Day 4: Hydration. The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful

Tip of the day: Add a little creativity to your water and watch the magic happen.

We all know by now that water is life. But how many of us actually drink enough of it? It's much easier than you may think. 

Get ready to GLOW, here are a few ideas to get you started...

1. Add fruit. This is probably one of the easiest things that you can do to boost the flavor factor. Fill up a gallon of water with a pint of berries, citrus fruit, or even cukes and you've got spa quality water right from your fridge and some added motivation to chug a whole gallon jug. For best results, let the fruit hang out for at least an hour to allow time for the fruit to infuse with the water. This concoction is best refrigerated and and consumed within 24-36 hours.  

2. Some like it hot. It's winter, and any opportunity to warm up from the inside out is a welcomed diversion from the cold. Add a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper and 1/4 of a lemon to an oversized mug filled with hot water and you've got instant heat.    

A video posted by Talia Witherspoon (@thesassynation) on Nov 25, 2014 at 11:19am PST

3. Plain sparkling water + fresh cut lemon/lime. Over the summer this was my hands down favorite new way to hydrate late night. It was just something about the bubbles sans artificial coloring or sugar. Ahh, refreshing. If you're into soda, this one might be your jam. 

4. Chlorophyll. Don't let this green dream elixir intimidate you. It is chocked full of goodness for a number of reasons which I wrote about here. I take mines 1-2 tablespoons with 1/4 - 1/2 lemon per 16-20 ounces of water. Now this might be a little advanced for some tastebuds, but start where you are comfortable. 

A video posted by Talia Witherspoon (@thesassynation) on Jan 27, 2015 at 11:02am PST

Water is easy to love and add into your daily regimen. Which of these tips will you try today?

Be sure to join us in the Healthy Is The New Sassy FB Group for our daily wellness chat for tips to avoid unhealthy hydration practices. 

Day Three: 3 Cardinal Rules to Help You Meal Plan and Win

Meal Planning Is Your Friend

One thing is for certain, if you've recently ventured into doing high-impact workouts, which I know some of you have, be prepared for your appetite to increase. Like, voraciously. That was one teensy little tidbit that no one bothered to tell me when I was hittin' it hard at the gym all the time. I had just given up meat and began drinking a lot of protein shakes and Ensure to make sure that I wouldn't slim down too much due to the lack of meat in my diet. Plus, they really helped me cope with those pesky bouts of hunger when I couldn't get to a solid meal fast enough after working out. I can honestly say I've never quite known hunger as brutal as that post workout-I-feel-like-I'm-about-to-faint variety. That's why planning my meals each week became crucial to both having the stamina necessary to work out 4-5 times weekly, while managing my dietary shift into becoming a pescatarian.

Here are 3 cardinal rules I had to learn the hard way:

1.) Always have a post-workout snack on hand. Scratch that. Always have snacks, period. Stash them in the car, in your purse, in your locker, wherever you can. Healthy snacks on deck. Always. When that hunger hits you like a sucker-punch to the gut, you'll be glad for the extra 30 minutes or so a nutritional snack will buy you. 

2.) Don't get caught slipping and still have to go to the grocery store after working out. Especially, if you haven't had aforementioned snack, and definitely not with out a focused plan or a list. That's the surest way to buy up everything you don't need, and possibly make bad choices for a fast fix.

3.) The best case scenario is to PLAN YOUR MEALS in advance.

Hence, today's tip of the day is:  

As long as I played by these simple rules things worked out pretty well and I was thicker than a Snicker bar, lol. Which was exactly the results I was looking for. Even if you're not trying to bulk up, planning your meals is still critical to helping you stay on track with your goals, whatever they are. In my case, the problem with hunger was that it led to vulnerability. Hunger left me susceptible to reaching for stuff I'd told myself I wouldn't eat, out of convenience {and extreme desperation, quite frankly}. 

Freebie Here

Get your free meal planner download in your inbox or in the Wellness is the New Sassy Facebook group when you join the 7-Day Reset or Masterclass.

Meal planning can be as simple as you make it. I typically decide before going to the grocery store on 3-4 meals that have similar ingredients, get a grocery list together and jot down quick notes to remind myself which day I'll cook what. This overview also helps to remind me of key ingredients. I like to let my taste buds decide what I'm in the mood for during the week, and sometimes I may even ask my family for their input if I can't decide. I usually cook every other day (I DEFINITELY believe in repurposing leftovers). After the shopping, I put the plan on the fridge. My fam. loves knowing what to expect to eat from day to day. It really cuts out the guess work.

SO, that's pretty much it... for now anyway. Meal planning, although different from meal-prepping (which is next level bawse), is key. Trust me. Watch the daily wellness chat, get your free Life Map, today's Meal Planner {plus other goodies this week} when you join the Wellness is the New Sassy private Facebook group. 

FREE 7-Day MIND, BODY & {CREATIVE} SPIRIT WELLNESS RESET

The year is coming to a close and for the past couple of weeks I've been thinking a lot about the things that I want to do better or more of in the New Year. Not really one for resolutions, I prefer to think of the start of the year as an opportunity to reset my life--mind, body and {creative} spirit and set some attainable goals.

Transformation doesn’t just happen. It takes a plan and a support system. That's why I created this program. If you're like me and want to live life more fully-- with better health, feeling spiritually aligned with your purpose, have a sharpened mental focus, and brewing with creativity, renewing your commitment to yourself during this reset can help make every year the best ever!

Let's hit reset together, click HERE now!

I truly believe that in order to successfully accomplish our goals it's important to have a good foundation. And for me, that means moving forward with balance and purpose, hence the reason for this reset. Too much change at once-- as with say, lofty resolutions, can be overwhelming. Instead, approach the New Year as an opportunity to reflect on what is working in your life, and the habits or practices that have served you well in the past. Look for opportunities to add more of the rich things that you enjoy to your life rather than detoxing and completely cutting things out forever. When we start out building on a foundation of things that we already do, our chances for successfully implementing improvements increases exponentially.

By filling your life with more of the good stuff, the less desired habits and such won't have space to co-exist. Many of the tips and resources that you will learn are things that reflect The Sassy Nation's core values, and are resources you can use to power your personal transformation and create lasting lifestyle changes.

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I really hope that you'll join me on this total wellness journey. If you do, here's what you'll have to look forward to: 

1. I'll be doing a daily Facebook and IG Live (which you can access in the archives). Plus, be sure to check your email after signing up for your link to our private FB group. That's where we'll be broadcasting from daily so we can chat and share our wins face to face while I share daily actionable tips; plus, identify resources that will help you reset and super-charge your 2018. 

2. Also, each week I'll send out an email that'll outline the plan for the week, including your downloadable tools, and other goodies that I'll be sharing exclusively with my masterclass attendees: Including the 31 Days of Wellness Journal with daily to-dos and affirmations to support your journey.

If you want access to these extra assets, and I think that you will, you can enroll in the masterclass. OR, for a limited time, grab the 31 Days of Wellness Digital Journal for just $1.00 and follow along at your own pace!  

3. A whole new world of opportunity to get right for 2K18... with the whole squad of #Sassy supporters behind you. Together, we're gonna to ROCK this thang! 

Week 1:

Since health is a hot topic come Jan. 1, we'll be talking about ways that we can treat our BODY better, starting with the foods that we eat and our physical fitness habits.

Week 2: 

“Meditation: Because some questions can’t be answered by Google.”

— Someone Smart & Sassy, Obvi.

Getting down to business with Masterclass attendees... 

Get ready to get lifted-- in SPIRIT, that is. This week we'll be talking about various forms of meditation, plus using mantras, affirmations and manifestation journals to help you get balanced from the inside out. Good stuff.

Week 3:

Looking for some mental stimulation? This week is all about places you can go to get your MIND right. We'll be sharing resources to help you find FREE books, podcasts, documentaries, music, dope magazines, newsletters and all things #Smart&Sassy.

Week 4:

Work is such and integral part of all of our lives. This week we'll discuss how to not only bring more balance into your workspace, but also how to tap into the CREATIVE side of life so you can spark up connections and ignite your passions outside of work.

Bonus: Days 29-31

We'll be reviewing what we learned, taking inventory of the things we enjoyed exploring and what new tools we loved and plan to keep. It's time to get real about our goals, what we really hope to accomplish, and re-defining our life map to reflect a solid plan to create lasting change a reality. Learn and cultivate the power of morning and nightly rituals that will set you up for long-term success. So, if you're ready to seal the deal on your new life, just say YES and join the squad!

2K18, we're coming for you-- get ready!

Live mindfully...

Tap into a balanced, healthier and happier you.

Sign-up to stream daily tips + get exclusive access to our private FB group and weekly resource emails to help you bring more MIND, BODY & SPIRIT balance into your life.

Sassy Wellness: 31 Day Mind, Body & Spirit Reset

The year is coming to a close and for the past couple of weeks I've been thinking a lot about the things that I want to do better or more of in the New Year. Not really one for resolutions, I prefer to think of the start of the year as an opportunity to reset my life--mind, body and {creative} spirit and set some attainable goals.

Let's hit re-set together, click HERE now!

I truly believe that in order to successfully accomplish our goals it's important to have a good foundation. And for me, that means moving forward with balance and purpose, hence the reason for this 31 Day Re-set. Because I think that too much change at once-- as with say, lofty resolutions, can be overwhelming. Instead, I approach the New Year as an opportunity to reflect on what is working in my life, and the habits or practices that have served me well the past year. I look for opportunities to add more of the rich things that I enjoy to my life rather than detoxing and completely cutting things out. I think that when we start out building on a foundation of things that we already do, our chances for successfully implementing improvements increases exponentially.

By filling my life with more of the good stuff, the less desired habits and such won't have space to co-exist. Many of the tips and resources that I plan to share are things that reflect The Sassy Nation's core values, and are things I already do or use (some more consistently than others, of course). However, these practices are ones that I definitely want to experience more of in the New Year to have the sassiest year ever!

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I really hope that you'll join me. If you do, here's what you'll have to look forward to: 

1. I'll be doing a daily vlog that will stream live on Periscope: @TheSassyNation, so I hope that you will connect with me there. We can chat and share our wins face to face while I share the tip of the day, plus the resources that will help you reset and recharge your 2016. 

2. Also, each week I'll send out an email that'll outline the plan for the week, including some downloadable tools and To-dos that I'll be sharing exclusively with my email subscriber boos to help along the journey. If you want these extra goodies, and I think that you will,  you can sign up for FREE below. 

3. A whole new world of opportunity to get right for 2K16... with the whole squad of #Sassy supporters behind you. Together, we're going to ROCK this thang! 

Week 1:

Since health is a hot topic come Jan. 1, we'll be talking about ways that we can treat our BODY better, starting with the foods that we eat and our physical fitness habits.

Week 2:

“Meditation: Because some questions can’t be answered by Google.”

— Someone Smart & Sassy, Obvi.

Get ready to get lifted-- in SPIRIT, that is. This week we'll be talking about various forms of meditation, plus using mantras, affirmations and manifestation journals to help you get balanced from the inside out. Good stuff.

Week 3:

Looking for some mental stimulation? This week is all about places you can go to get your MIND right. We'll be sharing books, Youtube channels, magazines, journals, podcasts, documentaries, music and all things #Smart&Sassy.

Week 4:

Work is such and integral part of all of our lives. This week we'll discuss tips on how to not only bring more balance into your workspace, but also how to tap into the CREATIVE side of life.

Bonus: Days 29-31

We'll be reviewing what we learned, the things that we enjoyed exploring and what new tidbits we loved and plan to keep. It's time to get real about our goals, what we really hope to accomplish, and outlining how we plan to make them a reality. For some of us that will mean defining new routines for ourselves. So, if you're ready, just say YES and join the squad!

2K16, we're coming for you-- get ready!