HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WEEK 6/24

Today i managed to walk 8 kilometres! *clap clap*. It actually went better than i expected, no panting, no fainting etc. I will try and make this a weekly routine especially on my rest days. Maybe i can also work on reducing the time spent. Today i did it in 1:44:27:02 Hours. Maybe next week i will try and do it in 1:35 hours?

Week 6 Summary:

• 3315 Rope jumps
• 278 High knee jumps
• 141 Jumping x jacks
• 144 Donkey Kicks
• 148 Seconds Planks 
• 80 Wall Push-ups
• 72 Sit-ups
• 146 Squats
• 89 seconds wall sits
• 45 Bench Lifts
• 45 Mason twists

Here is a breakdown of how i managed the above:

Day 17: Wednesday 26-March-2014
1105 Rope jumps, 40 Sit-ups, 44 Wall Push-ups, 72 Seconds Planks , 72 Donkey Kicks, 152 High knee jumps, 94 Jumping x jacks, 76 Squats, 36 Seconds wall sit, 30 bench lifts, 30 mason twists.

Extra

0.5 litres water
1 litre cucumber + lemon water

Day 18: Thursday 27-March-2014

1105 Rope jumps,  36 Seconds Planks ,32 Sit-ups, 36 wall Push-ups, 36  Donkey Kicks, 76 High knee jumps, 47 x jacks, 70 Squats, 18 seconds wall sit, 15 mason twists, 15 bench lifts

Extra

4 cups green tea
1 Litre water
Tomato+beet+carrot+banana+moringa smoothie

Day 19: Friday 28-March-2014
1105 Rope jumps, 35 seconds wall sit, 50 High knee jumps, 40 Seconds Planks, 36  Donkey Kicks,

Extra

2 Litres cucumber + Lemon water

Have a Healthy week

Adhis ♥

Moisturising and Sealing Hair

Dry hair is the number one cause of hair breakage and loss of length, therefore retaining moisture is essential for African hair. If I ask how you moisturise your hair, chances are you will say you oil it weekly, fortnightly etc, kindly note that is oiling NOT Moisturising.

Note: Check whatever products you are using on your hair. If they contain Mineral Oil and Petroleum, Kindly ditch those products.

LOC Method

This is a moisturising procedure that layers products in a particular order. It requires you to moisturise, oil and then seal with a cream.

L- Liquid

O- Oil

C-Cream

1. Liquid: Moisturise your hair with some liquid. The most natural moisturiser is water. Most naturals spray their hair with plain water, while ladies with relaxed hair may need to use a liquid based moisturiser. Note that if your moisturiser doesn't have Aqua listed as the first ingredient, then it probably isn't an effective moisturiser.

2. Oil: Next apply your favourite natural oil, paying special attention to your ends. Most of us oil our scalps and pay little or no attention to our ends, hence they become brittle and eventually break. You can use Coconut, Jojoba, Almond, Rosemary, Castor, Olive or whatever other oil you prefer. Coconut oil apparently penetrates the hair shaft most effectively.

       Coconut and Jojoba oils are preferred for ladies with light hair

       Castor and Olive oils are preferred for those with heavy coarse hair.

3. Cream: The last step involves sealing the moisture further using cream/butter. Shea butter is the most commonly used product for this step. 

Hope you now know the most effective procedure for moisturising your hair. Next question is how often do you moisturise?

This depends on your hair porosity (heheee am sure most of you are like "what the???"). Yes it depends on how porous your hair is. Porosity is basically your hair's ability to absorb and hold moisture.

High porous hair means your cuticles have been exposed to severe damage either through chemicals, environment, too much heat etc. It means your hair has too much holes and gaps in the cuticles, thus your hair absorbs too much water, and stays wet for way longer than normal hair. This type will benefit mostly from moisturizing,sealing and leave in conditioners.

Normal Porosity hair: Requires the least amount of maintenance. The cuticle allows the right amount of water to get in and prevents too much from escaping. This hair holds moisture and shine for a longer period of time.

Conditioners and protein masks are encouraged for healthy growth, but they should not be done frequently on Normal porosity hair.

Low porosity hair: This type doesnt let moisture in easily when wet and is more prone to product build up, hence avoid protein based deep conditioning. Its mostly due to genetics. It is usually considered healthy and often shines. Shea butter, coconut and jojoba oil work best for low porosity hair.

How often to moisturise:

• High porosity hair- Twice daily, in the morning and evening or at least once daily (at night).
• Normal hair- Moisturise when necessary, preferably once a week or after every few days.
• Low porosity hair- Daily, or after every few days

So there you have it ladies. Oiling your hair isnt moisturising it. Whoever knew all this about hair? This hair journey is teaching me so much, i wonder what care i used to take of my hair.

Have a Moisturised evening
Adhis♥

New Workout Schedule

Today i came across some workout DVDs that i bought, i think in 2012. And its time i pushed my workouts to a new level. Some DVDs were manageable, but some Woi, akina Billy Blanks!

 Hence as from next week am changing my workout schedule. I will incorporate these workout DVDs:

• Zumba Fitness Cardio Party
• Aerobics by Suzzane Cox
• Look Better Naked Workouts by Jessica Smith
• Billy Blanks Taebo Celebrity Fit Cardio
• Aerobics with Billy Blanks

Saturday and Sunday will be my rest days.

There you go.

Again i am not weighing myself, and my favourite pair of pants have become quite baggy, just so you know  :) :) :)
*Happy Dance*

Sleep tight
Adhis♥

Full Facial - At Home

So Maybe the month has just hit the final corner, and your pocket is not smiling at you. Your face is in terrible shape and you badly need a facial. What to do, what to do.

Instead of spending fortunes investing in facials, why don't you try doing one at home? The results are pretty much the same anyway.

You will need the following stuff for your facial. All of which are found in supermarkets all totalling around 1000/= ....or more, depending on the brands. (i ran out of toner and mask, hence not included in the photo at the end)

• Facial Cleanser
• Exfoliating Scrub
• Facial Mask
• Toner
• Moisturiser
• Cotton wool
• Steaming water (in a bowl)
• Face cloth

In case you want to make your own facial Mask and/or Scrub read this post.

Steps:

1. Ensure your hands are clean, then wash your face and neck. You can use a mild soap.

2. Put some cleanser on a piece of cotton wool and gently clean your face.

3. Apply the Exfoliating scrub on the tip of your fingers and gently scrub your face in a circular motion. Apply on face and neck, and avoid the eyes and mouth. This gets rid of all the dead skin. Rinse with water (warm or cold) and pat your face dry with a smooth face cloth.

4. Put the steaming water in a bowl, and keep your face a safe distance, approximately 10 inches, above the water.
NB: Don't put your face in the bowl, and don't try to trap the steam by using a towel to form a "tent". You risk burning your face. Steam for around 5 minutes. This will help to open your pores.

5. Gently apply the Mask and leave for 10 minutes. Dont forget your neck area. Again avoid the areas around your eyes and mouth. Rinse with water and pat your face dry with the face cloth.

6. Apply the toner using a piece of cotton wool. Toning removes any excess residue and also tightens up the pores after steaming.

7. Apply the moisturiser. Remember to buy a moisturiser that best suits your face. (oily, normal, dry or combination). Most people with oily face may consider skipping the moisturising step. WRONG. Oily skin needs the moisture as much as dry skin does, just ensure you have the right type of moisturiser.

Also note that you can substitute the following:

• Sugar- You can use it if/when you run out of facial scrub.
• Vinegar- Mix 1 tablespoon vinegar with 1 cup water, use it to rinse your face in case you do not have a Toner.

There you go ladies, enjoy the glances and comments from people who will admire your beautiful skin.

Tips

• Don't wear make-up for a few hours to give your skin a break
• Repeat every fortnight if possible, but don't let a month pass without a facial
• You can add cucumber slices on your eyes 
• The candles in the photo are just for "madoido" they smell good though
• Always remember to tie your hair back while doing a facial.

Love Adhis ♥

Home Made Facial Masks & Scrubs

So am in the process of writing a post on how you can do your own facial at home. Some two things involved are facial scrubs and facial masks. You can use the ones sold in shops, or you can make your own.

There are very many recipes available for the masks/scrubs. You can try your mix of items found in your kitchen (read article). Here is a list of some home made facials and scrubs you can make:

Facial Masks

Cleopatra Mask
2 tablespoons Milk, 3 tablespoons honey
(Yes, the great queen used it, you may want to try it out too!)

Avocado Mask
1 avocado (mashed), 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil, i tablespoon lemon juice.

Cucumber Mask
1/2 cucumber (blended or grated), 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Tomato Scrub
Half a tomato mashed, 1 tablespoon sugar

Oatmeal Facial Mask
1/3 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons plain yoghurt, 2 tablespoons honey.

Banana Mask
1/4 cup yoghurt, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 medium banana.

Papaya Mask
Piece of mashed papaya, 2 tablespoons honey.

Olive oil mask
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons sugar

Honey Scrub
1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons sugar

There are literally hundreds of recipes available so try to be creative with your ingredients.

Have a Beautiful Afternoon
Love Adhis ♥

Y'anna Crawley - The Promise

This song never gets old to me

Lyrics to The Promise :

Versus:
Everybody doubting me, Said that it would never be
Everything you promised me, oh woohoo, But the moment that I dreamed
I found some better company, But deep inside my heart I know
I know that you made me a promise

Chorus:
Jesus your the way n the promise, Miracles are raining down on us
The promise, the promise
Now im stepin' into my purpose, See everything else is worth it
Now that Im living the promise
The promise, the promise

Versus:
The promise of yes we can, the change of life, more than man
The power of a dream, that changes things, oh woohoo
A promise nailed up on the cross, a promise that will save us all
Im so glad he paid everything, guaranteed a promise

Chorus:
Jesus you're the way n the promise, Miracles are raining down on us
The promise, the promise
Now im stepin' into my purpose, See everything else is worth it
Now that im living the promise
The promise, the promise

Versus:
Now I know your not a man, that u should lie
But trust and believe, and I'll tell u why
Never broke a promise, Never crushed my fragile dreams, oh woo
So im standin' right here, Standin' my ground
Thankin' the Lord, For the purpose I found
I promise forever, Together

Bridge:
I believe (x2), yea
I believe (x3), oh woohooo

And by the way she lost 52 Pounds. She looks great!

Have a promise filled day

Adhis ♥

How do you Pray?

Have you ever heard someone pray as if they were in battle? True sometimes they only way out is to address God as if he were seated next to you, He actually is. The Bible talks of the widowed woman, who kept nudging the Judge, and the judge sorted her out, if only to quieten her. When we need a favour from God, most of us pray fervently.

However, how do you pray when God has blessed you and you do not have any pressing needs?

"Our Father" Always remember that God is your father. Fathers are loving, caring, they provide, but the again remember that you do not dictate to your father. You do not tell him what to do. You follow his directives not vice versa.

"Who art in heaven" If He is in heaven, then how can he hear you from down here? God is omnipotent, he is everywhere. you don't have to be in a shrine somewhere for Him to hear you, just as you are not in heaven but you talk to Him. However, His throne is in heaven.

"Hallowed be thy name" This means "let your name be sanctified" Yet we are used to invoking God's name casually. When praying, lets be sincere in our hearts when calling upon God's name.

"Thy Kingdom come.....Thy will be done" How many times do we pray to God and with our own conditions? How many times do we promise him "God if you do XYZ i promise i will do ABC?". Remember  When Jesus in pain He requested God to take the cup from him by his will, but then  he concluded by "Let you will be done"

"Give us this day our daily bread" God knows that we have wants and needs in our daily lives. He knows that we need certain things, but then again, the good book tells us "Not to worry about anything, but make our requests known in prayer and supplication". Don't feel guilty asking God for assistance. Ask and it shall be given unto you. Now note that it doesn't say "Give us our daily Chicken pie and Delmonte Juice". God knows exactly what we need to survive. He will bless us abundantly above what we could ever ask for, but he will never let us starve. :)

"And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" God knows and understands that there will be people who will do us wrong, no matter how good we try to be. He also knows that we have shortcomings, and we will fail. Yet he is ready to forgive us, and expects us to extend the same to our wrong doers.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" This indicates to us that temptations are a reality, and we should be careful. It also means that we need to depend on God to direct our paths away from dangerous grounds. it means we need God's leadership in our lives.

"For Thine is the kingdom, The power and the Glory"
 For thine is the Kingdom means we are ready for his rule and  his word in our lives is final. The power .....Never forget the power of God, never forget his might. The Glory..... Always worship and Exalt His Holy name. The Lord loves to be Praised and Worshipped.

"Amen"..so be it. When you pray.always have faith that God has heard you, and that He will act according to His Holy will.

So the next time you are praying, don't just pray for the sheep and cows back home :) Jesus gave us a guideline. Luke 11:2-4

Have a prayerful evening.
Adhis♥

Alkaline Food vs Acidic Food, True or False?

• Kindly consult your Doctor before trying out any diet changes.
• Note that i am talking about Alkaline Foods not Alkaline Diets.

Sometime back, I remember listening to a doctor (who hosted a health show on Sunday mornings in a local TV station) talk about how he used alkaline food to effectively contain his cancer condition. Yes, just like most of you i had never heard of alkaline/acidic food before.

Alkaline Food and Drinks: These are foods and drinks that increase the amount of oxygen that your blood takes.
Acidic Food & Drinks: These are the exact opposite of alkaline foods, those that carry little or no oxygen.

The amount of oxygen that our blood can take is measured on a PH scale that ranges from 0 to 14, with 0 being highly acidic and 14 being highly alkaline.

From what i have gathered, a healthy meal should consist approximately 60-80% Alkaline food and 20-40% Acidic food. I went on to search for information on how alkaline foods can be effective in preventing cancer.

Apparently if you find yourself constantly tired, irritable, dizzy, low energy levels, fatigue, headaches, recurring infections, etc chances are these are the effects of a possibly acidic diet (stress toxins and parasites can also cause such symptoms).

One Article claims: "There is plenty or research showing a link between acidic PH and Cancer. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment and doesn't survive in a normal and more alkaline environment. Cancer cells even make your body more acidic as they produce lactic acid."

The same article also claims that too much acidity is the underlying factor in many degenerative diseases e,g Diabetes, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia etc.

"According to Keiichi Morishita in his book, Hidden Truth of Cancer, when your blood starts to become acidic, your body deposits acidic substances (usually toxins) into cells to allow the blood to remain slightly alkaline. This causes your cells to become more acidic and toxic, which results in a decrease of their oxygen levels, and harms their DNA and respiratory enzymes."

The other side of the coin. 

A different Cancer Research article claims otherwise.

"The body has a mechanism of ensuring that blood stays in its healthy slightly alkaline range. if the blood becomes too acidic or too alkaline, the body automatically corrects this".

This contradicts the Alkaline-Food-Fighting-Cancer statements. However i am tempted to believe the former. How do you explain why cancer was almost unheard of during our grandparents' eras, when their diets consisted of "Alkaline Foods"? How do you explain why after we have changed our eating habits, cancer cases in Kenya have shot up drastically? or how suddenly so many Kenyans are suffering from "Lifestyle Diseases" that were previously only heard of in the West?

Of course its clear that the alkaline foods should be consumed in abundance and vice versa, but what about the Cancer-Reversing claims. Are they true?

Any Doctors or Nutritionists out there? What is your stand on this?

Confused Adhis.....

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WEEK 5/24

Week 5 Summary:

• 4360 Rope jumps
• 420 High knee jumps
• 275 Jumping x jacks
• 215 Donkey Kicks
• 225 Seconds Planks 
• 108 Wall Push-ups
• 103 Sit-ups
• 195 Squats
• 85 seconds wall sits

Here is a breakdown of how i managed the above:

Day 13: Tuesday 18-March-2014
1090 Rope jumps, 38 Sit-ups, 32 Wall Push-ups, 80 Seconds Planks , 68 Donkey Kicks, 130 High knee jumps, 100 Jumping x jacks, 55 Squats, 25 Seconds wall sit.

Extra

0.5 litres water
1 litre cucumber + lemon water

Day 14: Wednesday 19-March-2014
1090 Rope jumps

Extra

0.5 Litre Water

Pears +Mango + tomato +  Banana  smoothie

Day 15: Thursday 20-March-2014
1090 Rope jumps,  72 Seconds Planks ,32 Sit-ups, 36 wall Push-ups, 72 Donkey Kicks, 144 High knee jumps, 86 x jacks, 70 Squats, 30 seconds wall sit

Extra

0.5 litres water
2 glasses Green tea
1 Litre cucumber + Lemon water

Mango + avocado + banana + tomato + carrot smoothie (the blender got born again)

Day 16: Friday 21-March-2014
1090 Rope jumps, 33 Sit-ups, 40 wall Push-ups, 73 Seconds Planks , 75 Donkey Kicks, 146 High knee jumps, 89 Jumping x jacks, 70 Squats, 30 seconds wall sit

Extra

1 Litre Water

Love Adhis ♥

Natural Remedies for Clear skin

As promised earlier, here is a post on natural remedies for your skin. Please note that what works for one person may not work for another. Therefore kindly test the stuff on a different part of your skin to test if you are sensitive, We don't want you to end up looking like a backfired operation now, do we?

In no particular order:

#1 Honey

Spread it on your skin and let it sit for 15- 30 minutes

• nourishes and soothes your skin
• has anti-bacterial and hydrating properties 
• rejuvenates skin 
• reduces blemishes
• Treats acne
• gets rid of tanning due to excessive sun exposure
• Has antiseptic properties for scars and wounds
• clarifying (opens up pores making them easy to unclog)
• anti-inflammatory properties that delay the ageing process

#2 Milk

Apply raw milk on face and neck. Let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse with water.

• Reduces dark patches (lactic acid)
• Evenly tones out skin
• radiant looking skin
• shrink pores
• nourishes and softens the skin
• exfoliates dead skin cells
• Excellent cleanser (no wonder most cleansers have "milk") 
• improves complexion
• Excellent moisturiser
• Smoothens fine lines and wrinkles

(No wonder Cleopatra soaked herself daily in honey and milk!)

#3 Cucumber

Slice the cucumber and rub on skin leave on for 5 minutes

• Fades dark circles
• Revitalises skin
• Reduces puffy eyes
• Tightens open pores
• Glowing complexion and reduced pigmentation
• Treats sunburn
• Moisturises and hydrates skin
• banishes cellulite on thighs ----->(phytochemicals  cause the collagen in your skin to tighten and firm up the outer layers. It works wonders on wrinkles as well. )

#4 Tomato

Slice a quarter of a tomato and mash it on your palm then apply

• Delays skin ageing and wrinkling
• deeply cleanses skin
• shrinks open pores
• Used as an astringent - for oily skin
• Glowing skin
• Gets rid of tans and pigmentation
• Helps rid blackheads

#5 Potato

Slice a potato and rub on skin

• Brightens skin
• Removes eye puffiness (same as cucumber)
• Gets rid of blemishes and dark spots
• Lifting dead skin cells 
• Delays wrinkle formation
• Relief from sunburn
• Relieves Eczema

#6 Yoghurt

Apply yoghurt on cotton wool the rub on face

• Brightens skin 
• Tightens skin pores
• Exfoliated dead skin cells
• Reduces blemishes, tanning and pigmentation
• Clears acne
• Reduces wrinkles
• Relief from sunburn

#7 Aloe Vera

For those close to aloe Vera plants, the gel can be quite helpful.

• Lessens visibility of stretch marks
• Anti aging (contains anxti oxidants - beta carotene, vitamin C and E)
• Moisturizes skin
• Combats acne
• Alleviates skin rashes
• Shrinks warts
• Helps eliminate Eczema
• Relieves skin allergic reactions

#8 Lemon
Slice a lemon and rub on skin

Removes blackheads
Tones oily skin
Facial Cleanser
Effective Astringent
Natural antiseptic


nb: If lemon is too acidic, you can dilute with water, use of lemon over a long time can lighten skin, avoid direct contact with sun after using lemon.

I would think twice about applying pure lemon on my face. You may want to add it to a lemon+honey+milk mask, but i would avoid using it pure.

Remember to test the products first before applying on skin. 

Other than that, here are some helpful (unrelated) tips

• Apply Proper Sunscreen whenever you go out
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily
• Avoid touching your face with hands that aren't clean
• Don pop zits
• Moisturise skin, even if you have the oily type
• Avoid sharing your make-up
• Clean makeup brushes and sponges frequently
• Avoid alcohol and smoking, junk food and excess salt. 

There you go

Love Adhis ♥

Ladies Matters HAIRising!

Ladies, how do you take care of your hair? If you are a typical Kenyan woman, chances are this is what you do:

• Oil you hair every fortnight (or once per month)
• Get your treatment done once or twice at most, in a month, at the salon
• Shampoo and condition your hair with whatever products your salonist has, never mind his/her clients have different hair needs.
• Blow dry your hair every single time you get your hair washed.
• etc

If You are the lady i have described above please raise you hand up. Ok, now sit down and listen to what i have to say.

Chances are your hair has never grown past shoulder length. When i was looking up info about the castor oil hair challenge, i learnt a lot on-line. I came to realize that i owe my hair a sincere apology, what with all the care that i saw ladies taking and pampering their hair.

I didn't know what BSL was, what pre-poo and co-wash were, i didn't know that when washing your hair you are advised to first apply some coconut oil (or your preferred/favourite oil) to avoid drying and subjecting your hair to breakage in the process.

I never knew the benefits of a hair mask or hot oil treatment, what about sealing and moisturising your hair?
Heee. I always thought waist length hair was meant for those Somalis and Indians with long silky hair until i came across Africans (Americans) with hair that can wipe a wet toddler dry (no need to buy towels) lol. And whoever knew that you were supposed to take care of your ends as much as you do your scalp?  i always thought oiling while blow drying was more than enough!

One of my favourite so far is Naptural85 on YouTube. You can subscribe to her channel.

Or check this one out, who had shaved her hair, and this video is one year later, she has longer hair than what i had after 5 years hehe yawa!

What about this lady Yolanda Renee? she takes such care of her kids hair, i can even hear my own hair cry for justice

And here you are, thinking of chopping your hair (cos imefika mwisho- like i did!) please don't.
Finally if you have relaxed hair that has been battered from here to  Kosovo and back, don't stress, you can start showing your hair some love.

Also if you want to transition from relaxed to natural, here are some ladies who did exactly that. Remember nothing worthwhile happens overnight, ...... except maybe making babies.

So there you go, and you thought you had healthy hair :)
And if you still have your hand raised up, please put it down, Am done now :)

As always Adhis ♥

MONTH ONE - HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS

FINALLY!!!!!

I have had some weeks in between where i failed completely, but i can finally count a compiled month of working out at least twice weekly.

Month 1 Summary:

• 11,300 Rope jumps
• 1,910 High knee jumps
• 1,345 Jumping x jacks
• 845 Donkey Kicks
• 790 Seconds Planks 
• 366 Modified Push-ups
• 378 Sit-ups
• 805 Squats

I started off at 75 kgs but decided am not going to weigh myself till the 6 months are over. I however forgot to get my measurements but currently i stand at 38-36-43. My target is 36-28-38 or "somewhere na hapo".

ION

I tried the cucumber + lemon drink today and the water was heavenly. I never got the mint leaves but my mix was beautiful. Never again will you find me sipping plain water, not after this :)

"A JOURNEY BEGUN IS HALFWAY DONE"

Love Adhis ♥

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WEEK 4/24

♪  ♫ What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller... ♪ ♫

Week 4 Summary:

• 4090 Rope jumps
• 760 High knee jumps
• 495 Jumping x jacks
• 390 Donkey Kicks
• 355 Seconds Planks 
• 165 Modified Push-ups
• 143 Sit-ups
• 355 Squats

Here is a breakdown of how i managed the above:

Day 9: Wednesday 12-March-2014
1075 Rope jumps, 50 Sit-ups, 60 Modified Push-ups, 130 Seconds Planks , 130 Donkey Kicks, 275 High knee jumps, 160 Jumping x jacks, 125 Squats

Extra

0.5 litres water
Mango + avocado + banana + tomato + carrot smoothie (the blender got born again)

Day 10: Thursday 13-March-2014
1075 Rope jumps
Woke up with a serious back ache and stiff neck. Thats all i did for the day.

Extra

0.5 Litre Water

Mango +  Banana + carrot + tomato smoothie

Day 11: Friday 14-March-2014
1075 Rope jumps, 55 Sit-ups, 60 Modified Push-ups, 125 Seconds Planks , 130 Donkey Kicks, 275 High knee jumps, 145 Jumping x jacks, 125 Squats

Extra

0.5 litres water
Mango + avocado + banana + tomato + carrot smoothie (the blender got born again)

Day 12: Saturday 15-March-2014
865 Rope jumps, 38 Sit-ups, 45 Modified Push-ups, 100 Seconds Planks , 130 Donkey Kicks, 210 High knee jumps, 160 Jumping x jacks, 105 Squats

Extra

1 Litre Water

Mango +  Banana +  tomato +spinach  smoothie (i need to get creative with them smoothies!)

Love Adhis ♥

African Woman, All you need is Clear Skin, not Lighter!

The rate at which Africans (Kenyans in this case) are bleaching their faces, one would be forgiven to think that African rain is acidic! Have you ever walked in town and almost every woman looks like they landed from a different planet? A planet where human beings have very light faces, but everything else from the neck down is navy blue?

Reminds me of every time i pass by Mombasa House and ladies are chasing you around with all sorts of "Magic Formula Creams". Yet one look at the person selling you the stuff, and you are like "hee sitaki kuchomeka kama wewe!" (silently of course, lol)

Others have bleached themselves and the creams have backfired on them, and they end up looking like burnt-up Chapatis with spots all over (just for laughs).

We are fearfully and wonderfully made (but bleaching leaves most people fearfully made). There is a huge difference between  clear skin and  lighter skin. There is nothing as beautiful as a lady with clear and smooth skin, regardless of the skin tone.

True, beauty is in the eye of the beer holder, sorry beholder, but we shouldn't kill ourselves with cancer in the name of pleasing society. We all know that society has painted the lighter woman as the prettier one, far from it. Everyone is beautiful in their own skin, literally.

Beauty comes from within, trust me if you don't believe you are beautiful, you will go to great lengths all in the name of pleasing society. Even if it means drinking Snake urine! (i just made that up, don't try it. Lol)
So before you send yourself to an early grave, here are some natural tips to a smooth, clear and glowing skin (not necessarily a lighter one).

Few Tips for clean glowing skin

There are a number of items found on your kitchen shelves that hold the magic to beautiful skin. However some people have sensitive skin (and may not even know it) so test the products first on a different part of your body to lookout for any type of reaction.

In the next week, i will be posting a number of items that you can use on your face, and their various benefits. However, apart from beauty products, there are some regimens that are helpful in the quest for that beautiful smooth skin.

These include:

Water: Above other benefits, water is good for healthy skin. Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily. After all beauty is from the inside out

Diet: The importance of Fruits and vegetables can not be over emphasized

Use a daily cleanser: Water and soap maybe all you use to clean your face, however your face gets greasy from all the sweat and stuff, hence this is simply not enough. A good tip to beautiful skin is to ensure you always cleanse your face at least once, especially before you sleep. Take a piece of cotton and dub some cleansing liquid on it. Rub it gently on your face. (Please don't be shocked by what the cotton will look like once you are done)

Try the above this as I'll add more posts in the course of the week.

Have yourselves a Lovely and Clear Evening (Never mind its raining, hehe)
Adhis ♥

Cucumber, Lemon and Mint Water

Water is a necessary item both in your weight loss journey and also for general well being. Water is also essential for your body to detox. This week i came across a cucumber + Lemon + mint water detox recipe. Apparently it aids in detoxing and also weight loss. I did my research, and I will try it out this week.

Take the Cucumber-lemon-mint water first thing in the morning (your body has been in a natural state of fasting all night) and this will help jump start your body's metabolism, and you can continue taking it throughout the day (a good substitute for those of us who easily get bored taking plain water).

Ingredients needed
1-2 Litres of Water (i will use 1)
1 cucumber
1 lemon
10-15 mint leaves

Directions
Slice the cucumber and the lemon, and dip them in the water, add the mint leaves.Let this sit overnight in the fridge.

Benefits
The most obvious benefit here is the water ;) , It helps to flush out toxins and waste from our bodies and hence good for the liver and kidney, not to mention beautiful skin.

Cucumber
contains an amino acid (citrulline) that assists your liver and kidney to get rid of ammonia, it re-hydrates your body and has anti-inflammatory properties, fights cancer and controls blood pressure,

Lemon
Helps to cleanse and alkalize the body (by the way do you know cancer cells cant survive in an alkaline system), stimulates the digestive track, hence good for digestion, are rich in vitamin C and flavanoids.

Mint
Helps the digestive system, helps relax cramped out muscles, it also has a nice flavour, helps relax your mind, and combats bad breath.

p.s
You can add watermelon, or oranges or ginger to spice your mixture up.
For those with sensitive teeth, you can always use a straw.

Have a lovely evening Adhis ♥

21 Day Self Discipline Challenge

We are already in the third month of the year and sadly, like most people, my new year resolution remains just that, a resolution. This year i only had one resolution, to conquer myself. This involves one single thing, Self-Discipline. I really don't want this year to be the same as previous years, i want to conquer myself this year.

I once tried self discipline back in early 2002 and the results were out of this world. I want that type of success in every aspect of my life.

Apparently behavioural scientist say that it takes 21 days to form/break a habit. Hard as it may be, i want to use the next 21 days to form a habit of practising self-discipline daily.

An update of the results for the 21 Days of Self discipline will be expected around 27th of March, So help me God.

Love Adhis ♥

HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS WEEK 3/24

I admit, discpline is not as easy as i thought ooooh! But where there's a will, there's a way, right?
This week i only worked out twice, and the second time wasn't even complete. :(

Week 3 Summary:

• 2120 Rope jumps
• 260 High knee jumps
• 160 Jumping x jacks
• 115 Donkey Kicks
• 115 Seconds Planks 
• 60 Modified Push-ups
• 35 Sit-ups
• 110 Squats

Here is a breakdown of how i managed the above:

Day 7: Wednesday 26-Feb-2014
1060 Rope jumps, 260 High knee jumps, 160 Jumping x jacks, 115 Donkey Kicks, 115 Seconds Planks ,
60 Modified Push-ups, 35 Sit-ups, 110 Squats

Extra

1 litre water
Mango + grapes

Day 8: Friday 28-Feb-2014

1060 rope jumps (Thats all i did, hope next week i will manage better workout discipline)

Extra

1 Litre Water

Mango + 2 Bananas

Love Adhis ♥