"The art of living is the fine balance between holding on and lettiing go..."
This is an area of our website that is dedicated to you, for you to enjoy and hopefuly be inspired, moved or motivated by... If you have any ideas, queries or additions on a subject that you are interested in and would like to see on our site, please to email us and we will do our very best to compile something interesting, effective and entertaining for you and all our visitors...
With love... Us
“"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now.”"
Mahatma Gandhi
Self massage techniques...
Scalp Soother
Place your thumbs behind your ears while spreading your fingers on top of your head. Move your scalp back and forth slightly by making circles with your fingertips for 15-20 seconds.
Sinus Pressure Relief
Place your fingertips at the bridge of your nose. Slowly slide your fingers down your nose and across the top of your cheekbones to the outside of your eyes.
Easy on the Eyes
Close your eyes and place your ring fingers directly under your eyebrows, near the bridge of your nose. Slowly increase the pressure for 5-10 seconds, then gently release. Repeat 2-3 times.
Shoulder Tension Relief
Reach one arm across the front of your body to your opposite shoulder. Using a circular motion, press firmly on the muscle above your shoulder blade. Repeat on the other side.
Top 10 Fat busting foods...
Grapefruit
We've all heard of the grapefruit diet but you don't have to live on a diet of grapefruit alone to lose weight. It's been found that that eating half a grapefruit before each meal or drinking a serving of the juice three times a day can help you drop the pounds. The magic ingredient is the fruit's phytochemicals and their effect of reducing insulin levels which stimulates your body to convert calories into energy rather than storing as flabby fat.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a super spice when it comes to boosting your wellbeing as it has many health-giving properties. In terms of weight loss, it's all to do with controlling those post-meal insulin spikes, which is what make you feel hungry. And you don't need to get much of the stuff to get the benefits; studies have shown just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon a day can lower the blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. To up your cinnamon intake either sprinkle it on to your breakfast cereal, or maybe mix it into your morning latte.
Chili peppers
Adding a bit of heat to your diet can give you a weight-loss boost. Studies show that having a spicy start to your morning, i.e. eating chilies as a part of your breakfast can make you opt for a smaller lunch. Apparently it's down to capsaicin which is found in chilies and red peppers that has appetite suppressing properties. Granted - chilies aren't the easiest of items to face as your morning meal but how about as a part of a spicy egg-white omelette or stirred into scrambled eggs for a spicy weight loss kick.
Fennel tea
Again fennel tea is a food stuff that boasts a list of health giving benefits; it's packed with good levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium as well as the vitamins B and C. But when it comes to the weight-loss stakes fennel had a double benefit: working both as an appetite suppressant and a metabolism booster which really are both useful if you're trying to lose weight. Fennel tea is widely available in supermarkets so add it to your daily diet to stave off cravings and boost your fuel burn.
Salad
Eating a low-calorie salad before your main meals can help you to lose weight and ensure you get recommended daily intake of veggies. And it's not rocket science as to how it works for weight loss, the key is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out when it comes to your main meal. You need to make sure you don't drown it in a fatty dressing though - a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar makes the perfect healthy accompaniment to a fresh salad.
Green tea
Another powerful brew - green tea really has a multitude of health and wellbeing benefits. And if you are a keen into fitness it makes the perfect pre-workout drink; it's been found to increase endurance by as much as 24%, allowing you to exercise longer and burn more calories. But in terms boosting your weight loss power, a study carried out by the Journal of Nutrition, drinking five cups of green tea per day can help you lose twice as much weight, most of it where we want to lose it most - around the middle.
Celery
Celery rates well as a weight-loss food as you can actually end up burning more calories eating it than your body will take on consuming it. But by no means does that make celery low in nutritional value; it's super-packed with fibre (great for digestion) and foliate (the essential nutrient for the care and production of new cells within the body). Get your celery fix by making sure it's featured in your pre-meal salad, as an accompaniment to your lunch or as a healthy snack when you want to satisfy that 'munch' craving.
Lentils
Lentils are great weight-loss food as they have the power to really satisfy your hunger without packing your body with loads of calories and fat - that's often why lentils feature heavily as a meat substitute - they can make you feel like you've had a meaty dish minus the calories and saturated fat that come with eating meat. Again like celery, lentils are full of fibre and foliate so as well as giving you the full feeling, they are great for digestion and healthy cell growth.
Dark chocolate
Granted chocolate is not low in calories nor in fat, but dark chocolate has two major dietary positives that can lead to long term weight loss. First, it's quite difficult to scoff massive quantities of high-quality dark chocolate as compared to the milk stuff. Secondly, dark chocolate is very high in health-promoting antioxidants. In terms of a weapon in your weight-loss armoury you can use dark chocolate as a way to curb any sweet cravings, just a few small squares to quell a full on chocolate pig out is well worth the modest calorie intake.
Quinoa
Pronounced 'Keen-wah' quinoa is known as the 'mother grain' by the ancient Peruvians. Quinoa is good for weight loss as it has the power to keep you feeling fuller for longer due to its high protein content. Also the carbs that are present in the grain are released slowly into the body so you won't get that rush of energy after eating quinoa as you would with other foods like white rice or pasta. You can eat quinoa raw but we reckon it's best when it's cooked in a similar way to rice or couscous.
Get motivated, stay motivated!!
Whether you are completely new to exercise or an exercise junkie,
having a goal or reason to train is as important as your plan- the
"thing that keeps moving you towards your goal". First ask yourself:
What do I want?
Set yourself a goal that means a lot to you, once you’'ve decided on
your goal it is easier to stay focused... write it in big letters and stick
it around the house- next to your bed, on the fridge, bathroom mirror...
even your computer screen!
What must I do?
Once you have your goal ask yourself what you will do to get you from where you are now to reaching your goal. List four little things that you can do every week to get you your goal, and four things you can do every single day- and thinking positively about it does count as one! Believe that you can have your “goals” in life- if you have already resigned to this way of thinking reset either your frame of mind or set a goal that you feel positive about.
NOW DO IT!
Lastly, you must take action. You know what has to be done to get what you want, now you must do it... start today whether you opt for fruit instead of chocolate, walk around the block or take the stairs... Anything!! Just start today. Today is the only day you have the power to change, only right now because we may think “I’ll start tomorrow”, but now will still be now tomorrow!
Listen to the compass of your heart. All you need lies within you.
You are perfect. You are complete. Your inner voice always knows what to do, but it is a quiet voice. You can only hear the whisperings of your inner voice - your inner compass - when you turn down the volume of your fears, your regrets, your resentments..., and the fear-based advice your neighbours are so willing to give you... You will hear.
Let your past be left in the past, otherwise it can destroy your future. Live life for what today has to offer, not for what yesterday has taken away
Worrying does not take away tomorrows' troubles... it takes away today's' PEACE.
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway - Susan Jeffers
“Sex appeal is fifty percent what you've got and fifty percent what people think you've got." Sophia Loren
Reading list...
These are a few of the books that have inspired me, moved me or maybe just relieved my mind of thinking about my troubles and made my heart smile. I hope there is something here that brings you a little more peace, love and joy.
Nikkita. x
