Amethyst Heart Wellness Spa

Are those delicious sports drinks good for you? In the words of Rhett and Link from "Good Mythical Morning:" Let's talk about that! This is going to be a good ole' pro and cons list, starting with the pros. First of all...They are delicious. I think that's just plain and simple, they're designed to taste good so you drink more! Secondly, they provide a good source of fluids for when you need it most. During sports and exercise your body loses a lot of water through sweat and it's important to replenish that! Then we have the fact that it's just a nice change from regular water. I can't tell you how many people I've heard say "I just don't like the taste of plain water!" After that, these electrolyte drinks are full of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates mean energy, and in the case of sports drinks that means you can exercise or play your game longer! Let's get on to the cons. First off, these drinks tend to be full of

Emeralds! The birthstone of May! What makes these stones so special? For starters emeralds are one of the rarest stones! These rich, green beauties are most often mined in Brazil, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Zambia. It's beautiful green color has been loved for many years as the embodiment of Spring itself or even as a city completely made of the gemstone. The Wizard of Oz wasn't the only one to appreciate this stone though! These stones were originally mined from Egypt as early as 300 B.C. They even made their appearance as jewelry in ancient Greece! These stones were so popular in the ancient world that they were even brought across the sea when the Spanish came to South America. Being so beloved, these stones were seen as the protection of the Gods to the nobility of India. However they weren't just used for jewelry, these stones are known for their powers of curing disease and protection from evil itself. As a symbol of the Goddess Venus this stone is said to gra

Pros and Cons of flavored water! Is flavored water good for you? Well, it depends. Again like most things about our bodies it's kind of complicated! What does it depend on? What is it flavored with? Is there added sugar? Is it carbonated? What your water is flavored with plays a HUGE part of if it's actually healthy for you or not. There are many people that love putting different fruits, vegetables, or even herbs in their water! Those can be very good for you in terms of getting your vital vitamins and minerals along with some natural sugar to give you that little pick-me-up! However, there are many flavored waters that use artificial ingredients in their flavorings. What does that mean? Chemicals. While if we're speaking technically everything has a chemical make-up, there is a major difference between natural chemicals and those that are artificially created. If your store-bought water is naturally flavored it will be much better for you, but it's good to k

Did you know that it is possible to drink too much water? Did you know that you can get "drunk" off of water? What?! How?! Well, that's not exactly what it is. There's a *very* rare thing that happens when you drink too much water too quickly. It gives you a feeling of intoxication or you may even experience the same symptoms as heat stroke and exhaustion! Sounds crazy, right? It is. This really only happens to those who drink liters upon liters of water in one sitting, so it's really not too easy to do. What's really going on is something called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is really talking about your sodium levels. When you drink too much water far too quickly your body is basically drowning out any sodium you might have. It's kind of the same concept of when you're bloated, that means that you're retaining too much sodium, so you drink lots of water to even it out. Except much, much more extreme. When there isn't enough sodium in your

Ananda Balasana or more commonly (and easier to pronounce) Happy Baby pose! This pose is not only a personal favorite for the name, but also for how it opens up the hips and provides a deeper stretch. This light-hearted stretch promotes stretching of the lower spine and inner thigh area. It is a wonderful pose for those suffering from cramps, endometriosis, or general lower back pain. This pose, however, should not be done by those with neck or knee problems or those who are pregnant. It can put too much stress on the neck or lower back area and cause more discomfort. This is how the pose is done: First you'll lay on the ground, yoga mat, or even in your bed. Then: You'll inhale and bring your knees to your belly. Then: You'll exhale and grab the sides of your feet. If you're having trouble reaching your feet you can use yoga bands to help you out! After that you'll want to push out with your feet to create resistance. Always remember with every yoga p

Aquamarine! The birthstone of March! This beautiful stone can range from seafoam green to a very pale blue. The name meaning "water of the sea" is the perfect stone for your Pisces friends as it is just as delicate and wonderful as they are. I'm not biased towards Pisces or those who share my birth month of March or anything like that... Let's get started! This stone is a variant of the Beryl stone, sharing its roots with other stones such as Emerald and Morganite. The greenish hues of Aquamarine come from its relation to Emeralds, although that can be removed when exposed to extreme heat. By transforming the stone with heat you get that beautiful baby blue, almost diamond looking color that everyone loves. This stone also has its fair share of healing properties. Being associated with the Throat Chakra, this stone represents verbal self-expression, on the same hand it is also used to enhance your spiritual communication and clearing the blockages in that area.

We all know that drinking water is good for you, but do we really know why? Well I discussed some of that last week in my "Are you drinking enough water" post, but all I really mentioned was that water makes up most of your body's functions. What else is water good for? For starters water is an essential part of weight loss. From replenishing you after workouts to protecting your muscles from aches and pains this magical liquid really is the key factor of losing weight. Did you know that being dehydrated can throw off body fat percentage readings? I didn't until I was taking this "six week challenge" and I was losing weight, but gaining body fat! It made absolutely no sense to me until I took into account that I wasn't even drinking half of my required water intake! Secondly, and this is kind of piggybacking on last week's post again, water helps you focus! Since your brain is roughly 75% water your brain needs it for everything that it has to d

The keto diet is quite the hot topic right now. While I have my own opinions about this fad, there are plenty of scientific evidence to prove its effects. Before we begin we should explain exactly what "keto" is. This is a little-to no carb, high fat, no sugar, moderate protein diet. By limiting your carbs you're forcing your body into a state of "ketosis" where you use fat for energy instead of carbs. Got that down? Let's get going. Let's start with the "pros" of this diet, shall we? First of all this diet is excellent at retraining your body to use its store of fat in different ways. By restricting the number of carbs you take in you're effectively forcing your body to get its energy from fat. Secondly, this diet can be particularly beneficial to those suffering from type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Lower carbs, higher fat means less insulin being produced to make up the slack. This diet can completely reverse your type 2 diabetes and g

Massage from Thailand? Well, not exactly. You can get Thai Massage anywhere!  Thai is an ancient technique thought to be utilized by Buddhist monks. This massage is very different from any massage you might have had before though, as it does not use oils, it does not require you to undress, and it is not performed in a dim room. Thai is traditionally performed on a padded mat on the floor where your therapist will lead you through gentle stretches, muscle compression, along with other forms of pulling and rocking techniques. This modality can be especially helpful for those with arthritis or those who are stiff from increased exercised. Thai massage employs a very unique way of accessing the energy field by getting you and your therapist to work together to accomplish the stretches. It has been known to allow blockages to flow more freely while correcting imbalances in the client's flow of energy. It is less of the personal touch that you get with different modalities

Swedish Massage We hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their weekend! to start off this Splendid Saturday routine we're going to discuss one of the most common types of massage: Swedish Massage! According to WebMD, Swedish Massage is a type of massage therapy that involves long, kneading strokes that are more gentle. It also involves light, rhythmic, tapping strokes on the muscles that sit closer to the surface. Swedish Massage is usually coupled with the movement of the joints to r elieve pressure. The relief of muscle tension is both relaxing and energizing, while also giving the possibility to help manage the pain of an injury.  Four basic types of strokes are used in Swedish Massage, those include: Effleurage, Petrissage, Friction, and Tapotement. These movements are what make Swedish Massage so unique- and so popular! If you've ever gotten a massage, chances are that it was a Swedish Massage and you might not have even known it! Here at Amethy

Intermittent Fasting It's time for...…. Tasty Tuesday! Every Tuesday we will be talking about the pros, the cons, and lots of information about different diets out there! There are a lot to chose from, ranging from short-term diet plans to full force lifestyle changes! Today we're talking about Intermittent Fasting! Intermittent Fasting is where you chose a certain period of time to eat and a certain period of time to fast. The most common that people chose is the 16:8 method. It is a 16 hour fas t and an 8 hour feast. The fasting and feasting period will really depend on person to person, but the whole idea is to start burning fat for energy. The way this differs from other types of fasting is commonly in other fasts, while you do tend to lose weight, it is usually muscle mass instead of fat. With giving yourself a set eating period your body will remember when it gets to eat and you'll avoid that "starvation period" where your body breaks down muscles

Amethyst It's time for.... Crystal Therapy Thursday!  For our very first Crystal Therapy Thursday it's only fitting that we talk about the Amethyst! Amethysts are the lavender to deep purple color of quartz. They are said to have calming, healing properties that can be an excellent tool for meditation. This beautiful stone is also said to accelerate the development of psychic abilities, as well as enhance intellectual and cerebral thought.  Being the birthstone of February, this is the stone of St. Valentine and faithful love. Amethyst stones carry the energy of fire, passion, creativity, and spirituality. These stones were highly valued in the ancient world, showing the same worth as diamonds to those civilizations. Although it is now considered a semi-precious stone, in ancient times it was shown to signify royalty and nobility with its deep purple color.  Anymore it is very easy to grow amethyst stones in a lab, however the healing properties stay th

Have you gotten a facial lately? If the answer is "No." let me tell you why you should change that answer to a "Yes!" Getting facial treatments on a regular basis does wonders for your skin! From reduced acne scarring, to getting rid of those stubborn wrinkles getting a nice facial isn't only treating yourself, but it's also taking care of the one thing people look at the most. Your face! How often do you wash your face? Once a day? Twice a day? Once every other day? The way you care for your skin at home really makes a big impact on how well your skin responds to professional treatments. Using the same, or similar, products that you get your professional treatments with, and using them the recommended way, is really how you're going to see amazing results!  So think to yourself: "What would I really like to see after my professional skin care treatment?" Your answer is probably something along the lines of: fewer fine lin

Are you drinking enough water? It's time for...… Water Wednesday! Are you drinking enough water? Find out today! Did you know that the old belief of "8 glasses of water a day" is pretty outdated? Now it's not so "one size fits all." What doctors and leading experts say is that you should be drinking 50-100% of your body weight in ounces of water every single day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, then you should be drinking 75-150 ounces of water DAILY! I know what you're thinking- That's a LOT of water! And you're right, it is. Although, you have to think that your body is roughly 75% water. Every single important bodily function uses water in some way! However, there are ways to make that number seem a little less intimidating! There are so many apps that can track your water intake. Two of my favorites are my handy-dandy Fitbit and one called "Plant Nanny" that helps you grow and care for a virtual plant using the

Amber Today is Crystal Therapy Thursday! We're talking about amber! Amber is the gold colored gemstone that has been adored for centuries for it's beautiful color. However, along with helping create the iconic scene from "Jurassic Park" amber is also responsible for many different healing properties.  From Great Britain to the tombs of Egypt this "gemstone" has been used to clear the body and mind of negative energy. It has even been said to link the "everyday self" to the "spiritu al self." It is worn as jewelry by healers to guide people from their fears. This stone is famous for it's golden color, however it can range from gold to yellow, orange, brown, or even blue! The very rare blue form of amber can be found in the Dominican Republic, but good luck finding it! If you chose to wear this stone, either for its healing purposes or its aesthetic appeal, keep in mind that this is not a true gemstone. Amber

Salicylic Acid It's Facial Friday! Today we're talking about salicylic acid! If you've read the active ingredients in your favorite face wash you've probably read the words "salicylic acid." You might think, "Acid?! What am I putting on my face?!" However this is a very important ingredient in keeping your face clear! Salicylic acid is what is called a "beta hydroxy acid." That basically means that it's going to dry out what it touches. Now, you may be asking yourself why you would want to put something on your face that will purposely dry it out. Well, if you have those stubborn pimples the best thing for them is to take away any moisture that they may hold. No moisture means no embarrassing pimple popping- unless you're Dr. Pimple Popper, then you can make a fortune! People and Dr.'s alike use salicylic acid for a wide variety of different things from breakouts, to warts, to even dandruff. However it is very