Norah Loves Makeup

Beauty Musings From A Makeup Artist

How To Slay In The Midst of Chaos

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##THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY USA NETWORK, ALL OPINIONS AND VIEWS ARE MY OWN##

Despite some recent personal setbacks, I am determined to continue at the pursuit of slaying this game we call life. A week ago, I lost my four legged canine best friend Henry. This has been a rollercoaster that took a lot out of me, emotionally. Since Henry’s departure it’s been chaotic with lots of tears. It’ll be a little while before we get back to normal but life goes on.

On another personal note, since late last year I’ve been invested in my fitness with a lifestyle overhaul. Taking care of “me” in the midst of chaos is challenging. However, it is proven that exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. Physical exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural mood enhancers. People ask me how am coping with the chaos, and my answer is to incorporate these three personal mantras.

1) SET REALISTIC GOALS
Last year I had an epiphany, I felt too tired all time and didn’t like the way my clothes fit me anymore. I set a goal of losing one dress size and improve eating habits, exercise 3 times a week and have quality sleep. This was the first tangible goal I feel I accomplished almost eight months later. I have another goal that I’ve set for my 44th birthday and am well on my way.

2) ALLOW DAYS OF REST AND REFLECTION
Losing Henry drained me. I had to take a few steps back and allow this moment of grief to enter, release and not feel ashamed for these feelings. Losing a pet is hard, and leaves us with a feeling of inexplicable sadness. I spent time reflecting on how much this little being meant to me and my family. This also meant I had to take a break and disconnect, and it was a good decision.

3) BE KIND TO YOUR BODY
One of my other epiphanies was being aware of how my diet was affecting my body, I made some adjustments and these have worked very well. I also gave my body a challenge in the form of exercise, not as punishment but as a way to improve the quality of life I was living. I sleep better and feel like myself, healthier, braver, stronger. Doing something for you is important, be kind to your body, trust me on this.

Since I took time off work, I started watching the series Queen of the South (Season 1) on Netflix. Season 2 will be airing on June 8th at 10/9C, on USA network. This series has a strong female character lead, determined to not let her personal obstacles deter her goals. This is a powerful story that I highly recommend, if you are looking for a new series to get into.

How do you stay sane amidst chaos? Tell me in the comments section.

Receptra Naturals CBD Oil For Muscle Recovery

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##SPONSORED POST – ALL VIEWS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN##

Over the course of the past month, I’ve been using Receptra Naturals CBD oils, Active and Prime. What is CBD oil and how can it help with muscle recovery and pain? CBD oil is a natural, legal, non-psychoactive concentrate extracted from hemp. Unlike “cannabis oil” (generally referring to high THC oil), CBD hemp oil will not make you feel lethargic or high. Studies, science and endorsements for CBD oil are aplenty (just Google CBD oil). I, myself, knew little about CBD until Receptra Naturals reached out and got educated on the topic of CBD as I began using it.

A little background – I’ve been training and exercising consistently since September of last year. Exercise has given me a new set of energy, sleep and focus. I lift weights two times a week with a personal trainer at Blink Fitness. I also do Muay Thai mixed with High Intensity Training (HIIT is a circuit session with little rest in between sets, sometimes with weights and your own body resistance). To help my muscles lengthen and stretch, I incorporated yoga once a week. Any amount of training I can squeeze with my makeup work schedule, I will do rain, sunshine or snow. All this exercise has been gradual and has increased my metabolism, meaning I am able to burn more calories in one hour sessions. With weight training, Muay Thai and HIIT comes a degree of muscle soreness and needed recovery. This where Receptra Naturals CBD Oils have helped me tremendously.

Typically, I’ll use Receptra Naturals CBD oil in the mornings before I train and at night before I get to bed. CBD oils reduce pain, inflammation, and muscle spasms. Since I started I noticed less pain and am able to work out with more consistency because I am not as sore. I also sleep VERY well, as sleep is a huge part of the recovery and rest for your body (and mind). I’ve been posting my progress of it on my social media with friends asking me about it.

My main goal with all this training is endurance, focus and gradual weight loss, both which I have been achieving (10 lbs so far!). The aspect I was having most trouble with was endurance because initially, I’d be very sore on days after I did weight training. Once I began using both CBD Oils from Receptra Naturals, I noticed a gradual change in my recovery/ muscle soreness levels.

Just to give you an idea about the Receptra Naturals CBD oils and how they differentiate:

Active Lifestyle
Active, Elite, Pro— These differ from the Health and Wellness products in that they also contain walnut oil, avocado seed oil, and Turmeric. These are natural ingredients that improve energy, focus, and endurance. Aside from the variation in formulas, the difference between the Active, Elite, and Pro is in the concentration of CBD.

Active – 15mg of CBD per serving
Elite – 30mg of CBD per serving
Pro – 60mg of CBD per serving

I take Active CBD every morning, one drop usually with my coffee (usually on the days I am going to the gym or do my boxing sessions, which are an hour typically). In the evenings and generally an hour before I retire to sleep, I will use Receptra Prime CBD. I drift to sleep nicely, since all this exercise and CBD oil, I’ve been having the best sleep ever.

Receptra Naturals CBD Oils range from $39.95 – $199.95, sold online. *I started with a low dosage and definitely felt it as time progressed, a few days in.

Also, there is a Receptra Naturals Targeted Topical Ointment made out of CBD Oil, this is for muscle and joint soreness. I’ve used this mostly on my joints, especially my wrists and shoulders where sometimes I feel pain from using weights and boxing gloves. The ointment is 400+mg CBD per container and is scented with a refreshingly soothing smell of Jasmine and Ylang Ylang. I have a friend in FL who ordered this Receptra Ointment for her arthritis pain and she has reported great results from using the Targeted Topical.

Receptra Naturals Targeted Topical Ointment retails for $34.95 for 30ml

Feel free to ask me any questions related to CBD, Receptra Naturals and this fitness path I’ve been in. For anyone interested in trying CBD Oils by Receptra Naturals, I have a discount code to share, use NORAHHEMP and you’ll get 15% off entire order. Can be used unlimited times. Cannot be combined with other coupons. (*I make no commission from this, just want to share the love). I want to thank Receptra Naturals for finding me, this journey has been so awesome and am hooked.

Here is a snap of me on a Monday before hitting the gym. To give you some perspective, I was over 163 lbs when I started, now I am 152 lbs, definitely hit my pre baby Eva weight (almost three years ago with an active goal of just energy, muscle tone and a healthy lifestyle).

Jenny Craig, The Things I Learned Plus My Progress

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Thank you Jenny Craig for sponsoring this post. — Get serious about losing weight with Jenny Craig!

It’s been four weeks since I started Jenny Craig and I have lots to report. But first things first, I want to give you the good news, I lost four pounds! This week, after a horrible bout with strep and the flu, I am fully recovered and hitting the pavement again with my fitness (I had to take a break to rest). Besides this minor hiccup, what’s worked for me best using Jenny Craig’s program is mindfulness with my portions, knowledge about my calories and having a meal plan mapped out.

On the food front, Jenny Craig has taught me a great valuable lesson. To be honest, the discipline aspect of planning my meals and knowing what I had to eat, is what I appreciate most. When you sign up to Jenny Craig there are over yummy 100 premium menu items to select from, this is all created by 40 professional chefs. There is no stress trying to figure out what to eat within your calorie intake allowance.  Every week, you get a sheet with your planned breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. I said this in my other post but I want to reiterate the message, my favorite part of Jenny Craig’s food is the snacks, the protein bars and desserts are to die for! The meals have a good balance of protein and vegetables, there is some pastas but this is all made to balance out your nutrients while still having flavor/ variety.

If someone was to ask me what stood out the most of having this structure, I would say portion control. Before Jenny Craig, I was very unaware of my intake and snacks, my consultant put me on 1500 calories a day, based on my active lifestyle and goals. As a result of this plan we set forth, now I am four pounds lighter and on a healthy, steady road to another eleven more pounds to lose. **Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss. This is exactly how I’ve been doing, losing a pound a week, doing Jenny Craig balanced meals plus 3-5 times a week of high intensity workouts, a giant leap of lifestyle changes. I wake up energized and when I have work,  and can’t get to the gym, I am not worried about my meals, they are already set.

Lastly, I want to give a massive shot out to the Jenny Craig center in Westfield New Jersey. My consultant was so kind and helped me navigate the meal plan and expectations I’d set for myself. It is a bonus to be able to have someone support you through a journey, as personal as being new to Jenny Craig, giving me motivation through the ups and downs, with thoughtful advice and lots of encouragement. If you want to jump start and a plan, a new you, I’d recommend trying Jenny Craig.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.