December Challenge: Tutorial

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.

My Gray Porridge

As I sat at my desk today with my bowl of breakfast, I couldn’t help but notice a few funny looks as I set my bowl down.  Why? My regular breakfast choice looked quite discoloured. It was slate gray colour with black grains throughout.

One of my co-workers finally came up to me and said, “A wha dat?”  

Blue Cornmeal Porridge with Quinoa Grains

“Blue cornmeal!” I chimed.

His confusion did not subside with my clear response. “Blue cornmeal?” he repeated.

I went on to explain to him, that, yes, blue cornmeal does exist. And, in addition to the commonly known yellow and white varieties, there is also a red variety. Its not a genetically modified food but grows naturally in parts of Mexico and the United States.  I must admit that I wasn’t surprised about the reaction in my office. Its was only last week while browsing through my nearby health food store that I came across this treasure. I followed up with some research and went back to purchase it. Below are a few fun facts about blue cornmeal:

• Blue cornmeal is ground from whole blue corn.
• Grown in northern Mexico and Southwestern United States, particularly in Mew Mexico and Arizona.
• It is an essential part of Hopi (Native American) dishes as well as New Mexican cuisine.
• It’s had a sweeter and nuttier flavour than yellow or white corn.
• According to the New Mexico Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service, blue corn has more of the essential amino acids, which makes it a more complete source of protein than white and yellow varieties.
• In another study featured in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2007), scientists found that starch in blue corn tortillas were less digestible than that founding white corn tortilla chips. The slower rate of starch digestion to glucose in blue corn samples resulted in a lower predicted glycemic index, making blue corn a healthier choice for people living with diabetes.

Blue cornmeal is just as versatile as its yellow and white counterparts. It csn be used to make cornbread, porridge, corn crusted fish and muffins. I can't wait to try this ingredient for my fried festivals, dumplings and pancakes!

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Childhood Obesity: Who's at Fault?

About two week ago, I came across the article   The 'real shape of the American man: Dudes, you're porky! (Bill Briggs, 2013). The article featured a computer-generated diagram of the shape of the average 30-39 year-old man from four different countries, including the U.S. The diagram showed, that compared to the three other countries, American men are a lot heavier or "porkier" than men from the Netherlands, Japan and France. According to one source sixty-nine percent of American men over that age of 20 years old are easier overweight or obese. This fact was further underlined by the illustration by Nickolay Lamm.  

This got me thinking about Jamaica and our current battle against the bulge. Something I find even more disturbing than obesity among adults is that which faces the younger generation and our nation's future. Kids today look so different from when I was growing. Whereas the chubby kid in class was the exception, they've now become the norm. And the numbers don't lie either.  According to the National Non Communicable Disease Committee,  11 percent of Jamaican children ages 10 to 15 years and 35 percent of teenagers ages 15 to 18 years are either overweight or obese. The future that lies ahead does not seem so promising as overweight and obesity during childhood are common indicators for obesity in adulthood. some health impacts include increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, strokes and several types of cancers.  

While the NCD committee strives to tackle the issue, I can't help but wonder who really is responsible  in fighting this epidemic. The Jamaican government through the NCD committee tries to get handle on the problem, I wonder if there will be any real success. As they pointed out, this is a multilateral issue.

As a society, we can't escape the role that we play. Society as a whole has a very hands-washing approach to childhood obesity. "My kids aren't fat, so it's not my problem." Whilst that may be seem correct, we all shoulder the financial cost of childhood obesity. In the US, childhood obesity alone cost $3 billion. Is that number big enough to make it our problem? Another problem is discussion about weight has become so taboo. We've come to point in society where accept me as I am is the order of the day. So who are you to criticize my weight? I'm fluffy and fabulous! But avoidance of talking about weight is not the right way to go. If parents are afraid to talk with their kids about eating habits and weight issues, how are they maintain a healthy weight? If we indulge his every craving because he's a "growing kid", how will they learn self-control? Are we okay with others, such as educators in our school system, addressing the issue if we don't want to?

Clearly, each of us has a part to play. What do you think?  

   

Bye Bye Dark Spots! DIY Turmeric & Honey Face Mask

Lately I’ve realized that I’m becoming more and more open to a more natural approach to beauty. I’ve decided to forego the chemical way to dealing with my hair as well using other natural products to care  for my hair. I’ve also become fascinated with a more natural approach to skin care. Maybe its because I’m fed up of expensive products that never seem to work or since I’m getting older, I’m searching for  a less complicated routine. Whatever the reason, I enjoy researching simple do-it-yourself recipes that claim to take care of my various skin woes. One of my biggest issues is my hyperpigmented skin and dark spots.

I found a simple recipe hat claims to help with my pigmentation as well as dark spots without bleaching the skin. It’s the turmeric and honey mask. There are many variations of this mask but since these were the only two ingredients I had at the time, I decided to give this one a try.

Recipe

1 tbsp. turmeric

1 tbsp. honey

Apply paste evenly to the skin. Let the mask sit for 30 minutes. Make sure you do this when wearing an old T-shirt since turmeric stains.

Benefits of Turmeric

• Anti-inflammatory
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• Anti-bacterial
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• Lightens and evens out dark spots
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• Antioxidant

Benefits of Honey

• Helps to reduce infections
• Anti-septic, when diluted with water, it forms hydrogen peroxide which is a mild antiseptic
• Soaks up impurities from the skin
• Moisturizer
• Protects skin from sun damage
• Antioxidant

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