1 Week Detox Guide

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Lately I’ve been feeling out of sorts, my afternoon dip has worsened, I find it hard to concentrate and I feel sick after meals. Especially after my birthday weekend, with all the cake and indulgent eating, I think it’s time for a week of detox. This is to repair my gut, increase my energy and boost my metabolism. Throughout this week I will be sharing my plan to re-stabilise my body and flush out the toxins (giving you all advice and keeping myself in check at the same time). Keep in mind that you should not take any drastic steps in your diet or workout without consulting your doctor first, you don’t want to consume too few calories or work your body into burnout. So here is my guide for the week ahead.

Things to avoid:

Sugar (no more cake)
Dairy
Gluten (this might be harder for some of you, but try and give it your best shot)
Coffee (I know it hurts)
Processed foods

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Things to enjoy:

Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts
Chia seeds
Oats
Quinoa
Almond milk
Lemons
Matcha
Herbal teas
Smoothies
Water (a lot of it)

IN A TIPICAL DETOX DAY…

Drink water as soon as you wake up
Workout for 30-60mins
Drink lemon water before breakfast
Have a smoothie for breakfast
Drink more water
Switch coffee for some green tea
Have a clean lunch; this can be a soup, salad, quinoa and veggies with chicken…
You guessed it, more water
Dinner: keep it light
Water, water, water!

Additional tips:

Intermittent fasting can be an additional boost to detox your gut
Get 7-8 hrs of sleep
Practice mindfulness for at least 10 mins
You can keep meat/poultry in your diet for protein if you like or you can leave it out
Exercising shouldn’t be taxing on your body, don’t overdo it

WHY?

Chia seeds? They cleanse the gut, removing toxins and they keep you satisfied for longer.
Water? Most of the time our cells are screaming for water and we’re too busy to notice. Water literally will flush out toxins and it’s also necessary for bowel movement (yeah, I just had to go there).
Coffee? Let’s make this simple, it gets you high but you’ll eventually crash and you will crash hard. Why don’t we take a break from the adenosine attack.

I hope you all got something from this post, follow for more like this to come. Thank you for reading, xoxo.

7 Ways To Promote Gut Health

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Detox water– drinking warm lemon water in the morning helps to boost your digestion and metabolism. I usually squeeze half a lemon into warm water, and I drink this on an empty stomach. You can choose to add honey, ginger or apple cider vinegar to further promote the anti-bacterial properties. However keep in mind that ginger and the apple cider can be harsher on sensitive digestive systems and these may not be the right ingredients for you. It all depends on how you feel.

1 month reset– this can be challenging but it is definitely worth the effort if you want to re-establish gut health or repair any damage. The reset involves avoiding sugar, processed foods, gluten and dairy for a whole month. The reason for a month is that it takes quite some time for your body to eliminate gluten. I have been consistently gluten and dairy free for years now and I know it’s not easy for everyone, which is why a reset may be a better option for most people.Processed foods involve anything store-bought that has those long ingredients lists that you can’t even pronounce and sugar would be refined sugars such as; white bread, pasta, white rice, cane sugar, energy drinks, sodas and cake. I know it hurts. On the bright side, you can use unrefined sugars such as coconut sugar.

intermittent fasting – this is something I’ve mentioned before, it’s a versatile method and you can read more about the various methods to approaching it. I’m currently on the 16/8 method, which means I fast for 16 hours and eat during the 8. I don’t eat any less or more, this is just to give your gut more time to rest. It also has the added bonus of promoting weight loss.

5 daily servings – it is recommended to have 5 servings of fruit and vegetables, preferably in their raw state. Try to incorporate these into your meals; an easy way would be in a breakfast smoothie. I like having fruit with my oats, veggies with my main meals and fruits as snacks, this allows me to get in my 5 daily servings. This is because they are packed with fibre which help improve gut health and digestive movements.

1-2 days w/o meat/poultry – this is a weekly habit that is pretty easy to keep up with. Meat and poultry are pretty hard on our digestive system, so it’s beneficial to let our gut heal and repair by taking 1 or 2 days off. From this, you can try to observe how you feel, as your gut often affects how you feel overall, you may find yourself more energised on these days.

massage your greens– this seems unusual but it actually works, while greens do provide us with fibre, their cell structure may be hard to digest. This is why you should massage greens, like kale for example, with some olive oil to break it down.

intolerances/allergies – this is something that has completely changed my life. Food intolerances are not to be underestimated, they can seriously damage your gut and your overall health. If you can get tests done for your allergies, that’s great, but most of the time you have to understand your body’s reaction yourself. Notice how you feel after eating certain foods and gradually eliminate those you feel do more harm than good. I have an intolerance to gluten and dairy, but I am allergic to peanuts, soy and seafood and it’s often trial and error with this, for example; I can drink almond milk and use almond flour but I can’t eat almonds.

You can always research more about food types and their effects for your own knowledge or if you think you’re reacting badly to certain foods. I’d suggest learning more about high histamine, high folate, and high copper foods, just to get started. Of course this depends on your body type, it’s always helpful to get tests done to check if you have any deficiencies or excesses, as that may also be a factor.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, if you have any tips you’d like to share, leave a comment down below. Thank you all for reading and please follow for more tips like these, xoxo.

5 Healthy Habits You Should Start Right Now

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Water Before Coffee– make sure you drink at least 1 glass of water before having your coffee and after, because coffee is dehydrating. This may also reduce the blow of a caffeine crash. On that note, try to limit the amount of coffee you drink, three cups a day doesn’t give enough time for the caffeine to leave your system, and your sleep cycle might suffer from this.

2. Frequent and small– your meals should be in small portions but regular. 3 big meals a day might not work for everyone, this could cause bloating and increase your stomach size. If you want to shrink you stomach you can take 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks, this will help you feel fuller with less as your stomach size decreases.

3. Fill with greens– this is something I’m still working on, which is filling half of my platewith greens. Veggies and salads contain fibre which helps keep you fuller for longer and has the least amount of calories. I know they probably aren’t that appealing at first but tweaking them up a little makes a big difference.

4. Avoid late night binging – set a time limit for when you want to have a last meal. Your digestive system needs time to rest and it’s best to avoid eating just before bed because you won’t be burning off the calories. 7pm is a good time but you can set a time for yourself

5. Sleep, sleep, sleep– I’m guilty of this one too, but I’ve made some difference. 7-8 hrs, don’t tell me you only need 5 or 6, don’t tell me you’re a superhuman, cause I’m going to give it to you straight. You will crash. Hard. I was there at one point, feeling invisible cause I could run on 4 hrs of sleep and give out better than anyone else. Then it all caught up on me and now I value my sleep like nothing else. Ever wonder why cats have 9 lives, they sleep!!

I hope you all enjoyed this post, please like and leave a comment telling me about your favourite heathy habits. I hope to see you again soon, xoxo.

5 Tips to Stop Binge Eating

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#1. Meal Prep- this is a great way to plan what you eat in a day and avoid standing in front of the fridge munching on potato chips (which should not even be in there btw). If you have all your meals already prepared, you are less likely to eat mindlessly.

#2. Cut out sugar- one of the problems with sugar is that it promotes cravings. Have you ever found yourself craving sugar then craving something salty? Sugar only intensifies your hunger.

#3. Add mint to your diet- mint is known to help curb cravings and keep you fuller for longer. Add some mint to your tea, smoothie or water to sip throughout the day.

#4. Breakfast is key- make sure your macros are well balanced in your breakfast. Most of the time we have a carb filled breakfast and although carbs are needed in your meal, you should also aim to add protein as well. Protein helps keep you fuller for longer as its breakdown requires more time and energy. You can find protein in eggs, nuts, meat, fish, and poultry and if breakfast just isn’t your thing, it can even be lunch because either way you are still breaking your fast.

#5. Reduce Stress- often you’ll find that binge eating is related to emotional stress, because our mind is under pressure, our bodies turn to food for comfort (like devouring a tub of ice cream after a breakup). So to prevent or stop binge eating, you need to be more aware of how your body and mind feel and try to find another form of support rather than food.

I hope these tips are useful to you in any way possible and that you come back for more. Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you again next time, xoxo.

5 Things to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight

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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.

#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.

#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.

#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.

10 Ways To Lose Weight On Vacation

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Vacation is a time to let go, enjoy, and forget any boundaries we’ve placed on ourselves. However, it’s normal to worry about gaining weight on holiday and often we may find ourselves indulging just a little bit too much. This usually ends in going back home, to the scale and after a few minutes, searching for ‘how to lose holiday weight’. So here are a few ways to avoid gaining weight or even losing some weight on holiday.

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#1. Hit the Gym– this is the most obvious solution; your hotel or resort probably has a
gym that’s open 24/7, so make use of it. You should remain active even when on holiday,
it’s a time to indulge, not slack off.

#2. Walk– take every opportunity you have to walk; take the stairs instead of the elevator, go on a hike, walk on the beach and if possible, explore on your feet. This helps your body remain active and burn a few calories.

baked-goods-1846460_640 #3. Plan Your Carbs– try to avoid eating carbs later on in the day, consume them earlier
on so that you can burn them throughout the day. When eating carbs later at night, they tend to be stored as fat as you’re not using up much energy when you’re sleeping.

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#4. Stay Hydrated– it’s normal to forget to get in enough water consumption when you’re
out all day, sight-seeing. So remember it’s important to drink at least 2 litres of water per day.

#5. Limit your alcohol– being high in calories and in sugar, alcohol can have a negative effect on your weight loss. Limit the amount of drinks you have, instead of cutting them out completely.

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#6. Skip a meal– when on holiday, it doesn’t hurt to skip breakfast for brunch. This will help you control your calorie intake and it’s also more practical when you’re out and about.

#7. Avoid the buffet– unlimited amount of food at your disposal probably isn’t the best thing for maintaining your fitness journey. The buffet leads to eating twice as much as your usual intake and clouds your mind from deciding when to stop. Try to avoid the buffet or limit the number of plates you fill up with food- one should be enough.

#8. Wait a few mins– before going to grab another plate of food, wait a few minutes- at least 10. This is because it usually take 10-15mins for your brain to understand if you are full. So to avoid overeating, leave some time in-between meals.

#9. Eat the local food– don’t waste your splurge meals on junk food that you have at home like; ice cream and burgers. Try to enjoy the local meals and try new foods that you’ve never had before. Local meals are sometimes more nutritious and have more raw foods, helping you avoid all the processed stuff.

#10. Enjoy– in moderation. Don’t stress over counting calories and obsessing over the fear of gaining weight. Sometimes fitness journeys are mentally tiring, so allow yourself to take a step back and breathe. It’s fine to enjoy the food, that’s what vacation is all about!

I hope you all enjoyed this post, please like and follow for more tips like this, 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

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.

Burn More Fat Doing Less Cardio

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When trying to lose weight, most people jump on the treadmill first thing and ‘workout’ for 2-3hours. Now while this may burn calories, it’s definitely inefficient and inconvenient in the long run, especially when you don’t have much time to spend in the gym. Running for hours on the treadmill, will also burn muscle, which isn’t what you want if you’re looking to tone your body. Moreover, building muscle boosts your metabolism and increases the amount of calories you burn, so what you need to do is find peace with your cardio routine.

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This is where HIIT training comes in. High Intensity Interval Training leads to burning more calories in less time. However, I do recommend you consult your doctor before taking up any form of exercise as it may be detrimental to your health or cause injury, so make sure to verify with your doctor.

I’ve recently started HIIT training and I’ve begun to see changes in my strength and body after only one week. I combine HIIT workout along with strength training as well as pilates to increase my flexibility. The great thing about HIIT is that you can adapt it to any form of exercise; on the treadmill, the elliptical, the rower or even PIIT (HIIT with Pilates). If you need a starting point, here is my HIIT routine on the treadmill.

Beginner’s guide to a HIIT workout

5 min warm up
1 min sprint + 2 min walk (repeated 6 times)
5 min wind down

Your speed and inclination is totally dependent on your fitness level, I usually walk on 5mph and run on 8-8.5 mph. I do increase the amount of reps every one or two weeks if I feel myself getting used to the workout or I increase my speed. HIIT training is definitely one of the fastest ways to achieving a change in your body, but keep in mind that during a workout your heart rate will reach its optimum level during that one minute.

There are several videos that go into depth about the several workouts you can do, if you want to take it a step further. I’d also recommend Blogilates (Youtube) for PIIT workouts. I hope you enjoyed this post and leave me comment if you decide to take on HIIT training.

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

Sift the matcha powder into the water to remove any lumps.
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.)
Keep staring until it is well incorporated as the powder does not dissolve into the water.
Add in the cold milk and sweetener to your taste.

Healthy Cookie dough Bites

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This is a new recipe that I’ve created recently and the best part is it’s a no-bake recipe. These bites are a great snack that is gluten free, dairy free and nut free. I’ve struggled to fine a nut free recipe that does not include any complicated ingredients or a food processor, so you’ll find that most of these ingredients are pretty easy to obtain. However, the most important thing is that it is both healthy and tastes amazing!

Ingredients

1.2 cup Gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 large banana
1tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tsp honey (or maple syrup if vegan)
1tbsp chia seed
Raw cacao powder (optional)
Vanilla essence (optional)
cinnamon (optional)
Raisins or chocolate chips (vegan)

Method

Firstly you are going to cook the flour. Don’t worry, this is fairly easy. All you have to do is cook the flour in a pan on low heat, stirring consistently until it slightly browns.
Then place the flour in a bowl and add in the cinnamon, cacao powder, chia seed and raisins.
In a separate bowl, mash up the banana until smooth and add in the coconut oil , vanilla and honey. Mix well, getting rid of any lumps.
Mix in the wet and dry ingredients together. You should have a dough-like consistency.
Roll the dough into little balls and then roll them in chia seed or coconut powder. Let them set in the fridge before having them.

This recipe takes about 10-15mins and it is truly worth it. It has healthy fats from the coconut oil and fibre from the chia seeds to help keep you full and similar to my other recipes, you can easily adjust it to your taste. I hope you enjoyed this recipe, let me know if you try it out and please like and follow for more posts like this one. Xoxo.

Health Boss

Organic Living but Better

tips

1 Week Detox Guide

7 Ways To Promote Gut Health

5 Healthy Habits You Should Start Right Now

5 Tips to Stop Binge Eating

5 Things to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight

10 Ways To Lose Weight On Vacation

The Best Weight Loss Method

Burn More Fat Doing Less Cardio

Matcha Powder