Tag Archives: lifestyle

One year anniversary Giveaway winner!

Posted in Giveaway by

mushroomsHello my readers!

I hope you are heaving a great day. As I mentioned in my last post that I will have a giveaway sponsored by Myprotein and Bodyenergyaction. You just had to answer my simple question, share my post and like my Facebook page and also Myprotein’s Facebook page.

Most of you would like to see more healthy recipes and fitness videos, so I will work on these 🙂

The winner of this Giveaway is Anita from anitasworlds blog. Congrats to you girl, pls contact me for the details.

Have a great day everybody, don’t be sad if you did not win, more Giveaways to come! :*

7 things that slow down your metabolism

Posted in Fitness Tips, Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips by

sittingAccording to the dictionary, metabolism is a chemical processes occurring within a living cell or organism that is necessary for the maintenance of life.

We all know people who can eat all day and not gain a single pound. These people have good — or fast — metabolisms. Then there are the people that have one unhealthy meal and have to run for a week straight to burn it all off. These are people that tend to have a slower metabolic rate.

The faster your metabolism, the more calories you burn. And just like there are ways to speed it up—by working out, for instance—certain habits can also slow it down.

Metabolic rate is also affected by several factors including age, weight, and genetics.

If losing weight is your goal, avoid these metabolism-slowing mistakes:

1. Eating too late in the morning

Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do for weight loss since it causes your metabolism to slow down. When you don’t eat, the brain sends a message to the rest of the body to conserve energy, signaling it to hold onto the stored fat that you’re trying to get rid of. Eating within an hour of waking sparks the metabolic process called thermo genesis that turns the food you eat into energy. So choose a high-protein breakfast. Make sure to eat throughout the day to maintain blood sugar levels since any drops can cause the body to burn muscle for fuel.

2. Not eating enough

It is important to snack often and never miss a main meal. As stated before, getting your body in a proper eating schedule is critical for maintaining a healthy metabolism. Also, when you skip out on meals, your body puts itself into “starvation mode”, which slows your metabolic rate to conserve any of the energy it has. This is why people who try to lose weight by not eating don’t have very much success.

3. Not exercising

Research shows that you continue burning calories up to 24 hours after working out, and studies also show that morning exercises burn more calories than those who work out during other times of the day. If you’re planning on exercising anyway, for maximum calorie burn, your best bet is to get it done in the a.m. Include high intensity cardio intervals

4. Sitting Too Long

It takes only 20 minutes in any fixed position to inhibit your metabolism, according to Carrie Schmitz, an ergonomic research manager. A new study has discovered that sitting for long periods increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and death regardless of physical activity.

5. Dehydration

All of your body’s cellular processes, including metabolism, depend on water. If you’re dehydrated, you could burn up to 2 percent fewer calories, according to researchers.

6. A Weird Eating Schedule

Researchers suspect that eating at the same times every day trains the body to burn more calories between meals. So eat frequent, consistently sized meals.

7. Not getting enough sleep

People who sleep less move less the next day, which means they burn fewer calories. Sleep deprivation actually reduces the amount of energy your body uses at rest. Stay away from alcohol, fatty foods, coffee and chocolate at least 2 hours before bedtime.

So here are 7 things that you should avoid, if you want to loose weight, or if you just want to maintain your healthy weight.

Everybody can fall out of the wagon once or twice, by not sleeping enough or, sitting to much at the office because of work. So just try to compensate it, if you are sitting all day, you really need to work out after the office hours. I really think I am blessed with a great metabolism, I can eat a lot 🙂 BUT I also work out 5 times a week, and I try to eat healthy!

 Have a nice day my dears! :*

How to stay positive, happy and motivated

Posted in Lifestyle Tips by

PhotoGrid_1383826468256Hello my dear readers!

Today I’m going to write about positivity and some little tips on how to stay motivated in your everyday life!

These tips can help you to become more organized, to achieve your goals easier and to be a happy person!

  1. My first tip is to set goals for yourself. Try to vision how you want your life to be. You can write down your goals on a paper, you can create a vision board with your goals and pictures on it, like places where you want to travel, persons who you like or who would love to meet, things that you want to own, or anything you really really want to achieve. Put this board where you can see it and try to do something, every single day that helps you to get closer to these dreams and goals. This is a great way to keep yourself focused. Another thing is to appreciate all the things you have, and to be thankful for those.
  2.  The next tip is to surround yourself with positivity. Don’t let negative thoughts get in your head and stay there. What I really like to do is read inspirational, motivational quotes. You can make a board with your favorite quotes and every time you see it, you will be inspired. Have your favorite things around you, everything that makes you happy, if you have negative people around you, try to stay away from them. Try to be positive, because as “they” say positivity attracts more positivity, so this may be true 🙂
  3. Try to spend more time doing the things you are passionate about. This could be cooking, photography, hiking, architecture or any kind of sport, whatever it is try to spend more time doing those things. Take a class, learn new things, practice your hobby. You will feel happier more content and this will have a positive affect on you and the people around you.
  4. Tip number four is to be organized, list the things you look forward to the next day, month or next year. Plan your future. Plan a movie night; plan a trip, an appointment to a massage, a dinner party with your friends, a weekend spa. These things are really good in keeping you happy. In life you want to be able to look forward to things. Like you are planning a trip, you are so excited about those things, so when you achieve those things you feel so content because you did that.
  5. My fifth tip is to exercise, yes I know it sounds like a cliché, but exercise is so vital. It keeps your body and mind healthy, it helps you to get rid of the toxins, to have a clear mind, it makes you think better. Exercising does not mean you have to spend hours in a gym on a treadmill, you can go for a jog in a park, you can walk your dog, stay active, play tennis, go to a yoga class or meditate. If you are not active you feel tired and lazy and lifeless, so please be active on a daily basis!
  6. My sixth tip for a healthy happy life is meditation. Just lie down, close your eyes and meditate. For the beginning try just 10-20 or 30 minutes, to clear your mind of everything. You can meditate to the music you like, I actually have a great tip for you, I really like to meditate on Kelly Howell guided meditation – it is so calming and relaxing, you really should try it. You will feel like a new born person.
  7. Tip nr. 7 is to nourish yourself well. Nutrition is so important. Put a little effort and attention on what you are eating and drinking. You have to feel good inside to glow outside too. If you eat clean, without processed foods and chemicals and sugars, drink lots of water, you feel good, your skin is better, your hair is better and your mood is better. It is so important to feel good in your own skin, to love your body. It gives you confidence and a happier you 🙂

These are my 7 most important things at the moment, I could go on and on and have a list of 100 things that makes your life better, but I will stop right here 🙂

I hope you guys enjoyed this little article and I also hope that when you will feel the need for a little motivation, you will try these tips.

Have a great day, and don’t forget “Dreams don’t work unless you do” 🙂

See you soon! :*

Benefits of eating yogurt

Posted in Nutrition Tips by

yogurt finalHey everybody! 

Did you know that yogurt it makes the list of one of the healthiest foods to eat? It’s important to note that the KIND of yogurt makes all the difference (keep reading below to find out what you should look for).

Here are 3 Benefits of Eating Yogurt:

1)      Yogurt contains probiotics (“good” bacteria also know as live active cultures) that help create a healthy environment which promotes digestion, increases immunity, fights against Candida (“bad” bacteria) overgrowth, and strengthens the immune system.

2)      Yogurt increases your immunity and protects against disease. A recent study found that daily yogurt consumption had a stimulating effect on cellular immunity in healthy young women. Yogurt helps maintain good gut flora and helps prevent all kinds of diseases, especially chronic degenerative ones, by controlling inflammation and increasing antibodies and anticancer cells.

3)      Yogurt is a great source of protein, calcium, potassium, B vitamins, and selenium. Those who are lactose intolerant can often enjoy yogurt with no problems due to the live cultures present in yogurt which break down lactose. Now, you’re probably wondering what kind of yogurt you should buy… Well, these benefits only apply to yogurts with the “Live and Active Cultures” (LAC) seal! This means the yogurt contains at least 100 million cultures per gram of yogurt at the time of manufacture and after pasteurization. Also, look for PLAIN yogurt, which has only two ingredients: live cultures and milk (whole, low-fat, or skim). The longer the list of ingredients, the less nutritional value it has (Source: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS). As for the type (Bulgarian, Greek, Lassi, Kefir, Goat, Sheep) of yogurt, it really depends on your own preference so choose accordingly based on the guidelines above.

Now that you know what to look for, go out there and buy some yogurt! 🙂

Have a great day! See you tomorrow 🙂

Top 10 Super foods

Posted in Lifestyle Tips, Nutrition Tips by

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Maybe you’re asking yourself now what a super food is. What makes a food super food?

There are specific factors which make a food super. One of the most important factors is nutrient density, which means, how much nutrient is “packed” in that specific food. These super foods are very high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, good fats, essential fatty and amino acids.

Super foods turbo charge the system – especially when eaten on a regular basis! Our goal of consuming super foods is to load the body with as many nutrients as possible. These foods are rich in phytochemicals, which are special chemicals that have been noted to have disease-fighting properties. Phytochemicals can reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer, reduce inflammation, strengthen the immune system, or in some other way contribute to a person being healthier

Here is the list:

1. Berries (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, goji berries)

Blueberries and berries in general are high in soluble fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and slow the uptake of glucose, helping you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. They are full of Vitamins C and K. A very popular berry is the goji berry which has been estimated to contain 500 times more vitamin c than an orange. This Himalayan fruit contains all 18 amino acids (six times higher than bee pollen) as well as huge amounts of vitamin A, B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E. They contain more iron than steak and spinach and more beta carotene than carrots.

2. Leafy green vegetables

This includes spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli and asparagus. Kale for example contains more iron than beef. Broccoli is thought to boost your immune system, protect your cells from being damaged by free radicals. Broccoli also contains beta carotene, energy producing vitamins B3 and B5, potassium and chromium, which help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Incorporate as much leafy greens as possible to your meals.

3. Whole grains/Oats

Whole grains help stabilize blood sugar and insulin and may protect against heart disease. They include all three parts of a grain kernel: the bran, germ and endosperm. Whole wheat flour, brown rice, barley and oatmeal are all whole grain foods. Oatmeal’s top benefit comes from its high soluble-fiber content, which helps lower cholesterol. Oatmeal is low-fat, high in protein and loaded with iron and other minerals. One cup of cooked oatmeal is only 166 calories.

4. Avocado

Avocados are high in healthy monounsaturated fat which our body needs (these are the good fats) and have a rich source of glutathione – a powerful antioxidant known to block over 30 different carcinogens (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue). Avocados are also one of the most nutrient-dense foods; high in fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and magnesium. It is a great food, it is filling, it tastes super good and does not contain a lot of calories.

5. Olive oil

Olive oil doesn’t get its reputation as a super food for no reason – olive oil is packed with healthy mono unsaturated fats that may actually lower your risk of heart disease; healthy fats can actually promote good cholesterol and help to regulate your blood sugar. It’s also anti-inflammatory and delicious, too. Studies also show that olive oil may also be linked to brain health and cancer prevention.

6. Eggs

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet- this is what scientists say. Eggs are loaded with high-quality proteins, vitamins, minerals, good fats and various trace nutrients. A large egg contains only 77 calories, with 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein with all 9 essential amino acids. It is rich in iron, phosphorous, selenium and vitamins A, B12, B2 and B5 (among others). Eggs are a nutritious, protein rich food with a strong impact on satiety. Studies show that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight.

7. Lentils/Beans/Chick Peas

Lentils and beans in general are a great source of satiating protein and fibre. A half-cup of lentils delivers 3.4 grams of resistant starch, a healthy carbohydrate that boosts metabolism and burns fat. It is a high-protein food such as meat, eggs, poultry and fish, so it’s the perfect food for vegetarians.

8. Bananas

Bananas are slightly higher in energy than other fruits but the calories come mainly from carbohydrate; excellent for refuelling before, during or after exercise. All types of fruits and vegetables contain plant chemicals or phytochemicals known as antioxidants. These antioxidants protect cells in the body against damage from free radicals that can cause heart disease and cancer. According to Japanese Scientific Research, full ripe banana with dark patches on yellow skin produces a substance called TNF (Tumour Necrosis Factor) which has the ability to combat abnormal cells. The more darker patches it has the higher will be its immunity enhancement quality; Hence, the riper the banana the better the anti-cancer quality. Yellow skin banana with dark spots on it is 8x more effective in enhancing the property of white blood cells than green skin version. Eating 1-2 banana/s a day increases immunity.

9. Nuts/ (Brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds)

All nuts are generally full of essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Recent studies suggest that eating a small handful of nuts four times a week can help reduce heart disease and satisfy food cravings. Brazil nuts are one of the few good sources of selenium that may help protect against cancer, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

10.  Green tea

Green tea has special health-giving properties because of the way it’s processed. The leaves of black tea are fermented, but the green version is steamed, which makes it rich in antioxidants. The caffeine in green tea acts as a mild stimulant and also supports brain health and memory. Longer term, it protects against Alzheimer’s. Green tea has zero calories, so flavored with some natural lemon juice can be the best refreshing summer drink. Green tea also supports brain health and memory.

This list could go on, but I wanted to point out these 10 foods, for now, and the concept of Superfoods! Try to implement these foods into your daily menu and stay healthy! 🙂

 

The Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

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The Top 10 Weight Loss Mistakes

In this post I will write about some common weight loss mistakes. Some people just don’t understand how come they exercise almost daily, eat right/clean most of the time and they still won’t lose weight.

The nr. 1 mistake and the most common is skipping breakfast! If you don’t eat in the first hour after you wake up, when your body needs energy and nutrients, your body is going to eat away your muscle tissue. Besides that, eating breakfast can also kick-start your metabolism. You send your body a signal that you’re not starving, so it starts burning fat—even when you’re just doing normal activities. You should know, the more muscle you have the more fat you burn even when you are not working out!

The nr.2 reason is stress! Doesn’t matter that you are stressed at work, or you are stressed about your weight loss, or emotional stress, you need to know that when your body is releasing a lot of stress hormone and you are stressed out, your body is not in a fat burning mode.

The nr. 3 mistake is to lose sleep. It is very important for our body to rest. When you don’t get between seven and nine hours of rest, your body produces more of the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, and that means you will be eating more on the next day, and you will crave high fat food.

Mistake nr. 4 is going on a low fat or no fat diet! Our body needs fat to function properly, to make things like brain cells, all of the cellular membranes of every cell of our body contain a layer of fat. It is important that we incorporate good and healthy fat in our diet. For example: avocados, nuts and seeds, fish.

The nr. 5 mistake is that people forget about liquid calories. We all love those caramel lattes and those nice fruity cocktails, or even a margarita.  You should know these drinks are loaded with sugar and can pack up to 300-400 calories!

Mistake nr. 6 is consuming artificial sweeteners. Studies suggest that fake, zero-calorie sweeteners cause more weight gain compared to real sugar—possibly because they confuse your digestive system, compromising your ability to burn calories and actually increasing food cravings.

Mistake nr.7 is eating in front of the TV. Once someone has repeatedly eaten a food in a particular environment, their brain comes to associate the food with the environment. This is when people before their favorite TV show make popcorn, French fries, tortilla chips. Watching a TV show or a movie, you are not paying attention on how much you eat, so you can easily overeat.

Mistake nr.8 is the fact that people choose a specific diet. These diets may work, but as soon as you are going back to your old eating habits and lifestyle all that weight is going to come back. It is important to make some little sustainable changes in your lifestyle that can help you lose weight. You should make these changes little by little, and the most important thing is to hold on to it, to make it a lifestyle not a diet!

Mistake nr. 9 is that people do not drink enough water. Water is so important for us. Flushes out all the toxins from our body, speeds up the metabolism and helps us losing weight. Drink as much water as possible, especially on empty stomach in the morning and after your workout.

Mistake nr.10 is having a negative defeatist attitude. If you think there is no way that you are going to succeed this time, lose the weight and keep it off, then you will be right!

Strawberry and banana smoothie

Posted in Recipes by

Here is a quick recipe of my favourite smoothie. Finally it is strawberry season, one of my favourite fruit!

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You will need:

  • a handful of strawberries
  • one ripe banana
  • some ice

A smoothie  is is a blended  beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie) In addition to fruit, many smoothies include crushed ice, frozen fruit, honey or other ingredients like peanut butter, yoghurt, nuts and seeds. Smoothies make a great snack, meal or recovery shake from a hard workout.

Smoothies can offer you a terrific nutritional boost, especially if you make your own smoothies and you know they don’t have any artificial ingredients or powders.

I choose to drink smoothies first thing in the morning. It gives me energy, it’s refreshing,  it fills me up and of curs I adore the taste of it! Not to mention that contains a lots of fibre and vitamins&minerals because the whole fruit is used!

Be aware, smoothies can contain a lots of unhealthy ingredients like sugar, syrups, whipped cream, ice cream and so on. Make your own smoothie!

Unhealthy “health” foods

Posted in Nutrition Tips by

ImageThese particular foods can cause more harm in your fat loss goals than good.

The first of these is orange juice. People usually start their day with orange juice thinking it is good for them. The orange juice you buy from the market is very processed, pasteurized, and very denatured, and it is not necessarily natural. It has way too much sugar in it, and that’s going to raise your insulin level really high, and as you know insulin is a fat storing hormone. If you actually eat a hole orange is way better!

The second one on my black list is flavoured yoghurt.

Flavoured yoghurts are full of sugar, corn syrup, food colouring, artificial flavours  If everybody would replace the flavoured yoghurt with plain greek yoghurt they could loose 10 pounds in a month. Make your own flavoured yoghurt with plain greek yoghurt adding real fruit.

The third ”health” food is sugar free products.

There are lots of sugar free products that people buy and they think it’s healthy. Sugar free puddings, sugar free candy, sugar free crackers, sugar free biscuits and so on. It is important to look at the ingredients list and see with what kind of ingredient is the sugar replaced. 90% of the time is maltitol, sucralose, sorbitol and aspartame. People should know that maltitol spikes the blood sugar even quicker and higher than sugar. Maltitol also causes intestinal problems and  bloating. Sucralose can reduce your natural gut flora; it can kill the good bacteria in your gut. That can cause problems like acnes.  If you crave candy, try eating raw cocoa beans. If you crave sweets you can eat dry fruits, like dates, figs or dried apricots.

The fourth on the list is whole wheat.

People should not eat anything that has in it wheat, whole wheat, that means cereal, pasta, bread anything that has in it wheat! Everything has wheat in it is processed, like cereals, bread, pasta. Usually are filled with junk like artificial sweeteners, flavours  colours  preservatives. The whole wheat bread is actually died brown. Things like cereals   are sweetened with all kinds of sugars, artificial flavours and addictive chemicals. Other reason is that wheat disrupts digestion. When you eat wheat it can cause constipation, bloating. When you eat wheat it can de-gradate the little villi in your small intestine. The little villi are responsible to absorb nutrients. When you eat wheat it covers and shortens the villi. The other thing about wheat is that it’s a very addictive food; it increases your hunger and craving for it. When you stop eating bread or crackers or cereal you feel you are hungry for it all the time, it is because you are addicted to it. This happens because the gluten polypeptides cross the blood ring barrier, and they actually acting in your brain like opioid is.

The fifth unhealthy “health’ food is diet soda

Diet coke is obviously thought of as a diet food, it has the word diet in it. Diet sodas are the worst; we can call them chemical soups. When you drink these sodas, you have chemicals in your body; your liver has to detoxify them. Your liver plays also an important role in your metabolism. When your liver is overloaded with chemicals like diet coke and all the other stuff throughout the day, it’s too much, it can’t function well. It is bad for your body!

The sixth “health” food is margarine

People think it is healthy because of marketing. Is being advertised as “better than butter” The sad truth is that even low quality butter is healthier than any margarine. Margarine is very high in trans fatty acids, which are pure poison for your heart. Trans fats are man made hydrogenated oils. Trans fats are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil. The process involves using harsh chemical solvents, high heat, pressure and metal catalyst. Which are than deodorized and bleached. Once consumed, trans fats are very inflammatory inside your body. Also margarine increases your total cholesterol and decreases your  immune response. The butter can be a healthier version for you, if you consume in small amounts.

The next one is vitamin water.

First of all it is loaded with synthetic vitamins, these vitamins are not coming from the nature, they come from laboratories. Our body does not know what to do with a vitamin that came out of a laboratory. Near these vitamins, contain usually around 13 grams of sugar per serving; we know that for every 4 grams of sugar it’s one tea spoon. Consider that 3 tea spoons of sugar is enough to suppress your immune system for 4 to 6 hours.

The last but not least are the fitness/energy bars

Usually the number one ingredient is corn syrup, after that comes the partial hydrogenated vegetable oil, soy protein oils, artificial flavours and colours. So this is definitely not a health food either.

We all should avoid all these foods and replace them with fruits, vegetables and nuts. If you get rid of those foods, your body will respond properly by burning fat for energy and giving you a healthy lean body.

Be aware!!!