Day 9 – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Hair or Face Mask/Facial

Use a store-bought face mask or give yourself a facial. If you have time and the funds, pamper yourself with a facial by a cosmetologist.

Hair mask? What is that about? Found out about that as I started to get a few grays showing up… It doesn’t bother me, but I like my hair color just the way it is, thank you very much, Mr. Time. I decided to research how to get my hair back to its original color (highlights, lowlights, and hair color had been my friends for a long time) without chemicals.

Lo and behold, there’s a way! And it’s so easy. To get your hair back to its natural color, mix a few tablespoons of coconut oil and lemon juice together and smother your hair with the paste. Leave it in for an hour, rinse off, shampoo hair, and voilà!

Honestly, I didn’t think it would work. And your results may be different. Also, it’s not forever, so you’ll need to redo it whenever new hair starts to show its roots, just like when coloring hair.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 8 – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Healthy Meal Planning – Be good to your gut

Whether you’re a carnivore, a vegetarian, or a vegan, taking care of your gut is essential. When the bacteria in our stomach and colon turn vile, we suffer. The good flora in your gut keeps you happy. Yes, it really does. Research has shown that when your gut’s happy, you’re happier. And when your gut has too much of the bad bacteria, you may suffer from depression, anxiety, and other disorders like diabetes, inflammation, and even cancer.

Taking care to balance your gut health with prebiotics and probiotics is a good start. If you don’t eat enough of these in your diet yet, there are amazing supplements out there for you to get a jumpstart. This is my favorite. Do your own research to figure out what you may need.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 7 – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Gratitude List/ Journal Feelings

Being grateful for what you already have can do wonders for your life. If you have not tried this before (or have a journal, but haven’t written in it lately), it’s easy. Start with just listing three things you’re grateful for.

They can be very “ordinary” but when you actually write them down, they can become a driving force in your life. Think of all that you DO have.

Write down: “I’m so happy and grateful now that I have…”

• Food in my belly
• Fresh water to drink
• A roof over my head
• Someone to love me/I can love
• Enough money in my account to pay the rent/mortgage
• Friends to turn to, etc.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen

Day 6 – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Love Your Body (Part)

Name one part of your body you absolutely love.

Couldn’t do it? You’re not alone.

Many of us probably thought: “I hate my body!” instead of saying: “I love my body!”

Perhaps it’s easier for you to name just one part of your body that you love. For me, it’s my toes. J I love to pamper my feet, polish my toe nails (currently turquoise) and take silly photos at the beach with just my toes showing.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Day 4 – 30-Day Self Care Challenge

Healthy Body through Hydration

Do you know how much water you’re supposed to drink? 8 glasses a day, 3 liters a day, or just a few cups of coffee will do for you?

It depends. On your weight, your eating habits (e.g. eating water-rich foods), your exercise level (strenuous vs. mild), and generally what you do during the day in your job (walking and on your feet all day vs. sitting at a desk). Here’s a quick look at roughly how much water you should drink according to your weight. (From SlenderKitchen.com)

Weight	Ounces of Water Daily	Liters (roughly)
100 pounds	67 ounces	1,9 liters
110 pounds	74 ounces	2,2 liters
120 pounds	80 ounces	2,4 liters
130 pounds	87 ounces	2,6 liters
140 pounds	94 ounces	2,8 liters
150 pounds	100 ounces	2,9 liters
160 pounds	107 ounces	3,2 liters
170 pounds	114 ounces	3,4 liters
180 pounds	121 ounces	3,6 liters

Are you trying to lose weight? Then you should drink more, because drinking water aids in eliminating waste from your body and gives you a full feeling. Exercise a lot? You definitely need to hydrate! Yup, I know – how can you drink SO much water?

Here’s a trick I use: I love sparkling water and specifically the flavored ones. When I have those around, I have no problem drinking my allotted amount; they taste like candy to me! You could also drink fruit-infused water, herbal teas, and let’s debunk the myth that coffee dehydrates you. There’s not that much of a diuretic in it to make such a big difference. Well, okay, if you drink only coffee and you drink more than about 4-5 cups a day, we may have a problem…

Want to read more? Here’s a link to an article on Healthline.

Copyright 2019 Taru Nieminen