Fitness Friday| Sleeping Beauty

*Pictures from We Heart It*

Just a quick Fitness Friday for you lovelies. I am an avid reader of Zest magazine; a health and fitness magazine, and treated myself to the magazine app for my phone. I was amazed that I could get an annual subscription for on £20… such a bargain. The magazine is always filled with really interesting articles on health, fitness and beauty. One of their recent article’s was about getting a goods night sleep, and I thought it would be good to share it with you.

Considering many of you will be returning to university, sleep sometimes is hard to come by, especially in your final year when that dreaded dissertation comes around, so I thought sharing some tips would be helpful. I myself often have difficulty sleeping when I am stressed or anxious so any extra tips are always helpful.

Anyways onto what the professionals have to say. Here are the tops tips from Zest magazine that ensure you sleep like a baby;

1. Breakfast like a queen- Digesting a big meal takes a lots of energy, so eating your heaviest meal close to bedtime will disturb your sleep. A big breakfast (around 500-600 calories) followed by a smaller lunch and dinner stabilises energy levels and improves sleep. I think this is a little unrealistic and I prefer to actually eat 5 smaller meals throughout the day so I’m not eating a big dinner.
2. Meet your mates- A study published in the journal Sleep found the lonelier you are, the more likely you’ll wake at night, so have lunch with some friends. But if you’re off to Starbucks, remember an afternoon caffeine hit can take hours to leave your system, so opt for a herbal tea
3. Use the landline- Research shows being exposed to low-level radiation from a mobile phone close to bedtime makes it both harder to drop off and means you’ll spend less time in the deeper, more restorative phases of sleep, so you'll wake up feeling like you haven’t properly rested. Try to place your phone further away from you, at least not on the bedside table and not underneath your pillow.
4. Get intimate- A recent survey revealed one in six doctors recommended sex for insomnia, with good reason: getting frisky reduces stress and lowers your blood pressure, plus the hormone oxytocin released when you orgasm promotes healthy slumber, too.
5. Stop snoozing- Your body anticipates your regular alarm an hour before it goes off, so your sleep lightens and hormones release to give you a boost. hHtting the snooze button might mean a few more zzzs, but your body wont prep you to wake up a second time so you'll feel groggy.

What are your top tips to get a good nights sleep? Do you follow any of the tips above?

Fitness Fridays| Ways to detox everyday

I know I have written and article before on detoxing, and whether it is a scam or not. My personal opinion is that tablets, and expensive shakes and syrups are not the answer. Detoxing is being kind to your body, giving it the nutrition it needs so it can function properly. 

Everyday your liver, lungs, kidneys, digestive system and lymphatic system work overtime to help keep your body free from toxins. If you were to improve your everyday routine by incorporating a few of these tips you would be giving your body a helping hand, ensuring you stay beautiful. Following these tips could help you be slimmer, less bloated, and keep your hair, nails and skin strong and glowing.

• Go Organic- This is a big ask, as we all know it can be pricey. But where you can, and whenever you have the opportunity pick organic. To help your body function properly you should feed it premium grade fuel in the form of organic fruit and veg, with plenty of wholegrain fibre and brown rice. 
• Drink more- Very simple, but very effective. You all probably know that drinking water flushes toxins out of your system. You can also get your dose of water from herbal teas, and fruits such as watermelon, cucumber and grapes.
• Bathing Beauty- Having a sauna is a great way to sweat out you toxins, but if you can't get to a sauna, try a couple of handfuls of Epsom Salts in your bath. These salts draw out the impurities and improve you circulation. 
• Brush up- Skin brushing is a great way to detox by stimulating the lymphatic system. Do this with a natural bristle brush for five minutes a day, brush along your body towards the heart in long, smooth sweeps. A added benefit to this is that doing this reduces the appearance of cellulite.
• Hot and Cold- Rinsing yourself alternatively in hot and cold water really boosts your circulation which helps rid nasty toxins in your body. Take a shower for five minutes in very hot water, allowing it to run down your back. Follow this with cold water for 30 seconds,  repeat 3 times, this will really wake you up.
• Work it out- Sweat out your toxins. Simple, free and very effective. Studies have found for those who exercise, the time it takes for waste to pass through the system was increased by 60 per cent, not time for toxins to hang around!
• Yoga Baby- Yoga is not just great for toning. It has great benefits for your insides, obviously the deep breathing used throughout yoga had detoxifying benefits. The yoga poses squeeze, stretch and massage the liver, intestines, kidneys and lungs, this helps you insides eliminate impurities and heal. 
• Snooze to loose- When you sleep your body goes into repair mode, it releases vital hormones that assist in the growth of healthy cells, healing of tissues, and fighting off infections. Studies have shown that those who don't sleep as much tend to be overweight or obese, more likely to develop diabetes, and eat foods high in calories and carbs.

Do you have any tricks you do everyday to improve your health?