Two of my major goals for 2019 is to make more time for myself and to include more self-care into my weekly routine. Self-care to me means to proactively do things for myself that I know will benefit my overall health and well being in the long run.

According to the American Psychology Association, “Nearly half of adults (44 percent) say they are not doing enough or are not sure whether they are doing enough to manage their stress, but as many as one in five Americans… say they never engage in stress management activities.”

I definitely feel part of that 44% who isn’t doing enough to manage stress. The last few weeks I have been trying 3 different products that are affordable, easy to use and make self-care that much easier to achieve! Here we go!

*** Disclosure: The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any sickness or disease. Please reach out to a medical professional for any medical advice.***

Resveralife Organic Hidden Hibiscus Tea

Ingredients: organic hibiscus, organic cinnamon, organic orange peel, and organic lemon myrtle.

The first thing that really helped me incorporate self-care into my daily habits was to start drinking tea. Every morning I make myself a warm cup of tea, sweetened with a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. My favorite tea that I’ve been drinking recently is a hibiscus tea by Resveralife called “Hidden Hibiscus”. I love that the Resveralife Hidden Hibiscus Tea contains so many beneficial ingredients and herbs; one of my favorites, being cinnamon!

Cinnamon is:

Jam-packed with nutrients and health benefits! The oil found inside cinnamon sticks is high in a compound called “cinnamaldehyde”. This compound, according to scientists is where the majority of the powerful benefits lie. Cinnamon has been shown to speed up metabolism, reduce inflammation, and lower blood sugar levels.

“Cinnamon has been shown to speed up metabolism, reduce inflammation, and lower blood sugar levels (1).”

This Hidden Hibiscus tea has been a great way to start my morning off healthy and in a good mood! I love drinking Resveralife tea during my morning commute to work. By combining this tea with a great playlist, I seriously feel like my drive is more like a fun road trip than anything else!

When reading the ingredients list I also found that this delicious tea contains something called “lemon myrtle”. I had never heard of this and was quite curious as to what this was and if it had any interesting health benefits. I began researching lemon myrtle and discovered that it had quite a few different common names for it.

Lemon myrtle is also known as:

  • Lemon verbena
  • Verbena tree
  • Sweet verbena myrtle
  • The scientific name is ”backhousia citriodora”

Lemon Verbena or “lemon myrtle” is great for fighting things such as a sore throat, sinus infection, or even Bronchitis! This is because lemon myrtle contains anti-inflammatory properties and anti-infection benefits as well!

Another thing that is amazing about lemon myrtle is that it’s a great stress reducer! It has been shown to help certain patients battling depression have a reduced feeling of depression and sadness, no wonder my mood felt so much better after drinking this tea every morning!

Now, of course, I can’t forget about all the amazing benefits of the hibiscus itself! Hibiscus is an amazing flower that has been used for its health benefits for quite a long time. Hibiscus is packed with antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and may help prevent damage to cells!

How cool is that?!

In a study of rats, extract from the hibiscus flower increased the number of antioxidants and reduced free radicals in the rats by 92%. If you suffer from high blood pressure and/or high blood fat levels, Resveralife Hidden Hibiscus Tea may be right for you!

Hibiscus tea has been shown to also lower blood pressure and blood fat levels. A review done in 2015, looked at 5 different studies and found that by drinking hibiscus tea it “decreased both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 7.58 mmHg and 3.53 mmHg, respectively”. Just be aware that the study also found that when combined with the common blood pressure medication “hydrochlorothiazide” it may cause a negative reaction. So if you are prescribed this medication is it definitely advised to review hibiscus tea with your doctor before incorporating it into your daily routine or just avoid the two combined altogether.

For high blood fat levels or for those who suffer from metabolic syndrome, one study found that by drinking hibiscus tea for one month participates had an increase of “good cholesterol”, officially known as HDL and a decrease of LDL “bad cholesterol”. I personally have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and have been trying to fight it naturally with a healthy plant-based diet. I love that now I can easily add my Resveralife tea into my routine to help heal my metabolic syndrome and reduce the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes.

Other Hibiscus Tea Uses & Benefits:

  • May help fight bacteria
  • An aid in reduction of weight
  • Beneficial for liver health
  • Improves and regulates digestion

Side Effects of Hibiscus to be Aware of:

  • For people who have low blood pressure, drinking Hibiscus tea may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.
  • For those pregnant or breastfeeding, Hibiscus tea is not recommended because it may cause the following short term side effects: nausea, headaches, upset stomach, or painful urination.
  • Like previously stated above, it is not recommended to combine a common blood pressure medication “hydrochlorothiazide” with hibiscus tea, as it may cause a negative reaction.

These organic ingredients and warming effect of hibiscus tea has been a simple and easy way to fit in more me time during the day. Even if I’m busing driving or cooking I can quickly brew up some goodness in no time! A few other great times to incorporate tea into your daily routine would be to drink it before bed or even add ice and enjoy on a hot afternoon!

Resveralife Acupuncture Mat

Another practice I’ve been recently trying is acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine that stimulates specific anatomic areas on our body, these are called “acupuncture points”. By stimulating certain areas acupuncture promotes our body’s natural self-healing process.

However, I know a lot of people, myself included, don’t have the time or the disposable income to be able to schedule acupuncture appointments on the regular.

That’s why I love using my Resveralife Acupuncture Mat! The Resveralife Acupuncture Mat is perfect because it can be used in the comfort of your own home and can be purchased once but used endlessly! Since using this acupuncture mat, I have personally felt improvement with my mood, reduced back pain and increased comfort throughout the day.

According to UC San Diego School of Medicine, acupuncture has been proven to be a safe and effective form of medicine since 1997 and has been used in ancient China for centuries before then. University of California San Diego states that acupuncture has been a proven treatment for the following:

  • Depression
  • Sciatica
  • Sprain
  • Neck or Back Pain
  • Knee pain or osteoarthritis
  • Headaches
  • Stroke
  • And much more!

Benefits of acupuncture you may not have considered or known about:

How do I use an acupuncture mat?

1. Lay the mat on a flat surface, like the floor or your bed if it’s too uncomfortable to get down on the ground.

2. Lay down flat on your back and allow 15-30 minutes to take in the full effect of the acupuncture mat.

3. Once you’re done, Roll it up and store away your mat in the carrying case provided. You can either use it when you start to experience pain or add it as a preventive into your daily routine.

Resveralife Bubbly Champagne Candle

The last self-care product that I have been loving lately is a candle by Resveralife!

Now you may be thinking that a candle seems pretty standard to have but I think that they play a key role in any self-care routine. Lighting a candle is even faster than brewing a cup of tea and instantly puts me in a good mood! The Resveralife Bubbly Champagne Candle is a perfect way to instantly boost your mood and the atmosphere around you.

Personally, I love lighting candles during unconventional times or during times when I’m doing something that I honestly rather not be doing. For example, to turn folding laundry from a chore into a relaxing me time session; I love to light my Bubbly Champagne candle, turn on some good tunes and maybe even pour myself a glass of real “bubbly champagne” ;).

Resveralife Bubbly Champage Candle

Other times lighting a candle can boost your mood:

  • Doing the dishes
  • Doing your homework or studying
  • While you’re at work
  • While you’re getting ready in the morning

These times are typically very busy and stressful. To be honest, if I didn’t try and turn these little moments into self-care or me time, I wouldn’t get much me time at all. I’m sure if you are a student, a mom or just busy in general you can totally relate to this. That’s why I love using products like this simple Resveralife candle for example, because they take really no time at all but add so much beneficial goodness to my life!

Another benefit of candles is, of course, the light they provide. The flame from candles often times provide a very orange hue of a light source. Statistically, red/orange lighting is much better for our eyes than blue light like the lighting often used on computers, laptops, cell phones, and even in LED light bulbs.

According to Nielsen Research-Market Group, In 2018 Americans spent up to 11 hours a day using electronics! This includes being on our cell phones, using a computer for work or even gaming on our free time! That has gone up by 9 hours and 32 minutes compared to American electronic usage from four years ago. 

Too much blue light exposure has been shown to cause:

Light-induced damage to the retina, difficulty sleeping and may increase headaches or migraines. So give those eyes a break and turn off your electronics (if you can), turn off those LED light bulbs and light a candle!

If you can, take it a step further and solely focus on relaxing! Read a book, take a nice bubble bath and enjoy yourself. If you can’t make that much time for yourself, don’t worry lighting a candle while folding laundry is still way better than just folding plain old laundry!

Reservalife also carries a White Gardenia scented candle and if candles aren’t your jam they have essential oil diffusers and reed diffusers, both of which I also think would be a great addition to a self-care routine.

So those are my three self-care favorites at the moment! Resveralife Hidden Hibiscus Tea because it is delicious, all organic, and jam packed with nutrients and antioxidants! I love the Resveralife Acupuncture Mat because I saw an increase in my mood and a decrease in my overall back pain.

Lastly, the Resveralife Bubbly Champagne Candle because candles add instant relaxation, and provided an ambient orange lighting that is much safer for our eyes than blue lighting!

These three self care products are all affordable and quick ways to boost your mood, so you can make time for YOU! How do you incorporate self-care into your daily routine? Which Resveralife self care product was your favorite?

Let me know down in the comments below! If you try any of these, please post a photo down below in the comments as well, I would love to see if you enjoyed these self care products just as much as I do!