Please feel free to post your comments or questions below.

Anna

My new healthy addiction! I make them by the bucket, I eat them by the handful, and I love every tongue tingling crunchy bite!

Sooo easy to make and sooo can’t believe I survived without them all these years. Thank you Sarah (a member of the fitness camps I attend) for the recipe!

Ingredients

1 x 350gr bag of mixed seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflowers seeds, linseeds, sesame seeds…

2 garlic cloves, peeled

Frank’s Redhot sauce (available in most supermarkets), or Tabasco sauce

Dried chili flakes

ground black pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees (fan oven)

Put the garlic cloves in a mortar and crush them until soft

Add ground black pepper, about 150ml of Frank’s sauce, and dried chili flakes to taste

Mix it all together

Spread the seeds on an oven tray (I lined mine with foil)

Pour the chili sauce over them making sure to cover as many of them as possible

Roast for 5 mins at 180 degrees

Check seeds after 5 mins to make sure they are drying out but not burning

Leave in the oven for another 5 mins until seeds look dry and crunchy

Take the tray out and leave seeds to cool

Keep them in a glass jar or a freezer bag and enjoy tucking into them in between meals, or add them to your meals for extra crunch and hotness!

I hope you enjoy them,

Anna

DON’T FORCE THE ENGINE

There is no point in forcing things.  It’ll only lead to frustration and negativity. Sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to let it rest for a while. It’s like trying to rev up the engine of a car when it’s stuck in the mud. It only digs in deeper. As pressing or important as something may be, sometimes it is better to…

FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING

For a while anyway! Because maybe the reason we got “stuck” in the first place was that we tried too desperately; and desperation leads to one thing only: more desperation. Instead, make a point to focus your energy on something totally unrelated for a short while, a few hours, or a whole day if you have to! Remove yourself from the thought and the situation, and do something that requires minimal mental effort. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m out walking in nature. As mum says: you’d be amazed at how many ailments a little fresh air can cure!

SEND AN S.O.S

Ask for help. Don’t expect to know everything or to be able to solve every riddle and puzzle that life throws at you. If you don’t have the answer, someone else will, and that someone else will more than likely be happy to help. In business, we have leaders, managers, administrators, helpdesks… in life, we can’t fulfil all those roles single handedly. This is where other people come into play. Whether it’s a family member, a colleague, a friend, a mentor or a coach… let them know you trust them enough to send them an S.O.S

SLEEP ON IT

Many successful entrepreneurs have admitted to have come up with some of their most brilliant ideas at night. Throughout the centuries people have solved algorithms, untangled complex equations, got inspiration for revolutionary inventions, bestselling books and amazing songs… all in their sleep. All you have to do is keep a pad and pen beside your bed. Just before you doze off, think about what it is you want to have happen, and let your brain waves do the rest. According to neuroscientists, it is during sleep that our brain’s chemical environment provides the greatest opportunity for memory consolidation and creativity to take place.

So, the next time you feel stuck, instead of driving yourself crazy trying to solve a problem or coming up with a great idea, think again. Well, actually, don’t. Follow the advice above instead.

Anna

Early today I made a comment on Facebook:

I tell you one thing you need in order to change your life: you need to be stronger.

Straight away, I received comments saying “it’s easier said than done”, and asking “how is one to be strong when things are bad?”

It is, easier said than done, and it’s not necessarily an easy thing to be strong when things are not going our way, but I believe you can become a stronger person.

Years ago I watched a movie called The Pursuit Of Happyness, which left a deep imprint in my mind. Based on a true story, Will Smith played Chris Gardner, a sales man struggling to build a future for himself and his 5 year old son. His girlfriend Linda walked out on them, but before she did, during a row Chris lost his temper and shouted “don’t be so weak!”. That sentence has stayed with me ever since, and it inspires me every day. That simple phrase drives me forward through thick and thin like nothing else does.

Times are tough and a lot of people are struggling, just like Chris in the movie, and trying hard to stay strong. And I think there lays part of the problem. I believe that trying to be strong can lead to depression, but working on becoming stronger leads to happiness.

Why? Because trying to stay strong requires a lot of mental effort and energy, but doesn’t necessarily mean we are doing something physically to make things better. So this huge effort day and day out can leave us exhausted, in a whirl of negative thinking, and with no energy left in us to do what we need to do.

However, working on becoming stronger means that we are doing things that make us feel stronger and provide the kind of energy we need to drive ourselves forward and make things better.

I’m certainly not a superwoman. I have my ups and downs just like anyone else. But I have a strategy I use to build up my inner strength so that no matter what hits me in life, no matter what challenges come my way, I am confident I will overcome them.

These are my top tips on how you too can become a stronger person:

DIG UP YOUR SUCCESSES

When we come up against obstacles, when things get tough, when we’re having a bad day, suddenly it seems like nothing is going right for us in life. I have those kind of days too, and have heard myself say sorrowful things like “my life is sh*t” and “I haven’t done anything with my life!”. Both of those things aren’t true. The truth is my life is good, and I’ve accomplished many things so far.

Feeling sorry for ourselves and playing down our accomplishments is not going to make us feel strong, but weak. Instead, we should be holding onto every little success for dear life. This is something that I do and use with clients to turn weakness into strength. Get pen to paper and write down at least 3 things you accomplished last year. It can be running a marathon, or 5k, learning to cook, or going to the gym 3 times a week, getting engaged, or reading a book from beginning to end. All accomplishments are big that when you think about them they make you feel better about yourself and go: actually, I have achieved some stuff! The biggest mistake we can make is forgetting about those things or playing them down. The biggest favour we can do for ourselves is to think about them more often, feel good about them more often, and apply lessons learnt to present and future challenges.

WORKOUT YOUR STRENGTH

I know you are probably thinking what does the gym have to do with mental strength, but I honestly believe that it has a huge deal to do with it. Lifting weights has definitely played a huge part in developing my inner strength. Every workout I make sure I increase the weight I lift, be it by a little or a lot. I never stop to think whether I will be able to lift it, I just do it, and more often than not I surprise myself.

This means that at every workout I am physically stronger, and this makes me feel tough! I am not saying everyone go lift some weights, but I cannot recommend enough that whatever your sport is, you challenge yourself at every workout. That every time you hit the gym or the pavement, you lift heavier, go for longer, go faster, go stronger. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t feel amazingly empowered after a tough workout. Trust me, training does so much more than build up a pretty looking body. It exercises your discipline, motivation and self belief. It boosts your self confidence, self-image and self-worth. Basically, it makes you a tough cookie!

CHALLENGE TO GROW

When things go smoothly, we tend to get complacent. We get into our little routine and placidly live life. Sometimes though, and more often than not out of the blue, something happens that disturbs our world and rocks the proverbial boat. Whether it is just a big annoying wave, or a tsunami, we are forced to take action and do things differently. We are forced to come up with ideas, think clearly and strategically, make big decisions… scary things that we haven’t had to do for a while. And like any skill, if don’t use it, you lose it.

This is why I consider so important to constantly practice certain very useful skills: discipline, purposeful thinking, making decisions, taking challenges, and risks… they don’t have to be huge risks, but things that when you think about them they scare you a little, but deep inside you know you are able for them. Sprinkle a few challenges over your year. Whether they are personal, social, sports, financial, spiritual, or career related, they will help you sharpen your mind skills and build up inner strength.

THINK YOURSELF STRONG

If you want to become a stronger person it helps to imagine yourself a stronger person. Often, we do the opposite. We are fully aware of our weaknesses, the things we haven’t achieved yet, and the things we don’t like about ourselves. We like to use them as excuses to make ourselves feel a little better about ourselves and our situation. But we know we are lying to ourselves and it doesn’t feel better at all, because no strength can come from negative thinking and feeling sorry for ourselves. Instead, build up true and lasting strength of character by thinking what kind of person would you be if you were stronger. If you had all the self belief and inner strength you could ever want, how would you look? How would you carry yourself? How would you do things differently? What would you be doing right now in you were super strong?

Make a point to ask yourself these questions every day, and release that inner strength, because it is within you, you just have to let it out.

Anna

Huevos Rancheritos

One of my favourite breakfasts ever, altered to suit a healthy lifestyle and help fat loss. So, we skip the cheese, black beans and flour tortillas (sorry!) but these are just as tasty and satisfying, I promise.

Ingredients

1 wheat free/gluten free tortilla (or brown rice tortilla)

2 organic eggs

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped into stripes or cubes

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into small cubes

1 big red tomato (or 2 medium ones), peeled and chopped into cubes

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 garlic clove,finely chopped

a sprig of coriander, chopped

a slice of lime (optional)

hymalayan rock salt, ground black pepper, coconut oil

Preparation

Heat some coconut oil in a shallow pan and add the garlic and onion.

Sauté until golden and add the chopped tomato and red pepper

Add some salt and pepper

Let it simmer on low to medium heat until the pepper has softened and it looks like tomato sauce

Sprinkle the chopped spring onions on top

In another pan with coconut oil, fry two eggs to taste (salt to taste)

Place the tortilla on a plate and arrange the avocado strips and the slice of lime on the side

Spoon a few tablespoonfuls of the tomato sauce on the tortilla

Arrange the eggs on top of the sauce

Sprinkle with the chopped coriander

And andele!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Get Flirty!

Hundreds of books have been written pointing out the differences between men and women. Some  suggesting that we come from far apart planets, it’s obvious that tour physiology differs and that since man lived in caves we’ve been brought up to fulfil different roles in society, and so, yes, we can think and behave in different ways sometimes.

But we can choose to focus on all the things we don’t have in common, or all the things we share. And our results, when it comes to love, dating and relationships, will be determined by which one of these positions we choose to stand on.

The truth is that we are all human, and on a basic level we all share the same innate need: the need to be loved and accepted; to feel like we are worth something: unconditional love.

So, we could choose to continue to ask “why do men do that?” or “why do women behave like that?” and enter a never ending psychotherapy session in which we get more and more confused and feel worse and worse about ourselves and about each other, but instead I’m asking you to do something different, for a change. Because if you want to win a man, or a woman’s heart, you simply must:

SMILE MORE

When you smile the sides of your mouth lift upwards showing your teeth, your cheeks plump up with rosiness, your eyes squint and sparkle, you look healthier and your attractiveness is magnified. Your face is telling your brain you are feeling good, and your brain is sending messages to every cell in your body to continue to feel good. And who wouldn’t want to get close to someone who is obviously feeling good about themselves?

 If you have to drown yourself in alcohol before you can let out a forced smile, that’s no good. If you can’t think of any reason to smile, that’s not going to work. We all have things that when we think about them put a smile on our face. The problem is, we don’t think about them often enough. But if you want to become a man – or woman – magnet you need to draw upon the good stuff in your life, continue to create more feel good moments, and more smiles. Because when we smile we not only appear healthier and more attractive, we also come across as more approachable, and we feel comfortable approaching other people too.

BE CONFIDENT

And if you are not confident right now, don’t even try to get into a relationship until you feel more confident, or you could end up with the wrong person and a whole lot of drama! How do you get to boost your self confidence? By doing things that make you feel good about yourself; walking around with a face like a lemon, sulking, damming your life, or asking why our life is so crappy and why you feel so bad isn’t going to solve anything. Analysing why you do all of that isn’t going to make you feel better either. If you don’t like who you are, why would anyone else?

If you don’t like the way you look, or you hate your job, your situation, your life… make the decision to change things. We are often told we should appreciate and be grateful for what we have, but that doesn’t mean we can’t improve things and make things better. Your life doesn’t have to be perfect to attract someone amazing into it, all you have to do is take action and start making some changes so that you get to feel better about yourself and you feel more confident.

Confidence is not someone you have or don’t have, it is something you do. What would you look like if you were totally confident? How would you carry yourself? How would you talk differently? If you were extremely confident, how would you go about your day?

HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR

Or develop it! Because life is tough enough as it is, when it comes to dating and relationships, who would you rather spend your time with: a pretty boy – or girl – with a face as long as the floor, or an average Joe – or Mary- with the capacity to make your tummy hurt and tremble with laughter?

Thankfully, a sense of humour is a skill that can be developed. Top Irish Comedian Karl Spain says that comedians (who are often not the prettiest of the lot, and yet are considered very attractive people) look for the fun in everything. And when you look for it, you sure will find it! So, whether you choose to go to more comedy gigs, watch funny dvd’s, practice a few jokes… never leave the house looking for love without your sense of humour!

BE STRONG

A man usually looks for someone he can depend on, but at the same time someone he senses is independent; someone who is emotionally strong and vulnerable at the same time. Confused? Women look for the same attributes! We want someone with ambition, but not so ambitious that we are going to end up at the bottom of their priorities.

In essence, if you want to stand out in the crowd, you must demonstrate that whilst you get great enjoyment from someone’s company, you don’t really need them and can survive perfectly well on your own if they ever take you for granted or mistreat you. There is nothing more attractive than someone who can be deeply caring and fun and vulnerable, but won’t take any BS!

GET REJECTED

The number one fear when it comes to dating. The reason we don’t take more risks more often, probably the reason why we’ve missed out on so many golden opportunities, any may be even let a soul mate go. We are so afraid of getting rejected that it freezes us. We’d rather be on our own than be rejected, yet we don’t want to be on our own.

How can we avoid rejection? We can’t. Just like we reject people, we are bound to be rejected now and again. You can make it about yourself and your ego, or you can get up, dust yourself off, and keep going.

The problem with rejection is that most of us don’t put ourselves in situations where we can get rejected often enough. People in the entertainment industry, actors, singers, models… face rejection daily, it is part of the job. They go to auditions where they are scrutinised amongst hundreds of other people and rejected for not fitting the role. Not for not being good enough, or not being pretty enough, but because they are simply not what a particular person is looking for at a particular time.

Some people are going to love us straight away, others are going to hate us, other people are not even going to take the time to get to know us well enough to make an informed decision. Because whatever decision they make is about them, not you and how great you are.

So, some people you meet will end up being great friends, some will end up being just friends, some will end up being acquaintances, some you will easily forget, but unless you start taking risks and getting rejected, you are going to miss out on ending up with your soulmate!

Anna

anna@delite.ie

Confidence * Motivation * Health & Fitness

Are you in a dilemma? Is something bothering you? Do you need answers quick?

Post your questions below, and get first hand advice from me!

Don't Fix Your Face, Fix Your Brain

Feel free to post your questions in advance below

I’ll do my best to answer as quickly and specifically as I can

Anna

Crunchy and Salty Goodness

Kale, a relative of wild cabbage, is packed full of super beneficial health nutrients, particularly phytochemicals. Its organosulfur compounds, glucosinolates and methyl cysteine sulfoxides have anti-cancer properties, especially good at protecting against breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Thanks to its high content in vitamin A Kale is great for healthy eyes and especially good at protecting against cataracts.

A good source of vitamin C, which helps boost the immune system and protect against colds, flu, asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis… It also contains vitamin B6 and riboflavin which can protect against heart disease. And It is a great source of Calcium too! The high fibre content of kale is good for lowering cholesterol, balancing blood sugar levels, preventing constipation and protecting against colon cancer.

Can this amazing super food be made into yummy crunchy salty crisps?You bet!

Ingredients

A bunch of curly Kale, rinsed and dried

Extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil

Hymalayan rock salt

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven at 150degrees (300F).

Remove the stems and tough centre ribs of the Kale.

Cut it into large pieces.

Toss it with oil in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a large baking tray.

Bake for 20mins or until crisp.

Let them cool.

For maximum chicness serve in a cone made from newspaper or parchment paper.

Anna

PS: Do you have a super healthy recipe for the body and mind that you’d like published in this blog?

Email me at anna@delite.ie

Anne working at Glosna House

Anne Collins is a registered and insured Homeopath from Kildare. A couple of months ago she embarked on one of my coaching programs and her desire for change, open-mindedness, and great attitude made coaching her an absolute pleasure. In the process, I became very interested in what she does for a living and how she helps people using this still little known alternative medicine called Homeopathy. Here she clarifies what it is and how it works.

Anne, a lot of people still don’t fully understand what Homeopathy is and how it can help us. Can you shed some light?
Homeopathy is a gentle and safe system of medicine that uses naturally occuring substances in the form of remedies to stimulate the body’s own natural ability to heal itself. It is suitable for everyone, including expectant Mums and babies.

Although gentle, the results can be powerful and long lasting. When a remedy is prescribed by a homeopath, it is based on an individual basis and will take a holistic approach, taking account of any symptoms that an individual has, physically or emotionally. It will also take into account the person’s own traits.

We are living in such stressful times, and this can have an effect on our health. If someone is under a lot of stress and has developed symptoms such as constipation, or diarrhoea, or exising conditions have got worse, eg. psoriasis, I would recommend that they go and see a homeopath.

What are some of the ailments you treat the most?
Some of the more common ones that people come to me with would be female health issues, such as period problems, pregnancy conditions, fertility issues, post natal depression, and menopause.

I also see a lot of babies and children for conditions such as eczema, asthma, ear infections and tonsillitis, coughs, constipation and diarrhoea, colic, and the usual cold and flu. Some parents come just because they want to boost their child’s immune system.

Homeopathy is also regularly used for emotional issues like night terrors in children, fears and phobias, depression, insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks. Lots of other conditions such as arthritis, migraines, sinus problems, UTIs, vertigo are regularly seen by homeopaths.

What can we expect from a treatment?
The 1st consultation involves taking a very detailed history and learning about you as an individual. Establishing good health really does involve treating both the mind and the body, so time is taken to listen to all emotional and physical symptoms. The homeopath will also ask about your own individual traits, such as how you sleep, are you thirsty, what do you like to eat, and more!

A remedy is then prescribed. These are either in the form of small pills or liquid drops.  Homeopathic remedies can be used alongside all other medications.

What kind of results can we expect from Homeopathy, and how quickly will they happen?
There is no answer to this I am afraid! Because we are all so individual and have different levels of health, there is no way of knowing until a person takes the remedy. But there is more information about studies done on the Irish Society of Homeopath’s website www.irishhomeopathy.ie

Can Homeopathy help treat non physical conditions such as depression, for example?
Depression is one of the main healthcare problems in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects depression to become the second most common form of ill health by 2020. And is it one of the most commonly treated conditions by homeopaths. Research confirms the positive experience homeopaths have in treating patients suffering from depression. Can I also say that in Ireland most private health insurance companies provide rebates for appointments with a Homeopath who is registered with the Irish Society of Homeopaths.

Contact Anne at www.fairgreenholisticclinic.com

7 billion of us on Earth, and yet so many people feel so alone. With more avenues than ever to connect with each other, quicker than ever before, many people find it harder than ever. We can Skype, twit and poke people on the other side of the globe. So far, yet so close. So close, yet so far. We can internet date, speed date, blind date… and still, so many people have no one to love.

If your search for love has left you knackered, feeling despondent and like there is something wrong with you, don’t despair.  There is someone out there for everyone. In fact, I believe there is more than one soul mate for each one of us.

They may be closer to you than you think; you may have already met them. But unless you meet the following criteria, your boats may pass each other in the night fog.

Because it’s not just a matter of timing you know? You also must:

Get Real

From the moment we are born we are taught what is acceptable and what isn’t in our society. We learn to behave in certain ways, to create the kind of impact we want to create in order to be accepted and be liked, and live a good life. With the influence of media, educators, family, friends, and life experiences, sometimes we end up diluting who we really are so much that we lose ourselves, our essence, the real us; that “je ne sais quoi” thing that makes us so special.

Are you one of the many people out there wondering why it’s so hard to find that special person? In order to attract that special person you must let the special you shine out into the world; those unique qualities that you may have been stifling, ignoring, or denying over the years are the ones you need to polish in order to attract love into your life. You really need to…

 Love Thyself

You may not think much of yourself; many of us don’t. And this is a problem. In fact, this could be our biggest problem. Because if we don’t think we are important, if we don’t think we are precious, why would anyone else?

If you want to feel important and precious, you have to start to treat yourself like you want your future partner to treat you, preciously. Start by becoming more aware of your unique physical and non-physical attributes. Take a good look in the mirror. What do you like about yourself? It’s not enough to say “well, I’m a nice person”. Unless you’re a criminal, you’re bound to be. Dig in deeper, think about compliments you get from people that you may have dismissed in the past. Take it all and polish it even more, treat yourself like you want to be treated, display to the world the very best version of yourself, and I promise it won’t go unnoticed!

Know What You Want

Think about people you know who are in relationships. From the outside everything seems hunky-dory. Everyone seems to have found their soul mate… or not! Because there are so many people who get into relationships not having done the necessary preliminary work. See, if you are not ready, you could end up attracting anyone. And do you want to attract just anyone, or the right one?

Just because someone is in a relationship it doesn’t mean they are happy. If you want to make sure you up your chances of happiness, first you have to be in the right frame of mind. It also helps when you know what kind of partner you want to attract into your life.

I’m not suggesting you write a shopping list. I’m saying, start to think about the attributes and qualities you are looking for, so that you are able to spot them when they actually appear before you. Think about important values that must be met, things you could compromise on, and possible deal breakers. Allow knowing what you want and knowing that it is out there to boost your confidence in love.

 Fish Where There’s Fish

A lovely male client of mine read in a magazine that if he wanted to find the one he should get out there more and mingle. Fair enough. So he kept going to the same local pub every weekend hoping to meet different people. But he kept meeting a lot of the same people, who had nothing or not much in common with him. He didn’t even enjoy going to the pub, he just thought that was what he should be doing.

So I asked him what he really enjoyed doing and he shyly said that he loved to dance and that he’d love to learn to Salsa, but that he once went to a class and it was full of women. There was a pause. We looked at each other and talked telepathically for a few seconds. He realised that was the perfect place to meet not only women, but a woman who shared his passion. Sometimes we are so caught up in our own heads that we miss the obvious: you have to fish where there’s fish.

 Play Fair

At the beginning of a relationship, during the dating or courting process, there can be a little bit of game playing. Some people don’t like this at all, “I’m not into games” they say, whilst others get carried away with the excitement of it all and survive on the adrenaline rushes the game provides. It’s part of the magical process of falling in love. Some people like to play more than others, and some play and leave the game once they got what they wanted.

It’s up to us to recognize the fair players from the con artists, and to make the best decisions for ourselves. It can be a period of uncertainty, amazing highs and heartbreaking lows, there can be fireworks, there can be ice… all you can do is play fair and enjoy the ride while it lasts!

 Work It

Once we date someone for a certain amount of time and we are happy with them we tend to let go a little and get comfortable, sometimes a little too comfortable.  The thing is, even when you find someone who you are very compatible with, that someone who feels just right, even then, you have to work hard at your relationship.

This doesn’t mean all relationships are hard work, but they do require work. Just like that flower pot on the window sill, your relationship will require constant love and attention. If you assume that it will continue to flourish on its own, prepare for disaster! So, if you are going to get out there, put your best self forward, and do what you have do to find that special someone, make sure you work it!

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this post, where I will disclose some vital qualities you must display in order to find your soul mate.

Anna

anna@delite.ie