Pause.

Hi all,

I have a few posts in my queue that I haven't put up, but I've recently made the decision to put this blog on pause semi-indefinitely.

I will continue to work in fitness, nutrition, beauty, health and happiness, but after a  little over two years with this blog - as much as I have loved working on it - has become more "work" than actions I like to work on, such as mentoring directly, personal wellness coaching, exercising, dancing, and continuing to educate myself on all the topics I've touched on these years.

I'd love to continue being in touch with you all via other avenues, you may reach me at:
Facebook: facebook.com/OmniSamantha
Twitter: twitter.com/MsSamanthaMarie
Instagram: instagram.com/MsSamanthaMarie
Snapchat: @OmniSamantha:
Website: samtalia.com
G+ MsSamanthaMarie
Email: samantha at samtalia dot com /

Please never hesitate to reach out. I will see you around. :)

Always,

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Healthy Halloween Snacks

Who says Halloween has to be all about candy? Halloween has always been one of my favorite, if not my favorite, holiday. Growing up it was all about your costume and decorations in your home. Now that I'm a not-self-proclaimed heath nut, I don't want to shy away from all the snacks & treats that come with it. Finding yummy healthy alternatives are really fun too! Check some of these out, or head over to my Pinterest, where I got them from. :)

Super cute bananas cute in half & peeled cuties!

Cheese cut-outs! Of course there needs to be cheese.

Carrots & black olives - I think this would be great with some white "ghost" dip.

Have a very happy, fun, and safe Halloween!

October Natural Products

I hope you had a wonderful summer & are getting ready for the transition into the fall & holiday season. Here are some fall favorites for the month of October. Later this week I'll post some ideas for healthy Halloween snacks. :)

 

 

 All doTERRA products can be purchased through me at mydoterra.com/mssamanthamarie

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Yay It's Genetically Modified!

I was so happy to read on a coffee label that it was made with GMOs. No really.

For as much and as long as I've tried to fight the good fight to get foods labeled that contain genetically modified ingredients, my reaction to finally seeing it in person was probably opposite of expected, even to myself. Companies have asserted that horrors would happen if they were forced to provide such a label, perhaps fearing drastically declining sales. Getting foods labeled that contain GMOs was less a witch-hunt and more a struggle for information and the right to make an informed decision. I want to know what it is that is being put into my body, whether it is food, medicine, or an earring. Whether they are "good" or "bad" has less to do than my right, and my personal decision. People know alcohol and sugar isn't good for them, but they know what it is they are consuming when they put it into their body. They are making an informed decision and accepting whatever risks may come.

I buy organic whenever I can. I always thought I wouldn't buy anything with a GMO label. Yet here I was reading this label, thinking to myself, "I rarely drink coffee. This sounds good and I actually respect this brand more, forced to or not, for being one of the first products to have a genetically modified label on its package." And I bought it.

Am I a hypocrite? I think I'm more of a normal human in this instance. With my 98% healthy lifestyle of organic vegetables, consistent workouts, and essential oil remedies, I'm perfectly okay with making the informed decision to purchase a genetically modified coffee, the occasional pizza, or Irish Car Bomb.

Hopefully you value the ability of yourself to make informed decisions too. :)

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Natural Alternatives for September 2016

Hello there!

I hope you've had a wonderful summer and enjoyed the sun and are ready to settle in now that it's back to school time. I got my InTune for homework & study time, and Citrus Bliss to keep me awake at work.

Products of the Month:

At mydoterra.com/mssamanthamarie you get 3 of the most popular oils: Peppermint, Lavender & Lemon free! Only until September 15th with any 160 PV order. If you're wondering how I use each of these oils, or which way you should use them best, please respond back to me and I will contact you personally ASAP now until 9/15/16. Add two drops of Lemon to a glass of water and drink. Diffuse Lavender or put a couple drops on your pillow before sleep. Add two drops of Peppermint to your protein shake, like I did here (yum).
​

doTERRA has 10% off DDR Prime during the month of September. Don't forget to take your vitamins! I take mine every morning. DDR Prime is a proprietary blend of CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils that help protect the body against oxidative stress to cellular DNA. The essential oils in DDR Prime provide antioxidant protection and support a healthy response to cellular stressors.* Melaleuca, or Tea Tree oil, is best known for its purifying qualities, which make it useful for cleansing the skin and home surfaces, purifying the air, or promoting healthy immune function.* Melaleuca Touch combines with fractionated coconut oil for an easy application on skin.

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Sunsational Flavors are only $30 for 4 yummy oils to add to different summertime dishes and drinks: Tangerine, Dill, Spearmint, and Cumin come in four 5ml bottles, and with about 80 drops in each they will last a long time! doTERRA has a recipe for Rosemary & Spearmint soap: http://doterra.com/US/en/blog/recipe-rosemary-spearmint-soap

20 Skincare and Makeup Summer Reviews

With so many, this season's review load will be quick and dirty! Kind of like my summer haha

* LivingProof Flexible Hold Hairspray - I put this in my travel bag for quick weekend or overnight trips. This brand is big in Sephora for hair, but I'm not super in to it. 7/10 rating

* Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel - Picked this up as a 100pt perk to use for 3 days - loved it! You use the pads until it is no longer moist (why is moist a word people hate so much?). Definitely want to pick up again. My skin felt awesome. 10/10

* Makeup Forever Pro Finish Compact Pressed Powder - This has been my go-to compact powder since I left MAC's compact behind some 4 years ago (whenever MUFE released this line). The color does fairly well blending in to skin, but I feel like it can make my skin look dry. I bought a new shade, but keeping my eyes open for a new one to love. 8/10

* Jose Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil - This little bottle went wayyy too quickly. I understand the Argan oil hype now though. My skin was super smooth. Was a bit pricey to go through so quick though. 9.5/10

* Olay Regenerist Fragrance Free Face Cream - YES! Olay! Didn't want to like it when I got my first Olay cream in a VoxBox a couple years ago, but I do. Bought this jar at Target myself! As drugstore skincare brands go, I can get behind this one. 9/10

* NARS Lipgloss in Babydoll - Love NARS lip glosses. Kind of want to try them all eventually. Shiny thick pink 9/10

* Dr. Brant Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator - One of my favorite exfoliators, next to Kate Somerville 9/10

* Origins GinZing - To help brighten and give a more "awake" look to eyes in the moisturizer, but I use it all over my face in the morning. Origins is one of my favorite skincare brands, but I'm not the hugest fan of the brightening look in skin care - I'd rather it be reserved for makeup. 8/10

* Boscia Luminizing Black Mask - One of my other favorite skincare brands, and I especially love their black skincare line. 8/10 for weird application & removal

* Estee Lauder Perfectionist CP+R - Did an investment in this product though Sephora -wasn't cheap, but lasted a long time and did a fairly well job of leaving my skin smooth and moisturized over the couple months I used it. 9/10

* Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins - Possibly my favorite night cream that I keep going back to. My roommate says is smells like oranges. I default back to this one if there's not something else I'm trying at the moment. 10/10

* Dr. Jart Ceramide - Ceramide has been coming up on a lot of skin care products the past couple of years & I love it. Absorbs really well into the skin & helps with cell renewal. 9/10

* Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair - Smooth night cream that's not greasy. Not the hugest fan of ingredients though. 8/10

* Dr. Brant 3 D Filler Mask - Skincare product from a skin care brand that feels more like a makeup prep product. Maybe it's my indecisiveness on what category this product should actually be in, and how I really want to use it that makes me defer from going back to it, even though I've had at least three different trial sizes so far. A little heavier than I prefer things to be on my face, other than that, it's fine. 7/10

* Buxom Lip Stick Marker - This was like a dark yet natural lip stain, perfect for a little color at the gym. The more trial lip things I get from Buxom, the more I'm liking this brand. 8.5/10

* Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - I feel like it took me two years to get through this thing. Don't let the beauty balm name fool you - it is thick & doesn't blend into skin - it actually tells you NOT to rub it in. I normally love Clarins products, but not this one. 5/10

* Benefit High Beam - It's that little round thing that the wording on the package rubbed off haha. I kept this in my makeup bag in my purse & lasted me about 9 months! I loved it for a brow bone highlighter, and also used it sometimes on the tops of my cheekbones and towards my temples. Probably my favorite cream highlighter! 10/10

* Inglot Lip Cream - Bought this in Vegas when I forgot lipstick/ lipgloss in my hotel room & didn't want to go back. Loved it! Consistency is somewhere between lipstick and lipgloss, and color density was in-between too - kind of like the best of both worlds! Inglot has a store in the Forum Shops in Caesar's Palace that I will be visiting again on another trip. 9/10

* Too Faced Primed & Poreless Primer - Probably one of my favorite face primers (Benefit has one I love as well). Though seemingly thick to put on, it actually feels like thin satin on your face. It does such a great job of blurring imperfections that you can wear it alone. 10/10

Hope you all enjoyed this run-down! Feel free to add comments below on your experiences with these products.

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

L'Oreal Influenster VoxBox

Recently I got this stacked VoxBox from Influenster to try out a bunch of makeup products from L'Oreal, which particularly focused on lashes. It came with two eye shadows, eye liner, a mini brow kit, Voluminous mascara primer and Voluminous mascara.

Makeup-snob in me wasn't expecting much. Besides my coveted e.l.f. $2 liquid eyeliner, drugstore brands don't often make it into my bag. I was out of state for a couple of days visiting my mom, so I figured it would be a good time to try these products for a couple of days when I figured I wouldn't have to be out in public much (Oregon, versus San Francisco on a daily basis).

First up was the eye shadow duo. I used the light on my brow bone & the darker on my lid & crease. The shimmer slate actually had amazing dimension - It looked shimmery where I wanted it to, but also appeared matte in my crease where that would be more ideal. It reminded me of some of my favorite Too Faced eye shadows - which is one of my favorite eye shadow brands. 

The brow kit seemed pretty light for my skin and hair - as my natural hair color is dark brown. I ended up bleaching the top part of my hair about a week after I received this VoxBox though, so it ended up working out perfect - and I've been using this on a daily basis since!

I have mixed feelings when it comes to mascara primers. Maybe it's because I'm not used to them, or I'm picky with my natural eyelashes, or the fact that Makeup Forever Smokey Extravagant is still my #1 mascara for over a year and a half now. The primer was slightly more thick then I would have liked it to be, but it DID do a great job of making my lashes appear fuller, which is always a plus, no matter how full your lashes already are naturally. 

I would definitely recommend trying the eye shadows and Voluminous primer & mascara. I'd probably like to try out some more eye shadow colors to see if they have similar effects, and this is now the #2 drugstore brand mascara I would buy - Rimmel London made me a fan of their Lash Accelerator Endless a couple of years ago.

All products I receive from the Influenster VoxBox program are free to me for testing purposes. I enjoy sharing my both good and sometimes brutally honest negative reviews with all of my readers. 

Feel free to message with any questions!

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie 

Pescatarian Meal Prep Week

Eating at 30%+ protein while doing my best to eat mostly vegetarian can be tricky at times. Here is my meal prep / meal plan for the week that I put together one Sunday evening.

Meal 1: Egg White Burrito & Fruit
1/3rd cup egg whites, 1/4 cup low fat shredded cheese, high fiber tortilla or slice high fiber bread, sprinkle of cayenne. 8 strawberries.

Meal 2: 5 oz Coconut or Greek yogurt, 3 homemade protein bites

Meal 3: Salad: 2 cups mixed greens, 1 oz feta, 1/3rd cup edamame, 1/4 cup pecans, sprinkle of dried cranberries, 3 tbs balsamic vinaigrette. Side of 1/2 can chunk tuna in water with 1 tsp each mustard & relish.

Meal 4: 1/4 block tofu baked with teriyaki, sauteed spinach with garlic.

Meal 5: Grilled meatless sausage, 1 oz cheese, 2 tbs bruschetta, 8 flax seed crackers.

Room for dessert? 1 oz 80% cacao with 4 oz red wine.

  

Priorities

A couple of years ago an employee from another department was talking with me about his dilemma having enough time for work, school, and personal life. Fortunately he was still very young, recently started college, and didn't have as many bills or responsibilities as he would have in his thirties. I gave him some advice then, which turned out to be advice for myself that's I've tried to remember over the past couple of years: I told him to find out what his priority was, focus on that, and then whatever came behind that in order accordingly. I told him to feel good and confident in his decision, to not feel bad about having a priority, and to not apologize for it - not even to himself.

Last week I took a me-cation alone for a few days to clear my head and think of my priorities. With all the things I do and love to do, two things were at the forefront of my mind: health and education. My top two priorities are my health and my education, and I need to feel good in that assumption, and to not apologize to anyone, including myself, for making those my priorities.

For my health, this involves exercising consistently, minding my nutrition, getting sleep, and keeping myself in a positive mental state. For my education, this involves my college courses, independent research, teaching others, reading and observing topics of health and marketing. I am rediscovering my soul and passion this year for the arts, dancing, and entertainment events, which I can incorporate in my heath (dancing) and education (both at work and school).

Other things I love doing that I don't plan on giving up in my life, such as travelling and being a personal wellness consultant, need to come after these initial priorities. At first thought I don't even want to type those words, or think about what they mean, or feel I have to step back even a little bit of those things. Then I remember my advice and know I've made the right decision, and not apologize to even myself.

Running around trying to do everything all at once isn't going to get you anywhere. If you want to get ANYTHING done, and done well, you need to prioritize. In the end, I know I will be more productive and happier.

I already am this week. :)

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Reboot

It's been quite an amazing roller coaster year. Launched the SamTalia website, became a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, continued my education in marketing and nutrition, finally got a stamp on my passport, and began a new full time job at an arts & culture center in San Francisco.

I was in need of a vacation that would have ideally liked to have been a week long, but I settled for a few days and got out of it what I wanted - even though it took me about a day and a half just to be able to relax and begin to try to clear my mind for the fall semester that was coming around the corner. I have always had a bad habit of trying to do much all at once, and wanting to do it all 100%. Learning from my past life though, I did not want to repeat the same mistakes I had - which was doing several things just mediocre - not acceptable to me in this life.

Several things were being held back within myself, and in regards to this blog I was holding back too. There were things I thought I'd write about, but I wasn't sure if I'd have a full article, or maybe it wasn't the type of article I was sure I wanted on the blog, or whatever my excuses were for not writing so much (besides the obvious too busy to think about having the time for all these things). Thoughts and personal development are part of being healthy and happy, which is what this blog is mainly about. Fitness, nutrition, and beauty just support that. The main goal was always health and happiness, including mental health which I haven't really talked about but definitely should.

Today I start a new semester, and this blog is coming with me.

Yours in health and happiness,

Samantha Marie

Non-Meat Protein

Yes I could say "Vegetarian Protein", but for some unknown reason the V-word seems to turn some people off. Not sure why - it's not like they're in jeopardy of turning into hippy-mountain-men that wear flower headbands or something... No offense to hippy-mountain-men that wear flower headbands.

Whether we want to face reality or not, non-meat protein is not only good for our bodies, the fact is it is EXTREMELY good for our environment. Still can't get out of my head one of the six documentaries I watched last month on my weekend mini-binge, "Cowspiracy." I already don't eat that much meat, but since watching that film it really made me want to go back to more plant foods again. Even if you don't care much about your health, or animals, or regular things like those that normally people can regularly brush off, you can't consider yourself friendly to the earth if you eat meat on a regular basis. I like to conserve water, energy, and I've always wanted to save trees. If things like that are important to me, I have to face the facts.

Anyway, it's time to eat healthy delicious food with protein that can both help you feel full and conserve (or help grow) muscles during weight loss and strength training.

 

All this talk about complete proteins that vegetables don't have, when there's actually a lot. Here's a little article with easy recipes too from Greatist: http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins

21 Meals With Lots of Protein & No Meat  

ZzzQuil Sleep Review

I've had sleep issues since I was 12, so for nearly 20 years getting to sleep has been an effort and chore for me almost every night.

I recieved a sample to try from Influenster's VoxBox program. I was pretty amused by the situation before I even got my box. 

Here's my very simple review:

The ingredient is the same exact ingredient that's in Benadryl and nearly every over the counter sleeping & allergy medication: diphenhydramine. 

It has 25mg in each capsule. It says to take only one, & that you should fall asleep in less than 20 minutes.

I didn't even try to hold back my laughter after reading that. Take 2 if needed or as directed by a doctor? How much are they selling this stuff for? 

I don't know, but I can tell you this: You can get 100 generic tabs with the exact same ingredient & dosage for about $5 listed under allergy or sleep aids. I'm guessing they probably sell around 10 tabs for $6.

Save your money. Don't buy this. 

And no, I did not fall asleep in 20 minutes. After 45 minutes went by I switched to the same sleepytime routine I've been doing for about 3 years, no overpriced brand names needed.

Vegetarian Taco Salad

I've been trying to look up new salads to make to bring to work since I've been rather bored of the ones I've been making for the past 3 years, that haven't varied too much.

I like Mexican food and have been trying to eat less meat (even though I don't eat much anyway) so for this week's meal prep I tried putting together something of a taco salad bowl, which came out delicious!

Chopped romaine lettuce, organic pinto beans, organic cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, pineapple salsa & Tapatio.

Previous I had thrown in ground turkey,  so if you're not vegetarian, there's another healthy option. 

Documentaries on Netflix to Watch This Weekend

I don't really watch TV, and my Netflix watching is usually limited to an hour in the background before I go to sleep. For the days I "get" to stay home and do "nothing", I like to catch up on some documentaries, usually to feed the nerdy-health-person in me:

PlantPure Nation - The first one I picked, since it had to do with whole and organic foods, and I hadn't seen it yet. If you liked Food Matters, Forks Over Knives, or Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, you'll probably like this one. If you've ever heard of The China Study (the biggest & most in-depth study of food in relation to health ever done) the guy that wrote that is a main guy in this.

The Human Experiment - The effect of chemicals on/ in our bodies and in our environment. It helps explain a lot of disorders and diseases which are now common in our modern time that weren't before, and still aren't in some under-developed nations. Lots of focus on things like cancer and reproductive issues in both men and women.

*Cowspiracy - My top pick out of this lot to watch if I had to suggest one to see. It doesn't matter if you're a meat eater or vegan, an environmentalist or not, it's full of so much eye-opening information that I was not aware of, especially to that extent, and I like to view myself as someone who is normally at a higher conscious level than most. My reason for suggesting this to people isn't to try and change your mind either way, but to give you the information you should have to make informed decisions for yourself.

Supersize Me - The one where the guy goes 30 days eating Mc Donalds and his health statistics are monitored by various doctors along the way. Bottom line: Fast food is gross, it will make you throw up, and you really could die from eating junk food.

Sugar Coated - Very interesting (and at times frustrating) look at the effect of sugar not just in our bodies, but in our legal and judicial systems. Really crazy history here of the sugar industry over the last 50 or so especially. Will open your eyes to understand how and why foods are in our normal every day lives that we have a hard time escaping, even when we try.

Prescription Thugs - This one was a little personal for me, given my past experience during the years I was sick on medications prescribed to me that made me worse and not better. Watching this may make you frustrated or sad if you or a loved one has gone through any issues of being prescribed medicine that wasn't helpful to you, or if you or someone you know has been addicted to prescription medication. Or... if you are just taking what you believe is a harmless prescription anyway.

Lunchtime Legs Workout

Leg Day! My favorite workout day ever!
Here's the last workout for this week's round of simple workouts to do during your lunch break that require no weights, but contain strength training exercises. Great exercises for your legs & booty!

• Right & Left Lunges, 20 each side
• Donkey Kicks, Right & Left, 40 each
• Squats - 40
• Hip Bridge Hold - 45 seconds

  - 15 second rest

• Curtsy Lunges, 20 each side
• Russian Dead Lift, 20 each side
• Inner Thigh Raise, 20 each side
• Wall Sit - 45 seconds

- 15 second rest

- Repeat 3 times -

Here are some more leg & booty exercises to get you inspired!

 

 

Lunchtime Upper Body Workout

Working out your upper body may seem a little limited during lunch without weights, but there is plenty to do! For this 20 minute workout, I've thrown in a small bit of cardio to burn more calories while working the smaller muscles, hitting your shoulders, biceps, triceps, and back:

• Wall Press x15
• Burpees x5
• Push-ups x10
• Mountain Climbers x20
• Tricep Dips x20
• High/ Low Plank x10
• Superman Hold 30 seconds

Repeat 3-4 times

Here are some more cardio & upper body workouts to get you inspired: