A Review of My New Not So Favorite Thing

Recently I tried a new Smoothie Splash V8 drink. It was strawberry/banana flavored and being smoothie related I figured that I would really like it; also, strawberry banana is my favorite flavor. However, much to my displeasure, I did not like the taste of it at all, I finished one glass and then I was done with it.

When my mom first came home with the V8 Splash Smoothies, I was really excited to try it. It looked really good and it sounded like something that I would enjoy. My first drink of it wasn't bad, I actually liked it. However, after a few more sips I decided that I didn't really like it. It was pretty bitter tasting and I could barely taste the strawberry banana flavoring. By the time I finished the glass, I had made my decision, I didn't like it.

Not only does it not taste that great, but it also isn't very good for you like it advertises. On the front of the bottle it says that it contains Vitamin A and C, which is not a lie. It does in fact contain both of those ingredients. However, when I looked to the ingredients I found that the second ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Definitely not the type of thing that I want to be putting into my body. Not that I would never drink high fructose corn syrup, because it is in most of the things that I drink, but if I am looking for a healthy drink then this is not the type of thing I'm looking for.

Overall, I would not recommend this drink to any of my friends. I don't think that it is bad; I just don't like it personally. That's not to say that no one else could like it, or that you wouldn't like it. It is just something that I will not be buying or drinking again. Needless to say, this is my new not so favorite thing.

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Keeping Your Skin Clear This Holiday Season

Recently, I've been reading up on my friend's health and beauty blog. Because not only is health and fitness important to me but health and beauty is too, as it should be to everyone. One of Lauren's recent blog posts really spoke to me, it was about skin care. If you are a runner that is unfortunate enough to struggle with keeping your skin clear, then you are with the majority of us, and if you are not then realize how lucky you are. For keeping my skin clear has always been a struggle for me, being a runner myself. Not only do I struggle with my face staying clear, due to sweating, but my hands also become very dry during the winter months.

Skin care is an essential part of my daily routine, it has to be. I struggle with keeping my skin clear in the places that I sweat when I work out. It's really tough. Also, just like Lauren I struggle with dry skin, I have ever since I was really young. So again, just like Lauren, I use a daily moisturizer to keep my skin smooth. Now however, since I read her blog post, I may try to use the apricot scrub that she suggested to remove dead skin from the surface of my skin. I always thought that a simple moisturizer would be enough, but maybe an extra scrub is just what I need to keep my skin clean and smooth.

As it is also mentioned in Lauren's post, she likes to be photo ready when it comes to the holidays. Keeping my face clean and clear during the holidays is important to me as well for the same reason. However, my hands are something else that, especially during the cold and bitter winter weather, struggle to stay smooth and moist. This is something that bugs me when I am either giving or opening gifts. I am embarrassed by how dry my hands become. That is why I use a small dab of Neutrogena hand cream each night before I go to bed. This keeps my hands nice and smooth, so that I am ready for the season of giving, receiving and meeting.

Clear and smooth skin is something that you have to work at, most of the time it doesn't come easy. But as long as you moisturize or use skin care products, you can look great for photo taking this season. Also, reading Lauren's L.G. Health and Beauty blog will give you great tips on other beauty areas that can help you all throughout the year, not just the holiday season. 

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Avoiding the Festive 15

In my previous post, I discussed how to avoid stressing during the holidays. But stress isn't the only thing that is easy to accumulate during the holidays, for everyone knows about the festive fifteen. The fifteen pounds that people gain during holiday gatherings and parties. So how can you avoid that dreadful weight gain? I recently read an article on ways to avoid weight gain during the Christmas and New Year season. However, following those tasks aren't as easy as they may sound.

The article mentions to be picky about what you eat. Yeah it sounds easy; just don't take what you don't absolutely want. However, I know how hard that is. Every year I try to eat less, so that I don't feel sick later in the day. It's not that easy. I always end up with too much, and I can't help but to eat it and still go back for seconds and maybe a small dessert. I justify it by say that it only happens twice a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I let myself over eat. But then I feel horrible later. I need to tell myself that just because it is the holiday season, doesn't mean that I can eat whatever I want. It is unhealthy and unnecessary.

My way of avoiding eating an excessive amount of food may sound cliché; however it has worked so far this year. Because I know that I eat way too much each year, I decided that this year I would try something to avoid this. I have goals and I use those to my advantage. I know that when track season rolls around I will want to be in the best shape possible and eating too many holiday goodies won't help me get there. So, I look to my inspirations. I look at famous track stars or other health and fitness blogs whenever I want to binge, or right before a holiday gathering. I realize that I don't want to throw away what I work for during the early winter for a few sweet treats. So before I grab something to eat I see those inspirations in the back of my mind and refrain.

The point is that it does take an intense amount of will power to avoid gaining during the winter season, but it's not an impossible task. Keeping your goals and inspirations in mind when you are around food can be enough, it is for me. Now that doesn't mean that you should completely refrain from everything, you are still allowed to splurge a little bit. Just be careful and know your limits. Make this holiday one to remember, and not because you gained 15 pounds, but because you had a blast not having to fear stepping on the scale the next morning.

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