I have already listed out some of the little things that plays a role in making a difference to our looks & health a few posts ago. The list goes on. ;)

Take your water with a slice of lemon
I cannot even begin to explain how good lemon is for you. But overall, you need to know that lemon is beneficial to your health, and for those of you who are in the midst of losing weight, you'll be happy to know that lemon aids in suppressing appetite - but don't take too much of it. For health benefits, you should know that lemon is a rich source of vitamin C, it also contains vitamin B and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, as well as proteins and carbohydrates. Daily consumption of lemon water provides a number of health benefits as it aids in digestive problems, aids in dental care, cures throat infections, acts as a blood purifier, treats respiratory diseases, reduces fevers and is beneficial for your skin. All that in just one yellow ball of goodness. I would definitely recommend taking half a lemon in a glass of warm water every morning. Nothing like a good wake-me-up health drink.

Don't snooze
Everyone's favorite morning routine. Snooze the alarm. Yes, even I do that. From now on, stop. Studies show that the more you snooze, the lazier you get - and the laziness sticks when you eventually get up and carries on throughout your day. I have personally put that theory to test and I agree! The longer I take to get out of bed, the lazier I tend to be all day long, especially if it's a slow day. So, stop snoozing that alarm. The moment it rings, stretch and jump right out of bed and hit the showers. If you have problems stopping your lazy self from hitting the snooze button, place your alarm/phone out of your reach. That way, you'd have to get up and out of bed to turn it off.




Skipping is for losers
So don't skip breakfast. Even if you don't feel like having anything, have something small like three plain crackers for breakfast. Why? Because your body had been deprived of food while you're asleep and the moment you wake up, it's running on reserve-energy. If you don't start feeding your body, it will make you feel so hungry that by lunch time, you'll eat nearly twice as much as your usual portions. Hello unnecessary weight gain. Nobody wants that.

Vitameatavegamin
Yes, that's from the 1951 sitcom I Love Lucy - where Lucy introduces this product in a commercial with the script saying "Vitameatavegamin contains vitamins, meat, vegetables and minerals. So why don't you join the thousands of happy peppy people and get a great big bottle of Vitameatavegamin. Just take a whole tablespoonful after every meal. It's so tasty too. Just like candy." Well turns out it's just a bottle of liquid containing alcohol. But my point is, we all need our multi-vitamins. Not alcohol, but actual multi-vitamins, because we are not getting enough of them out of our daily meals which are so heavily peppered in artificial chemicals. Unless you can wolf down a load of raw fruits, vegetables and minerals, I would strongly urge you to take your multi-vitamins for health's sake.

Slouch no more
This is what happens when you snooze your alarms. You get lazy and you tend to slouch in your seats, whether it's in the car or at the office. Don't slouch. It's bad for your posture in the long run. Besides, sitting up straight burns 10% more calories. Fact. Besides, slouching is really not attractive.

Whole, full cream, fat free - what?
Milk - it contains TWO things we all need, protein and calcium. It's the very first thing that nourishes our bodies the moment we were born into this world, so it only makes sense to still be taking them daily. However, seeing that we're mostly taking in processed cow's milk these days, you should be aware that some milks can't be good for you - especially if you're trying to keep the weight off. So have your daily milk intake, and for a healthier choice, drink fat-free or HL milk. Soy milk is a good alternative as well. Stay away from full cream or whole milk unless if you need that extra weight. Milk is also good for you skin - in a bath.




Smile
Yes it's a cliché and it sounds so easy - BUT why aren't more people practicing this? When we smile, we feel slightly better. We know it and yet sometimes, we refuse to do it. We let our negativity control too much of our actions. What goes through our brain sometimes is that "What if I smile and he/she doesn't smile back? I'll save myself the embarrassment.." or "If I smile too much I'll look like an absolute creeper.." That's all just in your head. SMILE and you'll make not just yourself feel better, you'll make someone else feel better as well. Have you ever heard of the smile story?

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.

The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
And wrote him a thank you letter.

The friend was so pleased with the thank you
That he left a large tip after lunch.

The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
Bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
And gave part to a man on the street.

The man on the street was grateful;
For two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
He left for his small dingy room.
He didn't know at that moment
that he might be facing his doom.

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
And took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
To be in, out of the storm.

That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked till he woke the whole household
And saved everybody from harm.

One of the boys that he rescued
Grew up to be President.

All this because of a simple smile
That hadn't cost a cent.

So yes, a smile & every positive thing you do in your life makes YOU and someone else feel better.
This smile story reminds me of that lovely artwork by Lylecakes.

Every little thing you do makes a difference, don't you forget that! :)

xxx