blog, leaving a feedback and sharing what you found helpful with people out there. Your comments/messages are really welcome if there's anything you wish to share/recomment/ask, I always get so excited with your feedback. My contact information are placed at the bottom of this article. Till your next visit, stay positive and smile!

Much love and smiles.
Irina




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