Back to reality.

HEALTH AMPLIFIED

BACK TO REALITY

Welcome back to my blog!

As we have just switched over into second gear for the year, with adults being back at work and children going back to school, we can now start thinking about our health.

Some of you might be feeling exhausted, sluggish and emotional, nevermind many of you commenting that you feel like a beached whale... This is because you have taken time out from routines, healthy eating and good sleeping patterns.

I'm not in the condemning business, but rather want to encourage you to make small, positive changes along the way. Establish a routine again, go to bed and wake up at decent times. Cut out junk food where you can and re introduce more fresh fruit and vegetables, lentils, beans, ancient grains and smoothies. (See recipe for tomato and lentil curry below.)

Cut back on your meat intake, and opt for a few vegetarian meals per week. Make a point of drinking more water again. You can flavour it with litchis, apples, cucumber, mint,ginger, lemon or berries.

Focus on learning to love and accept yourself again, in spite of how you feel or look in the mirror. Spend a few extra minutes a day applying some make up, doing your hair and putting on some special earrings. (Even if it feels like it is only meant for a Sunday!)

Invest in a product that you really love, that makes you feel beautiful and loved. My all time favourite product is from the "Eli and you" product range. It is a luxurious body oil that smells heavenly. Filled with tantalising essential oils that nurture and soothe your senses. I apply it directly after a shower, or mix it into my body lotion when the temperature is too hot and humid. There is no need to apply a perfume, because the essential oils linger.

"Eli and you" SPF 40 sunscreen is also high on our family's product list. This natural sunscreen contains zinc oxide, carrot seed oil and coconut oil as its sun protection ingredients. It then also contains other high end ingredients that nourish and soothe even the most sensitive skins against harmful rays and free radical activity. It does contain beeswax and a few other waxes which makes it a waterproof sunscreen, and a little goes a long way with this product. It does not contain harmful chemicals, colourants or perfume. So don't expect to smell like a tropical island!

"Eli and you" also have a natural liquid soap to use in the bath, shower or basin. It does not strip your skin or remove the natural acid mantle that is suppose to protect your skin from harmful organisms. With a lovely scent of rose geranium and lavender essential oils, it is a pleasure to wash hands a few times a day.

Have a look at their website www.eliandyou.co.za to find the "beloved body oil", and their other amazing products. The company is based in George, South Africa.

Another family favourite treat is the individually packet nut butter sachets. It is a guilt free, satisfying, rich treat. It is the same price as a chocolate, so no excuses that it is too expensive! Have a look at Checkers where the peanut butters are stocked.

If you are short on time in the mornings, or have to have cereal, then try Woolworths's new power grain cereal. This oats and ancient grain cereal will have you going back for seconds. It contains oats, quinoa, millet, a little honey and salt. At R40,00 a box, it is definately a good investment. This has become our Sunday night dinner!

The last product that I am discussing today, is an Indian snack delight, Kara Nichha's "Sev and Nuts". It is a high protein chip that looks like fine, dried noodles, and comes in small packets. It contains pea flour, peanuts and salt. It does contain a colourant though. We found it at Checkers in the chip isle at a very low price. There are also flavoured ones available, which is not always the best.

Some people are using this time to fast and pray in order to get direction and wisdom from God for the year. This indirectly also get's your body back into shape. Please see my blog titled "Fasting" if you would like to read more on this topic.

So that wraps up my first blog for the year. Wrap yourselves with love and nurturing this season, enjoy a healthy cereal any time of the day, or enjoy a packet of nut butter or "Sev and Nuts" with your feet up after a long day!

Lizelle

Recipes:

Tomato and lentil curry

8 Tomatoes chopped/ 2 cans chopped tomatoes
Half a packet brown lentils
Handful of celery leaves chopped
2 Red onions
3 Carrots chopped
Olive oil for frying
 3 tsp Cape Malay curry powder (Exotic Spices)
Quarter cup coconut cream

-Cook lentils according to packet instructions.
-Gently fry onions until translucent.
-Add celery leaves and curry powder. Fry gently.
-Add tomatoes and simmer until soft.
-Add carrots and simmer with the lid on.
-Add cooked lentils to tomato mixture, let it simmer.
-Once done, mix in the coconut cream and remove from the heat.
-Or omit stirring in the coconut cream and serve every plate of lentil curry with a dollop of coconut cream
* This curry tastes better the next day!

Mango ice lollies

Chopped fresh mangoes
A little Coconut cream or coconut milk
Half a tsp Cinnamon

-Blend everything together until smooth.
-Pour into ice lolly moulds
-Enjoy when frozen.

Bringing back the fun factor

HEALTH AMPLIFIED

BRINGING BACK THE FUN FACTOR

I've recently taken up hula hooping! Bringing back joy into your life, having fun where you can, especially in a world that has become so serious with "life" and responsibilities. Yes, we are all doing "life" everyday, but I think that word can be quite contradictory! How many of us are really living life instead of dragging through it everyday? Life and joy in abundance is what I'm talking about.

Hula hooping is a fun way to get some exercise, spend some time with the kids (in laughter!), and just connecting with the child in you again. I dare you to take up a Holiday Hula Challenge! Go out and buy yourself a hula hoop today. Make sure that it is big enough, otherwise not even momentum will help. It should at least come up to the top of your thigh, or to just below your belly button. That is if you had to measure it from the floor up. Have a look at sports shops or try toy shops, they sometimes have the bigger ones.

The lightweight plastic hoops are a bit more tricky to keep up, while a heavier one will provide more momentum. I only found a lightweight plastic one, but soon realised that it is easier if you use two plastic ones at the same time (and look more like a pro...!) You can even tape two together. Some people apply tape around the hoop to provide more grip to your clothing instead of slipping off with just the plastic. 

You need to warm up your muscles a little before you start attempting hula hooping. Remember that your last time was probably when you were a kid. Do some gentle stretching of the torso, extending arms, swaying your hips a bit. We don't want to pull a muscle that first try and get put off hooping.

So where did it all begin? The modern hula hoop was invented in 1958 by Arthur K. "Spud" Melin and Richard Knerr. Children around the world have played with hoops throughout history. But the hoop is an ancient invention. Ancient Greeks often used hooping as a form of exercise. Older hoops were made with metal, bamboo, wood, grasses and even vines. In the early 1800's, British sailors witnessed hula dancing in the Hawaiian Islands. Hula dancing and hooping motions looked very similar. That is how the name "hula hoop" came together, and the name stuck.

Benefits of hula hooping:

• Core strengthening
• Toning muscles
• Sculpting the waist 
• Aerobic workout (that is if you manage to keep the hula hoop up for longer than 3 seconds!)
• Double joy! (Doing something fun and childlike, as well as releasing serotonin, the "feel good" hormone.)
• Affordable
• You can exercise and have fun with the kids at the same time.

There are many hula hoop world records out there; hooping with the most hoops, for the longest time, the largest hula hoop, hula hoop tricks etc. Have a look at some of the Youtube exercise clips online. Get your kids to join in on this. You'll be amazed at how popular it actually is!

 So there is no excuse for not exercising and getting your muscles moving this holiday. Take up my Holiday Hula Challenge, and have fun while doing it!

Happy holidays!

Lizelle