Healthy breakfast Idea!

 

Here's what I had for breakfast today! 

A healthy Oat Gallette a la Dukan diet style! It's almost a pancake, but a healthier version!

It was really delicious and very healthy. Ingredients?

2 tablespoons of Quaker Oats

2 Splenda packets

1 1/2 tablespoons of 0% fat milk

I egg white

In a bowl, mix oats, Splenda, milk and egg white whisking as you add a little water. Consistency should not be too watery.

Heat pan. Spray pan with Canola oil or olive oil. Pour in mixed ingredients and fry. Flip over. 

Viola! Nicely served with a cup of some herbal tea.

 

We are our greatest Critics!

We are our worst critics! There's always something or some part of us we do not like or are unhappy about. One has to look at beauty magazines or go online and we are dazzled by images of perfect, six packed, slender celebs all looking glamorous, but we really don't understand how much time and effort they put into looking so good.....sometimes the images are even airbrushed and we all know that and yet, we still criticize ourselves!
I'm constantly hounded by comments from both friends and clients such as-
     "I hate my legs!"
     "I'm so fat, it's disgusting"
     "I hate my body, I cant even fit into my clothes"
What we don't understand is that these words are actually disturbing in the sense that they are roadblocks to your journey of attaining your goals. The amazing part is, I often get these comments from either sized people - fat or skinny, we are all the same.
In fact, quite recently, I met a client who wanted to go on a "super fast" cleanse to lose like 8kg.  Problem was, she is a UK size 8. But as far as she was concerned, she had abdominal fat and her thighs were enormous. Of course I refused to place her on the Plan. Yes it would have been nice to earn a few bucks from her, but the truth was whether she went on the cleanse or not, she would still have the same problem as what she really needed was to exercise and do a few core defining workouts as well as squats to build her thighs and maybe restrict a few carbs she was loading on.
A lot of us walk around unhappy about our bodies, dreaming of having the perfect bodies, but our lifestyle says nothing of those dreams as we sabotage getting results by bingeing, eating fast food daily, drinking alcohol and not getting enough sleep.
We all have human flaws. What makes a great difference is to decide to either improve on what you have OR accept what you have.
Take a moment and reflect on how harsh you are about your Imperfections. If you are on a path to bettering yourself, realize that these negative thoughts will only hold you down. Cos sweetie.......There is no perfect and even if you were perfect, it wouldn't make you happy!

You are not Perfect. You're amazing!

I read this amazing article on Primaltoad.com which completely resonates. We all aim for perfection, when in reality we are all different, with various strata for measuring Perfection. This article reinforces the fact that we can never be perfect, but we can be amazing!

I hope this inspires you as it's done for me!
You are amazing. Seriously. Believe it. Now. Say it out loud: “I am amazing.”
You are not perfect. You will never be perfect. Perfect does not exist. Do you know what this means? Freedom! You no longer have to chase perfectionism. The entire world is filled with imperfections. Your imperfections are what make you unique. They make you special. They make you, you.
The world loves you. You are surrounded by love. If someone makes fun of you, they are either joking and just want a good laugh (who doesn’t?!) or they are serious because they don’t have their happiness hat on in that moment. No one will make fun of someone without joking while wearing their happiness hat.
You are not perfect. You are amazing.
You are alive! Take a few deep breaths. Isn’t it amazing that while reading the words on your screen you were able to breathe without even thinking about it? And if you want, you can breathe consciously. Walking is the same way. You don’t have to think about putting one foot in front of the other in order to walk. You just walk. It’s automatic. But you can consciously walk too. Try it. Barefoot. Focus on your legs. Feel all your muscles moving. Squeeze your booty. Fun, eh?
Do you believe? Believing is the first step. If you believe that you are amazing then you are. If you believe that you can do anything then you can. If you don’t believe then action won’t follow.
Instead of sitting on the sidelines, get in the game. Once you’re in, you must take action. You must do something, anything. You will fail. This is a good thing. As a baby you first learned to crawl. You became an expert at it. Then you tried to walk. You stood up, took a step and then fell down. Uh oh! But you never quit. Next time you took 2 steps. Then three. You kept falling. But you never stopped trying. Eventually, you learned how to walk without even thinking about how to do it. All those baby steps added up to success.
If you forever believe that you are amazing (it’s the cold hard truth) then you will not be afraid of failure. You may not know what you want. That’s OK. Take action. Follow your heart. Life is a journey full of uncertainties. Full of imperfections. These imperfections are what make it beautiful.
You are not perfect. You are amazing. 

The S Secrets!!!!!

Just some things you never considered about sex! You best be over the age of 18 to be reading this......

SEX IS A WORKOUT
Did you know that 20 minutes of physical passion can burn up to 150 calories, aside from boosting your heart and lungs? Studies actually show that having sex at least twice a week almost halved the risk of heart attack in men. Muscular contractions during intercourse work the abs, pelvis, thighs, bum and arms. Be sure to experiment with different positions and you'll notice the benefits even more.....beats going to the gym right?

IT'S AN EGO BOOSTER
Feeling desired by your partner helps build your body image and boosts your confidence. The better you feel about your body, the more sex you'll want to have which means you'll exude more sex appeal

ORGASMS LESSEN PAIN
Sex triggers the release of endorphins which are the body's natural pain killers. Having an orgasm is a cheap, easy way of dealing with pain and will take your mind off it. In other words, having a headache is no longer a valid excuse to abstain from sex- it would cure it!

HAVING AN ORGASM HELPS YOU WITH THE ZZZZS
when you have an orgasm, your body is flooded with lot of feel good chemicals such as oxytocin, which is known to aid sleep. So, come on, curb that insomnia with some passionate sex.

ITS A NATURAL ANTI DEPRESSANT
Serotonin is one of the compounds released during sex, which is the same chemical that's in short supply during periods of depression. By increasing levels of serotonin through sex, you help alleviate a low mood.

SEX CAN REDUCE CANCER RISK
Evidence actually shows that regular lovemaking can lower your partners risk of developing postcard cancer, as frequent ejaculation helps prevent build up of seminal fluid, reducing risk of inflammation and even cancer. Research by National Cancer Institute found that men who ejaculated four to seven times a month over their lifetime had an 11% lower chance of developing postcard cancer, while those who ejaculated 21 or more times a month cut their risk by 33% ( Now isn't that an incentive)

ITS AN ANTI AGEING ELIXIR
Regular sex will not only make you feel younger - you could look it too.a study found that couples who had sex at least 3 times a week appeared on average 10 years younger than those who were less active. Sex can also make you live longer with studies showing people who make love twice a week are 50 percent more likely to live longer than those who do so less often.


Now what could be a much better reason than all of these to enjoy more bedroom time?


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Green House Effect for growing hair

For the Ladies!!!

I woke up one day to Shoulder length hair, without trying hard, so I've decided to task myself by taking better care of my hair, growing it and slowing down on weaves, as I wasn't born with a weave in my hair! I also believe if I spent as much money as I have spent on my various weaves ( I have over 14 of different types from Indian to Brazilian to Mongolian to Peruvian) i'd have opened a hair store.
So, I've been carrying my own hair for days and enjoying the simple things of life.
I have to warn though that growing your hair is a journey and you need to put in time, energy and patience if you want to see some beautiful locks on your head. You need to find the techniques that work for you and the products that enable your hair to grow healthily.

Whilst researching ( I like researching stuff, I don't think I use anything without knowing if it works, the side effects, what to expect whilst using it etc) and I came upon a very interesting hair growthe techniques on one of the hair forums I lurk on.

The Green House Effect is a technique that aids in promoting hair growth by creating a natural, warm, steamy environment that enables the natural oils from your scalp to come out and help your hair grow. It is extremely good for people with dry, brittle hair as it helps stimulate moisture.

So, how do you do this? Well, it's very easy.

• Apply a natural oil to your hair- I currently use grapeseed oil on mine as it's not too oily and moisturizes and seals your hair at the same time. Some other good oils you can use are castor oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil etc.
• Wrap your hair in a showercap or plastic bag and seal so there are no holes or openings for air to escape.
• Tie a scarf over the plastic bag on your head and go to bed.
• In the morning, when you take off the scarf and plastic bag, your hair will be very moistened and a little bit damp. This will air dry itself within 10-20 minutes.
• Your hair will not only be soft and manageable, your scalp will feel very stimulated, thus improving hair growth. Some ladies in the hair forums swear they experienced 1 to 1 1/2 inches of growth in a month (and we are not talking of white hair) which is a great triuph!
• Aim to do this no more than 3 or 4 times a week and try not to use too much of your oil as it can lead to overload of oils as your hair thrives better when your scalp is clean.

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Walking to Lose Weight

Hey all,
Hope you had an excellent week!
So I've been thinking of doing a write up on easy exercises one can do to lose weight and I thought, why not write on Walking!
Walking is one of the easiest ways to lose weight, unfortunately a lot of people disregard the significance of a walking plan. Aside from being easy, it's enjoyable, easy on your joints and one of the safest forms of exercise. It also helps you lose and control your weight, tone muscles and build up your strength and endurance.

So how often should you walk?
If you are a beginner, start with walking 3 days a week for at least 20-30 minutes, gradually increasing the frequency and duration until you are walking for 60 minutes most days of the week.
While it's more fun to walk outside, ir you are like me, and afraid of getting kidnapped, then stick to using a treadmill at home or at the gym. You can make it more fun by listening to music on your ipod or an audio book.

How many Calories can you burn?
This actually depends on your body weight and your walking pace. If you walk at a pace of 4 miles per hour, you can burn the following amount of calories-
120 pound person- 4.7 cals
140 pound person - 5.5 cals
160 pound person - 6.3 cals
180 pound person - 7.1 cals
200 pound person - 7.8 cals
220 pound person - 8.6 cals

Your walk should be painless so if you experience pain or a feeling of heaviness in your chest, jaw, neck, feet, leg or back, please see a doctor and try to describe what happened when it occurred.
Also, if you seem excessively tired for an hour or more after your walk, it means your walk was too strenuous. You should feel exhilarated after a walk, not fatigued.
Equipment
Walking does not require any major equipment and in fact, once you have a pair of sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, you are good to go! Other equipment can be arm or ankle weights, pedometers, heart monitors etc. The key thing is start with being simple!

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Healthy Salad Recipe

Are you like me who hates salads? I sure hated them for years and as far as I was concerned they reminded me of grass and sawdust mixed together! And since I wasn't created a cow, there really seemed to be no reason why I should eat them......right? Wrong!

Eating a salad almost everyday may be one of the most healthy eating habits you can adopt especially when trying to lose weight as they are low in calories and yet, pack a punch in nutrients. So long as you don't add a bunch of fried ingredients swimming in a fatty dressing, you should be alright.

Salads are also high in Fiber which can help lower cholesterol levels and prevent constipation and eating more fiber helps you feel fuller, eat less and ultimately lose weight.
Green salads give you lots of powerful antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E, folic acid and beta-carotene. These help protect the body from damage caused by harmful molecules (free radicals).
A study actually showed that eating lots of fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of developing Cancers of the Head and Neck- even in those who smoke and drink....yeah!

So, here's an easy salad recipe for the on in the picture above. I made this today for Lunch.
Ingredients- Cooked Ham, lettuce, Cabbage (grated), Cottage cheese, half a cucumber, tomatoes.

Chop all the ingredients. Place in a bowl. Mix together adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of oliveoil, blackpepper and salt as dressing!

Enjoy! Very healthy and scrumptious!

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BEWARE OF DIET PILLS

I'm really not a fan of diet pills. Most times we have no clue of it's chemical composition nor any idea of how our bodies will react totem.

Here's a story of a 23 year old lady with dreams whose life was cut short.

As you reach out for that quick fix diet drug, bear this in mind! It's better to lose weight by making life changes to your diet and exercise.

Please click on link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2315433/Sarah-Houston-cause-death-Boiled-alive-internet-slimming-pills-DNP.html

10 Tips for Maintaining Women's Breast Health

‘Every emotion is associated with a biochemical reality in your body, so you want to bring in the emotions of generosity, pleasure, receiving and open heatedness’ – Dr Christiane Northrup.

With breast cancer being the leading cause of death in women these days, it is very important to adopt a healthy living lifestyle. Here are 10 tips to ensure Breast Health in Women.

1.      Adopt a low glycemic diet and avoid sugar in all its forms especially fructose. If you can, also wean yourself off artificial sweeteners. This is because excess Sugar increases Insulin which along with high blood sugar, changes the way estrogen is metabolized in our body. Elevated estrogen levels is a risk factor for breast cancer so we need to avoid estrogen dominance.

2.      Get enough sleep as proper sleep is essential for optimal health plus it helps metabolize stress hormones better than any known entity.

3.      Meditate /Pray for at least 3-12 minutes each day to calm and soothe your mind.

4.      Begin each day with a Positive Affirmation as they help reprogram your unconscious mind from Negative thinking to Positive thinking.

5.      Breathe Properly! When we breathe in and out through our nose, we activate our Parasympathetic Nervous System which helps restore our digestive and heart systems

6.      Exercise regularly aiming for a Program that includes High Intensity Exercises and Strength training along with Core building exercises and stretching.

7.      Practice Self Love and Unconditional Acceptance. Practice looking in the Mirror at least once a day saying ‘ I love you. I really Love you!’ Do this unfailingly for 21 days and notice the change in how you view yourself!

8.      Activate an active social life- enjoy some face to face time with likeminded people.

9.      Epsom Salt baths (20 minutes, three times a week) are a simple way to get Magnesium into your body.

10.  Keep a Gratitude Diary. Each night before you go to bed, write 5 things for which you are grateful for or 5 things that brought you Pleasure that day!

 

How to curb your hunger

I have a friend who recently complained to me that she had put on weight on a ‘See Food’ diet. She had put on weight by eating, not because she was hungry, but based on the foods that were being thrust in her face each day.

Most times, we are bombarded by images of food by food commercials, adverts, newspapers and magazines and because we have easy access to supermarkets, fast food joints and restaurants, we feel hungry and eat even when we really aren’t.

We also eat based on our response to how we are feeling. For example, when we are sad and depressed, we reach out for some ice cream and chocolates.

So, how do you stop yourself from eating when you are not hungry? The answer is really simple. By listening to your body! Your body actually tells you when you are hungry, full, or have an appetite. Here’s what you can do to aid your weight loss:

·         Never sit for a meal when you are hungry

This is very important. If you are ravenously hungry, you can curb your appetite before your meal by drinking water or sipping on herbal tea. If you are hungry and your meal time is not anytime soon, have a small snack such as an apple and a handful of nuts.

·         Keep a Journal

Keeping a log is very simple. All you need to do is write what you ate, how you felt before and after the meal, where you ate it at and the time of the day you had the meal. After a week of recording, go through it and see if there is any pattern that needs correcting.

·         Always ask your self certain questions before you eat

Why am I eating? Am I truly hungry? Am I really eating because the clock says its time for a meal. Am I craving sweets because I am upset? These questions will help you make an informed choice on what to eat.

·         Be discerning about Sweets

Studies actually show that if you eat chocolates when you are hungry, you have less control, so you will eat faster and eat more. It is better to eat your sweets at the end of your meal  as dessert as it reduces the strength of cravings.

·         Eat Slowly

It normally takes your brain about 20 minutes to figure out that you are full, so eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, savor the taste of your meal and drink water whilst eating.

·         Practice Interval eating

If you are trying to lose weight, this one is for you. Eat mini meals every 3 or 31/2 hours throughout the day. This helps rave your metabolic rate and helps you lose weight faster.

 

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