Tracey Mallett’s blog

Tracey Mallett

A fake tan is not only safer  than  the sun’s dangerous UV rays (which lead to deadly skin cancer, so don’t even think about laying out in the sun or on a tanning bed), but it gives you great color in no time flat and your legs will look hot. Plus, it hides cellulite pretty well. I swear I felt like I won the lottery the day I discovered that.

You  can either give yourself a faux glow at home (see tips below) or go to a spa or salon that has a spray tan booth, where a pro spritzes your whole body with self-tanner.

It’s truly amazing what an instant tan does for your confidence. It’s safe, easy, and you’ll love the compliments you get. It’s a great way to get bathing-suit-ready for vacation, and covers up any jiggly stuff like cellulite. You have to love that!!

T I P S F R O M T H E P R O S : P E R F E C T Y O U R F A U X G L O W !

Get a flawless, natural looking fake tan with these tips from Anne Marie Cilmi, director of training at Bliss Spa.

“One of the biggest mistakes people make is using too much tanner,” says Cilmi. “It’s like seasoning chili. You can always add more, but you can’t take out the spice once it’s in.”

• Exfoliate skin in the shower with a body scrub or loofah. This preps the skin by getting rid of dry flakes so that the self-tanner goes on evenly, looks more natural, and lasts longer. (Avoid oil based scrubs because their residue prevents the tanner from absorbing.)

• Moisturize only your ankles, heels, kneecaps, and elbows; these areas tend to soak up more self-tanner than the rest of the body and look too dark. The moisturizer prevents excess absorption.

• Wear snug, disposable gloves (available at most drug stores) to avoid orange palms and wrists—a big fake-tan faux pas.

• After putting tanner in your hands, rub palms together so that the tanner spreads evenly.

• Apply tanner using long, full strokes. When the product begins to penetrate, blend it in circular motions.

• Start with your lower body and move up. First, apply tanner to the area between your ankles and knees, and then rub whatever tanner is left on your hands onto your feet, ankles, and knees. These areas have thick skin so they don’t need as much tanner to look dark. Next, apply tanner to your thighs and then your stomach. Keep working up the body.

• Wait eight hours after application to apply moisturizer, to shower, or to exercise.

I had the pleasure of being profiled on the #1 Morning Show in the UK with Lorriane Kelly. I grew up watching GMTV so as you can imagine was extremely excited to be a part of the show. I'm hoping there will be many more live segments to come :)

Check it out.....

Burn Calories at Your Desk!

1.    Research has indicated more than 15-20 minutes sitting down at desk can be harmful to the back. Try standing and performing 20 squats or lunges to release tension in the lower back and work the legs at the same time every 20 minutes throughout the day.

2.    Alternate between 10-20 abdominal and butt contractions. Start by exhaling deeply, drawing the abs to the spine then tighten the buttocks for a count of three and relax. Not only will you be working the abs and booty but improves your posture at the same time.

3.    While taking calls at the desk stand and perform calf raises and side leg raises. Don’t under estimate the power of fitting small amounts of exercises through out the day. You’re still stressing the muscles which will re-build stronger and more defined

4.    Get rid of your desk chair and substitute an exercise ball, the instability of the ball engages your abs, back, legs and butt muscles  in order to balance on the ball. It’s also a great tool to have assessable for some traditional abdominal crunches while waiting for the copier.  

5. Run on the spot while you’re at your desk and pump your arms for a quick energy pick-me-up. Burn extra calories and get some valuable oxygen around the body to the brain to keep you focused on your work, increase productivity and release stress

Foods To Help Get A Flat Bikini Belly!

Did you know there are special foods to help fight belly pooch? So please take note and be sure to load your cooler up with these foods on the way to the beach.

•Vitamin C foods such as pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, tomatoes and red peppers, they help to reduce fat absorption and are high in fiber keeping you feeling fuller for longer periods of time.

•Bananas are high in potassium which helps relieve bloating. Toss a banana in your lunch for an ab-flattening snack!

•Low Glycemic Index foods which mean foods that your body breaks down slowly, especially helping curb afternoon cravings. Some examples include oatmeal, blueberries, vegetables, and grapefruit.

•No High-Fructose Corn Syrup, stay away from this ingredient to be sure your blood sugar doesn’t spike, and leave you hungrier than you started. High-fructose corn syrup can also leave you feeling less satisfied. Trade snacks with high-fructose corn syrup with whole food bars such as Lara bars that are high in fiber and healthy fats found in nuts, flax seeds, olive oil, and fish such as wild salmon and mackerel.

•Asparagus and beets fight water retention due to being a natural diuretic.

Try to pack some of these foods each day and you should be on your way to a flatter tummy in no time, and a healthier diet!

Fast Food Salad

Fast food is never the way to go, but as busy Americans, there are times when we must. Most fast food places do have some healthy choices on their menus. It is possible to have a decent meal at a fast food restaurant, let’s just not make it a habit. The list below shows you places with the healthiest options for fast food!

Burger King- Whopper Jr, no mayo with garden salad, and 10 oz, minute maid OJ-445 calories

Jack in the Box- Chicken Fajita Pita with side salad, low-fat balsamic and 20 oz. Iced tea-390 calories

McDonald’s- Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich, side salad with low-fat balsamic and a medium iced tea- 480 calories

Pizza Hut- 2 slices Thin N Crispy (12”) with quartered ham and pineapple, and medium diet coke- 360 calories

Subway- 6-inch Roast Beef Sub with veggie delight salad, and fat-free Italian dressing-355 calories

Taco Bell- 2 Fresca beef soft tacos, with Mexican rice-470 calories

Wendy’s- Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich with mandarin orange cup-480 calories

If you want to save even more calories, opt out of things like cheese or sauces such as mayo. Salad dressing can also pack on the calories,  always ask for it on the side not tossed. Add your own amount of dressing and be frugal with the dressing, a little goes a long way! Use these tips next time you’re in a pinch to save a few calories

Okay guys it's time to get out your sneakers and start walking. Did you know 10,000 steps equals 4 miles and around 450 calories?

Check out my apprearance on WABC yesterday.

Be well,

Tracey :)

Trail Mix

There's rarely a day that goes by that I don’t think about what to eat. No, I’m not talking about breakfast or dinner; I’m talking about what to eat for snacks. For starters, healthy snacks are not bad, they’re a necessity to keep your sugar levels consistent and stop you from over indulging at your next meal. When in control snacks can give you the energy your body needs to make it through those long days, and keep your metabolism on fire. Just remember to try to keep your snacks to a healthy 100-150 calories, which is perfect for keeping your body satisfied without increasing your waistline. Below are some great snack ideas that do double duty, they’re healthy and they even taste good!

All of the snacks above serve both as a hunger buster and contain some serious nutritional benefits such as extra fiber, calcium and antioxidants essential for making your diet well balanced. Just be sure to watch the portion size, too much of even healthy foods can equal to extra pounds. Try to vary your snacking so boredom doesn't set in. You can find pre-portioned packets of snacks in any grocery store or better still pre-pack your snacks into baggies to have on-the-go.

So go on be a devil,  get a snack or two!

Most of us have heard the time honored saying, “drink 8 glasses of water a day”, but some may wonder why exactly? Who decided 8 glasses was the magic number? What does it really have to do with my exercise? How about my body? Water affects many things in life, not just your workout, but also your skin, your organ health and even your mood. Let’s break down each of these categories and get some much needed answers about water.

Why 8 glasses a day or 64 ounces? Some sources say you should drink about an ounce of water for every two (2) pounds you weigh. So why then 64 ounces, wouldn’t that mean you only weigh 128 pounds? Yes, your math is correct but many people forget there is water in some foods we eat, including vegetables, fruits and soups to name a few. People also forget to read the small print in the fact that you should drink 64 ounces of water a day, BUT if you workout you should consume about 16 ounces for every hour you workout. Of course this varies depending on how strenuous the workout and the amount of water you have consumed before, as well as, how much fluid you loose during workout. Meaning how much you sweat, the easiest way to measure how much you sweat is to weigh yourself before and after you workout and subtract the amounts. If you weigh the same amount, you consumed enough water during and before your workout. If you lost weight you need to drink more water. If it is a lot of weight like 5 pounds, means you lost a lot of fluid. A pound is 16 ounces, so loosing 5 pounds during a workout means you need to replace 80 ounces of water on top of your normal 64 ounces per day. You may not have thought about the numbers when drinking your water, but every little bit helps.

Pure Water

What does water consumption do to my workout? It helps your workout in many ways, in fact just missing a few ounces of water can result in a 20-30% drop in physical performance. Your blood is about 90% water. When you do not consume enough water your blood becomes sludgy and thick, this means that your heart has to work harder to pump it through your body. This can lead to exhaustion happening a lot sooner, as well as a lack of oxygen to the brain, since blood is what carries oxygen to our brains. We all know that a lack of oxygen to our brains can affect our thinking as well as the signals we send to our muscles and nerves. Muscles are made up of 70% water, so the more muscle the body has the more water you need!

How does water consumption affect my body? When you begin to loose body fat, you will gain water volume. This means that the less body fat you have, the more water your body will contain. If your body contains more water you then have to maintain that water level by drinking the appropriate amount. You will also notice that the more water you drink the less hungry you are. Since the body signals hunger and thirst in the same way, some people confuse hunger for thirst. Try drinking a glass of water when you think you are hungry then wait 15 minutes, if you are still hungry, that is a good sign that your hunger trigger was working, but it never hurts to get that extra water in! Water also aids in digestion, if you skimp on water you may not be digesting your food properly which could lead to less weight loss. The clear stuff also helps boost that metabolism, a boosted metabolism means you burn more calories, which could never be bad!

How about my skin? Water helps to make your skin radiant and glowing. Water removes the toxins from the body. It can also act as a natural purifier, helping to rid your body of waste. Of course, water also helps to keep skin moisturized from the inside out.

I could go on and on about the benefits of water. For most people just achieving the recommended amount of 64 ounces a day is a task in and of itself. Remember that teas count as water consumption as well as any drink mixed with water to create it.  Putting lemon, strawberry or orange in water also helps to give it some taste. Start today on working on getting those 8 glasses in per day and you will notice the wonderful changes in no time!

Tropical paradise

You may or may not know that skipping workouts on vacation only makes coming back harder. It’s not to say that you have to do boot camp style workouts everyday of your vacation, but it’s important to get a small workout in every day. It’s hard while on vacation to find a place to workout, not to mention finding the time especially if you have kiddies on-the-go. Some might say come on, vacation is called vacation for a reason, but for everyday you take “off” it takes two days to regain that strength. Don’t let all your continuous hard work go to waste with one small vacation! Working out on vacation will also give you a boost of energy and get you up and awake to get out there and see the scenery! Some ides for vacation workouts:

For hotel rooms, pack a resistance band and a jump rope. The resistance band provides a multi-use tool for strength training. A jump rope provides a great source of cardiovascular exercise (if you don’t have a jump rope just pretend).

Try this workout for starters utilizing the jump rope:

1. Jump rope for one minute

2.15 lunges in place on each leg

3. Jump rope again for one minute

4. 10 -15 push ups and 10 basic crunches

5. Jump rope for one minute

6. 20 Squats

7. Jump rope for one minute

8. Front kick and squat for 10 reps on each side

9. Finish with your one minute jump rope.

Perform this circuit 3 times through and you should have a 30 minute total body workout that blasts fat and helps get rid of cellulite.  For a bonus workout use the resistance band to work your upper body with bicep curls, triceps extensions and shoulder lateral raises for those beautiful tank top arms.  Don’t forget to always carry an exercise DVD, and a computer to play it on (just in case the hotel doesn’t have a DVD player). Another quick tip, use full water bottles for resistance they make a great alternative to light dumbbells.

Not in a hotel room? That’s okay too. Camping? What better than to take in the surroundings and go for an hour-long hike? Just be sure to have a compass and lots of water. To add variety and extra challenge carry two full water bottles or a weighted vest, and stop every 10 minutes to do some strength training moves like lunges, squats, push-ups, and if you’re not worried about getting dirty-do some crunches.

How about the beach? Talk about a great workout. Sand provides the most amazing resistance! Just walking on the beach is a great lower body workout. Mixing in jogging and walking can really get your heart rate up, burn some serious calories and give you killer beach bikini legs! How about a game of sand volleyball, or playing a game of catch or Frisbee? These are all great ideas for getting a workout in and spending some quality time with your family.

Organic Berries Are a Must!

Eating organic in this economy can be quite tasking. With organic prices ranging almost 30% or more higher than non-organic items, it does make it difficult for the average American family. However, we all know that eating organic has so many benefits, it’s hard to pass the organic section up at the grocery store. There are ways to eat organic and still stick to a budget in the trying economic times. Not only will your wallet benefit from these tips but your health, and mood will improve by knowing you’re getting more nutrients and helping to protect our great planet.

If nothing else, there are some products that you should absolutely spring for organic. We all know it is extremely hard to buy everything organic if you just don’t have the money. Not to mention the time it would take to shop at a few different stores for all of your organic needs. I say this from experience as the only store that seems to stock organic broccoli is Whole Foods and because my family eat it like it’s going out of fashion I make my weekly stop without fail after going to Trader Joes and Pavilions (yes, it’s exhausting but oh so well worth it!).

However, the first product you should absolutely buy organic especially if you have children is milk. The organic milk is actually not that much higher in cost than non-organic milk and yet in organic milk there are no hormones, pesticides, or antibiotics, and you can buy it at any grocery store.

Second, you should try to buy organic produce as much as possible BUT always when it comes to any produce that you do not take away any peel. For example, peaches, berries, bell pepper, apples, celery, nectarine, lettuce, and carrots. All of the previous examples of produce are highest in pesticide residue. You can dramatically reduce your chances of ingesting pesticides if you buy organic when consuming those products. On the other hand, items like, onion, avocado, pineapple, mango, sweet potato are lowest in pesticide residue, so you could get away with not buying organic.

Next is meat, which is a hard call because this is where the expense comes in. The price difference is large, especially for beef but it’s truly worth it. A way to help ease the cost burden is to make the meat you buy go a long way by using it in soups, stews and eating left-overs for lunch. Chicken is a little more do-able in the organic department as well as being super healthy for you. Be sure to wash the meat thoroughly especially non-organic meat and trim all visible fat as this is where most of the toxins are stored.

There are many ways to buy organic at a good price point. Some stores such as Whole Foods have a signature line like “365 Everyday Organic” label. This line is significantly lower in price than many other organic labels.  I buy the frozen “365 Everyday Organic Vegetable Medley” quite inexpensive and I love that I’ve always got vegetables quick and easy to go!

Shop farmers markets at the end of the day. Many farmers don’t want to lug produce back to the farm, just be sure the farm uses certified organic farming practices (this should be designated by a sign). The weather is great so there should be no reason for not taking a stroll to your local farmers market, not to mention you’ll be helping out the local economy.

Join a co-op, many co-op’s have a yearly membership (some as low as $15) that will allow you access to great priced organic items—email thegang@coopdirectory.org to find a co-op in your area. Use coupons, many natural foods have coupons right on the package, start clipping!

Look for sales, even organic items go on sale, and who doesn’t love a sale?

Just like non-organic items, buying in bulk helps save money. Just be sure you are buying in bulk what you will use, grains, nuts, and pastas. Stay away from items that could go bad before you can use them.

Buy items in season. Anything that is not in season is going to be more expensive. Be flexible and vary your eating habits, your wallet and body will see the difference.

We all wish we could eat all organic all the time, but for many of us it is not reality. The tips and tricks listed outline some information about the really important organic buys for those on a budget and for those who already eat organic, the tips might just save you a buck or two!