How important is sleep?

How important is sleep?
 
💡Q: Does it REALLY matter whether I get 7-8 hours of sleep every night?
 
A: The answer is …. YES!
 
⭐We’ve all heard the popular hustle-and-grind saying: “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
 
But you’ll actually get MORE done – and do it better! – if you get enough sleep. PLUS, you’ll feel better doing it.
 
Here’s a quick rundown of WHY sleep is important:
 
  • Your brain forms new pathways to help your memory while you sleep.
  • Being rested helps you control your emotions and behavior.
  • It improves your recovery from workouts.
  • It keeps your hormones balanced (including those that control stress, blood sugar control, and food cravings). 
  • Plus, it triggers the release of growth hormone, which helps your body build muscle and repair cells.
  • Getting too little sleep (in the long term) is linked with a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and kidney disease.
  • Getting too little sleep increases the risk of obesity.
  • Your immune system performs better when you are rested.
  • Getting enough quality sleep helps you be more productive and efficient during the day. 
As you can see, your body isn’t asleep on the job when you’re sleeping – it’s actually working hard to keep you healthy, strong, and productive!
 
How many hours of sleep did YOU get last night? Drop a comment! 

Yours in health,
Colleen

Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

What's Lurking in your Lipstick💄?


An FDA study in 2010 found lead in 400 lipsticks at levels up to 7.19 ppm (parts per million). Lead can pose serious health risks, including neurological effects, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, and reproductive toxicity. 
 
It is so harmful that the government banned it from house paint in 1978 and from gasoline in 1996. However, it is still found in many cosmetics and some packaged food! Lead does not show up on ingredient labels, and it has been found in a wide range of lipsticks—from cheap brands to luxury brands.
 
There’s lead in most lipstick but that is not disclosed on product labels because (similar to why asbestos isn’t disclosed in baby powder) the toxic lead was not “intentionally” added to the product.
 
 The FDA found the highest lead levels in lipsticks made by three manufacturers…Read more here:
 
This is why I only use Young Living’s Savvy Minerals Lipstick, Lip gloss, and Lip balm!
 
Don’t stress! You can still feel beautiful wearing bright lipstick without lead or harsh chemicals! Savvy Minerals by Young Living® Lipsticks is formulated without parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, bismuth, talc, synthetic fragrances, or synthetic colorants!

Below are the ingredients used in some of the formulas and why:

Castor oil is a vegetable oil obtained by cold pressing castor beans. It was used by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks for a wide variety of uses. In India, castor oil has been prized for its skin-supporting properties. Castor oil is commonly used in cosmetic products such as creams, moisturizers, and hair care products.

Grapeseed oil is extracted from the seeds of grapes. The seeds are loaded with powerful antioxidants.
Beeswax is the purified wax from honeycombs. Female worker honey bees of the genus Apis produce the natural beeswax. Bees fly 150,000 miles to yield 1 pound of beeswax. Beeswax is used as a binder and provides a rich emollient to creams, which is especially good for dry skin.

The candelilla plant belongs to the Euphorbia species. It is a flowering plant that has a similar appearance to cacti, but it has milky latex. Candelilla wax serves as a protective seal for the plant and helps it retain moisture. Candelilla wax helps increase the thickness of the oils in the lipsticks, giving them structure, allowing for a smooth application, and keeping them solid.

Vitamin E is great for the skin and helps maintain the appearance of healthy, youthful-looking skin. 

Sunflower Seed Oil
 is commonly used in cosmetic products, and it includes palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid.

Jojoba seed oil: Jojoba helps protect the skin and helps it maintain its natural moisture. It’s one of the reasons why the lipsticks will glide on your lips smoothly without leaving greasy residue.

Coconut oil: This is a very popular ingredient in cosmetics and beauty products for its antioxidant and conditioning properties and for helping the skin stay protected from drying. Who doesn’t love coconut oil?!

Shea butter: Obtained from the fruit of a tree native to Africa, shea has become a favorite to not only the natives but to everyone who uses it. It is composed of rich fatty acids that condition and nourish skin, hair, and nails. This is why natives have used it for centuries in everything from homemade ointments to hair treatments and body butters.

Plus, the beautiful, bright shades come from the minerals, not synthetic dyes or colors!

What is your favorite lipstick color? Drop a comment👇🏻👇🏻!
 
 

Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

Colleen's Tuesday Tip: Short on time for a workout?

Do you sometimes skip a workout because you are too busy and don't feel like you have time? Listen to this tip and implement into your life...especially during the holidays! 

Shoot me a message and share with me your favorite quick exercise!


Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!

3 Things I learned from my mom

Happy Mother's Day! Motherhood is the hardest, yet most rewarding job on the planet. I have the utmost respect for all of you moms out there. In this video, I share three things I learned from my mother. Hard to believe she's been gone for 18 years! I'd love to hear what your mother taught you!

Yours in health,
Colleen

Interested in ways to support your wellness with chemical-free options? Click HERE!