ALL HAIL KALE

1/4 a cup of oj (I usually freshly squeeze mine, tastes better and is better for you)
1/2 of lime (juiced)

Doesn't it look delicious?! ;-)

** PLEASE NOTE **
RAW Kale can be particularly 'hard' on the digestive system, meaning it can cause bloating or gas if you aren't usually used to it. If you try the smoothie and realise you're feeling a bit bloated, don't be alarmed! Simply swap your raw kale for cooked kale :-)

Be happy, be healthy xx

Kale has become one of those 'superfoods' that has become increasingly popular for health fiends worldwide. I'm always reluctant to try these types of foods as I'm never sure if they really are as super as the critics say, and feel as if is just a label placed on certain products which allows grocers everywhere to raise their prices.

HOWEVER in desperate need of a detox, I did my research and we all really should 'hail kale'...here's why!

• Kale has NO fat 
• Kale is rich in FIBRE (=great for detoxing and keeping your liver happy_
• Kale is full of vitamin A (skin health) v
• Kale has more vitamin C than oranges do (great for immunity and metabolic health)
• Kale has more CALCIUM than milk! - I was jumping out of my skin when I discovered this as I am lactose intolerant 
• Kale is low in calories

Now that you've joined me in my appreciation for this infamous green leafy veggie, I'm going to share my most favourite Kale rich, green smoothie recipe with you all! This recipe is relatively sour for a smoothie as I love myself a bit of zing, but there are many sweeter recipes you can check out if that's what tickles your fancy.

1 tsp of ginger 

1/2 granny smith apple
1 cup of spinach

1 cup of kale

1/2 lemon

I'm back baby!

I woke up this morning feeling refreshed, energised and sickness free. I celebrated having fought off a cold that hadn't even arrived yet with rewarding my body with a nutritious and well deserved morning snack filled with vitamins, particularly vitamin C (so the sickness does come back) AND a boxing and skipping session at home which was well overdue.

I grilled and also steamed some fresh veggies (pumpkin and zucchini) accompanied with a bit of feta, 8 almonds, some corn and two cruskits with vegemite. I was so full but to finish it off I had a cup of this new green tea I'm trying with lemon and lemongrass - it's definitely becoming a new favourite.
                                                                           

Well balanced meal and great for you!

I'll get my protein in tonight

Straight after I filled myself with some well deserved energy I went into my garage, put on my ridiculously old boxing gloves and went at the bad for about 15 minutes, which absolutely killed me seeing as I haven't been to the gym in a week! I realised how much I missed boxing, it's honestly one of the best feelings and is the only sport I've been passionate about. Kickboxing also works absolutely everything, core, arms, legs, chest! I'll make a separate post about the benefits of kickboxing within the next week

I also then skipped for about 8 minutes straight at a fairly fast pace to make sure my heart rate was staying moderately high. Skipping is definitely my favourite cardio workout!

                                                                               

This was the result...me dead, on the floor of my garage. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

KEEP MOTIVATED! xx

                   
                                                                                       

Bloat

Recently I've realised that a lot of people (girls in particular) mistake their bloating for 'belly fat'. For example these 'Skinny Mea Tea' (don't get me started...) progress shots I always see, hardly any fat has been lost, it's mainly just bloating - which is great because bloating is a pain in the rear and trust me, I know. It makes me upset to hear of a lot of girls saying they want to lose weight from their belly area because 1. you can't spot reduct,  meaning you'd have to do cardio and reduce fat off the rest of your body to see progress (when the rest of their bodies are already gorgeous and perfectly fine!) and 2. it's usually just bloating! With the correct diet, bloating can be easily reduced.

Bloating is one of those things that really used to grind my gears, especially in summer when you're in a  bikini and can't show off the body you worked so hard for because bloating gives that illusion that there's belly fat there, BUT I did my research and although bloating can almost be impossible to avoid at times, you can definitely reduce it!

1. Fibre, fibre, fibre. Swap everything white for brown, eg. white bread with rye bread and white rice with brown rice and also start your day off with fibre eg. a fibre rich cereal such as Bran (but don't over do it because...well, you know)
2. Less sugar. Unfortunately, certain fruits form gas - causing bloating
3. Go for a walk or run to help the gas pass through your system and ease the discomfort 
4. CUT down on the booze! This is a major factor for bloating in men especially, but also women. I'm going to make a separate post about alcohol later on this week. 
5. Steam your veggies. You'll still get all your nutrients, but they'll digest better in your tracts preventing bloating
6. Spit out your gum! I used to chew gum all throughout every day, it was a bad habit...but then when I realised it can assist in bloating I went cold turkey. Basically when you chew gum, you swallow air...sounds stupid, but the air can get trapped in your gut causing bloating and belly expansion. 
7. Eating habits eg. drinking through a straw, having a carbonated drink with your meal or eating too quickly are no goes when it comes to bloating! 
8. Go without 'fake sugars', eg. your diet Cokes, sugar-free gum etc. I'm not going to get all scientific and technical on y'all, but basically they included sugary alcohols which can promote bloating.
9. Teas - fennel, peppermint and ginger teas all assist in helping get rid of bloating
10. Cut down on (but DO NOT cut out) high-carb foods if your bloating is really irritating you. A type of carb called glycogen is stored in the body along with three times the amount of water, so decrease the glycogen heavy foods and it will help 'drain out' excess stored fluids which cause bloating
11. Be careful with the beans (the magical fruit) and veggies you eat (eg. cabbage) we all know these foods can give you gas, making you feel bloated and uncomfortable
12. Keep hydrated and make sure you're getting those 8 glasses of water a day 
13. Avoid those acidic drinks eg. coffee, certain teas and juices 
14. Get crazy about banananas! As well as potatoes, spinach and mangoes (yay). These four foods help your bod get rid of excess water weight, making you less bloated 
15. Lucky last and to me, the most significant factor to causing bloating...SALT. Cut those ridiculously salty foods out of your diet it, for one reason: salt = water retention. water retention = excess water which = bloating

Before you turn to those expensive, easy-way-out fads to reduce what you assume is tummy fat, try some of these 15 tips and you'll be sure to feel lighter and less bloated. There's always a natural cure for everything!

Be healthy, be happy! xx