Tuesday, March 29, 2022

APRIL IS STRESS AWARENESS MONTH |Tips to Slay Stress


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www.drhaleyperlus.com

 

Since 1992, April has been Stress Awareness Month. As a nation, we have good reason to be stressed. We have reached the two-year anniversary of the Covid 19 Pandemic, war rages in Ukraine, gas prices are off the charts, many of our cities are filled with violence, and corporations are understaffed, forcing many of us to work longer hours. This is the perfect recipe for stress that can eventually impact multiple aspects of the body and mind. 

Learning how to cope with stress while finding healthy ways to deal with challenging situations can lead to a positive life. Long-term stress can cause more than mental issues. Anything ranging from headaches to stomach disorders and depression, even severe issues like stroke and heart disease, can be rooted in stress.


How should you manage stress when you begin to feel overwhelmed? 

Canadian expert, Dr. Haley Perlus, sports and performance psychology Ph.D.  outlines ways to slay stress. 


Find your purpose

One way to manage stress is to find your purpose and recognize what speaks to you. If you want to follow your passion for photography, start a page that displays your work. Build a community around you based on shared interests. Surround yourself with positive people. Turn hurt into healing, if you had a tough childhood, volunteer to become a big brother/sister. 

Your stress levels can decrease significantly by finding something you enjoy and taking advantage of it. 


Shut off that Smartphone 

Many of us are overly dependent on our phones or computers. Using them too much or too long can increase stress levels, and studies have shown this. Excessive smartphone use has been linked with mental health disorders and depression. When used too close to bedtime, it can impede falling asleep. 


Exercise

Exercise is nature’s drug. All too often, when we are stressed out, people tell us to rest and relax. While there’s nothing wrong with that, sometimes, what we need to do is get moving. There is science beyond why exercise reduces stress and even anxiety. It reduces levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. It kicks up the production of endorphins which are mood elevators. That is why you often hear the phrase, “runner’s high.”


Learn to let go

It's important to recognize when a situation is out of your control and shift your focus to something you can control. For example, if you're waiting to hear back on a job opportunity, there's no longer anything you can do but wait to hear from the employer. Instead, shift your focus to things you can control, like cleaning your space, clearing your head and continuing to pursue other jobs in the meantime. 

 

Accept what you need

What situations make you feel mentally and physically frustrated or uneasy? Learn how to recognize your triggers and how you can avoid them. Once you become self-aware, you can avoid them when it's reasonable and cope when you can't.

 

Manage time

Prioritizing activities you enjoy can help you make the most out of your time. Creating a day-to-day schedule can help ensure you don't feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks and deadlines while allowing yourself to make time for what you enjoy doing. This can help create a healthy balance between work and fun!

 

Practice relaxation

Deep breathing, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation are good ways to calm yourself. When you take time to focus on your needs and get a mental break, you can look at things from a fresh perspective. Taking a break when necessary to refocus can benefit you in the moment and in the long run.

 


About Dr. Perlus:

www.drhaleyperlus.com 

Dr. Haley Perlus knows what it takes to overcome barriers and achieve peak performance. As an elite alpine ski racer, she competed and trained with the best in the world, pushing herself to the limits time and time again. Now, with a PhD in sport psychology, Haley continues to push boundaries and drive peak performance, helping athletes and Fortune 100 executives reach their goals. 

Haley works with individuals and teams to manage and expand their energy capacity while increasing resilience, focus and drive. Dr. Perlus is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, professor, author and consultant to Division I athletes. She has spoken at many events some of which include VISTAGE, Tec Canada, Elite Fitness and Performance Summit and Trilogy Athletes. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado lecturing on applied sport and exercise psychology at the graduate level. She has authored several books including The Ultimate Achievement Journal and The Inside Drive and her articles have been featured in publications such as Thrive Magazine, Fitness Magazine, IDEA Fitness Journal, EpicTimes, Telluride Inside, MyVega and BeachBody®. 

Dr. Perlus earned her PhD at the University of Northern Colorado with an emphasis on social psychology of sport and physical activity, her MS at the University of Florida in sport pedagogy and her bachelor’s degree at the University of Western Ontario in kinesiology. Haley loves both water and snow skiing, and hiking. Her favorite meal is anything that requires only chopping or blending.

Sunday, March 27, 2022

Weekly Favourite | L'Oréal Paris Color Radiance Purple Reviving Oil Review

Welcome to week 2 of our Weekly Favourite series. This week's standout product is a new hair product that I'm obsessed with!

Featured Product:

I was so happy to get the opportunity to test out L'Oreal's new Purple Reviving Hair Oil designed to neutralize brassiness. I have tried many purple hair products designed to tone blonde hair, and most are somewhat drying. Since my hair is already dry and damaged from bleach and styling, I was intrigued by a purple hair oil for toning my hair since oils are innately hydrating.

About this item

  • Formulated with corrective properties to neutralize brassiness
  • Deeply nourishes to enhance softness and shine
  • This iconic oil technology fights dryness and dullness by wrapping strands in moisture
  • For bleached, blonde or highlighted hair
  • Transfer resistant, The leave-in oil shifts to a translucent hue when worked into the hair

 


I have very fine, damaged/ bleached hair that is collarbone length and I needed 5 pumps on damp hair, although the instructions recommend 2-3. I also like to apply it to my hair after it's dry (although it doesn't state to apply to dry hair), and it makes my hair so much softer and I don't find it greasy. I suppose it could be if you were to apply too much. I just add one pump at a time, until I reach the softness that I'm after. I feel that the product has a cumulative effect, so I'm applying a little every day until I reach the tone that I want. 

 In the photo, I've shared my before and after, after just one use.


After one use

I haven't had my highlighted in over 6 months, so it is grown out and very brassy. You can see that the lighter blonde pieces have brightened up and really pop as shown in the after photo. The darker pieces were not affected. It's nice to have a product to tone my hair and refresh my highlights without drying my hair out and it's so affordable at only $8.99.

I continue to use this product even though the "testing period" is over. I will continue to use it and will most definitely purchase it once I run out!

See you next week with the next Weekly Favourite! Until then, have a great week ahead!




The product was kindly gifted for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sunday, March 20, 2022

Weekly Favourite | Yves Veggie Cuisine Plant Based Falafel Balls

Today is the first day of Spring. What better time to start a new series that we will be sharing here at Health and Beauty Girl! Starting this week, we will be sharing an item each week that we've been loving, our "Weekly Favourite." This could include anything from products to services. There are so many things that I'd like to share, and rather than lumping them all into one post, we will just feature our weekly favourite every week. 

 This week is our first "Weekly Favourite" and it features a food product that really stood out this week! 

Featured Product: 
Yves Veggie Cuisine Plant Based Falafel Balls - 240 g/ $4.99

I came across these plant-based Falafel balls at my local grocery store. It was perfect timing as I had been craving a falafel sandwich for over a week. When I saw these in the produce section, I decided to just make my own. 

I picked up some other ingredients that I needed to make the type of falafel sandwich/ wrap that I like. 

Below is the Falafel wrap that I constructed at home using the Yves Falafel Ballls. I used a smaller wrap that fit 4 falafel balls. There were 12 balls in the pack, so it made 3 wraps.



Here is my DIY falafel sandwich using Yves Falafel Balls. 

Ingredients:

4 Yves Falafel Balls
Onion
Chopped Veggies (from a pre-washed salad bag)
Sliced beets
Tahini Sauce
Hot Sauce 
Hummus
Wraps

It was quick and easy to make. I spread the hummus on the wrap, added the falafel balls after baking in the toaster oven for about 14 minutes, added the chopped veggies, onions, and beets. Then drizzled the tahini sauce and hot sauce over top of everything, and wrap.

It was so delicious! I ate one every day for 3 days until I was out of falafel balls. I'm still craving this wrap, so I'm definitely going back and picking up some more. 😋 It's healthy and so easy to make and you can customize it to suit your taste. 

Serve with a salad or own its own as a snack or a meal.

Let me know if you try these. 

See ya next week with our next Weekly Favourite! 



Sunday, March 13, 2022

All-Natural, Customized Skincare with French Bergamot | DIY Essential Oils


If you love the idea of all-natural, customized skincare that is made to order specifically for your skin type, I think you'll love the brand, French Bergamot!

I absolutely love their concept. I used to try and DIY my own skincare but it was time-consuming and expensive.  French Bergamot does all the work for you! Just share your skincare needs and they will customize a formula to suit your needs. And everything is all-natural, alcohol-free, and cruelty-free.

Based on my skin type, French Bergamot recommended the Rich Cream Bundle, which is great for my aging and dehydrated skin.


Everything comes beautifully packaged with everything you'll need to create your own custom blend.



The Rich Cream Bundle that I received includes everything shown here; The Base Face Cream, Argan Oil, Calendula Extract, Rose Essential Oil, plus a whisk to easily blend everything together.


The instructions are included with your order. It's super simple and also fun to choose or create your own personalized formula, then simply mix at home.

There are hundreds of ideas on their website. Below are some of the ways that you can select your own custom blend.

Customize your own face cream in 3 easy steps:
  • Select your base cream
  • Choose your actives
  • Choose your essential oil or natural fragrance

There are also 4 DIY bundles to choose from if you don't want to select your own actives and essential oils. These are based on skin type as well. 

You can choose from:
  • Calming Cream Bundle
  • Blemish Cream Bundle
  • Rich Cream Bundle
  • Plumping Cream Bundle

You can also shop by category on their website and create your very own personalized DIY skincare to make at home. I also love the DIY recipes they have on their website. It's a great way to get some ideas. There is everything from lip repair masks, to eye creams, and neck tightening creams!

I'm so happy with the Rich Cream bundle that I received. It's perfect for my combo, dehydrated, and aging skin. It's also suitable for those with fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, dry skin, irritated skin, and loss of firmness and elasticity. 

I find it very soothing on my skin. It's the perfect blend of ingredients for my dehydrated skin and leaves it soft, hydrated, and smooth. 💆‍♀️


French Bergamot currently ships to the USA and Canada. 






#supportlocal
#supportsmallbusiness 


PR samples were kindly gifted for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Sunday, March 6, 2022

L'Oréal Hyaluron Plump Shampoo and Conditioner Review



L'Oréal Hyaluron Plump Shampoo and Conditioner - SRP $8.99 CAD / 591ml each

"Dehydrated, lifeless hair? These are the signs of loss of moisture. Our rehydrating shampoo instantly coats the cuticles and fills hair with 72h of moisture for shinier hair with no weighdown that is up to 10x more hydrated* and revitalized. *System of shampoo + conditioner vs. non-conditioning shampoo."

I had heard about Hyaluronic acid for healthier hair, so I tried to DIY my own by using my Hyaluronic acid skincare for my hair, but it was a complete fail.

After my failed DIY attempt, I was hesitant that Hyaluronic acid would work for my hair. I couldn't have been more wrong!

L'oreal's Hyaluron Plump shampoo and conditioner have worked wonders on my naturally frizzy, dry, damaged, and bleached hair. My hair is not only fresh and clean, but it's now smooth, has virtually zero frizz, and the rough texture is gone. And, it's first time I've seen my hair have shine without adding any shine products.

Both the shampoo and conditioner have a light, fresh scent. The shampoo lathers up and cleanses my hair in one shot. I only wash my hair 2x a week, so it can feel quite dirty, yet I only need to lather up once with the shampoo. My hair is left feeling fresh, clean, and hydrated. I use quite a bit more of the conditioner and leave it on for probably about 5 minutes while I wash up. It doesn't weigh my hair down at all, and my hair feels silky and hydrated. I follow up with my usual leave-in treatments and style as usual. 

I have spent a fortune on hair products,  mostly using high end , trying to get the results that L'Oréal Hyaluron Plump has given me. I am honestly shocked and wasn't expecting the results that I got. L'Oréal's Hyaluron Plump actually works better than all of the high end products that I've used in terms of getting my hair to look and feel healthy and smooth. After all, I'm not only after hair that is healthy, but hair that also looks good, and L'Oréal's Hyaluron Plump has given that to me. 

If you have hair that is dry, damaged, and dehydrated, I highly recommend you give these a try. Don't get me wrong, I will still use treatments on my hair to try and improve the condition of it, but as for getting my hair to look and feel healthier, smoother, and look better overall, these products by L'Oréal have outdone any other shampoo and conditioner that I've tried so far. I'm officially calling these the Frizz Busters! 💦 

After the amazing results I've experienced, I  will definitely be trying any other products that I can find from this line!

Amy, Xo's



*Products were sent for review consideration.  All opinions are my own.
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