Recipe: Port Braised Lamb Shanks with Herby Roasted Gnocchi

11 Days since my last post- it has been a while! I do however, have a valid excuse- I have been on holiday recently, firstly a couple of days in Penzance with the boyfriend, and then off to good old Glastonbury Festival! In the coming week I will be writing a festival foodie review of Glastonbury, so keep your eyes and taste buds peeled! This dish is a little bit special (and by that I don't mean.....simple!). I've never cooked lamb shanks before, nor tried roasting pre-prepared gnocchi, but I gave this idea a whirl and it was a resounding success! Some larger lamb shanks may need a longer cooking time- basically you know when it's done if the meat comes nice and easily (pretty much falls) off the bone.

Port Braised Lamb Shanks with Herby Roasted Gnocchi (serves 2)

Shanks

2 lamb shanks

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

200ml port

300ml beef (or lamb) stock

1 garlic clove, bashed

1 tsp herbs du provence

½ orange, diced up

30ml Worcestershire sauce

Gnocchi

400g fresh gnocchi

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp freshly finely chopped mint

1 tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan on a high heat, and add the lamb shanks. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, and sear the shanks on all sides for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the shanks to a small casserole pot, with all the other ingredients. Put the lid on, and cook for 2 and a half hours (removing and basting halfway through cooking time).

3. Meanwhile, put the gnocchi on a roasting tray with all the other ingredients. Mix these ingredients all together, making sure the gnocchi is all coated with the oil and herbs. Bake in the oven (200C) for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

4. Meanwhile, remove the lamb from the oven. Remove the lamb from the bone, set aside, and strain the cooking juices. Boil the strained cooking juices for 6 minutes, to create a concentrated lamb jus.

5. Serve the warm lamb and roasted gnocchi, with the jus poured over, and some buttered green vegetables if desired. 

The Liebster Blog Award!

Hi everyone... I was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by two amazing bloggers, June and Phailee, thankyoo~ soo~ much I really appreciate it ^__^

The Rules:
1. You must link back the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.
3. You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award with under 200 followers.
4. You must come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees.

June's questions

1. What's one makeup step that you can skip? (Lipgloss, foundation, eyeliner, etc.)

foundation

2. What brand do you use to remove makeup?

lioele

3. How many days a week do you not wear makeup?

5days the days, which I attend school.. My school is really strict and doesn't allow any makeup what so ever :( 

4. What's your favourite skincare brand?

clinique and the face shop

5. Have you ever used St. Ives' Apricot Scrub? Do you like it?

Sadly I haven't :( 

6. Do you wear false lashes often?

Nope.. I don't really wear fake lash I only own 2 pairs of lashes which I either wore it once and found uncomfortable and never used at all.

7. How much money do you spend on makeup (in a month)?

£15 and maybe more.. xD

8. Do you use a setting spray?

Nope

9. Dogs or cats?

Dogs

10. What was your first makeup product (and brand)?

I can't remember but I think it was an eye-liner or mascara from maxfactor or rimmel

Phailee's questions

1. You have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award. How do you feel?

Not until now amazed and happy ^^

2. What is one type of make up you cannot live without? (BB Cream, foundation, eyeliner, etc.)

haha. ermm~ does circle lenses count.. if not then bbcream for sure~<3

3. What is your favorite brand of makeup?

Etude house and lioele and mac

4. Coffee or tea? Why?

coffee, since i'm a coffee addict I can't help but go by starbucks and not buy anything :p

5. What are five wardrobe essentials to every girl's closet?

sweaters - cute sweaters with prints

Tees - with cute prints designs like moustaches or bows 

maxi skirt which you can also turn in to a maxi dress ^^ ( two in one)

sneakers 

denim shorts

dungarees /jumpsuits

6. Name three places you wish to visit before you die.

Japan, canada and america.

7. Favorite season? Why?

Winter, I love christmas the vibe and the fashion & food.

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I have no Idea? but hopefully, I'll be successful and my blog would grow :)

9. What do you consider to be the greatest accomplishment of your life so far?

Having and making this blog. ^^

10. What do you plan to do with your blog in the future?

uhmm~ Post more ^^ and give more love and attention to my blog, as well as maybe do ootds.

I blogs nominate... 
http://y-oonyee.blogspot.co.uk/
http://astrophoria.blogspot.co.uk/
http://annapastelpanda.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jully-jullyxd.blogspot.co.uk/
http://hachis-life.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.beyondthevisiblespectrum.com/
http://bluecosmos07.blogspot.co.uk/
http://amz88.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.lacy-rose.com/


My questions
1.What one thing can you not live without?
2. If you could go any where in the world where would you go?
3. Do you prefer cats or dogs?
4. What is your favourite make up brand?
5. Have you ever tried any of the body shop body butters? Do you like  them?
6. What are your hobbies?
7. What's your favourite make up brand?
8. Favourite colour?
9. What would you like to do in the future?
10. Where's your favourite place to shop?

Naturally Pinker Lips

Hey Hey~
Did you know that soft rosy pink lips are a sign of youthfulness? and proper health and hydration? ... In today's post I'm going to show you different ways on how to restore your natural lip colour annnddd~ enhance your natural lip colour... so  no need for lipsticks or tints.

One of the main reason for dark discoloured lips is putting your lips in dark liquids such as tea, coffee and red wine, since it stains your lips. Try avoiding them at all cost or you could just use a straw.

Most people moisturise their face and body but pay little attention to their lips. During winters, lips lose their moisture and get chapped and flaky. So apply a generous dose of petroleum jelly or lip balm as these will also help keep your lips soft. For the summer I strongly suggest you buy a lip balm with spf in it.

STAY HYDRATED~~ so drink lots and lots of water.

For girls who loves rockin bright coloured lips make sure you wash off your lip colour 100%, since in lipsticks there's some chemicals that could cause discolouration in your lips so make sure your removing it 100% before you go to bed.I recommend you going over your lips about 10 times to be absolute sure.

Exfoliate.... second reason why your lips maybe discoloured is because there's too many dead skin cells around your lips causing it to discolour. I recommend you exfoliate 2-3 times week. 

D.I.Y - Lip scrub

All are going to need ; 2 tbsp of white sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil mixed together well and your done gently massage the scrub on to your lips for maybe 10-15 seconds. Simply just wipe it off and apply lip balm, or you  could take a wet tooth brush and gently massage in a circular motion around your lips and after make sure you apply lip balm after.

Or you could also use an orange peel (or just any think with citric acid like lemon or grapefruit) since it has citric acid it's going to exfoliate anddd restore the lips natural colour... and after you finish exfoliating don't for get to apply your lip balm. you can do this a few time a week.

D.I.Y - How to make your lips pinker?

Mix 1 to 2 raspberries with 1 spoon of honey and 1-2 spoons of aloe vera gel .Keep for 5 minutes. Follow with a lip balm or Vaseline petroleum jelly.

Grind rose petals and apply on lips to get smooth pink lips.

Apply beetroot juice before bed, wash it off in the morning and apply lip balm.

Apply a mixture of lemon and glycerine to your lips every night, before bed. Leave it on overnight and wash it off in the morning, this should help lighten your lips.

I hope this helps xx

The Versatile Blogger Award!

Hi~ I'm so thankful to June for nominating me for this versatile award! It's my first ever award that I have been nominated for. Speaking of which ^^ You should go check out her amazing blog ---> http://junniku.blogspot.ca it's full of reviews, hauls and more...  and her blog design is adorable and cute, *sighs I just wish my blog was as cute as hers ^^. overall She's just the most friendliest person everr~!!! 

Blogs I nominate...
1. June 
2. Anna 
3. Lesley 
4. Camila 
5. Erica 
6. Julia 
7. Ohiee
8. Panda Agenda
9. Speishi
10. Hachi
11. Pata-chan
12. Shun
13. Rachel
14. Rosyume
15. http://www.beyondthevisiblespectrum.com/

Versatile Blog Award Rules 

1. Thank the person who gave you this award.
2. Include a link to their blog.
3. Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award
4. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

7 things about me?...

Sadly I'm not a very interesting person :(

1. I love art cause it's the only subject I'm good at

2. I hate maths cause it's the subject I really bad it.

3. I live in London, the place with the most horrible weather ever~

4. uhm~ oh! my ultimate bias is... I have non because I have so many biases but if I had to choose it has to be G-Dragon nonono junhyung... actually no it's seven no~ jaypark no~ so many ~ I just can't name one... Let's just say it's G-Dragon ^^

5. My current favourite kpop song is teentop miss right

6. I have a phobia for flys, bugs, insects - bees, wasps and spiders just make me freak out! and I hate the noise that they make, always buZZZzzzin in your ear :/

7. My favourite kpop boy band (of all time) is BIGBANG - hands down! but I also love B1a4 teentop mblaq, Beast, Btob, Bap, .^^ As for girl groups I have quite a few 4minute, 2ne1, sistar, secret, snsd, f(x), missA.

#53) Chatting leads to Cheating...

Today's blog has nothing to do with weight loss but I am going to blog it anyway because it may be helpful to a lot of people in relationships.  I am a certified hypnotherapist and over the past decade I have created a method of emotional erase called the DEEP Release Clear Mind Process. I can take virtually any highly charged emotion from a past emotional/trauma experience and erase the charge and replace the feelings of the event/circumstance with a state of peace and calm and I can do this in a matter of minutes with the DEEP process.

Over the past year I have seen a number of clients who have had the experience of a spouse who has cheated on them.  Betrayal, lies, deceit, infidelity, unfaithfulness, adultery can dramatically shatter any relationship when the reality of the affair is brought into the light of day.

The most common place for cheating to take hold is the workplace, the play space (sports, the club), kids school functions/sporting events, a neighbor, friend of spouse.  Really anywhere that a man and woman can meet and spend time getting to know each other and become "friends."

The explosion in the number of  affairs over the past couple of years has accelerated tenfold with the advent of the smart phone and text messaging.  The smart phone text messaging affair starts off innocently enough with simple chatting as the two new "friends" get to know one another now, with greater intimacy and communication than they could have ever otherwise experienced from the old fashioned direct face to face or even phone call conversations.  The chat eventually leads to flirt texting that excites this new budding relationship and catapults it  from a simple non emotional acquaintance/friendship into something much much more.  Soon these new "friends"  are spending all their time engrossed  in intimate text message conversations. Flirting and sharing their thoughts and feelings with instant texts that grow more intimate and more sexual and more emotional by the day. Very soon this "friendly relationship" gives birth to a  sexual chemistry with physical attraction and contact and heightened infatuation.  The smart phone chatting becomes compulsive and as the intensity of the chats turn increasingly more romantic and sexual,  the relationship explodes into a full blown highly charged romance.  The smart phone messaging is the vehicle that introduces a steady stream of highly charged endorphin loaded chat communications into the hearts and minds of these now new lovers, just as a syringe brings heroin into the blood stream of an addict.  The chats  begin early in the morning and continue throughout the day and into the late night with an obsession and desire akin to one hooked on an addictive drug.

This blog is about alerting and educating the innocent partner on what to look for in a potentially cheating spouse.  First thing to be aware of is their time away from you, where are they going and what are they doing?  Do you really know?   Do they keep their smart phone close to their side at all times, day and night?  Are they always texting?  Do they allow you access to their texts, to their email and to their phone logs on their cell phone?   Do you also have free access to their cell phone carrier account so you can see who they call and who they are texting, just in case they delete all their smart phone texts?  If you are a bit suspicious you want to become proactive and become the detective, it is your right to know who your spouse associates and communicates with and what they are doing during the day.  Always trust yet verify is what I would advise, especially in todays high tech world of smart phone communication, things have changed and believe it or not, chatting can lead to cheating, especially in the emotionally vulnerable.

Remember I said that many affairs begin innocently enough with a friendship of sorts that grows and matures into an infatuation and full blown affair.   Text messaging is today,  responsible for a new kind of relationship to immediately blossom between two people who otherwise would have never thought twice about the other,  producing  highly charged emotional/sexual relationships in a short period of time.  These "forbidden" affairs flourish like never before due to  the intimacy and constant communication of the text messages 24/7.  A guy who could not bring himself to express his romantic desires to a woman face to face verbally, becomes a modern day  Don Juan  with a barrage of sexy and caring text message seductions as his new "friend" responds eagerly and addictively and instantly with her  heartfelt texts of love and romance.  The brain is now fired up with strong "love" chemicals  like never before and the anticipation of another love text becomes a neurochemical endorphin bursting obsession.  Our society has never seen the likes of this before and there is very little press about the explosion of  "text message  affairs."  I predict we will soon be reading about text message affairs or cheating text message addictions and you can say someday that you read it here first.  In the past, statistics told us that 25% of married women and 45% of married men cheat.   Todays stats I believe will be alarming when  new statistics are tallied and reported.

Another little tip, if your spouse has a "friend" of the opposite sex, who they say is "just a friend," do not innocently believe it.  Generally "just a friend" is "not" just a friend, investigate it, check the texts and the phone logs and the emails and the cell phone provider records and always trust yet verify, especially when their cell phone is glued to their hip and you do not have free and unfettered access to their phone, email passwords and to their phone carrier records as you rightly should.  Also understand that into today's high tech world of throw away phones, many affair couples carry an extra phone, if you suspect, look for that second phone.

With the work I do, I  see clients who need my help with the high stress associated with the feelings and the experience of betrayal and infidelity.  The DEEP Release Clear Mind Process is effective at reducing and releasing the highly charged stressors of this painful experience for the betrayed partner.

Until next time, Dr. Mark Doyle







  

Recipe: Spiced Marinated Chicken Drumsticks

These were lovely! Pretty cheap to make, and a bit of a cupboard use-up of all those jars and things in the fridge and cupboards. I prefer to take the meat off the bone (the second method) so it's a little easier to eat, but the marinated drumsticks are great to bring to a picnic- just make sure you bring plenty of napkins for your sweet sticky fingers! I served this with my apple, celery and pecan salad- yum!

Spicy Marinated Chicken Drumsticks (serves 3/4)

12 chicken drumsticks

50g ketchup

50g Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp crushed ginger

1 red onion, finely diced

2 rounded tsp Dijon mustard

20g raspberry jam

¼ tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper

1. Put the drumsticks in a large ovenproof dish. Mix together all the marinade ingredients, cover the chicken drumsticks, and leave in the marinade for at least half an hour, or preferably overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C. Roast the drumsticks in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven. You can either eat the drumsticks on the bone, with the excess  marinade in a bowl for dipping, or-

3. Remove the drumsticks from the marinade and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.  Get the chicken off the bone, mix the meat back in with the marinade, and serve!

Recipe: Apple, Celery and Pecan Salad

This is basically a "Waldorf salad", but with pecans instead of walnuts. Because it's scrummy and that's the way I like it! A nice summery salad and a great dish to bring to a barbecue/ party. I served this alongside my spicy marinated chicken drumsticks, a recipe that should follow next after this one in the next couple of days. If you aren't a huge fan of mayonnaise, feel free to use Greek or natural yoghurt, that works pretty well too.

Apple, Celery and Pecan Salad (serves 4 as a side dish)

2 apples diced

2 celery sticks, diced

80g pecans, roughly chopped

100g red grapes, halved

250g light mayonnaise

1. Mix together all the ingredients well, and serve!

You Can Eat Fat Foods And Still Lose Weight If You Do This One Thing

Each one of us has our list of favorite fat foods which we find too difficult to give up. No matter how much we try, we give in to temptation when it comes to these particular foods. Their power over us seems to be too great to overcome. After many failed attempts, we might simply stop resisting and lose the desire to fight any more.

If you are in that situation, there is good news for you. You can eat your favorite fat foods and still lose weight if you follow this one technique. But before we get into that, you need to become conscious of a fact that you may already be vaguely aware of. "The capacity of your stomach is finite". Even though some of us may seem to have an insatiable appetite, there is only so much space inside our stomachs. Understanding this fact is crucial to what you are about to learn.

Since the stomach's capacity is finite, if we can reduce that capacity, then the amount of food that we take in would also reduce. No, I am not talking about Bariatric surgery or any gastric sleeve procedure which surgically reduces the capacity of your stomach. You don't have to go to such great lengths to reduce the volume of your stomach. All you need to do is fill your stomach partially before you eat your favorite foods. That's it. It might sound too simplistic, but it can work wonders.

Eat a raw fruit or vegetable and fill a small portion of your stomach. And then start eating your favorite food. You will notice that you end up eating a smaller portion of it since there is no room any more inside. Apart from filling your stomach, eating a fruit or vegetable before other foods has several amazing benefits.

Raw fruits and vegetables contain digestive enzymes that will help burn the fat in the rest of the food. The fibers contained in these raw foods expand in volume once inside the stomach. This makes you feel full and therefore eat less of the other foods. The fibers also help push food, toxins and waste through the digestive tract.

Fruits and vegetables also supply much needed minerals and vitamins required for your body. They are a healthy addition to your diet. After a while, you will want to eat more of them, which will help reduce the intake of other fat foods.

Once this becomes a habit, your intake of fat foods will decrease substantially and you will start shedding pounds dramatically. Before long, you will drop several dress sizes. And all that begins with just eating an apple, orange or two carrots before you eat your favorite foods.

Here is a Free Video that shows you several other fat burning secrets. I also have a free eBook containing 101 Fat Burning Tips that you can download for free at http://mytop100sites.com/fatloss/fatlossfactor.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Matheson

Recipe: Turkey Meatballs with Tomato and Basil Sauce

These meatballs were so scrummy, my Italian and Spanish house mates were asking ME for the recipe! Kudos indeed! As you guys know, I love turkey. The key with turkey is not to overcook it, that's the only reason people think it's dry, its just people cooking it for too long! I love the tomato and basil passata they have at Sainsburys, and I've found out recently that passata or creamed tomatoes are cheaper than tinned chopped tomatoes. Dunno why??

Turkey Meatballs with tomato and herb sauce (serves 2)

Meatballs

500g turkey thigh mince

1 celery stick, finely diced

½ onion, finely diced

Big handful chives, finely chopped

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 egg

80g breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

Sauce

500g tomato passata with basil

100ml chicken stock

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

200g pasta of your choice

Basil and chive flowers for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Mix together all of the meatball ingredients, season well, and shape into 12 large meatballs. Put a frying pan on a high heat, and fry the meatballs in the oil for about 5 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally.

2.Put the meatballs on an oven tray and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Put the passata, stock and garlic in a saucepan, heat up, and season to taste.

3.Plate up the cooked pasta, pour over the tomato sauce, pop the meatballs on top, and garnish with fresh herbs if desired. 

The Green Bean Way of Losing Weight Without the Fear of Side-Effects

People that are overweight can find a number of advertisements, which will encourage them to try products that claim to be effective methods to getting back in shape. History proves that people generally fall for tactics that are accompanied by high-profile advertising and claims which are backed by several testimonials. Manufacturers of such products generally look forward to targeting gullible individuals who they feel could be looking out for quick-fix remedies. Unfortunately, it must also be mentioned that they have been successful in their leaving people doubting the veracity of the claims made even by reputed manufacturers.

Weight loss methods that are generally promoted by different manufacturers contain fillers or chemicals, which can prove harmful to the body. Some products do work effectively but leave behind side-effects which people will have to bear. One does not understand as to why the Food and Drug Administration of the country does not impose any kind of restrictions on the type of advertisements that can be seen in various publications. However, it cannot be denied that these companies have managed to garner a share on the market and are doing quite well.

Today it has been confirmed by numerous researchers that the only products which can assist people in losing weight without the fear of side-effects are those that have been manufactured by using natural ingredients. In the days when weight loss medications were not available, it is certain that there were a number of overweight people who could have used other methods to get back into shape. These people would have used natural ingredients along with their regular diet and gradually managed to lose weight without the fear of any side-effects being left behind. The same logic can be applied even today with the assurance that results will be guaranteed and individuals who use such methods will manage to feel lighter soon.

One method that is fast catching the eye of celebrities and individuals alike is a supplement made from green coffee beans. They are generally known as green bean coffee extracts and are available in the form of soft gel capsules. Research conducted has provided information that extracts from green coffee beans can inhibit the body from absorbing fat. It can also inhibit the release of glucose into the blood which researchers feel may help with weight reduction.

A discovery that has recently been published shows that green bean coffee extracts have the capacity to help the human body burn fat faster than any other components. It also has properties that are antioxidant and slow down the growth of new fat cells within the body. Most importantly since the supplements are made from natural ingredients, people can rest assured that they will face no side-effects whatsoever.

It is not easy for people who are overweight to find methods that will help them effectively. However, if they choose to go the green bean way, they will soon find to their amazement that their objective of losing weight can be achieved without the fear of side-effects haunting their mind.

Bonus Secret Tip - Learn Where George M Espinoza gets the all-natural supplement that has taken Hollywood by storm Learn more about health benefits of green bean coffee extract, click here, and enjoy what George has known for 15 years.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=George_M_Espinoza

Recipe: Tsing-Tsao Beer Teriyaki Chicken

GAWDD this is the most authentic tasting Chinese dish I've ever made!!! It's got the right, glossy thick texture,  moist chicken, sweet sticky Asian flavours- wow! Bit of a cheat using a packet in the recipe- but I didn't have any ginger in the house and knew I would need something "gingery" to set the recipe off!! As you can see, I have served this with some steamed white rice. A nice dish to serve alongside this is also stir-fried pak choy with fresh coriander, garlic oil and Chinese 5 spice.

Tsing-Tsao Beer Teriyaki Chicken (serves 2)

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 garlic clove, finely diced

6 spring onions

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 packet blue dragon chow mein sauce

100g cashews

200ml tsing-tsao beer (or similar tasting lager)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp toasted sesame oil

1.       Fry the garlic, spring onions, pepper and chicken in the oil for 10 minutes on a high heat, stirring often.

2.       Add all the other ingredients, and cook on a high hear for a further 10 minutes (or until the sauce is thickened and glossy), stirring often. Season to taste and serve!

Can I Lose Weight in a Week?

The clock is ticking! I have an important date in a week and I'm nervous! Can I lose weight in a week?
Have you ever been in that situation? I have and it's no fun. But there is hope, especially if you're truly committed and willing to work for it. A hot date's a good motivator, so let's see how serious you are, let's see if you can lose weight in a week!

The trick involves two basic things. For most people, if you really want to lose weight in a week, you need to decrease your caloric intake and increase you metabolism.

Yes, you've heard it before, eat less and exercise more. But if you're in reasonable condition, and you can hit it hard, with a little rigorous exercise, you really can lose weight in a week.

I have to admit, the fastest way I've done it is using a low-carb diet. With this system, I didn't actually reduce the amount of calories I took in, but I did shift my metabolism by cutting out carbs. This causes your body to start burning fat. A low-carb diet can do that in pretty fast. I've done it a few times and the metabolic shift usually happens after about three days of eating less than 20 grams of carbohydrates a day.

I was able to kick that rapid weight loss into high gear with exercise. I've tested this, done it without exercise and with exercise. I've even tested it with moderate exercise compared to rigorous exercise.
But low-carb diets are controversial. They have worked for me, and I've been able to lose weight even faster when I did some fairly rigorous cardio exercise, like running four miles three or four times a week, or biking. It's cool, kind of like turbo-charging your weight loss!

You never go hungry with a low-carb diet, but there are side effects, like bad breath. And I've never been able to keep the weight off for more than a year because I always go back to my old eating habits (not to mention beer).

If you don't want to go the low-carb diet route, just reduce your calories to 800 or 1,000 a day. Then exercise a lot! Rigorous cardio exercise will boost your metabolism and burn fat. It also adjusts your resting metabolism so your system is more inclined to burn calories even when you're not exercising.
One diet commonly mentioned for rapid weight loss is Fat Loss 4 Idiots. We have a review of this diet, along with four more at our weight loss site. Follow the link below to find those reviews and more ideas on how you can lose weight in a week.

After years of dieting, Dana Keith has become an expert on diet and nutrition. She figured out what it takes to stay slim, and now she helps others lose weight, feel better and enjoy life more! http://be-thin-now.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dana_Keith

Slim Fast: A Dietary Review- Results and opinion

I followed the Slim Fast diet plan for two weeks. Here I will discuss how i found it following the diet, and my opinions on how successful this sort of meal replacement diet could be. I basically maintained my weight (losing less than a pound) over that period of two weeks. This essentially, could be seen as a successful diet, as I am not currently overweight, and like the studies suggested, it is a successful diet for weight loss in overweight/obese people, and for weight maintenance in those within a healthy weight range.

I had a fair few issues with this diet, I must admit. Firstly, the amount of sugar in the shakes/bars are slightly concerning. Most of the shakes/bars have 12-13g of sugar in them, and a woman is recommended not to consume over 25g sugar a day. This means that with consuming two of these meal replacements a day, you will be consuming almost all of the maximum sugar recommended, and of course once adding the fruit as snacks, and the 600kcal balanced meal, that would be considered a very high sugar diet. This is why I do not understand  that in most of the studies I looked at regarding Slim Fast, blood sugar levels and insulin resistance improved in the subjects following the diet- how could they do this on quite a high sugar diet? I suppose perhaps these overweight/obese people were consuming very high amounts of sugar previously (e.g. eating lots of ice cream/ doughnuts/ fizzy drinks/ sweets etc.) and the Slim Fast diet ended up being much lower than their previous sugar intake. 

I found that it was very difficult to follow the diet. I believe that this diet would be good for busy people that don't have much time to prepare food, people who don't cook very often. In the end, i am obsessed with food, and having a meal isn't just about what's on the plate, or the end result- I love preparing food, cooking food, and planning meals for the week. I often spend a while during the day making brunch/ lunch, or in the evening with dinner/ making packed lunches for the day ahead. I felt that the meal replacements, although they were quite successful in filling me up, I missed spending so much time in the kitchen. 

I found that the diet's rules aren't stated as clearly as they could be. For instance, although it says you can snack on Slim Fast snacks/fruit, what about drinks? Coffee, tea, etc? Also is alcohol allowed? It doesn't seem to be mentioned. I think these sorts of diets should have rules properly defined a bit more. 

I feel that overall, although i think this diet would be successful for overweight or obese people, particularly those who don't have much time to cook/ tend to rely on ready meals/ takeaways. I believe that for me to lose weight, I would have to try a more radical diet plan, with stricter rules, and one that involves a bit more preparation of food/meal planning. 

HAIR CHALKING IDEAS & TRICKS & TUTORIAL!

Hair chalking is a great way to temporarily color your hair and will look great for summer to give you that ‘mermaid’ look!

Although the hair chalking trend has been around for a while now, as summer approaches I can’t wait to get the chalks out and add a splash of colour to my hair! What about you? It’s great fun and a brilliant opportunity to get creative with your hairstyle. The best part is it’s temporary and it will come out after just a couple of washes, so you don’t have to resort to dip-dye.

Here are some great hair chalking ideas for different hair colours and styles…

HAIR CHALKING TIPS

• Lay a sheet down on the floor to catch the chalk dust, wear rubber gloves and make sure you don’t get it on your clothes.
• For Dark Hair- Spray each section of hair with a little water first so that there will be more pigment and the colour will be more intense.
• For Blonde Hair- There is NO need to spray the hair with water if you just want it to last for a day – just apply the chalk directly to dry hair. If you’re cool with it staining and lasting for several washes then you can go ahead and wet the hair.
• Twist a section of hair and apply the chalk directly onto it as you twist. Start with a light colour and work your way to the darker shades/colours.
• Get creative! You can try using a few different colours, or use different shades from light to dark on one strand.
• If your hair is damp, wait for it to dry.
• Use a hair straightener or curling iron on your hair to seal in the colour.
• Style your hair as normal…et voila!

How to Lose Weight: Basic Fundamentals of Losing Weight Effectively and Naturally

Before I talk about the methods to reduce weight, there are some important things that you must have before trying to reduce your weight.

Firstly, you should draw out a plan on how you are going to lose or reduce weight. This may seem unnecessary but it is actually a crucial process to your success in losing weight. When you draw out a plan, think of what you are actually going to do. Like for example, you want to exercise. Don't simply
list down what is going to help you lose weight! You should not write such general expressions because
when you are following you weight loss plans, you need to have a specific goal. So instead of writing exercise, you should write crunches - 2 sets of 15. When you have a specific target, it will be easier for you to gauge where you are currently standing and where you are in the future.

Another important factor is that when you set goals, set realistic and accomplishable goals. Do not set unrealistic goal that even you, don't believe you can do it. The consequences are mostly falling behind of your weight loss plans or giving it all up. In the end, you don't lose any weight at all and still get stuck at where you are.

Secondly, you must have a commitment to the end. What you plan is what you want to achieve. But if you don't execute any of your plans, how are you going to achieve that? There are many proverbs to describe this, but in this article, I am going to tell you just one. This proverb is said by Napoleon Hills, "Thomas Edison dreamed of a lamp that could be operated by electricity, began where he stood to put his dream into action, and despite more than ten thousand failures, he stood by that dream until he made it a physical reality. Practical dreamers do not quit." This is the most befitting proverb to describe perseverance. Hence, in order to achieve what you want, which is a slimmer you, you must follow what you plan daily.

Thirdly, setting your plans and committing to it is just the first few steps but in order to really achieve something, you must also track your progress in weight loss and constantly make changes to your weight loss programs and increase the number of sets for exercising for more effective weight loss.

After reading all these basic fundamentals to losing weight effectively, I hope that you would already have a clear understanding of what you need to have in order to lose weight. Having a clear mindset that will persevere till the end is a very important factor that determines whether you lose any weight at all. In fact, it is actually the MOST important factor of all.

Interested to know more? Well, stay tuned to my article writings because in the next few weeks, i am going to post more articles related to weight loss. Like for example, proven and effective physical exercises to lose weight, eating a balanced diet to reduce weight gain, etc.

Lastly, I would like to recommend a perfect and natural weight loss package for you. It is the Fat Loss Factor Package whereby you don't need to exercise or stop what you like to eat and yet still lose weight.

This is a proven way to naturally lose weight. If you wish to know more, go to http://naturallyloseweighteasily.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Chong

 

Five Super Healthy Foods for Weight Loss

If you think that food is the enemy, you will never really have a good attitude towards taking your meals, and turn your plan to lose weight into something disastrous. Remember that food should be looked at as something that nourishes not just the body but also the soul. As you savor one taste after another, it's such a delightful experience so even if your eventual goal is to lose weight, you still should have a good attitude towards food. Besides, there are plenty of foods that will actually help you lose the excess pounds that you have, which we will enumerate in the following section.




5 Foods that can Actually Help You Lose Weight

As you may already know, junk foods, greasy items off the fastfood menu and too-salty or too-sweet dishes are the culprit to gaining weight. But what if you manage to combine exercising with making the right food choices? If you fill up your grocery cart with foods that can actually help you lose weight, you can eventually attain the fitness level that you'd like to have.

To get you started, here is a list of the top five foods that can actually help you shed the excess pounds that you have:

Apples.There's definitely something to the dictum that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Take your pick from red, yellow or green apples and you have a food source that's low in calories, sodium and is virtually fat-free. If you're craving for something sweet, munch on apples instead of a calorie-laden dessert. What makes apples such an important food in weight loss is the fact that its pectin content releases body fats and helps suppress one's appetite. They also help make you feel fuller, faster.

Eggs. Eggs are a staple breakfast food but they can be consumed anytime of the day. They can be taken boiled, in an omelette, fried or in a more elaborate dish like Eggs Benedict. Some of the weight loss-related benefits of eggs include weight management and muscle strengthening.

Nuts. Another great snack alternative is nuts and seeds. Some of the healthiest nuts that you can munch on are almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, pecans and soybean nuts. You can also consume sunflower seeds. All these are rich in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids, so you will get the extra nutrition while helping with your weight loss goals at the same time as they make you feel fuller, faster.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dina_Farass

 

Best Home Treadmill - Things To Consider Before Buying a Treadmill

In case you prefer to spend your cash in a cardio workout machine than a gym membership, purchasing a treadmill is certainly a clever choice. The treadmill in your home offers immediate access and convenience. In case you are wanting to purchase a treadmill, there are a variety of things of which you must be informed. Listed below is a list of considerations to aid you in making the right buying decision.


Cushioning is a shock-absorbent layer under the belt created to minimize the impact of your feet on the device. A proper cushioning on a treadmill helps secure the ligaments, joints and the spine while working out. A bad cushioning could cause an injury and discomfort. Individuals have had significant injuries after using ill-cushioned treadmills; some even find it hard to walk on it. Excellent cushioning is specifically crucial for prolonged workouts, such as running 5k on a treadmill. Rubber is one of the most common material used in treadmill cushioning systems, and that's good, due to the fact that it's what you want to have. The best treadmill for running would use rubber elastomers, that are placed between the deck and the frame at different areas.

An important aspect of any kind of motorized treadmill is the hp rating of its motor. A more powerful motor can deal with bigger, heavier individuals, and a treadmill with a wimpy motor will not survive as long as one with a larger motor. Most treadmill motors vary from 1.5 HP to 3.0 HP with the more economical treadmills offering lower power motors that simply will not last. Treadmill producers use 2 types of motor ratings: some list horsepower (HP) and others list continuous horsepower (CHP). You ought to look for the continuous duty rating. Some producers unfairly blow up ratings by pointing out peak horsepower-generally a greater number and not appropriate for joggers, who require continuous power for their treadmills. A good entry-level model will certainly have at the very least 1.5 horsepower continuous duty. If you run a lot on your treadmill you might wish to obtain a 2.5 HP motor.

The treadmill belt dimension is an important component in your treadmill. Belts could be single ply or 2 ply. Look for a 2 ply surface belt with a minimum width of 17 ins. You will discover belt and deck lengths from around 45 inches to over 60 inches. In case you are a jogger, get a running or belt surface length of 60 ins as a minimum. In case you only wish to walk on your treadmill look for a minimum belt surface length of 48 ins. The longer and wider a running belt is, the more comfy and positive you will feel on the treadmill.

Before you fall in love with a treadmill and its components, you need to first fall in love with the warranty. The best home treadmill generally covers about 30 years for the structure, a minimum of 5 years for the motor and about a year for other components and labor. The longer the duration of the warranty, the better is the quality.

With all of the attributes available on the market now, selecting a treadmill may be a difficult experience. Now that you have these suggestions you can begin shopping with assurance and find the best home treadmill.

Want More information about the hottest treadmill and where to get the best deals online? Simply CLICK HERE.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Gerard

Best Fat Burning Diet Plan - Lose Fat Extremely Fast

So what is the best fat burning diet plan out there? What are you looking for? Are you looking for something that doesn't starve you or force you to go out of your way?

Well first of all, we are going to discuss several techniques in order for you to find the best fat burning dieting plan for you. We will also go over some fat burning foods, and how you should incorporate enjoyable exercise into your dieting routine.


By doing all of this, you will ensure an enjoyable fat burning experience for you, that is also very effective and easy on the wallet.

First of all - let's discuss how you should find the best dieting plan.

There are people out there that have literally created their own diet by coming up with a combination of tons of different dieting philosophies. I'm not saying you have to be the Socrates on dieting, but it does help if you start doing some research.

Research your body, go to the healthy calculator online (type it in the search engines), and find out what comes up.

You also may want to try going to certain dieting and forum message boards and typing in a request to see what the best dieting plans are.

Get ENGAGED IN A COMMUNITY! It makes losing weight so much easy when you are engaged in an online community, sharing facts, secrets, and knowledge about losing weight, exercise, and your body.

Believe it or not, the best dieting plans sometimes come from communities that have created a whole bunch of dieting plans from different truths and philosophies of different experts and dieting plan gurus.
This is just one of the ways - you also want to go to your local bookstore, a big Barnes & Nobles; and relax in the section - do some research, you can definitely do it so why not start today?

Some Fat Burning Foods
Boiled eggs are extremely good when it comes to burning fat. Do not live life without them! They are extremely high in protein, which makes them prime to that fat burning thing that you want to do.

Oatmeal, Oatmeal, Oatmeal - it's best to get the nasty one with no flavor in it - but any type of oatmeal is atleast somewhat healthy because soluble fiber that's in it that reduces blood cholesterol, and flushes out the bad digestive acids out of your system - by far one of the most underrated lose fat foods.

Grilled Lean Meats- Grilled meats and eating fish are great things that you should start doing immediately. You may want to think about packing a healthy "fat burning" snack as there are literally hundreds of fat burning foods out there! Just start today and find out what tastes great for you!

Enjoyable Exercise
Nobody said exercise had to be tough, in fact, all you have to do is exercise 35-45 minutes a day, two to three times a week to lose some fat. Overtime, your body will want to workout more & more; you'll get used to working out and start loving it.

The hardest part is getting started - get that "mental snowball" rolling and start today!

Losing 9 Pounds in 11 Days using the FatLoss4 Idiots Program sounds like an impossible feat. It's not & If you are interested in how you can lose 9 pounds in 11 days using the "Fat Loss 4 Idiots" dieting plan, then visit http://fattlosers.blogspot.com for more information

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janis_Breazell

Recipe: Spicy Chicken Satay Noodles

Here's a very spicy, but very moreish Asian noodle dish, using juicy chicken thigh meat and crunchy peanut butter to liven it up! These chicken thighs in a chilli sauce were on offer on Sainsburys hence using them, but if you want just use 6 normal chicken thighs and about 5 tablespoons of hot sweet chilli sauce instead. Lager seems an unusual ingredient, but cooking with beer or lager is quite common in Asian cuisine. I seem to always have a can of lager open in the fridge that I hadn't finished from the night before, so this is a good way of using it up.

Spicy Chicken Satay Noodles (serves 2)

1 x 700g pack Sainsburys Just Cook Sweet Chilli Chicken Thighs

200ml lager

2 stacks medium egg noodles

2 tbsp olive oil (plus a little extra for noodles)

1 carrot, julienned

100g spring greens, sliced

1 tsp minced ginger

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp Thai 7 spice

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Few drops toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Put the chicken thighs and the lager in a baking dish, and bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool a little. Remove the thighs from the baking dish, reserving the cooking juices.

2. Remove the skin from the thighs and discard, pick the meat off the bones, and set aside. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions, drain, mix with a little oil (to avoid sticking later) and set aside

3. Mix together the reserved chicken juices (draining any fat away if necessary), soy sauce, sesame oil and crunchy peanut butter. Set aside.

4. Put the oil in a wok and put it on high heat. Fry the carrots, ginger, garlic and spring greens in the oil for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and fry for a further two minutes. Add the noodles and sauce, and stir fry for 1-2 minutes, or until everything is hot and well combined.

5. Season to taste and serve!

Master Weight Loss Hormone Discovered

Oh boy... here we go again. The struggle continues - you've been following your diet to the letter; you've done your exercises day-after-day and you've even done the dreaded cleanse several times, but yet your weight stubbornly refuses to come down. What a mess. This really shouldn't be - so much hard work and nothing to show for it. What is the problem? Please help!


Well, let me see if I can help you. First of all let me say you are not alone in this struggle. Many people find themselves in this predicament after the first week or two on their weight management program. In fact, this is the point at which persons give up and return to their old ways. But take heart, this problem that confronts most of us is rooted in the fabric of the body's defense mechanism.

You see the body is pre-wired to protect itself against starvation. This, of cause is a good thing, but the problem arises in the way the body protects itself. As it turns out, the same hormone that initiates the starvation defense is also the hormone that triggers the body's fat burning mechanism. This hormone is called leptin. Recently, it was discovered that leptin is the master hormone that controls the functions of all other hormones associated with weight management. It is believed to be at its highest levels in the body after meals containing servings of carbohydrates. High levels of leptin allow the body to use more calories than it stores, relatively speaking.

Of course, the obvious problem with leptin is as you manage your diet to conform to the requirements of your weight management program, the level of leptin declines. This decrement in leptin instructs the body to reduce energy consumption and at the same time convert more food into fat for storage to prevent starvation. Hence, even though you may be going full force on your weight management program you may not see any improvement in your weight because thanks to leptin, your body has ceased to burn energy and is working rigorously to store it as fat. This increase in fat storage, in particular, is responsible for the lack of progress after experiencing some levels of success initially. This is sometimes referred to as the"weight loss plateau".

Now what can be done about the weight loss plateau? Well, this is a tricky one because in order to increase leptin levels you must eat a sufficient amount of food and if you consume too much food you will most definitely sabotage your weight management program. Fortunately, some diets are beginning to take leptin decrement effect into consideration and for those who prefer supplements, capsules containing certain herbs are performing well in helping to control leptin levels. So take heart, we may be on the brink of wiping out this weight loss plateau for good.

This article is part of a series of articles on weight loss management. I have included additional articles and suggestions on my blog http://naturalbptreatments.siterubix.com.Thank you for visiting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Des_Forbes

How to Lose Weight With Healthier Eating

Unfortunately, thanks to technology and the spread of information, nutrition isn't as simple as it used to be. Plenty of health advice abounds on the internet and in the media. How can you know what is true and what is just an expensive trend? Start off by correcting these common mistakes.

Seemingly healthy substitutions

Do you justify your fast-food habit by ordering grilled chicken instead of greasy beef? Substitutions like this don't always make your meal healthier; in fact, they can make it even worse. Chicken used at
fast-food chains is sometimes injected with a salty brine to keep it moist, which jacks up the sodium content. If your sandwich has bacon and cheese on it as well, you might end up with more calories than a burger.

Here are a few other questionable swaps:

• Ground turkey for ground beef: Ground turkey often contains dark meat, which is high in saturated fat. To get lean turkey, make sure its ground turkey breast.
• Turkey bacon for pork bacon: When it comes to bacon, read the labels. Pork and turkey both have fatty and lean options.

Counting calories and skipping snacks

If you're counting calories to lose weight, it may seem logical to cut out snacks to reduce your daily calorie intake. What this actually does is increase your hunger and fatigue during the long break between lunch and dinner. While it is good to cut out unhealthy, processed snacks, the act of snacking is still important. Choose nuts to keep you full longer or fruit for low calories.

Another time that you don't want to cut out snacking is before heading to the gym. While you shouldn't fill your stomach, eating a 100 to 200 calorie snack 30 minutes beforehand will give you the extra boost of energy you need to have a productive workout and burn more calories. Try to mix carbs and protein, such as a slice of whole grain bread with peanut butter.

Boosting your vegetable intake

You've been trying to add more vegetables to your diet, so you've been boiling a few servings each night to have with dinner. Whats the problem? Unfortunately, many of the vitamins seep out into the water and get dumped down the drain. To cook your vegetables but still retain the nutrients, opt for steaming or even microwaving instead.

Another practice that will lose you nutrients is stocking up on fruits and vegetables and using them for a week or more. As soon as a vegetable is harvested, the nutrients in it begin to deteriorate. Spinach loses 50 percent of its folate in just one week. Here's what you can do:

• Make a few trips to the grocery store throughout the week instead of one at the beginning.
• Buy local to reduce transit time after harvesting.
• Buy frozen foods, which are often flash frozen a few hours after harvesting.

Shawna is an avid writer about wellness and holistic health, including tips for a healthier life style. Find similar subjects from an Austin wellness center focused on longevity and weight loss in Austin, TX through its mind/body exercise programs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawna_Matthews