A Girl's Guide

How to: GLO UP

For those of you that are not aware to "glo up"  is basically to improve and better yourself not only physically but mentally as well. For example I want to "glo  up" but for me it means that I want to lose some weight and grow my hair. Other people may want to find peace of mind or strengthen their faith.

Overall I will try to guide you in the right direction and ensure that your glo up is as positive and beneficial as possible!

PHYSICAL:

You need to learn to loovvveeee and care for your body. Especially your skin because once you have any marks or scars on it the likeliness of it being removed is very unlikely. 

Eat lots of water, fruits and veggies to keep your skin and body both satisfied. I recently went on a diet which was meant to be a permanent lifestyle change but I failed oh, so miserably but I can tell you that during the very short period (of 2 weeks) of healthy eating I suddenly began to feel a lot more confident in my self and an overall happier person just because of the food I was eating. Looking back now I should have continued it for at least a month so I could have picked up healthy eating habits however now I've returned to my moody self but I'm determined to re-start my amazing diet and and reach my physical goals.

My diet was really quite easy and simple. In the morning I would have granola/bran flakes with milk or yogurt. Sometimes I would have porridge (so British lol) and drizzle the smallest amount of honey on top.

For lunch I would have a salad(lots of veggies guys!) with chunks of chicken or tuna with an olive oil dressing and some broken walnuts.

For dinner I would either have some chicken pieces left over from the salad and boil some veggies like broccoli, spinach, kale and asparagus. 

Of course I have snacks in between these meals. I like to have walnuts, raisins, fruit like black grapes to satisfy my sweet tooth. Also DO NOT drink any juices or fizzy drinks except for fresh juices or water. HOWEVER, you can have the odd small piece of cake or sweet foods. I mean, when I go out with my family and we go to a cafe and they order a cake or something sweet which I'm totally dying for, it's okay to take a sip or a bite to simply get a TASTE of it but exceeding a few bites ruins the diet.

I also go swimming about 2 times a week to ensure I have at least a few hours exercise every week.

The first few days were a bit tormenting for me but within the first week I felt like a new person. I am not advising people to follow this diet as every body is different and may react differently to this but I am just showing you how I decided to opt for my ideal healthy lifestyle. If you would like a professional diet plan suited for you I advise you to talk to your doctor who may refer you to a dietitian or nutritionist.

Moving away from diets, I suggest you wash your face to remove any oils built up in your pores overnight (causing spots) and before you go to bed to remove oils you have gathered throughout the day. However if you know you have really dry skin then washing your face twice a day isn't really necessary. If you have sensitive, dry, spot-prone or oily skin go to your local drugstore and there are many well-known reliable  brands which create facial masks and washes especially suited to your skin.

I also suggest that you stop washing your hair so often and know that it is okay to allow hair to be a bit oily every now and again. I used to wash it every other day but it just dried out my curls so now I wash it every 4 days (I try). Whenever I see that the oils have become really visible and a bit cringe I just throw my hair up in a bun for a few days and I doubt anyone even notices. I also suggest that you nourish your hair with a hair mask or natural argon/coconut oils every week or every 2 weeks to keep your hair healthy and happy.

Now, onto teeth. We know we shouldn't be eating and drinking too many junk foods but when it comes to the actual cleanliness and whiteness of your teeth I suggest that you purchase a branded electric toothbrush that does all the hard work for you. I am not saying this because of pure laziness, no. Dentists all around the world are recommending to their clients to purchase electric toothbrushes from reliant brands like Oral-B or top drugstores because it is proven to clean better than ourselves. Yes, prices may vary from like £20-£60 but I don't really think it matters too much as the really expensive ones probably only have a few extra features that wouldn't really make the whole world of a difference anyway.

Finally, nails. Basic hygiene is to ensure they are clean but if you are wanting them to grow a little, buy nail strengthening polishes from drugstores which help them grow and prevents the nails from becoming weak and chipping or breaking off (It also gives your nails with that glamorous healthy shine).

MENTALLY:

 Remove yourself from toxic friendships (I will get onto that soon) that you feel are causing you more stress than happiness.

If you feel like religion is a good way to achieve mental calm then read more holy texts and even try to analyse what the deeper meanings could be. It's like a puzzle! 

This may sound weird and unreliable but trust me when I say this, meditation actually does work and has proven to be quite effective. You do not have to do any complex moves or such, instead just sit on the floor cross-legged and breathe in and out deeply. This method should be done in a quiet place preferably with natural light. Take as long as you need to just block everything out and concentrate on your breathing pattern. During this whole process your eyes should either be closed or fixed on a particular object like a tree (if you can see them from your window) or a candle. The candle idea works better as I like to concentrate on my breathing and the movement of the flame. Doing this every day on a regular basis really helps to calm and control yourself.

Smileee. Really and truly, just putting on a natural, glowing smile can change you into a whole new person. Just try to see the best in every problem and trust me, life will be so much easier. This does not mean, however, to take everything as one big joke but to be more optimistic about the many struggles you will face in life. An example is if your electricity stops, instead of moaning and whinging you can take it as an opportunity to go old school and light a few candles or use some torches. You can turn blankets into tents and bring out a stash of your favourite treats. This positive mindset can get you very far in life.

So what do you think? I've been on a bit of a roll recently because it's half-term and I have nothing else to do (being the procrastinator I am I'm trying to forget about my soon due school projects). 

Thanks to everyone who always votes and comments it truly means a lot and all your requests and suggestions are in the process of being written.

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