Naturally Healthy Habits: Detox Water

With the approach of 2014 I know everyone is searching for ways to be healthier in the new year. I personally decided to take on the new year by trying out Healthy Habits. You know the things you see floating around Facebook and Instagram with amazing photos of things your promise yourself you are going to try and never do.

This week I decided to tryout Detox Water.

                                                  

For those of you that do not know detox water has been boasted as a drink that will flush out toxins that are harboring in your body while leaving your refreshed.

I opted to try out the Cucumber version of this drink as all of the watermelon is out of season in my area. I combined

2 Cucumbers

2 Lemons

20 Mint leaves (found at Trader Joes for under $2)

Gallon of water

Ice

 

Why these ingredients?

 

Cucumbers contains citrulline (watermelon contains more) which is an ammino acid. I could tell you more but it would look more like a chemistry lesson but lets just say it helps your liver and kidneys.

 

Lemons are great for regulating your digestive track (heartburn, gas, constipation), stimulates and thins out bile which is produced in the liver and eventually breaks down fat in the small intestine.

 

Mint is great for helping your digestive system as well!

 

Water, well its water!

 

After combining all of the ingredients I allowed it to sit over night. Many sites suggest that you drink it daily. Honestly I am not that committed to the cause and my eating habits are not THAT bad. So I made a gallon with the idea of drinking it two days out of the week.

 

So did it work? Was it good?

 

If you do not like cucumbers this is NOT the drink for you. After my first few glasses I had this serious craving to pour ranch down my throat. However about mid day my pallet adjusted and I found that it began to taste like regular water to me. I did experience some dehydration in the beginning where I wanted to guzzle water but that passed quickly.

 

I did notice thinning in my mid section after the first day more so than usual (no complaints there). It also caused me to visit the bathroom a little more than usual, which is to be expected.

 

Final word:

 

There are hundreds of variations of Detox Water recipes out there, I challenge you to jump out there and try your own. And leave a comment below to let me know what you tried and how it went. The most important part is that you are drinking water throughout the day to keep your body healthy and hydrated!

 

Ciao

Naturally Z

 

 

 

 

 



Naturally AMAZING (tidbit)!!!!

In my travels while I have been gone I caught wind of something...

What is it?

It is a subscription Box. For $39 a month you receive 4 to 6 items (worth $125) hand picked by Nas, Nick Cannon, Tim Lincecum, Michael Strahan, Blake Griffin, & Kevin Love.

Yesterday I received my first box (this is box #2- the company is quite new) and this is what i received!!!!

It included so much amazing stuff that surpassed my wildest imagination!!!!!
-Munitio Billets 9MM earphones -Tempo Acoustic Music Amplifier for iPhone
-Sunglasses from Kevin Love's collection
-Scrabble/ FIFA 12 download from iTunes
-Mint Boost Energy Sheets

What an absolutely amazing find!
Chow
Z

I'm Back- Naturally!/ Naturally Z- A Rediscovery of Self Pt. 2

 Life has presented me with some road blocks that have turned into blessing All I can say is that I may not be where I want to be, but I am right where God intended me to be!!!!!!

Lets pick up where we have left off!
began to understand how Samson felt when Delilah cut his hair. I felt like my identity was being chopped away along with my hair. But what I did not know was that my journey and understanding of life was just beginning.

I spent months trying to adjust to my new look. In those months I learned just how attached people are to hair and how strong the media has hold on us. Many, many, many people around me did not agree with my decision to go natural and had very strong opinions about my decision. After a while I realised that it boiled down to ignorance but it still managed to shake my new Natural foundation. I found myself thinking about reverting to a perm several times throughout my first year.

 

I found myself also comparing myself to other people I saw in Blogs and on FB that were natural. I had a hard time understanding why their hair grew faster and looked fluffier! Now I am a person who can only beat up on herself for a short period of time, then its time to affect change. So I took to reading EVERYTHING I could find on the web and in books about my hair. I so began to realise that I was not the only person on a natural hair journey that was undergoing the difficulties that I was going through. I also realised that I was quite lucky. Many people were undergoing hair loss, and quite a few just gave up and got a perm.

 

Once I settled down I realised that this was my hair and that I had to start from the inside out. I began eating healthy, taking vitamins, and really committing myself to my hair, body and state of mind.  Here I am a year later from that moment and fully realise that this relationship with my hair is truly about my journey and loving myself. My confidence spiked and I began to see the world as a place that was not there to judge me ...better yet I began to not care about what others thought. I began to cling to the positives of life.

 

I am not fully sure if it has anything to do with it or not but my hair journey has lead me to a better version of myself. A version that is limitless, imaginative, fearless, and natural! I can finally say that I am comfortable in MY NAUTRAL HAIR!!!!!

 

Naturally Yours

Z

Naturally ? Z- A Rediscovery of Self Pt. 1

nat·u·ral·ly  (nchr--l, nchr-)

adv.

1. In a natural manner.

2. By nature; inherently.

3. Without a doubt; surely.

So by now you are wondering why I chose the word 'Naturally' when I refer to myself and my thoughts. Here is your answer...

Two years ago I was on the brink of turing 30. And like anyone I began accessing my life and my priorities. That accessment lead me to a startling discovery... I was leading a life that was a lie. Well it was a bit more targeted than that. I found that I was unhappy with my hair.

I was forced to realise that I was sucked in the media's idea of what I should look like. In an effort to maintain this idealism I began doing unhealthy things to my body and to my hair with terriable results. My hair was over permed, unhealthy, brittle, and did I say unhealthy. Soon I realised something had to be done. My immediate solution was to turn to a wig.

Although it was quite convient in the beginning I found that my hair was breaking off in an even more alarming rate! Somewhere along the line I heard whispers of women who were defying the media's images and they wer going "natural".  As I began to read into the whole "natural" concept I realised that this was not only a move to improve my hair's health but all of me as well. After much internal debate I hacked all of my hair off. It was the best most liberating thing that has ever happened to me and it was also one of the most tramatic things that I have ever lived through.

I began to understand how Samson felt when Delilah cut his hair. I felt like my identity was being chopped away along with my hair. But what I did not know was that my journey and understanding of life was just beginning.

I spent months trying to adjust to my new look. In those months I learned just how attached people are to hair and how strong the media has hold on us. Many, many, many people around me did not agree with my decision to go natural and had very strong opinions about my decision. After a while I realised that it boiled down to ignorance but it still managed to shake my new Natural foundation. I found myself thinking about reverting to a perm several times throughout my first year.

There is so much more to this but here is where I'll stick a pin in it for today. Thanks as always for stopping by &

Until next time...

Naturally Neat Mail

The world that we live in is much larger than the world we choose to live in.

 I am always looking for new ways to connect with people that are outside of my immediate reach. Last month I had the pleasure of stumbling across the concept of 'Foodie Pen Pals'.

In a nutshell the amazing 'Lean Green Bean' Lindsey created a network of people (Check it out at http://www.theleangreenbean.com/foodie-penpals/) that exchange food packages from around the nation every month. You can send goodies that are native to your area or things that you think that your Foodie would love to munch on. Its a well coordinated program.

 I had an amazing blast sharing things made locally (from Va. Beach). I thought on my way to the store that the $15 price tag would limit my creativity but it only caused it to flourish.

If you are looking for an amazing way to connect with other people from around our great nation and to try some great foods, this is the program for you!

Here is what I have!!!!!!

Until Next Time...

Welcome to Naturally Z!

I am not quite sure how you happened upon my little corner of the Net, but welcome.

We each have a journey that leaves us with a story to tell. This is mine....

The organics of who I am do not tell my whole story but here they are.

Age: 32

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Country: United States of America

Relationship Status: Single

Occupation: Preschool Teacher, Zumba Fitness Instructor