Joseph Kony, the guerilla group leader, has been at large killing the innocent children of Uganda for too long. He needs to be arrested and brought to justice. Please take a few minutes out of your day to watch this short video and I guarantee that you will want to support the Kony2012 Campaign and do what you can to make a difference.
Alternatively you can look at the Kony2012 website www.kony2012.com.
I read an interesting article today which claims that having chocolate cake for breakfast can help you to lose weight. I decided to share it with you.
Eating chocolate cake as part of a full breakfast can help you lose weight, say scientists.
It sounds too good to be true but new research says having dessert – along with the traditional fry up – burns off the pounds.
Morning is the best time to consume sweets because that’s when the body’s metabolism is most active – and we have the rest of the day to work off the calories, a new study shows.
Eating cookies or chocolate as part of breakfast that includes proteins and carbs also helps stem the craving for sweets later.
Researchers split 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults into two groups who consumed either a low-carb diet that included a 300-calorie breakfast or a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that included a chocolate cake dessert.
Halfway through the 32-week study both groups had lost an average of 33 lbs per person. But in the second half of the study the low-carb group regained an average of 22 lbs per person – while the dessert gorgers lost another 15 lbs each.
At the end those who had consumed a 600 calorie breakfast had lost an average of 40 lbs more per person than their peers.
Although both groups consumed the same daily total calories – the men 1600 calories per day and the women 1400 – “the participants in the low-carbohydrate diet group had less satisfaction and felt that they were not full,” said Professor Daniela Jakubowicz.
Their cravings for sugars and carbohydrates were more intense and eventually caused them to cheat on the diet plan.
This also suggests that the dessert group will be more successful at keeping the weight off, said the researchers whose findings are published in journal Steroids.
Prof Jakubowicz said: “But the group that consumed a bigger breakfast, including dessert, experienced few if any cravings for these foods later in the day.”
Prof Jakubowicz, of Tel Aviv University, said attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term.
A meal in the morning provides energy for the day’s tasks, aids in brain functioning and kick-starts the body’s metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance.
You can read the full article by visiting the Telegraph website.
Posted in Uncategorized
I am now 34 weeks pregnant and I am very grateful that I feel great. I am still exercising numerous times a week and listening to my body. If I ever feel tired or like I need a break then I take it. I am not rigid with my work out schedule, but I do make an effort to stick with it because I know that it makes me feel more energetic for the day.
Every week I enjoy looking at pregnancy websites such as Baby Centre and Net Mums to discover how the baby will develop that week and changes that I can expect. The information about how the baby is developing is always helpful but the list of things that I should be experiencing are just more negative by the week and thankfully I haven’t experienced any of them.
The list of ailments and discomforts are ridiculous and I think that there should be more coverage of the fact that actually you might feel fine. The majority of websites say that at 34 weeks you will have:
The above list is enough to scare anyone and I think that too much emphasis is placed on these things. Women will almost be waiting for these symptoms to occur as they have become the expected norm. Whilst every pregnancy is different and it is inevitable that you will feel the extra weight that you are carrying, I believe that a positive attitude and exercise really helps.
Start each day believing that you will feel good and have a good day. Do your best to make healthy food choices and get some exercise at least 3 days per week.
Posted in Uncategorized
After 17 days of wear and tear I am really impressed with the fact that my Gellux manicure is still intact. Other than the fact that my nails have grown, and created a space at the base, there are no chips in my nails and this is great. I have done everything that I would usually do and with normal nail varnish there would have been chips after 5 days at a maximum.
Unfortunately I am having difficulty trying to upload the picture that I took of my nails, but I have not been disappointed and I will definitely use Gellux again.
I decided to treat myself to a Gellux manicure. I have heard good reviews about this product, the main one being that your nails remain glossy and chip free for up to 15 days. The first thing that came to mind when I heard this is the amount of times that I have got the perfect manicure before going on holiday only to find that by the third day my nails look a mess.
Gellux gel polish is a high gloss, fast drying and hard wearing alternative to nail polish. It can be applied easily and dries within 30 seconds which means that you do not have to worry about accidentally chipping or smudging your manicure. As Gellux does not chip, it protects your nails from accidental damage and gives your nails the chance to grow.
I was happy with the end result (displayed below) and I will take a picture in 15 days to show you how well my nails have lasted.
I did some research prior to getting the manicure and the risk of damage to your natural nails is minimal. There is more in favour of Gellux helping your nails to grow.
Pro’s
Con’s
As you can see the pro’s outweigh the con’s by far. The only con can easily be avoided by simply allowing the manicurist to also remove the gel when you are ready to take it off.
I received professional and friendly service from Gellux Nails by Christine who is a London based manicurists. Prices are reasonable, my Gellux gel manicure was only £15 which is the introductory price. The contact number is 07950 217 733 if you would also like to give Gellux a try.
Winter is now in full force, with snow falling, shorter days, longer nights and spring seeming like it is ages away. Even the most positive of people can be left feeling down. Maybe you over indulged over Christmas both with food and financially and now is the time to tighten your belt and be more disciplined, neither of which are particularly fun. Following my tips below will help you to have a much more positive outlook on February and help you to get through to the warmer months.
Develop an Attitude of Gratitude- Everyday think of something that you are grateful for. It can be something large or small. Doing this each day will help you to focus on the positive things in your life and help you to see that you have a lot to be grateful for.
Exercise is a natural mood booster. Whilst it is cold you may not want to exercise outside but it is a great time to look into alternative options. Why not dust of some of the exercise dvd’s that you have lying around the house. Alternatively, log on to Body Rock Tv which has excellent high intensity interval training workouts uploaded daily; or Cross Fit which has numerous exercise suggestions and videos to watch. The great thing about both of these websites is that they are free, motivational and can be done in the comfort of your own home. Aim to do at least 30 minutes of exercise, a minimum of 3 times per week.
Stop Complaining- this is something that most of do numerous times a day without even recognizing that we are doing it. Be more aware of the complaints that you make throughout the day and try to stop doing it. Give yourself the goal of having a complaint free day and once you achieve that keep moving the goal post. Aim for a week and then even a month. Popular belief is that anything you do for 30 days becomes a habit. It would be a great achievement to be complaint free for 30 days.
Organize a Gathering with Friends- Whilst its freezing outside it is a great time to have your friends round and have a nice evening in. Its cheaper and cosier than going out, with the added benefit that you don’t have to consider wasting money on transport or entry fees to Clubs. Do not take this as an opportunity to over indulge in alcohol though. A few social drinks are fine but bear in mind that alcohol is also a depressant, and rather than improving your mood it can actually make you feel worse.
Find Time to Relax- Most of us get so caught up with looking after others and day to day commitments that we forget to make time for ourselves. Make some time each week to pamper yourself and relax. This does not have to mean spending lots of money, it can be something as simple as having a candle lit bubble bath, reading a good book for 40 minutes, laying back and listening to your favourite album. Even though you may think that there are not enough hours in the day for you to do this, you will be more productive at the things that you have to do if you priortize relaxing and making tme for yourself.
Get Sufficient Sleep- This is something that we have all heard before yet only a few of us ensure that we get enough sleep each night. Being sleep deprived can make you more irritable and short tempered, it can also make things seem so much more depressing. Make an effort to get a minimum of 7 hours sleep per night and you will soon noticed how much more refreshed you feel.
The suggestions that I have given to alleviate the February blues can be applied and practised throughout the year. Each day, work towards a more positive, relaxed, healthy and productive you.
At 30 weeks pregnant I have had quite a few surprises along the way. I naively believed that if I continued healthy eating and exercising, as I have done for the past 10 years, that I would not need to gain any more than 10-15lbs throughout the duration of my pregnancy. I also thought that I would only gain weight around my breasts and stomach.
I have since learned that your body has a weight gaining plan that it will stick to regardless of whether or not you are happy with it! I have always followed a healthy balanced diet with lots of fruit and veg, so my complete aversion to anything healthy in the first trimester took me by complete surprise. During the second trimester I experienced hunger that I did not know was possible, and found that I rarely made it through the night without having to make a midnight snack which consisted of carbs, carbs and more carbs. It really has been a learning curve.
Whilst I am aware that weight gain is necessary and important for the growth of my baby, and breast-feeding afterwards, it doesn’t make it any easier to see the scales go up on their own accord.
The last time I weighed myself was at 6 months pregnant and I was still within the governmental recommended weight gain , but I have decided not to weigh myself again and just continue to eat healthily and exercise. I am now 7 and a half months pregnant and this seems to be working just fine.
I do not have a set weekly routine for exercise but I do aim to be active no less than 4 days per week. My activities include the following:
Being pregnant has made me much more adventurous with the cardio machines in the gym. Usually the majority of my cardio work would be done in Spinning classes. Whilst some women continue with Spinning, I have chosen to stop until my baby is born because I find it far too demanding and I have no control over my heart rate. I always aim to keep my heart rate in the region on 140BPM as my Midwife advised.
Pregnancy is an exciting time and not one that should be over shadowed by giving too much thought to weight gain. Our bodies let us know that our needs no longer take priority, the babies do. The baby will take what it needs and leave us the remainder. The most important thing to do is enjoy and appreciate this time, make healthy food choices wherever possible, and aim to get some exercise each week.
Posted in Fitness, Healthy Eating, Pregnancy, Wellbeing
