BEVERAGES (extension) & WALKING

As always I have to start by saying Thanks to everyone who view, read, comment on my blog. The comments have all been positive and encouraging so far!  Due to the demand for more tips on beverages, and as last week’s blog was a snippet or sneak preview on and how to utilize beverages in a healthy way to drop the pounds, I have  decided to do my 2nd post on the same subject.....BEVERAGES and a little bit extra on WALKING. 

Today I will not be elaborating on the homemade Juices that I make per se, but I will be focusing more on the other beverages that I regularly drink and that are also a big contributor to me dropping the dress sizes. You will be amazed to see how obvious these liquids are, how we take them for granted and that YES they help to induce weight loss!

WATER:
We all know the important catch phrase "water is life" and yes it is. In fact, it is the most important nutrient for us, especially for people who are active.
It is also the #1 beverage to keeping fit, healthy, and aids in weight loss. I always have a bottle of water with me throughout the day, and of course this means I make regular trips to the loo (toilet) to wee, so be warned!

Water keeps the body well hydrated, and this (good hydration) also supports weight loss.

I also ensure that I have a bottle of water with me during my physical activities - may it be workouts, jogging or simply walking. The water replaces the fluids that are lost from sweating through my activities. Having said this, please note that it is also important NOT to drink too much or excessive amounts of water AFTER  exercising, as this could lead to Hyponatremia, which is a health condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low (feel free to look this up to learn more about it or by all means chat to your General Practitioner). What I do is drink before, throughout and after my work outs, walks, in order to keep it in the balance.

Let's be realistic, we’re not always going to have dosh (money) to buy fruits to throw in the Juicer. When I’m not drinking my home made Juices I drink water or milk....yes MILK! Will elaborate on this later.  Having disciplined myself to follow this routine, I can honestly say that I haven't drunk a shop bought drink or any other drink apart from homemade juices, water or milk for the past 2 years now and still going. I've discovered that this routine or trick, as you may want to term it, has worked for me and is also a major contributor to me dropping the pounds.

Important Note: Drinking plenty water is not a magical key to weight loss; however, coupled with physical activities (however small) and healthy eating, it definitely adds as a bonus to you shifting the weight.

Tip for you:
I often throw a slice of lemon in my water or simply squeeze a lemon in. This was a tip from the Dietician. Why? Coupled with the loads of benefits such as giving your immune system a boost, cleansing your system, reducing inflammation, and the list goes on; Lemons also contain pectin fibre, which assists in fighting hunger cravings. It is ideal to drink a glass of water with Lemon first thing in the morning too. I religiously practice this until it becomes a habit…a good habit.

Water Filter Jug:

 You would have gathered from my previous blog that I always look for deals and ways to save money whilst maintaining good health and diet. Whenever I am in my home country, the lovely Jamaica, I drink tap water; however, when I’m home in London I drink filtered or bottled water only. No particular reasons to be honest, but this is what I chose to do. Instead of buying cases of water every week, of course I opt for a cost effective way of topping up on my water. I invested in a water filter Jug around 2 years ago and never looked back since.  Water filter Jug in comparison to buying cases of water weekly? No brainer…this has saved me a lot on the £s.

My Jug is a Brita, which is a popular brand here in the UK and cost me a mere tenner (£10)! Got mine from Argos. You can also get an “Aqua Optima” brand jug for under £5 or as high as £60 (same brand).  The Jug uses refills / cartridges and has an indicator that prompts you when the cartridge needs changing. You can get a pack of 2 cartridge / refills for £10, but if you shop around you might get cheaper deals. The downside is that the refills expire quickly, which can be annoying. This means you will need to top up often – probably every 4 weeks; alternatively you could invest in a tap filter which is a tiny gadget that you just attach to the kitchen tap (google this for more info).  If you are about to purchase a new refrigerator you could also invest in one with a built-in water filter jug. 

Tap Filter

Refrigerator with buit in water filter Jug

                                                          

MILK:

                                                                                           

Skimmed Milk

As mentioned earlier, drinking plenty milk helps with the weight loss! There is a wide variety of milk to choose from and not all milks are associated to weight loss. In the past I use to consume plenty Almond and Soya milks, but I’ve now 98% converted to skimmed milk, as I was advised that this milk is best for aiding weight loss.  Almond milk is made from finely blending and straining almond and water – it’s an alternative to non-organic dairy products and beverages made from soya beans. This beverage will obviously be a no no if you are allergic to nuts. Soya Milk or Soy Milk  is what it says it is – it’s a plant milk made from soaking dried soybeans and grinding them in water, and is also an alternative to non-organic dairy products. Soy Milk is great for people who are lactose intolerant.

At first I was a bit hesitant as skimmed milk is not as tasty as the other milks, but eventually I got use to it.  I purchase my 4 pints bottle of milk from Iceland for only £1.  My UK readers will know that the milk is colour coded which helps shoppers to differentiate them easily i.e. Full fat cow’s milk or whole milk has the blue top / cork and blue label on the packaging, Semi-Skimmed milk has the green, and my choice , the Skimmed milk has the red top and red label on packaging.

For The Kiddies:

Full Fat Cow's Milk

Even though skimmed milk is my choice I buy full fat cow’s milk for the kids as this is packed full of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which are important for strengthening immunity to infections, and keeping bones healthy. Of course, these are essential for children’s growth and development.

   

WALKING:
For all my readers who are not yet active, haven't done any physical activities for a while now, or do not work out much, you can start by simply walking! A walk to the shopping mall, the park, you name it. If you take the public transport, get off a stop or two before your destination and walk! Park the car and walk! Having said this, I must emphasise that if you  haven't been active for a while, please always remember to check with your General Practitioner / Doctor for a physical check up and to get the green light before taking on ANY activities. This is what I did.

I absolutely love, love, love walking and always feel refreshed and energized after my early morning walks. Walking is also good for your wellbeing, more so if you have a very busy lifestyle with work, kids, like myself, and the whole shebang. I tend to get more in touch with nature when I do my walks. I notice the birds more, the squirrels, butterflies, trees, heck even the leaves on the trees! Spring is my fave season for doing my walks and I enjoy simply taking breaths of fresh air, and smelling the freshly cut grass. This is the season that the little creatures come out of hibernation and are most active. It is always fascinating to watch them as they busily scamper about their daily lives….awww.. Would I have noticed all this if I was driving in a car or had I taken the public transport? Absolutely not!

I always end on a note that all these new transformation will take discipline and dedication but will eventually become easier and natural the more you do it; and if I can do it you sure can too!

Remember to subscribe and get all my posts emailed directly to your inbox, email me for any personal tips and tricks and drop a comment!

 Have a great day all and Let The Journey Begin!    

Lesley C  ;)

BEVERAGES

As this is my first post, I want to again extend a warm welcome to all my followers ;)

My posts are honest accounts of the healthy tips and tricks that work for me i.e. foods, beverages, work outs, you name it!  I aim to be as transparent as possible, as what I do not want is to make things complicated and complex for you.

Ok where do I start?  I've decided why not start with "Juices", “Healthy Juices”,  as this was my first step, or should I say "kick start" to healthy eating and dropping the pounds.  My Dietician told me that I would first need to do a major clear out of all the shop bought beverages from my refrigerator!  The first thought that came to my mind was "really?? I don't think so!"   I was what you call a "shop bought drink /  juice addict" and absolutely loved my drinks!  More so the very reasonably priced ones that I could easily get at the popular high street shops.  I later realized that I was so addicted to these juices because they are high in sugars and this is commonly known as "sugar addiction".  Unfortunately the more you consume these juices that are high in sugar,  the more you crave for them and the harder it is for you to abstain or kick the habit.  In a nutshell, the juices to avoid are ones labelled "from concentrate" and it's always advisable to check the sugar level content on the labels before purchasing.  Unfortunately too is that these beverages are normally cheaper than the healthier options.

My option:

I decided to take on board the Dietician’s advice and chose the route of the 100% natural juices.  Of course this meant that I had to invest in a fruit juicer extractor.  These vary in prices, but you know what?  They all achieve the same purpose, which is to liquefy fruits and vegetables.  Having said that, my opinion is, if you are looking to save money, go for a "Cookworks", priced at £20 and up,  but if you don't mind splashing out,  then by all means,  go for a "Novis Bita" priced at around £300 or "Bosch" at £200 and up.  Of course I opted for a Cookworks, which only cost me 30 quids (another word for pounds) and it came with a handy jug too!   I purchased mine at Argos and it does the job well!  I absolutely love it!  The only downside is that I have to clean the pulps and bits afterwards,  but this is no biggie.

My Juicer:

The thing I love about using the Juicer is that you can throw in any fruits and veggies of your choice and it's quick, simple and easy.   There are no rules as to what fruits to combine with what, etc.  I like to throw in at least one veggie with my fruits,  to balance it off and to give a well-rounded nourishing drink but if you prefer you could go all out fruits or all out veggies or a balanced mixture of both.  I'm always looking for deals, and to avoid spending unnecessarily,  so I purchase my fruits and veggies at the local market in bulk or from the Fruit Vendors on the street pavements that sell a portion or bowl of fruits / vegetables for only £1!  As for my followers who reside in The Caribbean, America, Canada, other parts of Europe, you name it, I'm sure you will know where to get your reasonably priced fruits and veggies so go on, start hunting!

It's great to include the kids too as it is also important that they too have a healthy diet. Research shows that childhood obesity is rapidly on the rise and is one of the most serious public health challenges today.  Globally in 2013 the number of overweight children under the age of 5 is estimated to be over 42 million and close to 31 million of these are living in developing countries. (source: World Health Organization). 

Tip for the kiddies:

I often whip up what I call my "berry merry" for my kids.  I simply throw in a portion of all the berries I can get my hands on

•   Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries 
• Pineapples 
• Red or Green Apples 
• Pears (not Avocado)

This combination is not only healthy and nutritious, but packed full of Vitamin C.  It's sweet and tasty, and the kids absolutely love it!

Tip for you:

This pic shows one of my many juices.  This Juice has a combination of:

• Carrots 
• Broccoli
• Red Apples 
• Pears (not Avocado) 
• Thumb of fresh Ginger and squeeze in a juicy Lemon for that kick! **Do not add water**                                                                       

There you have it.....Voila!.... your juice is ready!  Quick , Simple , Easy and last but not least Healthy.

Trick:

This Juice will cleanse and help to flush the system.  Yes, you will be going to the loo (toilet) more often, and this is a positive sign (no pun intended) that you are on your way to a healthy start!

Non-regimented as promised.  Having said that,  as you will be changing your drinking habits, this new transformation will take discipline and dedication, but believe you me it gets easier and natural the more you do it!  If I can do it, you sure can too!

I am intrigued to know how you get on with this, so please update me on your progress!

Have a great day all!

Lesley  C  ;)