~To Know is To Grow♥~

It's up to YOU to research and study whatever directly affects your life no matter if its your HEALTH, JOB, or RELIGION. To KNOW is To GROW♥

Ignorance may sound harsh because it is too commonly used as an insult; But the ignorance I am speaking of means lack of knowledge, education, or awareness. I find that too often people are comfortable with their ignorance because its a way out of having to do things RIGHT or better yet having to do anything at all. Just like a muscle, the Brain likes to get a good exercise as well so that it may become STRONGER and WISER.

Challenge yourself to Learn something new as often as possible and become a better person because of it♥

Peace♥

~GOD BLESS~ Nikki the RESEARCH Princess:)

ABS WORTH A HUNDRED ♥

Hundred's
No Machines, No Accessories! Just your own body and some determination! This is one of My FAVORITE Ab exercises. Everyone should try this Today :)

COMBINE THIS WITH AT LEAST 30 MINUTES OF CARDIO 4 DAYS A WEEK AND YOUR ABS WILL LOOK PRICELESS♥

Question For You ♥ ? ♥

What is one of YOUR BEST Qualities?

You can answer in the comment box or write/type/speak the answer to yourself.

Youuuu Con Dew IT!

I don't care if your SHORT, TALL, BIG, SMALL, LIGHT, or DARK, just follow your HEART!
No one can tell you that your not PRETTY ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH, or STRONG ENOUGH, when you BELIEVE that you are...Better yet when KNOW THAT YOU ARE! I say this because I want everyone reading this to be the best that you can possibly be. I look at people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama and I think of how they started out just like ME...just like US...no silver spoon was in their mouth, in fact they had it pretty hard. YET and STILL they became the best of the best. So no matter what, believe that YOU CAN DO IT!

I'm Believing :) and It feels so good. KISSES♥

~Videos Coming Soon~

OH SO MOTIVATED♥

I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOO MOTIVATED!

GOD IS GOOD!

WHAT'S UR MOTIVATION? WHATEVER IT IS, GO FOR IT. ITS YOUR LIFE, SO LIVE IT THE BEST YOU CAN.

♥Operation Beach Body! Fit Fridays

Spring is around the corner! That means its NOW time for OPERATION BEACH BOD!

Every week (Fit Fridays); I will post a Fitness Article that focuses on EASY ways to GET FIT(ter)♥ for the SUMMER :)

Im EXCITED, I don't know about you all but when I LOOK GOOD, I FEEL EXTRA GOOD lol. So here is This Fit Fridays Tip!

♥Planks= Tighter Abs & Stronger Core Muscles!

The plank exercise is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:
1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.

2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.

3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.

4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.

5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

I ♥ PLANKS! You can do them anywhere at any time and they work! I do them before and after my workouts! If your new to planks, build up on the time, for example start with holding for 15secs then after 1month you should be able to hold for 1min!

Happy Birthday Rihanna

May GOD BLESS YOU.

My heart is going out to this young lady especially since the release of the post-accident picture. I will never understand cruelty, so I will continue to pray for it's victims all over the world.

Because I AM SO BEAUTIFUL!

NO, this is not a Conceited Moment, This is a Positive One. MY OWN personal TIME to ShInE because I Love who I AM and even more I LOVE The Great Things I strive to BE.

POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS are exercises that BOOST Mental Health, lowering stress levels and elevating Confidence...So here is mine for today♥

I'm Because I want to BE, and all My BEauty comes from the greatest part of ME....

My Precious Heart , Its been with me from the start and we will never part.

NO negativity can faze me, no nasty looks even graze me

I am the epitome of Adorable style and GRACE easing through My Life's time at My OWN Remarkable Pace ♥

~Nikki D.City Star

GOD Bless

In Love and LOVING IT♥

I hope EVERYONE enjoyed their Valentine's Day this year. I hope you ALL celebrated LOVE whether it was with yourself, your family, a friend, or your Sweetie♥.
I would have to say that my V-Day was BEAUTIFUL! My Boyfriend is truly a sweetheart and I'm happy have him in my life. :)
He makes me LAUGH sooooo much and he always does and says little sweet things to me.
I could go on and on but I won't....but that's just how great he makes me feel...
I touched on the Topic of Love being Healthy below and I encourage everyone to read it. Its corky and cute but VERY TRUE as well. Now I also realize that Love can be a roller coaster at times, it can be confusing as well...ESPECIALLY when your new to it.. So here are some quick tips to avoiding the not so pretty side of Love.
1.) Confidence is key before falling in Love
2.) Love is not easy without trust, in fact, its a disaster
3.) Prayer helps to heal relationship and can easily guide you to make good decisions
4.) Know when to let someone go....if its meant to be, it will be
5.) No human is Perfect, therefore No human Love is perfect; however it should be Great.
6.) Forgiving someone you Love is APART of Love, but so is Learning, Growing, and Not Repeating Mistakes.
7.) KNOW the difference between Lust, Infatuation, and Love.
8.) Being in Love should make your Life better, not worst.
9.) Don't allow outside negativity (especially haters) to affect your relationship
10.) and Last but not least Know that Love takes time to Grow, Don't rush something so Beautiful because when it comes it should last FOREVER ♥

Healthy Sweets are Good To Eat♥

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 10 minutes! plus 3–4 hours in the refrigerator:Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:7 chocolate graham crackers
4 teaspoons light butter, melted Cooking spray
3 teaspoons orange zest 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, melted
3 cups frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed, plus additional for garnish
Orange zest for garnish
Instructions:1. Finely grind crackers in food processor. Remove to bowl. Add butter; mix well. 2. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; press crumbs into bottom. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
3. Combine orange zest, juice, and liqueur in microwave-safe dish. Add gelatin; set aside, 10 minutes. Micro-wave on HIGH, 20 seconds.
4. Combine mixture and next 5 ingredients in bowl. Beat till smooth. Add 3 cups whipped topping; beat until color is uniform. Pour mixture into crust, cover; chill 3–4 hours. Serve with whipped topping and orange zest, if desired. (Serving size: 1/12 of the pie)
Nutrition:Calories 259 (24% from fat); Fat 7g (sat 4g, mono 2g, poly 0g); Cholesterol 16mg; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 40g; Sugars 28g; Fiber 2g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 229mg; Calcium 164mg

~LOOKS YUMMY Try It With Me :)~

Source:http://eating.health.com/tag/cooking/page/3/

♥10 REASONS WHY ITS HEALTHY TO LOVE♥

Nikki's Reason's

1. It makes you smile- a natural facelift
2. Its make you laugh- burn calories & ab workout
3. It urges you to go that extra mile to look good- boost of confidence
4. It relaxes you- stress reduction
5. Gives you someone to Hug, Kiss, and Snuggle- burn more calories
6. Gives you someone to confide in- therapeutic
7. Gives you someone to be a big kid with- total body workout
8. Gives you an occassional problem to solve- makes you smarter & wiser
9. Gives you a person to share great meals with- nutritional needs for energy
10. It Strengthens Your HEART♥

I can think of sooo many, but I won't overwhelm you with Love! Leave me a comment with some of your reasons, I would Love to hear them! Happy Valentines Day♥

Who Needs A Push-Up Bra?

WHEN YOU CAN DO PUSH-UPS! LOL♥

Nikki Note: These are Modified Push-ups, which are pushups with more stabilty than the normal ones. I LOVE these push♥ps! Say Goodbye to the flab when you wave and Hello to a GREAT looking upper body. I say swap up those machines and hit the floor! I get more benefits from these pushups than any other tricep, chest, and shoulder exercise that I have done. Plus I can do them anywhere anytime :)
Starting Position: Begin by getting down on yours hands and knees with your hands just outside shoulder width and slightly forward of your shoulders. Your knees should be directly aligned with your hips. Keep your abdomen tight and your spine in a neutral position.
Action: EXHALE: Bend your elbows and lower chest to 90 degrees at the elbows. INHALE: Push up so that your arms are straight, making sure your elbows aren’t completely locked. Try doing 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Special Instructions: If you can’t go to 90 degrees at the elbow, just go to a comfortable position until you can work up to 90 degrees.
Muscles Worked: Chest (Perky boobies by building underlying chest muscles), Triceps( Goodbye-to wave flab), Shoulders ( shape the shoulders and look great with or without sleeves!)

Reference: http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/ex/exercises.asp?ID=36

My Skin's BF♥ Retin-A-Micro:)

I ♥ Retin-A Micro! I don't "worry" about breakouts anymore because Retin-A goes to work on my skin every night and I wake up bright-eyed and with a smooth face. I admitt, It took about 2-3months to see FULL results, but it was Well worth the wait. Now I get compliments on my skin and I always feel ready for any event or meeting.

I was breaking out "on & off" because of stress and nothing would help! I tried it all from tea-tree oil, to 150$ facials and nothing was a permanent fix. So one day I said a long meaningful prayer about it, and I called my Derm, she prescribed Retin-A for me in May of 2008 and 3months later my skin was as clear as the summer sky I was looking at♥. My health insurance is pretty good so I only pay 15-30$ a tube which last about 2months! I would like to use this stuff forever and thats realistic since retin-a has been out since the 1970's, lol. It also aids in reducing wrinkles (not that I have to worry about that at 26) but its good to know that its a multi-tasker. I'll get into my Regimen and show skin pics on another post, this post is just a proclamation of my L♥v for Retin-A.

Check out their Website for more info: http://www.retinamicro.com/

I Hope Rihanna is Okay♥

I really like this young lady. Chris Brown is cool too, but Rihanna stole my heart with her adorable style and sweet natured persona. I know its nothing but speculation and allegations being thrown around like confetti, but Its weird how she has not been seen since the incident. At least Chris Brown turned himself in to authorities proving that he's physically okay. I feel for them both, however....and there is an "However" going through everyone's mine that knows about this situation....If this is true, I will be some kind of pissed at Chris Brezzy.

Since this is my health and wellness blog, let me conclude this post with a "Stay Healthy, Beautiful, and Never Tolerate Abuse of any kind in a relationship. Period♥

Much Love and GOD bless you all...Lets keep them in our prayers as well♥ Adios.

Quick FABULOUS Fixes

I have to stay Fly (cute, alluring, Nikki-ish) lol. But like many busy people Convenience is ALWAYS the Better Option! So Here are some NIKKI approved Quick fixes, so you can stay Fab and still have time to everything else!

Crest White Strips


These things WORK, I had a big party for my 25th so I had to have super bright teeth and it only took 1 week for me to have a brand new smile. My teeth were super white. I love these things! Make sure you whiten your teeth no more than 2xs a year, and start with strong teeth, i.e brush and floss regularly. I paid about 29$ dollars, not bad cause the results last forever and guess what, it only takes 30min a day for 7 days...That sitting through a reality show on VH1.

Squat Jumps & Push-ups
2 of the best exercises you can do to see fast results. Take this from a cute personal trainer, lol. Make sure you google the proper form to do these! After that get started and dedicate about 15-20min a day to maintain or better your build. The push ups shape your upper body and the squats take care of the lower, not to mention the cardio involved in the jumps...that handles the fat burning and heart training part. Try it, you wont be disappointed :)



Okay that's it for now, I had a long busy day...lol. Try these out though and let me know how it goes! Healthy Kisses♥

Exercise Tip♥ CARDIO

How Often Should You Exercise?
When it comes to cardio, it's up to you and your goals how much you do and how often. For weight loss, most experts recommend 60 or more minutes of moderate intensity activity most days of the week, but if you're a beginner, you may need to start at a lower level of exercise. For beginners, you might start with three days of cardio exercise for 20 or more minutes, adding time each week. If you're an intermediate or advanced exerciser, you can do cardio anywhere from 4 to 6 days a week, keeping in mind that varying your workouts and doing different activities, intensities and durations will offer great weight loss results!

Some of my favorite cardio exercises are.....drumroll please...

Dancing!

Swimming (or playing the water lol)

Jogging

Jumping rope

Groupd exercise classes (kickbox & step)

Don't forget to:
Warm up and cool down for each workout
Drink lots of water (take a sips throughout your workout)
Stretch after your workout
Eat a small, well-balance snack an hour or two before you hit the gym.

Reference:http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/l/aa022601b.htm

THE BITTER THE BETTER!

I LOOOVE drinking Pure lemon water! It dissolves toxins, aids in weightloss, and has even noticeably reduced the size of pimples! I simply grab some lemons from the store (pure lemon juice is acceptable) and I squeeze half of it in a glass of water and I drink it OUT OF A STRAW...Yes a straw because the acid could eventually make your teeth sensitive :( Here's some facts about Lemons juice and why I LOVE them♥

Lemons are very effective in curing many digestion problems when mixed with hot water, including biliousness, nausea, heartburn, disorders of the lower intestines like constipation and worm infestations. It is even known to relieve hiccups. Water plus a few lemons becomes lemon juice. Lemon juice, when taken regularly in the morning, acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to produce bile making it ready to digest the day's food. It is also thought to help dissolve gallstones. Because of its high vitamin C content, it is thought to help prevent and treat many infections, hasten wound healing and temper down high fever. Lemon juice also relieves symptoms of asthma, tonsillitis and sore throat.
Lemons are antiseptic
~Lemon water has excellent digestive properties and can ease heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems
~Lemon water cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
~Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
~Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma
~Lemon water (hot) offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C
So if you do not do anything else - start every single day with a glass of lovely lemon water!
References:http://ezinearticles.com/?Lemon-Juice-Health-Benefits&id=120819, http://health.learninginfo.org,/

~BLAME IT ON THE A-A-A-A-A-ALCOHOL~

This Jaime Fox song is being played in Heavy rotation on every urban radio station here in D.C. Everytime I turn to a station I hear :
"Blame it on the goose Got you feeling loose Blame it on petron Got you in the zone Blame it on the a a a a a alcohol Blame it on the a a a a a alchol Blame it on the vodka Blame it on the henny Blame it on the blue top Got you feeling dizzy"
So me being the health enthus that I am, kept thinking the bad message it sends out to "impressionable" minds and lets face it...Everyone's mind is "impressionable" at one point or another....Catchy beat tho! lol. Here's some alcohol facts that I got from http://www.brad21.org/.
~Women absorb alcohol into the bloodstream faster and metabolize it slower than men, causing them to get drunk quicker and stay drunk longer.

~The odds of women experiencing sexual aggression were nine times higher on heavy days of alcohol consumption compared with days without.

~Vomiting is part of the automatic defense system of the body activated to prevent more alcohol from being absorbed.

~Alcohol consumption by college students is linked to at least 1,400 student deaths and 500,000 unintentional injuries each year

~The path of alcohol in the body is the mouth, stomach, small intestine, heart, brain and the liver. Go to that link to check out all the other crazy facts! Now you can BLAME THAT ON THE A-A-A-ALCOHOL :)

Loving You Regardless of ......"You"

At my job today I was asked to write an article on Fitness and Healthy Weight which is basically being healthy at "any size". I got a little stuck since we are supposed to repeatedly reiterate the fact that a waist circumference above 40 for men and 35 for women is completely unacceptable!
Well lets just say that I'm still working on that. As for my "real life" aside from work, I believe that this Healthy Weight at any size makes sense because its basically telling us to have that balance of health and weight!
You see I was very thin for the majority of my life, not because I didn't eat or because I worked out too much, it was because I naturally had a very fast metabolism and I couldn't gain a pound to save my life. The same goes for a person who was naturally heavy set! They probably didn't binge eat and sit around all day, yet and still their weight would stay put do to slow metabolism, thyroid condition, or simply genetics.
What I've come to realize is that a Healthy person can be Large or Small just like an unhealthy person can! So anyways, the moral of my story is LOVE yourself by staying Healthy i.e proper diet and fun exercises, regardless of what you do or don't look like!

JUST BE HEALTHY.......At any weight :)

~Long Hair DO CARE♥~

I'm on a Mission to Long and Healthy Hair! Would you like to join me?
Okay, so around October of 2008 I noticed my Once, long and lustrous hair looking broken, limp and thinner :( So I googled "Black Haircare" and I discovered a whole new world of Black Hair Care on the net! Since that day, my hair has flourished (with the exception of some minor setbacks :) I'm talking MAJOR improvements were made in my hair after following some of the advice from these hair sites. My two favorites are http://hairlicious.blogspot.com/ and http://keepitsimplesista.blogspot.com/ These ladies along with their Huge following give the Do's and Don'ts on excellent haircare!

Here is my progress so far!

~About the Me~ Healthy Kisses Founder♥

I started this blog because I simply Love Self Improvement Projects!♥

I feel like there's alot of Fabulous-ness when it comes to Health&Wellness! Its exciting, interesting, and alluring to think of all the ways we can Better ourselves when given the proper knowledge to do so! A Fitter Body, Nicer Skin, Healthier Hair, Better Self-Esteem, and a New Cute Blog to save in our Favorites, lol! This is just my Fabulously Sweet and Informative Blog about the things I know so much about! Leave comments, send emails, and Grow Beautifully with me and Healthy Kisses♥

Who am I: A fun-loving down to earth Woman, born and raised in Washington D.C (likes to refer to my-self as Nikki D.City Star♥)

Why I'm Qualified: B.S In Exercise Science, Certified Personal Trainer, Experienced Fitness Specialist, Experienced Health Promotion Specialist, Healthy Hair & Skin Maniac, and Self Proclaimed Motivational Speaker!

How I got The Title: Wrote down all the things I loved, chocolate happened to be one of them :), then I thought about Hershey, then I said Hershey Kisses, Then I said Healthy Sounds Like Hershey, So I said Healthy Kisses! Then I thought hey my post could be the little kisses of Health....sounds Cute!

WELCOME TO HEALTHY KISSES

♥ ♥

~Your February To Do List~

1. Try your best to eat AT LEAST 3 meals a day
2. Cut out at least ONE bad eating habit!
3. Turn up your favorite songs and dance for at least 30minutes up to 3 times a week.