See you in 2012 :)

New Camera!

I got a brand new camera for Xmas (thanks to my Big Sis and Brother-In-Law)! I'm so excited because it means I'll get back to cooking and taking nice pictures of my healthy meals...

In the mean time, I made these not-so-healthy cookies on Christmas day ;) Thanks to Vickii's step-by-step recipe here:  http://vickii-ibakethereforeiam.blogspot.com/2011/12/puffy-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-and.html

I launched my camera and I'm very impressed with the picture quality:

Vickii bakes amazingly yummy cakes and cupcakes for special occasions so stop by her blog to contact her... Of course these should only be treats, as always ;)

Have a wonderful time with your loved ones! :)

Currently Loving...

Hi! I'm in America for my Christmas/New Year's break and if I LOVE it here! Yes it's great to be with family (of course) but I love the range of products and food here... I also love that everything's a little cheaper here. Don't get me started on the sales - because I won't stop!

On to the reason for this post, I bought these and had to share:

• Nature's Gate Aloe Vera Velvet Moisture Liquid Soap:
  
  I usually mix my body wash (using Castille soap as a base) but once in a while I like to buy body washes so I was happy when I found this and at a discounted price (God bless America!)
  
  This liquid soap smells yummy and it left my skin feeling clean but not dry :) It's sulphate and paraben free and I'll be taking a couple back to London with me. I bought mine at Sprouts Farmer's Market but it should be available at Whole Foods and Target. It can also be purchased from the Nature's Gate website HERE.

• Tazo Lemon Ginger iced tea
  
  This is a very refreshing drink and it was $1 for a bottle at Sprouts. I wish I could take some back to London with me but it's in a glass bottle!

Hope you are enjoying the festive season and not over indulging ;) I worked out yesterday and that is so unlike me during the holidays! I'll attempt another session tomorrow... fingers crossed.

Merry Christmas!!!

Photo Credit: Nature's Gate and amazon

Love Milk?

My friend, Keris (of Fitter London) sent me this link: http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-anti-inflammatory-foods.htm and here is an extract from it:

"Processed cow’s milk. Non-organic milk carries antibiotics and growth hormone residues that can irritate immune system when they are consumed long-term. Many people, especially those in the East, also cannot digest milk properly, causing distress to the digestive tract."

Side Note: I've had to make a few changes to my diet including swapping the usual meat and chicken for organic alternatives to avoid the growth hormones (and antibiotics) in them. For example, most non-organic chickens are 'grown' from chick to full chicken within 2 weeks, that is unnatural and the only way this is possible is by accelerating the growth process with hormones. These same chickens and cows, that are pumped with hormones, produce the milk, dairy and eggs that we buy!

I should have made these changes ages ago because I was educated enough but I was trying to save money...

 What's more important - your health or your bank account? The answer is obvious! 

Instead, Try: Raw Milk, Goat's Milk.

I'm lucky I have this information shared with me constantly, hope you find this useful :)

Moin Moin

A fellow tweep (twitter friend) mentioned she was cooking moin moin today so that inspired me to do the same :) The great thing about moin moin is it's quite a healthy Nigerian meal. Beans are high in protein and contain a moderate amount of carbohydrates :) Unlike akara, which is fried, moin moin is steamed and can be eaten on it's own as a snack or with vegetables and meat  or chicken.

Recipe was a modified version of this: Moin Moin Recipe to make it a little healthier:

• I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
• I replaced Maggi with Rock Salt and Herbs
• I used crushed chillis

Ingredients

• Brown Beans (~ 500-600g)
• 3 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
• 4 tablespoons of ground crayfish
• Salt and Mixed Herbs
• 2 Red Onions
• 1 tablespoon crushed chillis
• 2 red bell peppers
• 3 eggs (optional)
• 2 tins of sardines/mackerel in spring water or brine (optional)

Moin Moin

• Soak the beans in water for 20 minutes. Now this is the most annoying part: You have to rub the beans between your hands to get the skin off, I did this while watching X Factor so it didn't feel as bad.
• Leave to soak for another 2 hours to soften the beans:
  
  
• Boil 3 eggs, peel and slice. 
• Peel and chop the onions and chop the bell peppers. Add to the bowl of beans, also add chillis and crayfish.
• Fill your blender halfway with the mix. Add a little water and blend, note that if you don't have a strong blender, this will take forever.
• Pour the mix into a bowl and repeat this process till it's all blended.
• Now add the mix back to the blender (still filling it halfway) and add 2ce blended mix into another bowl. Repeat till you've 're-blended' it all.
• I repeated this process one more time and this was the result:
  
  
  
• Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture. Also add your salt and herbs.
• I used aluminium foil, check out this easy tutorial to make the aluminium cases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVdFyxK8Qd4
• Fill each container halfway with the mixture and as much or as little of the sliced eggs (1-2 in my case) and sardines. Seal. Continue till the mixture is used up.
• If you own a steamer, use this instead. My home-made steamer: Add some water to a pot (I added 2 cups) and I used a pot stand (similar to the image below but minus the wheels:
  
  
  I inserted it into the pot of water and boiled the water
• I placed the moin moin (bags) onto the pot stand, covered the pot and cooked on medium heat for 1 hour. I made sure I checked the level of the water every 15 minutes and refilled as required.

Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) with Mixed Vegetables and Mackerel

New Camera in a month, I promise!

There's a story behind this recipe:

1. I've been ill all weekend so after the Fitter London classes on Saturday, I came back home and stayed on the sofa till bedtime. Today, Sunday, I was in bed till 6pm. I feel better now but I definitely have another 15-20 hours of sleep left in me.  
2. Also, I've been advised to eat less non-organic (read: pumped full of hormones) meat, which will be explained another time, and find other sources of protein.

With the second point in mind, I bought a 500g bag of chickpeas (100g contains: 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which 0.27 grams is saturated), 7.6 grams of dietary fibre and 8.9 grams of protein) and had NO idea what to do with them... yes, I was a chickpea virgin! I've had hummus/humus a couple of times but I've never cooked chickpeas in my 30 years! A couple of days ago, I soaked them in water for 8 hours (as advised by many sources online), drained and stored in the fridge for future use - I'm so happy I did that!

Today, when I finally dragged myself out of bed, I realised I had NO food at home. Perfect time to experiment ;)


Serves: 3

Ingredients
200g chickpeas (previously soaked for 8 hours)
100g frozen mixed vegetables
1 smoked mackerel
2 tablespoons of organic tomato puree
1/4 of an onion
Mixed herbs
A pinch of salt

Recipe

1. Add chickpeas to a pot with just enough water to totally submerge them. Add herbs and salt, bring to boil (medium heat).
2. Slice onions and add to the pot. Allow to cook for 10 minutes (increase heat a little).
3. Add the mixed vegetables, and allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Cut up the mackerel and add it with the 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Serve :)

Modifications

1. I'd have definitely cooked the chickpeas in chicken/meat stock if I had any in the freezer as that would have given the meal more flavour.
2. To save yourself a lot of time, use pre-soaked, canned chickpeas.
3. Substitute the mackerel for any fish, meat, prawns, shrimps of your choice :)
4. You can be as adventurous or boring (like me) with your vegetables.

Verdict: It was tasty! And very filling :) Enjoy!

Happy Sunday :)

Hope you had a nice week and are enjoying your weekend.

My camera's broken :( I'm waiting for Xmas sales so I can get a brand new Canon camera :) I will upload food pictures from my phone once in a while on Sundays, I took this (not-so-great) picture of mackerel stew last week with my phone:

And turkey meatballs in tomato sauce:

I will post the recipe later... and I'll also be cooking later today *watch this space*

I know some of my readers are Mums or  Mums-to-be so check this out:
@fitpregnancy | http://www.fitpregnancy.com/

Reader's Question: Zumba

Hello Adura, Doing Zumba 4 times a week is it enough exercise to lose weight?

Attending Zumba classes more than 3 times a week is really good to begin with BUT

• Like most exercise routines, when your body gets used to it, you start to reach a plateau. This means you won't see the same results you saw at the beginning. This is because initially you're shocking your body with exercise but if you don't vary your workouts, you won't see constant significant results.

Zumba is solely a cardio based class but it is a very fun way to get your exercise so definitely keep attending the classes :)

I'd suggest attending 2-3 classes a week and at least one (preferably two) strength based session (Read this post: 'I Love Strength Training') every week. If you're in London, why don't you try out a Fitter London class? Your first class is FREE. Check out the Fitter London timetable: www.fitterlondon.co.uk/classes/

Your goal with exercise should be to constantly shock your body so it doesn't get the chance to know what's coming next. With strength training, as you get stronger you can increase your weights, repititions or sets.

Good Luck :)

Check out this Zumba Review by Ogo

Workout Series :)

Happy Monday!

So I'm actually really back... really! ;)

I was in Lagos most of October and I was in holiday-mode, sorry!

If you haven't already, take a quick look at this blog post --> Exercise More, Live Longer.

I really enjoyed the 'Get Trimmer' series, I love having different people participate and discussing their experience. That inspired me to do this next series, it doesn't have an official name yet but will be a 'baby' of 'Get Trimmer'. It will be exercise (at home) based, please let me know if you're interested via email.

Have a nice week ahead!

Exercise More, Live Longer :)

I keep saying this to friends and clients - life is unpredictable, the unexpected can happen BUT we need to do whatever is in out control to increase our chances of living longer and better.

So when I read this month's issue of ZEST Magazine, I had to share this with you:

"Just 15 minutes of exercise can help you live longer. A Taiwanese study of more than 400,000 people over eight years found that even small amounts reap big rewards.

An average of 92 minutes' a week exercise a week led to:

• a 14% reduced risk of early death 
• life expectancy being increased by three years
• a 10% reduced risk of cancer

And for every 15 minutes extra, an additional:

• 4% reduced risk of early death
• 1% reduced risk of death from cancer"

Yes, eating healthy can result in losing weight and keeping in shape BUT exercise is very important and shouldn't be ignored.

So get up and do some exercise NOW :)

I love Strength Training :)

You're allowed to laugh at my expression ( I did the first time I saw this picture)... I'll have you know that it is advised to exhale on exertion while doing strength exercises so....!

I've been asked about my strength training routine. I usually aim for 2 strength (heavy weights) sessions per week... on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I won't go into detail about my strength training now, I'll leave that for another post...

Strength training won’t make you bulky and muscular. This is a common misconception amongst women and just in case you have any doubts, look at the pictures of me in my gallery - do I look like a muscle-bound? Your answer had better be NO! (haha)

Women have 15-20 times less testosterone (hormone that helps men gain muscle) than men.

Studies have shown that regular strength training results in lean muscle gain and close to twice the fat loss in weight (exactly what you’d like to hear).

Health benefits of strength training include increasing bone density, reduces the risk of health issues including diabetes and heart disease, lowers blood pressure and more.

And of course it makes you stronger :)

Have I sold it to you a little? Here are a couple of tips to get you started:

• If you have access to a fitness professional e.g. at your gym, ask to be shown the correct technique for strength exercises.
  
  
• Your aim should be to have 2-3 strength sessions a week. Start of with one and slowly build up to 2 or 3.
  
  
• For every exercise, aim for 10-12 repetitions and 2-3 sets (of 10-12 reps). Each rep should be slow an controlled.
  
  
• Always start with a light weight initially and slowly increase for each set until you find the right weight. The aim is for the last few reps to be almost impossible.
  
  
• If you have no idea what exercises to do, try this:
  5-10 minute warm up - jogging, cycling or some bodyweight drills including jumping jacks, high-knees, etc
  Squats - These are mainly for your glutes (bum), quads (front of thighs) and hamstrings (back of thighs). Ideally these should be done with free weights - a barbell (on the back of your shoulders) or dumbells (arms hanging on your sides). But it's best to get your squat technique* right before you progress to variations of weighted squats.
  Chest Presses - Pectorals (chest muscles) or my favourite (NOT!) Pressups (technique is extra important with these)
  Bicep Curls - Biceps (front of the upper arms)
  Shoulder Presses (like my picture above) -Deltoids (shoulders) and Triceps (back of upper arms)
  Crunches - Abdominal muscles
  
  Remember - aim for at least 2 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise. Rest should be a maximum of 1 minute between each set.
  
  Stretch (I'll blog about this in detail)

Start tomorrow - fat burning, healthier heart, healthier body. What are you waiting for? :)

Product Review: NATURALLY FRESH DEODORANT CRYSTAL - ROLL ON

**THIS IS A REPOST**

In addition to living as healthy a lifestyle as possible, I also try to live naturally and cleanly:

•  My hair and skin products are either labelled as 'Natural'/'xyz free' or home-made using natural ingredients. 
• I eat as organic as I can afford but I will admit - I don't always do this.

Which brings me to the deodorant range I'm reviewing. My friend Keris who is a Naturopathic Nutritionist advised me that my regular deodorant was not ideal if I was seriously trying to live cleaner and more naturally. The main things to look out for were: "Aluminium Free" & "Paraben Free".

I happened upon this product by pure chance, I was walking back from teaching a Spin class and saw a chemist which sold natural products. I went in to have a quick browse and saw a couple of deodorants but this stood out because in addition to meeting the requirements, it was also fragrance free (and made in America, haha!). It cost £4.99 ($3.99 in the US).

"Our elegant natural fresh deodorant crystal roll on combines all natural ingredients like alum to eliminate odor causing bacteria while providing 24 hour non-staining hypo-allergenic protection. With natural fresh deodorant crystal roll on, chamomile is added to soothe and moisturize shaved underarms. Non-sticky, non-greasy-feels like a luxurious skin lotion, all of this with our natural roll on deodorant."

Nat Fresh Deo products are aimed towards:

• Men and Women with sensitive skin and require hypo allergenic products
• People seeking a healthy alternative or better lifestyle (me! me!!)
• People undergoing radiation and cancer treatments

The main things I love about this product are:

• The obvious: it is natural! 
• Non-staining: Deodorants I used in the past sometimes left white marks on my clothes.
• It works:  it is a deodorant so I don't stink ;)

The first day I used it, I'll admit I got impatient because it took a little longer than my regular deodorant to dry.

Tip/Feedback: Apply immediately after you shower (once you've dried your body)

It had no smell, and I was worried it meant I would stink.

Tip/Feedback: I was wrong, although it had no smell (Fragrance Free, duhh!), I didn't stink and neither will you

I didn't feel completely dry for the 1st couple of weeks but I relented because my health was more important.

Tip/Feedback: As if by magic (seriously), my body got used to it. It dried completely within a few minutes and I stayed dry.

I really like this product, last time a friend went to America, I made sure she brought back enough to last me till Christmas ;)
Now, I recommend this product to friends, family and strangers - seriously! I have met people at parties and gone from answering questions about my hair care to telling them all about this product!

Why should YOU use this product?

• It is a natural and healthier way to keep odours at bay 
• It is effective, it does exactly what it says.
• Some studies have shown that the build up of aluminium in the brain has been linked to breast cancer and brain tumours (contact keris@fitterlondon.co.uk for more info)

I really believe we all should start taking steps towards living a more natural lifestyle, too many products we use contain ingredients that we can't even pronounce, ingredients that have been processed over and over again.

And Really: Healthy living inside & out is important.

In addition to deodorants (unscented and scented), other products available include body sprays, deodorant sticks, lip balms, refrigerator fresheners and more. Look out for more reviews and Giveaways (thanks Nat Fresh Deo!).

For more info on Nat Fresh Deo:

Where to Purchase (US) (I'll post the address of the shop I bought mine later)

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Hello :-)

Hope you're well... sorry this blog has been DRY - I'm in holiday mode ;) I'm on day 4 of my swimming lessons and I am seeing GREAT progress :)

Being on holiday is a great thing, as someone said to me yesterday - It gives you the time to reflect and re-evaluate. I'm making plans for the future and I am very optimistic. I have decided to cut down on *overly* physically demanding work eg I currently teach five spin classes every week! I can't do this for much longer, my target number is 3 (before the end of the year).

I'm also "working on other projects", haha I had to use that line because so many people say it and sound vague and mysterious. For all one knows, the "projects" are non-existent ;)

My website is a priority and I hope to have it up by the end of the year (funny because my target launch date was in the summer but life got in the way).

I'm going to be doing some more 'Fitness Writer' work on websites and hopefully more magazines :)

My most recent work can be found on Lagos Mums: 5 Nutrition Tips For New Mamas <-- Please read, comment and share :)

I'm running another session this weekend (As seen on Bella Naija's 'Events This Weekend) and would love to meet/see even more of you:

I will also have these protein snack bars available for sale at this session, email me for more details :)

See you soon!

Click to enlarge...

Sunday 9th October's Session in Lagos

Just a shout out to the ladies who were at the class on Sunday 9th October... I meant to take pictures but I forgot, I managed to take one of Funto doing a wall sit:

I will definitely take some next week :)

Sunday Sessions in Lagos

1.5 hours of a Nutrition Talk/Q&A and a Total Body Workout (using only one thing... your bodyweight!)

WHEN: Sunday 9th and 16th October, registration starts at 1pm. Sessions start at 1.30pm prompt

WHERE:  Da Yoga Studio (The Life House) 33 Sinari Daranijo Street, Off Younis Bashorun Street, Off Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island, Lagos

PRICE: N2,000

*Come dressed in your workout gear*

RSVP: email - adura.odesanya@yahoo.co.uk or SMS - 0812 824 8489

Photo Credit: Weight Loss Trust

October Classes in Lagos

I will be running classes in October and have a quick question, I would really appreciate your feedback.

Would you attend a Sunday PM class?

Thank you in advance and see you soon :)

Workout/Spin Track of The Week

WEEK #16 

One (Your Name) - Swedish House Mafia Feat. Pharrell



Love this! Happy Friday :)

Chicken in Tomato Puree on a bed of Steamed Broccoli

LOL, I'm laughing at "on a bed of", I'm trying to get fancy with the names of my meals ;)

I had just gotten back from bikram yoga and was s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g. I wanted to eat dinner asap, I felt like eating stewed chicken but didn't have the patience to chop and blend tomatoes, then cook them so I opted for tomato puree instead and this was very tasty :)

Quick Recipe

1. Marinade chicken thighs in ginger and mixed herbs.  
2. Pan Fry (maximum of 2 tablespoons of oil) chicken and chopped 1/4 onion. Until chicken is cooked. 
3. Steam the broccoli for 8-10 minutes (I usually add some seasoning, I used some all purpose seasoning). Add to a plate when ready. 
4. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree to the chicken in the pan and cook for a few (not more than 5 minutes) 
5. Add the chicken to the plate and serve.

Modifications

If you have more time than I did:

• Boil the chicken instead of pan frying (eliminates the oil)
• Chop, blend and cook tomatoes and onions. And pan-fry for up to 10 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible = paste. Add  chicken thighs to the paste and cook for no more than 5 minutes.
• Use any vegetables of your choice, I used broccoli because that's what I had in the fridge :)

Serving Suggestion: Eat with sweet potatoes, potatoes, brown rice, etc.

Workout/Spin Track of The Week

WEEK # 15

'Where Them Girls At' - David Guetta feat. Flo-Rida & Nicki Minaj

Yep, another David Guetta track ;) Honestly, his beats are perfectly designed for spin classes ;)

I have the extended version of this track and I'm loving it right now.

Exercise Class Review: Fitter London's Vinyasa Yoga

Fitter London have now added yoga classes to their timetable which now makes it well-rounded.  Everything needed is now covered - from strength to cardio to conditioning to YOGA :)

If you're wondering, why you should add yoga to your current workout routine, check out this link: "WHY DO YOGA?"

If you follow me on twitter (@Adura_O), you'll know I've been attending Bikram yoga classes for the last month and a half. My friend Keris invited me to a class and although I was a little extra-dramatic (it's me, that's not unexpected!), I could already feel the positive effects by the end of the day.

After attending a few more classes, I finally FINALLY appreciated yoga classes and told anyone willing to listen that they should give yoga another try. 

I'll be honest - I've never been a fan of yoga. My excuse - it was too boring but the more I thought about it, the more I realised it frustrated me so much because I couldn't do anything. I was so inflexible and just couldn't hold any postures but I never gave it time and always gave up after a couple of classes. I remember going for a yoga class 3 years ago and while I was struggling with a shoulder stand, a few show-offs people effortlessly got into headstands!

Fitter London's yoga instructor - Katie already stands out. Why? Because she's been the most supportive and helpful yoga instructor I've seen in a while (my experience with some yoga instructors can be another blog post!). I had never ever tried a headstand (ever!) and this happened on Sunday:

I wasn't even going to attempt it but Katie said I should give it a go and lo and behold - I did it!

There were a couple of beginners in the class and they were advised to take things in their stride. Most yoga postures have a few levels, you always benefit from them if you're a novice or a veteran. If at any point, you feel tired or unable to do some postures - you're advised to stay in child's pose <--- I like!

These classes slowly build up from a warm up - quite a few downward/upward dogs and these help mobilise the joints and warm up the muscles - to some basic postures. We slowly built up to the last few  that were quite challenging but as always, there were options for the less experienced.

Katie plays mellow but funky music throughout the class which I loved. I found myself humming to some of the tracks but not in a distracting manner of course ;)

I've been to three of her classes so far and I love them because every class is different, there were a few new poses (to me) last weekend and I got the chance to improve on some other poses from previous classes.

I love strength training and I teach a lot of spin classes, I do mobility drills pre-workout and stretch post-workout but honestly, they're not enough. I found I was feeling tighter all over especially in my hamstring (back of my thighs), calves and back. I can confidently say that after ~20 yoga sessions so far, I have increased flexibility in my problem areas, I always leave classes with a clear head/mind and I feel better and calmer for it. I used to be anti-yoga now I'm PRO-YOGA :) I'm looking forward to where I'll be after the next 20 classes!

Fitter London's yoga classes will officially begin on Sunday 25th September (11.30am every Sunday in Fitness First Covent Garden), if you're interested in the classes send me an email: Adura'at'fitterlondon.co.uk. Your first class is absolutely free (no small print!) ;)

The Fitter London class timetable and prices can be found HERE

Hi!

How are you?

Hope you enjoyed your weekend and your week's going well so far :)

I'll update my blog tomorrow - I've been attending yoga classes: both Bikram Yoga and Fitter London's Vinyasa Yoga. And I feel great for it, I feel more flexible, less stiff and just more alive! I know that sounds crazy but it's very true.

Tomorrow's post will be a review of Fitter London's yoga classes so come back tomorrow :)

Re: Lagos... I'm definitely running classes (and nutrition talks) , I've received a few emails (yay!) so please email me to register your interest.

Have a nice week!

Workout/Spin Track of The Week

WEEK #14

'Little Bad Girl' by David Guetta feat. Taio Cruz and Ludacris

I heard this last week and I really like it... to be honest, it's a typical David Guetta track like 'Sweat' feat. Snoop Dogg. I keep saying I'm bored of new music but David Guetta's beats are usually very catchy



Maybe I'll listen to his new album:



This is a weekly series, previous posts can be seen HERE.

Tips for Transitioning to Natural Hair

Hi :)

I had relaxed hair for years and I shared some tips for maintaining healthy relaxed hair HERE.

I've been asked about haircare for natural hair and also for the transition to natural hair.

I wasn't brave enough to do a big chop because, wait for it.... I HAVE A BIG HEAD (seriously, my Mummy mentioned it to me once and it's stuck with me since then), haha!
Other reasons were:

• I was already used to waiting up to 6 months between relaxers so I didn't think it would be that much of a challenge 
• I wanted to have a lot of style options - I didn't want to do a big chop, see my massive head in the mirror and hide my hair under extensions. 

I haven't done extensions in over 5 years (I'll be honest - the main reason for this is my hairline has never been full so any rough handling results in me looking bald! There was a time my Aunt (in 1999!) relaxed my hair for me and my hair fell out along my hairline and in the middle, I'll never forget that experience.. EVER. O_O

If you're interested in transitioning, here are a few tips which helped me through my 18 month transition:

1. Understand Your Hair
   Transitioning was easy enough for me because I was used to taking care of my hair myself. I knew what my hair liked and what it didn't. I also knew how to deal with my natural new growth because I used to stretch the time between my relaxers. If you're used to relaxing your hair every 6-8 weeks, your 1st time should maybe stretch the time till your next relaxer to 4 months and slowly work from that. Find out what products work for your hair and those that don't.
   
   
2. Always Remind Yourself Why You Are Transitioning
   I don't have a dramatic story, my hair was in a very healthy state and wasn't falling out, I decided to stop relaxing my hair mainly for health reasons. It was one of the steps I took towards using less chemicals in/on my body.
   
   
3. Set Yourself A Goal And Work Towards It
   Avoid saying, "I'll try to transition", you will most likely cave in and relax.
   Neither should you say, "I'll see how it goes"
   Try -
   "I will transition for at least 1 year!
   "I will transition until my natural hair is shoulder length"
   Short term goals also work - My goal was to transition for 1 year, I got to one year and realised I could go longer so my next goal was 18 months (in time for my 29th birthday)
   
   
4. Find Hairstyles That Work For You
   You don't want your transition to natural hair to mean you'll have more 'ugly days' than normal. What hairstyles will be easy for you to manage? Are you one of those lucky people with full hairlines unlike mine on my big head? Then extensions might be the answer. Do you enjoy styling your hair yourself? Stick to your trusted styles and try to be adventurous, loads of ladies have instructional hair styling videos on youtube.
   Some of the styles that worked for me include those that helped me blend my two textures (straight & relaxed and coily & natural):
   

   

   Braidout

   
   

   

   This was almost a year into my transition

   
   

   

   Twistout

   
   

   

   French Braid

   
   

   

   Braids (no extensions)

   
   
5. Deep Condition
   This is very important. If your hair is dry, unhealthy and brittle, you will experience breakage. Even if you're not transitioning ie you're relaxed or natural, you need to deep condition. But as a transitioner, you need to get the right protein and moisture balance. Protein strengthens your hair which means you'll experience less breakage at the point where your relaxed hair meets your natural hair. And of course, you need moisture for your hair to keep it hydrated and soft.
   What worked for me, which might not necessarily work for you was Organic Roots Salon Olive Oil Replenishing Conditioner - it was both a moisturising and protein deep conditioner.
   
   
6. Limit ManipulationBecause you're dealing with 2 textures, you can't be combing your hair casually like you would relaxed hair. You will find that the amount of pressure you use to detangle your natural new growth is more than twice that of your relaxed ends. What worked for me was to detangle my hair when it was damp after applying my leave in conditioner. a year into my transition, I had to start washing and detangling my hair in sections because my natural hair seemed to be overpowering my relaxed hair.
   
   
7. Moisturise
   Find a moisturiser that works for you and use it at least once a day. I used, and still use, shea butter mixed with coconut oil, castor oil and aloe vera gel.
   
   
8. Or Else...
   If all of the above are too stressful for you, just hide your hair in braids/twists/extensions. But make sure you still wash (diluted shampoo), deep condition and moisturise your hair (with a liquid, spray moisturiser).

If you have any questions, please ask :)

Happy Monday!

Hi :)

Hope you enjoyed your weekend...I did but it flew by so quickly! I taught spin classes and attended bikram yoga classes on Saturday AND Sunday - so unlike my usual weekends!

I'd really love your feedback, I'll post a poll later this week (re: my blog content) and I hope you take part in it :)

I was going through my archives and saw some posts from last year that I wanted to share with you again, so please check them out:

• Wanna Run?
• Wanna Run? (Part II)
• "I Want To But I Can't"
• I Love Strength Training

Have a nice week :)

PS. I'll be in Lagos next month - if you're interested in Nutrition Consultations and/or Personal/Group Training sessions, please EMAIL ME.

Chicken Wings & Efo

Recipe very similar to THIS, I used chicken wings instead.

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

I know, I know - I seem to use Spinach in every other dish. My excuse is - it's good for you *and* I prefer it over other green leafy vegetables :)

I saw a recipe on-line which I modified slightly. I used:
- lemon instead of vinegar
- olive oil instead of vegetable oil
- and no sugar (No need for extra sweetness)

Ingredients

1 Pack of Baby Spinach
1 Pack of Strawberries
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Half a Lemon

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

• Wash the spinach, Wash & Chop the strawberries. 
• Add to a mixing/salad bowl and toss.
• Mix the sunflower seeds and olive oil seperately, then add to the the salad bowl. Toss
• Squeeze the lemon and do a final toss.
• Done :)

I was expecting it to taste a little odd but I was wrong, maybe the lemon just brought it all together nicely. Love it. 

Workout/Spin Track of The Week

WEEK #13

' Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ' by Michael Jackson

It's MJ, really I don't need to say anything else. Absolutely love this track!



His tracks never ever get old :)

Your Food Recipes & Pictures... Please :)

Aloted (of FabXchange) saw my Mackerel Stir-Fry Recipe , she made & shared her version:

If you try any recipes posted here or have your recipes, please share :)

Send me pictures --> Email Me

Thanks in Advance.

Chicken Thighs with Stir Fried Vegetables

Quick Recipe
1. Marinade chicken thighs in seasoning of your choice
2. Pan Fry (maximum of 2 tablespoons of oil) chicken and chopped 1/4 onion. Until chicken is cooked and onions are caramelized.
3. Remove from pan and stir fry vegetables in the oil and juice/fat from chicken
4. Serve

Chicken & Spinach Curry Soup

I've been ill for most of the week, I wasn't at the Saturday Fitter London classes yesterday and anyone who knows me would be surprised.

Any time I'm ill, soup always makes me feel better. I didn't make pepper soup because the only meat I had was a whole chicken and there was no way I was going to cut it up into small chunks (my preference).

So I decided to make a curry, a little more watery than usual so I could sip on it - curry soup!

Ingredients
1 boiler chicken - skinned and cut into medium pieces
1 Onion
1 Can of Coconut Milk
3 bunches of large leaf spinach
3 tablespoons of Curry Powder
1-2 Maggi Cube(s)
Mixed Herbs
1 tablespoon of Ground Ginger (raw ginger preferable, I was being lazy)
Ground Pepper or Chilli (Forgot to add this but I will next time for that extra kick)

Curry Soup

1. Boil chicken - add to pot with one chopped onion, maggi cube(s), ginger and mixed herbs. Use more water than usual, so the chicken is totally submerged in the water.
2. Allow to cook for 20 minutes (boiler chicken), if you use roaster chicken, cook for a maximum of ten minutes.
3. Add coconut milk and allow to cook for another 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the curry and stir contents.
5. Wash and chop the spinach. Add to pot.
6. Cover and cook for a maximum of 10 minutes.

This definitely made me feel a little better and I had some more for lunch today. Yum :)

Yes coconut milk contains fat (which isn't necessarily bad for you) and as long as you don't have the entire pot of soup in one sitting, you're good ;)

Coconut milk has many health benefits including:

• Contains Iron (reduces risks of aneamia)
• Contains Potassium (reduces risk of high blood pressure)
• Contains Selenium (reduces the risk of joint inflammation eg arthritis)
• Other benefits can be found HERE

Workout/Spin Track of The Week

WEEK #12

'Don't Be Cruel' - Bobby Brown
An Oldie... but a real Goodie ;-) Oooh I miss the 80s and the dance moves ;)



When Bobby Brown was still an attractive human being... :p

Natural Hair and Shrinkage

Twists (after shrinking) earlier this year

December '10 - Straightened 

I'll admit that the main thing I found hard to accept after I went natural was the shrinkage factor. As the above pictures illustrate, my hair in its natural state looks much shorter than it actually is. I've finally accepted this and I'm sure it has a lot to do with the health of my hair. It might not look long but my hair's in a 'good place'.

I love my natural hair and I totally ignore some people's "advice" to relax my hair because it'd be "very long and pretty" <--- whatever. Sorry to sound mean but I'm always extremely close to telling them to sort out their hair before advising me ;) Actually, I'm not sorry :) I don't force going natural on people so I won't tolerate people forcing relaxed hair on me... #rantover

I twisted my hair on Sunday night and it looked long enough but it's already shrinking... once I wash it on Friday, it's going to look half the length but like I said, I've accepted it... just.

Sunday's Twists

Shrinking on Wednesday

I'm glad that this is my main problem with my hair and not a long list of things. I'll admit that having natural hair can be time consuming which is why sometimes I twist my hair up so I can get a break from it but I won't have it any other way.

I will put up a post on my shea butter mix - natural ingredients - next week.

Exercise Class Review: Fitter London Kettlebells

Ogo lives in Lagos but was in London for a week (for work) and was interested in trying out a Fitter London class.

She was kind enough to send in a review, thanks Ogo :)

Prior to attending my first kettlebell class in London last month, I knew next to nothing about kettlebell training. I had never even picked up a kettlebell, so I had no clue what to expect.

The class began with a warm-up, and then the instructors (Adura and Lucy) showed us the basics. Then we launched into it – a series of exercises that had my heart racing right from the get-go. I remember doing goblet squats, mountain climbers, lunges, and a lot more besides.

Before each set, the instructors demonstrated the exercises, and also gave us pointers throughout to help us maintain the correct form and stay motivated.

With this kind of guidance available, I think anyone (regardless of fitness level) would be able to take a kettlebell class.

I found the class really intense and challenging – I really felt like I was pushing myself, and that’s a good thing. I clumsily struggled my way through it, huffing and puffing (and sweating) like no man’s business, helped along by the lively instructors and some great music. It was really tough, but it was actually enjoyable at the same time. We ended the class with some abdominal work and stretches.

At the end of it I was exhausted, but I felt really exhilarated (gotta love those post-workout endorphins!). I had a nice ache in my muscles the next day as evidence that I had given my body a really good workout.

Despite my dismal showing at my first class, I can definitely see myself taking kettlebell classes on a regular basis, getting better at it, challenging myself more, and gaining a great sense of achievement as well as a fitter, stronger, more toned body. I really liked the fast pace of the class, and I felt like being in a group made me work much harder to complete the exercises than I would if I had been working out alone.

I will definitely revisit kettlebell training in the future, and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Ogo did *really* well and I'll definitely drag her to  look forward to seeing her in another class when next she's in London.

I attended my first ever Fitter London class three years ago and I loved the classes so much, I now teach some of them ;) That should tell you how amazing they are!

If you live in London, or are just passing through send me an email (Fitter London email address) - come & try a class, you'll love it!

At least one Fitter Fitter London class will meet whatever fitness goals you have - strength, weight loss, cardio, endurance, etc. Your first class is FREE! For a full listing of Fitter London classes, check out the class timetable HERE.



Photo Credit: E Etomi Photography

Mid-Week Food Pictures :)

I felt like I spent my entire Monday cooking, in between lunchtime and evening classes. Here are pictures of 2 of the 4 things I cooked yesterday.

Chicken Breasts cooked in tomatoes and vegetables

Chicken Wings in Efo

The recipes will be posted on Sunday. hope you're having a good week.

Spinach Salad

Happy Monday! :)

I've always shied away from salads. Don't get me wrong - I love my vegetables and I eat a lot of spinach (cooked in efo), carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc BUT I prefer them all cooked or steamed. I rarely made salads and when I did, I didn't really enjoy them. I have had some good salads but they weren't prepared by me.

I finally decided to give salads a REAL try last week. I'd seen a spinach salad recipe in my Everyday Paleo cookbook and decided to modify it slightly.

Note: One thing I've learned is washed & packaged small leaf spinach is definitely more edible uncooked than the larger leaf spinach sold in bunches (as in Nigeria).

Spinach Head (Larger leaves)

Smaller leaves

Ingredients

Spinach (1 pack)
1 pack cherry tomatoes
1 Cucumber
1 bunch of Spring onions (1st time trying this, thanks for the tips Matt)
1 Lemon
Mackerel
Egg (to serve)

Spinach Salad

1. Boil an egg, or two.
2. Wash and Prepare the vegetables -
   Chop the cherry tomatoes and spring onions. Dice the cucumber.
   Cut the mackerel into small chunks
   (Add any other vegetables of your choice)
3. Once the egg's boiled, peel and slice in half.
4. Add the spinach into a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes and spring onions (& other veggies of your choice) and toss everything together.
5.  Add the mackerel and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Toss.
6. Squeeze a whole lemon into the salad and give it one more toss.
7. Add a portion to a plate and serve with the egg (s). If you have only one egg, bulk it up with some meat as seen in pictures below:

Served with turkey breasts.

Served with homemade beef burgers and an egg

You can use any leafy vegetables (eg lettuce, kale, etc) you like and play around with the content of the salad. You don't need salad dressing for this, the olive oil and lemon add a nice flavour to it.

Have a nice week :)