10,000 Steps Goal Met!

Yay! So yesterday I re-embarked on my journey to good health. Eeee seems like it's a love-hate relationship goin' on here 😀

Well, the thing is, yes for years I was able to stick to my low carb diet but my physical activity level depended largely on my mood. But yesterday I officially launched my "healthy living project" 2.0!

I will now add jogging to my daily routine!  Yep, Sharing with you yesterday's achievement above. 

Banana-Oat Pancake

I love pancakes! 

My borderline high blood sugar levels though has pushed me to look for lower calorie alternatives. I am ecstatic I found the recipe for "banana oats pancake". 

My Healthy Habits

My fave fish and veggies

Running

Resting

Why Your Health Is Not Just About What You Eat

Image Credit

Have you ever wondered how some people can seemingly eat whatever they like without gaining any weight as much as they would love to, and then others seem like they only have to look at some food and before they know it, they’ve gained a few extra pounds?

It’s not fair, right?

The thing is, we’re constantly told that diet is so important in regards to our weight and health in general.

Whilst it certainly is one of the most important lifestyle factors, it can be frustrating and actually pretty misleading for this information to be given to the people in the examples above as the only factor in why they either can or cannot lose or gain weight.

The Great Switch To Healthy Eating

cooking- Sunday 😜 #homesweethome #healthyeating

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Oct 1, 2016 at 5:42pm PDT

I've been ranting about weight loss and healthy eating for many years here in TLIN. I honestly have been struggling to live what I preach. Not until I had dizzy spells! Soda was too hard to break up with. But I did it again! I've been soda free for more than six months now! Yet I still had a problem with my sugar intake. I am a dessert monster! Well, used to be! I am now choosy with the sweets I take in and I am so proud! haha- no more ice cream, loads of it and cake. I can now manage to just have one tiny bit of icing touching my lips to be satisfied. Tomatoes, onions, green leafy veggies they are now my great loves! Congratulate me!!!! hehe Below is my latest photo in a tiny black dress haha. I never really thought I'd lose those unsightly bulges but I did. Still have a lot of healthy eating and exercising to do but I wanna grow old strong so the challenge is accepted! Join me!

#OOTD- The Great Gatsby Night

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Dec 7, 2016 at 3:23am PST

Story about the outfit above to follow soon!

Staying Fit And Healthy Even If You Work At A Desk

Photo link

If you spend your days working at a desk, getting fit may seem pretty elusive! Of course, if you are working in an active job that has you up on your feet all day, this helps with health and fitness levels. But what about if your job requires a lot of sitting down?

Well, you can still improve various different areas of health and fitness from right where you are.

From strengthening your pelvic floor, to toning up your legs, to making sure your diet is healthy, read on for a handful of ways you can get fit at your desk.

My Natural Remedies For Aches

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Apr 2, 2015 at 3:58pm PDT

Yes I am a healer by profession and when it comes to my own body I don't take pills at once. I don't get sick often (I shouldn't, right?) When I have a headache, a sore throat or colds here's what I do so I get back in shape pronto:

Note: The following is recommended only for those with no long-standing/ previously diagnosed serious diseases

My Plans For Keeping Myself Young

new eye wear, same crooked teeth 😜 #tooblessedtobestressed

A photo posted by thelettersinnovember (@zenskulasa) on Apr 22, 2016 at 1:35am PDT

So, I am forty now. I'll be officially a senior citizen after twenty years. Whew, twenty years is thankfully still a long time! I am feeling some signs of aging now inevitably. For one, my eyesight has become a bit blurry that a reading glass already comes in very handy.

Ways To Make A Great First Impression

You make your first impression in under 100 milliseconds. That is not a long time at all! That means everything is riding on how you present yourself during this tiny timeframe. With that in mind, here are a handful of ways to ensure you match an amazing first impression.

Dress In A Way That Makes You Comfortably

You’re not going to be able to focus on others if you’re not feeling yourself. Dress in a way that makes you feel comfortable. If you’re going to a big event, give some thought to what you can wear in advance. This means you can avoid throwing something on last minute. You don’t want to be fiddling with your hemline all night!

A Firm Handshake

A wet and soppy handshake doesn’t give a good first impression. Neither does roughly pumping somebody’s hand up and down. Give a handshake that is firm but gentle. Vary it depending on the hand strength of the person you’re greeting. There is a guide to giving a proper handshake over on Business Insider.

Image credit

What's Important To You For Healthy Living?

Many parents spend a lot of time worrying about their child’s health. It is important to feed them the correct combination of foods. This helps to ensure they receive all the essential nutrients for healthy growth and development. That’s not always easy, especially when kids become fussy eaters. But food is not the only thing we need to be concerned about for our children.

Good health is achieved through effective exercise, a rounded diet and quality sleep. These things in combination are the essential ingredients for keeping our bodies healthy. Each of these things is also key to good emotional and mental health too. Social activities, as well as mentally stimulating activities, are important as well. Many parents are keen for their children to have a good circle of friends and peers.

Photography by panna

How To Organize Your Life This Year

Do you ever wish you were more organized? Is your to-do list six pages long, and never gets done? Yep, sounds familiar! This year, I’ve decided to make a change, and organize my life. In this post, I’ll share some of the ideas that have worked for me along the way. With an organized life, I am more productive, and happier each and every day. It gives you a feeling of control, and a sense that you’re making progress. So, where do begin, dear readers? Let’s start with the simplest ideas first.

Write lists (and stick to them!)

Most of us feel haphazard and unorganized when we have hundreds of thoughts floating around our head. The trick is to get them out, and onto paper. It helps you organize and prioritize your ideas, thoughts, and jobs. A to-do list is always handy, but make sure you use it well. Divide it up into categories. For instance, keep a daily to-do list that you must complete before the end of the day. Keep a separate to-do list for the bigger, long-term jobs. As for sticking to them, try to blast through the smallest and easiest tasks first.

Buy a calendar

A calendar is a simple and easy way to organize your life. With so many events in my life, it’s hard to keep track. Take a look at these 2016 diaries, and keep your life in order. You can keep track of your work-day, and make a note of any upcoming events. I also like to leave myself reminders a week in advance of bigger appointments or deadlines. Ideally, you should also have a digital calendar that syncs up to your phone and computer. That will certainly keep you organized at all times!

Keep the home tidy

A tidy home equals a tidy mind. At least, I always like to think so. When the house is clean and tidy, we can think a little more clearly. It’s another thing ticked off the to-do list, and there are no more distractions in the house. If you work from home, it’s essential that your desk is nice and clear, ready for the next day. Try to develop good habits, like tidying every room as you leave it. Don’t let things build up, because it only gets worse!

Do one thing at a time

A lot of us like to think we can multi-task. The truth is, you can’t! It’s scientifically impossible, and it only leads to more distraction. Whatever you’re balancing in life, break them up into manageable parts. Focus on just one thing at a time, and do it well. If you’ve got a couple of projects going on in the office, don’t work on both at the same time. Do one, finish it, then move onto the next. You can take the same approach at home. Focus on just one task, then move onto the next. It gives you a sense of order, priority, and you’ll get things done faster.

These are simple changes, but they’re very effective. Try them yourself, and watch your life improve!

image credit

Why You Should Take Up Regular Walking

Exercise is important, and I believe walking to be the best form of exercise out there. It’s something that we all can do, so we all should do it!

Image Source

It’s Great for Your Heart

Any exercise that gets you moving for an extended period is great for your heart, and that’s certainly true for walking. A lot of people think that walking doesn’t really count as proper exercise, but that’s just not true.

How To Recover From Exercise More Quickly

If you are a fitness junkie, then you are probably wondering how you can speed up your post-workout recovery time. No matter how much you love exercise, you probably aren’t a fan of the aches and pains that come after your workout.

While you know that the recovery period is an important part of working out, you are probably always on the lookout for ways to speed it up.

Source for picture

Our First Run As A Couple

...and hopefully not the last LOL!

So it was that on the morning of the 6th day of December the hubby and I joined our town-mates in a FUN-RUN which was held for the benefit of scholars. We are always supportive of anything "for a cause" and anything "healthy" so I dragged my feet off the bed after the hubby threatened me about my body fats never leaving me LOL!

Warming Up!

Kick Start Your Health: 4 Simple Changes That Anyone Can Make!

Making changes to the way in which we live is important. When it comes to matters regarding our health, it can be tough to know what is best. One minute doctors and officials recommend one thing, the next they change their mind! It’s a minefield just trying to keep up.

But, you don’t have to pour over books and online materials from officials for hours on end. Let’s face it, we all know that the key to a healthy diet is to eat less and move more. It’s vital that we make changes to the way in which we live so that you can live longer, healthier lives.

Making changes to your diet and health doesn’t mean having to take on a drastic gym and clean eating regimen. In fact, there are some easy and simple changes that anyone can make.

Change 1: Ditching Cigarettes

With the raft of support now available to smokers, there is no excuse to keep on smoking. There are a wide range of materials that you can purchase to make sure that you are giving up nicotine for good. Patches, gum and e-cigarettes are the best way to ditch this nasty habit. Take a look at the vaporizerblog top 10 vapes that you can try. You may want to try a wide range of different aids to see what suits you best. Aside from the health benefits, your hair and skin will glow. Plus, you’ll live longer. There has never been a better time to quit!

Change 2: Up Your Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Making small changes to your diet doesn’t mean cutting out all of your treats. It’s about being smart about what you put into your body. So, instead of having a bowl of cereal for breakfast, reach for a piece of fruit instead. Make sure that you keep fruit and nuts in your bag, should you ever get tempted to snack while you are out and about. Replace potatoes and pasta at dinner times with leafy greens and plenty of vegetables. You don’t have to munch on carrot sticks all day long. Nor do you have to make like a rabbit and live on sawdust? But, having a savvy approach to your evening meals is important.

Change 3: Water, Water Everywhere

Hands up if you ignore the importance of water? Yes, we are all a little guilty of this. Tea, coffee and soda have replaced one of the most important components that our bodies need. Water. Make sure that you are getting your hands on bottles of the good stuff. You will feel more energised, and your skin will glow.

Change 4: Meditate

Meditation is all about taking time out of your busy day for you. Many of us are caught up in family life, cleaning, work and chores. But, we never take the time to sit and clear our minds. Put aside half hour per day for meditation. Put on relaxing music or keep quiet. Stay still and silent and let your mind wander. So many people seem to fail to remember that ‘quiet time’ is necessary for our mental and psychological well-being. Sit. Breathe. Relax. It’s important.

Nickolai Kashirin

3 Ways To Enjoy Fruits And Oats: Healthy Living Project

If you're a regular reader of The Letters In November, you probably know by now that I am into a "weight loss/healthy living project," so I am always looking into ways I could incorporate less of the unhealthy source of carbohydrates and more of the healthy types into my diet.

The past days the hubby who is very supportive of my advocacy (but not yet fully joining me) brought home some fruits for me- papaya, bananas and strawberries.

 The papaya was hours away from being over ripe while the bananas were starting to be more than soft and chewy so I had them sliced into bite sizes, sprinkled some raisins and non-fat milk. I didn't put any sugar since the natural sweetness of the fruits plus the raisins was enough to bring me to a fruitilicious delight!

1. Banana-Papaya raisin Surprise!

The next day we had some strawberries and still some bananas so I did the same thing minus the raisins because the luscious berries provided more than enough satisfaction to this sweet tooth! I was tempted to coat the strawberries in peanut butter but hesitated and just had...

 

 

 

2. Milky Strawberry-Banana blend!

Then for breakfast the next day with the papaya and the strawberries gone and the banana left in the fruit basket I had it with my whole oats and some raisins. Hmmm it was yum!

 

 

3. Oats in A River of Banana and Rain of Raisins

This week, we have ripe Guyabanos and I just sliced some of 'em and removed the peeling and they're ready to dive into the juicer tomorrow morning!






Eating more fruits not only boosts our immune system, regulate our elimination of toxins to name a few benefits but also gives us a sense of well-being. Just looking at those vivid colors makes my mood cheerful knowing that I have done something good for my body....because being HEALTHY is MUST for us to be productive and continue helping make a huge difference in the world!

Still haven't joined my NO SODA, no bad cholesterol project? Come jump right in! It is never too late!

Life is already short, we should not make it shorter!

 

3 Goals This Year and Actually More

So 2015 has me running after Personal Goals which include in random order:



1. Sticking to my healthy meal plans.

~No soda, no junk foods,no-no to fatty, bad cholesterol stuff; lot's of veggies and fruity goodness, the right amount of fluids and just enough sweets swear I can't live totally without 'em.

New Year's Resolution Ideas

As 2014 comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the new year. More importantly, it’s time to write those all-important New Year’s resolution lists. Christmas is a great time to reflect on the year gone by. You can pick out all the best aspects and learn from the mistakes. Before you write your New Year’s resolutions, take a quick look back on 2014. Did you stick to last year’s resolutions? Do you wish you’d done more?

The key to a successful New Year’s resolution list is realistic targets. Try not to be too ambitious unless you have a good plan to complete it. Instead, you should make a list of lots of small changes you can make. Each of these changes should serve a bigger purpose and change your life for the better. The biggest changes always come from the smallest ideas. Here are four of the best ideas for your New Year’s resolution list.

photo credit

Breakfast, Healthy Choice

In keeping with my healthy living project I chose more of veggies and fruits while still enjoying breakfast buffet at a hotel.

Always can't get enough of watermelon and papayas!

Orange juice plus refreshing water is always a great way to start the day!

Fri-date: Still Inlove With Green

Yep, am still into eating more green things so please congratulate me because eating healthy is truly quite a challenge!

Yesterday after class the hubby and I headed to our favorite resto where we had our "green therapy"....

buko-pandan shake