The Head Heart Hands Newsletter

Water & Weight Loss, Sweat Pants, and About Cooking

Each week I try (emphasis on try) to share with you something I’m learning (head), loving (heart), and practicing (hands).

Let’s jump in!

Something I’m learning:

Grab your water favorite water bottle, take a drink, and get a load of this! Did you know that you can boost your metabolism by 30%, lasting for about 40 minutes, if you water bomb yourself by drinking 16-24 ounces of water in one fell swoop? It’s a response of the body known as water-induced thermogenesis. Drinking water stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing our metabolic rate and making lipolysis possible (fat-burning).

When I trained my clients back in the day I would encourage them as a baseline activity, non-scale win, to up their water intake. Both the client and I would watch the small but visible body changes occur as they paid attention to their hydration and now my research tells me why. I mean it makes sense. Our bodies are 60% water. Every system of our body needs food and water. Food is to the body like gasoline is to the car, and water is our motor oil that keeps the engine and all its gears and gaskets running smoothly. If you don’t have oil in the motor of your metabolism it can backfire and blow.

If you want to boost your metabolism and kick start some weight loss effects, along with a host of other positive health benefits (like mental clarity and cognitive ability) chug some water from time to time in your day.

My favorite Owalal chugging water bottle that also embraces your sippers :) The locking top has saved my car from smelling like a dirty sponge too many times to count.

Something I’m loving:

Ladies. I give you FULL permission to head to your local thrift store, TJ Max or Ross and get yourself a big old pair of sweatpants that aren’t your usual size! The other day I was deep into my work day. As I was halfway to the gym I remembered after my weight training session I had a massage appointment waiting for me. Swoon! But just think of the sheer panic that washed over me when I realized I forgot to pack some comfy clothes for after my massage. This meant I was going to have to slip back into my slightly moist, slightly smelly, form-fitting workout leggings AFTER my massage. My nervous system just couldn’t get on board with the thought. It was too far to go back home and time was ticking on the clock. I figured there had to be a cheap pair of sweatpants I could pick up at a thrift store somewhere on the way to my massage after the gym. No thrift store in sight but good ole Ross to the rescue! I quickly beelined to the activewear and flipped my fingers through the rack, looking for something that would not accost my body after my massage. Everything they had in my usual size just didn’t cut it. So, instead of staying in my size, I decided to look bigger. Ladies and few gentlemen who read this newsletter, I would like to introduce you to my now and forever lower-body sartorial best friend. I may never take em’ off.

Meet me wearing my Salis. Named in honor of my best friend in high school through college who taught me how to eat vegetables after growing up in a home of processed everything. More on that later. Or just go read or listen to my book The Wellness Revelation to know more :)

The question I’ve been asking myself since meeting my new wearable best friend is why did I rule follow for so long?

Moral of the story: Don’t wear clothes that hurt you unless you have to, especially past 6pm. (or after a massage :)

Reminder: This Sunday is my last Soulful Stretch class at 7 pm EST. You’re invited to come and get peace in your body and bones and lose what’s weighing you down. You’ll also see me wearing these pants :) Here’s the link.

Something I’m doing:

I’m cooking more. I can’t believe who I’ve become. I am a woman who prefers to cook her own food. I’m basically a homesteader now guys. I know, I know. It’s almost embarrassing to think about the time I spend not prioritizing the care of a meal. I, the health and fitness professional for 32 years not attentive to her food. What turned the table for me was taking responsibility for all areas of my health in 2024. I shared in my recent post about the things I did to improve my health, with a major thing being removing the crud in my diet. Turns out: cruddy food was making me feel cruddy.

One thing I’ve learned to do over the years when quitting a bad habit is to lean in and learn all you can about the thing you know you need to quit doing. I learned how messed up our food supply is and how almost 70% of all foods available to us are ultra-processed. Yes, even the foods you order in or go out to eat. I quitted (is that a word?) on UberEats. Instead, I started Instacarting simple ingredients for simple meals for my husband and me to eat. And now I prefer to GO to the store instead of having the store come to me. ( I want the power to pick my own avocados rather than pay for the day-old mushy ones or the green grenades picked a week too soon.)

Cooking more of your food is like drinking more water. At first, it’s not comfortable. It’s not easy. You have to remind yourself why you are doing it. But eventually, the positive effects come. The smoke in your eyes clears and the fog on your brain lifts and you are left feeling better and wondering “Why did this take me so long to get?”

Just like me and my big ole’ pair of sweatpants named Sali.

His love,

Alisa

Let this place be not a one-way street. Tell me what you’re learning, loving, or doing!

And thanks again for giving me a place to let my fingers run over the keyboard and pour out my hope and joy for us all and our beautiful God-loved bodies. Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already.