How to keep up the good work after Dry January

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If you were one of the thousands who made it through Dry January without a drink, congratulations.

The temptation to make up for lost time might cross your mind, but Long Islands Ice Teas all night long, might not be the best idea for your head, you waistline or your pocket.

What we are say is, you don’t need to give up booze altogether, but there are many benefits of cutting down how much you drink. In the short-term you will feel fresher when you wake up in the morning, have more energy, enjoy clearer skin and even lose those stubborn extra pounds.

Over time you will find that consuming less alcohol will have so many plus sides you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

Improved mood
There is no doubt that drinking can make you feel depressed and hangovers often make you feel down in the dumps anxious and so cutting back could really make you feel happier.

Better sleep
Drinking can really disrupt your sleep patterns and prevent you from getting the good quality sleep that keeps you healthy. Cutting down on alcohol should help you feel rested when you wake up and drink free days will really improve your sleep.

Improved behaviour
Judgement and behaviour often go out of the window, especially when you’ve had one too many. Irrational and aggressive behaviour easily happens after a big night out and memory loss only make things worse the next day. Go easy on the beers and even offer to be the designated driver every now and again and lay off the booze altogether.

Better health
You might think that a regular drink helps you relax and unwind, but the reality is it can play havoc with your immune system and internal organs, so don’t over do it or you could pay the price with colds and infections.

With all of this said, we have had a look at how to keep your drinking at a sensible level all year round, rather than for just one month.

Make a plan
Make a decision about how much you are going to each week, set a limit and write it done.

Budget for It
Don’t forget that booze costs pounds, so just be aware of what you are spending on drinking each week and pair that up with your plan.

Do it together
If you tend to drink with work colleagues, family members, your partner or friends, let them know your new drinking intentions and see if they want to put a limit on things too.

One step at a time
We aren’t saying give up the juice right this minute, but if you make small changes every week, you will soon find you are drinking less and loving the benefits.

Go Small
Yes, BOGOF offers and happy hours are fun, but they can be your ruin. Go for singles over doubles, have a bottle of beer rather than a pint and don’t go large when it comes to the size of your wine glass.

Swap it for water
To get ahead of the game, before your first alcoholic drink and between each subsequent one, have a glass of water.

Alcohol free days
Try to have several drink free days each week and see how you sleep and if your mood improves when you swap a G&T for a cup of tea.

See the savings
Put the money you save on drink each week into a jar and treat yourself to a spa day, new haircut or those shoes you have always wanted at the end of the year.

Most of all, enjoy a happier, healthier, wealthier you.

Team Pure-Beauty

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Adapt your exercise routine for the winter

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5k charity run, accountability buddy, balmy summer evenings, bike rides, body temperature, bottle of water, bright trainers, clothing, cold wind, Corrie, December, dehydrated, ear phones, early evening darkness, effort, endorphins, enjoy, exercise, friend, go for it, goal, goose bumps, gym, H2O, hi-vis top, HIIT training, hot, ice cold water, interval cycling, ket, layering, lethargic, London to Brighton bike ride, motivation, online options, pact, partner, Pilates, pumping, quiet, refreshing, results, reverse, run, saf, shorts, sister, skin, skip, sofa, sweating, t-shirts, thermal, Thermal running tights, tired, train for a marathon, trainers, two litres, vest, warm t-shirts, well-lit route, winter months, work, work colleague, write down, Zumba

While you might feel like curling up on the sofa in your onesie and watching back to back Corrie, your mind, body and soul will thank you for keeping up with your exercise routine over the winter months.

The cold wind and early evening darkness might not be as inviting as balmy summer evenings for a run, but we have had a look at how to keep fit and strong, however chilly it gets.

Don’t stop moving
In the summer, we tend to exercise before it gets too hot, so in the winter you need to reverse this and try to workout before it gets dark and your motivation is lost. Either go to the gym before work, run during your lunch hour or plan morning bike ride that will get those endorphins pumping around your body for the rest of the day.

Get the kit
By the end of your jog you should be sweating, but before you step out of the door the goose bumps will be there if you are only in a vest and shorts. The key to winter success when it comes to exercise clothing is layering. Thermal running tights, bright trainers, warm t-shirts and soft socks won’t just look cool, they will feel good against your skin and help regulate your body temperature. If you are exercising in the dark, go for a hi-vis top and even a head torch so you can easily be seen.

Go digital
If you really can’t get to grips with exercising outside in December, tap into online options. Whether it is HIIT training, Pilates, interval cycling or Zumba, there’s a wide range of sporting options that you can do at home, but you still need to put in the effort if you want to see the results.

Get a buddy
One way to ensure you get out and get going is to have an accountability buddy. If you know you’ll let someone else down if you don’t hit the gym, it’ll be harder to skip your workout. Whether it’s a friend, sister, partner, work colleague or neighbour, find someone with similar interests and make a pact to do this together.

Have a goal
Just as it can help having someone to work with, it is also motivating to have a goal to aim for. Whether you are going to complete a 5k charity run, train for a marathon or take part in the London to Brighton bike ride, write down your goals, put them somewhere you can see them and go for it.

Drink
Ice cold water is refreshing in July, but it is actually essential all year round. When you exercise it is really important to drink plenty of water otherwise you can end up feel tired, lethargic and dehydrated which will take away your motivation to get moving. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, sip little and often and aim for at least two litres of H2O a day.

Be safe
Whatever you do, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be home. If you are exercising outside after dark, choose a well-lit route, wear bright clothing and be wise when wearing ear phones in quiet areas.

Enjoy!

Grab a great holiday read

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50-year-olds, advice, Anna Akana, band members, beautiful cousin, best reads, best-selling, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, big screen, blushes, book, brilliant read, brutally honest, camp counsellors, Camp Marigold, cocktail, commentary, Cornwall, danger, debut novel, Englishman, escapism, fashion, flight, friendship, G&T, hat, hate, highly engaging, Hollywood beach babe, imagined, instruction manual, iPad, journey, Kindle, laughter, London, love, lover, Mandy Berman, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier, mysterious, nostalgia, Paige Toon, paper, partner, passport, people, Perennials, perfect, pool bar, poolside, power, prose, put down, quirky journalist, relationship blog, shades, share, shelves, So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister, story, students, suicide prevention, summer 2017, tale, talent, tears, The Duchess by Danielle Steel, The Last Piece of My Heart, tickets, tissues, transatlantic flight, travel, younger sister, YouTube channel

Whether you use a Kindle, iPad or are still a lover of paper, having something good to read when you are on holiday takes you to a whole new level of escapism.

A book is the perfect way to get through a flight (add a G&T), is the perfect poolside partner and if you get stuck on the way home, you can read away the hours.

We have had a look at some of the best reads out there for Summer 2017 and wanted to share them with you.

If you are looking for a little nostalgia, look no further than Mandy Berman’s debut novel, Perennials. This easy to relate to friendship story reunites Rachel Rivkin and Fiona Larkin at Camp Marigold, but as camp counsellors rather than students. This is a summer of heat, flagged by the past, flamed by the present and page by page the thrill and pain of growing up becomes apparent from a writing with endless talent and perfect prose.

OK, it’s not new but if you haven’t read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, where have you been? If you are looking for a book you won’t be able to put down (perfect for a transatlantic flight), download this totally addictive read. Love, hate, danger, power, fashion, it’s all there for the taking people.

Another coming of age book is on the shelves this summer and this time it is Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. This is the tale of three friends, who also happen to be ex-band members, who are now old enough to have kids doing the things they remember, only too well, themselves doing. This time it might be 50-year-olds coming together but they do it in a style that beats any Hollywood beach babe who might be on the next lounger.

Maybe not the lightest read on the shelves right now, but So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister by Anna Akana, is a brilliant read. After her younger sister killed herself, Anna started what is now, a 1.8-million strong brutally honest, highly engaging YouTube channel that cleverly combines advice with commentary and has a deep emphasis on suicide prevention. This outstanding first book is part memoir, part instruction manual, and it is equally as compelling as Anna herself, but have the tissues ready!

If you want a mix of laughter, tears and travel, it has to be Paige Toon’s latest novel, The Last Piece of My Heart. Bridget a quirky journalist has decided to turn her popular relationship blog into a book, however, after a number of painful rejections she gets a very different proposition. From London to Cornwall and further onto Thailand, readers join her on an unexpected journey into the unknown and what unfolds is better than she could have ever of imagined.

Out at the end of June, The Duchess by Danielle Steel hit the shelves. If anyone can write a really good beach book, it’s the fourth best-selling fiction author of all time. This time she brings us the story of how a high-class British lady becomes a French madam and it’s all there for the taking. We can’t wait to get our hands on this, but may need shades and a hat to hide our blushes.

To end this round-up we are going for a classic, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier. Currently out on the big screen, this is the tale of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings take a turn and this fabulous page, turning mystery-drama will keep you guessing to the end of your cocktail at the pool bar.

So, pack your passport, tickets and sun cream, buy your books and relax.

Team Pure Beauty

Free your mind

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Stressed?

Over worked and under paid?

Tired?

Anxious?

Far from being words that are banded around for the sake of it, for many of us this is the reality of 21st century living.

We are expected to be on the ball, on trend and down with the kids 24/7 and sometimes, things can get a bit too much.

We have put together some easy ideas of how to free your mind so you can relax and chill out once in a while rather than constantly having your brain in free fall mode.

Breath
Before you do anything else, sit back, count to ten and breath. Focus on your breathing, feel the air go into your body and out and just stop for a few minutes and regroup.

Talk
After breathing, comes talking. If you bottle everything up, then it is only going to get worse and seem harder and harder to deal with. Open up to your partner, mum or a close friend and they may have ideas about how you can make changes and find a positive way forwards.

Live in the moment
Whatever is making you anxious right now, isn’t going to last. Breakdown what is bothering you into manageable chunks and tackle it one step at a time. For example, if you are moving house you might feel overwhelmed, but step back, make a list, work out what needs to be done and if you can, delegate.

Not this again
If you are worried about an interview, think back and see if was the same the last time you went for a new job? If it was, and you got the job, what are you worried about? You aced it last time and we bet it will be the same the time round too.

It’s not all about you!
Harsh we know, but not everything that happens in this world is about you. Yes we can all feel put upon or have our sensitive days, but thinking every situation revolves around you in some way can be really destructive and you could be missing out on a lot of fun.

Look at the bigger picture
Ask yourself whether the issue that is on your mind right now will still be there tomorrow, in a week or in a month. It is unlikely it will be, so regroup, relax and look at what is going on in the world and see there is more to life than a difficult boss or messy flatmate.

Preparing for the worst
I will lose my job. He is going to dump me. She doesn’t want to be my best friend anymore. We tend to jump to conclusions and dwell on the worst-case scenarios and this can lead to stress and depression. It is far better to talk to the person involved face to face and find out what is really going on before you make yourself ill believing the world is about to end.

Take some exercise
Social media, long hours and desk based jobs mean many of us get less exercise than ever. Try to get some fresh air every day and even if you have a brisk walk or a quick swim, your heart beat will go up and the endorphins will pump good vibes around your body.

Laugh
If nothing else, remember to laugh. Life is short so make the most of it and enjoy every single day you have.

Team Pure Beauty

Are screens taking over your life?

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Barbados, bedroom, companies, Computer screen, dates, depressed, desk, event, eye-sight, Facebook, feet on the floor, friends, girsl, hips, HR, IT, jog, neck, online, park, partner, photos, shoulder and back pain, social media, stretch, twitter, waistline, weight gain, workstation

We all know that it is important to limit screen time for kids, but how about adults?

An increasing number of us are using screens for business and pleasure and at times it can feel as if they are taking over our lives and health.

It sounds silly, and even a bit nanny state, but it is important that you develop a healthy attitude towards using screens, big and small, so we have looked at some of the issues and how to get around then.

Spending too much time posting on Facebook and tweeting on Twitter means you could be adding inches to your waistline as you build your friends online. Sitting on the sofa is comfy, and warm as the nights draw in, but it can also lead to weight gain, which in turn can increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease. If you are going to use your phone for something, upload an exercise app, get on your trainers and jog around the park and smile at your increased in activity rather rather your increased number of ‘friends’.

Believing the hype of social media could make you feel depressed. It is really easy to look online and see other people on holiday, looking tanned, with their ‘amazing’ husband, but remember this is only what they want you to see. Real life isn’t just what is posted online so don’t get blue if you aren’t in Barbados and are single – the grass isn’t always greener.

You might also want to remember that from time to time it is good to get out and talk to people face to face. Social media certainly brings people together and can be a great way to keep in touch, but nothing beats real life interaction. Set dates with your partner, lunch with your family and nights out with the girls. You can post photos after the event, but going out will do you the world of good and bring you back to reality.

Spending too much time looking at a screen will increase the blue wavelengths your brain receives and this can really affect your natural circadian rhythms and mess around with your melatonin levels. The consequences of this is that your mood can be disrupted as can your sleep, neither of which will do you any favours. Try to turn screens off at least an hour before you go to bed, longer if you can and this way you can really switch off. Don’t keep screens in your bedroom and instead of using your phone as an alarm, go back to basics and get a clock.

There is no getting away from the fact that many jobs involve spending a lot of time at a computer screen, but this doesn’t have to lead to aches and pains. The main thing is to set up your workstation correctly, and many companies have an HR or IT department that do this for you, so check if yours does. Ensure your screen is big enough and is set at the right level. You need to have a good chair that offers support and as you work make sure your hips are square and your your feet are flat on the floor. It is vital to take regular breaks from your computer as this will not only to rest your eyes, but gives you time to stretch your legs and reduce the risk of neck, shoulder and back pain.

Remember your mum saying you would get square eyes if you sat too close to the telly? You might have laughed at her but it is possible she could see into the future and was right. Look after your eyes and make sure you have them tested on a regular basis. If you start to suffer with headaches or blurred vision, this could indicate you are using your screen too much and can be a sign of possible issues with your eye-sight.

Go screen free at some point in the week – that doesn’t mean when you are asleep. We aren’t talking about a complete detox but maybe turn your phone off at work, don’t use social media on a Sunday and certainly don’t be flicking across social media when you are in the company of others.

Have a think about this and we think there are a couple of easy to make changes that could have a big impact.