The Myth of Multi-Tasking

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Trina Solomon | 21 Comments

We are often the ones that push ourselves the hardest and put pressure on ourselves to get so much done within a day. Each day only has so many hours so we resort to multi-taking to get things done. But is multi-taking effective? Or would we actually be more productive in the long run if we focused on one thing at a time?

The goal of multitasking is to efficiently complete 2 or more tasks at the same time. What research shows is that the brain is actually not capable of this. What the brain does is keeps switching back and forth from one task to the other. This unfocused back and forth switching actually causes both tasks to get done at a slower rate. According to Psychology Today, when you attempt to multi-task you actually end up taking you 40% longer to finish then you would by just giving one task your attention.

Not only does multi-tasking slow you down, it has other downsides. It can cause you to feel anxious. When we feel productive, we feel good. Feeling unproductive does not produce those same positive feelings. So when we slow down our effectiveness, anxiety can creep in. Multi-taking also occupies our brain which can take away creativity. Creativity loves space. When your brain is crowded with tasks, it is less spacious. This busy brain state can also result in more mistakes. When you are not as focused you increase the margin for error.  

So multi-tasking causes you to worker slower, be less creative, increase your anxiety levels and make more mistakes. This does not sound like a winner to us.

The more you multi-task, the more your brain gets used to that super busy mode as opposed to a spacious focused mode. We recommend, prioritizing tasks and tackling them one at a time. Remind yourself that this is the most productive path to success.

Here is a fun little multi-tasking test for you.

1) Spell aloud, letter by letter, “Leggings are comfortable” at the same time as you write your full name.

2) Spell aloud, letter by letter, “Leggings are comfortable” and then, after you are done with that, write your name.

Comment and let us know your experience with multitasking.

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS

Inspired by... The Beach Edit

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Trina Solomon | 0 Comments

We are continuously inspired by what surrounds us. So we decided to share some photos that inspire us along with products, locations and tips to capture the feeling of the photo.

Beach Chic with @devinbrugman

This image is clean, crisp and refreshing. The key to looking fresh is being happy and having fun. To recreate, try these items:

-The actual swimsuit in the photo: Monday Swimwear Bahamas One Piece

-Add a pop of turquoise colored water with Essie Nail Polish in Garden Variety

-Obtain the perfect beach waves with  Oribe Apres Beach Wave Spray

Boho Beach with @kelsrfloyd

For this down to earth bohemian vibe, check out these items.

-Adorable beach tent to create your haven Pleasure and Company Premium Beach Tent

-Add a boho inspired crochet and fringe beach bag SoloSol Movement Holy Jackpot Bag

-Keep yours (and baby's) skin protected with BabyBum Sunblock

Retro Beach with @RockyBarnes

For this oh so retro, monochromatic beach look, add some polka dots and stripes.

-Keep it bold and fresh with a Polka Dot Beach Towel 

-Add the stripes with Business and Pleasure Striped Beach Umbrella

-Location, Location, Location at Miami Beaches Edition Hotel

Tone and Tropical with @highonyoga

This photo is all fun and fitness (and major #yogagoals). Keep the inspiration going with these suggestions. 

–Take a yoga class with Cristina Ortega at Sol Yoga Miami 

-Add a pop of red with Essie Nail Polish 

-Go for the full effect with white beach sand 

These are just our fun suggestions based on photos that inspire us. These are not necessarily endorsed by the models. 

Posted in Fashion, HEALTH&WELLNESS, INSPO, INSTAGRAM, TRAVEL

Top 5 Favorite Beauty Travel Goodies

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Trina Solomon | 0 Comments

Here is a list of our top 5 favorite beauty travel goodies and the reasons why.

1. Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask This is the newest item on our list. We have seen this popping on IG for a while and finally decided to try it. It is unlike any other mask we have every used as it is a really thick cream that you leave on. It didn’t clog pores and left skin looking fresh in the morning.

2. Everyone for Everybody Hand Sanitizer Spray Coconut Lemon We recommend using this on the plane when you first board by spraying the seat and tray. It's great for anywhere on the go like airport, taxi or restaurants to freshen up your hands. It smells yummy delicious and keeps you germ free.

3. Peace Out Puffy Eyes We have tried a lot of eye masks and this one gives the best result in terms of reducing the puffiness of my eyes. They are cloudy gel like boomerang shaped pads that you place under your eyes. We notice a difference as soon as we remove them. We noticed the longer you left them on, the better the results.  

4. Amore Pacific Hydration Mist This is a life saver. Use this often on the plane and throughout the day. It is a light mist that feels refreshing on your face and just seems to keep skin looking more fresh and hydrated. It is also great for travel to hot destinations because it is refreshing.

5. La Roche Posay SPF 50 Tinted This is our #1 go to face SPF for travel and everyday life. We are very mindful of using sunblock on face and body and this is our favorite face sunblock. For those that break out easily,  this does not break you out. It is light and goes on easily. We love the tinted version because it helps balance out uneven skin tone.

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS, TRAVEL

2018 Health & Wellness Benefits

Posted on January 04, 2018 by Trina Solomon | 0 Comments

We love hearing about the latest and greatest to keep you looking and feeling your best. Check out these 5 top trends to kick off your new year.

Activated Charcoal

You can find this detoxing agent in powder and pill form. The main benefit is it pulls toxins from your body. Other benefits include; helps hangovers, alleviates gas, filters water and gets rid of mold. Our favorite benefit and the reason we started using it is, it whitens teeth. Add a little bit of activated charcoal to your tooth brush and whiten away. (Be careful, it can make a mess).

Moringa

Native to Africa and Asia, this powder is made from the leaves of one of the most nutrient rich plants in the world. With a spinach-like flavor, it is packed with protein (all 9 essential amino acids), fiber, iron, vitamins A, K, and E, calcium and antioxidants. In addition to all of the nutritional value, there are skin, digestion, stress relief benefits and more. 

Healthy Pet Food

This one is for your furry, four-legged friends. As people pay more attention to what's in their food, they are also paying more attention to whats in their pets food. Big brands are adding higher quality formulas and new brands are popping up with shops that specialize in healthy custom made meals for your best friend. Try making your pets food and you can share ingredients. Boil chicken and veggies for your dog and turn it into a chicken noodle soup for yourself. 

Ultra Violet Purple

 This vibrant Pantone Color of the Year is both calming (with blue) and energizing (with red). We all know that colors can have an effect on the brain so this is the perfect color for a balanced year. Ultra violet purple is also the color of the highest frequenceies so it's time to raise your vibration. (maybe this is the year we will all achieve enlightenment). 

Sleep Technology

A good nights sleep is always on trend. But what has changed is the way we achieve it. Research has pushed technology into the bedding world with things like astronaut based Phase Change Material (PCM) technology that helps keep you cool while you sleep and gadgets and apps that track your nightly movement and REM sleep. A good night's sleep allows you to function better during the day, so don't neglect your sleep environment. 

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS, INSPO

Jungle Goddess Smoothie

Posted on October 03, 2017 by Trina Solomon | 0 Comments

Jungle Goddess Smoothie

There are so many food trends that are prevalent in today’s world, it’s hard to keep track, know what’s worth it, and what will be forgotten about a year from now.  However, there is one trend I definitely think is here to stay, and that is the green smoothie.  Looking back over the years, the evolution of my personal green smoothie has been quite the journey.  It began as a small handful of baby spinach was wearily added to my usual concoction of frozen berries and yogurt.  Once I had that under my belt, I slowly began to discover the beauty of using banana to thicken the smoothie and add creaminess, and I also began adding healthy fats, like a spoonful of almond butter, peanut butter, or coconut.  From there, I became even more adventurous and started adding different “superfoods” such as hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax oil and maca powder.  I learned many lessons along my “green smoothie journey,” and have some tips and tricks for creating that perfect smoothie every time:

1. Don’t use too much fruit: a good rule of thumb is no more than 1 cup of fruit per smoothie.  It helps to ask yourself if you would sit down to that much fruit in one serving normally, if it weren’t all pureed in a blender.  While fruit is an extremely valuable and nutritious food, too much eaten at one time can actually have adverse effects, such as spiking blood sugar and can even cause weight gain.
2. Put as many veggies as possible into your smoothie: Not only does this allow you to “bulk up” the smoothie without adding extra fruit, it is also so important to be eating as many vegetables at every meal as we can.  Vegetables are the key to a healthy diet, hands down.  And you don’t have to limit yourself to just spinach- think out of the box, too!  Frozen cauliflower and zucchini are very mild in taste and add a nice thick consistency to the smoothie.  Other vegetetables I have used (all frozen) include cucumber, sweet potatoes, beets, butternut squash, and even green peas!
3. Always add healthy fat: If your smoothie only consists of fruits and veggies, it is not going to keep you full for very long, and you have a higher chance of all of that fruit spiking your blood sugar if you don’t have a good, high-quality fat to go with it.  Nut butters, flax oil, nuts and seeds, and coconut all work here.  Plus, they add a really nice satiating quality to the smoothie!
4. Don’t forget the protein: Since smoothies are often used as a meal replacement, it is important to make sure you have all of your macros (fat, protein, and carbs) covered.  The fruit and vegetables cover the carbohydrate factor and we already addressed healthy fats.  Luckily, healthy fat and protein often go hand in hand (nut butters, nuts and seeds), but if you use a low-protein fat like coconut, you want to make sure and throw in some hemp seeds or your favorite protein powder, especially if you are having your smoothie for breakfast. 
5. Add those superfoods!: Have a bag of chia seeds or raw maca powder that you have heard can work wonders but you are not sure what to do with?  Throw them in your smoothie!  This is the place where you can really rack up nutrition points so don’t be shy!  My favorite smoothie superfood add-ins are hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax oil, maca powder, cacao powder, and spirulina!
6. Don’t be afraid to amp up the flavor: Dried spices, herbs, flavored nutmilks, and citrus can add so much flavor to your smoothie and will keep things interesting.  Cinnamon goes great with a banana and almond butter based smoothie.  Cardamom is a really interesting twist on a smoothie made with mango and coconut.  Basil is delicious when paired with blueberries and bananas.  Vanilla and sea salt will really amp up the chocolate flavor when using raw cacao.

For this Green Jungle Goddess Smoothie, I stayed true to my advice and covered all of my bases I talk about above.   Not only is this smoothie delicious in all of its tropical vibes, but it packs killer nutrition, too.  Fresh ginger is a very power inflammation-fighter and fresh mint is good for your skin and digestive system.  You get a healthy serving of both fruit and veggies, which contain all kinds of goodies such fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin K, among others.  Hemp seeds contain a good dose of protein and the coconut milk covers your bases for weight-loss aiding healthy fats.

To make this smoothie over-the-top good for you, consider adding the spirulina powder.  It is one of the highest quality and most bioavailable sources of plant-based protein and iron on the planet, and contains crucial b-vitamins like thiamin and riboflavin.  And as an added bonus, it gives the smoothie the most insane green color!

Try out this delicious green smoothie and see if this is something you want to add to your daily routine!   This smoothie can easily be a blueprint for what you have on hand!  You could swap out pineapple for mango or almond milk for coconut milk. Throw in some chia seeds if you have them lying around or a handful of pumpkin seeds for an extra dose of magnesium.

Whatever you do, enjoy this smoothie in your SoloSol Jungle Goddess Yoga Pants, dreaming of palm trees, waves, and sunshine!  

Guest Blog by Elizabeth Lim, Holistic Health Chef and Beach Babe 

To see more of her recipes and meal delivery, check out her site Kale & Coconuts

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS, RECIPE

Healthy Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Sila Atikol | 0 Comments

There is a general misconception about healthy food, that it is not tasty. We all want to opt for the healthy but when you think about it, who wants to eat tasteless food, or how long can you keep it up? As someone who have been staying on the healthy side of things, I can tell you that healthy doesn't mean not delicious. I am a fat soul and I cannot live without enjoying my food. You might think that I got used to the taste of healthy food because I am going on for so long, and it is true that your eating habits are only habits and when you choose differently, you do get used to it and eventually built new habits. But that's definitely not the case here. I have some friends who are strictly against healthy eating. When I have them over at my house as guests, I refuse to serve them something that I would not normally eat. So I am serving them one of my healthy or paleo deserts along with coffee and I can tell you with great pleasure that they are enjoying every bite and cannot tell the difference.

In summer avoiding the ice cream would be the biggest challenge for most healthy eating newbies. So I would like to share with you some of my favourite, most delicious and easiest alternatives for the hottest days of summer.

1. Strawberry

This one can actually be done with pineapple, peach (peeled) or mango as well.

Ingredients

4 cups of frozen strawberries (I always make sure they are not completely frozen and not completely melted)

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS, RECIPE

Strawberry Chia Pudding

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Shan Maher | 0 Comments

What you’ll need:

Posted in HEALTH&WELLNESS, RECIPE