I love Cayenne Pepper!

Made this today for breakfast...and it was too good to not take a bite into first. I sprinkled some cayenne pepper on this bad boy...I love eating cayenne pepper with pretty much everything!

According to a study conducted by Purdue University, the findings of their study, published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, suggest that "consuming just half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper along with a meal can help suppress appetite and burn calories."

Cayenne pepper has several great health benefits but I love it because it is a great digestive aid and helps to detox the body of toxins.  Cayenne stimulates the digestive tract, increasing the flow of enzyme production and gastric juices, helping to metabolize food. So in a nutshell, it helps what you put in your body, come out. For a great detox/cleanse try combining lemon juice, honey, cayenne pepper in hot water in the morning and be prepared to sweat. 

1.  "The effects of hedonically acceptable red pepper doses on thermogenesis and appetite" - Physiology & Behavior - Volume 102, Issues 3–4, 1 March 2011, Pages 251–258 - Accessed October 9th 2013.

Beauty: An Intro to Peels

With the stress of work and lack of hydration from traveling, my skin definitely was showing signs of congestion, dullness, and dehydration. I was lucky enough that while visiting my best friend Sergio in LA, he gave me the best facial using a Glycolic Peel on my skin. Admittedly, I used to be scared that a peel meant that it was going to burn and peel my skin off. This is a myth and needs to be debunked. Think of peels as another form of an exfoliator that is chemical based and is not physical much like St. Ive's Apricot Scrub (you know you have all used this at some point...don't be ashamed). 

So what exactly does a peel do? It safely exfoliates your skin, removing any dull and dead skin, helping cells to turnover so that new and younger cells can be revealed -- and isn't that what all women crave? Younger looking skin? At least I do! Peels are also great because they help to treat breakouts and it smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

If you are new to the peel game and have not used peels before, I recommend easing your skin into it by using peels that are safe enough to use on a daily basis and for you new booties...here is what I recommend:

Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Peel Original Formula :
Price:  $16-$88
This is one of my longstanding favorite peels that I like to keep in my wardrobe of skincare products. It's a little pricey, but well worth it and if you are trying it out for the first time, they have a trial size of 5 treatments for $16 so give it a try!

Step One Pad Ingredients:

• Glycolic Acid: Helps to reduce signs of aging and acts as an exfoliant -- safely removing from the outer layers of dead skin. 
• Willow Bark Extract: Helps to clear pores and acts as an astringent and helps to soothe the skin - also great for acne prone skin. 

Step Two Pad Ingredients:

• Retinol: Helps to reverse signs of aging and also helps to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles.

For those of you that are peel professionals and love that burning sensation of a good AHA or BHA because for some reason you feel like it's working, here are my favorite:

Ole Henriksen Power Peel: 
Price: $16-45

I like this peel from Ole Henriksen because all of the ingredients are natural. 

This is a three step system that consists of the following:

Step One - Almond Polish:

• Retextures the skin and preps the skin for the lemon Strip Peel. 
• Active Ingredients: Almond Extract, Oat Kernel Flour, Bamboo Stem Powder, Honey, and Orange Peel.

Step Two - Lemon Strip:

• Further helps to exfoliate the skin and also helps to refine any fine lines or signs of aging. 
• Active Ingredeints: Lactic, Glycolic and Fruit Acids, and Licorice and Algae Extract.

Step Three - Chamomile Comfort:

• Helps to soothe and Calm the skin. 
• Active IngredientsChamomile, Evening Primrose Oil, and Jojoba Seed Oil.

Last but not least, with any peel, make sure that right after you use a good night time moisturizer and that the next day you wear a sunscreen even if you plan to stay indoors. Your skin will be a little more sensitive than usual to sunlight so ensure that you have a good SPF to wear during the day. 

Do not be afraid to be Vulnerable

During my drive this week to Tahoe, I was listening to the Entrepreneur On Fire podcast, featuring, Sara Davidson, Founder and CEO of Hello Fearless. During her interview, she said something that resonated with me: "Vulnerability is Sexy." In today's modern world, women are taught to be strong, fierce, and independent to which I agree with all, one hundred percent! We are however also taught that to be vulnerable is to be weak. This is a BIG misconception and like Brene Brown says "profoundly dangerous". Vulnerability shows humility and that though our lives may seem perfect, it may not be and it doesn't have to be either. We do not have to know all of the answers to everything. Having the humility to ask for help whether at home, at work, in your relationships, or even with a goal that you are trying to achieve is okay! The real truth is that to be vulnerable is to be strong! If you have failed in something, this doesn't make you weak, you may be vulnerable--yes, but it is what you do with that vulnerability that will make you a stronger for it "...is the most accurate measure of courage." (Brown, "The Power of Vulnerability")

Whatever goals you have in your life, take a leap of faith and go for it; do not be afraid to be vulnerable!

1 Corinthians 16:13

Fitness: Throwback Thursday #TBT

My transformation...

   

#tbt yep that's me right there on the left when I was at my heaviest about 3 years ago weighing in at 225 lbs! I almost do not recognize myself looking at that picture.  I was extremely overweight, couldn't walk long distances without easily getting exhausted and be completely out of breath. I had lost my self confidence and absolutely hated taking pictures especially full length photos that highlighted my thunder thighs...see point of reference above ;) I've learned to appreciate my body much more now and vow to take better care of it because of how hard I've worked to be where I am at now. Although the process of losing the weight was not easy, it was well worth it because it reminds me that anything with determination and consistency is possible! I get a lot of questions on how I lost the weight and there is no secret to it. I did it the good old fashion way of eating healthier and working out routinely. Not saying this is the only way to lose weight because everyone has different bodies and health concerns but I can assure you that each and every person who has lost and kept off the weight will say that they had to become more active and change their eating habits. You've got to make it a lifestyle folks! It's not easy but it can be done! 

Best part about losing the weight? Gaining my self confidence back...oh, and being able to fit my polynesian calves into tall boots. If you have big calves like I used to, you know the struggle is real. 

Have a blessed night loves! 

Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Spaghetti Squash: 

I love  food and spaghetti is one of my favorite comfort foods. Eating pasta though is not the healthiest when trying to stay in shape. A great healthy alternative to this recipe is to substitute pasta for spaghetti squash. 

Ingredients:

1 whole spaghetti squash

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Gray salt and freshly ground black pepper

Half a jar of marinara sauce

1lb lean ground beef or turkey

4 oz. diced canned tomatoes

1 half green bell pepper - diced

1 half red bell pepper - diced

1 half yellow bell pepper - diced

3/4 cup diced onions

Prepping and cooking Squash :

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Split the squashes in half and scrape out seeds. Tip: Microwave the squash for 1-2 minutes to soften the squash and makes it easier to cut in half.

Line an oven tray with aluminum foil. 

Season the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Place flesh side down and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until fully cooked. 

Remove from the oven and let rest until cool enough to handle.

When squash is cool enough to handle, using a large kitchen spoon scrape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin. 

Prepping and cooking meat and sauce:

Cook the meat in a large saute pan.

Once the meat is near cooked, remove any excess oil and add in the diced tomatoes (drained), onions, and peppers.

Add the marinara sauce to the mixture and let it cook for another 10 mins.

And that's it!

Serve and enjoy...you won't notice the difference between the real thing and this healthy alternative. Happy eating!

Fitness Crush Friday #FCF: Lita Lewis

Ok, I'm not going to lie, I have not been the most motivated person as of lately to workout, especially after the holidays, it is hard to get back in the groove of things.  I figured that I am probably not the only person in the world that feels this way so I am sharing with you all my fitness crush...Miss Lita Lewis! She is Ahhhhmazzzing!!! Founder of the #thickfit movement,  she is Samoan and Black and is absolutely gorgeous!  Enjoy the pics and follow her on IG and Twitter @followthelita +Lita Lewis for more. Hope this inspires you all to get out and work it out! Happy Friday!

To all Women in the World: Dreams>Vision>Purpose

I truly believe this....a woman with vision is a woman with purpose. Here's to all the visionary women out there who walk with purpose. #proudtobeawoman 

Skincare: Protect your Money Maker

Good Morning Sunshines!

One of the things that I am grateful for is my mom's good genes ;) and that she instilled within me at such a young age the importance of skincare! When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with makeup and always fancied the makeup that my aunts would put on their faces. Growing up though I was not allowed to wear makeup till college ( strict polynesian parents...go figure.) but my mom always instilled in my sisters and I to take care of our skin by cleansing, moisturizing, and using a good sunscreen daily! Fast forward years later, I was working for Sephora and learned again the importance of taking care of your skin. I love makeup and getting dolled up, but taking care of my skin is much more important. A good skincare regimen will keep your skin young...don't rely on makeup to do that. So my advice...if you love to wear makeup, make sure you are taking care of your skin first! Taking care of your skin will make makeup application easier and a lot smoother to apply.  I'll be sure to write more on what I love to use on my skin.

                                                                    Stay tuned...

                                                                     Ofas,

                                                                     Marie 

Healthy, Wealthy, Wise

Happy new year's my loves! 

I know it has been a while since I've been on here but the month of December last year has been hectic as it usually is every holiday season. This holiday season I was fortunate enough to be able to travel and spend the holiday with my loved ones in Hawaii, the Bay Area, and in LA :)  I definitely feel revived and rejuvenated and hope that you are all too! I hope that you all had plenty to eat, plenty to drink, and of course, plenty of rest!

Like everyone else, I am excited for the new year as it brings about a time for new beginnings, new hope, and last but not least, new goals. For me though, my goals remain the same as it does every year with a slight tweak each time. Years ago, I used to be in a multi level marketing company which taught three essential goals: Healthy, Wealthy, Wise and since then, this has been the foundation to each of my goals each new year. This year, my goals are:

Healthy: To continue with my journey of staying healthy and to shred my body fat down by 11lbs. 

Wealthy: To be consistent in writing in my blog and to work on my entrepreneurial project.

Wise: To read, learn, and become more spiritually fit in my faith. 

I hope that my goals help to inspire those of you reading this and I would love to hear what you all have as goals for 2015! Please share :)

Ofas,

Marie