Luna Wellness By Isabella
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Welcome to Luna Wellness
Wellness & Beauty Tips, & Ways to Empower Yourself every day.
nature brings abundance in our lives
Did you know that being in nature and connecting yourself to the beauty of flowers, the sight of a rising sun, the sound of the birds, the fragrance of blooming roses can help you to feel more joy and happiness inside yourself and throughout your day?
This is true! One of the ways that I love to relieve myself of any type of anxiety is to sit in my family’s garden and to just breathe in the fresh air. It always gives me a feeling of calm and I am able to let go of any worries and just be present.
The Mental Health Foundation’s Research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and feel happier about their lives. The study shows that nature generates many positive emotions, like calmness, joy, and creativity and also helps concentration. It also shows that depression and anxiety are lowered. There are so many benefits to develop a harmonious, relaxing connection to nature, it raises our overall physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
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So, today, GET OUTSIDE into NATURE
Love,
Luna Wellness XO
#lunawellnessbyisabella #lunawellness #lunaswellnesswarriortips #lunanaturetips #natureishealing #natureheals #natureconnection #naturegiveswellbeing
what I eat…
How I choose to eat every day is to focus always on healthy foods that will make me feel good. I like to start off in the morning first thing with a big glass of fresh celery juice from my juicer. Then I drink water throughout the day, at least 6-8 glasses of water.
My first meal is around 11am after I do my workout I have my post workout shake. I like to mix it with either rice milk or water. I use 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder and sometimes add 1/2 of an avocado.
I have my lunch around 1:30pm which is usually tuna out of the bottle with vegan mayo and crunch fennel and purple cabbage on chick pea crackers.
My snack is around 3pm and I like the probiotic cottage cheese it’s only 80 calories and I mix it with fresh peaches and agave syrup.
For dinner I love steak burrito with hot sauce and arugula and a bit of cheese or as you can see other meals that I may make will be beyond burger sausages that are not meat, along with avocado toast and peaches or the sausages with cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes.
If I’m hungry I snack on protein bars that are at least 10g of protein each.
That’s my day and I feel so energized when I stick to that plan. Sometimes I am not perfect and I go off my plan and I cheat, but I always exercise so I burn the fat anyway.
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Happy Healthy Eating! Love, Luna Wellness xo
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Introducing my top 3 skincare affordable picks are:
Honest Deep Hydration Face Cream. The price is $29.99.I love this cream for night as it is thick and has a lavender fragrance. It is made with Daikon Radish Seed Extract & Baobab Seed Oil. It has no Parabens, Phthalates, PEGs, Dyes, Mineral Oil or Synthetic Fragrance. It is Dermatologist tested, non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic and cruelty free.Cera Ve Barrier-restoring moisturizing cream for face and body. The price is $17.78I love this cream because it leaves my skin smooth, hydrated and soft. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with sunscreen BROAD SPECTRUM SPF15. The price is $14.97.I love this lightweight, non-greasy facial moisturizer which leaves my skin really hydrated.I love the SPF 15 broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection because it is dermatologist tested, fragrance free, oil free hypoallergenic, paraben-free, oxybenzone & octinoxate-free and it doesn’t clog pores.Check them out, you will love them! Love, Luna Wellness XO
Some of My Favorite Every Day Affordable Makeup
TSome of my everyday favorite makeup products:
Revolution contour & concealer stick is amazing because it is a concealer and contour stick all in one. It is perfect for on the go and amazing if you forget your foundation.
I use the fit me concealer and it is great for full coverage especially if you are getting stubborn breakouts. I use the darker shade to contour and it seamlessly blends into my skin.
The waterproof lash sensational mascara is my personal favorite. You will never have to worry about your lashes falling with this mascara because it’s long lasting and evenly distributes throughout your lashes.
The duo lash glue is amazing and by far my favorite lash glue on the market. It stays on all day and you don’t have to worry about your lashes coming off. I get the dark color because it blends in with my lashes naturally.
The wet and wild eyeliner is super easy to apply which is important because it’s not always easy applying liquid liner. It has a fine tip so it is perfect for easy application.
I only use real technique brushes because they blend in my makeup perfectly and don’t make me feel cakey whatsoever. Love Luna Wellness XO
hair care brands I love
Today I am sharing some of my top hair care products! One brand that I am obsessed with is Oribe. Why? Oribe Hair Care products are sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free, cruelty free, vegetarian, color and keratin treatment safe. The fragrance is clean, fresh and the ingredients leave your hair feeling nourished, not frizzy, shiny, bouncy and glowing. It is a bit pricey but is also an award winning brand that you never get tired of or feel that you didn’t get what you paid for. They have many different products for different types of hair but some of my all time favorites that I have on my vanity table are:
Oribe
Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil
Curl Shaping Mousse
Priming Lotion Conditioning Detangler
Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray
Run Through Detangling Primer
Dry Texturizing Spray
Bright Blonde Sun Lightening Mist
My other favorite brands are Redken and Fekkai. I love this Redken shampoo because it really helps to extend my color treated hair and it is light. I love the Fekkai brand because it stands for what I love, which is: vegan and cruelty-free. It smells divine and does the job of a great conditioner, leaves your hair smooth and detangled without being too heavy.
Redken: Color Extend Shampo & Fekkai: Conditioner Demelant
Happy Transformation Tuesday!
Love, Luna Wellness XO
Juicing for vitamin support
I LOVE to juice my vegetables! I feel so energized when I drink my fresh juice and I love to choose different vegetables to combine in my juicer. I can feel that it is giving me tons of vitamins and nutrients and those are good for my hair, skin and nails and that it is detoxing my body. One of my favorite juices is made up of celery, cucumber, fennel and purple cabbage. Celery contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and B vitamins. Cucumber contains vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. It also contains antioxidants, and it hydrates the body. Purple cabbage contains antioxidants like vitamin C, carotenoids, and antioxidants. It’s important to remember that juicing does not replace a meal because you still need a balanced fiber and protein meal. I drink my juice in the morning.
I have the Kuvings Juicer and it has two pulsating speeds that can take a whole fruit, which I love. It also has a built-in strainer. It’s definitely not easy to clean, but worth it!
Here’s one of my favorite recipes:
1/2 fennel
2 stalks celery
½ large cucumber
1 big chunk of purple cabbage
1/2 lemon
Happy Juicing!
Love, Luna Wellness XO
animals give us love & joy
I don’t know about you, but my dog is one of my greatest friends and companions. During my high highs and my low lows over the last 13 years, he has always been a source of pure unconditional love and support. His name is Diego and sometimes he has even comforted me so much that I am sure he has felt my own pain and at times has howled along with me while I shed a tear.
It was so interesting for me to learn that interacting with animals has actually been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. According to the National Institute of Health, studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.Animals can serve as a source of comfort and support.
“Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving,” says Dr. Ann Berger, a physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. “Their attention is focused on the person all the time.”
Berger works with people who have cancer and terminal illnesses. She teaches them about mindfulness to help decrease stress and manage pain.
“The foundations of mindfulness include attention, intention, compassion, and awareness,” Berger says. “All of those things are things that animals bring to the table. People kind of have to learn it. Animals do this innately.” This is so true because when we are with our pets we are totally focused on the present moment and everything else falls away. It is just that present state of awareness where mindfulness happens. I am so grateful for my Diego because he has also taught me about compassion, patience and pure love.
Love,
Luna Wellness XO
Dream hair tips
Healthy hair is possible!
Believe it or not, Vitamin Health is super important to having the dream hair that you’ve always wanted.
These are my favorite vitamins that I make sure and implement into my daily routine and this has had a huge effect on my hair health.
Vitamin B
Complex B vitamins are great for hair growth,. The best are vitamin B7 (biotin) and B12 which strengthen and condition the hair.
If you don’t take the supplements then you should make sure and eat whole grains, meat, fish, whole eggs, nuts and avocados which all have these vitamins.
Biotin
This is known as vitamin B7, is a complex B vitamin. Biotin rich foods are milk, eggs, bananas, salmon, sweet potatoes and almonds.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C also makes our hair stronger and stimulates growth.
Iron
Iron is also great for hair growth, too, I eat clams, red meat, spinach and lentils which are high in iron. You can also have an iron supplement.
Keratin
Keratin is a protein that makes up our hair, skin and nails. The best way to get keratin is by eating protein-rich foods like eggs, beans, fish and meats.
Watch for more hair tips coming in next posts!
Happy Thursday!
Love,
Luna Wellness by Isabella xo
6 surprising benefits of getting enough sleep
Why is getting enough sleep so important?
Why is it so important to have a good night sleep? We read about it all the time on social media and hear about it in the news. They always say we should have at least 8 hours of sleep a night. I know that for me and my generation it is harder to go to sleep every night because we are constantly tempted when we reach our bed at night to spend lots of extra time scrolling through social media. There is always a pull to pick up the phone and check and see if we missed seeing something important. There are so many people my age who also suffer with anxiety and find it hard to go to sleep at night. We end up with less hours of sleep every night which makes it difficult to get up early.
According to the Sleep Foundation, we have an internal body clock which regulates our sleep cycle and controls when we feel tired and ready for bed or refreshed and alert. This internal clock has a 24-hour cycle known as the circadian rhythm. Light influences the circadian rhythm. The signals in our brain help the brain determine whether it is day or night.
When the natural light disappears in the evening at sunset, the body naturally releases melatonin, a hormone that induces drowsiness. When the sun rises in the morning, the body will release the cortisol hormone which gives us energy and alertness.
According to the Sleep Foundation there are four stages of sleep. The first stage is when we are between wakefulness and sleep. Our muscles relax and our heart rate, breathing, and eye movements begin to slow down for a few minutes. The second sleep stage is when we go into a deeper sleep and our heart and breathing rates slow down and our muscles and brain waves become relaxed. This stage is the longest. The third stage is important for the way we will feel refreshed and alert the next day. Heartbeat, breathing, and brain wave activity are at their lowest levels, and our muscles are super relaxed. The fourth stage happens about 90 minutes after we fall asleep. This is when our eyes will move back and forth quickly under your eyelids and our breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure will begin to increase. We will dream a lot during this stage called REM sleep.
According to the Huffington Post there are 6 surprising benefits of getting enough sleep.
Do you want to know what they are?
1. Sleep fights off colds. A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine in April found that people who reported sleeping five hours or less each night were more likely to experience a cold or other infection in the past 30 days.
2. Sleep improves exercise. Exercise has been shown to improve the ability to get a good night's sleep and improve workouts.
3. Feelings of hunger increase when people are sleep-deprived, and those who haven't gotten enough rest have a tendency to choose higher-calorie "comfort" foods.
4. Sleep helps prevent migraines.
5. Sleep enhances blood sugar control.
6. Sleep fights obesity. Many studies have shown a link between obesity and lack of sleep in children and adults.
Try and Get Your 8 Hours of Sleep In Every Night!
Love, Luna Wellness xo #sleepbenefits
Why meditate?
Meditation has been scientifically proven to help lower anxiety, fearful feelings and doubt. It is a practice that anyone can do, it just takes patience and consistency to stick with it. Meditation has been scientifically proven to help lower anxiety, fearful feelings and doubt. They say it is a practice that anyone can do but it takes patience and consistency to stick with it. I have tried and continue to try meditating because I know that there are so many benefits to doing it, especially the benefit of relieving anxiety. I feel that if there is a method that really works for helping us to calm ourselves down in any moment at any time of day, then it is definitely worth investigating and taking the time to try it out. It has not been easy for me because I have sat down to meditate and I get immediately distracted. I know that it happens for many people. I feel like my mind is constantly thinking and there is no way to quiet it down. When I have tried to meditate it feels like it is useless because the whole time that I am sitting there my mind is grabbing on to a million thoughts and not doing what it’s supposed to do. But then I notice that when I do open my eyes, I feel a bit calmer and not as worried as before. I have read that meditation is like practicing a sport, to become good at it, you need to put the time in and practice. I have read that the more one practices meditation, the least likely someone is going to have an episode of anxiety or a panic attack. I also learned that it helps with daily focus and concentration. It can also help to get clear on goals and less distracted on things that don’t really matter. I think that the most important thing in life is to develop a way to find calm and peace inside so that any challenge in life that comes our way, we have a way to confront it in a balanced mindset instead of freaking out and reacting, we can face the challenge and breathe through it. This is what I imagine that daily meditation can help me with and I will try again, although it takes practice and patience.
5 Basic Steps to Meditate for Beginners:
Find your meditation spot. This should be a private spot free from distractions and noise. You should feel safe, at peace and comfortable in it. If you have a bedroom to yourself, it is probably best inside your bedroom. After you pick the spot, clean the space around it. Remove any mess lying around.
Sit in a comfortable position either on the floor on a pillow in a cross-legged position or on a comfortable chair. Whatever position you choose, sit upright to help the flow of energy. It is not recommended to lie down.
Begin to focus on your in-breath and your out-breath and your mind will naturally begin to still itself.
Count to 4 on the in breath and 8 on the out breath and just watch your thoughts go by like clouds in the sky.
Meditate for at least 5-10 minutes a day and when you are finished slowly ease out of it and slowly open your eyes.
Happy Meditating!
Love, Luna Wellness XO #meditation
THE EFFECTS OF GRATITUDE ON YOUR PHYSICAL AND BRAIN HEALTH -(The photo to the right is me and my mom who I am grateful for.)
Did you know that increasing the feeling of gratitude in our lives has been scientifically proven to help our overall physical well being and brain health giving us more vitality, energy and enthusiasm to feel better in our lives.
Emily Fletcher, the founder of Ziva, a well-known meditation training site, mentioned in one of her publications that gratitude is like a ‘natural antidepressant’. The effects of gratitude, when practiced daily can be almost the same as medications. It produces a feeling of long-lasting happiness and contentment, and goes all the way to effect us at a physiological neurotransmitter level.
When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside. I know personally in my life that as soon as I turn my focus away from my worries, fears and doubts and concentrate on what I have to be grateful for in my life, my whole mood changes and I start to feel so happy and I forgot all about what I was worried about.
Fletcher says by consciously practicing gratitude every day, we can help these neural pathways to strengthen themselves and ultimately create a permanent grateful and positive nature within ourselves. I was amazed when I read this because I had no idea that actually being and feeling grateful changes the structure and composition of our brain and this effects our whole body. Fletcher says that the limbic system is the part of the brain that is responsible for all emotional experiences and this includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and cingulate gyrus. Studies have shown that hippocampus and amygdala, the two main sites regulating emotions, memory, and bodily functioning, get activated with feelings of gratitude.
All of this also effects our sleeping patterns. Gratitude helps us to have a deeper and healthier sleep every day. Studies show that a brain filled with gratitude and kindness is more likely to sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed and energetic every morning.
One of the ways that helps me to focus on gratitude and feel happier is by having my gratitude journal next to my bed where I can jot down some simple things in my life that I am grateful for every night. When I have had a bad day and everything seems to go wrong, and I go to my bedroom, just by seeing my gratitude journal, I remember that there is so much to be grateful for. I know that for me having a gratitude journal has changed my life. It has helped me to be more patient with myself and to not take things for granted in my life. We all have days that are going to be great for us and other days that feel really heavy so we need to have our own methods that we can turn to that we know help us to come out of that negative space and into the reality of being grateful.
#gratitude #gratitudejournal
Love,
Luna Wellness XO
Why Are Affirmations So Important?
Who doesn’t want to feel good about themselves and feel the most confident they can? I know I do.
For me the key to being confident is taking the steps to make yourself believe that you are. I like affirmations because they are a simple yet effective way to train your brain into believe everything you say to yourself. I know that whenever I have been hard on myself and said negative things about myself, I have felt awful afterwards. I am sure that many people have done this. We can help to change this by developing a daily routine of stating affirmations. They can be done at any point of the day or night, but I like to start them in the morning to start my day in the best way. Here are some of my favorite affirmations: "I am beautiful", "I am strong", "I am confident", "I love myself." I repeat these affirmations aloud while looking in the mirror. At first, it feels strange because it’s not like we always feel what we are saying but I have found that if I continue to say them every day, I start to believe what I am telling myself. This creates confidence. Confidence is something that we all want and need and it begins with how we feel about ourselves each day.
Our words create our emotions, and our emotions create our world. If we’re not feeling confident and we begin to talk negatively about ourselves, this is the wrong direction to take because it will only have bad consequences. As soon as we hear ourselves go into the mindset, it is important to pull ourselves out of it and focus on
powerful affirmations of what we know to be true about ourselves that will help to empower us. We need to realize that we are the ones who are in charge of our own destiny and we have the power to shift our mindset at any moment that we choose.
The best way to work on our affirmations is to put these beautiful little post-it notes all over our room to remind us how great we all are. I stick them on my makeup mirror and in my bathroom so that I see them every day as a reminder. I also put them in my car. We are what we think and if we think uplifting positive thoughts about ourselves and others then we can also help others to feel they best as well. Positivity is contagious and we are all going through the same difficulties in life. Everyone needs a helping hand as mental health is a major crisis in America and it all starts with daily simple good habits like affirmations.
It is all mindset that we have the power to improve. After all, it all starts with us and when we know that we are in charge of our own destiny and by adapting small habit each day to grow our confidence we can become the powerful, beautiful people we want to be.
Love, Luna Wellness XO #affirmations
Some of my top summer makeup picks include…
Makeup has always been one of my biggest passions. Since I was in seventh grade, I started to experiment trying different ways to put my makeup on and creating all kinds of crazy looks. Then, as I got a bit older, I continued to develop more skills at applying my makeup by watching online tutorials. It was also a way to relax my mind if I was having a difficult day and needed to focus my attention on one thing and to quiet down the general anxieties in my head. To this day, it is a joy and a passion to take the time at my makeup table, applying the different shades, discovering the different brands and learning the best way to apply them all. Everyone has a passion in life or many passions, and makeup is one of my greatest passions. I had always dreamed that one day I would develop my own line of makeup and I would call it Luna Cosmetics after my second name. It is still a dream that I hold on to and that dream includes nontoxic, vegan, cruelty-free, clean, sustainable makeup that is good for us and our skin.
Some of my top summer makeup picks include the Ilia Brand. Especially their Nightlite Bronzing Powder in Novelty. It is a clean, talc-free, super creamy bronzing powder that gives you a fresh natural beachy tan look. The bronzer is always great if you don’t have time to be on the beach in the summer, just by freshening up your face with some bronzer which can be put all over your face and neck, it is an instant summer tan. The ingredients are Jojoba Seed Oil which is an oil that hydrates and nourishes. Silica Beads, which is a natural powder that creates a soft look and Matte Mica, A smooth mineral that doesn’t have a shimmer. One of the reasons I love this product is because it is vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free, and comes in recyclable packaging. Next is the Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Palette called Pillow Talk. The Charlotte Tilbury brand is known for its quality and beautiful shimmery bronze and nude shades. I really love the two makeup collections called Pillow Talk and Hollywood that I found about by watching some online makeup tutorials. Especially during covid, I found out about so many incredible brands that I didn’t know before. There were tutorials all the time and everyone was watching them. The eyeshadow palette works really well in the summer with its brown tones and also lighter shadows for the upper eyelid. Then there is the Giorgio Armani lip gloss in Lip Power. The lip color is really light and shiny and perfect for summer with an underlying pink tone.
These are 3 great ways to brighten up your summer makeup and are 3 very trusted brands that have high quality ingredients that stay on for many hours.
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Try them out and let me know what you think!
Beautifying ourselves is a great way to boost our confidence and our self-esteem.
Love,
Luna Wellness XO
#lunawellness #lunaswellnesswarriortips #lunawellnessbyisabella
Love,
Luna Wellness XO
Veggies that Detox & Build Immune System
Here they are and here’s why they are so important for our health.
Asparagus: In the summer we can find asparagus everywhere in the supermarket and fruit and vegetable markets. I love asparagus and I put it into salted boiling water for 10 minutes and I put olive oil and lemon and bit of salt and eat it at least once a week. It helps the digestive tract and it detoxes the gut.
Spinach: I love adding fresh spinach leaves to my smoothie in the morning. It is a dark, green leafy vegetables full of antioxidants. It also has iron. Other ways that I use spinach is in my eggs in the morning. I scramble some eggs, add a bit of cheese and toss some spinach in the mix and it really is tasty and good. I also love to put spinach in my salad. It always gives me stamina and energy.
Mint: I drink mint tea every evening. It helps me to debloat from the day. I take some mint leaves from my garden and boil them in water for a few minutes. Mint helps reduce the growth of bacteria I also like to add some mint leaves to my water bottle and I leave it in the refrigerator overnight and start my day with it.
Cilantro: I love cilantro and add this to my smoothie. Cilantro helps in flushing the mercury out of the body. It prevents urinary tract infections and aids digestion. I love the taste of cilantro so I also put it on top of different salads and even my tuna sandwich. I also add it to my smoothie that I make with wild blueberries and banana and coconut milk drink.
Arugula: I always make my salad with arugula. It is a detoxifier that helps reduce chronic-inflammation. The high level of chlorophyll prevents liver damage. I choose arugula as a topping for my pizza and I make prosciutto sandwich with arugula, it goes with everything and has a nice bitter taste. I often make arugula with feta and I add some watermelon to the salad in the summer, it is refreshing, healthy and tastes light and delicious.
I used to think that these type of vegetables or herbs were not so great and then I learned ways to add them to my daily health routine and then it just became normal to buy them at the grocery store and make them a part of one of my meals. I find that being healthy is a lot about intention and what you really want. Then because it becomes the new normal, and we feel so great from this way of eating, it becomes easier to stick to it. Then if we slip us and eat junk food, we feel sluggish, bloated and tired and this makes it so clear that the healthy eating is the best way for us.
I’m excited to share some of my favorite detox vegetables and herbs that I use often in my daily wellness routine.
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Have a great Wellness Day!
Love,
Luna Wellness XO #detoxveggies
The power of protein in your day
The Power of Protein
How is your daily protein intake? Protein is a key macronutrient that fuels your body’s energy. Protein helps to build lean muscle and protein also helps to fight infection.
Our bodies are continually using and breaking down protein so it’s really important that we are eating enough protein so that we replace what we lose. The averge woman should have at least 45 grams of protein per day and the average man should have at least 55 grams of protein per day. The challenge is to eat more plant protein that you find in soy like tofu or fish protein that has less fat and is better for your health. Too much animal protein that comes from steak, hamburgers, chicken, bacon, etc. are delicious but they are also full of fat. The key is to find healthy ways to increase your protein level each day without sacrificing your health or creating high cholesterol from the fat from the meat products.
Every cell in your body contains protein including your body’s bones, skin, hair, muscles and tissue.
Where do you find protein in the foods you eat? You find it in the following foods.
Seafood
Lean meat and poultry
Eggs and dairy
Tofu
Beans and peas
Soy products
Unsalted nuts and seeds.
A great way to increase your protein intake is through a high protein powder smoothie, like the one I drink every morning. This helps to fuel my workout and build my lean muscle mass. My protein shake that you see here in the photo is one of the ones I love to make each day either pre-workout or post-workout since the protein helps with my muscle recovery after my muscles are sore from the workout. I simply add 2 scoops of my favorite protein powder which is about 24 g plant protein with rice dream non lactose drink and ½ avocado and ice and I mix it all up in the blender. Sometimes I mix up a smoothie that has more fruit in it like wild blueberries that have a lot of antioxidants in them to build my immune system. I mix ½ cup of wild blueberries, ½ banana, coconut drink, cilantro and 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder with ice in the blender and it is a high powered, high protein vitamin smoothie that fuels my energy all morning post workout.
Another great reason to include plant protein into your diet each day is because it will keep you full for longer. When we eat a sugary breakfast it may taste great but it is usually full of carbohydrates and they become sugar and then it becomes fat and it spikes our glucose level in our body but immediately after it goes spiraling down and we feel tired and hungry again. Protein is totally different. When we eat a high protein meal we are full for hours and that protein actually builds our lean muscle mass which helps to burn fat.
Be sure and add protein in your diet every day to make sure that you are getting enough.
Love,
Luna Wellness XO #protein
how important is it to hydrate?
How important is it to hydrate?
The practice and good habit of drinking at least 8 cups of water a day should be so easy and yet why does it seem that so many of us forget to drink enough water every day? I know that for me, it is a constant practice that I have to remember to hydrate. I start by waking up in the morning and drinking warm water with lemon juice squeezed in my cup. This helps me to detox and hydrate after a long night of sleep. But the, during the day, I sometimes forget so I try and drink a big liter of water in the morning so I get my morning’s dose in right away and if I forget, at least I got a good amount in my system. I have bought a special oversized water bottle called Energy Bud on Amazon to remind me of what I have and have not drank during the day. It helps to gage the water levels by showing the ounces marked on the outside of the bottle. Another habit that I have adopted to try and help me to drink more water is to add cucumber, lemon or mint to my water to make it more interesting to drink. I think that any method that we can do for ourselves to entice us to drink more water, is only going to be beneficial to our health. They say that our bodies are made up of water and that we fill up with so many toxins every day and it is essential to flush those toxins out by drinking water. I used to think that teas are also drinks to help flush the toxins, but there is no substitute for water because it is the purest and the cleanest for our system.
Our bodies are made up of water and water has so many important functions such as:
Regulates body temperature
Moistens tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth
Protects body organs and tissues
Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
Lubricates joints
Lessens burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
Dissolves minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body
I bet you want to know how much water you need to drink every day?
Every day, you lose eight to 12 cups of water through breathing, perspiring, and urine and bowel movements. In general, men need at least 12 cups of fluid daily, while women require a minimum of nine cups. When we exercise, or there is hot weather, high altitude, or we have a high-fiber diet, drink a lot of caffeine or alcohol, then we need even more hydration than normal.
How much a person should hydrate also varies from person to person. The way to monitor hydration is to look at the color of your urine right after you get up in the morning. Studies show that straw or lemonade-colored urine is a sign of good hydration. Dark-colored urine which looks like the color of apple juice means that there is dehydration.
Happy Drinking! #hydrate
Love, Luna Wellness xo
How is your workout?
Why is Working out so Good for Us?
Here’s Why:
Exercise can make you feel happier by improving your mood and decreasing depression, anxiety and stress. There have been so many scientific studies that have proven that exercise helps to boost our overall mood and make us feel happier.
Exercise can help with weight loss by burning fat and increasing lean muscle. When we exercise, we burn our calories and we feel energized so we don’t need to turn to sugar-filled foods that raise our glucose level, so this in turn will also make us healthier and be able to trim out the extra fat.
Exercise is good for your muscles and bones by weightlifting which releases hormones that helps the body to absorb amino acids. Lifting weights can also help us to have a feeling of empowerment and strength. I know that when I go to the gym and lift weights I always come back home with a strong feeling of confidence and joy.
Exercise increases energy levels by boosting the cardiovascular system. Our heart is a muscle just like other muscles in our body and muscles need to be strengthened. Cardio is a great way to train our heart to have more stamina making every day full of vitality.
Exercise helps brain health and memory because it helps to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This is probably why they say that the best way to live a long life is to exercise every day. Even just 20 minutes a day brings longevity in our lives. I have a neighbor is always went running on the boardwalk every day and he is in his nineties and I’m sure the reason he has lived so long is because of his commitment to daily exercise.
Exercise helps with relaxation and sleep quality since it increases restorative sleep. I always get a better night’s sleep after exercising during the day. Exercise is like it’s own magic pill to sleep better at night.
How has exercise helped you in your life? I’m sure when we think of all the ways exercise has helped us, it makes it easier for us to have that willpower to get up early before work or school and hit the gym. I am convinced that if more people quit vaping and high-powered coffees and began to practice a daily exercise routine, there would be less anxious people in the world. What I notice is that the more I stick to my healthy routine which includes exercise, juicing, eating healthy and going to be early, the less I am interested in all the things that are not good for me like high-calorie sweet desserts, Starbucks drinks with lots of sugar and cream, late night popcorn and chips alcohol and vaping. When we begin to really clean up our routine, the cleaner we get the more we don’t want to ruin how good we feel with things that are not good for us.
How has exercise helped you in your life?
Happy #motivationmonday
Here’s to a great week!
Love, Luna Wellnessxo
How to empower your day
Luna’s 5 Wellness Warrior Tips.
We all want to look and feel our very best each day. This is a practice that we need to work on every day and eventually it begins to become a bit easier to have that inner and outer wellness.
Here are my 5 strategies on how to uplift yourself starting from the clothing you wear to the books you read.
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When choosing your clothing each day, take a look in your wardrobe and see what emotions come up with each color. When you find a piece of clothing that makes you feel empowered for that day, then that’s the outfit you wear. Color has a really important impact on how we feel. Just think of what colors you are drawn to and why you pick them. Think of when you see people in magazines or on television or in person and they have a particular outfit on with a standout color that makes you comment, “Wow, you look great, I love that color on you.” We do it all the time and don’t even realize it.
Start reading a book like Louise Hay’s, “The Power is Within You” and have it next to your bed at night to read bits and pieces to empower yourself while you sleep and a bit when you wake up to get your day in the right direction. I have a copy on my night table and if I cannot sleep at night, instead of looking at my phone, I will read a few passages to make me feel more balanced.
Treat yourself to a job well done! It is always good to give yourself recognition. This can be anything from a visit to the nail salon to buying a new outfit. Endorphins are released when we feel good and we need to reward ourselves when we are working hard. This will keep us on track to do even more. This is one of my favorite practices! I love to work really hard at something and then to go to the hair salon or the nail salon and this way I don’t feel guilty about the time and money I spend because I feel that I have earned it.
Put some of your favorite music on! Music is healing and it can lift us in each moment of the day. Blast some of your favorite tunes and dance while no one is watching! This is really great for moving the energy. I love to dance and the music always helps me to let go of any worrying thoughts.
Watch your thoughts while you are out in the car driving. If the thoughts are not good for you, change the radio station in your mind and focus only on those thoughts that will lift you up.
We are all becoming a great masterpiece, we just need to work on the masterpiece every day and grow a bit more.
Have fun and don’t take life so seriously!
Love, Luna Wellness xo #lunawellnessbyisabella #wellnesswarriortips #wellness #mentalhealth #uplift #upliftyourspiriteachday #youarethemasterofyourthoughts
how is the best way to begin your day?
How is the best way to begin your day?
Here are 5 tips to set up your day for success. These are my golden rules that I strive to follow every day. Obviously, we all have good mornings and mornings where we wake up still feeling tired from the night before because we have not gotten the sleep that we need, but I feel that every day is a blank page and we can start over and bring our best self forward. I live near the ocean and when I have the chance to go to bed early enough in the summer months, I try and wake up early enough to catch the sunrise over the ocean. This photo is taken on one of those exquisite mornings when the summer sun rose up in a beautiful orange and peach fire ball. It is an amazing
Here are my 5 golden rules to start the day:
Before grabbing your phone, set in your mind the most important intention that you want for that day. For example, “I want to finish my project or I want to workout in the morning.” Setting the intention for the day is super important and it tells the universe you are ready. By setting your intention, it gives you a direction to work towards for the whole day.
Make your bed even before you think about making it. Just this one small act for me is a way that I feel that I have accomplished something already for the day and it is super-empowering.
Cleanse your skin with a good cleanser and brush and tongue scrape. Healthy habits to take on each day. Don’t forget a good sun protection if it’s summer.
Start your day with warm water and squeezed lemon. This detoxes the body and hydrates at the same time before you drink your coffee or energy drink.
Write down one or two or three positive affirmations of the day on a post-it note and stick it to your mirror. “I manifest exactly what I want for this day”, or “I will be guided exactly what I need to do in every moment”, or “I can relax because I will figure everything out as I have always done”, for example. These affirmations work on your subconscious level and help to focus on the good of the day instead of the bad worries of the day and in turn it empowers your day.
These morning practices may seem like a lot but when you start to practice them, it brightens your whole day and puts you immediately in the right mindset of confidence, positivity and empowerment so that nothing can stand in your way. Instead of worry, doubt and fear filling your mind, a sense of “I got this” overwhelms your outlook. If we want to let go of anxiety we can but we need to always put forth some effort and willingness to do the work to let go of it.
#wellnessmindset #wellness #lunawellnessbyisabella
Happy Wellness Day from Luna Wellness xo
welcome to
luna wellness by Isabella
Hi Everyone! Welcome to my Luna Wellness Platform. Luna Wellness is here to share favorite wellness, beauty, mindfulness and nutrition tips. The name Luna means Moon in Italian and it is also my second name. This has a big symbolism in all of our lives because we are all directly and indirectly always effected by the moon’s powerful energy. We can set our intentions during a new moon as it is a time of beginnings and restarting our goals on what we want to do on a daily basis to live our best life. During the full moon, the magnetic pull of the moon is heightened and it is said that we have an opportunity to declare our strongest intentions and manifest what it is we want in our lives. The moon is a symbol that we all share just like the themes of wellness, beauty, mindfulness and empowerment. When we strive to be our best on a daily basis it has a huge effect in all areas of our lives. We become more confident when we clean up what we eat each day, stronger in our immune system when we work out, centered in our daily calm when we sit for meditation and breathe in the nature all around us and empowered when we are consistent in prioritizing these important areas of our lives. Just like the phases of the moon, or “La Luna”, we too can shift, change and transform in any moment our present commitment to bring about an even brighter future. We all have the power within to be resilient, so if we do go off track in our health goals, our fitness goals or just feel down in our confidence level and struggle to feel good about ourselves, we can switch that up very quickly and be the best version of our selves. The goal of this platform is to enlighten and empower you to becoming the best version of yourself. I have also launched my blog, tiktok and threads account that will highlight tutorials on the best in beauty, hair and makeup. The nutrition side will be full of the power of reaching the next best level in daily wellness and the exercise tips I have learned along the way. Mindfulness is a topic that we all crave as we deal with our daily anxiety-filled life. It is amazing once we implement the daily practices with discipline and commitment, our anxiety no longer has a hold on us and the confidence rises up. Discipline, although it sounds so boring and tedious, can most times be the key to our happiness. Living a balanced life and being patient with ourselves when we go off track is part of being human. We just recommit and take the time to write down what it is we really want to be happy and it can all happy for us. So glad that you have come along for this wellness ride and please share what you would like to see from Luna Wellness.
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Happy Thursday!
Love, Luna Wellness xo #lunawellnessbyisabella
