Going no.2 can be a rather uncomfortable topic of discussion but I love pushing people out of any boundaries they try and put around themselves and challenge them to engage, think and grow.
So, here we are talking about how often you go. How many times you visit the porcelain throne?
If you missed my Twitter poll, I'm urging you to stop reading and go comment your answer at the end of this post.



Below are the final results of the poll, I'm glad to see that 60% of 59 that took part go once a day! Poop and poop habits are pretty varied and no two humans bowl movements will ever be the same.

Well the experts say, a wide range of pooping frequencies are considered normal. Some adults may visit the loo three times a day, while others may only go three times a week. How often you go is influenced by factors such as stress, genetics, and your diet - less fiber it includes, the less often you'll probably go and how often you break a sweat.

How many times have you heard someone say, "Oh I can't eat that it has too many calories"?
I honestly can't relate because I surround myself with people who love food a tad too much to calorie count. I found my tribe yo! 

But as a personal trainer, I know that understanding how calories work is key to learning how to make the necessary tweaks to your diet and you all know by now that what you eat and how much you consume directly influences how fast you will see results and how long they will stick around.




The amount of energy in an item of food or drink is measured in calories. When we consume (in food & drink) more calories than we use up, our bodies resort to storing the excess as body fat and if the cycle continues of always consuming more than you use, you will over time begin to put on weight.

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight.

For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day.

These values can vary depending on age, size, and levels of physical activity, among other factors. (so if you use them, make sure it's just as a guide - visit your local dietician for a personal plan). 





CALORIES & ENERGY BALANCE 

Our bodies are simple, they need energy to keep our organs functioning and when we eat and drink, we put energy into our bodies.

This energy is used up in everyday movement simple functions like breathing, sleeping or running. So in order to maintain a stable weight, the energy we put into our bodies must be the same as the energy we use by normal bodily functions + physical activity.

So the key here is to find a balance between the energy you put in and the energy you use.




CHECKING CALORIES IN FOOD 

Ever seen that little block of nutrition information on the back of a product and thought, "Meh, how do they expect us to understand this?"

Understanding the calorie content of the food and drink you consume will help you ensure that you aren't consuming too much.

While researching this topic, I came across a cool website that serves as a guide for calories in foods depending on serving size and also gives you an idea of the kind of activity you can do to burn the calories consumed. See snap below:

www.calorieking.com

READING FOOD LABELS 


Calorie counting many shop-bought foods is less intimidating than you might think, the information often appears under the "Energy" heading and is given in kcals short for kilocalories and also in kJ which is short for kilojoules. *different names, same thing 

A "kilocalorie" is another word for what is commonly called a "calorie" so 1,000 calories will be written as 1,000kcals.

Kilojoules are the metric measurement of calories. To find the energy content in kilojoules, multiply the calorie figure by 4.2.

Many labels will state the number of calories in "one portion" of the food but, keep in mind that the manufacturer's idea of one portion may not be the same as yours.

So if you are to make use of the calorie information use it to assess how a particular food would fit into your daily caloric intake.




BURNING CALORIES 

The more vigorous the physical activity the more calories will be used, example fast walking will burn more calories than walking a moderate pace.

So if you find yourself gaining weight it could mean that you are eating and drinking more calories than you are using, so you already know what you need to do to start seeing change - tweak your diet and get physical!


Thank you for reading!

Y'all, my trip to the north was nothing short of lit and extremely tasking on my body. So, in an effort to feel like myself again (fatigue is the name of the game since getting back, which does nothing for your body's natural immunity🙄), I'm doing a 2-day tea detox.


Try a green tea cleanse and discover how good it feels to detoxify and refresh your body. After all, nothing deserves a good spring-cleaning more than your body.

Hi guys,

Diet & nutrition. When embarking on the journey to living a healthier more active lifestyle, what you eat will directly influence your results, how fast you see them and how long them gains will stick around child, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I've learned the hard way that it's so not, "I workout so I can eat whatever I want". One key way to make sure you stay on track with your diet is to plan your meals. The foods you eat in between your bigger meals are crucial too, so snack smart. In an effort to inspire y'all to snack better, here are my go-to on the go healthy shnacks.

Enjoy!



1. Yoghurt x Granola: I get my granola from Dischem, I prefer the Lifestyle Food brand in Dischem. They have delicious mixes with yummy goodness such as nuts, raisins, cashews, cranberries. They are high in energy, fibre and protein - if you're craving something sweet this is a filling guilt free option.







2. Jungle Oats Easy: This shnack is the best on those days when prep just gets away from you, grab this filling easy energy on the go cup and you're sorted until your next big meal. It's made with rolled  & toasted oats and depending on the flavor you pick it has mini chunks of either fruit or nuts. Yas! You can find these in Spar. 





3.  Grab an Orange! Juicy, sweet (when you pick a good one) and renowned for its concentration of vitamin C, oranges make the perfect snack and can be added to salads and various other dishes for a tang. I personally underestimated the power of this fruit. Oranges aren't only packed with nearly 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.
They are also a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin B1 and pantothenic acid (which help the body convert glucose into energy), calcium (essential for building bones and helps our blood clot) & potassium (aids in lower risk of high blood pressure, stroke & heart disease). 



4. Spread it like peanut buttah: Spread it on rice cakes or just take a spoonful to the mouth child, live! Peanut butter is high in protein and healthy oils that can aid in fat loss, diabetes, and also contains fibre which is great for bowel health aka being regular. Hopefully, you aren't part of the 1 percent of the population that is allergic to nuts. Be sure to read the label when choosing peanut butter, you want to buy those that only contain peanuts and salt.




5. Avocado! 



Thank you for reading, I didn't think my last go-to snack needed any more clarification as to why it is on the list.

Til next time! 

Smiling Squats | 20 reps

Wall Push Up | 20 reps

Wall Sit | 30 second hold

Tricep Dips | 20 reps

Step Up | 12 each leg

So, you read the title and you like things so you clicked the link. 😋

Well now that you are here stay a while and let's talk about the benefits of foam rolling aka the poor man's massage.

Now for those of you not in the know, foam rolling is a recovery technique that deals with the mobility of the fascia. Fascia is a fibrous layer of connective tissue that surrounds all of the muscles in our body. Without proper mobility, the fibers of the fascia become cross-linked and they bind to muscles and nerves, inhibiting normal motion and causing pain.

The process of applying low-intensity forces to soft tissues over a period of time is known as myofascial release. The purpose is to allow contracted muscles to relax, which improves blood flow and nutrient flow to the area. The idea is that muscles operate with smoother motion because of reduced internal rubbing.

1. Decreased Recovery Time: After a workout, muscles and joints become sore because of the build-up of waste products such as lactic acid. When performed after a workout a roll acts to wash the acid away by drawing fresh blood and nutrients to the fatigued muscle group hence recovery. Blood carries oxygen throughout the body, a decrease in our circulation can lead to a whole host of problems such as numbness in our limbs, impaired cognitive ability, and a weakened immune system. Myofascial release can help improve circulation which can decrease the chance of injury and decrease recovery time after a workout.                                                                                                                                                                          
2. Improves mobility & flexibility: Another added benefit is the performance capability of your muscles, the more flexible your muscles are within normal range of motion the more power they will be able to produce. This concept has to do with elastic energy, the more stretch a muscle gets, the more energy store it has and the greater force it can generate. On the other hand, a less flexible muscle produces less stretch, less range of motion, less stored energy, and decreased force output. When combined with proper stretching and training, foam rolling can have amazing benefits for improving your overall performance levels.                                                                                                                                                                        
3. Decreased stress: Had a hard day? Foam rolling away the knots can help you de-stress at the end of a tough day—just like a massage would hence the name poor man's massage. That’s because when you release your knots and sore spots, the tension built up in your connective tissue releases and leaves you feeling less stressed.                                                                                                                                         

If you know me than you know that, I LOVE CHILLI! I attribute this to the 6 years I spent in Malaysia, those guys will added chili to their chicken rice meal that they are having for breakfast. Yas! S/O to KL!

Here is how we put it down at home with this lit 🔥 af homemade chili! Enjoy!


Chilli's Used:

Heat Meter: Medium - 6

Heat Meter: Medium - 6

Heat Meter: Medium - 10

Other ingredients: used half a cup for each*

• Jalapeño flavored olive oil 
• White vinegar 

All foods, to some extent, will increase metabolism. This is known as the thermic effect of food and it accounts for roughly 5–10% of our total daily energy expenditure, depending on what and how much you eat, your size, gender, and age.

Foods like oolong tea, green tea, caffeine and chilies (capsaicin) might increase this effect more than others. And adding 30mg capsaicin (10g chili) to a meal increases energy expenditure by 20–60kJ per meal (depending on the chili’s heat).

However, no one food has the power to single-handedly cause weight loss, so don't go basing your sole diet plan on eating spicy chili. The truth is metabolism boosting foods only have a minimal effect and dousing your food in chili doesn't give you the right to eat more. Any increase in calorie burning is only temporary and begins to diminish after you stop eating.

Quick Truth: This is something that I still struggle with, gah, and how cold it has been in beautiful Namibia lately, esp this morning, is NOT helping. 😩

Here are a few ways I've been able to fight the chills and keep moving:
                   

1. Eat - Well enough throughout the day to make sure you have enough energy to workout in the evening. I do this by always making sure I plan my meals and have a healthy snack around because when I'm not eating, I'm thinking about what I'm finna eat later 😹😂; my go to is granola w. yogurt or a good ole banana 🍌.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! - I can't stress the importance of drinking water on a daily basis, it is alarming to me how many of us will go through the day without drinking any water at all. The best and oldest trick out there is to make sure you carry a water bottle with you, I always have a 1.5 liters bottle in tow which on a good day I go through at least 3 times a day. You can get your water in with teas too.                                                                                                                                 
3. Plan - Your workout sessions the same way you would a nail appointment, LADIES!, know what you are going to be working that particular day and use that to keep you on motivated and on track. You can do this by breaking your sessions up into different body parts i.e Mondays = full body, Tuesday = legs, Wednesday = abs & arms etc.                                                                                                       
4. Goals - Try setting one big goal along with some little ones. This can be anything from losing 5kgs to running a 5k by the end of winter or doing a full pull-up. Just make sure it is a goal you really want, that will push you beyond your comfort zone to reach it.                                                                                                                                                                     
5. Discover - New ways to move and new places to move - Let's face it going to the gym in itself can become quite monotonous, so why not throw in a hike or a yoga session or an at home workout session. Simply pop in a workout DVD (or good ole Youtube), invest in a few pieces of equipment or just your own bodyweight; & you'll find that working out at home can be a fun, convenient and a great way to stay on track with your goals.                                                                                                                                         
6. Dress - Warm enough so not to restrict movement/ breathing, invest in some cute warm workout gear. Mr. Price Sport will never let you down or if you are a liker of things Cotton On has some super cute workout sets. I, personally, struggle with this bit because the minute I break a sweat I want to strip down to my bra. 😝                                                                                                                                                               
7. Just Do It - As cliche as it sounds, you have set these goals yourself, have enough self-respect and discipline to stick to them. Finish & Klaar! 

Did You Know: Drinking too much water can cause a serious condition called water intoxication?


Water intoxication is defined as a disruption in brain function due to excessive water intake. Drinking a lot of water increases the amount of water in your blood. Too much water in our blood can lead to dilution of the electrolytes in our blood, especially sodium. Sodium helps balance fluids inside and outside of our cell.

Hyponatremia diagram

Hello, guys!

Hello, Monday! It's a new week, let's make this one better than the last.
Today I'm sharing my favorite meal to cook up for the family, it's one we like to indulge in, other days we 'eat right-ish'. 😁 😉
Before we get started here is a fun fact about cheese!
The same bacterium responsible for smelly cheese is also responsible for smelly feet. 

[L to R] Ingredients: tomato, onion, lasagna sheets, cheese, beef mince, beef bolognaise sauce (optional)*

Prep is key!

Robertsons always comes through!

Add olive oil to a hot pan and throw in the onion to saute

Add mince and spice to your liking, allow the mince to cook

Add roughly chopped tomatoes and let those cook too

I add some Knorr dry soup to thicken the sauce

Voila!

Boil sheets like you normally would boil pasta - drain with cold water

A layer of mince, then cheese and sheets - repeat!

all set for the oven! Set to 150 - 200 degrees celsius for 10 - 15 mins

allow to cheese to melt and for a little browning

cut into small cubes for serving and Bon appetite!