You've Been SNIPPED!

We are 5 days away from the NEW year and most of us do not feel very new in our bank accounts nor the value of what we have. Maybe we did not save as much as we said we would on January 1^st, 2013. Maybe we had random events that required more attention, time, and money. OH MY GOSH, NOT MORE MONEY!  For the sake of time, let’s stick to the fact that money comes and money goes. The turnaround time of money is hard to completely control, BUT we can totally control where and how we invest the money that we know will go at some point after it comes. Living alone and not having as many responsibilities left me open to extra cash as a successful stylist, owner, and woman that loves to shop! As I began to grow each year, and added in pets (my first children), a husband, and a child, I realized that this girl had to control those dollars moving out of my fingers.

My first set of children are true to form in their random booboo’s and play time that sometimes takes a left turn. My husband and I are very smart, but we like what we like and we try to tackle having all of those things…..on some type of a budget. My sweet baby girl is growing into a woman and let’s just face that she is her mother’s child! WE LOVE TO SHOP!  We also love to give and inspire. So what do you do when you love to shop/give, yet you must not ignore your bills and future expectations? You put on your big girl shoes and… you COUPON!!! You may laugh now, but a dollar saved is another dollar you can play with, save, or smile at later. It is a huge part of your wellness package for life! Work, money and the economy are the biggest cause of Americans' stress, according to research released by the American Psychological Association (APA). Here’s a neat little fact about the green eyed monster: Our "fight-or-flight" system evolved as a way to physically deal with a physical danger. The problem is now that same response gets activated by everyday encounters. One of the bigger things that activate it is when people see trouble in their finances. "If people don't know how to deal with this higher adrenaline level, then the levels of stress can build and build. This can cause real physical and physiologic changes in the body that can account for people feeling poorly" (webmd, 2013).

Stress reliever: COUPONING!

Pros:                                                                                        Cons:

-It’s smart                                                                                -Attention to detail

-Save money                                                                           -THAT’S ABOUT IT!!!

-Money management skills heighten

-Lots of retailers participate

-Printable coupons

-Mobile coupons

-Deals and steals (without jail time!)

Here is where you begin!!!

Couponing Starter Kit:

-3 ring binder

-Photo sleeves with various photo sizes to hold the coupons

-Separation tabs

-Sharpie (label tabs and make reminders)

-Aloha Monkey Wellness Couponing Journal (email me for details)

-Plastic baggies on hand in case you find coupons and can not get into your book right then (never leave a coupon!)

-2-3 hours a few days a week (times may vary according to your schedule and knack for couponing)

-Gas or transportation (there’s coupons for that too!!!)

-A couponing buddy (optional)

-Extra pockets (for all the cash you will save!)

With this starter kit, you will be on your way to a healthier new you and a bigger bank account. This is only the beginning dears! You have to get into the lingo of couponing and all the neat ways to see if your skills really have grown from start through all of your checkpoints. When I started I was not interested in percentages and how much I saved, I just wanted a few dollars off. Now, I have this thing down to a science and you can too!!! For more, email me at Alohamonkeywellness@gmail.com with the subject “I want more money in my pocket!”

Aloha!

Jill

  

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Your Best GF: What qualities do you look for?

Gluten free, gluten free, gluten free!!! Every one is saying GLUTEN FREE!! ARGGGH!

Gluten free foods sound so YUCKY! We would like to think that gluten free foods look like sticks or trees and taste like cardboard.  Then, if they aren’t trees or sticks, they must be something like chunks of soy that are gummy and not the least bit enticing. Gluten free diet choices also involve our health, allergies, and demographics. Most often we grow up and are healthy as ever. Then we get older, choose to move to a different region to settle and have a solid more productive career in. We begin to realistically learn just the way our surroundings and the foods we usually consume affect us in different regions than we are used to. Ever wonder why you lived in California, had no allergies,  and could eat anything you wanted, but when you moved to Delaware that you began to have itchy eyes, more upset stomach when you ate, and were more tired after eating all those foods you were used to? It is all in our diets! WOULDN’T YOU THINK GLUTEN FREE WAS ONLY FOR HEALTH NUTS WHO WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING?  Well let’s pop all those bubbles!

Fact: a diet is more than our actions to stop certain foods. It is most effective as a noun not as an adjective.  Let’s make an example:

       

(adjective)  I’ve dieted all month and only lost one pound.

                       

             (noun) My diet consists of vegetables, lean meat for protein, and lots of water.

Myth: Gluten is when you eat and eat and eat until you can't lift another finger. Jeez!!!

Fact: Gluten is protein found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats.  Because of the processes used in making baked goods and other consumer goods, there is a concern of the sensitivities that heighten sickness in those with celiac disease and digestive conditions.

Myth: Chelsea Clinton’s wedding cake was gluten free and it was gorgeous! I have to be gluten free!

Fact: Gluten free eating is NOT a new fad to jump into. If and when you decide to become gluten free, you have to understand the effectiveness of your decision. (keyword today is EFFECTIVE)

Myth: It says gluten free, so I should eat it!

Fact: A benefit of going gluten free is knowing that you will counter the void with PROTEIN. Plain chicken breasts, turkey, tuna, beans, eggs, nuts, nut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese and milk are all naturally gluten-free and may, therefore, become staple foods when following a gluten-free plan (Gluten-free, 2013).

Fact (bonus): Many commercially produced gluten-free foods are highly processed and can be

quite low in nutrients. With many processed foods, we may avoid the main ingredients our minds told us to while consuming other not so great ingredients such as high amounts of sodium, sugar, and additives.  You can determine whether a food is processed by looking at the ingredient list. The longer the ingredient list, the more processed a food is likely to be (Aglee, 2012).

Myth: Eating gluten free will make me fine and skinny.  I can eat anything that says “gluten free” in any portion! YES!

Fact: A shift to incorporating lean protein in your meals and snacks can help you achieve a more balanced diet with the amount of protein needed to help keep you satisfied throughout your day. Avoiding gluten is not an excuse to load up on gluten-free breads, cookies and cakes.

For a starter list of great gluten free options, check the list at: http://www.glutenfreegigi.com/resource/no-thought-required-gluten-free-food-list/

Want more information on gluten free living? Email Aloha Monkey Wellness: Alohamonkeywellness@gmail.com  I have so many more options for your best lifestyle! Stay tuned on all of our pages!

@Alohamonkeywellness: like us, tweet us, instagram us, pin us, 1+ us!

References:

Gluten-free: Is it for everyone? (2013, Feb 07). The Guelph Mercury. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1284746591?accountid=32521

Gupta, Sanjay (n.d.). Gluten May Be Making You Sick. Retrieved from http://www.everydayhealth.com/sanjay-gupta/gluten-may-be-making-you-sick.aspx?source=dlp-pdr

Jacobs, Aglaee (2012). Processed Food Definition. Retrieved from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/processed-food-definition-2074.html

Coloring Book: An excerpt from your personal stylist of 20+ yrs….

Hey Jill!

I woke up this morning feeling a bit dry. My skin looks great, I have almost no stress, and I’m pretty happy in my career. SO WHY IS MY HAIR SAYING “TRAIN WRECK”??!!! Ok, let’s get it together here and recap on my goods.

#1 I have not had a cut in a few months.  Although I love my job, I have neglected getting my ends trimmed because an appointment just does not fit into my schedule.  Cutting it all, even by more than 1 inch, will cause a panic attack I think!

#2 I have a few shades and grades of hair. I am mostly a natural brown color with random shades that almost make my hair look a bit sandy.  I dyed my hair once about 10 years ago. I tried to do ash blonde highlights. Guess what? The image I had in my mind lied to me!

#3 My skin is light, but tends to be more yellowy-ish golden. Without sunblock I tan rather than burn

#4 My eyes are deep drown.

I am thinking of trying a new color to make myself look and feel  amazing. The current natural color is beginning to look a bit bland and lifeless as I get older.  HELP!

Thandie

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Thandie,

                

        You have made an excellent choice! I have a few options AND I have a specific option that will make you pop, sizzle, and turn heads in all the right ways. Let’s take a look at what you naturally have.

#1 It is definitely time for a trim/cut. I understand that you are afraid to make a drastic chop, but it does not have to be drastic to achieve healthy. I ultimately would need you in my chair to know the true damage. However, if you have a regimen outside of cutting that helps to sustain your hair follicles, we should not have to go too drastic on your first visit. A great regimen for maintaining your hair is to not over-wash your hair, never use heat styling tools on wet hair, check your hair care products for ingredients such as alcohol and detergents, and keep a solid nightly hair maintenance routine.  These steps will help reduce splits ends and the possibility of having to cut quite a few inches of your hair off.

#2 Hair’s the thing! We all have various grades and shades of hair depending on genetics. The fact that you have not dyed your hair repeatedly over the years is great because the integrity of it is more maintained without all of the chemical changes.  It’s coloring time!

#3 You are not married to a color: perfect! We can find the color best suited for you,  your skin,  your eyes,  and your life. Key is to keep the natural color theme by staying within 3-4 shades of your natural hair color. 

The chart is merely a reference for ideas and matches (www.fashionhair.net). We can also play with a few other shades that compliment your complexion rather than highlight any imperfections. By description, you have darker colored hair with warm skin tones and a darker eye color. You would look best in multidimensional warm tones.  This means that soft, light to medium brown base colors with dark blonde highlights or warm brown colors will work their magic on you! This coloring will also make way for your makeup palette. Can’t wait to color in the sassy new you!

Jill

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Side note: Maybe you aren’t a dark haired warm tone. Maybe your eyes are lighter. Here are some options for you! You never want to get an awesomely chic hair color that your skin and eyes murder! You must identify if your skin is cool or warm and go from there! Whether you go drastic or natural, always remember that it is your choice and you always want to make a choice that brings out the best you! Keep in mind that your hair color will determine the type and shades of makeup you use, jewelry you wear best, and clothing colors you will showcase the best. Now that you have your coloring essentials, let’s color!  

What is your eye color?

              

         

         Skin Tone (match yours) 

Skin Tone/Hair Color Matches

Warm Ø  Gold Ø  Honey Ø  Caramel Ø  Copper Ø  Red Ø  Mahogany Ø  Strawberry blonde Ø  Chocolate Ø  Ginger Ø  Orange based reds Ø  Dark browns Ø  Rust

Cool Ø  Platinum Ø  Ash-blonde Ø  Cream Ø  Sandy Ø  Coffee Ø  Jet black Ø  Fawn Ø  Mid-level blondes Ø  Flat browns Ø  Wine Ø  Mahogany Ø  Burgundy

Benefits of Pilates

“If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old.  IF it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.”                                                                                                          -Joseph H. Pilates  

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The phone rings and I answer. “Hello?” On the other end is my good friend whose mouth is going a mile a minute with minimal breaths. In the back of my mind I am thinking, “I wonder how she does it?” I interject, “What’s that you say?” She is going on and on about how healthy I look, how she saw new pictures on my social sites, and that I must spill all of my secrets.

Stop! What do you say that?

____________________________________________________________________

Breathing- “It’s all about the foundation. Breathe, breathe, breathe!” Breaths are taken in through the nose and out through the mouth. Diaphragmatic patterns of inhales and exhales are utilized to initiate movement and to activate deeper muscles (Swann, 2009). This means that how you breathe will affect how you live and move.  Holding your breath without realizing it can cause pain and eventually create chronic pains. Ouch! Pilates helps to properly generate and sustain those breaths.

Concentration.-“I’m focused!” Classical pilates, and other traditions of pilates, seeks to achieve the highest level of concentration and movement.  Relax, move, center!

Centering-“Core is key”. I always thought that the powerhouse was the cheesiest way to suck me into tube socks, a high cut one piece, and big 80’s hair, but I learned that it rocks! Exercises center on the core muscles of the body, called the ‘powerhouse’ (the abdominal, back, and pelvic floor muscles). The core muscles:

            -  serve as postural muscles and help the body to balance

            -  elongate and strengthen deep torso muscles

            -   work in tandem with the more superficial muscles of the trunk

            -  support the spine, thus increasing flexibility, agility and stability 

              (Swann, 2009)

Contrology- “Control those buns girl!” The only unchanging rules you must conscientiously obey are that you must always faithfully and without deviation follow the instructions accompanying the exercises and always keep your mind wholly concentrated on the purpose of the exercises as you perform them (Pilates, 1945; 1998, pg. 10). 

                                                                               

                Awareness- “My teacher says I need to learn me. Be precise.” Pilates is low impact. It is also a total body workout that develops body awareness. Testimonies  prove:

-  According to Hoyte Pyle, MD, "Pilates works the whole body in synergy, which is how we should be moving on a daily basis.”

- According to Aliesa George, a pilates instructor says, “The biggest benefit in my eyes would be personal awareness -- awareness of how you sit or how you stand or how you move and being able to relate those habits to the aches and pains and injuries you have or have had in the past” (Sarnataro, 2013).

- According to Richie Mastascusa, a choreographer and pilates instructor, “Pilates is an excellent way to work out. It strengthens your core and muscles. After class, your body just feels so good!”

                

             Fluidity- “Unlock those knees and elbows! Keep it all fluid and moving.” Joseph Pilates, himself, compares it to a slightly swaying graceful motion comparable to the effect created by a gentle breeze blowing over a field of growing wheat ready for harvest, causing it to gracefully sway in "waves" from its roots to its tips (Pilates, 1945; 1998, pg. 21).

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 I stopped and said, “Hello, are you there?” My friend says she is speechless because she never knew how great pilates was for her and her family’s life. With the right research of studios, technique, and a determination to have a better life, you can move your way into the strongest position ever!  

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Remember, too, that "Rome was not built in a day," and that PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor.  -Joseph H. Pilates

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to World Fit Foundation and Richie Mastascusa of Reforming NY

Pilates J H, Miller W J (1945; reprinted 1998). Pilates’ Return to Life Through Contrology. Presentation Dynamics, USA

Sarnataro, B R (2013).The Benefits of Pilates: Just what can Pilates exercises do for you?. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/the-benefits-of-pilates

Swann, J. (2009). The Power of Pilates. Nursing & Residential Care, 11(10), 520-523.