The Diet Dilemma

Kick binging, comfort eating, and unhealthy cravings out of your life for good! 

In order to achieve your target weight you need to do a whole lot more than count calories and eliminate whole food groups from your diet. You need to make changes to your lifestyle that are healthy and sustainable.

You need to change your entire relationship with food and your attitude towards it. 

Recent studies have shown that 98% of people who lose weight by dieting regain all of it in less than 3 years. Therefore in order to ensure that you don't regain all that fat and all those extra dress sizes, you need to make a conscious decision to not rely on food to change your mental state of mind. Food should not be a source of comfort or happiness but rather a means to satisfy yourself and achieve your dream body. Unhealthy cravings, binging, emotional eating and night snacking all need to come to an end if you are to make any progress in achieving a healthier lifestyle.

Quick tips to help you beat the binge: 

1) Stop denying your unhealthy food habits and eliminate all triggers. 

Triggers are those foods that you find impossible or difficult to resist. These foods lead to overeating and weight gain. Once you have identified them, keep them out of your reach. 

2) Plan all your meals and make room for healthy snacks in between. 

Plan all your meals and have healthy snacks on hand such as salted nuts, fruit and veggies so that if you get a craving, you are armed with healthy food to keep you going. 

3) Avoid eating after 21h00 completely 

At night, our bodies wind down, digestion is slower and fat burning is practically on zero. So, whatever you eat after this time will prevent you from a sound sleep and will have you gaining weight instead of losing it. 

Above all, motivate yourself and keep your eye on the prize. A moment on the lips is definitely not worth a lifetime on the hips and arms and belly.  

Sexy, Sultry Secrets

Pilates 101 

What do Salma Hayek, Sofia Vergara and Monica Belluci have in common? Well, other than sexy, sultry curves and toned thighs? 

The answer is pilates. 

 This fitness sensation is breaking fitness boundaries and transforming the lives (and bodies) of people all over the world. 

So where did pilates originate? 

Click for your own personal pilates introduction

During World War 1, Joseph Pilates was interned as an 'enemy alien' with some other German nationals and during his internment, he refined and improved his fitness ideas to include resistance training and taught his other internees his ideas. At the camp he attached resistance bands and helped bedridden patients to exercise and keep active using resistance. Over the years, his students developed his teaching and opened their own fitness studios naming them after their mentor and teacher. Today, those same teachings and ideas of Joseph Pilates have been studied, improved and implemented  and gave become the  best way to tone your thighs and get a flat, lean stomach. 

Some of the additional benefits of pilates include:

• improved flexibility.
• increased muscle strength and tone, particularly of your abdominal muscles, lower back, hips and buttocks (the 'core muscles' of your body) 
• balanced muscular strength on both sides of your body and 
• enhanced muscular control of your back and limbs.

So if you want Sofia Vergara's sultry figure or Salma Hayek's sultry physique, start doing 3 hours of pilates every week and you'll have the body of the next bond girl. 

Click here for online pilates advice and tutorials

Spicy Summer Sensations

Steamy Morroccan Chicken packed with loads of flavor! 

This is a delicious, saucy, spicy meal with all the right ingredients you need to burn fat and stay healthy. Serve it as a heart warming casserole in the cold winter nights or as a spicy  side in the summer. However you decide to serve it is delicious and will have your guests singing your praises. 

You will need: 

4 Chicken breasts( preferably on the bone but deboned will also work)

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of Moroccan spice paste

2 sweet potatoes (sliced into wedges)

Juice from 1 large orange 

2 aubergines also sliced into wedges 

6 baby leeks (sliced in half)

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of paprika 

1 teaspoon of coriander 

1 large cup of low fat, plain yogurt (or Greek yogurt) 

1 teaspoon of tahini 

1 teaspoon of honey 

1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds 

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. 

2. Rub the chicken breasts with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Moroccan paste and orange juice and set them aside, covered for later use. 

3. Combine the remaining oil and spices and cover the vegetables with the mixture to coat. 

4. Place the chicken, sweet potatoes and aubergines in a large baking tray and roast them for 35 minutes, adding the baby leeks in the last 10 minutes.

5. While the chicken is roasting, mix the yogurt, honey and tahini together and set the mixture aside. 

6. In a smaller, separate pan, dry roast the seeds until fragrant. 

7. Toss the vegetables with the spices and serve with the chicken, drizzled with the yogurt dressing. 

Enjoy! 

Weight-Loss Wonders of the Week

The Venus Factor and Flavia Del Monte's Full-body-licios

Every day thousands of women across the globe are faced with the daunting and challenging task of losing weight. Whether its to get fit for the summer, tone up after a pregnancy or simply to drop a few dress sizes, losing weight is one challenge that unites the women of the world. 

So this week, I will be putting two weight-loss and fitness programs under the scope and giving you the opportunity to go and discover them yourself. These two programmes have been selected because they are specifically made for women and they give results! 

The Venus Factor 

This unique program was started by world renowned fitness consultant and nutritionist John Barban. He has studied the female anatomy together with its psyche and biological components and he has managed to narrow the weight-loss struggle down to a single hormone. The entire program is designed to not only help you lose all the weight you want but it helps you keep it off as well. It is an easy to follow 12-week guide to a better, healthier and not to mention lighter you. 

For more information about this life changing program follow the link below and watch the motivational video. 

The Venus Factor more life changing information CLICK HERE  

Flavia Del Monte's Full-body-licios 

As a registered nurse, personal trainer and nutritionist, Flavia Del Monte combines all her skills to bring you one of the few female tailored exercise programs that guarantees excellent results. 

She has used her own personal experiences with low self-confidence, obesity and a challenging life to come up with a new and exciting way of exercising that is specifically tailored to work womens bellies, arms, butt and thighs. You will shed fat, tone thighs and feel amazing after just 2 weeks of consistent exercise. '

More information on full-body-licios

Althought there hundreds of thousands of other weight loss programs out there, these are unique and specifically designed for women. They have sky high success rates and they have been tried and tested. Fast track your way to a healthier lifestyle today with these revolutionary weight loss wonders. 

Anti-Age the food you eat

Foods that will prevent disease and make old age that much easier. 

The contents of your trolley may have you on the fast track to wrinkles, diseases and pre-mature old age. By making smarter food choices, staying active and following a healthier life you can significantly decrease your risks of getting certain diseases and you can even look younger for longer.  

High GI index such as sweets and white starches like rice and potatoes can attack and destroy proteins proteins such as collagen that keep the skin plump and young looking amongst other things. Such foods will also increase the risks of high blood pressure and heart disease. 

Eating anti-oxidant rich foods, whole grains and vitamin packed fruit will keep your collagen levels in check and will keep you healthy and disease free for a long time. 

Here are the hottest picks of foods that have the highest age-defying properties and decrease the risks of age related diseases

Yogurt 

Although it may not have statistically proven "age-defying" properties, yogurt is packed full of calcium which helps reduce the risks of osteoporosis and it has a high concentration of 'good bacteria' that help your gut stay healthy and reduces the risks of age-related intestinal illnesses. 

Fish 

Many health care professionals advise consuming fish as much as 4 times a week! This way, like the Inuits of Alaska, you can look forward to old age practically heart disease free. Fish contains an abundance of omega-3 fats that prevent cholesterol build up in the arteries and protects your heart against abnormal beating rhythms. 

Whole grains

The grainier the better. Recent research has shown that whole grain foods protect against colon cancer, strokes, heart related diseases and high blood pressure. These include wholegrain oats, brown rice, whole grain bread and fibre rich cereals. Each meal of the day must have a whole grain component and be sure to try to include whole grain snacks into your diet as well. 

Chocolate - dark. 

Dark chocolate, although a weight loss diet no-no, contains cocoa flavanols that lower inflammation, lower blood pressure and activate your brain. But don't go eating whole slabs just to get your blood pressure under control, that will definitely cause other problems such as diabetes. 

The age old saying "you are what you eat" is a painful yet real truth. If you choose to poison your body with fatty, processed foods, your body will eventually succumb to diseases such as cholesterol and heart disease. But if you choose to nourish your body with healthy, anti-oxidant rich foods that will cleanse and help your body you will help your body fight off disease and stay healthy. 

Don't poison your body, after all you can't order another one. 

Beat the Holiday Binge!

Quick tips to help you stay healthy and fit during the festives. 

After a long and stressful year we all need to just let go and enjoy the indulgences of the holiday season, however, the holidays also come packed with sweet treats, lazy days and of course skipping your usual gym routine. In order to stay healthy, you need to eat in moderation and discipline yourself. 

1. Mind those germs! 

Believe it or not the festive season is also the time when most people get really sick. Most the sicknesses stem from viral infections that are spread through human interaction and by people touching germ infested armrests, trays, tables, belt buckles and latches. So, be safe. Carry some sanitizing wipes and wipe everything you're going to touch before getting comfortable in planes, taxis and buses.  

2. Stay Hydrated 

Drinking lots of water seems to be the cure for everything and that's because water works! 

If you're travelling, drink a half a litre of water for every hour you're in the air to counteract a dry throat and nose from the recycled air in the plane, Before you eat a hearty meal, drink at least two glasses of water so that you're partially full and don't end up downing the entire buffet! Drink lots of water before and after a heavy night of drinking to cleanse and detox your system.  

3. Resist, Resist, Resist! 

With all the shopping that comes with the festive season, its hard not to walk into a sweet shop and come out with bags full of sweet treats. Its also easy to walk into a fast food joint and grab burgers, fries and wings as a quick snack before continuing your shopping.
DON'T DO IT! Resist the urge to eat too many processed sugars (sweets, chocolates) and white starches (cakes, doughnuts, sugary desserts). Rather, put a limit to the amount of ' bad foods' you're allowed to have per day and stick to that limit. Just don't make the limit something like 3 cakes, 4 doughnuts, and 2 servings of dessert per day - that's not helping anyone. A realistic limit like 1 small serving of dessert and a half a slice of cake is moderate and allows you to still eat your holiday favorites. 

4. Do not stop working out. 

 The festive season = lazy days, family and friends coming over, new holiday destination blah, blah, blah... Whatever you do, don't stop exercising. Running up and down the stairs for 20 minutes is enough cardio for the day, top it off with some ab work and that's it. You really don't have to go to the gym to stay fit and healthy, use what you have around you. If you're in a different area, take a jog around the block and discover what lies around you. Discipline yourself and stay motivated.  

5. Pace yourself - its not a race.  

This time of the year is packed full of big holiday dinners, extravagant lunches and bug breakfasts but remember that you can enjoy the food you like without eating too much of it. So slow down on piling on too much food onto your plate and steer clear of the buffet table once you'r plate is full. Eat small portions of the food you love and fill your plate with whole grains, vegetables and chicken ( not fried!). Choose 1 item that's not so healthy and then fill your plate with healthier choices. For desserts, choose fruit salads if possible or if not take a really small portion of that dessert. 

Remember that it is totally possible to enjoy all your favorite foods in moderation and not all at once. If you just watch your portion sizes and discipline yourself, you really won't gain that much weight during the festive season. Whatever you do don't stop exercising and don't beat yourself up if you have a 1 binge day, just get bacck to eating healthy wholegrains and fibre packed vegetables. 

But most importantly, enjoy yourself. This is the one time of the year when everything stops and everyone comes together to enjoy the last stretch of the passed year, so enjoy being surrounded by loved ones and not having to wake up early for a change. After this year, we all deserve a break. 

Sleep: Natures Gift

Sleepy much??  ZZZZzzzzzzzzz 

'Sleep is a waste of time, I'll sleep when I'm dead.'

Sound familiar? This was Lady Gaga' response to critics who suggested that she was pushing herself too hard and would eventually have a nervous breakdown. 

It may seem OKAY to forfeit a few snoozes if you're chasing a deadline, working extra jobs or studying for exams but skipping sleep for too long will result in fatigue, misery and ill-health. 

Many sleep experts advise against skipping a night of sleep altogether because sleep, much like time, can never be caught up. Sleep restores your body, builds your immune system and helps you to recuperate and grow. You can forget about being alert and burning those extra calories if you've skipped a few good nights because burning calories requires much energy - energy that your body probably won't have if you have not had a good nights sleep.

Sleep is not a myth or something to do when you're dead. Lets face it, living on earth is tiring and your body needs to calm down after a long day. Your body needs sleep in order to heal, repair and de-stress. So don't rob yourself of one of natures best (and free) gifts. Give your body and mind what they deserve.