Tips to Help Reduce Your Cold Symptoms

It's that time of the year again, autumn leaves falling, darker mornings, shorter days, thicker jumpers and of course, colds.

Everyone seems to be coughing, sneezing and complaining that they have a cold and I am someone who has been constantly shivering unless I wear 2 vests, a thermal top, a regular top and a thick jumper outside but have found some of these things useful in helping reduce my cold/flu-like symptoms.

 

1. Drink Hot Herbal Tea

I found that sipping on hot cups of ginger and lemon tea (Twinning's Settling Ginger and Revitalising Lemon & Ginger are two of my favourites) really helps my throat feel less sore and dry; it also helps making me feel a little more warm and cosy which is always really comforting.

 

2. Stay Hydrated

I know this may be one point you rather skip out off the list, but when you're ill having plenty of water for your body to take care of itself is definitely the wiser option. During the day, drinking water should help increase your energy levels too.

 

3. Take Multi Vitamins

 

Vitamins, vitamins, vitamins. Don't forget your vitamins. I regularly take multivitamins all year round and swap between Floradix Liquid Iron and Vitamin Formula and Metatone Tonic as well as Vitamin D and Iron tablets (since my GP has recommended this to me).  Especially when I feel like any sympotoms of a cold is arising or simply feel fatigue, I will take Vitamin C tablets to help my immune system keep up with everything that's going on.

 

4. Get Enough Sleep

 Tired all the time? Go to bed a little earlier because you owe yourself that much. After all, its probably not your fault you were infected by the coughing bus passenger next to you, right? A little more snooze ain't gonna hurt no body.

 

5. Eat Oranges

Now orange juice doesn't classify as fresh oranges, there is something very different about the two things I would have thought. Eating oranges and other citus fruits, berries and fresh vegetables also helps your body repair itself quicker and more easily due to the higher amounts of antioxidants your body receives.

 

6. Strepsils, Tissues and Paracetamol

My mother never let me leave the house without all of these things. Always keeping paracetamol handy means that you should be able to battle the day to the end like a hero...

 

Hopefully this has reminded you that nourishing your body with all that it deserves will help you feel energized much more faster than if you binged on junk foods and walked around the roads with a light shirt on!

 

Priyanka xx

 

Why It's Important to Spend Quality Time With Yourself

Over these past few weeks my life has been incredibly exciting, action packed and exhausting but I'm not complaining one single bit! I love physically going out, visiting my friends and well doing things instead  of sitting at home staring at my phone just to kill time.

Every day matters. We are all given the power to change someone's life and every time we wake up we can make a difference to our own lives if we choose to do so.

Personally, I always feel that I have to constantly be doing something or I begin feel guilty about not doing something practical with my life (this process is not sudden but seems to progress during an aimless day) - does any one else feel like this?

One thing that I have discovered is of course I can change my life and channel all my energy towards my grand goals, so that I live with the minimal amount of regrets, but I can't and should not sacrifice my happiness in doing so.

All that this really means sometimes I just need to CHILL and let loose.

So what I did was sit out in my garden, give my self a mini pedicure, paint my nails (which chipped within a day), read my magazine, feel my legs going red and then realise that sunscreen would be a good item to grab from upstairs - oh, sometimes I'm a total genius -but I really did enjoy my self doing it.

Why Is It Important to Enjoy Spending Time With Yourself?

You can do what you want to do!
You don't have to invite a friend around all the time since being by yourself  means that you don't have to ask someone what they would like to eat or drink nor do you don't have to share an earphone when watching a film. Selfish? No, its just good to do things by your self sometimes.

You learn more about yourself
Well, you heard my little life story above so you can see that it is true. Being alone means that you can think about your beliefs, your values and assess your life - although overthinking things is never good for anyone.

You feel more grateful when doing fun things alone
I feel this one is very true for me! If I watch a hilarious film by myself I'm more likely to laugh much, much more that if someone was there listening to my ridiculous laugh. Also, if I buy and eat something really tasty by myself I'm more likely taste the food better, eat slower to savour the food and enjoy it much more than if I kept saying, 'this is so tasty!' to express it to others.

You don't have to be exhausted by the end of the day
You can sit in bed or outside and simply fall asleep instead of going out and staying there for a good 6 hours.

You feel more energized when you get back to a normal working day
At the end of the day when you have committed time to yourself, you are the person which should have benefitted and enjoyed yourself the most, right?  By allowing your self pleasures, I believe that you will feel rewarded for your hard work and therefore become more motivated to do other things.

These are the things that I feel in my life and I am certain that not everyone feels guilty for sleeping most of the day then watching  hours of TV, followed by hours of scrolling on their phones and then repeat the same process until the end of summer, but I would feel guilty.

I really hope that you find things that are common to your own life here, do you spend enough time with your self? How do you like to relax?

Priyanka xx

Things About Fitness and Food That I Have Learnt Along The Way

When it comes to fitness I think we all know that it's never really easy.

Yes, I have great days where I just don't give up on my workout, drip with sweat doing millions of burpees with my music blasting on high and feel absolutely epic afterwards. However, I also seem to have really bad days where I am either way too tired to try hard enough or my mind is on something completely different... and why be ashamed? Sometimes I have only cake and ice cream on my mind so you can guess why my workout doesn't quite go to plan!

Most people, like myself,  have looked online for short term fixes to 'loosing weight'- if you keep to it as a 'diet' it might actually work but the problem is that as soon as the '6 week bikini challenge' is over people turn back to their usual routine which isn't actually doing any good.

Since I started exercising at home around 3 years ago and my body (and lifestyle) has changed entirely but I still don't have the 'perfect' body in my eyes (every body type is equally as beautiful!) nor has exercising become any easier simply because my limitations and strengths have changed and I always need to challenge myself.

Here are some useful things that I learnt from my own habits that might help you:

-You have to workout your entire body to improve your overall fitness : Both cardio and strength

I have previously workout nothing but my abs, doing rep after rep of sit ups and crunches. It doesn't help! Cardio is there is burn fat and strength training is there to make you stronger, strengthening different parts of your body is also required to seem fitter overall. Simple.

-You should exercise not because it's a chore, but because you want to exercise

 

Lets face it, if there is no motivation for you to exercise the chances are that you wont. I love to exercise because it has been a way to release all my stress and to even relax.

-You have to watch your diet as well as exercise routine

Healthy eating is a must if you really want that body! Load up most of your plate with veggies and start making different combinations of salads for lunch - that's a great way to start.

-Read food labels

Have you ever picked up one of the 'Eat Natural' bars and found that it is filled will honey, glucose syrup and sugar? Well they are and now I tend to avoid store brought products such as these because they don't seem as healthy as I first thought they were. Some bars, such as the Nakd bars, are pretty unprocessed and I love them for when I know I'm going to be out and about.

-All peanut butter is not the same!

Again reading the food label is really useful, I found that Skippy's Peanut butter has added sugar as well as other ingredients. Peanut butter is a good source of protein (as tastes amazing) but choosing clean options such as Whole Earth is the best choice.

-Portion control - but enjoy your food :)

Unfortunately too many calories is still too many calories but I don't ever think that the healthy food I eat is ever a diet because it is simply a lifestyle choice. As most of you may realise you can't go on a short fix 'diet' for the rest of your life and therefore I know that if I do want a burger, ice cream, cake or even Churros (YES PLEASE) then I am free to enjoy those foods in moderation. I try once a week if I must or I will 'save' them up if I know I'm going on holiday or its nearly my birthday or I'm planning to eat out at a buffet.....we all know what happens then I am really hungry.....

 

Hope that you found some of these things useful!

 

Do you have any healthy snacks you love and would recommend?

 

Priyanka xx

Easy and Natural Contouring

 

I have introduced my makeup (and myself) to a little more contouring. I know. It is really down to the basics here.

 

To honest, applying layers of foundation then concealer then bronzer then blush then highlighter is not the most ideal habit to go about every single morning at 7 am for me. However, since the summer has arrived and I have been ditching my foundation on daily runs,I have decided that a little dimension to my face is definitely required.

 

I sometimes can watch hours and hours of YouTube videos and still not really know how to contour properly simply because I haven't tried. Well, that definitely was the scenario when I surprised my mum by cooking stir fry noodles for her birthday....only that the noodles ended up over cooked and way to sticky for a stir fry and the whole thing didn't taste like...noodles. It's because I have seen her cook millions of times and always thought it was easy. Apparently not.

 

Concealer: I first cover up any dark spots with Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. On my face, these are mostly all on my forehead and a few on my chin which means that these are the slightly lighter areas of my face, useful for contouring at the same time (how cheeky).

 

I then conceal my under eye area with Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. I have figured that a highlighting concealer is better to use under the eyes because it is more natural and does not become cakey as it doesn't have such a thick consistency. I have been trying to apply this under my eyes by dotting the product in a wide triangular shape, this way I can highlight above my cheek bones at once.

 

Bronzer: I have always been a fan of Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder (as well known as the 'chocolate bronzer') forever. The product has lasted me for such a long time which is great! This applies very naturally on my skin and I can build it up depending on how strong I would like the shadows under my cheekbones to be. I also apply a little near my hair lines and blend it down to my neck.

 

Blush: I have very much come to a conclusion. I need blush and mascara to then actually look alive. No, it really isn't the same without them! I apply blush with a 'fish face' first then add a little more to the apples of my cheeks as I smile.

 

At least this will be a handy lesson learnt for the future.

 

Is there any little tricks that you have learnt along the way? If so, I would love to know!

 

Priyanka xx

Infusion...Talking About Tea...

Well I love a cuppa' tea.

 

Or four,

If you will.

Thank you

 

 I used to hate Green Tea. Many people hate the taste of green tea and I completely understand why but now I drink the stuff religiously. So much that a) my dad is purchasing it in bulk b) I spend half my time waiting for water to boil in the kettle and c) it seems so wrong and I feel horrible if (I ever) go a whole day without it.

I'm not really sure who can sympathise with me at this current moment but I hope I never get deprived of my healthy tea drinking habit - it just calms me and my stomach down and its especially ideal in these bitter cold winter months.


I also like drinking Peppermint tea after I eat dinner and before I go to sleep as it aids digestion which is great because we tend to have dinner a bit late sometimes - even though I hate it- and don't have time to 'walk it off '.

Not a tea drinker?

There are so many types of herbal teas that you might actually begin to like and add to your everyday schedule. I just tried Ginger tea with blends of cinnamon, cloves and liquorice and it seems pretty nice to me... maybe you'll develop your very own Priyanka-styled obsession over it - you never know unless you try.

What's you favourite type of tea? The old but much loved PG tips?

Priyanka xx

Packed for Spain 23/12/2014

Christmas and New Years in Spain?

 

It will be interesting to see how that goes and if I packed the right type (and amount) of clothes!

 

The thing I have learnt from going on family holidays is that you have to be comfortable (bring the necessary things to feel as much at home as possible) and to get up earlier than everyone else so they don't keep moaning that I take too long in the bathroom getting ready.

Also some packing tips:

-Count the days you're going for so you take the right amount of clothes (especially small things like vests and socks etc.)

-Take comfortable shoes that you can walk in for hours

-Fold your clothes into small rolls to try and compact everything together and make the best of your space

Note to self: Be patent and refrain from getting angry when pictures don't turn out right because a glum face wont do any better.

I absolutely love the quote:

Life is like a camera,
Focus on what's important,
Capture the good times,
Develop from the negatives,
And if things don't work out,
Take another shot.

Preach.

Merry Christmas everybody :D

Priyanka xx

Things I have learnt during Secondary / High School

 

Umm yes.

 

This is my year 6 class photo. Its one of the last primary school photos before all went to new schools, to start new lives, make new friends and make memories.



 



 

 

Its really strange (and scary) to think about how much I have changed since the age of 11 and all the amazing memories I have made with my new friends since then. Here are some of the things that I have learnt from being in secondary school  sorry but 'High School' just sounds way better!)

 

1. In the UK schools (as far as I know) don't have huge lockers that you can decorate like in American movies.

 

It sucks.

 

A lot.

 

I spent all of my time in the last year of Primary School dreaming of the ways that I was going to decorate my locker. I don't have any older siblings to tell me how it was actually going to be like - and the best part is then being stuck with a tiny bottom locker for the rest of the years. Great.

 

2. Your friends can change often.

 

Some of the first friends I made in year 7 I loved. I thought that we were always going to be friends and that we were stuck together. To be honest some of them I don't even say 'hi' to never mind hang out with.

 

3. Confidence is key.

 

I find people so intimidating sometimes (especially on a bar hair day but that's another story) but really sometimes you just have to fake it to make it so that you actually start believing I in yourself. Its not possible to stay quite during all those long, boring hours of school and expect to enjoy it. You have to push the boundaries, participate in class, discuss things with other people and share you opinion and the you will already be interested in learning and socialising.

 

You can see my ten top tips here.

 

4. You might be the ripest, juiciest peach but people are still going to hate peaches.

 

Its not possible to please everyone. Its hard to be clever, pretty, funny, confident, enthusiastic, creative and hardworking at the same time. You just have to concentrate all your energy in being the best version of you that you can be. Then everything else will fall into place.

 

5. Make every day count.

 

If you think about it you're spending at least 5 years of your life at the same school, so its a waste of time hating it (literally). Every moment should count towards something good, something positive, towards your future. Make friends that encourage you and influence you well instead of people you actually don't like being around. Its you life. Its you choice.

 

I hope some of these things open up your mind and help you survive school :)

 

I'm sure I would have told myself these things when I first started but I had to figure it out myself.

 

Priyanka xx

 

 

 

 



 

 



Tips to Get Better, Longer Sleep

My life would go nowhere if I did not sleep properly or long enough....or happily.

Have you ever noticed that if you cry yourself to sleep you always wake up in a bad mood?

Well here are some tips from my own experience that can ensure that you are fresh and ready for a new day and a new start.

1. Get into bed at least 30 minutes before you plan to sleep

This is so that your body can fully relax and unwind; all prepared :)

2. Put down your phone and any other electronics

You might have heard it before but my form tutor has told all of us (multiple times) that its a scientific fact that electronic devices keep you awake - we are all guilty of the endless instagram scroll and twitter feed.

3. Read a book.

I would recommend The Hunger Games but you know I'm a little biased. The point is that reading slowly shuts down your mind and the words on the page get longer until you can't keep your eyes open any longer.

4. Think of happy things

Ask yourself what the best parts of your day was, smile, think of tomorrows goals, celebrate your life! Clear your mind of any unhappy thoughts and make sure that you've finished everything you need to before you sleep so your stress free.

Even plan an exciting breakfast for tomorrow morning because it (and coffee) sure seems to get me up!

5. Stretch out your body.

You don't really realised how tense your body can get during the day, so moving around a little can help with deeper sleep.

6. Set yourself a 'bed time' so you know that you get at least 8 hours sleep

Now that your body is refreshed and relaxed (and that banging head ache is gone along with those under eye circles) you can go and

conquer

 the

 world.

Priyanka xx