The New Year is here and people everywhere have decided to make a change in their lives.

My resolutions for the New Year went something like this….

1. Work on my posture
2. Always wash face before bed + take better care of skin
3. Lose weight
4. Get healthy! (I’m a vegan, but lately I’ve been a junkfoodvegan and I need to get back on track)

I have to work on the first two on my own, but it was like Tropicana read my mind about the last two because luckily I was contacted by them recently and asked if I would be interested in trying their new Trop50 juice beverage.

I was a bit hesitant at first once I learned it was “lower in sugar and calories” because as a health nut I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners.

A quick google search made me incredibly happy though because the products are made with Pure Via Stevia instead of artificial sweeteners.

So I wrote back Yes, I’d love to try your beverage.

The product I chose was Trop50 Orange Juice Beverage with Some Pulp.

This juice beverage is made with the same Tropicana orange juice you already know and love but with 50% less sugar and calories than the leading 100% orange juice, but most importantly it tastes terrific!

Also each 250mL dose is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin C and a source of B vitamins to maintain good health.

Tropicana Trop50 has set out to help you stick to your health and fitness resolutions with their new line of Trop50 juice beverages.

So start the New Year off right with Trop50.

If you’d like try Trop50 yourself, visit Trop50 on Facebook to receive a $1 off coupon!!

Best,

Do you watch the Victoria’s Secret fashion show each year and curse the models for their great genes?

Do you think to yourself everything must come so easy for them?

Answer #1. Did you say, No? Ummmmm..me either.

Answer #2. Did you say, Yes? Thanks for being honest.

It may seem like the Victoria’s Secret Angels were blessed with great bodies, but Adriana Lima recently spilled the beans about what it really takes to look that amazing.

To get ready for the big show Adriana has been working out every day with a personal trainer since August. For the last three weeks, she’s been working out twice a day.

She says:

“It is really intense, it’s not really the amount of time you spend working out, it’s the intensity: I jump rope, I do boxing, I lift weights, but I get bored doing that. If I am not moving I get bored very easily.”

She also sees a nutritionist, who has measured her body’s muscle mass, fat ratio and levels of water retention. He prescribes protein shakes, vitamins and supplements to keep Lima’s energy levels up during this training period. Lima drinks a gallon of water a day. For nine days before the show, she will drink only protein shakes – “no solids”. The concoctions include powdered egg. Two days before the show, she will abstain from the daily gallon of water, and “just drink normally”. Then, 12 hours before the show, she will stop drinking entirely.

“No liquids at all so you dry out, sometimes you can lose up to eight pounds just from that,” she says.

Seems drastic don’t you think?

Next time you see the Victoria’s Secret Angels on TV don’t be jealous of them, instead be happy that you don’t have to do such crazy things to your body.

What do you think of the crazy dieting Adriana goes through before a big show?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Best,

As most of you gals probably know I’m vegan, but not one of those “preachy” types.

I do however believe that veganism (when done right aka: not a junk food vegan) is very beneficial for your health and even your looks.

So when I heard that several members of the upcoming show, The Playboy Club, were vegan I was very excited.

Recent vegan convert, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, says:

“I feel like a different person. There’s a big difference in my energy level, my skin cleared up, I could not believe the change.”

Fellow bunny, Leah Renee, is also vegan.

I mean how gorgeous are these two women?

And they’re not alone actresses Emily Deschanel, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde along with plenty of Hollywood’s other top leading ladies are vegan as well.

I believe you are what you eat and what goes into your body will show up on your face/skin, etc.

So if you’re looking to lose weight healthily, get more glowing skin, etc why not give vegetarianism/veganism a try?

And vegan or not eat your fruits and veggies and avoid processed greasy food for more healthy, glowing skin and a healthier you.

Any other veg heads out there?

Any ex veg heads?

I’d love to hear from you.

And please note you should always consult a physician before making changes to your diet as I’m just a lowly little blogger and can only tell you what works for me

Have a great weekend ladies!

Do you ever wonder how Supermodels stay so gorgeous?

What exactly is their secret?

Wonder no longer ,Supermodel, Miranda Kerr has revealed the secret to her gorgeous skin and hair is a daily dose of coconut oil.

The Daily Mail recently reported that Miranda, 28, said:

“I will not go a day without coconut oil. I personally take four tablespoons per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.”

Coconut Oil contains fatty acids which besides being great for hair and skin is also said to help you lose weight.

Have you tried Coconut Oil before?

What were your thoughts?

I have to say it may be worth a shot if I end up looking like Miranda, lol.

Hope you’re all having a fabulous weekend.

I wanted to do a quick post on fitness since I haven’t done one of those in a while.

Here are some of my favorite pinterest images on the subject.

Hope they motivate you to get fit and strong.

Be fit! Be healthy! Be inspired!

Have a great rest of the weekend ladies.

During a recent Ellen interview, Jennifer talks about going from a size 16 to six. To lose the weight, she enlisted the help of Weight Watchers and trainer Harley Pasternak.

I love Harley!! I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past with his 5 Factor Fitness videos. I actually just started doing them again recently in hopes of losing more. If you’ve never tried his workouts you can find out more about them/buy them on Exercise Tv.com.

Do you know someone who claims genetics is to blame for their obesity? That’s just not true according to a new study from UK’s Telegraph.

They report that “people could work off around 40 per cent of the extra weight that ‘fat genes’ laid on them by exercising.”

It goes on to say add that although some people do have a predisposition to be overweight or even obese, scientists at the Medical Research Council’s Epidemiology Unit in Cambridge discovered that having an active lifestyle could go a long way to countering a person’s genetic inheritance.

What do you think of this new study? Agree/Disagree? Please share.

Source:here

I don’t know about you, but I think Demi Moore looks amazing these days. At 47 Demi looks better than ever.

The actress recently spoke to Instyle Magazine about her must have beauty products and they were….

• La Mer The Lip Balm: “I like to keep a great balm in every handbag.”
• Redken Extreme Deep Fuel: “Moisture is key for keeping hair glossy.”
• Maybelline New York Great Lash Mascara: “So simple. You can’t go wrong with it.”
• Kevyn Aucoin Beauty Sensual Skin Enhancer: “When you work this foundation in with your fingers, it gives an incredibly natural finish.”
• Chris McMillan Rejuvenating Shampoo: “I change up my shampoo so that my hair doesn’t get used to it. This is what I’m using now.”

I’d love to know if she really uses Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. La Mer I can see, but Great Lash? Hmmmm….

In the recent survey I did here on the site, I was excited to hear that a lot of you out there were interested in health issues. Being the health nut that I am I love that.

One big health change that I’ve made in the last year is that I’ve given up fake sweeteners and I’ve cut way back on using sugar. Artificial sweeteners (including Splenda) have a lot of suspect ingredients that I refuse to put into my body anymore. You’ll have to do your own research on the issue, but I found I couldn’t continue using artificial sweeteners knowing what I knew. So what’s a girl to do?

Two great alternatives in the sweetener game are Agave Nectar which is great to drizzle on oatmeal or cereal and Stevia. Stevia is the product I use the most and the one I’ll be discussing today. Recently I was sent some wonderful products by NuNaturals and I wanted to share my thoughts on them with you.

The first product I received was NuStevia White Stevia 100 Packets ($9.99)

I love these individual packets of Stevia. I keep these in my purse so I’m never without them. They’re convenient, easy to use and they taste great. Oh and did I mention the fact that Stevia is zero calories?

Pure Liquid Clear Stevia ($11.99)

You can also get liquid Stevia which is the one I get the most use out of. I use this product every single day in my tea. The problem I’ve found with other Stevia products is that they are bitter and therefore an acquired taste for some. The NuNaturals products are not bitter and they taste wonderful. If you are new to Stevia I would recommend this product as your first purchase. It tastes great and blends easily. This will be a staple in my household from now on.

I received this NuStevia Sweetener Stevia Baking Blend($9.99) just in time.

My husband’s birthday was last week and the one thing he loves more than presents is cake (I swear he has the world’s biggest sweet tooth). I decided to swap the sugar in the recipe with the Baking Stevia and see if he noticed. He said the cake tasted amazing and he couldn’t tell a difference at all. I’d say that makes this product a winner wouldn’t you?

Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia($14.99)

This is a fun product for you coffee drinkers out there. Add a couple of drops of this to your coffee or tea and yummmmm!! Love it.

Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract ($13.99)

If you’re a chocolate lover then you have to try this product. You get all the health benefits without the fat & sugar. Did you know the average 40 gram bar of dark chocolate contains 250 calories and 14 grams of fat? If the chocolate bar uses Dutch processed cocoa, some of the polyphenols will be destroyed. Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plants that many believe have a substantial amount of health benefits. NuNaturals Cocoa Extract contains 15% of the polyphenols and 10% theobromines in Cocoa. You can add this to your favorite beverage or just drop it directly onto your tongue. I like to put a few drops of this in my Rice Milk to create a delicious cup of chocolate milk.

Pure Liquid CoQ10 Max Absorb($25.49)

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that skincare companies like Serious Skin Care and Avalon Organics are creating products with CoQ10. CoQ10 helps protect the tissues and cellular components in the body from free radical damage. In one Mayo Clinic article I read it said studies have shown reduction in fine wrinkles around the eyes with no side effects. Other studies show that application of CoQ10 before sun exposure protects against sun damage. Max Absord is a highly absorbable liquid form of CoQ10. This product is 5 times more absorbable than capsules or tablets. You can either add 20 drops of this product into your favorite food or beverage or add it to your favorite skin creme. I have used it both ways and I love it. I think this is a must have product for you beauty addicts out there.

The verdict:

I’ve tried a lot of Stevia products in the past year, but NuNaturals has to be my favorite one. This is the only non bitter Stevia product that I’ve ever found. If you’re new to Stevia give NuNaturals a try you won’t be disappointed.

What’s behind Kristen Bell’s killer bod, glowing skin, and shiny hair? Find out below.

Kristen is a vegetarian and loves a good salad. One of her favorite salads is called “Garbage Disposal Salad”:

“Oh my gosh, it’s the best! I usually start with spinach, then put in almonds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and celery. Believe it or not; it tastes good together. Put some feta or Parmesan on top and you don’t even need dressing.”

Another thing she loves is Kale Chips.

“A great way to get everything the superfood kale has to offer. Break off the stems and break the leaves into potato chip size pieces. Then drizzle them in olive oil, put sea salt on them, and bake em for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Tasty.”

Wen Cleansing Conditioner

“It feels like a conditioner, but it actually cleanses your hair. And it doesn’t make you an oily mess.”

Kiehl’s Cucumber Toner

“It cleans your skin, but it doesn’t strip your skin.”

The Solution Moisturizer

“It’s completely natural-so much so that it goes bad after a couple of months. It’s that healthy.”