Easy ways to boost the heart you love

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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

Easy ways to add a little exercise into your life

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abs, ankle, arms, ballet, body, breathing, bright, build, cardio exercise, cardiovascular health, cool down, coordination, crunches, decent trainers, exercising, focus, foot, friends, gentle jogging, good shape, group hug, gym, happy, heart healthy, heart rate, Heel raises, injuries, intense cardio training, itness levels, jog, joints, lesson, low impact, low risk, meditative elements, mental wellbeing, muscle flexibility, muscles, neck, OTT, Pilates, pressure, right track, rope, salsa, schedule, serious, social element, Speed walking, sport, still mind, still your mind, strengthen, stretch out, summer, supple, sweat, swim, tai chi, time, together, warm up, water, work out, yoga, Zumba

We know that exercising can impact all areas in your life, for the better, but we also know that getting time to actually do it can be hard. We’ve had a look at how you can fit just a little bit of workout time into your schedule so you feel bright and happy all day long.

Jog on
If you’re not keen on intense cardio training but would like to break out in a slight sweat, then how about some gentle jogging? This exercise helps to strengthen your entire body and keep you in good shape, without putting huge pressure on your joints. We do suggest that you invest in some decent trainers, take water with you, and always warm-up and cool down to prevent injuries.

Speed walking
Taking it down another notch from jogging, we have speed walking. You might not know this but a brisk walk can help build your cardiovascular health and can also boost your mental wellbeing. This really is a low commitment exercise that anyone can fit into their day, and if you have a dog, even better as they need their walk and you can get fit together!

Yoga
As well as keeping your heart healthy, it is also important to ensure you have muscle flexibility and a still mind, and yoga can do this for you. Yoga, as well as tai chi and Pilates, engage your muscles so they stay healthy and you also have the meditative elements that still your mind, allow you to focus on your breathing and bring down your anxiety.

Crunch it out
If you want to work on your abs without going OTT in the gym, simple crunches are the way to go. Crossing your arms across your chest while doing these exercises can help you to avoid pulling on your neck and causing injury. If you aren’t quite sure how to get this right, ask a PT and they will be only too happy to assist so you know you are on the right track.

Shake it out
Dancing is an amazing way to keep fit, stay healthy and make friends. Zumba, ballet, salsa, and tap are just some of the options out there and not only will taking part make you feel good but because of the social element, you will feel like you’ve had a group hug at the end of the session.

Go for a swim
We often think about swimming in the summer but this is a great cardio exercise that will benefit your health and mental well-being all year round. As swimming isn’t dangerous for joints and muscles, it’s something many of us can enjoy, and if you are serious about your strokes, book in a lesson or two and really make this sport work for you.

Raise your heals
Heel raises, which involve deliberately lifting and lowering your heels off the floor, can help to address weakness, balance, range of motion, and coordination of the foot and ankle. This might seem like a really simple move, but it goes a long way to stretch out those muscles and keep you supple.

Skip away
A rope and a little space can really get your heart rate up and those feel-good endorphins pumping! You don’t have to do it for ages, and while you’ll be surprised at how hard it is when you start, build it up over time and your fitness levels will boom.

Team Pure Beauty

Sporting Skincare

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cycling, football, hair care, skincare, sport, swimming, tennis

Playing a sport can be good for us in so many ways; as well as helping to keep us fit and healthy, playing a sport can encourage mental wellness and a feeling of accomplishment. However, there can be a slight downside to certain sports, in that they’re tough on your body in other ways. We thought we’d look at some of the most popular sports, their effects on your beauty regime and what you can do to help.

Cycling

Ever since Bradley Wiggins brought the yellow jersey home from the Tour de France and Team GB did so well at the cycling events at the London 2012 Olympics, the UK seems to have caught cycling fever! Cycling is an excellent way to get a full body workout and if you’re brave enough can still be done in both rain and shine. It can, however, be tough on your hands and encourage callouses and rough skin to develop. We’d recommend Decleor Nourishing and Smoothing Hand Cream which will nourish the hands and protect them from the elements, as well as Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment as an overnight treatment to repair the cuticles and give deep moisturisation.

Tennis

Tennis is a great sport for both exercise and socialisation, and joining a tennis club can do wonders for both your health and your social life. During the summer months, you’ll likely be playing outside which means that a good sun lotion will be in order. Protect your face whilst keeping a flawless complexion with Decleor Multi-Protection BB Cream SPF15 in light, medium or dark and protect your body with Dermalogica Protection 50 Sport SPF50, a product specifically designed to be used during sport and therefore won’t be affected by perspiration.

Football

Women’s football is becoming more popular than ever, with Liverpool Ladies and England Captain Gemma Bonner providing a hugely positive role-model for girls around the country. There’s no doubt that football is a physically demanding sport, and 90 minutes of running (and that’s not counting added time…) is enough to give even the fittest sportsperson tired legs. We recommend that you put some life back into your aching pins with Decleor Circulagel Refreshing Leg Gel.

Swimming

Swimming offers perhaps the best full body workout of any sport, with breaststroke estimated to work at least 30 of the major muscles. There’s no doubt though, that the chemicals used to clean a pool can be hard on your hair if you swim regularly and even salt can be harmful if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere warm enough to swim in the sea. You’ll need to use haircare products which are powerful enough to cleanse away the chemicals without stripping your hair of you use them every day so products such as Dermalogica Shine Therapy Shampoo and Dermalogica Silk Finish Conditioner are an important addition to your bathroom.