Posts Tagged ‘wellness’
Sexy Pillow Tip: De-clutter Your Love
Perhaps one of the most recurring themes of sexuality and intimacy in a long term relationship can become cluttered with life. Today’s assignment is about getting rid of clutter to allow your senses to function within an environment that will promote your sexuality and encourage you and your partner to have a rich and rewarding sex life.
In the Kama Sutra, we are instructed to create a bedroom “balmy with rich perfumes”, that also “contains a bed, soft, agreeable to the sight…having garlands and bunches of flower upon it , and a canopy above it.” This is not about running out to get flower petals and burning incense, unless that’s what you’re into! This is about remembering, just as the Kama Sutra hints at, that your room is your sanctuary and very often we allow the outside world to encroach into our sanctuary and pretty soon it takes over. This is especially important for new moms and all the baby gear that can take over your room!
So your assignment today is to stand on the threshold of your bedroom and look at it with a critical eye: is it inviting, is it soothing, is it pleasing? Do you feel comfortable and peaceful in your room? Does your room encourage intimacy between you and your partner? What are some easy changes that could transform your room. Use your senses as your guide and even the Kama Sutra if you need some inspiration! Reset the mood and tone of your room, and re-create your lover’s nest. Focus on permanent changes, flower petals on the bed have to be swept after you’re done, but flower petals in beautiful containers can create a completely different mood. If feeling ambitious you may even want to re-paint the walls to a more sensual color. Create a Pinterest board for inspiration! Enjoy and let me know what changes you’ve made!
Blood For The Turnip
You remember that old saying, “You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip”? There have been plenty of days where I’ve felt like an old turnip being poked and prodded by the demands of life. Somehow I managed to squeeze out just enough to give everyone most of what they needed. Some days, though, I just feel plum out! If you’re feeling like the over squeezed turnip today, here are 7 tips to help you replenish:
- Give yourself a 15 or 20 minute time out. Quieting your mind and body for even a few minutes can give you just enough energy and focus to finish out your day.
- Focus on the critical must do’s and leave the nonessentials for another day.
- Let the kids help with chores. It’s easy to forget that even young children can contribute.
- Simplify your meals for a day or two. This may mean eating out and using left overs for lunch.
- Take the kids to the park and eat outside. A vacation from your daily routine can provide you with a sense of relief and freedom from the daily grind.
- Put the kids to bed an hour early. They will definitely complain but once they’re down, you can use the extra hour to catch up with yourself.
- Invite a friend with children to come over for pot luck. The children will keep themselves busy while you enjoy some adult interaction and support.
Daily Fitness Tip: Walk it out!
We often find ourselves making excuses for not getting to the gym, yet we ignore the easiest, most basic exercise: WALKING!!! We can walk everywhere, we can walk in the park, we can walk in the mall, with an umbrella or a parasol!! We can with our friends or while pushing a stroller, we can walk here, we can walk there, yes we can walk anywhere!!!! ( I love Dr. Seuss!!)
Walking promotes digestion, improves your mood and is a simple form of exercise that you can take anywhere with you. So get some good sneakers, lace up, put on a cheap pedometer or get an app on your phone like moves for iPhone and go out and rediscover your neighborhood. Then come back and tell me about it!!
Spicy Shrimp & Bell Pepper Toss
Spicy Shrimp & Bell Pepper Toss
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 24 minutes
Per Serving 0 calories
0
0
0
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed, optional)
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced bell peppers (try the small sweet kind)
- 2 tbs fresh lime juice
- 2 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- preheat grill to medium-high or preheat oven to 425F
- in a large bowl, combine shrimp, onion, garlic and bell peppers. Add lime juice, chile, cumin, cayenne and salt and toss to coat.
- Cut 4 12 x 16 inch pieces of foil and mist with cooking spray. Divide shrimp mixture evenly into the center of foil pieces, forming a mound in the center. Bring the short edges of foil together. Fold inward a few times along each long edge to seal.
- Place packets directly on grill or on a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Grill or bake for about 15 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Carefully open a single packet to check, then reseal if needed.
- Allow packets to rest 5 minutes before opening. Transfer contents of packets to serving plates and top with cilantro.
Healthy Belly Tip: Not So Cute Side Effects!
Pregnancy is often portrayed as this beautiful state of bliss, where you look beautiful as your belly grows and everyone showers you and your baby to be with attention! But beware, pregnancy will make your body do things you’ve never done before, at least not to that extent. Due to the rise of your hormones: estrogen, progesterone and beta hCG (“The Pregnancy Hormone”), your body will never be the same. The following are some pregnancy side effects to expect:
-Bigger breast and hips! Now for some, you may see this as a boon until you start missing your bra-free days!! And while we all watch our belly expand with love, most of us forget our bums are expanding as well! I recommend you invest in some comfortable underwear with good support. If you work in the corporate world, there are some great spandex underwear and belly belts that will enable you to continue looking professional while being comfortable.
-Your hair will grow, beautifully…then it will shed dramatically!! During your pregnancy, your hair will grow faster than it sheds, hence you will have some beautiful luxurious hair. Unfortunately after delivery, your hormones will return to their pre-pregnancy level and your hair will return to more balanced state and the shedding will increase to match your hair growth. I highly recommend continuing your pre-natal vitamins and investing in some biotin as well. Continue drinking a lot of fluid and eating a healthy well balanced diet and it will help attenuate the shedding. The key is to not panic because the shedding is normal.
-Gas: definitely the most embarrassing of all the pregnancy side-effects! Progesterone is an amazing hormone, it helps sustain your pregnancy and help your body do its job. Unfortunately it also slows down everything in your body so your digestion is becomes very sluggish. I suggest you stick with small meals, avoid any gas-inducing food, i.e. cabbage, etc and carry your antacid with you!
-Constipation is also a results of your progesterone surge and its resulting sluggish digestive system so drink a lot of water….I mean a lot of water! I know what you’re thinking you’ll have to spend the night going to the bathroom to pee but it’ll be worth it to not be constipated. Other tricks for the constipation, walk regularly and don’t hesitate to use Metamucil. If you are severely constipated, talk to your provider.
See you next week for a few more “not so cute” pregnancy side effects!