Work It Out Wednesday

As part of my plan to increase my physical activity, I've been trying to find things that I can do at home instead of always having to go to the gym. One of the things my boyfriend stresses is doing something, anything everyday. For awhile, we were doing an ab circuit at night, along with push-ups in addition to our daily workouts. Clearly, I fell completely off and now have to start all over.

Plank on stability ball

So, the moves that we're going to focus on this week will be the plank and the push-up. Ironically, as I was doing my push-ups last night, I was thinking about just how much of your body they work: arms, chest, and your core. This morning, while perusing the internet, I came across an article that talks about the same thing. The push-up is an excellent move to not only tone your upper arms and chest, but also to help you build a stronger core and more defined abs. According to Yahoo! Sports, "(t)he push-up incorporates the stabilization muscles of your core, combining an upper-body pushing movement with a plank -- one of the best and most basic exercises for your midsection."(source). The plank is one of my favorite moves mostly because I'm utterly amazed at how much strength it takes to hold that pose for the recommended 15-30 seconds! Whew! The plank works wonders for your core and a strong core is needed for just about everything.

Follow these steps to perform the perfect plank:

1. Start by lying face down on a mat. Place your forearms on the mat and directly align them under your shoulders.
2. Extend your legs behind and rest on your toes, as if you are about to do a push up. Be sure not to toot your booty up towards the ceiling. Your shoulders, back, butt and toes should all be aligned. 
3. Tighten your ab muscles. This will help you hold the position correctly. Breathe evenly, in through your nose and out through your mouth. 
4. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds. If you are more advanced or feel up to the challenge, shoot for 60-90 seconds (Good Luck!)
5. Try and do 3 sets of 3! 



Perfect plank form



                              

Now for the push-up, the form is basically the same. The ab contraction is the same also. The difference is, you are now going to place your hands underneath your shoulders and lower your body in one fluid motion. The idea is to go all the way down, with your chest just about touching the floor, and come all the way up. The number one thing to remember when doing this is to let your arm muscles and your core do the work.

We're not doing the caterpillar y'all! Your entire body should be lifted with one motion. Give it a try. Start out where you are comfortable. If you can only do 2, then do 2, or push yourself and do 3 and see how proud you feel!

If you just absolutely can not do the standard push-up, try the modified version. Place your knees on the ground and cross your ankles behind you, lifting them slightly up off the ground. Lower your upper body down slowly, as close to the floor as you can and then push yourself up to the starting position, using only the strength of your arms and core.

Tonight, I will be doing 3 sets of the following:

• 10 push-ups
• 30 second plank
• 25 crunches

Join Me!!!! Leave a comment letting me know you will be trying this tonight. This will be my nightly routine for the next 7 nights. Each week, I will build on this by adding additional exercises and/or extending these. I can't wait to see how good my arms look after 30 days of this!



Disclaimer: I am not a fitness or nutrition expert. These tips are merely suggestions that I make based off of what I do for myself. Before doing any of these moves, please consult a medical professional. This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose any condition or illness.

What people are saying about Ámbreöse Collection!!!!

Alex of The Good Hair blog shares why she loves Ámbreöse Collection:






AriDeonne from Black Naps raves about the Whipped Shea Butter Scrub:




I am so thankful to both of these ladies!! Yall just don't know how happy I am to hear these reviews and see how the products are working for people!!

Make sure you check out The Good Hair blog and Black Naps!!

Ask Me Monday

Today's question comes from Ladeesunshyne78. She asks:

I have oily skin and been trying for a little while to get a daily routine down to properly cleanse and moisturize my skin. Is it too much to use a facial scrub everyday? I started doing that maybe a couple weeks ago (every morning and night before I go to bed) Im not having any problems just wanted to know if I could be doing any damage to my skin?

Girl! If you don't stop exfoliating twice everyday!!!! Lol!! That is way too much! Exfoliation should only be done 1-2 times per week! Too much exfoliation can actually cause small tears in your skin which can lead to an entirely new set of problems.

Over-exfoliation also over-stimulates the skin and can cause your skin to produce more oil, leading to more breakouts! Please scale back to no more than 2 nights per week. I also don't recommend exfoliating in the morning because there's no real need to. Think about it: You wash your face at night, moisturize and go to sleep. What has gotten on your skin or in your pores? Very little. All that's needed in the morning is another cleansing or even just plain, very warm water.

Kudos on the exfoliation; it's a very important step. But like everything else, it must be done in moderation. Hope this helps!!

Got a question that you would like for me to answer? Email it to victoria@ambreose.com to get it answered!! Let me know if you would like to remain anonymous.

Giveaway Time!!!

Hey!!

I'm having a giveaway!! Two lucky winners will receive TWO free products of their choice from my new bath and body line Ámbreöse Collection!!

To be entered in the giveaway:

1) Subscribe to my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/MzTori728
2) Follow this blog
3) Send an email to victoria@ambreose.com and let me know your YT name & the name you signed up with on the blog

Contest will run from Wednesday, March 16, 2011 until Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.

Everyone entering will be assigned a number starting with number one. I will used the website random.org to randomly generate two numbers that will determine the winners.

Here's a video demonstrating the products:



GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!

Coming Soon!!!

Hello Luvies ~


I've been thinking of new, exciting things to incorporate into my blog. And I think I've came up with some great ideas!


To begin, I have a YouTube channel - MzTori728 - where I have received much love from my subscribers! I love them all so!! They are always asking me questions about skin and hair, and I love taking these questions. So naturally I thought, why not share these questions and my answers with everyone? And "Ask Me Monday" was born! So, send me your questions and I'll answer them here, on my blog. Please email your questions to me at victoria@ambreose.com, or you can send me a private message via YouTube. Let me know if you wish to remain anonymous. I love talking about skin, so ask away!! I will feature 1 or 2 questions each Monday!!  


Secondly, as I stated on my Getting it Together post, I've got to Get it Together!! It is my goal to become more active physically and be able to walk 3 flights of stairs without seeing stars. So Wednesdays are now "Work It Out Wednesday"!! I will be featuring a new move that we can incorporate into our days. It should be fun! I know I need to workout more, and having a buddy makes it just that much easier. Also, if you all know of any moves that you would like to see featured, please shoot me an email and I will post it for everyone. We're all in this together! Let's vow to be healthier!


And lastly, I would like to start "Thursday's Tip". This will be something that we all may be able to do to make our lives a little simpler. I think we all can use that; I know I can! Again, if you have a tip that you would like to share with everyone, email me at victoria@ambreose.com and I will share it!

Also, once I get more subscribers to the blog, I plan to host different contests and giveaways! Who doesn't love a free gift!! So, if you're reading and you're not a follower yet, go head and hit that button to join.

The new features will begin Monday, March 21, 2011!!
:-)


~Victoria

Getting it together...

Once I decided to become natural, I, like many other naturals, began to take a look at myself as a whole. I started not only reading labels on conditioners, but also on lotions, face wash, crackers, juice. Everything that went on or in my body. I looked in the mirror and was not happy with what I saw. I thought back to 5 years ago when I was a size four, and then I looked in the closet at my size 11 pants. Smdh. How did I let this happen? How in the world did I gain 30 lbs in that short amount of time? How did I think I was looking ok?!

I still struggle with this everyday. You know how you know that you need to do something, but you just don't do it? Well, that's my life everyday. How can I be so adamant about only putting "healthy" products or ingredients on my hair when I'm planning a fried chicken, corn and rice dinner? I have got to get it together!

I'll share something with you. I'm 29, will be 30 in June, and I've had high blood pressure since I was about 27 years old. No, I'm not obese. If you saw me and I told you my weight (now 141) you would call me a lie (not because I'm bigger than that, but because I look smaller. Just wanted to clear that up). I hate salty food, and my only pork infatuation is a couple of pieces of bacon every once in awhile. So how did I develop HBP? Lord only knows. I was prescribed a slew of medications to tackle it. I've been to the emergency room 3 times in a hypertensive episode. I've lost a job because of the amount of days I missed due to HBP. Have I changed my diet? No. Have I significantly increased my intake of potassium-rich foods such as sweet potatoes and bananas widely known to help lower blood pressure? No. Have I eliminated all cured and luncheon meats from my diet? No. Do I exercise daily? No. Have I thrown away every hair care product I owned that contained sodium lauryl sulfate? Yes. Have I completely eliminated the use of mineral oil on my skin in any form? You better believe it! 

Do you see the irony here? What is wrong with me? Can't I see that this goes hand-in-hand? Do I want to have the prettiest hair and skin in the city morgue? NO! So that means, I have to Get It Together! 

If I'm going to "be healthy" then I have to be healthy. No more half stepping. I refuse to buy anymore clothes to cover this fat. I WILL NOT buy another flowing top. And I will stop my search for wide-calf boots! I've given myself until August 1, 2011 to lose 20 lbs and I will do it. Point blank.

So today I affirm: I WILL NOT TREAT MY HAIR BETTER THAN I TREAT MY BODY, FOR HAIR HAS THE ABILITY TO GROW BACK.

Won't you join me?

First things first...

One area that a lot of people lack in (especially including myself) is water consumption. It has even been said that many people spend their days in a mild state of dehydration! Water is the beginning and sustainer of all life. Life, as we know it, would cease to exist without the presence of this simple compound. If you're ever asked what two items you would take with you to a deserted island, drinking water should be one of them.

Our skin is comprised of a whopping 90% water!! Water hydrates, detoxifies, and oxygenates our skin. It encourages and stimulates blood circulation and regulates our skin's natural balance (known as the acid mantle). Stands to reason we should be drinking it like our lives depend on it (wait a minute, our lives do depend on it!).

Something that many people don't realize is that water is the purest form of moisture. It is, in itself, moisture. This is what makes skin supple and soft. But since water evaporates, keeping it (and getting it, for that matter) in our skin is no easy task. Just think about when you ease into a warm bath at the end of your work day. You soak for hours (ok, maybe that's just me) and when you get out you finger tips are all wrinkly! See, our skin has a protective substance on it called sebum. This oily substance helps protect nasty things from penetrating our skin. But sebum takes his job as security guard a little too serious sometimes and keeps the good things out too, like our boo, water.

But after awhile, even sebum gets tired and (hopefully) washed away, then water makes its way into our skin. Good, right? Well, water evaporates over time and eventually all of that goodness is no longer sitting in our epidermis (the layer of skin that you can see). So the key is to put that water on lockdown and keep it in our skin. This is where oils, creams, and butters come into play. By mimicking the sebum on your skin (so to speak) the oils, creams, and butters "lock" or "seal" moisture (water) into your skin and attempt to prevent it from escaping. And since water evaporates, this is a process that must be repeated regularly.

This is the process that a "moisturizer" attempts to achieve with every application. See, "moisturizers" typically contain water (or another moisture heavy ingredient such as aloe vera) as a top ingredient, followed by emollients (oily substances). The idea is to introduce both the water and the sealent into the skin to effectively keep the water there. And this does help out, IF the correct emollients are used. And by that, I mean emollients that are skin friendly, and hopefully chocked full of vitamins and skin-loving nutrients like Vitamins A & E and other antioxidants.

However, in my opinion, the best way to get the water that your skin needs is to actually consume it (as is with all vital nutrients). Therefore, starting tomorrow we're going to make sure we consume enough water. To figure out the right amount for you, take your body weight and divide by 2. Take that number and divide by 8. That's how many 8 oz glasses of water you should be aiming for.

Drink up! Expect to make a few extra bathroom runs tomorrow! Lol!

P.S. To help tackle this astronomical number of ounces, think of it like this: one bottle of water (16.9 oz) is two glasses. If you can drink one bottle of water before you walk out of the house in the morning, you've probably consumed 20% - 30% of your water for the day. Then when you get to your destination, drink another bottle of water. Now you have 50% - half - of your water consumed for the day. Drink another bottle at lunch, one before you leave work for the day, and maybe one more with dinner. Voila!! You've gotten your water for the day!! 

You go girl!!! (in my best Martin voice)!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Ámbreöse Collection blog!! Here, you will find tons of information about quality skin care and more. I will be posting things that you can do to help give your skin that natural glow ways we can go about improving our lives.