Lose Weight The Healthy Way: Part 2

Hey lovely's!

Most of you hopefully saw my "part one" of things I stick by that helps me lose weight and maintain my health, here are a couple more that I keep in mind! I never thought I could stay in shape without always depriving myself of what I really want, but now I know I can! Isn't there always that one friend that eats loads and stays slim? Well that will be you soon!

 The biggest change I have made is eating more-in fact around double what I was!! I am never hungry and have gone down over 2 dress sizes. It is all about what you are eating. This is why focusing on health as seen in part one is what I feel should be the ultimate motivator. A lot of it is mental and so once you do this, you won’t have any issues I can almost guarantee!

Get into a routine and remember everything in moderation!

 Some people like small meals regularly whilst others like the classic 3 meals. Whatever you prefer, success is much more likely once you establish a routine. As well as this do not listen to the voice in your head telling you to binge tonight because you will diet tomorrow. Once you have binged it is hard to come down to a drastic change and so has to be done gradually. For this I would recommend not binging but instead let yourself  and body have what it desires but in moderation!

 Oh, and don’t eat at bedtime! Many of us will try having a small dinner but it may not be satisfactory to our requirements and we end up munching bad foods later on! Don’t kid yourself just have a bigger portion at tea time and reduce the change of snacking at bed time where there is little chance for the energy from your food to be burned. Personally I tend to devour whatever is on my plate, so a good way to avoid over eating is to start with a small portion, eat slowly and then go back for more IF you are still hungry, wait about 10 minutes before going for seconds.

Exercise

 This is one of my main loves in life. Whatever the situation if I am feeling down or bored or just a little lethargic nothing can beat the feeling that comes after a fantastic workout. I admit it takes time to feel this way and many of us start out with a love/hate attitude towards it. It makes us sweaty and sore yet we feel and look great with persistence. If you can overcome this initial feeling it really is the most enjoyable pastime.

For weight loss I have to say that running, for me beats them all! It is hard because to run you need to be fairly fit and so it is important to gradually build your way up to being able to run for long periods of time, rather than attempting, failing and not wanting to try again. The way I did this was a warm up walk for 10 minutes or so then jog for 3 minutes, walk for 5 etc. etc. Eventually you build on this to pick up the pace and stamina and in as little as a week can see a drastic difference to your fitness. Personally it works to slim my thighs, hips, back and tummy in the way that other cardio exercises don’t.  Since we are on the topic of diet I won't be mentioning the endless lists of benefits that exercise has on the cardio vascular system and inner health but I will definitely be mentioning this in the next little while!!

keep healthy snacks for cravings 

For a successful lifestyle change and a healthy weight it is important to make our goals achievable so it’s just unrealistic to cut out a huge amount of food groups and treats. However, using a step wise approach we can reduce out portion size and avoid foods high in saturates and unnatural sugar. For this I definitely think a healthy alternative to treats is required day to day. While I was being fairly strict with myself I used fruit with all its sweetness, and it really did seem to rid me of my constant chocolate craving, for me the best fruits for this are apples and grapes but it really is a personal preference. This not only can really help your cravings but also give you many nutrients and help towards your 5 a day.

If you prefer savoury, how about some carrot sticks, pepper or perhaps a Rivita with low fat cream cheese? Mmm

Please remember not to let this consume the mind, the less you think about it, the less anxious you will be, the less likely you are to be constantly thinking about food and therefore will tend to be more successful. Educate yourself slowly you will see the amazing consequences! I found this site which just emphasizes these points!

If you have any questions or worries or need any help at all please comment or email! I will be doing part 3 very soon, as well as benefits of fish oils on the body, and another post on keeping your mind nice and healthy!

Take care

Beads and Bracelets Handmade With Love

Get your bracelet supplies, and start the fun HERE

I have been making bracelets not for around a year. Not on a daily basis but on occasions, for myself or others. It really started when I wanted to make a gift for my boyfriend with sentimental value that could be worn daily and it turned out a perfect little gift (He now requests new ones every other week and has an arm full of them!)

 Until very recently all I would make was these simple macramé bands, but I have now branched out and attempted those more girly and with far more sparkle!

 Personally I would be thrilled to receive a little set of these bracelets as  present and they cost from as little as 35p so where could you go wrong?

I get my entire lot of chord and beads from a shop in Perth called “bead crazy” there are barely any bead shops in Scotland and I’m lucky enough to have this one nearby. It is just excellent with all that you will need to make necklaces, bracelets, earring, rings and in all shapes, sizes, colours and styles. The beads are fantastic value and staff are on hand to give advice and help whenever needed. (They also do delivery so check out their Facebook page here)

Below I will show you how to make three different bracelets which are very fun, quirky and are perfect accessories for any occasion.

For Him: macramé band

For making the macramé band I use 3 pieces of chord. This really is up to you what colours and thickness you go for. But in this case I use one larger piece for the middle section and 2 thinner pieces for the outside. In total this only costs around 65p to make!

Above I have tried to show how I make them although I’m well aware it is not clear. I used this video when first starting them; hopefully it will help you too. (Its really easy!)

So there we have it, a cheap and cheerful, quirky little gift that is well appreciated and takes around 2 minutes flat!

Bracelets for her: Chain Bracelets

This one is ridiculously easy to make and looks really cute by itself or paired with another bracelet. It cost 75p for a foot of the chain which is enough for 2 to 3 bracelets and the ribbon is 35p per meter (i think) so you could make 3 for about £1. How could anyone complain at that??

All you need is some chain, a ribbon and 1 minute of your time.

All I have done to make this one is weave the ribbon in and out of the chain. There is different ways to do this to create different looks. (sticking to one side, through the middle, or criss cross. Have a go and decide what you prefer!

 The chain makes provides a great bracelet base as you can weave in what you like. Perhaps some beads or other materials. Below I have added a toggle end and weaved in some left over chord from my macrame band.

Bracelet for her: Pretty beads on elastic

These bracelets are the easiest thing in the world and pretty self explanatory! All you need is some Elastic and a selection of beads of your choice. I love lots of sparkles and silver so chose to do ones like that but you can really do any thing! if you look here "bead crazy" owners have made some creations themselves which could serve as some inspiration for your own design. The beads i have used for my examples range from 3p to 50p and i have used around 25 beads for each of them. The total bracelet price ranges from £1.15 -£1.80 but it all depends what you fancy and how big you make them.

I hope you have found this helpful and maybe inspired you to do one yourself. If you need beads you know where to go! (follow my links) far more ideas on the site such as anchors and sweeties!

Next time you need a jewelry update you know what to do! Start now!

Take care

Lose weight the healthy way: part 1

Center your attention on health.  

Not enough of us seeking to lose a few pounds do this; the main focus is primarily what the scales tell you in the morning and how much further those “one-size-too small” motivational jeans fit, agreed? This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to maintaining the results you are looking for. Not only this but if you concentrate on health you will feel more comfortable, energetic and prevent those nasty colds and bugs, and superficially skin, hair and nails will noticeably improve all going hand in hand with (hopefully) permanent weight loss.

 Water, water and more water- I cannot stress enough how good/essential water is when it comes to keeping healthy and losing weight! The reasons for this are endless:

 1)to replenish the water lost naturally during any kind of weight loss,

2) to counteract dehydration which slows the fat burning process,

3) for easier digestion, 

4)water makes you more alert, this is because dehydration can cause a reduction in blood volume and therefore less oxygen reaching the muscles causing fatigue,

5) water helps the joints which is a benefit when combined with exercise, 

6)benefits for the skin, hair and nails, 

7)water before eating can often curb hunger. I could go on! I usually aim for between 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day, or more if working out, but my tip would be to always have a water bottle with you.
If you don't enjoy the taste of water, why not try it with fruit?

Stop starving yourself

This is a piece of advice I wish I’d listened to before now! Starving yourself is one of the worst things you could do and comes with horrible consequences to your body with not a lot of good to show at the end of it. Starving yourself is counterproductive and can lead to heart problems, anemia and therefore severe fatigue, stomach problems, damage to your metabolism and hair and bone loss.

I had numerous people telling me this before but didn't want to believe it until i started learning about Leptin. Leptin is a hormone that mediates long-term regulation of energy balance in the body. It suppresses food intake and thereby induces weight loss. It is linked closely to metabolism and so if Leptin levels fall, in theory, so will your metablism. When you diet and starve your body leptin which is sometimes refered to a the satiety hormone will also reduce and therfore so will your metabolism, and instead of losing weight, after the initial adjustment period you will gain weight. 

There are many foods that can help towards increasing leptin levels or make the body more sensitive to the leptin signals. Do Your research, eat the right number of calories, but the right calories. (fruit and veg are a good starting point)

  I hope these help follow for more!

start your Health journey today!

Spicy Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup Recipe

I don’t know if it’s maybe just me, but there comes a time each year where I start to really crave soup for my breakfast lunch and dinner (complete with home-made seeded and all together wholesome bread). Perhaps it is the temperature, that smell of autumn in the air, or even just the idea of a warm and very easy meal.

I have been a really keen soup maker for about 4 years now. During my time working in a cafe, I would cover the chefs’ days off and have to make three big batches of soup a day. I tweaked each recipe to my satisfaction- I only served what I would like to eat myself!

What I have learned over that time is that improvising is really fun and can result in a gorgeous tasting end product to be proud of. (I also learned that celery is the special ingredient in ANY soup)

This soup was so random. I found what was in my cupboard and went ahead. So here is my recipe.

For a big batch that serves approx. 7

-Half a cup of lentils (not essential)

-Two large sweet potatoes (or 4 if no lentils)

-One branch of celery

- Three Knorr vegetable stock cubes

- Two white onions

- Half a red chili pepper

-Three table spoons of coconut milk

-Two cloves of garlic

I started the soup by softening the onions with a little light oil cooking spray. Once soft I then added the garlic, which I had flattened and cut up into little pieces. It is important not to burn the garlic! I then added the lentils and celery followed immediately by some freshly boiled water (personal preference how much to use, but I add gradually as to prevent the soup being too thin and runny). I then grated my sweet potato onto a plate. I grate it because it takes far less time to soften and cook and grating is easier than cutting it (for me anyway). After this I added two of the stock cubes. I add these gradually as well because there is nothing worse than an overly stocky soup!! Then I cut up half the chili and added.  After about ten minutes I blended, added another stock cube as well as the coconut milk. I blended  again and there we had the finished soup in as little as 15-20 minutes!

Best served hot with a cold class of water and a dash of cream.

Bon apetit!

  

Walkies and Fish Heads

After feeling more than a little guilty about our previous indulgences, We thought that we would attempt to make up for it (marginally) -not to mention the fact it was a beautiful day- and take my lovely dog  Mozel on a little walk. After waking him up from his blissful slumber we took a rather excited Mozel on his favorite walk. 

As you can see he is over the moon! It is a gorgeous walk and i like to make a point that exercise can be very enjoyable and can start with as little as a short hill walk. After all you need to start some where on your journey to fitness-and it needn't require kitting yourself out with waterproofs or walking boots!

Tonight I was feeling pretty bloated and sugar coated (not in a good way). For this reason I had a lovely healthy dinner which has made me feel far better! Unfortunately I was lazy and didn't cook it myself, I therefore got a rather nasty surprise when this landed on my plate!

A lovely whole sea-bass stuffed with red onion and pepper. Surprisingly it was extremely yummy but did require removing the spine and other small bones, which did take precision and mental exertion !!

I had this glorious fish with a yummy salad and it turned out a lovely, healthy meal! (and don't get me started on the benefits of oily fish).

I Hope you had a lovely day and enjoyed my pictures-particularly the one of Mozel galloping through the long grass!

Easy Cookie Recipe

After following my own advice, I woke up after a dream filled deep sleep, feeling refreshed and enlightened. Other than the copious amount of sugar I consumed throughout, it was a pretty ordinary day. It started with my good friend Lizz coming over and the pair of us baking our little hearts out, using a recipe that was meant to be "healthy" as far as cookies go, but ended up being not so, after adding our Terrys chocolate orange, Smarties and Minstrels to the dough. (Don't get me wrong I do feel slightly hypocritical after claiming to be into my health, but it's okay to treat yourself now an again- or at least that's what i tell myself).

Here are the cookies before their transition to deliciousness in the oven. I am no experienced cookie baker and I have to say they came out far too thick-almost like a sweet bread, so I definitely do not recommend having them as thick as this!

To make these delights you will need:

250g of plain flour

A pinch of baking soda

125g brown sugar

70g white sugar (omit if adding in chocolate or being healthy)

1 large egg

Around 200ml milk (healthy alternative to oil/butter)

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

A pinch of salt

Firstly, we preheated the oven to 180 degrees before going on to mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, followed by the vanilla essence and the egg. We mixed these all together and then added in the milk. We did this gradually, whilst stirring as to not over moisten the mix and make it too gloopy to handle!

We then put rather large balls (definitely make smaller and flatter if you try!!) onto a baking tray and put into the oven for 10 minutes, left to cool for another 20 and then gobbled up! 

Best enjoyed with a good friend over a glass of cold milk. 

I hope this has been helpful, enjoy!

Inspirational Quote of the Day

I chose this quote (originally said by none other than Gandhi) because I think we truly underestimate the amazing outcome on the world  which could occur, if everyone stuck by this rule. Sure, we cannot all be perfect all the time, but we can make conscious decisions that make us, in the end, the people we are proud to be.

We are all told as we grow up to treat people how we expect to be treated, and if we all lived by this life would be bliss!

All of us make mistakes that I am sure- if we could go back in time-we would prevent. But in the long run these things make us who we are. It is important to grow and learn from our mistakes until we really are  people that we (on reflection) would like to be friends with. 

So think, are you the best person you can be?

http://kootation.com/surround-yourself-with-people-who-reflect-the-person-you-want-to-be/sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net*hphotos-prn1*p480x480*524773_447124895363847_1251340001_n.jpg/

Keep Calm and Sleep

Sleep. Something a lot of us take for granted. It truly is a wonderful experience, a time to escape the real world, float on a cloud, travel to Hogwarts and become involved in strange yet miraculous goings on, only to wake up with no consequences, right back were it all started. 
Sleep is much more important than we may initially think. It improves our health, reduces inflammation and so goes hand in hand with prevention of stroke, arthritis and heart disease we may experience in later life (or more to the point a puffy face in the morning); It spurs our creative juices, allows our brains to consolidate and learn and seems to improve our performances and memory; It helps us to maintain a healthy weight as it is linked directly to metabolism and lastly, reduces stress and depression making us happy healthy and successful individuals.
                                             But what happens when we can't sleep?

Insomnia really is horrid. The more you plead your brain so stop singing various songs, thinking about embarrassing moments and when your next bill is due, the more you feel your eyes fluttering inside your lids busily trying to keep you from sleeping. In the morning you feel relived it is over but tired and grumpy, puffy and red.
First things first. What is insomnia? A huge number  of us suffer, in fact around 30% of us will at some point in our lives.
Of this 30% a fith will develop clinically significant cases that may require hypnotic medication such as Benzodiazepines and Z drugs, cognitive behavioral therapy or hypnotherapy. but for the rest of us it is usually self limiting or down to stress or anxiety.

So what can we do to help ourselves?

Well this is something that is named by therapists as "sleep hygiene" and i have ten tips to help that have been successful for me in the past.

And lastly, my favourite tip.
Go to sleep happy!! Remember how lucky you are. Think of all the good things and banish the bad. Look at pretty photos, have a laugh, do something or talk to someone that makes you smile, and have a good nights sleep!

Sweet dreams,

picture sources:http://weheartit.com/vani_whatever, http://ww2.pinterest-giveaway.com/,https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s480x480/536538_518650661510362_191334086_n.jpg

Review - Vichy Dermablend Foundation

I bought my Vichy Dermablend around 5 months ago when I was suffering from pretty bad breakouts and was trying to find the best cover up solution for everyday wear. I really wanted to review this product but recently have had pretty good skin - probably because of the nice weather we have been lucky enough to have. However, a couple of days ago, conveniently enough (for you - not for me!) a spot cropped up! I hunted out my Vichy, very relieved to have this little tube of magical foundation at my fingertips.

So as you can see it has effectively covered up the redness! All I used was around a pin head sized dot of the Dermablend and applied with a stippling brush. You can tell I still have a raised area of skin but it does blend very well and I only used 1 layer. It costs around £13.60 and comes in a 30ml tube which you can find in 5 colours: 15-Opal, 25-Nude, 35-Sand, 45-Gold and 55-Bronze. 

Top shade is colour 25(nude) underneath is colour 15(opal)

I would most certainly recommend this product to anyone for emergency spot situations or even to cover a small tattoo. However in terms of everyday use and application to the whole face I would be hesitant to suggest this product unless you suffer from acne that no other foundations will successfully cover.

 Below I've made a list of what I felt were the Pros and Cons of this product. 

                                                            

                                                                    Cons

- Consistent use leads to clogged, large looking pores 

- Has a tendency to turn a grayish colour after a couple of hours

- Will only stay on for long periods of time if powder is applied over the top

- Large difference between the colour shades so there won't be a suitable match for everyone

                                                                    Pros

- Price is fairly reasonable for the coverage and how long the tube lasts

- If powder is applied over the top it lasts a remarkably long time and copes through wind, rain and shine

- Coverage is the best i have found yet, and also works to cover tattoos which could be great for some occasions

- Doesn't look cakey once applied

- Has a nice natural finish - neither too matt nor too shiny looking

All in all I do think this is a handbag essential so there is no panic if a spot pops up and you have a date planned for the night!

I hope you found this review helpful and if you have any questions feel free to drop me a line.

Have a great night,

Health, Diet & A New You: Part 1 - Learning From Failures

So where do I begin.. The way I like to see it is that your body and health are the most important and prized possessions any of us will ever have and it’s important, but also very challenging to know what choices to make on the behalf of them. Everyone knows temptation, our taste buds tell us one thing whilst our arteries and midsection tell another, but that impulsive craving is enough for most of us to forget momentarily or merely to convince the disciplined side of us that it is worth it. Of course this is not a bad thing necessarily and it's important not to limit yourself in such a harsh way that you simply cannot maintain the rules that you restrict yourself to when it comes to food.

Simple Steps to a Quick trim and Why "Diets" Don't Work

So here is where it could go drastically wrong. Guess what? I am a classic example of a crash yo-yo dieter. I've honestly spent a tragic length of time researching and trying methods of extreme quick weight loss.

I've never been big but have an unrealistic dream (like so many women) of my ideal body (Victoria's Secret model)! I've tried almost everything shakes, fasting (5:2), high protein, low fat, low sugar, calorie restricting, 5 small meals, no meals and just picking and all I can say about them all is that they do not work in the long term, and eventually you will be back to feeling disappointed.

Yes, it’s a fragile subject, to admit to the time I have wasted on so many occasions and the worst of it is the weight you lose piles back on as soon as you finally give into all those cravings -after your week of being overly disciplined- and end up binging! Every girl I know claims “I won’t binge I will maintain it” but even for the most conscientious of us this is far easier said than done.

Another reason this can happen so easily is because the fat cells are so difficult to get rid of! Crash dieting will shrink them hence the sudden weight loss after the first week. It is also important to note a lot of this is water weight and these shrunken fat cells then act like sponges to soak up new fat entering the body after the diet has been scrapped. After growing up a little, seeing my failures and learning from them (a very important point!) I realized that I was probably doing more harm than good to my body.

One day I woke up and decided to scrap it all completely. It's only now I've managed to maintain and actually lose weight from just following a healthy lifestyle. I'm well aware that we're all different and these tips may not work for you, but for me they truly have been a Godsend and a push in the right direction this summer! 

In my next post we will scrap the word diet with all its negative connotations and focus on lifestyle leading to a new you.

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