First Step, First Class. The Beginning.

 I'm pretty excited to be hosting my first wellness class this Friday. Though a small gathering, being able to connect with people in an intimate setting is a new realm for me that I look forward to. Over the past few years working in several large fitness centers, I was happy to be able to help many people start their journey of living a healthier life. Most of the time due to job restrictions, I wasn't able to help everyone I wanted to, nor was I able to guide them during their various steps and growth process to their personal goals.

Which is where Natural Beauty & Body has filled that hole...

Beginning to do personal wellness consulting and host group classes is an opportunity to do many of the things I wished I was able to do, without restriction. Though I did love my previous job most of the time, it was frustrating being limited to things like time spent with a client, what the client can or can't afford, and only being able to speak with certain words a certain way that were given to you. Everyone is an individual and their issues and goals are just as unique as they are. I'm excited to share my passion and knowledge of wellness industries to anyone that will have the dedication to achieve their goals as much as my dedication to them will be. :)

>>> Click for link to calendar of upcoming classes. <<<

Boscia and Korres Skincare Face-off

One of my favorite nighttime skin creams was Korres Quercetin & Oak Anti-aging night cream, so I decided to try one their new Black Pine value sets. It came with day cream, eye cream, and night cream.

Sephora had a 500 point set for Boscia last year that included a Black Mask and Black Pore strips which were pretty interesting, so decided to try more of this brand's line.

 

The results I got from the Korres line were okay: the to-be-expected softness and slightly tightened texture. However what I wasn't fond of were the vapors of the cream - most of the time when I put the night cream on my eyes would be burning slightly.  I did continue to use the rest of the product, but it's not something I will likely be buying again.

My favorite product in the Boscia Black line continues to be the Boscia detoxifying Black Cleanser, which you can purchase from Sephora here. It has a warming effect, which is unusual but nice, and it feels like it's opening up your pores to clean. Sometimes it can come together with its own natural cleansing cloth or sponge, which is made from organic materials and is hard when dry,  then softens when wet. This cleanser is still one of my top favs.

Being in a Demo for the AromaTouch Technique

Recently I've been attending a variety of doTERRA classes, and was lucky enough to be part of a demo for the AromaTouch Technique in my hometown of South San Francisco.

 

At first glance you might think it's like a massage, and with my back being that you could attempt to push your hand through it and it wouldn't hurt at all, this would be fabulous. It's more of a way to balance sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems through various specific contact points of the back and feet, and is just as relaxing - if  not more - than a massage. 

The AromaTouch Technique was developed by Dr.David Hill, an expert in integrative medicine, to reduce physical and emotional stress while supporting healthy autonomic function. The procedure includes four steps with essential oils targeting stress management, immune support, inflammatory response, and homeostasis. 

 

What I enjoyed the most was the connection between the essential oils, the aromatherapy and how I did feel my body relax and feel better overall. The technique also stresses how you never "break the connection" once you start the procedure. It last for about 30 minutes, and I think it would be great for anyone to incorporate into their health and wellness routine on a weekly or monthly basis. It's simple enough that the whole family can learn how to do it in the comfort of their own home.

Being Young with High Blood Pressure

And what can you young, old, or healthy do about it?

One of my health issues during the four year period I was sick was having high blood pressure. You don't think a life-long dancer is going to have heart issues in her mid-late 20s.

Although I've since conquered that battle, it is something I know I have to continuously keep an eye on. If I see something start to creep up (I'd still like it to keep coming down anyway) it's time to be proactive.

Compiled for myself for you all & anyone to use, are a list of five natural & healthy things you can do to help yourself along - whether you have high blood pressure or would just like to prevent it.

1) What to eat or not to eat:

 Garlic helps naturally with so many things whether you're catching a cold, warding off the flu, or have chronic illnesses. It is an excellent anti-inflammatory and will also help with arthritis.

2) Salt = No bueno for high BP people. The recommended daily amount for regular normal people is 2,300mg / day max. If you have high blood pressure or are susceptible to it, the recommended daily allowance is reduced to no more than 1,800mg a day.


3) Marjoram & essential oils

 

Marjoram was known to the Greeks and Romans as a symbol of happiness. Essential oils enter through the bloodstream by diffusion through the lungs or through the sweat glands when used aromatically or topically. These oils lower the blood pressure by gradually dilating constricted arteries – which usually force the heart to exert more pressure when pumping blood.

I will be picking up a bottle of this in a couple weeks through doTERRA here if you'd like to try it as well.
Here's another short article on essential oils and blood pressure: http://www.naturalhealth365.com/aromatherapy-CDC-high-blood-pressure-1579.html

4) Yoga -

For the past year or so I've been trying to get myself to do yoga more consistently. I had an instructor I liked back in 2014 but only saw her once a week - if that. I'd like to try to get up to three nights a week. Personally I find doing yoga at night instead of the morning is much more relaxing and a great way to end a long (stressful) day.

5) Continuing education, consistent re-evaluation.
 Check your potassium! Low levels can contribute and also cause stiff muscles. Recommended potassium intake is 3,500-4,200mg a day. I went two weeks without my salads that usually contained spinach and avocado and saw my average daily intake drop to only about 600mg. I didn't even realize this until I went back through my food logs on www.myfitnesspal.com

You don't have to be old or a smoker to have high blood pressure. You could be young, eat pretty fabulously and exercise 4-5 times a week and still get it (me! woo hoo!) There are many, many factors that can come into play that we might not think of or even feel we have. While mine may be from stress, that doesn't mean I shouldn't take into account other positive things that I could be doing to help, like consuming more anti-inflammations (ginger, garlic, lemon, cayenne, cinnamon, honey, leafy greens), focusing on better sleep, different exercises, and seeing what works best for me.

One of the greatest things I've noticed in trying to be healthier in one aspect, is that it often ends up helping another aspect that you weren't even intending to. In trying to lose weight, you could notice you don't catch colds as easily since you're eating better. If you try to reduce blood pressure, you may notice a positive change in mental health & overall well-being, because the good and healthy things you do to your body end up touching all aspects, whether you like them or not. :)

Namaste.

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Meal Prepping this Week

Good ol Egg White Bites. Super convenient & can be eaten warm or cold. I like to make a big batch then eat them over the course of 3-5 days. You can check out the recipe here: http://naturalbeautyandbody.blogspot.com/2014/06/easy-egg-white-bite-recipe.html

I also picked up some ground turkey for my first time a couple weeks ago by the suggestion of one of my personal trainers. I'm not much of a meat eater & wasn't sure what to do with it exactly, but I decided to make ground turkey wraps:

I went to Trader Joe's and got 99% fat free lean ground turkey. Put the whole thing in a large pan sprayed with olive oil spray to coat, then a tablespoon of olive oil in the center. Added a couple sprinkles of chili flakes, fresh ground pepper, garlic, some basil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. 

Put that on a bed of romaine hearts, sprinkled some light shredded mozzarella cheese over, added a tablespoon of pineapple salsa and now have my new favorite mini meal!

Weekend With the Ladies

I had a great Valentine's weekend with a few of my favorite girl friends visiting them in Sacramento. We went wine tasting at the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, California.

I sometimes get motion sickness, and it comes pretty often when riding in the back seat of a car. I switched off a couple times with a friend, but come Sunday afternoon heading to brunch, I appeared to have hit my limit very quickly - in about 5 minutes.

By the time we got the wonderfully delicious bottomless mimosa brunch with extra crispy bacon, I was about to tap out, wave the white flag and hug a toilet for the rest of the afternoon. Food arrived & it was an internal battle between wanting to eat it & running to the restroom again for nearly an hour. I had remembered I just received my doTERRA travel key chain where you can put little samples in to carry around with you. One of them, Digest-Zen helps with digestive issues, and I couldn't remember on the top of my head if it helps with nausea too. What the heck, what do I have to lose. Put a couple drops in my water & rubbed a few drops on my tummy.

 

I swear to God, Digest-Zen saved my life this past Sunday brunch. It worked in about 5 minutes, and I was able to start eating food about ten minutes later. I am so happy I had this little thing on me. I was able to continue not just brunch with the girls, but go walking around downtown with them & see a movie later. 

I am definitely taking this with me every single Las Vegas trip from now on too. ;)

Day 1: InTune

As some of you may have heard by now, we are back, bigger & better than ever! This of course didn't come without some long radio silence & sleepless nights. 

Our new website www.samtalia.com for Natural Beauty & Body was scheduled to launch February 11th, and on the afternoon of the 10th, we still weren't completed. Thoughts all over the place, still trying to figure out technical stuff with a deadline approaching. Fortunately my monthly shipment of doTERRA just came in the other day, and I had just ordered & received this new essential oil blend called InTune - especially made to focus! Why not give it a try? I had ordered it originally for studying. Put a little on the bottoms of my feet & behind my neck.

Did it work?

Well, I beat the midnight deadline, didn't I? ;)

The Silence was for a Reason

Hello all!

As you may have noticed, it's been pretty quiet around here the last few months. It's without vain though, and the website that this blog was made to become is finally ready to be unveiled!

On this Thursday, February 11th 2016 I invite you all to come check out Natural Beauty and Body by SamTalia. This website will incorporate all the things we have talked about over the past couple of years: fitness, beauty, nutrition, health and happiness, and also introduce new resources and products available online - if you're not lucky enough to come check them out personally here in Northern California.

Thank you EVERYONE for all your support over the past couple of years! I'm very excited to take this next step with you all and everyone else that becomes a part of SamTalia, and wherever else it may evolve to from there.

Welcome back to the original Natural Beauty and Body blog! <3

~ Samantha Marie

www.samtalia.com