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

Rewind!

I've decided to rewind back to my exercising habits from pre-year 12/the holidays. I'm extremely surprised that I've somehow managed to maintain my appearance with only doing one third of the exercise, but nevertheless, I've made this decision not because of my appearance but because I'm worried of getting sick, feeling run down and having no energy again (exactly how I felt before I started training!) I need that energy boost again!
SO I've decided to make an exercise plan for myself, just to assist in me getting back into it and also making sure my exercise and weight training is balanced, not just impulsive.

Monday - LEGS DAY 
Bike at a high grade/incline - 20 mins
Stepper - 70 steps per minute for 10 minutes
Leg press - 5 sets of 8 (on 100 kg at the moment)


TUESDAY - CARDIO & CHEST DAY Cross trainer - 12 minutes
Bike - 200 cals in 10 minutes
Chest press - 6 sets of 8 (30 kg at the moment - don't laugh :( )
Treadmill at a high incline and medium speed - just to warm down

WEDNESDAY - REST DAY

THURSDAY - TRIS, BIS & BACK DAY (Ideally, I'd like to split this day up a bit more and I definitely will as soon as Nov the 6th hits - last exam)
Cross trainer at a high level - 10 minutes
Triceps pull down - 6 sets of 10 (only 30 kg but I'm getting there!)
Barbell curls (for biceps) - 6 sets of 10 (only 23 kg at the moment, again - getting there!)
Back row - 5 sets of 8 (32 kg)
Treadmill at a high incline and medium speed - just to warm down

CORE TRAINING - all completed at home before bed
Leg raises
Knee up crunches
Plank
SQUATS - also to be completely at home after gym


That's it for now, I'm excited! Starting today...

Be happy, be motivated xxx

Boozin'

I acknowledge that most people viewing my blog are probably young adults (who know me personally) and are going through that stage in life of booze booze booze. Although some people assume I am, I'm not straight edge or anything like that. I do have a drink or four on the rare occasion, but it's important to know that you can still enjoy yourself on the weekend with a couple of friends and drinks without seriously damaging your body and more importantly, without reversing all of your hard work. I'm not saying cut out alcohol because I've always said never cut out the things or love or enjoy completely, I just want to express that there ARE tons of healthier alternatives alcohol wise.

Before I reveal these healthier drinking habits to you...here are some things about alcohol dietary wise that you may not be aware of...

• The calories that come out of alcohol are empty calories. Empty calories mean that they have no nutritional value whatsoever, so have no benefits. (apart from the exception of red wine and it's antioxidants - in moderation of course) 
• When you consume alcohol your body will work hard to get rid of it as it can't store it. This causes all the other processes (such as burning fat and absorbing nutrients) to be interrupted and delayed. 
• Alcohol contains 7 calories a gram which is almost the same as pure fat
• One lolly drink (eg. Cruisers and those other popular pre-mixed drinks) can take up to 4 hours of cardio to burn off 
• One drink of ciber is equivalent to eating one sugary, fat filled donut. 
• Fat gain in those who drink excessively has largely got to do with the poor dietary behaviours that being intoxicated brings...basically it's all the junk that people eat in conjunction with drinking that is a massive reason for weight gain. 
• Alcohol is obviously extremely calorie and energy dense. If you're going to binge, be prepared to work it off and pay for it the next day. Although, no exercise can work of the internal damage excessive consumption of alcohol does to your body.
• Before you go for those sugary, girly, fruity alcoholic drinks...just check the kilojoules on them first. You'll be shocked. Sometimes, I assure you you're probably better of having a meal or two at a fast food place rather than having a night out on lolly drinks. 

IN A LIGHTER NOTE...now for those alternatives I promised.Firstly, I'll tell you a bit about my drinking habits. I already do not drink very often because I don't particularly enjoy it all that much and often find I have a better time in the absence of alcohol. When I do drink, it's probably once every one or two months, and if so it's not very much. At a party, you'll always see me walking around with a bottle of straight vodka. I drink straight vodka because it basically has zero carbs, thus extremely low in calories compared to other choices. I also, surprisingly enjoy it! I usually mix it with lime soda water/plain soda water with a slice of lemon and ice...or if I'm feeling cheeky I'll mix it with some OJ or iced tea. Yes, ice tea is full of sugar but if it's homemade it's far better for you AND still better than most other drinks.

• Other alcoholic drinks that contain zero carbs are your straight gins, rum, scotch, whiskey and tequila.  STRAIGHT is always the way to go if you're training and don't want to consume something high in calories. If you can't stand it though, as said earlier mixing it will soda water or any other low-calorie mixers is the way to go.  They're refreshing and still do the job.
• I have also read in numerous places that some wines are the better calorie friendly choice as they lack cholesterol and fat. I suggest to still steer clear from the fortified, sweet wines if you have intention on binging as they're much higher in calories. 
• LIGHT beers will drop your calorie intake without dropping much flavour as one light beer will typically have 108 calories per serving whereas ale or lager will have up to 216 calories per serving 

ALWAYS REMEMBER, dehydration is a major factor in causing that nasty hangover the day after. Always drink a whole lot of water either during or after drinking as alcohol causes insane dehydration and water retention (causing that blotting look and feel)

I really hoped this helps in one way or another. Be happy, be healthy! xx

Refreshin'

The perfect substitute for soft-drinks or any other sugar packed beverage couldn't be more simple! If I ever crave anything apart from water, I either go for some freshly squeezed OJ, a "Nudie' juice or my all time favourite...soda water, a slice of lemon and ice. Yum and refreshing.






Not only will this fix your craving but the lemon also provides awesome health benefits!
 

Ditch those sugary drinks, they're worse for you than you think!

Be happy, be healthy 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

Motiv8tion

I often have a lot of people asking me how I manage to keep myself motivated and keep up with the gym - especially with the stresses of year 12. I always find it hard to answer this question because I don't really know myself - although I had a think about it and here are a couple of things that motivate me :)

1. My Dad - my dad is my gym buddy. As a former personal trainer, personal trainer for body builders and
 body builder himself he's obviously extremely knowledgeable about health and fitness, teaching me almost everything I know, especially the muscle/weights part of it.  He motivates me as if I'm being lazy and not going to the gym he'll unintentionally make me feel guilty (in a positive way) so I'll get off my ass and go. Also if he sees me slacking off between reps at the gym, all it takes is a look and I'm straight back into it. I'm so lucky and it's extremely helpful to have a role model who knows exactly what they're talking about who is always there to assist you. All I have to do is say what I want to achieve or improve, and he tells me exactly what I have to do and how I have to do it. I motivate him too though, as I try to influence him to do more cardio and make him feel guilty if he polishes off a whole tub of ice cream without me, so it works both ways!

 *Photo - How many dads do you know that look like that?!

2. Family - having a supportive family who are also passionate about health, fitness and have similar interests 

is also motivating. This includes my aunties, brother, cousins and uncles!

3. Compliments - As if people noticing your progress isn't kind enough, having them go out of their way to make you feel better about yourself is incredibly lovely. The other day a lovely lass at school came up to me and told me after reading my blog she was inspired/motivated, got up and went for a run - this was one of the best compliments to receive. Being seen as a role model, motivator or simply helping others is definitely motivating in itself, just as the compliments of others are. Kindness is powerful!

4. Hate - or better yet, I'd like to label it as 'constructive criticism'. Instead of letting the criticisms from others affect you in a negative way or being upset about them, use them to your advantage. Strangely enough, I find nasty comments extremely motivating because success is usually the best revenge. Negative comments can make you work harder, not to prove anything to the person who said them, but to prove to yourself that they are wrong in what they say, that you are beautiful and that you are strong!

5. Progress - Over these past couple of months progress has definitely been a significant factor in keeping motivated at the gym. Although it may take months for you to notice any changes (and a couple of months 

    after that for anyone else to notice), when you do realise your progress it is so so worth it. Looking back on photos and seeing how far I've come just motivates me to not only maintain my changes but to improve them further. My advice is, don't use your progress as a cue to give up because you've achieved what you wanted, because chances are you'll fall back into your old ways. Keep going, keep trying to maintain what you worked so hard for.

*Photo - Me around September 2011