Nicotine effects

If you are following my blog you must know that its all about healthy lifestyle choices, sports and consuming wholesome ingredients — Cigarettes don't fall into the same basket.

Saying that, I've always been eating healthy but have always been a "social smoker" too. I started very early, around 16 whilst I was out and about on both during week and weekend. I  smoked most of the time and quite a lot so the "social smoking" in this occasion felt more like a "regular smoker".

Although i've never been an addict and rarely felt the need to smoke on my own. It was often cigarettes/alcohol or after meals but weirdly I never liked the coffee/cigarettes combo.

Anyhow, I am 26yrs now, 27yrs this year, and it was the right time for me to stop completely. Its beneficent for everything and i am not the first one to claim it. Now that i have quitted completely (5months ago) I can try to put you guys straight.

I find it very paradoxical and oddly funny those women who spend a lot of money on beauty products/treatments, hairdresser, clothes etc but carry on smoking. Girls, start to stop smoking and you'd be prettier and for longer.

I know the major problem for you now, its the weight gain that may happen if you stop smoking (although i haven't put weight on when i stopped). But its true that you may gain weight by snacking to replace cigarettes and even if you don't eat more, because smoking increase slightly the metabolism, makes your body burns 200kcal a day (heavy smoker) and cut down your appetite.

But think of all risks and hassles below that you can reduce and/or avoid by quitting. And if you exercise more (at least half an hour daily), have healthy snacks (vegetable sticks, fat free popcorn, drink a lot of water and herbal teas), avoid alcohol (high in calories) all that will reduce the weight gain you may engender when you quit without making your health at stake as cigarettes does.

Stop to mess with your life, body and health, you've got only one, so start to take care of it. Smoking put you at high risk of cancer (lung, breast, throat etc.), problems during pregnancy and many more.

Think of your skin, do you know that every time you take a puff your create irrevocable damages to your skin (that you cannot get back). Smoking speeds up the overall ageing, causes wrinkles, shrinks your lips and creates yellowish complexion and if you think that wont appear before age 50 you are wrong - after only 10yrs of smoking you can already see the effects of cigarettes on your face.

Think of your teeth and everybody knows how teeth are important and how expensive and painful is to fix them, so think of your wallet too.

It make your nails weaker and your fingers yellow, it dries your hair, makes your breath smell like a cold ashtray, makes your less resistant, tired and breathless and reduces the ingredients flavour....which is sooo bad.

Without counting that its bloody expensive, think what you can buy with the money you spend on cigarettes.

Smoking affects your look and life so badly. So yes it was fun to smoke but at some point you gotta quit.

So drop this cigarette now, throw this cigarettes box away and start to live an healthier life.

image via justkickitnow.com

Craving unhealthy foods?

Keep in mind that the more the ingredient is natural, the better it is. For your health and body.

First, identify your food cravings - Food cravings result to a lack in your diet.

Craving chocolates? Lack of magnesium.
If you are craving chocolates go for nuts or fruits. If the cravings don't go away go for dark chocolates (why dark? Its better and healthier than white or brown). With moderation, dark chocolates (which is my favourite) have health benefits as preventing heart disease, improving mood and protecting your skin from UV light.

Craving sugar? Go for long term energy (slow sugars) as proteins and complex carbs - ex. brown rice and whole grain pasta, basically anything with wholewheat in it. Carbs break down into quick sugars which our body will metabolise very quickly which result of a lack.

Craving fried foods ? you need good fat (calcium and omega3). Ex. fish, cheese and eggs.

Craving something salty? - Drink water

The best is removing all temptation in your home and never go to the grocery shop when hungry. When you go to the store buy healthy foods and break bad habits.

We all have food cravings and we all deserve a treat from time to time as long as it stays occasional its all good, don't feel bad about it and savour the guiltiness. Do not go for diet products or a supposedly healthy variant to minimise the calories intake - it will left you disappointed or worse, it will make you eat twice more than what you'd eat normally (thinking thats ok, its low-fat).

If you feel to have a delight in Starbucks, go for the normal Blueberries muffin - skip the skinny one which is probably not much less calories than the normal one anyway. And please avoid CRISPS, they are probably the worst as they are the result of deep- fried potatoes slices baked in oil.

And if you cant resist temptation on a day to day basis, go for diet products. If you cannot live without your daily can of soda, definitely go for the diet version, to reduce damages. Drinking diet sodas every day may be better than a regular can of soda for your waistline but worse for your health and teeth. A regular can of soda contains between 140-165 calories, if you can cut this habit down you will definitely see the difference on your scale and save money repairing dental email.

Be aware that diet products are fake friends sometimes, eating a lot of artificial sweeteners could increase tolerance for sweetness and increase cravings for sweets. So eat healthy, drop diet products and from time to time fully enjoy your naughtiness by eating what you really like which certainly wont left you frustrated.

image via telegraph.co.uk

source. caloriessecrets.net and wikihow.com

The no-no food list

There is 3 categories of aliments

The good that you must include in your diet plan with no moderation as they are full of nutriments and vitamins. Ex.  Fruits, veggies, lean proteins, legumes

The healthy fats which are good fat but with moderation. Ex. Avocados, olive oil and nuts etc.

The bad which are empty calories and should be ban from your diet plan. Ex. Junk food, pizzas, cake, sugary drinks etc.

List of aliments to avoid if you want to lose weight:

Sugary drinks like alcohol, soda and concentrated juices are full of sugar and calories which will encourage your body storing fat. Plus, drinking those drinks wont satisfy and fill you up as a smeal would for the same calories intake - the 250kcal of your can of soda wont surfeit you.

Pre-made meals, there are usually untasty, full of preservatives, very saucy and salty. There is some exceptions (the ones to put in oven are alright) but for those that have to be warmed up in a microwave is a no-no. Read carefully the ingredients label before buying.

White bread and all refined grains like bakery products which are high in carbs and sugar (incline fat storage) and low in fibre (good for the satiety) will make you eat larger portions. Stay away from those packaged baked products although they have been labelled low calories.

Balanced your diet by avoiding meals that are only one food group (ex. only pasta). Mix it with a fibre source (fruits/veggies) and/or whole-grains, lean protein and healthy fat.

For example.
Spinach (veggie) +  Fish (lean protein) and/or wholegrain pasta with a fruit for dessert
Salad (like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber) + chicken (lean protein) and/or brown rice (wholegrain)

To conclude, ban false marketing and supposedly fat free labels, stick with balanced and varied meals that provide fibre, protein and healthy fats. The combos from food can help stabilise blood sugar and keep you satisfied for longer.

image via inserbia.info

source. caloriessecrets. net.

Brazilian barbecue

My restaurant recommendation for you today is the Cabana on upper street in Angel (they have got several restaurants all around London).

We were a bit suspicious as the reviews weren't very favourable but the menu looked interesting so we gave it a try and we weren't disappointed.

Very nice food with generous portion, vibrant atmosphere and helpful service. Very fulfilling and a paradise for meat lovers (which I am).

Most of the starters are unfortunately deep-fried (which i am not a big fan of) but anyway it was good.

I recommend the Guaca-molho with plantain crisps (made of banana), the hanger steak (medium rare) massy and delightful (but spicy). For the dessert try the peanut butter frozen yogurt (omg) - incredible.

http://www.cabana-brasil.com

image via wethefoodsnobs.com

Social drinks

Can we really escape from drinking alcohol without to be taken as dull? To be honest, with 7calories per gram i don't mind to be the last loser at the table.

However, I personally have fun drinking and looking forward a glass of wine or two afterwork (red or white). Even after knowing that a bottle of white is 500kcal, a glass is equivalent at 4 cookies and a pint of Lager is as much calories as a slice of pizza.

I like wine at home but when I go out i like to have long drinks or cocktails (bad) so yes i try to minimise the disaster by choosing the lowest in sugar and calories and work my ass off the next day.

I am really trying to avoid beers (like my flat belly too much) and cider (1/2 Pint for 105kcal). Luckily winter is almost done as Mulled vine is a KILLER with 227kcal for a glass/120ml. So go for spirits (gin, rum, vodka mixed with diet soda or tonic), wine or champagne  and avoid beers and cocktails which are the worst.

Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns as your system is too occupied dealing with the alcohol which it cant store. Your body makes processing alcohol a priority and slows down the process of digestion. This makes having a big meal and drinking alcohol a bad idea.

To give you an idea of how much calories you can ingurgitate per night (or day).

Per serving 1glass (125ml)

Gin and vodka are 72kcal
Bacardi/diet coke is 52kcal (very good choice)
Wine red or white is 85kcal
Mojito is 160kcal
A margarita 168kcal

Alcohol is high in sugar but also in fat with 9kcal of energy per gram (considering that most ingredients have 4per gram). And obviously there are "empty calories" with no nutritional values.

Plus, drinking alcohol makes us hungry and a 2am's burger/chips are very tending at this stage. And if this wasn't enough, the next day, being hungover makes us want fatty and salty aliments - welcome to a weekend at more than 4000kcal. I hope that was worth it :)

So some tips for heavy nights out: Have a light but consistent meal before drinking (protein is the best), think of drinking water during the night as alcohol dehydrate you a lot which makes you have a headache the next day, try to stick to one alcohol per night, if you start with gin, stick with gin. Apparently you can also stick with colour. Gin/vodka/martini together and rum/whisky works also together.

To conclude, the key is moderation. A glass or two from time to time is great and very enjoyable! Saying that i am the first one to open the bottle and finish my drink ;)

Share with us your experiences, we'd love to hear them.

x x

image via dailymail.co.uk

source. caloriessecrets.net

Fruits tart

I loooove apple pies and even more my mums one. Unfortunately she doesn't live in London so have to make mine now (but with her receipt) :) that i have tried to reproduce this weekend.

It was good, but not as good ;)

Buy a dough already made (unless you want to prepare your own)
Get a round baker plate
Spread butter all over the plate et display the dough
Makes holes with a fork
Sprinkle ground coconuts (or ground hazelnuts)
Peel and cut apples into thin slices, spread them all over the plate
In a bowl mix 2 eggs, 1tbs of flour and some milk.
Spread all over the apples
Sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on top
Put in the oven at 200 degrees for 45 min

Bon appetit!

I have tried a variant pear/blueberries.

Same receipt just the fruits have changed.

Sleep and health

The gap between getting just enough and getting too little may affect your health, mood, weight and sex life. It will also affect your lifespan and its quality.

Did you know that a lack of sleep will increase the chance of weight gain and depression and will also reduce your muscle mass (they shed similar amounts of total weight regardless of sleep). Keep in mind that sleep and metabolism are control by the same zone of the brain.

The recommended is 7-8 hours depending on person. A good night sleep improves your memory, reduces stress and inflammation, invites creativity and concentration and if you are an athlete it will really improve your performances. The sleep that you get before midnight is the best sleep and the most regenerated, so go to bed an hour earlier tonight.

Now what to do to improve your sleep:

Cut your caffeine intake throughout the day. Before going to bed, avoid  having a big heavy meal, prepare the ambiance of your bedroom by making it dark and cosy, set your spirit on "bed mood" by bringing the light down, do not do any intense activities (sport, watch extreme movie, struggle with your monthly expenses etc.). Watch your afternoon drinks too by avoiding caffeine and vitamin C (orange juice) after a certain time. If you are hungry late at night try a bowl of cottage cheese with some bananas slices - the combos health carbs and protein will help you.

Apparently hot bath before bed wont help you to fall asleep but the contrary. Doing anything that raises your body temperature before bed will make you struggling to fall asleep. Indeed, your body needs to cool down to benumb. You can have a bath after work but not straight before bed. Personally i am not a big fan of bath. Hot water is very bad for your circulation.

Skip the wine (nooooo, me being an adept of my weekly glass of vine). You actually can have it with your meal but not after 9pm as its a fake friend - it will at first make you tired and fall asleep faster to make your second half of sleep restless.

Try some stretching - it will help by normalising your breath and reduce tension muscle.

Ban your phone from the bed (another of  my habit as is probably half of the planet - the other half dont have smartphones). Typing and scrolling in bed may arouse you and having your phone "on" or on vibration may disrupt you sleep so turn "to not disturb" before bed. The ideal will be investing in a real alarm clock to avoid any temptation to grab your phone while in bed but some people love their "snooze" too much.

Personally i usually have no problem to fall asleep i knocked out at 11pm latest and struggle to stay awake on weekends. Lie-in is a battle for me though cant sleep longer than 9am but as the famous quote says "the future belongs to those who wake up early" :)

To conclude, keep in mind that your bedroom is designed to sleep and sex ONLY so avoid doing anything else in there. 

Bonne nuit!

health.com

image via zmescience.com/