Sei Bello

Healthy and Beautiful

Last modified on 2010-02-18 20:45:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Do you want to be healthy? The obvious answer we get when we ask this question is a yes, right? We all know that life can be tough and frustrating sometimes, but hey, who says we can’t do anything about it? Experiencing pleasure and satisfaction is so important in maintaining mental and physical health. To be beautiful, you don’t just need a healthy body, you also have to have to have a healthy mind. These are steps to ensure the most healthy and happy life possible.

Sleep: Be sure to give yourself sufficient sleep. It really helps to loosen up your thinking and your mood. Lack of sleep can cause you a lot of things. It can cause you to be haggard, irritable, and distracted. Regardless of age, people should try to at least get 7-9 hours a day.

Water and plenty of nutritious fruits: Commonsense right? These things are essential for our well being. Minimize your fat, salt and sugar intake. In my past blog, I have mentioned some of the ‘everyday’ foods we should eat to have enough nuturients for the day. Drink plenty of water. Water helps to remove toxins from our body.

Be social: As long as you keep yourself free from negative talk, being with people satisfies the soul. It doesn’t just provide you the entertainment you need for your mental health, but the glow that you show when you’re enjoying your life also shows. Have fun with your friends, spend time with them and talk to them.

Be optimistic: Stay away from negative thoughts as much as you can. Being pessimistic won’t get you and your health anywhere.

Refresh Yourself

Last modified on 2010-02-12 20:49:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ever wondered what leads to a stressful life? A stress-free life seems impossible, right? The inability to cope with a situation, or a number of conditions that we have to face daily, leads to stress. We are human beings and there is never a possibility to lead a life without stress. To reduce the stress that you are facing nowadays work to rejuvenate yourself. Instead of just resolving to exercise or eat right, think about how you can rejuvenate your spirit by taking better care of yourself. Following are some simple ways to rejuvenate your spirit. Take a break: Whatever that is that you think stresses you, it’s advisable that you should take a break from it. It’s best to get away from the situation that has caused you to burn out. This may mean going out for a walk and getting away for a few hours. This may also mean maybe going on enjoyable vacations. Do something calming: What do you enjoy that calms you down? For others this might be going outdoors and enjoying the weather. But this can also mean taking a nap, or a bath, or even reading. Have Fun!: Have a blast each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. For me, hanging out with close friends, spending time with the fam, and even shopping all take my mind off of everything. Be Creative: Find something new that you think you would enjoy. Throwing yourself into a creative activity is another great way to de-stress and to prevent stress. Right now, I’m currently fond of scrapbooks. It really helps with my creativity skills. Eat Healthy: Become healthier and a major source of stress will disappear. Having good eating habits really do improve your appearance and of course, how to make the right decisions when face stressful situations.

Top Five Healthiest Fruits

Last modified on 2010-02-06 19:45:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

There are hundreds of varieties of fruits that we encounter and eat everyday.  As all of us know by now, fruits are very important in our body wellness and our healthful diet.  Different fruits provide us different nutrients, from protein to potassium to fiber.  It is essential for our well-being.  Lately, I have been wondering what fruits are considered the healthiest.  I mean, I know that different fruits have their own nutrients, but it just made me curious which ones of them give the most.  I feel like this would give me the idea as to what fruit choices I should make when I’m at the grocery store.  I want to share this with all of you Echo readers and here they are:  (Note:  There might be more nutritious fruits that aren’t in this list. These are just based from my research.)

1. Muskmelon-  Muskmelon is commonly known as cantaloupe.  Personally, when I found out that cantaloupe provides a lot of vitamins and nutrients, I felt really happy.  I have always loved cantaloupes. Whenever I get a chance to go to the grocery store, I make sure I get one.  Cantaloupe is rich in protein, carbohydrate, citric acid, fiber, folate, beta-carotene, and vitamin A, B, B3 (niacin), B6 and C. It is also a great nutrient for potassium, a nutrient that may help control high blood pressure, prevent stroke and regulate heart beat, and reduce the risk of getting kidney stones.

2. Apples-  Like what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Crisp or mellow, tart or sweet, you’re bound to find something everyone in the family will like. Packed with numerous antioxidants, apples are best enjoyed with the skin left on for maximum benefit.  High proportion of fiber compounds of the apple replenish insufficient fiber intake of our body. The powerful antioxidants, anthocyanin, found in red apples protect us from cardiovascular disease and cancer development.  Apples are not only delicious, they’re also plentiful of nutrients.

3. Oranges-  Of course, oranges are always on the list when it comes to the word healthy.  With their high vitamin C content, it’s no wonder we all inherently reach for a glass of orange juice at the first sign of a cold to boost our flagging immune systems.

4. Purple Grapes-  I have to say grapes are one of my favorite fruits.  Purple grape fruit contains iron, potassium, and fiber. These substances help improves skin’s condition, treats grout, liver and other kidney disorders.

5. Cherries-  I heard before that cherries are the top super fruits for its highest content of iron and the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants compared to other fruits.  Doesn’t that sound kind of unbelievable?  Well, that’s what I thought, until I researched some background information.  It also has potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber, folate, vitamin C and E. Each 100 grams of fresh cherries contain higher proportion of vitamin A which is 5 times higher than apples and grapes!

Source(s):  http://dietmotion.com/top-15-healthiest-fruits.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1293420/top_5_healthiest_fruits.html?cat=51
http://www.examiner.com/x-12262-Boise-Healthy-Living-Examiner~y2009m9d1-Top-5-antioxidant-fruits

Compliments

Last modified on 2009-12-16 20:06:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

How do compliments affect a person’s self-esteem?
A compliment is an expression of esteem, respect, affection or admiration; an admiring remark. In my opinion, a compliment is a praise to flatter, or to gratify someone. I really think that compliments make someone’s day. It also increases a person’s self-esteem in a way that gives them more confidence. A good compliment makes that person eager to do the same thing with others. Compliments must be given sincerely, in a spirit of thoughtfulness and caring, from a true desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This doesn’t come naturally, but with a little effort you can learn how. You’ll be amazed at the results, when you make giving compliments a part of your daily life. You will also be amazed as to how your compliments will benefit the wellness of other people and their self-esteem.
When a person says bad things about themselves or cannot accept compliments, it’s usually a sign of low self esteem. Not in all cases, of course. Being humble is one thing and a good thing, but one can usually tell the difference between someone who is humble and one who has low self esteem. A compliment can really turn a person’s mood upside down. If a person is having a bad day and someone gives them compliments, they’ll think that their day isn’t that bad after all.

Where Does Poor Self-Esteem Start?

Last modified on 2009-12-16 20:05:20 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

A positive attitude towards oneself can be threatened by the things around the person. Low self-esteem is usually influenced by the wrong attitude of comparing oneself with other people. Envy leads to negative thoughts of oneself and can result to low self-esteem. A factor that can affect self-esteem is the amount of kinship one feels with family, or the people in one’s surroundings. If everyone except oneself, for example, loves sports, it can lead to feelings of being misunderstood, which in turn can lead to lower self-esteem

There are many reasons for poor self-esteem. Everybody needs to feel appreciated, recognized and respected simply for who they are. Self-esteem is easily weakened if a person is often told during his or her up-bringing that he or she is not good enough, or is worthless. At the same time, a person who has mainly received praise and approval when he or she has achieved something, for example in sports or in an exam, may feel that his or her self-worth is dependent on achievement, instead of inner qualities. Self-esteem is also negatively affected if one does not get enough recognition and attention during up-bringing. The feeling of self-worth is affected by circumstances during one’s up-bringing, but different people are also more or less sensitive from the beginning. Some do not care at all what others think, while others are more easily influenced.

What Makes a Self-Confident Person Attractive?

Last modified on 2009-12-09 21:40:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

What makes a self-confident person attractive?

Hmm, this sounds like a really complicated question. Don’t you think? According to HighBeam.com, many feel that these individuals are intriguing and more interesting because they tend not to be burdened by low self-esteem. For some inexplicable reasons, people tend to be magnetically drawn to the ‘alpha’ type personalities. Alpha personalities have plenty of self confidence. They assume they are the leaders in any situation, and they never have, or display any self doubt. People that have alpha personalities are magnets because of their aura of self confidence and inner happiness. They have plenty of self esteem. They think they are worthy of attention, and they receive plenty of it.

I have talked about this on my previous blogs, but the first step to building up your self confidence and self esteem is to start believing in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself then no one else will either. Why should they? If you can’t treat your own self with respect then others pick up on it, and they will not have respect for you either

Emotional Wellness

Last modified on 2009-12-09 21:42:43 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

-John Homer Miller

For this week’s blog entry, I was planning on writing about emotional wellness, but this quote seems like something that I can write about that also relates with emotional wellness. According to globalserve.net, emotional wellness is demonstrated by the overall comfort with and acceptance of one’s full range of feelings. Positive emotions such as happiness, amusement, excitement, contentment and love contribute to our overall sense of well-being. It is striving to meet emotional needs constructively. It is maintaining good mental health, a positive attitude, high self-esteem, and a strong self-image.
I want to talk about how this quote may not be that long, but it means a lot. It basically says that the way you look at life is the way you’re going to live it. The things that will happen in your life in the future are based on to how you handle your life in the present.

I liked this quote because it clearly states that having a positive outlook towards life and to whatever might happen in the future will surely help a person out when it comes to his/her emotional status.

Beauty Can Mean a Lot

Last modified on 2009-11-23 23:48:14 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

“What makes a person beautiful?” This is the question that I thought of while I was planning my next blog entry. This is the kind of question that if you’d ask somebody for an answer, you’d be able to get different answers from different points and perspectives. According to Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary, the word beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.
However for me, being beautiful means a lot of things and characteristics that a person has. First off, it’s pretty obvious that the face structure, the attractiveness of a person, plays a large role on being beautiful. Physical attractiveness is often the only aspect that people consider when they say someone is beautiful. They fail to recognize that there’s more things to consider when calling a person beautiful. For me, I don’t think the exterior is the only thing that matters. What’s on the inside is incredibly important too. Having a kind-hearted soul is a big asset to someone’s personality. If a person has a nice inner self, people will view that person differently in a good way, and they will treat him/her in a nice way. Everyone needs a little kindness in their lives sometimes. Kindness makes the world a good place for us live in, it also makes the challenges in our lives easier. That’s why kindness plays a big role in being beautiful.

How can you be happy with what you have?

Last modified on 2009-11-17 20:40:21 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

For some of us, this might be a hard question to answer. Every one of us has a different position about the topic. In my previous blog entry, I talked about how a person should be happy with what he/she has, but I forgot to recognize and point out the different ways on how we can make use of our own wonderful assets and our positive features. I know it can be hard sometimes to acknowledge our assets, but we must learn how to do this in order to really accept ourselves. Self-acceptance for me is the ability to love and embrace yourself. It’s not the same as being vain. It’s just knowing that you are an important and powerful individual, and being able to recognize that.

“One must have the adventurous daring to accept
oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake
the most interesting game in the world, making
the most of one’s best.”
- Harry Emerson Fosdick

I thought this quote was really good. It pretty much wraps up the whole meaning of self-acceptance. For me, it means one should have enough courage to accept and discover the unexpected things that one has. I like the part when he says to undertake the most interesting game in the world, making the most of one’s best. It made me realize that it’s not easy to be able to recognize who we really are, and it is big accomplishment when we finally discover the best that lies deep down inside each and every one of us.

How Stress Can be Bad for Our Health

Last modified on 2009-11-17 20:36:26 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

We all know that dealing with stress in our everyday life is not easy.  It doesn’t just affect us mentally, it can get to you physically too.  In my previous posts, I talked about ways to simple ways to reduce stress in our busy lives,  but I realized that it is also very important to know what stress does to us, and our health.

According to womenshealth.com, stress can be created by our body’s emotional needs and challenges.  Some of these challenges can be when we are dealing with a traumatic accident, death or emergency situation.  However, there are other factors that affect our daily stress levels: the workplace and family responsibilities.  It’s hard to stay calm and relaxed in our hectic lives, but we need it for our own good.

Now, how does it affect our body?  The way our body responds to an external stressor is meant to protect and support us. However, as the level of pressure increases, stress eventually surpasses our ability to cope with it in a positive way.  For more information about these, go tohttp://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/Stress_and_Your_Health_How_Stress_Affects_Your_Immune_System_and_More.htm

Ego-maniac or Confident?

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:30:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

This week, I had a random conversation with a close friend and, somehow, we got on the topic of self-confidence. I then asked her what she thinks about self-confidence, and she said it has some pros and cons. This made me think, “Does too much self-confidence turn to ego?” This seems to be a complicated question, and I’m pretty sure everyone has their own opinion about it. But I’ll try to put my say on this topic.

First of all, it really comes down as to how you define ego. Nowadays the word “ego” is often used unscientifically for the self-estimate of a person, and having a big ego means that you are holding yourself in high esteem, which is not necessarily a bad thing, although some people would not agree. I, personally, do not think ego is a bad thing. Confidence and trust on one’s self is a valuable thing. It helps a person present himself/herself in a pleasant way.

However, having too much ego would probably be considered a bad thing.  Having an ‘inflated’ ego can be bad to your surroundings. It can be harmful to your relationships with other people because this affects how you interact with them and how they see you as a person. After all ego, in Latin, means “I”. Most people with big egos think that the world revolves around them.

The Love of Self

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:30:30 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

So okay, I know I’ve been going on and on about having an enough self-esteem on my previous posts. But to mix things up a little bit, I thought that I should probably write about something somewhat related to it. I thought maybe I should write a blog about vanity and narcissism. All of us probably have an idea as to what vanity is, but only a few of us know what it really means deep within and how this affects a person’s ego and how they present themselves to other people.

According to wikipedia.com, narcissism refers to the personality trait of self-esteem, which includes the set of character traits concerned with self-image or ego. There are many people who refer to narcissistic people as arrogant, self-centered, presumptuous, and over-confident, which is basically a negative comment.

However, there are also people who admire other people who are generally perceived as narcissistic, arrogant and full of themselves. These people are actually those people who lack self-confidence. But whether some people might admit it or not, I do believe that everyone has some narcissistic traits, but, being conceited, argumentative, or selfish is probably not included in this.

So to wrap all of these things up, I found out that narcissism is considered as an obsession with oneself, where as vanity is an obsession with one’s appearance. You wouldn’t really think of these two as being very difference, but they do have a contrasting concept.

What is Body Image? How Can You Improve Yours?

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:29:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.

According to healthy place.com, body image involves our perception, imagination, emotions,and physical sensations of and about our bodies. The feelings and the emotions that we encounter in our day-to-day life always changes. This is why it is a big part of how we deal with our body image. Self-esteem plays a large role on how we present ourselves and how accept our body image. If we have a high self-esteem, this makes us capable of being confident and make us proud of what we are and what we have in our body and in ourselves. The way we see body image is affected by how we are judged by others. Having a good perception about our body image is not an inherited trait, it is learned. This learning happens around our family, our peers, and the other people around us.

To develop a healthy body image there are things that you should consider doing. One of these is to listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry; it is obviously not right to starve your body just to be “in shape”. Also exercise regularly in an enjoyable way, regardless of size. If you’re not into lifting weights and going to the gym, you can call up your gals and arrange a date where all of you can go out and play a certain sport you all love. This would make it really enjoyable and would be considered as hanging out rather than exercising. You also have to work towards self acceptance and self forgiveness, this means to be gentle with yourself. And last but not the least, decide how you wish to spend your energy- pursuing the “perfect body image”, or enjoying life with school, family, and friends?

Boost Your Self-Esteem

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:29:16 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Self-esteem is a very important ingredient to live a happy and fulfilling life.  It is important because feeling good about one’s self can affect how a person acts.  Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves, and how worthwhile they feel.  As most of you all know, people who struggle with gaining a good self-esteem are mostly teens.  This is because in the teen ages, the body goes through many changes.  These changes are combined with a desire to feel accepted.  Teens may compare themselves with the people around them, or what they see in Hollywood, and the latest trends in magazines.  Some teens might be tempted to copy or do what their idolized characters in the media are doing.  Here are a few simple ways to enhance your self-esteem:

1.)  Set goals and work to achieve them- Isn’t it nice knowing that you have achieved something from your own hard work?

2.)  Develop your talents- Talents are a big asset to a person’s life.  If you develop your own talent, you’ll be really proud of yourself.

3.)  Be your own best friend- Treat yourself well and do things that are good for you.

4.)  Reward yourself for your successes-  Some of us just don’t realize how big the accomplishments we make in life.  Spend time and recognize it.

5.) Make good choices for yourself- This means don’t let others decide or make choices for you.

So there it is, a few guidelines to enhance a person’s self-esteem.

‘Till the next post!

Be Happy With What You Have

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:28:52 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Many women, teens in particular, worry a lot about their body and are scared of ‘getting fat’. Sometimes this causes many women to diet to unhealthy levels and get obsessed with food and what they eat.  This means that they can’t really enjoy eating their food without feeling guilty about those ‘naughty calories’.

But sometimes, we also have to accept that your body is the only one you will have, it is precious and you must learn to live with it, value it, and take good care of it.  Learn to love yourself.  Drink lots of water, and eat more fruits.  This doesn’t only benefit your body but it also makes you healthier.  Also, focus on your positives.  Try to stop comparing yourself to others.  Make a list of things that you like about yourself, and not just the physical things either.

Every morning look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re looking fabulous today, and keep telling yourself until you believe it.  Remember, self confidence is the first step to real beauty.

Little Ways to Live a Stress-Free Life

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:28:22 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ever had those days where you just couldn’t wait for that day to end?  Life can be so tough and overwhelming at times.  There are times when we look at life more of as a challenge and not a happy journey.  Things like school work, job tensions, sports and other stress-related activities do not make anyone’s day.  Trust me, I know how it feels.  However, we all have to look at the bright side of everything.I know this can be impossible sometimes, but this is the key to living the good life!  We should also have a good vibe of energy because this is also the key to  happiness and success.  Having said that, I have come up with some habits to a looking young, feeling young, lifestyle:

1.) Joy of Living- Everyday, you should try and do something that shows you how amazing the world can be.  If you have a park near your house, then take some time to hang out there, maybe walk your dog, or just enjoy the fresh breeze. Leaving the house and enjoying the outdoors are ways to forget all your stress.  Forget about everything else that’s going on and take a break from them.  Look at  the nice surroundings around you and embrace every bit of  it.

2.)  Laughter- Everyone knows that laughter is the best medicine.  Whether it comes to health problems or personal conflicts, laughter can practically  heal anything.  Watch comedy movies with your gals.  Or if all else fails, turn on cartoon network and prepare for cartoon tv shows like Spongebob and his silly dialogues.  Spongebob is a sure way to get some LOLing out.

3.)  Do Something Good For Others- Helping out others is another way to feel good.  This would help you feel good about yourself and feel happy knowing that you have helped someone.  Doing good acts does not only make you a nice person, but this can also make someone else’s day.

4.) Keep a Feeling-Good Journal- Get a completely blank journal and fill all of it with happy thoughts and good things that happen in your everyday life.  Fill it up with happy experiences like a note sent from someone special, a photo of your family and friends, or maybe a cut out horoscope from a magazine or from a newspaper.  Stick only positive things on your journal and open it up whenever you’re feeling down or upset.

5.) Indulge your passion- What is it that make you go “Ohh, lala!!”?  Is it eating?  Writing a journal?  Playing the guitar?  Whatever it is, you should do it, and don’t feel guilty for doing it.  You have to spoil yourself a little bit sometimes, you know.

So there it is, I hope that these habits would appeal to you. Be a happy citizen, and don’t forget to smile.

Keep tuned in for more.

Feel Good ‘Bout Yourself

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:27:50 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

If you wish to enjoy the pleasures this world can offer to you, you must have a positive outlook in life.  Having the right confidence and feeling good about yourself is the key to finding yourself in a better condition and to facing the world and the trials you’re encountering or going to encounter in your life.  If you do not feel positive about yourself, you will not be able to present yourself in a good way.  There are some aspects in life that will help you achieve this.

Try to be surrounded by people who are optimistic and has a good outlook towards life.  Try to be with them as much as possible, as their company would help you to overcome shortcomings in your views and you will be able to transform yourself in a better and in a quicker manner.

It is very important to listen to your inner self.  It always gives you the right things to do.  So try to follow these instructions to avoid misguidance.  Spend some time in leisure to identify yourself.  You should spend a few minutes everyday to reconsider yourself.  Here, consider your clothes, make up, hairstyle, and posture seriously.  These are ways to have a good confidence.

Remember, the most beautiful trait you can have is confidence.

Welcom to Sei Bello!

Last modified on 2009-11-14 21:27:24 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Bonjour world!  Welcome to my Beauty and Wellness blog.  My name is Alyanna Balanay, and my quest is to inspire and to talk about having a healthier life, not just on the outside beauty but most especially on the inner beauty as well.  My blogs will be mostly about taking care of your health by doing the right things, looking gorgeous, and feeling glamorous!

I thought of writing about this topic because most people, especially teens, do not feel comfortable in their own skin.  They tend to have a low appreciation of themselves and what they naturally have.

I hope that in the long run, I will be able to connect and inspire different people with my online journals, or as others might put it, blogs.

Thanks for dropping by readers!

See ya’ll around