Smoothie Sunday recipe

Smoothies are beverages made up of blended fruits and vegetables. During my weight loss I drank a lot of them because they are:

• Nutrient dense meaning high in nutritional value and low in calories.
• Hydrating The base of the smoothies were either milk or yoghurt which have a high water content.
• Quick and simple They can range from 2-10 minutes. They make the perfect on the go meal/snack, add raw oats to make you feel fuller.

 Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of oats, banana, apple, ice, water,1/3 cup of yoghurt, strawberries

Method

• Split the ingredients in half, strawberries in one.
• Blend one half, then the other. 
• Slowly pour the second half on top. VOILA! (the mix needs to be thick for it to work)

      

                       

 

Love this mason jar!

This post was inspired by Jenny from her health blog. If you enjoyed this post check out hers. 

          "One should eat to live, not live to eat" -Benjamin Franklin 

                                                                               -Jen'shealth

                   
                 

What I ate to lose 22 pounds in 3 months

"Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise".

 True! With weight loss I learned it's eating more of the right food and less of the bad. You don't need to cut out any food group, I didn't. 

Here is what my daily meals looked like on average. I had about 3-5 small ones instead of 3 large meals to keep my metabolism active meaning faster weight loss! I also ate carb based meals earlier on in the day so I would use up the energy it gave rather than at 8pm when I'm just chilling at home doing nothing. Carbs get stored as fat if you don't use up the energy.

Breakfast: Chocolate & orange oat pancakes

Lunch:  Boiled sweet potatoes with turkey & veg

Dinner: Fresh mackerel salad with greek yogurt as dressing

Snack: Green smoothie and walnuts

What to eat?

• Complex Carbohydrates (Carbs in wholegrain form, they take longer to be broken down resulting in more energy) Eg. brown rice, pasta, bread, sweet potatoes and beans.)
• Lean Protein, chicken, fish, egg, greek yogurt. These worked so well with exercise because they helped my muscles to grow and repair! 
• Vegetables, I ate kale, spinach, carrots, beetroot, lettuce, asparagus etc. They're high in protein and fibre which will help a lot when working out. The darker the vegetable the better! I ate steamed or boiled veg. 
• Fresh/frozen fruits, they made the perfect snack. Dried fruits don't have as much nutrition though. I ate oranges, apples, berries, bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangoes etc. Fruits have low energy-dense levels meaning high nutritional value with low calories!
• I drank a lot of water & green tea. I haven't had a fizzy drink since March. 

What to eat less of?

• White carbs/ processed carbs, they strip away beneficial fibre.

• Crisps, chocolate, cakes, sweets and fried foods they have little/no nutritional value.

• Packaged foods eg ready meals. They have a lot of unnecessary additives and preservatives that probably do more harm than good. 

"What we eat in private we wear in public" 

                                                                            - Jen's health

How do you get clearer, flawless skin?

Healthy skin is a reflection of overall wellness. True or false?

• Do you ever breakout when you eat junk food?
• Do you ever look pale when your not feeling great?
• Does your skin ever clear up when you drink a lot of water?
• Do you ever look a certain way when you don't get enough sleep?

If you answered true to at least two questions then yes, healthy skin is a reflection your overall wellness!

My bare face!

Acne?

I had acne believe it or not. After spending so much time and money on my skin I saw a dermatologist and got prescribed "minocin SA" (oral medication). I had to take it every day at a certain time this helped dry out my spots and cleared my skin. It took about 9 months to see changes but it was worth it! During the period I didn't apply makeup in order to reap the entire benefits. Thankfully I didn't encounter any side effects.

So how can I get clearer, flawless skin?

1. Eat better. Try more veg, fruit, lean meat (chicken,turkey),complex carbs (brown rice,pasta,sweet potatoes). Try reduce amount of sugary, greasy foods (sweets, ice-cream, butter,chips).
2. Get more sleep. This is our body's time to make new skin cells, if we don't allow it 7-8 hours daily it won't finish the new cells and won't look too good. Unfinished things never look as good as they ought to.
3. Get in vitamin C! That's right they help maintain and repair healthy skin. Vitamin C is in tons of fruits especially in kiwis, oranges, pineapples and berries.
4. Water. Drink at least 2 litres daily. It helps keep the skin hydrated. When you water a plant it grows and looks great. When you don't it starts to wither and eventually dies. As deep as this may sound the human body can survive up to 3 days without water. It must be pretty important huh? 
5. Treatments. You can exfoliate which helps get rid of the top layer of dead skin, face masks help the dead skin come out of hiding. My personal favourite has to be steaming this allows heat from hot water to open up your pores and get a deep cleanse! 

But what products can I use? 

 Well what type of skin do you have? Dry, Sensitive, Normal, Oily, Combination? You should then research accordingly. My best advice for you is to use natural products if your able. Why? It' hasn't got artificial chemicals that are probably doing more harm than good. It is also inexpensive and works way better than high-end skin care products most of the time. Here are my products. It took me a while to find what works, but better late than never! 

Cleanse

I use Dudu-Osun also known as African black soap by the brand "Tropical Naturals". It makes my skin feel clean and refreshed without leaving it dry. I use this for my body also and it does wonders! I purchase mine in Nigeria, but you can definitely find it online.

Tone

I use Rosewater by the brand "Atlantic Aromatics". It makes my skin feel extra clean yet soft. I spray it lightly on my face and then get a cotton pad and dab. It's a great all natural toner for those with dry/sensitive skin. It's also a great setting spray for makeup! I get mine from a health food store named "Nourish". 

Moisturise

This is a step that you shouldn't be skipping, even if your skin ain't dry! For my face I use coconut oil. Hold up Jen... an oil? Yeah, as strange as it may seem the oil particles are small enough to penetrate my skin not leaving it greasy. It's non comedogenic meaning it won't clog my pores! It works great for those with oily skin too! Try it out :) I get mine from Nourish. For my body I use shea butter. It's a great thick moisturiser for those with dry patches etc.. It makes my skin feel soft and smooth. I made my own mix infused with wonderful ingredients! Contact me if your interested, my sister sells them and ships internationally. 

"Years wrinkle the skin but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul" -Douglas MacArthur

 -Jen'shealth