How to eat for a less stressed life

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They say you are what you eat, and this is so true when it comes to our stress levels.

Not only is stress linked to serious physical health issues like heart disease, a poor immune system and digestive problems, but it plays a significant factor when it comes to our mental wellbeing.

You might not know this, but eating a balanced, nutritious diet isn’t only good for your body but it’s key for your brain, too.

Food can also affect our hormones, so eating well will help you to keep your cool and you’ll find that the more of the right stuff you eat, the less of the bad stuff you will feel.

We have had a look at some ideas that could help you get a better balance in your life and help the world to look like a better place.

Keep your blood sugar levels steady
This step is so important and can be done if you start to swap sugary and starchy foods for complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats as these are more satisfying and keep things balanced. Sweet potato and broccoli (complex carbs) with salmon (healthy fats and protein) make a great meal for lunch or dinner and will not only fill you up but also keep things steady so your stress levels don’t though the roof. Celery sticks with hummus, a handful of nuts, and a banana with some almond butter are all great snacks that will keep stress away, and if you start your day with porridge, you are onto a winner.

Get your B vitamins
You might not know this, but B vitamins are brilliant because they help your adrenal glands deal with stress. Luckily for us, they are everywhere and in everything from wholegrains, eggs and meat to nuts and seeds. If you can try to eat more of these wholesome, nourishing foods, your stress levels will thank you.

Make time for magnesium
Magnesium is great for helping your body to deal with stress, it is thought that a magnesium deficiency can be linked to anxiety. If you want to boost your magnesium intake, it’s pretty easy – just pile your plate with broccoli, eggs, spinach and pumpkin seeds and if you are worried you aren’t getting enough, take a supplement and let the goodness calm you down.

Cut back on stimulants
We do take them on board so easily, that we forget just how much stimulants can make our stress levels worse. If you love tea and coffee because it powers you up, that’s ok, but try to have just one or two cups a day, rather than ten.

Those energy drinks, even the sugar free ones, are full of nasties that can make you feel as if your heart is racing and your stress levels are off the scale, so cut them out.
If you find yourself needing a caffeine hit, get it the natural way and go for green tea instead – it contains a compound called l-theanine which helps you feel calmer, and the warmth will soothe you but your stress levels won’t go through the roof.

Keep hydrated
One of the best things you can do for your mind and body, is to drink plenty of water. We know we say this a lot, but that’s because it’s true. Starting the day with a cup of warm water and lemon can really help to kick start your system and clear away the toxins from the night before. Carry a bottle of water with you on the go (a reusable one of course) and fill it up when you are running low, adding lemon, lime and ice for taste. As well as a glass on your desk or at your workstation, also try out herbal and fruit teas as an alternative to the skinny, double shot, extra hot flat white that will set your nerves on edge and add to your stress levels.

Managing your diet is key to helping with stress, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed and things are getting out of hand, it’s really important to speak to someone or seek professional support, you don’t have to struggle alone.

Team Pure Beauty

Easy ways to stress less every day

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Life is busy, demands grow every day, the need to be Insta perfect plays on our minds and sometimes things can just get too much. It is just as important to look after your mental health, as it is to keep tabs on your physical wellbeing or things can start to get on top of you.

We have had a look at some simple ways you can take back control when it comes to feeling good about life and stressing less each day.

Think about how you start your day
For many people, anxiety is an issue and it can feel worse in the morning. To help with this, try to avoid activities that trigger your stress levels the moment you get up. Don’t look at your emails as soon as you wake, scroll through social media when you are at your desk and not in bed, and if coffee adds an edge, try a herbal tea and some meditation before hitting the caffeine.

List it
We aren’t talking about a to-do list, but a gratitude journal. Each day write down ten things that you’re grateful for and start to appreciate the little things we often take for granted, like family, health, food on the table and even the sun shinning. When you start to see what you do have and focus less on what you wish you had, shifts can be made and stress levels can go down.

And breath
Tuning into your breathing can make a real difference to how you feel as this really does affect your body. Think about it, when you are stressed out, your breathing becomes shorter and shallower, this can make you feel worse and a vicious cycle is set in place. Meditative breathing techniques can make a big difference to how you feel and allow you to become more relaxed and able to think straight. Start by simply taking deep, full breaths in through your nose, and exhaling slowly out of your mouth. Set aside ten minutes a day, more if you can, and just sit with your breath and feel the tension lift.

Get some exercise
Yes, we are all busy but there are real benefits for our mental health if we exercise. When you move your body releases endorphins, feel-good hormones, and when this happens it helps you to feel more energised and focused. This doesn’t mean hitting the gym twice a day or training for a marathon, but simply walking the dog, getting on your bike or taking a step class are all ways to bring good vibes into your life the natural way.

Be your own best friend
Have you ever stopped and thought about how you talk to yourself? Words like stupid, slow, lazy and failure are negative phrases we often use with ourselves, but now is the time to stop and be your own best friend and look after you.

Sleep it away
When we are tired, our worries seem to get worse and we find it harder to turn off and relax. Try to get yourself into a healthy sleep routine so you are able to give your body and mind time to recuperate and catch up. A set bedtime, having a warm bath with added essential oils, doing some yoga are all ideas that can have a positive impact on your mental health.

Live in the moment
It is all too easy to think about what went wrong in the past, or worry about the future, but why not start to enjoy and appreciate the here and now? You cannot change what has happened and we do not know what will happen tomorrow, next week or next year, so savour the moment and leave those worries at the door.

Team Pure Beauty

How to get your life together this summer

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As we are fast heading to the longest day of the year, how are you feeling about your life?

Is everything great, or could things be just a little bit better?

A bit healthier?

More organised?

Could you sleep better and feel more energised?

Well, we have put together a few ideas that we hope will let you be the very best version of you, from dawn to dusk.

Nutrition
How often do you sacrifice meal planning and cooking from scratch, for taking shortcuts and getting take-aways? It is so, so easy to get caught up in the pressures of life and the demands of everyone around you, but the truth is that won’t do anyone any favours. But, we do get why it happens. The key is to figure out what to eat each week, ensure you have the shopping organised so that you can then cook recipes that don’t require a massive amount of preparation but taste great and are good for you.

Try to eat foods that nourish your body, support your life, and make you feel and look your best! Keep sugar and alcohol down and fruit and veg high.

Keep stress under control
Stress is totally debilitating, draining, and can have massive damaging implications on our health, energy, and ability to thrive. Let’s face it, stress can stop us from achieving lasting health and wellness, so it is important to look at how we deal with it so that we don’t burnout, or lash out. If we don’t monitor stress levels, we can age before our time, get sick more often than we should, and feel anxious all the time as hormones run rampant around in our bodies.

Think again about what you eat and drink. How much time you work and spend at your screens, and consider how best to get good sleep at night so you wake feeling rested. Make time for you and relax. If you are worried about your stress levels, speak to your family, friends or GP and get some support in place.

Exercise
We have said this before, but it is key to take exercise because it has so many amazing benefits. It’s a natural stress reducer, it gets the blood flowing through your entire body, including your brain, and this can help you focus, think more clearly and allow you to perform better. Exercise gives you glowing, healthy skin and can help improve your immune system.

We aren’t saying that you need to train for a marathon or start boxing for England, but find something you like doing and in time, you will love it and all that it brings to you.

So, grab your trainers, get some funky workout gear, a bottle of water, and let those feel good endorphins racing around your system, making you feel fab.

Just say no
This isn’t easy, as so many of us are people pleasers, but it is important to have boundaries in place so you are OK saying ‘no’. Yes, you want to be able to help others, but if you don’t put yourself from time to time, you won’t be able to help anyone else. Look at what you have to do day to day, work out what your priorities really are, and if you can’t take anything else on, don’t.

We hope you have a great summer and that some of these steps will ensure you are on the right path to being the best you.

Team Pure Beauty

How to deal with a break up

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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

Take the financial squeeze away from Christmas

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The ads are on TV, the lights are up in town, and those shopping lists are getting longer by the day. While Christmas is meant to be a time of celebration and joy, the reality is that all those presents, splashing out on a new dress for the Christmas party and having to buy another Secret Santa, means that our bank balances, and stress levels, can go into the red.

We have had a look at some easy ways to boost your cash flow at a time when you most need it, and take off some of the pressure that can take the fun out of Christmas.

Sell what you don’t need
Have a look in your loft and cupboards and we bet there are loads of things gathering dust that you don’t need, but that someone else would snap up! You don’t have to head out to a cold, rainy car boot sale to flog your stuff these days as there are lots of selling sites out there, as well as great local groups on Facebook that work really well. Whether it’s a mobile phone that you no longer use, a keyboard you never play, or a pair of heels that are just too high, the internet means you have a global marketplace to sell what you don’t need, but other people do!

Make the most of your skills
The Sunday Times bestseller, The Multi-Hyphen Method, looks at how you don’t need to have one main job anymore. From writing and photography, to social media management and dog sitting, there are lots of side hustles out there you can get involved with to make some extra money. Make sure you get things sorted out first, like your tax and insurance, and then rather than watching TV or playing on the X-Box, you could use that time to clear your overdraft and get together some much-needed extra cash.

Make a switch
Simply switching bank accounts you could make yourself a tidy pile of cash – check The Money Saving Expert to find out how. You can also look at switching your utilities if you want to save more money and make a tidy pile of cash. It might be a little bit of a hassle, but there are some good deals out there if you do your research.

Secret Santa
If you are really smart, don’t buy everyone a present this Christmas, instead think about doing a Secret Santa. Whether it is for extended family, work colleagues or flatmates, set a budget, pick something you know your chosen recipient will love and you won’t only save money, you’ll have less things to sell to on eBay next Christmas too!

Go for deals
When it does coming to shopping, look out for the deals, there are many to be had. From discounts, ‘buy one get one free’ offers, samples and three for two deals, you will find a lot of ways to make your cash go further.

The great thing about all of these ideas, is that while they can help you around Christmas, if you put them into play all the time, your bank account should be healthy 12 months of the year.

Team Pure Beauty