Charity Shop Finds

Hey everyone!

I have a little time to kill before Uni today so thought I would do a quick post on my charity shop finds from yesterday.
First of all, I am OBSESSED with these magical shops where anything can be found. It is a win win situation because you are giving your money to an organization that makes a difference, but you are also buying individual items that don't break the bank, not to mention the fun of not knowing what you may find.
(Almost every outfit I wear contains an item from a charity shop).

So yesterday I purchased this lovely boyfriend blazer coat thing (which is VERY warm) and this Barbour scarf. They were both £5 so a consider that a great bargain. Think I will go have another look later ;)

I hope you like them, let me know what you have found or send me a link you your blog!
Happy hunting!

Lose Weight the Healthy Way: Part 3

Hello everyone!

I'm aware its been a few weeks now since I last posted and  can only apologize! I've been moving into my new flat and had some internet issues which are ongoing! I thought I'd start again by finalizing my health tips, and now I've started my course again I would love to share some other things I've learnt, so keep following! 
I was also thinking about doing some food diaries, one for loosing and one for maintaining. Again a disclaimer that I am no expert by a long shot its just what has worked for me. Let me know if you would like that!

 know what you are putting into your body

This is something that has turned into a bit of a pain, resulting in the necessity for me to food shop alone. I read the back on everything I put into my shopping basket and it takes time but it's worth it! I find that progress made within a new lifestyle is down to having a healthy attitude towards food, and if you know what you are eating is healthy then you almost think your way thin. For me the main things I focus on are saturated fat (I will avoid it if the saturates are 50% or over the content of fat, unless the fat content is very low) and sugar but it is important to know if it is natural or added. For example the packet of raisins I have sitting in my cupboard has 37g of sugar per serving which is ridiculous! BUT there is no added sugar so I'm content in the knowledge that it is natural! (still, it's important not to overdose on fruit because it's still sugar!) If we go back to the hunting and gathering days though, we only ate what was natural and in the process of finding it we exercised in the process, our body therefore can handle these natural contents far better than processed ones.

 Take motivational pictures such as before and after and log your result to motivate you. It is so important not to expect immediate result and fall into a crash diet habit, the aim is for a complete lifestyle change that you can maintain so find out what foods suit you, what you want to avoid, plan meals ahead and just don't buy bad food! In my 1st year of uni I went from 8.5 stone to 10 stone- so really did gain the "fresher’s 15" this was a mixture of extremely bad diet- chili sensations and cheesy pasta were my downfall-and alcohol. That summer I got home and felt fairly uncomfortable in my size and made a conscious decision to get to know nutrition and how I could maintain health, since then I've had a few fall backs (we are all human) but I am now down to 8.3 stones and it has been the easiest weight ever to lose and keep off! It is longer a conscious effort to eat well, it is now just what I’m use to, and that is the aim. Below the left photo i was 10 stone and right I am 8.5. ( you will also notice my hair change and I will be blogging about that in the near future!  My apologies again for the lack of posts recently!)

I have many more tips that have helped me but i will leave it there today and maybe do a new blog post if anyone is interested.

Take care and wrap up warm!

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