December Challenge

Hey, guys! After getting such a positive feedback from the 200 squat challenge, I've decided to incorporate other lower body exercises to get your best legs and butt. You can add this to your regular routine or use it kick-start your 2014 resolution to a active and healthier lifestyle. Please join me to get a better you. Your biggest critic is you so challenge yourself. You can do it!

Going Bananas!

Hands-down, my favourite dessert is ice cream. There is simply no competition in this category for me. Throwing all cares out the door, I would indulge in this treat at breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks in between. But of course, my sense of logic and rationale wins - some of the time - and I'm able to limit my indulgence to every once in a while. Needless to say, the comfort that I get is always at the back of my mind.

Bananas have always been one of my go-to snacks during my day or as part of a healthy breakfast. I never thought of it as a dessert until a friend of mine suggested these potassium-packed fruits. She recommended using frozen bananas to make my own ice-cream. Add a little chocolate syrup and chopped nuts and you've made your own low-calorie banana split!

Recipe:

2 frozen bananas, crushed
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp. peanut butter, crunchy

Fresh Starts

Each new day brings the potential for a fresh start. It's something that we welcome and yearn for. It's  the desire to leave mistakes and failures at yesterday's doorstep so that we can move forward without the weight of regret and disappointment. It's no wonder why we make a catalogue of resolutions at the genesis of each new year or for some, at the start of a new month. Having a fresh can really help us to feel rejuvenated and more enthusiastic about our diet and fitness regimen. It can give us a clean slate to move forward  if we haven't been more "naughty than nice". 

I have been looking for a way to detoxify my body for some time now but I have been so turned off by complicated and downright unappealing methods that I've seen over the internet. Besides the fact that some of these ingredient can get costly and are sometimes difficult to find on the island, who really wants to drink cayenne pepper,  maple syrup or apple cider vinegar? I was a very selective eater as a child and even though I find that I've outgrown that, there are just some things that I feel should be used in its conventional methods of usage.  It wasn't too long ago when speaking with one of my co-workers who is an avid health nut (he and wife are manly vegetarians, although they allow themselves a cheat day each week), he told me about a cleanse that he does at the start of each week. He said all I needed was strictly sea salt - absolutely no iodized salt - and water. Similar in effect to an enema, this saline solution is ingested orally and subsequently cleanses the entire GI tract, eliminates gas and balance pH level throughout. And the best part of this flush? It's so uncomplicated and budget-friendly!   

Instructions:

1. When you wake up in the morning, before eating or drinking, add 1tablespoon sea salt to 1 quart of warm or room temperature water. You can use filtered or spring water.
2. You might want to hold your nose, like I did, while you drink the solution because salt water is never easy to swallow. But over time, I've heard that you'll acquire the taste (though it's still a work in progress for me).
3. Drink entire solution within a few minutes for optimal results. After drinking the solution, follow it up with another quart of water within 30 minutes and stay away from food and other drink until two hours have elapsed.
4. Now sit back and watch the flush do its thing. You'll experience bowel movements with one to two hours. after all the waste has been eliminated (when series of bowel movements have stopped), you're free to have some breakfast (finally!)

You'll be feeling very light and free. l would love to hear about your experience with the sea salt flush as well as tips and questions you may have.