habits

5 Books You Should Read

healthy living

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Reading is an essential part of my every day life and I find it hard to believe that at one point in time it wasn’t really my thing. I really became a book addict when I was around 15 years old and since then, I haven’t gone a day without reading a few chapters. Now I’m not asking you to read a book in a few days but a few pages a day is beneficial. Of course, I started with paranormal romance as my guilty pleasure (it may still be, don’t judge me) and then I delved into self-help books and psychology books. Status Update – I’m a self help junkie.

I believe reading can either be about losing yourself in another world and living thousands of different lives or it can be about growth and attaining knowledge. I find pleasure in learning and we learn every single day.

I have read all of the following books down below. They are self-help books that take different approaches towards personal development and I think that no matter where you are in life right now, you can find at least one which speaks to you.

 

1. The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey – definitely one of my favourites and one I keep going back to. This book has helped me understand my issue of procrastination and has taught me how to deal with it. Discover ways to improve your work ethic and surprising factors that actually harm your productivity. I’ve definitely seen an increase in my productivity after implementing the tactics in this book and it has helped me decrease the feeling of burnout.

 

2. Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey – if you find yourself easily distracted or unable to focus on one thing for a period of time, then this book is for you. Tap into your superhuman focus and learn to work smarter, not harder. (PS. I’m in hyperfocus mode right now)

 

3. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma – this book was not what I expected, I’d advise you to be patient at first when starting the book. I was sceptical about it at first and thought I wouldn’t be able to finish even half of it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the book’s steady pace, it’s an enlightening read, it touches on mindfulness, human psychology and ways we can create a brighter life. Definitley recommend this one if you’re feeling a little lost or out of balance in your life.

 

4. The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes – I simply enjoyed the way the author voiced her message in this book, she eases you into the practice of gratitude in all aspects of your life without thrusting you into the ‘Gratitude frenzy’ going on all around the media (you know, the gratitude morning routine). It focuses on all aspects such as; wealth, health, relationships and many more. Again, as one who is often sceptical, I thought the book was all about the law of attraction and although it seems that way, I found another aspect to it. Just by reading the book I started to notice the things around me, it developed an awareness in me that has remained even months after.

 

5. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson – this book spoke to the sceptic in me, in other words I now live by this book. This was said to be the self help book for people who hate self help and it is a pleasure to read it. Now is there swearing every 3 minutes? Yes. Does it make it even better to read? Hell yeah, it does.To be honest, I often hear people say that you always have to be happy and grateful, but I am not always those things and I know you aren’t either. Social Media and even self help influencers indirectly lead us to believe that it’s wrong to feel that way, but it’s not. It’s okay to not be okay and this book teaches you that. 

 

Now before I go into a self love rant, let me leave it at that. As Always thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you found something useful here and I would like to remind you that it’s not just about reading the book, it’s about implementing the methods and advice in it. Unfortunately, we can’t just absorb a book’s powers, we have to put in the action.

Lots of love to all of my readers and please follow for more posts like this, xoxo.

5 Things to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight

healthy living

 

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#1. Obsessive tracking– counting down to the last calorie can sometimes be frustrating and create an unhealthy mindset for your fitness journey. We might find ourselves obsessing over the number and dreading it. A way to prevent this is to track what you eat once or twice a week, just to check if you’re on the right track. Another method is to track everything at the end of the day rather than throughout the day.

 

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#2. Daily weighing– weighing yourself every single day is pointless because you’re never going to shred the pounds dramatically overnight. So doing this only discourages you and you will end up with the urge to either give up or go extreme. I’d recommend weighing yourself once or twice per month, if you find yourself going overboard.

 

 

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#3. Protein Bars– it’s often difficult to find the right energy or protein bar as these are marketed as ‘healthy’ but are often packed with sugar. They are also high in calories and are difficult to keep track of, you might find yourself binge eating them, thinking they’re only one little bar. I would suggest trying them out when you’re well into your fitness journey and are confident about your nutrition. If so, I would recommend Larabars- they have only a few ingredients and are easy to track.

 

 

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#4. Energy Drinks– needless to say these are loaded with sugar and empty calories. They have no nutritional benefit and often result in an energy crash after. If you need an energy boost, try bulletproof coffee (if you’re on a low-carb high fat diet) or a superfoods smoothie or juice.

 

 

 

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#5. Eating Out– I love eating out just as much as the next person, but I also know that it’s hard to maintain your nutrition when you’re eating out. The first obstacle is the menu- temptation will strike when you see all the forbidden meals available. Second barrier- you don’t know exactly what you’re consuming, if you’re not cooking your food its difficult to keep track of it. An example would be; you might choose a salad thinking you’re eating healthy, while the dressing on it may have more calories than the actual salad. So I would save going out to eat for a cheat day or find a healthy restaurant or café nearby, that allows you to get familiar with the menu.

 

I hope you found some of these tips useful and check out some of my other posts. Thank you for reading, xoxo.

The Best Weight Loss Method

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This is something I implemented after hitting a weight loss plateau, it took me some time to come across it but If you’re reading this at the beginning of your fitness journey, you should definitely take advantage of this. At one point in time your body gets used to the way you’re eating and your workouts, if you aren’t yet ready to make any further changes to these two then this method is for you.

What is it? 

Intermittent Fasting. Don’t worry, I’m not making you skip meals for the day or anything like that, most of your fasting time would be spent sleeping. If you haven’t heard of it, intermittent fasting is basically just concentrating everything that you eat in a shorter period of time. For example; I start eating around 10am and stop around 6pm and I have around 5-6 small meals.

What are its benefits?

Intermittent fasting allows your digestive system to rest when you are ‘fasting’ and eating in a limited time period allows your body to burn more fat, as it boosts your metabolism. It also helps curb cravings and prevent binge eating (I know you’ve ended up hunting in your kitchen at 1 am at least a couple of time… I know I have.) I tested intermittent fasting for 1 month, without any exercise and while being a bit more lenient with my diet. After the 1 month of no exercise and gluten free bread every single day, I lost around 3kg. Now, I’m not saying never workout and eat anything you want while trying this out, but I’m just showing you how effective it can be. Obviously, I went back to my workout routine and cleaned up my diet, because I knew it would be more effective that way.

How do you Approach it?

Well, you have a couple of options. You can try 8/16 or 10/14; meaning you’d eat within 8 or 10 hrs and fast for 16 or 14 hrs. You can start eating at any time you want, I personally prefer 10 am, but some people choose to start between 12-2pm, it’s completely up to you. Take your bedtime into consideration as well and at what time you’re appetite is the strongest. Also ensure that you’re taking your daily caloric requirements, do not starve yourself at any point in this. You may feel hungry if you’re used to eating late at night but your body will get used to the timings after some time. You’re allowed to drink coffee or tea even when fasting, without any sugar or creamer however.

A different approach would be to commit to intermittent fasting for only a couple of days, let’s say 5 days a week. This leaves the weekends out, an essential, especially when you have social obligations.

A Day at a Glance 

  • 10am- breakfast
  • 11.30 am- coffee/ tea or a snack
  • 12.30 pm- lunch
  • 2pm- snack
  • 3pm- coffee/tea
  • 6pm- dinner

or

  • 12pm- lunch
  • 2pm-snack
  • 4pm- second meal
  • 6pm- snack
  • 8pm- Dinner

I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you do try out intermittent fasting and how it goes along for you. I hope to see you again soon, xoxo.

Matcha Powder

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What is it and Why Are We Crazy About it?

Matcha is finely ground green tea leaves. It enables you to take in the full benefits of the green tea leaves compared to traditional green tea. Matcha powder is abundant in antioxidants, thus strengthening your immune system, as well as vitamin C, zinc and magnesium. Moreover, it boosts your metabolism, helping you burn calories and thus lose weight. Not only does matcha lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, but it also helps to detox the body (plus I find the simple act of making it extremely relaxing). In other words, matcha gives you energy without the caffeine crash afterwards.

Uses

Matcha is a versatile ingredient that can be used in smoothies, baked treats, oats or chia pudding. My favourite is a matcha latte.

Matcha Latte Recipe 

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 tsp matcha powder
  • 1/4 cup hot water
  • 3/4 cup almond milk (or any of your choice)
  • sweetener (stevia)

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Sift the matcha powder into the water to remove any lumps.
  2. Using a match bamboo whisk, start whisking the powder into the water. (You may use a regular whisk but it will not produce the same foam as a bamboo whisk.)
  3. Keep staring until it is well incorporated as the powder does not dissolve into the water.
  4. Add in the cold milk and sweetener to your taste.

 

 

 

Skincare Facial Routine

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Every now and then it’s essential to treat your skin and nourish it. Even if you don’t have the time to get a facial professionally done, it’s easy to do them yourself. All you need are a few key steps and products.

  1. Start with double cleansing– this means using a makeup cleanser, followed by your usual daily cleanser. This is to ensure that you have removed all of the makeup and impurities from your skin.
  2. Open up those pores!– you can choose to use a facial steamer, steam from hot water or using a hot towel. You want to clean your pores, deep into your skin. This will help to remove any bacteria and excess sebum later on.
  3. Exfoliate– a crucial step in a facial, however your skin type influences the method  of exfoliation. You can choose a physical or chemical exfoliant and since I lean more towards having oily skin, I exfoliate with a physical scrub. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to go for a more refined scrub. Remember to wash your face with warm water after as cold water will close your pores
  4. Detox mask– the best option would be a clay mask, which helps to extract the impurities from your pores.
  1. Sheet mask– I like finishing a facial routine with a sheet mask. It can be pore care, hydrating or brightening, depending on how your skin is feeling.
  1. Eye care– this is optional but an under eye treatment is essential at times. Under eye patches are a quick and fun option to try out and they definitely help with dark circles and fine lines.
  2. Face Massage– this can be done using your fingers or a massage tool. My favorite is the jade roller. A face massage helps improve circulation, plumping up the skin and fighting against aging. When massaging your face remember to use upward and outward motions, never drag down and don’t forget your neck!

Your emergency skin care kit should have the essentials; sheet masks, cleansed, face scrub, serum, eye cream and moisturizer. You can also add a toner, face sponge/ brush and face mists.

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful, thank you for reading and please follow for more posts like this! Xoxo.

Tips for Fighting Stress

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Tip #1. Playing with Essential oils- scents like lemon, lavender and peppermint are know to relieve stress and anxiety. You can either light a candle, a diffuser or use a mist to help relax yourself. My personal favorites are lemon and vanilla.

Tip #2. Take a break from social media- Most of us wake up and immediately scroll through Instagram or Facebook. Without knowing it, social media sometimes gives us a negative point of view of our own lives.

Tip #3.  Take a day off studies/ work – a weekly getaway is essential to reduce stress, it allows our body and mind to rest. I always take Saturdays off to regenerate and relax, it helps me start my week off positively.

Tip #4. Write a journal – writing down your thoughts and events in your life, even minor ones, can be an outlet for anxiety or stress. It helps to be more mindful of your life and yourself, as well as remembering motivating thoughts or quotes.

Tip #5. Organize yourself – this can be simple as using a planner or writing a to-do list every morning. You’re more likely to get things done when they are planned and feeling less under pressure and more put together will help fight stress.

Tip #6. Read a book or listen to an audio-book – it can be a motivational book or anything that might pique your interest, it distracts you from issues of your day-to-day life. It’s a gateway into another world, people who read get to live 1000 lives.

Tip #7. Have a pamper routine – Treat yourself, that could be an at home spa day or a skincare routine. Take the time to take care of yourself and unwind from daily struggles. However, this is better suggested for women.

Tip #8. Enjoy your workout – I know it seems almost impossible, especially when we have our lazy moments, but if you don’t look forward to working out and you dread it then you’re probably trying out the wrong one. There are so many ways to be physically active; swimming, dancing, running or hitting the gym, you just have to find the right one for you. Exercising helps to release tension and could make you feel so much more relaxed.

Tip #9. Try a new hobby – just like with working out, it’s good to change your hobbies  from time to time. Exploring different things stimulates the brain, reading, sketching, cooking and writing are some of my favorites and who knows, you might discover a hidden talent.

Tip #10. Have some alone time – as much as you may enjoy family events and parties with friends, we all need some time to ourselves- to center ourselves and figure out where we stand and where we’re going. Sometimes we just need to embrace the moment and relax.

Thank you for reading, I hoped these suggestions were able to help you in any way. Keep reading for more posts and updates. xoxo.

10 Skin care hacks

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  • Cleanse day and night use a gentle face cleanser to get rid of any bacteria, oil and dead skin cells, removing impurities and giving the skin a fresher look. Also remember to use a proper makeup cleanser; I love oil cleansing, it is an essential part of Korean skincare Routines and you need to try it!
  • Use sunscreen everyday even when you are in the house, as the sun’s harmful UV rays can still penetrate the skin. Therefore, be sure your skin is always protected.
  • Use moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated and has anti-ageing benefits. If you have oily or combination skin make sure your moisturizer oil free, but it is an essential step even in oily skin care routines.
  • Use homemade masks sometimes the key to healthy skin is right in your kitchen. DIY masks are 100% natural and have effective healing benefits for the skin. This is the cost-effective side of natural skin care so give it a try, you might be surprised by the results.
  • Avoid touching your face throughout the day we touch our face unconsciously, getting bacteria onto our skin. It’s important to keep our hands clean and to avoid picking at our skin.

  • Clean your makeup brushes and beauty blenders it is important to do so every two or three weeks, as bacteria builds up into our brushes. Using unclean brushes deposits dirt and oil onto our skin and into our makeup as well, causing our skin to breakout. Even the best of skincare won’t help if you’re constantly using unclean brushes on your skin.
  • Tea Tree Oil on pimples that won’t go away. Just use a q-tip or a cotton swab to apply the tea tree oil to your breakouts, dip the q-tip into water before adding the oil to dilute it, as it is concentrated. This is a great skincare ingredients but do not overuse it as it may dry out your skin.
  • Go for makeup free days sometimes it’s good to let your skin breathe, so avoid wearing a full face of makeup every single day. Layers of foundation and concealer can clog the pores and can worsen breakouts. In the long run it can cause your skin to age faster, so opt for a natural look on some days.
  • Exfoliating the skin to get rid of dead skin cells that make the skin dry and rough and lead to excess oil and clogged pores. Exfoliating makes the skin look healthier and more plump, as it allows us to absorb moisturizing products more deeply into our skin. You can use physical exfoliants like a sugar scrub, a face sponge or brush or a chemical peel. If you have sensitive skin go for a more natural exfoliant. Avoid exfoliating areas with breakouts.
  • Avoid triggering factors sometimes certain foods can lead to breakouts. For example, I breakout when I consume dairy products, so try to observe if anything triggers your skin.

Hope this list has helped you, please leave a comment and like. Follow my blog for more skin care tips to come. Xoxo.