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

Prom Photos 2015

Everyone was talking about prom, dresses, shoes, hair, makeup and of course suits since last year and it has already passed by.

 

Not only was the venue very beautiful, but everyone looked gorgeous... even effortless; but I know that the boys took at least a few hours to look as smart as they did!

 

The day was hot and sunny but I must admit that the night didn't last as long as I hoped it would have lasted as the DJ called out the last song at 11 pm. Now that is a little early don't you think?  There were food bites, drinks and the all special 'Prom King and Queen' who also shared a dance together.

 

It was lovely to see that people I have seen almost every day, for the past 5 years of my life, all came together to dance and share this last night before people move away and our year group is lost to a new herd of students.

 

If I had one last wish for everyone it would be: never forget these years.

 

Priyanka xx

Malin + Goetz : Grapefruit Face Cleanser, Vitamin e Face Moisturizer and Lip Moisturizer Review

 

With my £5 WHSmith voucher I knew exactly what I was going to buy.

 

I needed a magazine.

 

Yes.

 

One of those glossy, white, fashion and beauty filled magazines that I hadn't even dared to touch because of those exams that I have now completely erased for my memory- and for a very good cause.

 

Nobody really likes being locked in studying.

 

And lucky me, a travel size Malin +Goetz set was what I got with my July edition of Elle.

 

Grapefruit Face Cleanser

 

This is a really hydrating and gentle face cleanser which actually smells really lovely! I feel like that this would be better to use in the morning when you know you haven't been sweating and don't need to properly remove any makeup or dirt from your face as you would do in the evening.

 

It doesn't foam up very much and has a similar gel like texture as the Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel which I also brought a year ago in a travel size version when I was out camping.

 

This would be great for people with especially sensitive skin but cleans skin just as well.

 

Vitamin e Face Moisturiser

 

On the back of the product it does recommend using a small amount of product because it is very concentrated. However, a usually moisturize my face a little more (even if that means I might have to put on a little more powder on my face, to prevent any oiliness) as my skin is on the slightly more dry side.

 

That being said, using more product on my face worked better for me, but I would not recommend this as a night cream as it doesn't have enough creaminess to lock in moisture during the night.  

 

Lip Moisturizer

 

If all lip balms and all Vaseline tins were this good, I would be smothering the gels all over my lips all day, so much that people around me would be heavily concerned!

 

The product is a clear gel like substance and is so immensely hydrating that you only actually need the tiniest amount on your lips to feel like they are fully moisturized. I also found that the hydration lasts a very long time, doesn't easily wash off under a little water or whilst eating food. The best thing is that it makes your lips look much smoother.

 

It is really a pleasant surprise and I think everyone would love it as basic lip product.

 

I really need to find a lip moisturiser, as perfect as this one, but one that is more readily available. If anyone has any recommendations I would love to know!

 

Priyanka xx

Taylor Swift Concert Hyde Park

 

 

 Yes. It happened. It really did. And it was beautiful.

It was an incredible night and I'm so glad that I could be there with my best friend so we could share our love for Taylor together.

I hope my memories will remain as vivid as the excitement, rush and build up of the whole day.

The venue was perfect (I could smell gorgeous food everywhere) and the day was sunny and hot so we all had to accept that everyone was sweating by the end of the day from jumping around screaming the lyrics of her songs at the top of our voices.

The funny thing is even grown men (in their 30s) knew all the lyrics, of all her songs, off by heart as well as I did. I will happily praise that aspect of their personalities!

We were standing up for more than 4 hours, at a skin tight distance to everyone in the crowd since she also had Vance Joy, John Newman and Ellie Golding singing before her. The loveliest thing is that Taylor not only sang the new songs from her album 1989 but also really old classics as the much adored 'Enchanted' and 'Love Story' (they never get old).

And so the day all ended with hungrily scoffing down a Chicken Legend Burger with chips from McDonalds, at 12 am on the hot and sticky tube home.

Priyanka xx

Aduna - Baobab and Moringa Testers + Two Recipe Trials

 

 

Recently, I discovered Aduna, a company who have been trying to publicise the Baobab and Moringa 'superfood' powers. After requesting a free sample from their website, I received a tester of both powders in the post and decided to try out two new recipes, incorporating them in.

 

Moringa is a green powder with a slightly spinach like taste to it. It claims to aid energy release, blood pressure, bones, teeth, healthy nails, hair and good skin health.

 

It also has...

24 x iron of spinach.
21 x calcium of milk.Almost 25% protein. 

 

Tuna Guacamole

- 1/3 Can of Tuna

- 1 Handful of sweet corn (Frozen ones, defrosted)

- 1 Handful of Peas (Same as above)

- 1/2 Green Pepper

-1/2 Stalk Celery

-1 Tbs Moringa powder

 

-1/2 Avocado

-Chunk of cucumber

-Tomato (optional)

 

Use a little olive oil to cook  the pepper and celery together and leave to until golden brown. Mix in the tuna and  defrosted sweet corn and peas. Add salt and seasonings of choice.

 

When cooked move place into a bowl and add 1/2 avocado and cucumber chopped into cubes.

 

Skinkle more pepper and feast.

 

**************

 

Baobab is claimed to have many health benefits aswell including the aid of good skin health, immune system, stress, metabolism and energy levels.

 

It also has...

6x vitamin C of oranges.6x potassium of bananas.
2x Calcium of milk.
50% fibre.

 

It has a pear like taste and it all sounds good to me!

 

A Taste of All - Energy Balls

-2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

-5 Tbsp. desiccated Coconut (2 Tbsp. when blending then 3 Tbsp. or more when creating a suitable consistency to make them into balls)

-1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter (or almond butter)

- 1 Tbsp.  Baobab Powder

-1 Tbsp.  100% Cocoa Powder

-1 Tbsp. Nuts of choice (I used 1/2 Tbsp. hazelnuts and 1/2 Tbsp. almonds)

-1/4 cup Dates (chopped)

-2 Tbsp. Pumpkin Seeds

-1 Whole Banana

-1Tbs Olive Oil (optional)

 

Blend together all the dry ingredients in the blender and make sure all whole nuts have been made blended into roughly powered consistency. This might take a while, so mixing it  with a spoon in between will help!

 

Blend the banana and olive oil into the other ingredients- this helps everything stick together better. Finally, hand mix the rest of the desiccated coconut into the mixture and add more if needed to hold everything together.

 

Make them into balls and place them into the fridge to set. Eat and Enjoy!

 

I love these balls because they are super healthy and you could use more or less of any of these ingredients depending of what you have in your kitchen at the moment.

 

I will be sure to invest in both the Baobab and Moringa superfoods to add to my daily diet. If you tried the recipes, let me know if you liked them!

 

Priyanka xx

 

Starting the Day With a Fresh Thing or Two in Mind

The morning is the one of the most important times of the day. It's not about rushing to the kitchen for your beloved cup of tea, neither is it truly about eating your breakfast and then running out the door even though these are things that we have to do eventually whether we like it or not.

Since my exams have finally finished and two and a half months of a summer and fun has arrived, I'm going to take this as an opportunity to re-wire my mind so that it can not only be an action packed summer but one in which I can become the best possible version of myself within.

During the past few months I've been trying out a few different things so that I can become less stressed and use the highest possible energy into what really matters in my life.

So without further ado, here is my morning run:

Try not to hit snooze
 I know this one is practically impossible. No in fact it's very, very close to literally being impossible. However, we're all in this together! It's simply mind over matter - you need to get things done, why delay something when it can be done quickly so you can do other (hopefully more exciting) things with your day?

Life hack:
- Set one alarm off 5 minutes before you usually do (mentally allowing yourself to snooze it).
 -Set your alarm off when you wake up (lay in bed letting it ring several times, knowing you have to get up- and now!)
-Set one alarm after 5 minutes (you should not delete this one and is ONLY for over runs in case something happens (like you feel extremes symptoms of laziness or fatigue and you don't get up on time)

Do what you would begin to do and then go down for your tea
I usually wake up, wash my face, put my clothes on and then run down for my cup of green tea with a squeezed slice of lemon (my continued obsession is here for y'all to read and laugh at).

Go back up finish something else and then write in a journal
I like to finish doing my bed and then write in my diary. Diaries don't have to be time consuming or excessive, it can take you no longer than several minutes in the morning, especially when your in a rush.

Go for three subheadings:
- Gratitude (everything in your life at the moment which make it worth living as well simple things like the presence of a healthy family that we always take for granted).
- Refection (what was things you did yesterday that were awesome and the things that could do with improvement).
-Today's goals (what are you going to do today and how its exactly going to happen).

Bullet point all these down on a page and that's it!

BUT writing it down is a complete waste of your time if you're not truthful about what you write and if you are not really going to do any of the things which you say you are going to do- you might as well not have written it down in the first place!

Now you are free to make breakfast, rehydrate your system and get ready to kick you day up  backside
I won't go into the typical 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' because the fact stands that is really and truly is. I drink a lot of water (1.5 litres this morning- but it was a good day) and then that's me pretty much sorted to put my makeup on, pack my super healthy salad and get out the front door.

Ladies (and gentlemen) sometimes that's exactly how is done.

Priyanka xx