by Amber WF | Jul 7, 2017 | Acne, Blog, Body, This Week in Paleo |
Recently, I was offered the chance to try a new skincare and makeup line featuring all-natural, clean ingredients and nothing more.
I get offered these things from time to time and enjoy trying them because I’m always looking for something that can appeal to myself and the women I write for and that won’t make conditions like hormonal acne or dry skin worse. As I get older I’m also looking at products that can help prevent signs of aging.
I know many of my readers want the same.
I’ve tried lots of products and some of them are really great! But I hadn’t yet found a whole line that I really felt met all my needs.
Until now!
Annemarie makeup and skincare use organic, truly natural ingredients to make gorgeous mineral makeup, facial oils, moisturizers, and cleansers.
What I love about this skincare and makeup line is the versatility. Dry skin products are often so oily that skin looks shiny long after application or they don’t quite have the moisture you’re looking for.
With natural makeup, coverage is also an issue.
The coverage of the mineral foundations from Annemarie can be changed based on how much of the powder and oil you use. Not only that, but a fine dusting of powder and you are shine free, no extra product needed.
The makeup lasted me all day and I’m a face toucher for sure! I was really impressed with how long it lasted and I felt like it beat other natural makeups I’ve tried that tend to wear off or melt down on a hot day. The ability to customize the thickness and oil content was a huge plus here too.
The anti-aging oils are packed with nutrients for skin and moisturize and protect at once. They also smell AMAZING.
Like lavender and happiness. Seriously.
Everything is formulated with health in mind, so those with hormonal acne have nothing to fear.
Remember, with hormonal acne, oil on the skin is not the problem. The problem is primarily internal and has much more to do with what you are eating than what you are putting on your skin.
Skin dryness is a similar issue, so make sure that in conjunction with great skincare/makeup products like these you are also using enough Omega 3 oils (find them here) and eating a diet that eliminates dairy/gluten and focuses on gut and liver recovery.
For those of you with sensitive skin, I tried these myself and have what I’d consider sensitive skin and they felt just fine.
The cleansing wash did a good job removing makeup and making me feel fresh, and the toner was a nice touch as well.
All in all, I was genuinely impressed with these products. I think you will be too.
Annmarie Skin Care has put together a trial package where you can try any of 3 special sample kits that include some of their best-selling products. You can choose a sample kit based on your skin type — normal, oily, or dry.
These kits are $10 each AND when you order one (or more) you’ll receive a $10.00 off coupon that you can use for a future purchase. Annmarie Skin Care is also offering FREE SHIPPING for these kits – anywhere in the world.
Also, when you get a sample kit today, you’ll get their newly updated Toxic Free Home Guide. This is an in-depth, beautifully laid out guide that exposes the worst and most common chemicals you can find throughout your house — in cleaning products, toiletries, even your couch — and shows you safe alternatives to use.
Their comprehensive, easy-to-read Toxic Free Home Guide is full of tips for creating a beautifully natural home, with lots of product recommendations and DIY recipes for everything from deodorant to drain cleaning solution.
If you order a sample kit today, you’ll get this guide — free — which is a $24.95 value.
Finally, as an extra added bonus, if you’re one of the first 100 orders, Annmarie Skin Care will send a travel-size Neroli Toning Mist — a $7.95 value — to you for free. If you’re one of the first to buy, this bonus gift will not show up on your online receipt but will be included in your order.
So for $10, you can try this award-winning skin care line AND get your own digital copy of Annmarie Skin Care’s newly updated Toxic Free Home Guide. You’ll also receive their travel-size Neroli Toning Mist as a gift if you’re one of the first 100 to place an order.
Get Your Sample Kit and Bonuses Here
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And come back and let us know what you think after you try the products! I want to hear your feedback ALWAYS 🙂 🙂
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So, just as a heads up - some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps me tremendously. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance if you choose to do so. Check out my entire disclosure to know exactly how things work.
by Amber WF | Jun 30, 2017 | This Week in Paleo |
July 4th is almost here and that means fun, sun, and family (for anyone who lives in the US). It’s a holiday for most of us and it’s usually spent outdoors either swimming at the lake, beach, river or pool, camping, grilling, and/or watching fireworks!
The fourth of July is a lot of fun. For many of us it represents not just pride in our country but a day to truly ring in summer.
It’s one of my favorite holidays. Hot, sexy, fun, what’s not to love??
So here’s 3 tips to make sure it stays that way!
#1 BLOCK THE SUN
Don’t be silly. Just because we eat paleo and love to get outside in the sun for 30 direct minutes per day does NOT mean we’re immune to it’s wrath.
And sunburn can and does cause real damage, not just to the appearance of skin but also increases the risk of skin cancers.
Enjoy the sun, but once you start feeling warm and red, find some shade.
If shade isn’t an option, the next best thing is to cover up and use some healthy sun block.
You’re typical grocery store sunscreen is chock full of disgusting ingredients that only mask the outside damage that sun is doing to the body.
Instead, I like to go old school with good old zinc oxide.
Put some on the parts of your body no longer covered and you’ll be golden (or white if you don’t get the tan version!)
But hey, you’ll look like one of those cute vintage sunblock ads so it’s all good right?
Badger is my favorite sunblock. It comes in original white and a bronzed looking version to blend better with skintones. You do you. Find the white version here. The tan version here.
#2 Bring your own food
The 4th of July tends to have several healthy options like grilled meat and veggie kabobs but maybe not an ideal set of sides and desserts.
The solution?
Make your own and bring it! You’ll be a great guest and you’ll be sure to have something delicious to dig in to.
I like to make simple trifles out of layers of coconut cream (this is my favorite BPA free) and pineapple, blueberries, and raspberries. It’s festive and fits the red white and blue theme too!
For more ideas of meals, the amazing Julie at Paleomg has created her own list of great 4th of July meals and desserts. I highly approve. Find them here.
#3 RELAX
You need it. I need it. We all need it.
Holidays are built in time from our society overlords to unplug, disconnect, and get back to our inner lives.
If at all possible, I suggest leaving your phone switched off and not checking social media, email, or any other time stealer.
Simply enjoy your life and your friends and family.
Try taking up an engaging book! I’ve been really getting into The Stranger in the Woods (find it here) lately, a true story about a hermit in Maine. His story will make you reexamine your own priorities and could probably be finished in one long day by the water.
And hey, you could always take a look at my book Sexy by Nature ;). Just sayin’!
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Hope you enjoyed these tips for a fantastic 4th. I think they’re useful any time of summer when you’ve got some space and time to get away from it all.
Let me know how you plan to enjoy the day!
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So, just as a heads up - some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps me tremendously. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance if you choose to do so. Check out my entire disclosure to know exactly how things work.
by Amber WF | Mar 17, 2017 | Blog, Body, This Week in Paleo, Weight Loss |
If you know me, you know I’m not big on the calorie-counting and tracking mania of the rest of the diet world. I prefer to let people figure out their health intuitively, eating whole, healthful foods that make them feel good.
But in some circumstances I actually think tracking may be a good idea.
There’s no one size fits all way to know if tracking might be a good choice for you. You know yourself best.
But here are 3 reasons you might consider tracking food intake.
#1 Micronutrients
Even if you’re eating paleo, you may not be getting ALL the nutrients required for health.
Ever monitored how much potassium you’re taking in? I can almost guarantee it doesn’t meet the recommended daily allowance.
Now, I’m not about perfectionism and strict rule following.
But micronutrients are just as important, if not more important than macros.
Instead of worrying about what exact percentage or gram amount of carbs you’re eating in a day, how’s about worrying if you’ve got your daily allotment of vitamin C, or the B vitamins, or (gasp!) fiber!
You might be surprised. In fact, I’m pretty sure you will be.
Because if you’re not downing tons of non-starchy veggies and leafy greens you’re not getting as much as you could. And if you’re not going to make it a priority, it might be time to start thinking about the dreaded multivitamin to help prevent nutrient deficiencies.
I recommend this one in my post on multivitamins which you can find here.
#2 You’re having trouble losing weight
I’m a huge proponent of eating a naturally healthy diet and being moderate about the crazy counting calories stuff.
My program Weight Loss Unlocked works for a lot of people by helping them make healthful food choices without really having to count anything. But some people just have trouble with this method.
Did you know the average person underestimated their caloric intake by about 30%?
That number can rise even more if the person isn’t tracking calories.
And while I agree that calories are not the end all be all of weight loss, and certainly not of health, you can’t eat 3000 of them as a fairly sedentary person a day and expect to lose weight.
I don’t care if you’re eating cake or coconut oil, too many calories are going to derail your efforts.
This is where tracking can help.
Take a week and see where you’re at. That can give you a better idea of where you’re eating too much and where you’re just right.
Then try tracking a week at a more appropriate calorie count for weight loss and be mindful of how it feels. Then, when you stop tracking, you’ll have a better idea of what the right amount of food should feel like.
#3 You’re gaining weight or aren’t feeling well
Weight gain can be caused by a number of factors- hormones, water retention, medications, etc.
But if you have been gaining weight inexplicably, you haven’t done anything differently, or don’t feel you have, tracking your food intake may be helpful.
Perhaps you’re eating the same number of calories but have increased your carbohydrate count. If you have insulin resistance, this could cause weight gain. If you don’t, it could be water retention.
Maybe you feel like you’ve been eating the same, but are forgetting about those dark chocolate squares you sneak in throughout the day, or that new post-workout drink, or those new fat bombs.
Excess calories could be causing sneaky pounds to build up.
Maybe it’s just the second half of your cycle, maybe it’s constipation, it could be anything, but sometimes excessive weight gain can indicate an underlying problem.
If you track your intake and nothing is outside of normal, and the weight keeps packing on, it could be a thyroid problem or a side effect of a medication, or any number of issues.
You can use this information when you see your doctor, and you’ll be one step ahead of the curve.
Likewise, if you aren’t feeling well or are having increased anxiety, depression, or blood sugar crashes, tracking food intake alongside your mood after eating can help you pinpoint possible issues or trigger food/times.
Same thing goes for having digestive issues. If you know what you ate and at what time, it’s much easier to figure out intolerance.
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Mindful eating is a skill. And it’s best learned in the context of normal hunger and satiety cues.
If your insulin is out of whack or you’re carrying a lot of excess weight, or have any kind of health condition or medication that interferes with your hunger cues, mindful eating is going to be remarkably difficult and could lead to feelings of failure and lack of results.
Nutritionists and nerds alike love the website cronometer.com. It gives you WAY more detailed micronutrient values than other apps like My Fitness Pal, though that is a great choice for busy people because it has an app.
Whether you choose to track or not, I hope we can all learn to be respectful of what works for us as individuals.
If mindful eating isn’t right for someone right now, they certainly don’t need to be judged for that. And likewise if counting calories is mentally unhealthy for someone, they deserve respect and support as they follow the natural cues of their body.
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Do you track food intake? Why or why not? What site do you like to use?
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So, just as a heads up - some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps me tremendously. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance if you choose to do so. Check out my entire disclosure to know exactly how things work.
by Amber WF | Dec 30, 2016 | Blog, Body Image, Disordered Eating, Live. Love. Eat., Mental Health, Self-love, Sexy by Nature, Stress, This Week in Paleo |
Woah, 2017. I can’t believe you are almost here!
At the writing of this blog post I’m pondering the making of new years resolutions. Are they healthy? Are they harmful? Are they something in between?
I’ve gone back and forth, but concluded that, like them or not, new year’s resolutions are a part of our culture, exciting and important motivators that can give someone the push they need to make valuable and lasting changes.
I’m not into crash dieting (or “diets” of any kind really) and I’m not into resolutions that end up making people feel worse about themselves when they fail to live up to unreasonable standards.
But health IS important, and focusing on feeling better and doing better in the new year is something admirable, after all.
So here’s my list of 5 Paleo for Women Approved New Years Resolutions!
#1 Cook More
Cooking is something I usually despise doing and avoid if I can help it. But it gets old eating canned salmon all the time.
As the new year begins, take some time to plan a daily schedule.
If you’re a detailed list maker, you’ll love it and if you’re not, you might feel caged in, but sketching out your time might show you ways you can be more efficient and leave room for home cooked meals.
Try buying books with meal and shopping plans already inside for you. Practical Paleo (find it here) is one of my favorites, because it contains meal plans for every possible variation of paleo.
There are other great books too. Stick with ones that focus on easy recipes that can be made quickly like Well Fed Weeknights (find it here). Or try books that utilize less dishes for easier cleanup like One Pot Paleo or Paleo Slow Cooker.
Cooking more will mean eating more veggies, one of the biggest indicators of a healthy lifestyle, and will cut down on the amount of rancid oil, sugar and Omega 6 you eat, making you feel healthier, improving skin and cardiovascular health, and probably helping you lose some weight.
#2 Lose Weight
Speaking of losing weight…
I might catch some flack here. You see, I believe strongly in body positivity and the body positive movement. That means I do hold firm to a belief in health at every size.
However, I also believe that weight loss can be a valuable goal for certain people.
Excessive adipose tissue does produce inflammatory responses in the body and does contribute to a range of health issues. And whether we like it or not, it IS something that we need to consider in our modern world of convenience foods and obesity related illness.
If you’ve become out of sync with your body, feel you need to lose excessive body weight (and remember that doesn’t mean you need to be stick thin!) the only real difficulty is finding a way to do it gently, positively, and with as little guilt and shame as possible.
That’s where my weight loss program, Weight Loss Unlocked comes in.
It’s designed to help you lose weight efficiently but mindfully, learning to listen to the natural signals of your body, rather than the mean girl in your head.
It can help you follow those New Years Resolutions without the fad dieting that normally goes with it. I’d suggest pairing it with a great paleo cookbook with meal plans like the ones I mentioned above.
Find Weight Loss Unlocked Here.
#3 Focus on Self-Love
While most people choose to lose weight at the beginning of the new year, it’s just as important to choose to love.
We often become our worst enemies and meanest critics, beating ourselves up and tearing ourselves down.
Disordered eating, low self-confidence, so many things stem from not loving ourselves.
To give and recieve love in the new year, we’ve got to start with healing our own hearts.
There are many, many people out there happy to help you do it.
To discover the sexy, confident woman you really are, try reading my book Sexy By Nature.
If you’ve strugged with disordered eating and are ready to take control of negative thinking, try my friend Kayla’s program Starting the Path to Recovery and Discovery here. Try reading When Food is Love (find it here), a classic for any emotional eater.
If you’re shy, perhaps try pushing yourself to do something that sounds fun but makes you a bit nervous- go out dancing or join friends at a party.
And if you’re always out to avoid being alone at home, perhaps try a night in of reflective thinking and journaling (Let it Out is a great resource) and sit with some of those emotions.
You’ll gain self-awareness and balance which we all could use in the new year!
#4 Breathe More
Breathing is something we do far too often without really thinking about it.
Most of us don’t even use the full capacity of our lungs, but only a tiny portion of them.
And breathe, just like food, is so important to life itself, and quality of life.
Improper breathing can do damage to the body just as poor food choices can.
Proper breathing, taking deep, long breaths, and long, smooth exhalations, can also be a form of meditation that has been shown to reduce stress, calm the nervous system and relax the mind.
It’s an imperative especially for those with anxiety, and may help anyone with stress-flaring conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome, autoimmune conditions, and more.
With the new year, I’m vowing to remember to breathe in positivity and breathe out negativity. I hope you’ll do the same.
#5 Let Go
And as I work to breathe out negativity, I’m going to be trying my best to let go of anger, expectations, and arbitrary standards I place on myself and others.
2016 was a hard year for many and it’s easy to pick out the bad things that happened and let them stew and boil within us.
We can focus on that negativity, that anger, and let it fester.
Or we can consciously make the choice to let it go.
I don’t have a 3 step program to help you do that (though I’m sure one probably exists!) but I think we should try it nonetheless.
Let’s focus our hearts and minds on the good in 2017 and work for peace, justice, and positivity in the new year.
I will. I hope you will too.
What are your new year’s resolutions?
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So, just as a heads up - some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps me tremendously. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance if you choose to do so. Check out my entire disclosure to know exactly how things work.
by Amber WF | Dec 23, 2016 | Carbs Fat Protein, Food, Paleo Diet Basics, This Week in Paleo |
Grass fed meat is an important part of the paleo lifestyle and many of us make a big effort to eat as much of it as we possibly can.
But grass fed meat is not always easy to come by, nor is it easy to afford.
Enter Butcher Box.
SO many of my readers have now become big fans and loyal subscribers to Butcher Box’s pioneering subscription-style meat delivery service.
They make grass fed affordable and simple and can do boxes in beef, pork, and chicken.
But over time I’ve heard from some of you with some minor beefs (pun intended).
You guys were really excited about the idea but wished there was a bit more meat in each box.
You also wished they would use less plastic packaging so that you didn’t feel like a blight on the environment.
I heard you!
Butcher Box did too!
So they’ve made some great changes to their boxes the meet your needs!
Boxes now come with only biodegradable packaging and instead of a Styrofoam box to keep things cool, meat is packaged in a large reusable tote bag! (It’s really cute btw and great for picnics!)
Boxes also now come with an average of a WHOLE POUND of meat more per box for the same price!
Possibly best of all, there is now a pork and chicken ONLY box option if you’re just not feelin’ beef that month!
Butcherbox delivers right to your door, so its a great option for those of you who live far away from an available source of grass fed meat.
And the variety of cuts is awesome!
I’ve tried some great new cuts with this service and my readers who use Butcherbox love the included recipes.
A box of meat or even a subscription would make an AMAZING gift for anyone trying to go paleo in the new year and it would be something nice to do for yourself after all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season!
Use this link to learn more and order from Butcherbox! You’ll get FREE BACON added to your box just for signing up through us! Get more on Butcher Box here!
Hooray!
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So, just as a heads up - some links above may be my affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click on it and make a purchase. Doing so is no additional cost to you, but helps me tremendously. Your support is SO greatly appreciated, so thank you in advance if you choose to do so. Check out my entire disclosure to know exactly how things work.
