Giveaway #1 - WINNERS

I'm so relieved people actually entered this giveaway ;) Now I'm encouraged to have more :)

WINNER:

Miss T (@Tayo_xx) gets the Resistance Bands x 3

RUNNER UP:

Funto (@fcoolchick) gets the resistance tube 

Email me your details!!

The next giveaway will be open to the US and hopefully Abuja (Nigeria).

'Get Trimmer...' Participants (so far..)

Hi Ladies,

Welcome to the challenge :) It's great to have you!

Structure of the challenge will be as follows:

• It's going to run for exactly 2 months from Wednesday 1st June until Sunday 31st July
• To confirm your participation - once the first official post is up, you all *have* to comment with your name and your goal.
• There will be weekly Nutrition (e.g. recipes and meal suggestions) posts
• And weekly Exercise (home workout and gym classes) posts
• Comments/Feedback/Questions from you all
• Features on participants who volunteer :)
• I'm not promising (yet!) but there may be a prize involved :)
  

Participants so far are:

1. Mocha
2.  MsZee
3. Tolulope
4. Funto
5. inthemidstofher
6. Mo
7. Kemi
8. sweetandsensible
9. Jennifer
10. 1511th
11. Ahdedayo
12. Emma B
13. 1elleboogee
14. yemkiks
15. bride2be 
16. missndibe
17. lovestweets

If you haven't sent me your stats, your name isn't on this list or you haven't registered, please let me know before the end of Tuesday (I know Monday's a holiday for most).

See you on Wednesday for the official start of the challenge :)

PS I'll post the 'Giveaway' results on Tuesday!

Giveaway!!!

Finally I've uploaded my first video... Now that I've jumped that hurdle, I'll record more and they'll be better ;)



So... as stated in the video:

• Follow or 'Like' me on Twitter, Facebook and this Blog
• Email me (email'at'adura-odesanya.co.uk)
• You must live in the UK or in Lagos (Nigeria of course!)
• Comment in this post with your name and if necessary twitter handle :)

Resistance Bands are great for a wide range of strength exercises (and I'm a huge supporter of Strength Training, read THIS) including:

• Bicep Curls 
• Shoulder Presses
• Tricep Extensions
• Squats
• Rows
• Pressups (with added resistance)
• and more....

You can get a total body workout using them :)

**If you are selected as a winner - before using the band, please check with your Dr and ensure you are fit and healthy. I will post some how-to videos, if you follow the tips, ensure you have understood them carefully and if in doubt train under the supervision of a professional**

Remember 'Get Trimmer' starts on Tuesday so please send me info as stated HERE. 

Have a nice weekend!

PS Result will be posted on Tuesday (31st May) morning.

Get Trimmer... the countdown :)

Loving the response so far, this honestly will be a better version of the first challenge... it has to be :)

One of the new features will be:

• Bi-weekly feature on participants, I will send out questions that you'll need to answer

I am really looking forward to it already.

If you haven't already please:

• Follow this blog (and/or Twitter and Facebook)
• Email me (adura.odesanya'AT'yahoo.com) your measurements and a short description of yourself (e.g. where you live, how long you've wanted to lose weight for, your exercise history - do you exercise, do you have any injuries...)

And we'll be all set to start out next week!

PS If you have any allergies, health issues, injuries... please consult your Doctor before taking part in this challenge :)

Get Trimmer.... is back!

Hi Ladies,

If you were involved in the challenge which started last year, I'm happy to say it's back :)

The official start date will be Tuesday the 2nd of June.

Every week, there will be:

• An exercise post
• A meal/recipe post
• A check in post

I want to make this as interactive as possible(including participants sending in & trying recipes and more), so please we are starting all over again :) This round will be less complicated as well!

For those who have absolutely no idea what I'm on about, ALL the previous posts can be found here:
-->Get Trimmer...<--

To kick off, all I need from you right now is:

• An email to confirm your interest and a comment here will be a bonus :) 
• If you're on twitter, please follow me (@Adura_O) as I'll tweet tips and retweet any useful info I come across.
• Also email in your waist measurements and your weight (only these two please. Honestly I prefer just your dimensions... read my blog post from last year The Scale + Adura != Friends). It'd help if you sent in a picture of your waist measurement... there is no need to show your face. These measurements will be sent in every 2 weeks for a way to track everyone's progress.

To officially launch this challenge, there will be a small giveaway - something to assist you along the journey. Details coming soon :)

If there's anything you'd like to see, please let me know and I will deliver... :)

Have a nice week ahead!

Make Your Walks Go A Longer Way

While I was in Lagos, I went for a walk with my Aunty. She tries to go for 30+ minute walks a few mornings a week. My Uncle's opinion was - the walks weren't really effective (because she was strolling, lol my Uncle's funny) especially as it's so hot in Nigeria, you don't have to do much to break a sweat.

Funnily enough, 5 minutes into the walk, I was sweating. And I wasn't even walking at a brisk pace so don't be decieved by Nigeria's heat... push yourself a little more :)~

To make the walk a little more effective, I suggested a few things to my aunt:

• Pick a destination about 50m ahead. Pick up the pace (power walk, fully involving the arms) until that destinations's reached. Slow down for no more than a minute and repeat as many times as possible
• At different intervals, stopping at a kerb and performing step ups (stepping up and down) for one minute as fast as possible. Continue walking and repeat after a few minutes of rest. Repeat as many times as possible
• There were a few things I was going to suggest but because of issues with her knees, I didn't.

If you like walking and are just not ready to start jogging/running yet, try this:

• Warm Up for at least 5 minutes, start at a slow pace and slowly pick up your pace. At the 4 minute mark, she should be power walking - taking long strides at a quick pace and using your arms to propel you forward
• Intervals: Power walk (or take it to a light jog) for 30seconds, slow down for 1 minute. Repeat 10 times.
• Walk at a gentle pace for 3 mins.
• Step ups -  1 minute (if you can jog up and down the kerb), rest for 30seconds. Repeat at least 5 times.
• Walk for 3 minutes.
•  Stop. Perform 15 squats, see illustration below:

Start standing upright, with your hands behind your ears

Slowly sink downwards like you would on a chair. 

Main points for squats:
- Keep your shoulders back and your chest open. and your heels should stay on the floor the entire time.
- Return to starting position by pushing your heels into the floor and standing up. Squeeze your bum. <-- 1 squat.
Squats are great for strengthening your glutes (bum).

• Rest for 15 seconds and repeat the squats for 3-4 sets.
• Walk for 5 minutes at a slower pace.
• Stretch (I'll include stretching pictures to this post later this week).

Try the above and please let me know how it goes.

If you can't do the step ups and the squats, do either of them... and slowly build up to doing both.

REMEMBER: If you're new to exercise, consult a professional to help you with technique. If you have any health issues, always confirm with your Doctor before doing any exercise. 

Yep, Breakfast = Important

I recently asked a question directed at those who don't eat breakfast (WHY?) both on my Facebook Page and on Twitter:



Responses included:

• "I am trying to lose weight."
• "I can't stomach anything that early in the morning
• "Can't be bothered"

If you're trying to lose weight, one of the main things you should do IS eat breakfast.
It's been said many times but I'll say it again Breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day. Research has shown that those who eat breakfast lose more weight than those who don't eat breakfast.

That was one of the valuable things I learned 9 years ago in Weight Watchers and I'm still sticking to it. Yes my breakfast has changed from For e.g. Cornflakes + milk + Orange Juice to An omelette BUT I still eat breakfast. I know eating breakfast and eating small portions often throughout the day really helped me with my weight loss :)

Eating breakfast means:

• I'm fuelling my body (it needs energy)
• My blood sugar levels don't dip which means I'm helping curb any sweet cravings I might have later in the day because I haven't eaten for hours
• Your metabolism* speeds back up after slowing down all night while you've been asleep

Some breakfast ideas:
- an omelette
- a *healthy* snack bar (if you're in Lagos and you attended either of the workshops, those bars will soon be available to buy both on the Island and Mainland - I will keep you posted)
- A handful of nuts (e.g cashews, almonds walnuts) and some fruit (e.g. berries, an apple)
- And one that I totally agree with: A piece (or two) of chicken <-- Actually the easiest for most people that cook ahead for the week.

So if you can't stomach anything that early in the morning, a handful of nuts and/or a piece of fruit are better than nothing. And if you can't be bothered... try to be ;)

Sunday's Dinner: Sweet Potatoes & Chicken

Boiled and pan fried sweet potatoes, chicken and vegetables (haha, a friend of mine saw pictures of my meals over the weekend and said I eat like a rabbit. Do rabbits eat chicken and fish?)

I just read Natural Nigerian's comment on my 'Maggi is Salt' post and that reminded me of my dinner yesterday. As much as I love maggi, I know it's full of "extras". I'm working on eating as clean and natural as possible.

I will post the recipe for this later but the main reason for this post is: My seasoning consisted only of: Mixed Spice (curry, ginger, etc) and mixed herbs (thyme, etc) and it still tasted really good.

I'm going to buy some rock salt which is natural in comparison to table salt (that's another post in itself). I'll used that instead of Maggi every other week to start off and I'll see where that takes me.

Sunday's Breakfast: Omelette

Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- 5 tablespoons coconut milk
- Half can of John West Wild Pink Salmon (Tuna or Sardines are other options)
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
- Mixed spice
- Mixed Herbs
- Salt to taste
- 1 tomato  

Omelette
- Steam the mixed vegetables for 5 minutes
- Whisk the eggs, coconut milk and the Jumbo seasoning (make sure you use very little because a whole cube is too much salt and won't taste nice for only 2 eggs)
- Heat the EVOO in a pan and add the mixed veg and salmon. Add a tiny sprinkling of mixed herbs and mixed spices. Pan fry for a couple of minutes
- Add the eggs, reduce the heat to 3 out of 5.
- Allow to cook for 1 minute, tilt the pan to 45 degrees, pull in the side and allow the uncooked middle to run to the outside of the egg. Continue all over until the top of the omelette doesn't contain any uncooked egg
- cook for another minute and fold the omelette.

To serve
- Scoop onto a plate
- Wash and slice the tomato (I'd usually grill or pan fry the tomato but was too lazy) and add to plate
- ENJOY :)

Saturday's Dinner: Boiled Plantain and Cooked Spinach (Efo)

Ingredients
- 1 plantain
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 tomatoes
- Half an onion
- 1 small bundle of spinach
- smoked mackerel (fresh fish would be better)

Plantain
- cut into three small pieces (with the skin still on) and boil for 20 minutes.

Spinach
- chop the tomatoes and onions and cook in a pot for 10 minutes. Season as desired (I used one maggi cube)
- dice the pepper into smal pieces and add to the pot for a 5 minutes
- chop the spinach and add to the pot
- add the mackerel
- allow to simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Questions...?

I totally apologise for not keeping to my promise of resuming the 'Get Trimmer' challenge but I have great news :) I won't celebrate prematurely but I'm hoping this challenge can be taken to another level next month.

I've had a lot going on and have finished one of my important tasks - it seemed to take forever. I kept getting distracted by other matters and wasn't able to focus on the most important task.

Well it's all done now, so woohoo!


Back to the reason on this post... Please post your questions or suggestions (anything you'd like to see?) in the comment section of this post OR send an email. The answers will be the focus of my blog posts for the next month before relaunching Get Trimmer Part 2

Please ask any question and I'll answer to the best of my knowledge and experience.

I'm finally... FINALLY... going to start uploading YouTube videos. I'm sooo looking forward to June :)

Enjoy the rest of your week and please do not forget to post your questions :)

MAGGI is SALT (primarily)

UPDATE
For what's in my Maggi-Free seasoning, READ THIS: What's In My Seasoning

--

During the second workshop I ran in Lagos, I mentioned I don't cook any of my meals with maggi cubes *and* salt. Of course the next response was "Why?".

I initially reduced my salt intake because my Mummy had high blood pressure, this means I am likely to have it especially if I don't take the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood: More exercise and reducing my salt intake. 

MAGGI

Ingredients:

Iodized salt, flavour enhancers: glutamate, inosinate, guanylate; sugar, starch, vegetable fat, hydrolysed [soya beans], caramel, onion, soya lecithin, spices and spice extracts, aromatic plants, yeast extract.

The main ingredient in Maggi is salt... because it's the 1st ingredient listed. Ingredients in food, beauty products, seasonings, etc are listed in order of their percentage. The 1st ingredient is usually the base of the product. Really, I should say try not to cook with maggi because it contains a few unhealthy ingredients (see bottom of this post) but I know it'll be hard to get a Nigerian to stop cooking with what has become a staple ingredient - that's a whole other blog post.

Have you ever tasted a maggi cube on its own? I'm ashamed to say I have, when I was younger, I wondered if a maggi cube would taste the same as a choco milo cube - I learned the hard way. It tasted like salt, salt and more salt plus some other minor flavours. If you weren't a curious child like I was, I'm sure you've tasted a small chunk of maggi in someone else's (of course not yours!) food.

If that's not enough, these health reasons to limit your salt intake should help:
- "Persistently high levels of sodium in the blood can result in swelling, high blood pressure, difficulty in breathing, and heart failure, and may be fatal."
- High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) is the most publicly known disease that result from a high dietary salt intake. It increases the risk of strain on the heartand may lead to heart failure, angina or heart attack.
- High concentrations of sodium in the body can also result from excessive water or fluid loss.

Salt adds flavour to food but we don't need to overload on it eg. cooking with salt AND maggi.

Have you tried cooking with salt *minus* maggi? Did your food taste good? If you haven't, please try it (don't use anymore than you usually would with salt)... and let me know how it goes :)


Thank you Andrew for the info (re: ingredients) in your comment --> Link to MSG, an ingredient in Maggi --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

Healthy Eating in Lagos continued...

I'm back in London, my time in Lagos FLEW by.

It really wasn't a struggle to eat healthy, honestly! I had the advantage of being on holiday so I wasn't running around and facing the daily challenges of work.

I went to Roberts Cafe and Chicken Peppersoup and Grilled plantain ('boli').I actually couldn't finish the peppersoup so I had my leftovers for breakfast the next day ;)

Price: N2,000

Verdict: Very tasty and yummy! And most important- healthy.

Meal: Lunch or Dinner

Website: http://browns-cafe.com/index.htm
Location: Victoria Island and Ikeja