Added sugar is sugar found in cereals, sweets, sauces and drinks. And according to the world health organization, we only need about 25-35 g of sugar a day that's about a 330 ml can of coke, so this just opens up your eyes on how much sugar we actually consume on a daily basis.Lets dive into the tips:
1.EAT MORE HEALTHY FATS,PROTEIN AND FIBER
Healthy fats, protein and fiber help in balancing blood sugar levels and insulin in your body. By keeping you fuller for longer, thus preventing you from snacking and eating sugary foods. Healthy protein comes from beef, chicken and fish, free range eggs , raw cheeses and protein powder. Healthy fats such as sprouted seeds ( chia seeds and flax seeds), almonds, coconut oil and avocados. Food rich in fiber such as vegetables , grains and berries.
2.SLOWLY REDUCE SUGAR IN YOUR DIET
You do not want to stop eating your sugary foods at once cold turkey, Because that would make your body crave it more. You've been eating like that for a while so it'll take your body time to adjust and slowly wins the race. For example start by replacing cereal in the morning with a nice wholesome bowl of oats with fruits or organic stevia as a sweetener instead.
3. GET RID OF THE SUGAR/SNACKS IN YOUR HOUSE
Out of site , out of mind. The first step in beating your sugar addiction is by clearing out your junk cupboard. This eliminates the temptation and easy access you have to eating sugar. By getting rid of them do not go out and buy them again.
4.EAT MORE FRUITS
Though fruits have a bad rap since they also do contain sugar, They are a better/healthier alternative to having a can of coke or a doughnut for example. Fruits also contain fiber that helps in keeping your blood sugar level balanced. Fruits such as watermelon, strawberries,raspberries, grapes, blueberries and apples contain less sugar. By freezing them, they make a great snack and whenever you're craving something sweet you have something to curb that.
5.REDUCE STRESS
Most of the time when we are stressed or emotionally down, we tend to turn to food and emotionally eat to make us feel better. This food is usually the one containing a lot of sugar. Try to find other means of coping from stress like going for a jog, calling a friend, soaking in the tub, meditating or taking a vacation in order to relieve the stress you might be feeling. It might also help to try and learn to make healthier versions of the food you enjoy, google and YouTube are your best friend.
Hope you find these tips helpful and do let us know in the comment section how you cope with your sugar cravings.
xoxo
Selma
Hey loves, hope all is well. So I've been meaning to write about this topic because my weight loss journey wouldn't be complete without talking about binge eating and overeating. I'm sure we have all been there, whether it is eating too much food at a wedding, family gathering, using the weekends and holidays as an excuse to eat and overindulge. It can be so easy to overeat despite our best intentions to be healthy and fit.
First thing to do is not to stress about it, because overeating happens to almost all of us and the worst thing you can do is feel disappointed or angry at yourself for it. This will only lead to an unhealthy relationship with food if it keeps happening over the long term.
If you do find that you’ve eaten too much, here are some simple tips that I've tried to get back on track.
⦁ Figure out your feelings
I know the first thing after overeating is that you start feeling bad or guilty but I'm here to tell you don't. Be kind to yourself, feeling bad about it wont reverse what had happened it will only make it worse, one thing about being healthy is having a positive mindset and always remind yourself that you are in control.
Find out when you mostly overeat whether is when you're feeling sad or angry or whenever you go to parties you just cant seem to not overeat, this will help you to always know the cause of your binge and how to avoid it.
⦁ Get back on track
The best way to recover after overeating is to get straight back into your healthy routine and push away any excuses. Schedule in your workouts for the next few days and commit to them, but start from 2-3 workouts a week and gradually build from that. It will help to join a fitness class, go hiking or bike riding around the neighborhood with friends.
It is also important to plan your meals and meal prep for the next three days or so and stay consistent with them, knowing what to eat eliminates the occurrence of being hungry and ending up eating anything.
Also make sure you eat a healthy breakfast, this helps with keeping you full and energized for the day.
⦁ Avoid skipping meals
When you skip meals it only makes you more hungry and its a recipe for overeating later. Instead, try to eat as clean as possible so that your body is filled with wholesome foods. Eating protein with every meal can help to keep you full and high-fiber foods can help with your digestion. As mentioned above planning your meals helps you to be consistently eating nutritious foods.
⦁ Getting enough sleep
Sleeping is always underrated but having a good nights rest helps in allowing your body to fully restore itself and wake up fresh and ready for the day. Its important to keep yourself busy with activities that you enjoy, hang out with great company, learn new skills and get involved in community building activities that keep your mind off thinking about food.
So I hope these simple tips have helped. Remember the trick to overeating is to take steps to rectify it and know what to do after a binge. Look after your body and don’t let yourself feel bad about any of your choices. Nobody eats perfectly healthy all the time and it’s totally natural to overindulged.
However, if you feel this is regularly happening and that it might be a more serious issue, it might be useful to speak to a healthcare professional, who will listen and provide you with recommendations to help with the situation.
Thank you for reading thus far, let me know in the comment section how you overcome binge eating.
xoxo
Selma
Bloating can be caused by a lot of things such as:
- Being intolerant to food such as lactose (which is mostly found in milk/ diary products)
- Having food allergies, celiac disease ( when you are intolerant to gluten) and irritable bowel disease.
- Swallowing air (by eating bubblegum, eating too fast)
- Excess wind from eating mostly legumes such as beans, onions, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables.
- Being on your period/ about to get your period
- Drinking carbonated drinks in access
- Eating a lot of artificial sweeteners
- Constipation
Reading this list I now know the guilty party being that I've been drinking a lot of coke zero lately.
Luckily enough bloating can be reversed and controlled by identifying what the main cause is.
Firstly rule out any allergies or diseases (celiac disease, irritable bowel disease and any food intolerants) by going to see a doctor...
- Replace drinking sodas with water
- Avoid eating bubblegum
- Get more active this helps in moving your bowel to move stool in the colon that might be the cause of constipation/ bloat.
- Eat slowly and smaller meals at a time
- Take a probiotic supplement/ eat yogurt. They contain good bacteria that helps with regulating the production of gas in the colon.
- Cut down on salt because excessive salt will have your body retaining water giving that bloated feeling and look.
- Cut back on the artificial sweeteners and processed foods
- Eat less beans, broccoli or gas forming foods
- Increase fiber in your diet by consuming fruits ( bananas and oranges) just to name a few and grains such as brown rice and oats.
Hope this helps you in finding the root of your bloating. Do let me know in the comments how you get rid of bloating and share some ideas that we may not know. Thank you for reading thus far.
xoxo
Selma
As promised you guys wanted to know, what types of female bodybuilders are out there in case any of you want to try it out too. Without further ado lets get into it.
THE DEFINITION OF BODYBUILDING
Bodybuilding is the development and growth of the body through exersise and diet.
PROFESSIONAL BODYBUILDING
However when we talk about the professional (competitive) bodybuilding world , it is the development of ones physique for competitive purposes.
Athletes train to develop all body parts and muscles to maximize in balance and symmetry. They follow a strict diet and training program to be able to decrease the body fat level as low as possible and remove the under-skin water to show the quality of the muscles, density,separation and definition. Also they are judged on the "X" look whereby you should have symmetry in broad shoulders, narrow waist and nice round glutes. The athletes are judged not only on physique alone but the overall hair, make-up, confidence , poise and grace.
And the winners get awarded with trophies, gift cards, money and pro cards that allows them to be able to compete internationally and at big competition shows such as the Arnold's and Olympia.
Body building is a sport and these athletes are disciplined and work hard everyday to be able to achieve these results. You don't need to compete to be able to achieve these looks but you can for your own personal goals.
Each category ranges from less to more muscle definition, different bikini style, different posing and walks.
BIKINI-FITNESS
WELLNESS
BODY-FITNESS
FIGURE/PHYSIQUE
Thank you so much for taking time to read this blog. Hope you got more informed on this subject and let me know down in the comment section of what you want to read next and if you have any questions, pop them right there :). Till next time...
XOXO
Selma
Happy new year!! Hope 2018 is going as you planned. I know its been ages since I've been here , but I just decided to take a mini break from social media , to really focus on school and finding what direction I would like to go in the near future. So all is Gucci now. Getting to the topic at hand I asked you guys on my Instagram stories what blog you'd like to read , and you guys chose this one, as always I'm happy to share with you what keeps me going so you get inspired to lead a healthy lifestyle too, lets get into it.
1.FIND A REASON WHY
- When you find a reason why you workout ,you use that as your daily reminder to never give up. Its sort of like your motivation to keep on going,this WHY could be you wanting to be healthier, you doing it for your children, wanting that banging body, fitting in your old jeans again...anything. Put it somewhere you can see it everyday. I made mine into a collage and saved it as my screen saver, so every time I open my phone I see it.
- Start small and work your way up. Start by going for 30 minute walks everyday after school/ work and increase that to jogging. Where do you see yourself in two/three months time. Remember it's the short term goals you set that will help you reach your long term goals, the small efforts you make consistently each day all add up to the bigger picture.
3. CREATE A WORKOUT PLAN/SCHEDULE
- Create a workout program and schedule and stick to it no matter what. You don't need to go to extremes and workout 6/7 days a week. Training 3-4 times a week is enough to achieve a balance between working out and living your life. Working out is important but lets not forget to enjoy and live life.
4. TAKE THE EMOTIONS OUT OF IT
- Just do it, no matter how you feel, push yourself. Sometimes you really can't be bothered to workout but honestly I've never done a workout and regretted it. Your goals do not care how you feel.
5. LET GO OF THE EXCUSES
- Excuses are really what hinders us from reaching our goal. Let go of the "oh, I'm tired from work/school, My children come first, I have to study, My partner prefers me like this" etc. The moment you let go of the excuses you get to really do what needs to be done. Working out only takes 1-2 hours and everybody has 24 hours in a day, use your time wisely.
6. ALWAYS MEAL PREP
- Learn to cook and prep your meals so that you have good and healthy meals around. When you have something ready to eat you don't get to order food and eat out all the time.
7. REWARD YOURSELF AT TIMES
- Reward yourself with a shopping spree, a day at the spa, a new hairstyle. something that you haven't done or eaten in a while to keep you going. I really do not like to reward myself with food because it gets out of hand sometime lol.
Let me know of other things that keep you motivated and going, so we share here in the comment section. Thank you for reading and for your constant support.
xoxo
Selma
Hello loves, hope you all is well I'm doing amazing. So as promised by the tittle I'm going to talk about getting that waist snatched. Before we get into it , It's important to know with all things fitness genetics do play a major role in how our body changes but you can still work your way around it so don't get discouraged. Some are born with it, some of us just have to work a little hard to get it.
I'll be breaking this up into three parts , so lets get into it:
1. NUTRITION
- Getting a smaller waist requires you to change your diet and lose fat around the abdominal area. Being in a caloric deficit (read in my beginners top 6 tips to losing weight link here).
- Food high in fiber (oats and green veggies) and healthy fats (avocado, omega3-6-9 and nuts) is good to incorporate in your diet. Fiber helps in normal bowel movements and it keeps you fuller for longer and healthy fats aid in minimizing fat accumulation in the abdominal area.
- Drink water before every meal, it will fill you up and you won't eat as much as you would. And increase your water intake during the day.
- Avoid a lot of processed foods, as these will make you to pile on a lot of weight and fat easily.
2. EXERCISING
- Do core exercises that target the transverse and rectus abdominal muscles, exercises such as planks and leg raises are a good choice.
- Work on your chest, back and shoulders, growing these areas will create an hour glass figure giving you an illusion of a small waist.
- Also growing your lower body (Glutes and Legs) will create that hourglass illusion.
3.CLOTHING
- Waist trainers and corsets help in shaping your waist but you can't just wear corsets and not do the other two ( exercising and nutrition), they go hand in hand. Even though I haven't tried any , I've seen it work with some people.
- A-line clothing also gives you that small waist and wide hips , try and add this silhouette into your wardrobe.
- High-waisted clothing also help in bringing that waist in.
Thank you for stopping by once again. Hope you got something out of this blog.
xoxo
Selma
