Tee.Gee.Eye.Effffffff.
Happy friday, friends! Before we get into the meat of today’s post, I wanted to spend a quick sec revealing my Foodie Penpal from this past month.
If you’re not familiar with FPP, it’s a fun little program set up by Lindsay over at The Lean Green Bean that’s basically a perfect opportunity to be introduced to new foodie products. After signing up, you get paired with a penpal (blogger or reader) that you get to put together a box of goodies for ($15 limit). And the best part? Someone else is putting together a box of goodies for you too! Not only is it a great way to connect with others, but it’s also a great way to try some new products that you might have not otherwise picked up. Interested in signing up? You can do that here.
This month, I was paired up with a reader named Steph, and holy.wow did she ever spoil me.
Veggie chips, Popchips, flavored coffee, Goldfish crackers, dessert gum, ginger chews, and a spork. I got a serious chuckle out of that last one, but Steph’s reasoning of keeping it in your purse because you never know when you might need a fork/spoon/knife is pretty much genius. I loved everything I tried so far, so thanks so much, Steph!
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So remember how I said I don’t really have a favorite day of the week? I lied. This week it would be Friday. Why? Because yesterday was a day. You know the kind I mean…
A day where I was a walking disaster zone…
A day where stubbing my toe on my chair leg made me feel like I was doing to lose my shi-take mushrooms…
A day where time just dragged and I’d look at the clock expecting to see a good chunk of it had gone by only to realize that it’d only been 5 minutes…
A day where (thanks to a sleepless night) I wanted ALL the food sugar…
A day that needed to end with a serious pampering session…
You’d think I would have learned by now, but it never really fails to amaze me how big of a difference properly taking care of myself makes on the quality of my day. If I’m overly tired or underfed? I can pretty much throw all hopes of having a decent day out the window.
I feel like we often push ourselves past our limits without even realizing it. We’re constantly being told to do more, be more, achieve more, so we end up putting far too much on our plates and our health suffers as a result. Not having time to prepare healthy meals, not having energy to stay active, not scheduling in enough time to relax – the result is an overtaxed body that slowly begins to break down on us.
Guilty as charged. I honestly try my best to make myself a priority, but sometimes I slack, and lately I’ve been slacking a little more than usual. Not terribly so, but enough to notice a difference in how I feel. One thing in particular that I really want to start doing again is dry brushing…
What is dry brushing?
If you’re not familiar with dry brushing, it’s the process of brushing the skin on your entire body with a rough-bristled brush that’s designed to remove dead skin cells and stimulate circulation. The whole process is done on dry skin with a dry brush, hence the name.
What are the benefits of dry brushing?
When done on a regular basis, dry brushing boasts a number of impressive benefits:
- Increased blood flow to the skin. This stimulates better circulation and helps anyone who suffers from chronically cold hands and feet. The process of releasing toxins through perspiration is also improved.
- Reduction of cellulite. This is actually a process of detoxification. Cellulite is a buildup of toxic material in your body’s fat cells and brushing dry skin helps tighten the epidermis and break up this toxic material, allowing your body to get rid of it more easily.
- Improved lymphatic drainage. Dry brushing speeds up the flow of lymph (which is responsible for cleansing the body of toxic agents) and helps the body get rid of toxins more quickly. This directly contributes to a stronger immune system and healthier body.
- Improved muscle tone. Brushing the skin stimulates the nervous system, and stimulated nerves activate muscle fibers and help improve muscle tone. This results in tighter skin, which is especially beneficial for those who have lost large amounts of weight.
- Improved skin appearance. Dry brushing helps remove dead skin cells which can cause the skin to look dull. It also encourages a faster cell turnover rate, which results in smoother, brighter, and healthier skin that glows.
- Other notable benefits: removes excessive fluid from the body, helps reduce bloat, improves digestion, unclogs pores, and stimulates oil/hormone producing glands.
[Source] – [Source] – [Source]
How to dry brush effectively
- Use a stiff bristled brush, preferably one made from natural materials.
- Do it first thing in the morning or before you shower.
- Always brush towards your heart.
- Begin at the ankles and brush upwards using long smooth strokes. Move up to the lower legs and thighs, focusing on any trouble areas. When you reach your stomach, brush in a counterclockwise direction. Return to brushing towards your heart when you reach your back and arms. Don’t forget your neck, the bottom of your feet, and your palms.
- Always follow up with a moisturizer that nourishes the skin. Coconut oil is perfect for this.
For something that costs next to nothing (my brush cost me $7) and takes almost no time at all (3-5 mins max), regular dry brushing made a huge difference in how I felt. My skin looked great, and I swear I had a lot more energy. But then I fell out of the habit, and now I’m lucky if I remember to do it once a week. Fail. It’s something that I really want to get back into doing though, so I’m making that my goal for the month of July – to dry brush every morning. I’ve already done it today, so we’re off to a good start 😉
I hope you guys have an amazing day and a great start to the weekend. It’s a long one up here in Canada, and I’m seeing some BBQing in my very near future. Can.not.wait [for the corn]. Happy Friday!!
. – . – . – .
Have you ever tried dry brushing?
What are some of your essential feel-good healthy habits?
Are you ever guilty of making your health less of a priority?
I’ve heard a lot about dry brushing over the years, but have never actually tried it. Now I’m thinking I really should look into it more since I’ve been suffering with the whole lack of sleep thing…at this point, me and my 3 cups of coffee are willing to try just about anything! :-/ Plus, I’m really digging all the benefits in #6! I could always use a bit more help in the area of digestion!
I owe you a huge thank you for lifting up the rock I’ve been living under, and exposing me to the ins and outs of dry brushing! Believe it or not, I’d actually never heard about this holistic remedy until rI read this post! You’ve definitely piqued my interest, especially considering the health benefits associated with the practice. I know I’d feel much better if my blood flow improved, as I have terrible circulation to my phalanges (<–I always squirm when I say – or type – that word!). 😉 Improved digestion, reduced bloating, and improved skin appearance sound pretty fantastic, too. Does any stiff-bristled hairbrush work? Or are there specific brushes made exclusively for dry brushing?
Your Foodie Pen Pal definitely has good taste -my envious eyes keep diverting back to the nacho cheese tortilla chips and caramel apple coffee. Yum!
Hope you're enjoying your long weekend, and that the corn on the cob was sweeter than ever. Hugs! <3 xoxo
Thanks so much for this informative tutorial, Amanda! You won't believe it, but I've actually never heard of dry brushing. Obviously I've been living under a brink
It’s definitely a great practice! I’ve been doing it for about 4 days now, and I’m already seeing some noticeable improvements. The brush you use can technically be any stiff bristled one, but ideally you want something without synthetic bristles – so something made from vegetable fibers or animal hairs.
I love that she sent you a spork! Haha. And thanks for the brush tips- I’ve actually had a dredlock form when I was like ten- it was ridiculous! 😉 Now detangler is my best friend
This reminds me that my holistic nutritionist recommends dry-brushing and meditation as two incredibly important parts of a healthy lifestyle, though I can never remember to do either consistently. I find that I try to get back into the habit every few months only to become lazy after a few days. But if you’ve seen such good results I’ll take this as a sign to start up again. Love the information you posted here.
How are you enjoying the Scorpio Races? YA books are my favorite form of pampering. I loved The Raven Boys and can’t wait for the sequel, so maybe something else by Stiefvater will hold me over until then… And is that a Lush product I spy? Favorite beauty shop.
I know what you mean about YA books – they’re definitely a great form of pampering. I actually really enjoyed The Scorpio Races… I picked it up on a whim and didn’t really expect much out of it, but I could hardly put it down. Definitely check it out 🙂
Thanks for another great post!!! I bought a brush several months back and haven’t used it yet! Sometimes I have good intentions and then never actually follow through 😉 Thanks to you, I now have a few more reasons to do it. Some of my feel good habits include my daily green smoothie, flossing my teeth, and moisturizing my skin.
Interesting! – I’ve never tried dry brushing, but now I really want to!
And Yayy for long weekends! It’s a long weekend here in Hong Kong too and it is soo very needed. It’s amazing how much longer a weekend is with Monday’s off. Enjoy yours! 🙂
Ahhh dy-brushing. It so so so good for you! I learned it from an ayurveda workshop, and its soooo good for my constitution. I always get swollen feet and lower legs, and that is the one thing, combined with an energizing citrus scrub in the shower that helps that, plus pulls me out of my sluggish morning funk. I too have fallen off the wagon–thanks for the reminder!
xoxo
This is really interesting to me! i have never heard of it before but now i want to try it! if it helps, it is totally worth it! now i’m off to target to get some brushes 😉
I love the idea of dry brushing. My skin is so flaky (not in the literal sense, more the metaphorical one), so this would be great for it.
You are right about needing relax time, plenty of sleep, and the right food in order to ultimately operate at our most efficient. When I find myself getting irritable for no real reason, I usually eat something because nine times out of ten, I’m just hungry. Is it weird irritability is my hunger cue? Oh well; it works.
I actually find that irritability is a pretty common hunger cue – I know that’s definitely the case for me. Hangry is not a pretty thing to be.
you are so knowledge with beauty products and pampering. Teach me your ways! dry brushing.. I’m on it!
Looks like you got some awesome pen pal swag in your box this month!!
I happen to love my dry brush (and my coconut oil after) I’ve only been doing it for a few months but it has made such in difference in my skin and in how I feel in general… this might be just me but I feel like I also have to shave my legs less often when I do it regularly which is always a plus 🙂
Wow I didn’t even know what dry brushing was before this post, but now I really want to get one! The looks like an interesting book, are you enjoying it?
Surprisingly yes. The story is really interesting and I like the author’s writing style. An entertaining and easy read 🙂
Awesome foodie box!!! I need to sign up one of these months, I keep forgetting.
I have a beautiful dry skin brush but I have to admit I’m guilty of never using it! Must try to keep it visible in the bathroom. That caramel apple coffee sounds amazing!
I recently started dry brushing, and I can already see the difference and feel way better! This is such an informative post! I started slacking recently, so this post was the wake up call 🙂
I’ve heard of dry brushing and some of its benefits, but I’ve never thought to give it a try. I’ve got to admit, I’m not the best at taking care of myself in that sense. I stick to the basics (showering, brushing my teeth, etc), but I don’t spend a lot of time on make up or hair masks or anything like that. As a student I’ve just never felt like I had time for it! But I realized back in December that neglecting myself wasn’t a good thing (I was neglecting seeing my doctor or physiotherapist about important issues), and I vowed to start taking better care of myself. It’s something I’m still working on!
It’s something I start slacking on as well sometimes, but it helps if you try to remember how much better it makes you feel when you do it… And after a while, it’ll start to feel more like habit.. kind of like brushing your teeth 🙂
Oh I’ve actually never even considered dry brushing but you’ve definitely gotten me intrigued…and the fact that it takes all of (well less than) 5 minutes is making me think that I can actually get on board with it! I’ll keep you posted, Amanda!
I’m all for taking care of myself too, even when life gets busy. Even small things like wearing clothes other than tracksuit bottoms or leggings can make a world of difference to how I feel! As vain as it might come across, one of my “feel good” habits is making sure my hair is done- either by myself or at the salon…even if that means doing my hair right before I go to bed! Good hair is sometimes all it takes to get my day on the right foot!
Um, SO jealous of that FPP loot. You definitely got spoiled!
I’m really intrigued by dry brushing. I’ve never heard of it but it sounds like something I would LOVE! I’m going to invest in a brush asap.
I’m glad that today was a little better for you- off days like that always get to me.
Niiice~I’m not a fan of caramel apples but that coffee sounds interesting–wouldn’t mind giving it a try! 😀 And I just learned something! That dry brushing sounds pretty awesome. I mean, it can’t hurt to give it a try, right?
I’m actually obsessed with your blog, you’re absolutely hysterical! I mean the Jim Carrey scene?? Priceless. I’ve never tried dry brushing, in fact I’ve never heard of it until today! It sounds really interesting, I might have to explore this a bit more haha! One of my essential feel-good healthy habits is drinking oolong tea. It’s not too light like white or green, but it’s also not too heavy-feeling like black teas, it’s right in the middle! I feel like it gives me a nice little boost throughout my day when I’m feeling kinda ehhhh
😆 That’s probably one of my favorite scenes from any movie – can’t watch it without bursting out laughing.
It looks like you got some awesome snack foods from your pen pal! I LOVE that lemon square gum!! It is my current flavor addiction. You will have to let me know what you think of it!
I literally bought my Yerba Prima skin brush on Monday on Iherb and got it delivered on Tuesday and already I’ve noticed by skin is much softer and less scaly!