Let’s have a dance party!

Anna

Are you having a bad romance with food?

Do your meal choices cause you to feel either sky high, or crushing low, or are followed by guilt, self-doubt, inadequacy, low self-esteem…?

Do you find yourself forever dieting, or binging, hiding food, eating alone, or never being able to let go and just enjoy what you eat?

You are not alone. More and more women, and men of all ages and backgrounds are becoming slaves to food.

An abundance of foods, powerful marketing campaigns run by multimillion companies, too much information being shot at us from TV, printed media, the internet, so called health and fitness experts… means a lot of people are misinformed and overwhelmed, to say the least.

Anorexia and bulimia are some of the sadly better known eating disorders thousands of people are dealing with right now; which affect not just physical health but mental health too.

A raising percentage of the population in the more developed world is dying of diseases directly linked to obesity, whilst many other people are starving themselves to death, for no reason at all, other than, ironically, to look good.

Thankfully, you don’t have to fit into either of those boxes.

Start by identifying the symptoms of a bad romance so you can fix your relationship with food for good:

1. You use food to help you deal with negative emotions
2. You are constantly either on a diet or off a diet
3. You quickly gain or lose significant amounts  of body weight
4. You prefer to eat alone
5. When with friends or family, you choose to eat something light, or a salad excusing yourself that you are full or you’ve already eaten, when it’s not true
6. You hide foods around the house
7. You eat secretly
8. You go without eating for long periods of time and then binge on rich or heavy foods
9. You constantly worry about your weight, you read and follow the latest fad diets shown in magazines
10. You weigh  yourself every day or too often
11. You have low self-image and low self-esteem, your self-worth is linked to your looks, you compare yourself to other slimmer people, you’ve become competitive
12. Whilst you might not have done it, you have had thoughts of purging food

How many of these symptoms do you identify with?

Post your comments in the FB box below. I know it’s not an easy thing to admit, but as a former sufferer of anorexia, I know one thing: awareness and ownership are the first steps that will lead you to develop a healthier relationship with food, and a happier you.

Anna

Finger Licking Healthy Food

Ingredients

16 chicken drumsticks, organic or free range

4 tbspoons of thick organic forest honey or agave syrup

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

finely grated rind and juice of 1 orange

hymalayan rock salt, ground black pepper

Preparation

Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees centigrade

Make diagonal cuts on the fleshy part of the chicken drumsticks

Put them in a bowl and add salt, pepper, honey, and the lemon and orange juice

Mix it all well making sure to cover all the drumsticks, or let them marinate for a couple of hours

Wash your sticky hands well

Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer on a roasting tin

Pour any remaining marinade juices on top

Cook in the oven at 180 degrees centigrade for about 40-50mins, turning the drumsticks every 15mins or so

No forks allowed!

This recipe contains naturally occurring sugars. Want to make sure you burn them? Eat after a tough workout!

Let me know how you like this recipe in the Facebook comment box below.

Anna

This means that you are not the person you were an hour ago; your body and mind have regenerated, re-juvenised, re-energised… you’ve become a new you. And a new you deserves a fresh start.

Just like we spring clean our homes, get rid of the old, clear out to make space for the new, mop the winter cobwebs, open the windows and let the fresh air bathe our home with renewed hopes and positivity…

It’s time to clear out the cupboards of the mind. Rid ourselves of old limiting beliefs, unuseful thoughts, paralyzing fears and negativity. It’s time to make space for new more springlike thoughts; colorful and vibrant, full of life and excitement, thoughts that make our heart jump with happiness, more creative, more productive, more useful thoughts.

And there is nothing like a little spring ritual to give your body and mind the fresh start you need!

Please read all the steps before you do this nlp technique:

Grab a piece of paper and write all the factors that have kept you from taking the actions you need to take in order to achieve your goals, i.e.: fears, fear of failure, loneliness, lack of confidence,laziness, jealousy…

1. Find a quiet place where you can lie down or sit comfortably without interruptions for a few minutes

2. Take your shoes off but make sure your feet stay warm. If you are sitting down ground yourself by putting your feet flat on the floor uncrossed. If you are lying down, let your feet fall naturally to the sides. Leave your arms uncrossed, either resting on your lap or to the sides of your body

3. Close your eyes and take a slow deep breath in through the nose. Hold it for 4 counts. Exhale for 8 counts or until you’ve expelled all the air in your lungs

4. Inhale again. As you exhale, let your shoulders drop down, and notice you are starting to relax. Become aware of your head and neck becoming a little more relaxed, your arms and hands becoming softer, your hips, knees and feet feeling lighter, as you are grounding yourself a little more to the chair or bed

5. With every breath, continue to allow yourself to just let go a little more, going down, into a quiet, into a comfortable, into a happy place, again

6. Now, imagine your whole body is made of tiny see through bubbles, from the top of your head, to the tip of your toes, from the back of your back, to the tip of your nose, emanating a bright, powerful light of your favorite color

7. Imagine the bubbles separate from one another and disperse to the sides for a few seconds, before gathering together again forming your body

8. Imagine this beautiful light of your favorite color  engulfing your whole being, lifting all your worries away and clearing your mind of all fears and negative emotions. Feel the warmth of the light surge through you, penetrating every part of your body

9. Bask in this wonderful warming light for a few moments, feeling it bathe every part of your body. Radiate it, expand it all around you and where you are, double the brightness, and double it again, making sure every bit of negativity is completely vanished from your body and mind

10. Take a deep breath in as you inhale this amazingly clean, positive energy and loop it all around your body, inside and out

Exhale slowly and open your eyes to a fresh start!

Grab the piece of paper you wrote on and tear it into tiny little pieces or burn it (safely, of course!)

Do this as many times as you need to clear a particular block related to fear of change

Notice how different you feel now, and let me know by posting your comments in the Facebook box below

Anna

The Amygdalae help to initiate the body’s fight-or-flight response to stress.

When we are in “fight-or-flight” mode, when we feel we are under stress, our body releases adrenaline and the “stress hormone” cortisol.

Cortisol diverts blood away from our digestive tract, leaving us less able to digest food or absorb nutrients, and more likely to gain weight.

In this physiological “crisis mode,” we’re more vulnerable to pain from chronic illness, arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, stomach upset, and more.

And in this state of heightened physiological “alert”, our brain’s creative center is deemed “non-essential” and shuts down, lowering our problem solving skills, creativity, and intuition.

Stress affects our sleep too. As a consequence, our body secretes even more cortisol, wreaking more havoc on digestion (and waist line), increasing our blood pressure and lowering our immune system.

After releasing too much cortisol for too long, our body goes into “adrenal fatigue” mode, where we consistently feel depleted, exhausted, and depressed. Know anyone like that?

Not a good place to be!

Here are 12 telltale signs you are stressed out:

1. You find it difficult to take your focus away from work, money, relationships, family,

whatever’s bothering you

2. You can’t concentrate at work, with studies, or even when talking to people

3. You feel overwhelmed by life in general

4. You get emotional too easily

5. You feel increasingly irritable, isolated and impatient

6. Your personal, social and work relationships are suffering

7. You find it hard to sleep at night and wake up tired and low in energy

8. You feel depleted, exhausted, in a negative mood and depressed

9. You no longer have the energy to adhere to your exercise routine, your healthy eating, meditation or yoga

10. You find it hard to lose weight, or you are losing weight too rapidly for no apparent reason

11. You get sick often; a cold, the flu, tummy bugs…

12. You suffer from migraines, insomnia, chronic pain, hair loss, allergies, eczema… or other seemingly inexplicable conditions

Recognize all or some of these symptoms?

Comment in the Facebook box below and get the help you need.

Anna

All The Flavour Without The Gluten

Ingredients

1 tsp mustard seeds

2cm fresh ginger, finely grated

2 tsp green or red chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp ground turmeric

200g fresh crab meat, flaked

100g coconut flakes

Hymalayan rock salt

coconut oil

a small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped

the zest of a lime

strips of edible rice paper

Preparation

Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil in a frying pan

Fry the mustard seeds, turmeric and ginger, stirring often, for one to two minutes, until fragrant

Add the crab meat, some salt, chillies, lime zest and coriander, mixing well, and cook for a further two to three minutes

Soak a rice paper in water for 30 seconds

Place the strip on a kitchen towel in front of you

Place a portion of the crab mix in one corner of the pastry strip and fold the pastry over into a triangle

Fold the triangle along the strip, sealing the edges using your fingers with a bit of coconut oil

If it seems like too much hassle, just make rolls like I did!

Repeat the process until you’ve used all the crab mix

Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan or wok until hot

Fry the quasisamosas in batches of 3 or 4 max until golden brown

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper

Eat hot!

Anna

Like this recipe? Let me know how much in the Facebook Comment Box below

We know… more exercise and less cake. But isn’t there anything else we can do to look and feel a little better this summer? These little known tips will have you slipping into your bikini before you can say beach!

FAST & LOOSE

From about 4am till 10am the body is in the cleaning up or detoxification mode. This is why many of us do not feel hungry first thing in the morning. Drinking water, freshly pressed juices and herbal teas only will assist in this process. Loading the body with food at that time interferes with the detoxification process.

So, it’s better to have breakfast around 10am when your body has completed the detox stage and is ready for feeding, or even wait until lunchtime. At that stage we usually start feeling hungry, which is the body’s way of letting you know that detoxification is finished. This natural process an amazing inbuilt health and beauty treatment we get every night for free, just for being human.

Fasting until after 10am or until lunchtime has been proven to be a great detoxing tool that can help boost health and accelerate weight loss. During this period, it’s advised you drink plenty of mineral or osmosis filtered water to aid your organs flush excess toxins as well as eliminate excess fluid retention and bloatedness. Caffeine free organic herbal teas are allowed, as are freshly pressed vegetable and fruit juices. But no coffee, breakfast tea, or soft drinks are allowed!

Plan ahead so that the first meal you have after your fast is packed with lots of vitamins, minerals, protein and good fats to help rev up your metabolism, boost your energy levels and promote overall health. Need post fast meal ideas? Click HERE

SQUEEZE IT LIKE IT’S HOT

A very much taken for granted fruit, lemons prevent sepsis, or bacteria build-up in the body. They are also anti-scorbutic, a term referring to their ability to prevent disease and to help purify the body of impurities. They can also relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, bloating, gas and cramping. And lemon water has been proven to aid in the cleansing of the bowels, as well as dissolving uric acid and other poisons in the liver that can deter weight loss.

Drinking the juice of one fresh lemon in warm water (mineral or osmosis filtered) one hour before the first meal of the day will further help the body’s natural detoxification process, helping you feel healthier and lighter, as well as de-bloating, reducing fluid retention, and improving skin tone. Do the same thing before your dinner and multiply the benefits!

BRUSH UP ON YOUR SKIN

The skin is an organ of elimination, just like the kidneys and the colon, and more than one pound of waste products are discharged through the skin every day!

If our skin becomes inactive with the pores choked by millions of dead cells, then impurities will remain within the body and affect us physically and psychologically too.

Dry skin brushing promotes movement of the lymphatic system which can sometimes become stagnant. It will give the lymph system a kick start and leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized!

Do this first thing in the morning, or before your nightly shower: start at the soles of your feet with a natural skin brush and work your way up your legs, your front and your back, brushing vigorously. Then do your hands and your arms focusing the brush strokes towards the heart.

Anna

Liked this video? Tell me what you think in the Facebook comment box below

And It Was Called Yellow!

Call me crazy but I like to use good quality beef in my stir fries, and organic rib eye is the only cut that I don’t find chewy!

Ingredients

1 organic rib eye steak, cut into strips

2 shallots, peeled and chopped lengthwise

1 red pepper, chopped into long strips

2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut lengthwise

4-5 fresh curry leaves

1 green chilli, finely chopped

coconut oil, hymalayan rock salt, ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, ground turmeric

Preparation

Mix salt, pepper and turmeric on a plate and cover the beef strips well with the mix until yellow

Add the shallots, red pepper, garlic, curry leaves, green chilli and a heaped tablespoon of cinnamon to a wok or pan with hot coconut oil

Add a little salt and pepper

Cook for about 2 minutes max at high heat and add the beef

Mix it all well and cook beef to taste

Sprinkle a few roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves on top

Serve in a bowl piping hot

Delight!

Anna

Like this recipe? Feel free to comment in the Facebook Comment Box below

It’s All Yours!

A couple of weeks ago I ate, touched or inhaled something that caused some sort of allergic reaction, and my right hand fingers turned into beef sausages (organic, of course). They were so swollen they looked like they were going to explode, they hurt and also itched like hell! I wasn’t able to take a fragile ring off for a week.

Whilst I was able to go on with my every day life, very carefully avoiding painful bangs on furniture and things, I had to ask my trainer in the gym, who also happens to be my lovely husband, to amend certain exercises so I could continue working out. And presto, with the help of gloves and some adapted exercises I was still able to give it socks and continue with my exercise program.

And you might be thinking, nice one Anna, but how do your sausage fingers apply to my life? And where is that special key you mentioned in the title of this post?

Well, you see, it’s a funny thing… my husband pointed out to me that most people in my position would have thrown the towel straight away and quit working out until things got better, or, until they remembered to again.

“Hummm…” I said “that’s interesting. It never even crossed my mind to quit!”.

Since then, clients and friends have asked me how do I stay so focused and motivated.

How do I manage to turn obstacles into challenges, disadvantages into advantages, excuses into solutions?

The special key I use to open doors for myself whilst other people close doors for themselves in life is called the HOW Key; instead of asking why has this happened to me, I ask HOW can I continue to do what I need to do so that I get what I want.

This means there is no self-pity, no blame, no looking for the root of the problem, no coping out… there is just one simple but powerful question that will help you break through and jump forward, closer to happiness and all the other things you want and deserve in life: How?

The beautiful thing is that even if you don’t know the answer to your “how” yet, someone else does, always. But you must be courageous enough to ask.

Now I’m handing you my special key so you can make your own copy and can start to open doors you’ve kept locked in your own life. Will you use and benefit from the special powers the HOW Key holds, or will you continue to make excuse after excuse for the rest of your life? The power is in your hands.

Anna

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