You are beautiful

It's holiday season, for real now. AKA, my favorite time of year. I can listen to holiday music without getting dirty looks from anyone. The truth is, I've been listening since October and my husband is not a fan of me doing so.  As I write this, I'm sipping a hot beverage from a Starbucks holiday cup, making my wish list and putting together my "to buy" list.

The best way to “be” beautiful is to feel beautiful. And the best way to feel beautiful is start from within.

This isn’t as simple as getting that pair of boots every girl has this season or having your significant other tell you you’re beautiful every day or wearing makeup. It takes even more work and effort than that, but it’s work within yourself.  Years of therapy has taught me that when I feel healthy and comfortable with who I am, that’s when I feel the most beautiful.

We’ve all heard that eating healthy is a great way to feel amazing, but what about drinking healthy?! Drinking water is not only important to bodily functions and staying hydrated for our favorite activities, but keeps the skin glowing. You literally glow from the inside out. So drink your H2O. No one expects you to pass on holiday cocktails this week but if you are going to partake, drink water in between your "drinks."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica Bailey

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Girl Power!

I was filling out a bio for a gym I work at and the question  “Who has inspired you in your life and why?” This question got me thinking. My first response was  "I would say every person around us motivate us in some or other manner. We just need to take their positive or negative words positively that think will help to motivate us." It was just a basic answer, it didn’t have any truth or realness to my answer. Then I just started writing. This is what I wrote:

Wonder Woman isn’t just the myth of the hit show from the 70’s or the girlpower star of the recent Blockbuster hit.

Wonder Woman is every woman! My girlfriend makes me wonder, “how does she do it?!” She has a full-time job, is a fitness lover, world traveler, a good friend, AND always looks put together!

Managing that kind of balancing act with so much strength, and positivity is absolutely inspiring.

Who inspires you? What inspires you?

Snack Ideas

Snacks get a bad rap. You need snacks to lose weight. If you're sacrificing snacks to cut calories, stop. Snacking is an opportunity to fuel your body between meals.

Each snack listed below is under 200 calories, and will make you feel like your diet is about anything but deprivation.

• Oatmeal and blueberries

You may think that Oatmeal is only for breakfast. Think outside the box—they're good any time you need a hearty treat. Full of fiber, they help regulate blood sugar levels to keep you from crashing. Meanwhile, blueberries add a kick of sweetness (and vitamin C) without any table sugar.  Top ½ cup of Oatmeal with blueberries.

• Cheerios and soynuts

It's perhaps not the most obvious pairing, but put a quarter-cup of roasted, salted soynuts and a half-cup of Multigrain Cheerios together, shake them up, and you'll be hooked. The sweet and salty combo makes for a scrumptious fiber filled snack.

• Apple slices with cheese

An apple a day might not necessarily keep the doctor away, but it could help prevent weight gain. Try pairing an apple with a half-inch slice of sharp cheddar cheese: It's the perfect sweet and salty mix with a crunch!

• Hardboiled egg

When hunger strikes, a hardboiled egg is a great grab-and-go snack. It’s high in protein, which will curb your appetite and keep you from reaching for something less-than-healthy. Plus it packs nutrients like vitamins D and B12, but only contains 77 calories.

What is your favorite healthy snack?

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Jessica Bailey

Lyfe Tea

I recently tried LYFE TEA. I was excited to try this because I was curious to see how it compared to other teas.

The first thing I will say about this product is that it is super easy to use. I love that all of the tea packets come individually wrapped so I can put them in my backpack and go! No measuring out serving size needed! It is super easy and you prepare it just like any other tea on the market and you are quickly left with a nice tasting tea. I found that I liked this tea much better than other detox teas. It is a mild taste but purely delicious! I tried both the "MORNING" tea and the "DETOX" tea although I enjoyed them both, I found the "MORNING" tea to be my favorite. It gave me energy to kick start my day of teaching and working out on my own.

LYFE TEA combines super foods with other natural ingredients to give your body vital nutrition. There are no artifical ingredients! This makes it a great choice for whatever your dietary restrictions are.

I can’t stress enough how important hydration and a clean diet can be for optimal health. There are just so many beneficial nutrients in tea that I wouldn’t hesitate to classify tea as an important and key component of your diet. Especially for those people who rely on artificial drinks and food as a major part of their diet.

I highly recommend you give LYFE TEA a try. I am curious if you will like it as much as I do. In fact, just by visiting their website you can get 15% off your 1st order.

If you decide to get LYFE TEA let me know what you think by taking a pic of your LYFE TEA and tag both me @sassygirlfit and @LYFE_TEA on Instagram, sassygirlfitnessnyc and LYFE TEA on Facebook, or @sassygirlfit and @LYFETEA on Twitter. Use the hashtag #LYFE

Happy drinking!

Jessica Bailey