Easy ways to boost the heart you love

Tags

additional calories, arteries, bake, balanced diet t, banana, beer, beneficial, binge watching boxsets, boil, boost your heart health, booze, bowl, breathe more easily, cancers, cheese, consumption of alcohol, cream, dance class, dat, decrease inflammation, desk jobs, exercise, extra-large hot chocolate with cream, fat, fill you up, fizzy drink, food, friends, fruit and veg, frying, fun, garlic, Give up smoking, goodness, GP, grill, handful, happiness and connections, healthy, heart, heart attack, heart happier zone, heart harming, herbs, high blood pressure, ideas, lemon juice, live well, liver, Loneliness and isolation, lower your cholesterol levels, moderation, nuts, Online abnormal heart rhythms, or poach, overload your plate, portion sizes, prepare your food, protein, quitting, Red wine, rich source of the omega-3 fatty acids, risk, sad, salt, save money, smell better, smoke free, Snack on nuts, social media scrolling, spices, sport, steam, stokes, stress hormones, sugar, take-aways, taste good, teeth, treats, Valentine’s Day, vodka, waistline, walnuts, water, well, wholegrains

Valentine’s Day may have been and gone, but you still need to look after your heart and keep it healthy and strong if you want to live well.

On the go food, desk jobs and social media scrolling can all lead to a life that isn’t so great for your heart.

We aren’t here to spoil the fun or lay down the law, but we have some easy to implement ideas that could help you to boost your heart health and lead a better, fitter, happier life in 2020.

Look at portion sizes
The extra-large hot chocolate with cream, the super-size fizzy drink at the cinema and just one more slice of cake might taste good, but the additional calories, sugar and fat could play havoc with your heart as well as your waistline and your teeth. When it comes to portion sizes, you don’t have to overload your plate at every meal or fill your bowl to the top when it comes to cereal. Go easy on meat, stack up the veggies and be sure to drink plenty of water.

Snack on nuts
Yes, we know they come with fats, but eating nuts can help lower your cholesterol levels and half a handful with a banana will help to fill you up. You might want to try walnuts because they are a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acids that can help decrease inflammation in the arteries and protect your heart.

You generally want to eat a balanced diet that is rich in fruit and veg as well as wholegrains, protein and water. Yes, have treats but don’t make take-aways your daily supper staple or you may end up in trouble.

Think about how you cook
As well as what you eat, when it comes to your heart, you need to think about how you prepare your food. To boost your heart and overall health, we suggest you avoid frying or cooking foods in fat and this includes meat, fish and vegetables. If you bake, boil, grill, steam, or poach you will get all the goodness without the nasty heart harming extras. If you are worried about losing flavour, add in spices, herbs, garlic and lemon juice but ease up on salt, cheese and artery clogging cream.

See your friends
Loneliness and isolation aren’t good for any of us. As well as leaving us sad and prone to eating junk food and binge watching boxsets, it can raise the levels of stress hormones which can interfere with circulation and this makes your heart work harder, but not better. So, why not get out and see your friends, make new ones at a club or start a hobby and fill your heart with happiness and connections? Even better, play some sport or join a dance class and get some of the exercise your heart craves and loves.

Give up smoking
We know quitting is hard, but if you do smoke now is the time to stop. Smoking is one of the main causes of heart disease and as soon as you stop, your risk of a heart attack begins to fall. Quitting will also mean you smell better, breathe more easily, save money and generally live life in a smoke free, heart happier zone. There are many free resources out there to make this easier, and you can speak to your GP for help with this.

Ease up on booze
We always say everything in moderation, and that includes drinking. Some research says drinking red wine could be beneficial for your heart, but this is a ‘may’ so if you want to boost your heart health, limiting your consumption of alcohol will be a step in the right direction. Too much wine, beer or vodka won’t be good for you and can lead to abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure as well as strokes, liver issues and some cancers.

The thing is, you only have one heart, so love it and look after it and it will serve you well.

Team Pure Beauty

Don’t let autumn bugs get you down

Tags

aches and pains, antibiotics, autumn, awake, bed, bin, bones, chemist, chillier months, common cold, Coughs and colds, difficulty swallowing, do not suffer in silence, feel terrible, fever, flu, germs, good sleep patterns, GP, Hand washing, health, health concerns, healthy diet, high fever, hot water bottle, Ill, increased anxiety, infected and inflamed, kids, lots of water, lower moods, mental health, over-the-counter painkillers, painful and swollen glands, raw throat, rest, sad, school, seasons, sharp, Sick bugs, sneeze, sorry for yourself, soups and smoothies, sunshine, symptoms, temperature, the elderly, throat infections, tired, tissue, tonsillitis, tonsils, upset tunnies, vaccination, vapour rub, virus, Vitamin D supplement, vomit, vomiting, white spots, young children

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year, but the changing seasons, and the kids going back to school, means it also comes with a wave of health concerns. While a healthy diet, lots of water, good sleep patterns and exercise can keep you fit, bugs do come along so we have had a look at what they are, and what you can do to get things under control.

Coughs and colds
Coughs and colds make a sharp come back in the chillier months of the year and while they make you feel tired and sorry for yourself, fortunately they aren’t that bad and do go away. The common cold can’t be treated with antibiotics, so you don’t need to see your GP, and you can treat the aches and pains with over the counter painkillers. Keep fluids up, drink soups and smoothies, use a vapour rub and get some rest. Do remember to use a tissue to catch germs when you sneeze and cough and then bin the tissue and wash your hands to stop passing onto others.

Flu
If you have flu you will know it as you will feel terrible for several weeks. Flu can be serious for young children, the elderly, and anyone with a respiratory illness or disease. Flu gives you bad muscle aches and pains that prevent you from getting out of bed, you have a high fever, a raw throat and cough that can keep you awake at night. Again, there is no cure, but you can have the vaccination, which is free for vulnerable groups, otherwise it’s painkillers, rest, a hot water bottle and lots of fluids. If things do get really bad and your symptoms aren’t easing, speak to your GP and just check that you don’t have anything more serious.

Mental health
As the nights draw in, the hours of sunshine decrease and the cold hits our bones, some of us may well experience lower moods, increased anxiety and SAD. A healthy diet, exercise, time outside and a vitamin D supplement can help. If you feel down and just can’t shake this off, contact your GP and see if you can talk to someone and look at the options, but do not suffer in silence.

Sick bugs
Some viruses at this time of year will cause upset tunnies, vomiting, or both, which are pretty miserable, so stay in bed and rest up. Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of the virus, and you shouldn’t return to work or school until 48 hours after things have cleared.

Throat infections
Viral infections can cause sore throats that then become infected and inflamed. You can use painkillers from the chemist, but if you have difficulty swallowing, a temperature, painful and swollen glands, or white spots on your tonsils, you may have tonsillitis so will need to see your GP.

So, eat well, drink water, get lots of rest and keep the bugs away as much as you can.

Team Pure Beauty

How to add citrus to your beauty routine

Tags

100% natural, a natural source of vitamin C, accelerates cell renewal, anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme, appearance of ageing, bacteria, balance, Balm Mint, beauty routine, beeswax, bergamot, beta-carotene, blended, breakfast, breakout prone skin, bright, calm inflammation, Camphor, citrus fresh, citrus fruit, citrus fruits, citrus orange, clean, clear, cool, day cream, dazzle, Decleor Green Mandarin Glow Night Balm, Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream, Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, detoxify stimulate, drink, eat, educe inflammation, Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask, energise, energy boost, enrich, essentail oils, eucalyptus, excess oils, fine lines, fresh fragrance, fruit, Ginkgo, goodness, gorgeous blend, Grapefruit, green mandarin, green tea, honey, immune system, key ingredients, lemon, lemon peel extract, lush, massaging, menthol, mimosa, mix, moisturises, natural, natural hyaluronic acid, nourish, powerful, protect, reduce, rejuvenate, rice enzyme powder, sad, Sea Buckthorn, Sea Fennel, sea-rocket, senses, seven days a week, sink in, skin, sleep, smooths, sun-kissed glow, Sweet Orange, tangy taste, Tea Tree, treat, uneven skin pigmentation, universal, vibrant appearance, vitamin-packed food, wrinkles, zest, zing

Citrus fruits have a tangy taste, fresh fragrance and vibrant appearance and this winning combo makes them a universal favourite. As well as being great to eat and drink, the goodness of citrus fruits are often used in beauty products.

We have had a look at how adding a little citrus to your beauty routine could add zest and zing to your skin.

The Decleor Green Mandarin Glow Night Balm is 100% natural and can really help to energise your skin and reduce the appearance of ageing. This really is a citrus packed dream as green mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and sweet orange essential oils have been blended with beeswax to offer an energy boost to your skin as you sleep.

It’s the lemon peel extract, a natural source of vitamin C, that helps to protect skin and reduce inflammation in the popular Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash. This fabulous foaming cleanser clears the problem causing excess oils and bacteria on breakout-prone skin. Balm mint, eucalyptus and tea tree oils, plus menthol and camphor all come together with the lemon to clean and cool skin so it can settle and breathe.

Did you know that citrus can be part of an anti-cellulite and body cleansing programme? Well, it can with the gorgeous Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil. A powerful mix of sea buckthorn and sea fennel extracts have been added to lemon and juniper essential oils to create a beauty routine staple you won’t want to be without. Massaging just a little of the oil into the skin will nourish, detoxify and stimulate. Regular use can help smooth cellulite, boost a sluggish system, lift lethargy and even help ease constipation when rubbed into the tummy and lower back.

We know that eating vitamin-packed food is good for our immune system but using those same ingredients on our skin can be positive too. This is where the Decleor Green Mandarin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream comes into play. This lush day cream moisturises the skin, helps ease fine lines and wrinkles gives you an even sun-kissed glow. This is thanks to a gorgeous blend of citrus essential oils, natural hyaluronic acid and beta-carotene which together re-energise tired-looking skin. Not only does simply sink into your skin and leave it looking great but with green mandarin, grapefruit, lemon and orange oils being part of the mix, it makes you smell amazing too.

Grapefruit is often eaten for breakfast, but it is one of the key ingredients in the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. This unique rice enzyme powder smooths the skin, accelerates cell renewal and is gentle enough to be used seven days a week. Grapefruit is part of the skin brightening complex together with aspergillus, liquorice and bearberry which come together to balance uneven skin pigmentation. We love that green tea, ginkgo and oatmeal have been added to help to calm inflammation so that skin is clear, bright and citrus fresh.

If your skin is feeling sad, why not treat it to a session with the Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask? Mimosa and honey have been expertly blended with extracts of sea rocket, bergamot and citrus orange which together moisturise and enrich the skin. Using for ten minutes twice a week or leaving on overnight will rejuvenate your skin and dazzle your senses.

If you need a little citrus in your life, get in touch and let’s see what would work for you.

Team Pure-Beauty

How to deal with a break up

Tags

alone, angry, bed, betrayed, bike, blocking, boost your mood, bottle things up, break, break-up, broken heart, chatting, Christmas, cinema, coffee, confused, connected, cry, dance class, delete, distraction, dumped, easier, erased, Everybody hurts, ex, Facebook, facial, family, feel, feel good endorphins, feelings, friends, girl, GP, harsh, heal, holiday, home, Instagram, let go, love, love yourself, natural responses, nioce, once, pain, photo, quick fix, reboot, recluse, relationship, relationship status, run, sad, sad films, share, smile, social media, sorry, space, stress levels, sunshine, supported, talk, time, time is a healer, timescale, trust, worse, you’re worth it, your song

If you received a broken heart for Christmas, we really feel your pain because we know only too well that dealing with a break up can be really tough.

Whether you are feeling sad, angry, betrayed or confused, don’t worry, these are all natural responses when a relationship ends, and while we know there is no quick fix, we do have some ideas to help you get back on track again.

Press delete
Social media makes it possible to hold onto your ex for longer than you may have done in the past, so we suggest you delete them for once and for all. Yes, you might want to see what they are up to, but the more you check Facebook and Instagram, the harder it is going to be to let go, so delete them right now. Blocking might feel harsh, but it has to be better than agonising who that girl is in the photo and if you are still feeling upset several months down the line and they change their relationship status, you don’t want to know. So go on, do it now and ask other people not to tell you what is happening with you ex too!

Cry
Everybody hurts sometimes, so after a break up spend some time alone and have a good cry, get those feelings out there and yes, feel sorry for yourself, it’s allowed.

Give it time
Whether you were the one to make the break, or the one who was dumped, you need time to get over the end of a relationship. You have been on holiday together, maybe shared a home, have the same friends and then there’s ‘your song’ and none of those things are going to be erased in a few days. Time is a healer, so give yourself that space and over the coming weeks and months, things will get easier and you will start to see the sunshine again.

Talk about it
Yes, you will want to be alone to heal your pain, but you don’t want to become a recluse. Spending time talking to the friends and family you love and who make you smile, is so important and will help you feel connected and supported. Whether you talk about your break up, the reasons why or what to do next, chatting with people you trust not only gives you another point of view, but it can be a distraction from your thoughts which can be a huge help. Try not to bottle things up as that can make things worse and if you get to the point when you just can’t see the wood for the trees, maybe speak to your GP.

Get moving
Yes, watch those sad films and get into bed with your hot water bottle and onesie, but it is also important to get up and move about. Having those feel good endorphins pumping around your body can be a great way to heal and help you to move forward. Going for a run, taking a dance class or jumping on your bike can all help deal with your stress levels, boost your mood and you will be distracted from your heartache.

Treat yourself
After a breakup you might not want to do anything nice for yourself but it is one way to reboot, and you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else again. Now is the time to treat yourself to something that will make you feel good, and whether it is a facial, coffee with friends or a trip to the cinema, doing this is key to healing and will help you to smile again. Remember – you’re worth it!

Do it in your own time
While we have given you some ideas of how to feel better, there is no timescale for this. You are human and will deal with your emotions in your own time and own way. Mending a broken heart is a marathon, not a sprint, so don’t compare yourself to anyone else, go at your own pace and as you are kinder to yourself, you will start to feel happy again.

Team Pure Beauty

Add a gel product to your basket

Tags

balance, basil, beautiful, Centella Asiatica, Computer screen, cool gel products, cream, Decleor Anti-Pollution Hydrating Gel-Cream, Dermalogica Sleep Sound Cocoon Night Gel-Cream, dirt, Elemis Anti-Fatigue Eye Gel, Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask, Elemis Revitalise-Me Shower Gel, eye area, Eyes, fine lines, firmer, gel cream, gel-based mask, gorgeous, healthy glow, heart, hot bath, iconic brands, Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel, luminous complexion, luxurious lather, magnesium, make-up, Moringa Olifeira Extract, natural, night products, Olivine extract, pH balance, pollution, protective layer, quiff, radiant, refine, refined skin, refreshes, rich cream, sad, scrolling, scrolling social media, sebum, senses, shine-free, skin, smooth, smoother, social media, soothes, sticky hair products, Sugar Beet extract, thyme, tired, tiredness, Vitamin C, warm shower, winter, Yeast and Golden Root

Gels used to be saved for those sticky hair products that kept quiffs in place, but took an age to wash out!

Today there are a whole multitude of cool gel products on the market that help your skin look and feel better than ever. At Pure Beauty we sell some gorgeous gel offerings from iconic brands that really work, and today we are bringing just some of them to you.

The Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Gel Mask helps refine the skin’s surface, something we often need in the middle of winter. The highly active gel-based mask targets fine lines and helps balance sebum levels without upsetting your skin’s natural pH balance. After the very first use, your skin will feel instantly smoother, it will be shine free, firmer and you will look more radiant.

When you think about night products, you generally go for a rich cream, but this isn’t the case with the Dermalogica Sleep Sound Cocoon Night Gel-Cream. Relatively new to the site, this gorgeous treatment not only cares for your skin, but promotes sleep too. Tamarind Seed Extract promotes natural hydration, Persian Silk Tree Extract reduces signs of fatigue and Wu-Zhu-Yu Extract means your skin looks alive when you wake after a good rest.

Hours spent looking at a computer screen, scrolling through social media and long nights can leave our eyes feeling a little tired and looking a little sad. To get to the heart of the matter, we suggest you try the Elemis Anti-Fatigue Eye Gel which instantly refreshes and soothes the eye area. Sugar Beet Extract, Yeast and Golden Root have been help reduce tiredness, and thanks to Olivine Extract, which is rich in the Magnesium that helps to reduce the effect of stress on the skin, you are left looking revitalised!

Skin needs to be clean, to be healthy, and one way to do this is to use the Jan Marini C-ESTA Cleansing Gel. This potent Vitamin C cleaner, can be used on all skin types and the cool gel turns into a luxurious lather that washes away make up and dirt, to leave you with noticeably softer, more refined skin and a healthy glow.

In the winter, a hot bath might sound great, but a warm shower with the Elemis Revitalise-Me Shower Gel is way better for your skin. Elemis have mixed a blend of Thyme, Basil and Neroli essential oils to create an uplifting shower gel that takes care of your body and senses.

It might be winter but the air is full of dirt and grime, so why not try the Decleor Anti-Pollution Hydrating Gel-Cream? Enriched with Moringa Olifeira Extract, this easy to apply gel-cream not only hydrates skin but also creates a protective layer against pollution particles. The gel has added oils as well as extracts of anti-inflammatory Centella Asiatica so you are left with a beautiful, smooth, luminous complexion which has to be something to smile about.

For more information about these, and all our gel products, get in touch and we would love to help.

Team Pure Beauty