In this post, I’m going over some things I like to do to prepare myself for a special event. Anytime I know a special occasion is coming up, I like to start paying extra attention to what I put in my body, my workouts, and my sleep. Ideally, 2 weeks before the event because what we do with our bodies(food, exercise, etc.) takes full effect about two weeks after. So if you eat burgers and fries all week you may retain some water for a few days after that but if don’t burn the calories, you will actually most likely see the excess weight a couple of weeks after. Now, even though you should be mindful of the food you eat and the exercise in general, what you do two weeks prior to the event, will show. Below are some tips that will have you glowing and feeling confident for any event or special occasion.
1.NO ALCOHOL
That’s right!! Alcohol is your #1 enemy when it comes to glowing skin and a good night’s rest so ideally stay away from it for an entire week previous to the event. I know this can be a tough one but alcohol dehydrates our bodies which in turn dehydrates your skin. It also messes with the deep sleep(aka REM sleep) and a lack of good sleep often results in dull dry skin. This takes us to our second tip…
2.QUALITY SLEEP
When I say quality sleep I mean deep deep sleep for an extended amount of hours. Eight hours is the go to number and even if you are one of those that feels great with just 6 hours, try to make it to the full eight because that’s the actual amount of hour our brain, bodies, and skin need to be able to fully recover 100%. If you’re a light sleeper like myself, stay away from television and your phone at least one hour before going to bed since the lights of our screens confuse our brains into thinking they have to stay up and alert rather than relaxing and letting go into a nice profound sleep. I also like to drink a bed time tea to help relax my mind and muscles. Also, limit your water intake before bed. The best thing to do is to not drink any water prior to our bed time(make sure you drink tons of water during the day) to avoid having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night which obviously interrupts our sleep. And this takes us to our third tip…
3.LOTS OF WATER
Water is so important for our health and it certainly plays a huge role in glowing skin. It flushes out toxins and it keeps our skin hydrated. Depending on our lifestyle we should aim for 8 glasses or more. If you exercise heavily, meaning, if you’re doing workouts that make you sweat a lot, then I highly recommend a gallon or more a day. We must also consider what types of foods we eat when deciding how much water we should have. If you eat very fibrous foods such as grains and cruciferous vegetables then you want to add more water to your daily routine. Same goes for salty foods. If eating foods that are very high in sodium then you want to have enough water to flush the salt out and avoid retaining water. Now we can move on to the next point…
4.HEALTHY MEALS
Water retention can be quite problematic if eating the wrong types of food. This is why having a clean diet and staying away from excess salt a few days before the event is soooooo important. As I mentioned earlier, you should have a really clean diet at least 2 weeks prior to the even but the week before is the most important because this will determine if you’ll retain excess water which often tends to show in our face. At least for me it does.
Foods that cause water retention are salty foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats. This is basically all your simple carbs(white carbs) such as white bread, pasta, table sugar, and greasy fried or processed fats. etc. I personally like to eat tons of water based vegetables like leafy green salads, cucumber, zucchinis, tomatoes, etc.
Of course everyone is different and has different needs. Ultimately, it comes down to having a diet high in vegetables, protein, low in sugar, and moderate sodium. If you apply these three rules making them work for your personal needs then I guarantee you will see a huge improvement in your skin, overall look and feel.
5.EXERCISE
Keep up with your workouts! Exercise is the best way to increase oxygen, energy, and stimulate endorphin production which will make you feel good and of course, this can reflect in your skin as well. I personally like to add more cardio based exercises the week before a special event since these help me feel invigorated. I opt for more HIIT, running, and then pilates and yoga since all of these help tone and/or lengthen my muscles. Ideally, do all your tough weight based workouts in the beginning of the week and the few days before the event stick with lighter exercises such as running, pilates, or yoga. This will lengthen all your muscles making you feel leaner and lighter.
6.FACIALS
Two nights before the event I do a major facial. I literally use every product and tool possible available to me at the comfort of my home. Normally I start with a gentle exfoliation and my Avalon Organics Vitamin C gel wash. I follow this by a green tea mud mask from Evanhealy. After I’ve kept this on for 10 minutes I clean it off with a muslin cloth very gently and tone with my Andalou Naturals Blossom + Leaf Toner (I only do this one twice a week). Once this has dried I apply my overnight Resurfacing Peel from Beauty Counter. Now I’m ready for my Avalon Organics Intense Defense Renewal Cream followed by a couple of pumps of my Cocokind Organic Facial Repair Serum.
Now, if you’re a busy woman, you might be tempted to just do number #6 but remember that everything we put in our bodies is reflected in our skin. If we put junk and mistreat ourselves our skins will be left looking dry and dull. Also, you will retain water which will show on your face mostly.
Lastly, and the most important tip for glowing for an event is; carry yourself with CONFIDENCE and always SMILE. Show the world all the beauty that’s within you and all that you have to offer because the world deserves to know your inner glow too 🙂
“Beauty has so many forms, and I think the most beautiful thing is confidence and loving yourself”- Kiesza
xo,
Vilmaliz
#VBFITMETHOD
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