Second Quest

Hey beauties,

As many of you know or may not know a few years back I embarked on a healthy quest and dropped over 6 stone, and went from a size 20-22 to a 10-12 and I did it all through clean eating and excersize (no gym or fad diets) – now a few years on i’ve managed to keep off most of the weight but after a year of indulging on yummy meals out and staff room treats I’ve fallen back into cheeky habits and crept up to a size 14 again so I’m on day 3 of my second attempt at Sal’s Healthy Quest and this is to simply lose a tiny bit and tone up for summer 🙂

Gunna be using my old blog posts for inspiration – loosing a stone or two seems pretty chilled in comparison to the huge task I set myself a few years ago so fingers crossed I can do this and then continue to maintain the healthy lifestyle and wellness ❤

Much love ❤

Sal’s Healthy Quest Day 231 ~ How I Did It.

Hey Sausages,

After yesterdays soppy post I thought I’d do an actual tips and tricks post for those of you who have asked me how I’ve done it, lots of you girls (and guys too) have asked me for some advice and so this is my totally 100% honest account of my Healthy Quest and what I’ve done on my journey over the last 11 months.

I’ve gone from a size 22 to a healthy size 12 for me personally. I now have a healthy BMI and have lost a total of 6 stone (84 pounds).

 

The first steps…

> I decided to write a list of reasons why embarking on a healthy quest would be a positive thing for me, I really recommend doing this.. it’s good to really think about why you want/need to make a change. Also I wrote down what kind of future I wanted and my goals and targets to give me a focus.

> Secondly I decided to throw out all my crap food.. white refined carbs/sugars/hydrogenated fats such as white pasta, bread, sugar, butter, biscuits.. absolutely everything that wasn’t nutritional or healthy. It felt sad at first but then actually it felt good and there was an emotional kind of shift in my brain that actually I was choosing to not let my body be a bin for unhealthy food and to physically throw it away made that next step more real.

> Next.. I went and got myself some exercise clothes and trainers for running/yoga etc, a basic starter kit.

> My first healthy shop – I decided to look up healthy and nutritious recipes and get inspired.. everything from instagram, pinterest, theres a wealth of fab ideas online and most of it’s there and free! I made a week of meal plans and did an online shop, then went to Infinity to stock up on some healthy boost essentials.

> I got moving – I decided to start doing at least half hours exercise a day, I got off my bum off the sofa and onto the running track, started out power walking, then jogging, then running, remembering to stretch, warm up, cool down with yoga.

FOOD ❤

Instead of any fad diets or plans I decided to keep it simple, eating better. I just started being mindful of what I was putting into my body – making healthy choices, thinking of food as fuel to energize, heal and protect my body and immune system from a nutritional perspective, also to really enjoy and appreciate real food.

Whole Foods – eating as much fresh, healthy organic produce as possible, fruit, veggies,nuts, beans, pulses and raw foods.

Eating Less Meat – choosing to go veggie/vegan for most meals, eating healthy protein alternatives and choosing ethically produced and sustainable farmed fish or shellfish on my pescitarian days where my body craves those essential fatty acids and omega 3.

Eating Less Dairy – choosing dairy free alternatives such as rice, soy, almond, hazelnut milk and vegan butters/mayo.

Sweet Treats – Instead of super sugary milk chocolate, sweets, cakes, biscuits etc, swapping to delicious homemade flapjacks, bars, fresh fruit, dark chocolate, dates, nakd and raaw bars and energy balls, yogurt and granola, manuka honey etc, sugarfree muffins,

Healthy Snacking – instead of sugary/salty/fatty snacks eating better to fill the gap, choosing things like carrott sticks and houmous, grapes and sunflower seeds, sunbites, food doctor pittas with avocado etc.

Breakfast – I used to often skip breakfast or if I did eat brekky I’d eat sugary cereals, bacon sarnies, so I decided to get in loads of healthy smoothie and juice ingredients including powders and flax etc and have one every day, lots of greens and healthy stuff to give me a boost. So many ideas online!! You don’t even need a nutribullet – you can just use a regular hand blender. Sometimes if I’m feeling flash I’ll have granola, organic gluten free mesa sunrise or wholegrain cereals with yogurt, dried fruit or cinnamon and blueberry wholewheat pancakes.

Drinks – I used to love sprite, cola and sugary pop, so I swapped to coconut water, organic juices, naked smoothies, sugar free drinks, activate, vitamin drinks, yogi and herbal teas, and lots and lots of WATER.

Making Swaps –

❤ white carbs such as bread/pasta/couscous to wholewheat pasta, couscous, quinoa, bulgar wheat, wholegrain pittas, rye bread, sweet potatoes etc.

❤ refined sugar to manuka honey, organic coconut sugar, stevia, agave.

❤ sunflower oil/butter to organic hemp oil and coconut oil.

EXERCISE ❤

FREE & FUN MOVEMENT – I decided I needed to choose do-able and fun methods of exercise as I knew it would be the only way I would stick to it as I’ve never really been a fitness girl. I also didn’t want to pay any money for a gym membership and I wanted to everything myself.

RUNNING – Running was the way I lost the first few stone, not only was it the greatest way to get out and about and feel free, it also was so nice seeing the progression in my fitness over the weeks, feeling stronger and being able to run longer distances.

YOGA – Not only is yoga amazing for your body, muscles and for toning but it’s amazing for core strength, flexibility and general wellness, I just watched some tutorials online and then did it after every run, even out in the park.

YOUTUBE WORKOUTS – Literally a wealth of amazing workout vids online, absolutley every kind of exercise video you can think of, and you can do these all from the comfort of your own living room! I’ve been able to make my own little routines working every body part, from legs, booty, tum, core and arms etc. Plus there are some really fun ones like bollywood dance, zumba, bootyshakers etc.

WEIGHTS – I got myself some weights to tone up my arms, back and shoulders and it’s really good for muscle, getting rid of flabby bits and general strength, you can also use them for booty shaping, squats, dead lifts etc.

SWIMMING – The only exercise I pay for, I see it as a spa day as it’s £5 for a swim, sauna and steam room and that for me is a little luxury, I can go there..do my lengths, work out my entire body, relax my muscles and then unwind and relax. Heaven.

❤ I hope this has helped a little peeps, you got this! If you need any other tips or recipes or anything don’t hesistate to message me … lots and lots of love Sal 🙂 xxx

Sal’s Healthy Quest Day 230 ~ Gratitude & Love.

Hey cherubs,

I just want to firstly say a mahoosive thank you to all the wonderful people in my life that have supported me and loved me, not just on my Healthy Quest but in my life generally. It’s been an extremely rocky road over the last few months especially, huge ups and downs and I am so lucky to have such beautiful people in my life and a network of support and friends who are just incredible, who have seen me laugh, cry, fall down and helped me get back up again. I have a few scrapes and scars that still need to heal but I feel like I am on my way.

Gratitude…

A while back, I made the decision to start actively practicing gratitude and trying to make it part of my habitual pattern and routine, It’s something that has profoundly helped me throughout the last year and here are my blog posts all about gratitude that I have had to read back to myself and remind myself of what I should be remembering to do as very often we can get stuck in a muddle and focus on the negative when actually there are SO many reasons to be thankful and feel blessed… here are my posts on this topic ❤

Blessed & Grateful. The key to a happy life: How to practice Gratitude (Part One)

Blessed & Grateful: The key to A happy life – How to practice Gratitude (Part Two)

❤ Aunty C

I have to have a special shout out to my Aunty C – who is literally the most amazing Aunty in the whole world. She not only is one of the strongest and most inspirational women in my life but ever since I was a little girl she has been not just an Aunt but like a big sister, friend and step-in mum at times too. I am so grateful for her, she has always been there for me and she is a truly beautiful person inside and out. Fiercely independent, creative, kind, loving and just a total babe. I love her with all my heart x x x x x x

Life is a patchwork of friends…

We all know how friendship is important and how friends become a significant part of our lives. They make our lives interesting and wonderful. Beyond doubt, one of the major benefits of having friends is that they improve our lives. They help us develop a sense of sharing be it tangible things or just inspirational or motivational words of wisdom. And usually a friend can be casual, close, best or a role model for most of us. Some friends may even be closer to you when compared to some of the others, for example like a best friend or a motivator. Friends often give you a shoulder to cry on when you need emotional support.

Your close buddies help you celebrate life when it is good, while they also give you support even during your bad times. Without friends, life can be boring as they contribute to one’s happiness in a fulfilling way.

Friendship can have major impact on your well-being since they heighten your happiness, reduce the stress and perk up your self-worth. Some people like to build a network of new friends, while others prefer a small circle of existing friends. Just like your family, friends do have roles and responsibilities in your life’s journey. In our everyday life, we need a friend to lean on, to grieve with us, to listen to us, and to motivate us. In every aspect it is a highly motivating thing to know that there are a few people who will always love you and believe in you.

Kindred spirits…

As humans we want to connect with others to feel loved and to thrive in life. It is something to do with the strong emotional and psychological need that makes us feel connected or attached to some other like-minded people. Friends whether they are around the corner or in another part of the country they provide comfort and support. They make you feel connected by giving you a profound sense of identity and belonging.

Personal growth…

Having many friends means sharing different kinds of experiences. Most of the times we are so stuck in our own daily routines that it is nice to hear about other people’s activities. You will get a chance to know about new things and to learn about things that you haven’t done before when you share experiences. The things that they share with us can open our eyes to new ideas and also provide us greater chances of changing ourselves for the better.

Much love and peace – Sal x x x 🙂

Sal’s Healthy Quest Day 217 ~ Post Weight Loss Blues.

Hey Y’all.

Hope you are all well! Okay..so usually my posts are pretty positive, I try to make them as inspiring and uplifting as I can but today’s topic is somewhat of a different nature, not necessarily to stress anyone out or worry people but to just be aware of when embarking on a healthy quest or weight loss journey.

There are things that people don’t really talk about enough when loosing weight, either on the journey or post weight loss, and those things need to be talked about because I had no idea when I started my journey that these things might indeed happen to me and If it can raise more awareness and give people a bit of knowledge about what to expect or what may or may not happen then that’s a great thing.

• Loose Skin – Okay, people don’t really talk about skin sag or excess skin very often, and it’s something that is a huge problem for a lot of people who loose a drastic amount of weight,  every person is different it’s something that needs to be considered when embarking on a weight loss journey. I am very lucky indeed to have not much loose skin post weight loss but I have still got problem areas such as my arms, thighs and belly that have a little toning up to do, my tips would be using weights to tone muscle, cardio for core strength, taking fish oils, eating right and taking good quality supplements and vitamins.

 

• Downsized Boobs – No matter what exercises you do or what creams/supplements you take, if you loose weight you can’t maintain the same size boobs naturally. Trust me, it’s a medical fact. I had massive boobs before my weight loss, I was a size 40 H at my largest and to be honest with you even though I loved them I was getting pretty pissed off with them too, backache and constant attention from men even just wearing a high cut top got really tedious from time to time, I am still a generous 34 F which I am more than happy with however I do still have days where I miss my huge melons. The plus side is that I can find more bras in my size and dont get as much upper back and shoulder ache, the down side is that I had to invest in new underwear which was pricey.

 

• Confidence Perceptions – When you reach your weight loss goals, especially if it’s been a long hard journey to transform your life, you feel amazing, you have more energy, you feel confident, proud of yourself, happy and healthy but what i have realized is that confidence can be perceived as vanity and showing off, it’s really difficult to know where the line is, It’s something that I’m still learning about myself and others, being mindful of other people’s feelings but at the same time not letting it dampen my spirits when people’s perceptions can be negative.

 

• People will always try and shame you no matter what you do – What I’ve realized is that no matter what size I am, people will always have something negative to say, when I was a size 22 it was ‘she’s got a pretty face, shame about the body’, ‘wow, she’s big’, ‘damn, she needs put down the fork’, ‘she’s fat’, ‘she’d be really good looking if she lost weight’, and now I’m a size 12 I get ‘she must be so obsessed with the way she looks, so superficial, ‘she must be starving herself, ‘she’s vain’, ‘she’s let the weight loss get to her head’, ‘she’s changed’. It’s like I can’t bloody win, and to be honest people will always have a reason to bring you down. Gotta hold that head high and move past it.

• Sense Of Self – For a long time my sense of identity came with my ‘Large & In Charge’ attitude to life, it was my calling card. I was the big girl hiding behind the big personality and trying to be the life and soul of the party, my sense of self came not just from my ‘alternative image’ but also my attitude, I still maintain that but not in the same way as i did when I was big, which I think has been one of the most confusing and difficult thing for me to get over, that even though I’m not a size 22 anymore I still believe every woman of every size is beautiful and that nobody should be categorized or put into boxes, I don’t want people to remember me as ‘the girl who was fat but is now slim’ – I’d rather be remembered as ‘Sally, the girl who loves kids, loves singing, loves her family and friends’ – y’no what i mean. It’s a tough one that I’m figuring out every day. I do not want my size to ever define me.

 

• Relationship Challenges – Something I NEVER thought was that any of my relationships would be put under pressure during my healthy quest. I assumed that everyone would be supportive and happy for me, the reality is..not everyone will see it that way, you may loose friends or be challenged by the attitudes of people around you, it’s THE hardest thing about weight loss. Human beings are sensitive and fragile and sometimes when you loose weight people start viewing you differently, and those attitudes can create friction even in really strong friendships.

 

• Weight Loss Doesn’t Solve All Your Problems – Okay, so loosing weight can make you energized, more confident etc etc but It doesn’t solve all your problems, it’s not the answer to everything. Bad things still happen in your life and you still have to deal with your shit, it doesn’t heal your soul or mend your heart, you need to nurture your inner self as well as your physical body. I find that self nurture is absolutely essential, whether it be spirituality, mental wellness, meditation, painting, yoga.. whatever you love and makes you feel truly peaceful, do it.

 

I’m sorry if this has been a little of a sad post, I just felt I needed to express my feelings and be real. Much love & Peace – Sal ❤

 

Day 195 of Sal’s Healthy Quest – Finally ‘Healthy’ BMI.

Hello beautiful people,

For those of you who know me or those that have been following my blog/healthy quest then you may have seen that on Day 1 in my video I mentioned going to the doctors, stepping on the scales and them telling me I was ‘obese’ and I almost fell over backwards. I simply couldn’t believe it, I never thought I was THAT big. She said that I was at risk of various health problems if I continued gaining weight and It was one of the driving forces behind my determination to get healthier and fitter.

I thought I was just on the chubbier side, but when I saw that I was over 17 stone and it hit me that I was in fact a size 22 even though I was in denial picking up size 16 dresses and hoping for the best.. not to much success and bursting into tears in the changing rooms.. not because I was big, but because I really wanted to wear that dress..haha!

I have always been confident which is something people have found staggering haha… I was genuinely happy being a bigger lady, I basically had the opposite of body dis-morphia – instead of seeing a fat lump of cellulite and unpleasantness, I looked in the mirror and thought ‘hot damn I look good today’ and saw a slimmer version of myself. Obviously like most women, I had bad days, but I did start having more bad than good and I started to feel uncomfortable in my own skin.. when the weight started slowly creeping on and the dress sizes kept going up and I no  longer felt sexy or attractive.

I guess I always felt beautiful because I grew up around women of all shapes and sizes and I was always told by my family I was perfect and pretty just the way I was, that my beauty came not just from my exterior but my soul too and I truly believed it, I guess outside influences crept in just like it does for many girls who suddenly get overwhelmed with images of sexualized girls and ideas of media pumped ‘perfection’ – but I was always a bit of a rebel and held two fingers up to that ideal, that was part of who I was and still am – however when I could hardly walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, was tired all the damn time, feeling low, comfort eating crap, getting sick all the time with a shocking immune system.. getting told by my doctor that I was obese and needed to loose weight I knew I just had to crack on and get healthy.

ENOUGH –  i said.. and the rest is history. I’m five stone lighter and feel good in my body, my head and heart need a little work but the body is okay, haha.. I have been through a really stressful time recently though so i’m gunna give myself a break.

Seven months ago I never would have thought I’d have achieved above and beyond my goal of weight loss and that I’d finally be at a ‘Healthy’ BMI I would have laughed, but hey..here I am 🙂

On a completely random but very important subject –

MARLEY ❤

I finally have my little Marley in my life again- after being at my hometown village with my Mumma for a while we have him living with us again, we aren’t supposed to have pets but my landlord can suck my chudders because I need my fur baby.. he is literally the best anti-depressant ever. Look at his beautiful face.

Thank goodness for delicious healthy food.. I still love my cheeky cheat days where I pig out on icecream but I love to cook, bake and find healthy swaps and alternatives, here are a few of my latest foody pics.

Much love to you all ❤ and thanks again to everyone who has been such a huge support to my family and I during this time, can’t wait til mumma is properly better and we can go woodland frolicking again xxxx

Day 163 – GIRL POWER: International Women’s Day!!

Hello Beauties

It’s international Women’s Day and therefore I felt it apt to write a special blog post all about inspirational women throughout history and also a little bit about why it’s so important to lift one another up as women and encourage one another!!!

So – what is International Women’s Day? It’s all about celebrating womankind, the strength, courage, power, compassion, ambition, energy and determination.. drawing strength and wisdom from all those fantastic iconic female warriors and role models throughout time – and truly appreciating ourselves as women in all shapes, colors, forms in all our true and full diverse beauty.

The 2016 theme for International Women’s Day is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. The United Nations observance on 8 March will reflect on how to accelerate the 2030 Agenda, building momentum for the effective implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals. It will equally focus on new commitments under UN Women’s Step It Up initiative, and other existing commitments on gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s human rights.

Make a Pledge For Parity

Everyone – men and women – can pledge to take a concrete step to help achieve gender parity more quickly, whether to help women and girls achieve their ambitions, call for gender-balanced leadership, respect and value difference, develop more inclusive and flexible cultures or root out workplace bias. Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to take pragmatic action to help include and advance women. Share amongst your friends, social networks and communities and encourage them to make a pledge as well. Together, we can accelerate the clock.

http://www.internationalwomensday.com/PledgeForParityCampaign

Here are some of the women who inspire me —-

1.) Rosie the Riveter

1942-
FACTORY WORKER

She symbolized women’s contribution to the war effort. Real-life Rosies filled factory positions while men were away (the number of American working women grew by 50 percent in four years), proving that we could excel at a “man’s job.”

2.) Mother Jones

 

1837 – 1930
LABOR LEADER

Mary Harris Jones, assailed in Congress as “the grandmother of all agitators,” and hailed as “the miner’s angel” by workers, fought against child labor and for decent conditions, fair pay, and safety in the workplace.

3.) Mary Richards

1970 – 1977
CAREER GAL

Mary Tyler Moore’s character — a single working woman in her 30s who wasn’t desperate to settle down with a fella — offered American women a much-needed role model. Not afraid to do whatever the hell made her happy and not conform to what society expected of her. Maybe we could make it after all. Hats in the air, everyone!

4.) Beverly Sills

1929 – 2007
OPERA SINGER

She rose above huge personal pain (two disabled children, one a deaf daughter) to make her voice heard as a singer and an advocate of arts for all of us. A beautiful person, singing her way to stardom and all the while caring for her family.

 

5.) Harriet Tubman

c. 1820 – 1913
ABOLITIONIST

A fugitive slave who, at great peril to herself, helped nearly 300 slaves escape the South via the Underground Railroad, she was also a Civil War spy and nurse; a promoter of education, though illiterate; and a campaigner for women’s suffrage.Amazing woman. Truly inspirational.

6.) Amy Lee

Asides from being a huge style and music icon of mine since I was a young teenager, she is an amazing woman. As well as writing her own music, being a working mum, making many of her own clothes and her lyrics touching upon all kinds of issues and stories of personal struggle that connect with so many people, she’s a big believer in staying true to ones true self, never conforming to society’s ideals or being pressured into changing for anyone. After being asked many times to pose naked, change her image, loose weight and also having many sexual advances put upon her during her early career, she is strongly against women being taken advantage of or being objectified, staying true and saying firmly NO. Rock on!

7.) Helen Gurley Brown

 

1922-2012
EDITOR AND SEXUAL REVOLUTIONARY

Author of the 1962 mega best-seller Sex and the Single Girl and editor of Cosmopolitan for 32 years, she was an outspoken advocate for women’s sexual freedom long before the idea went mainstream. Wahey!

8.) Adele

Adele is inspirational as a singer because she didn’t really have a dream to become famous, she just ended up the way she was because her Mum told her to try. She also is just an ordinary person inside just like you and me, she has taught us that even if your ordinary you can become what ever you want to be if you put you heart and head into it.Not only is she bloody hilarious, a working mumma and so talented, she has remained down to earth, true to herself and empowered many others, breaking the mold of what what a successful pop singer can be. Big it up to the big gurlz ;).

9.) Frida Kahlo

‘Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

To understand Frida is to understand her pain. That doesn’t make her a victim of her own suffering – quite the contrary. The many outwood traumas that plagued her life – including a horrific bus accident leaving her crippled and unable to conceive – gave her the tools in which to paint her inner truth. Her husband Diego Rivera once talked about Frida’s art as ‘paintings that exalted the feminine qualities of endurance and truth, reality, cruelty, and suffering.’ He would go on to conclude: ‘Never before has a woman put such agonized poetry on canvas.’ ‘I paint my own reality’, Frida Kahlo once said. Her paintings are fearless because they paint the conflicting duality of female experience. In some respects, Frida’s art is both the rose petal and the thorn

 

10.) My Mum

What can I say – as well as teaching me how to cook, budget and love unconditionally my Mum is simply incredible, not only has she brought my brother and I up as a single mumma, but she’s overcome immense personal struggle, heartache and mental and physical illness, she always dusts herself down, puts her lippy on and cracks on with life regardless of what it throws at her. She is brave, strong, loving, caring and simply amazing.

MY GIRLS <<

I’ve always been a girls girl, I surround myself with amazing women, all my friends are inspirations to me, strong, creative, passionate, beautiful souls that I am truly lucky to have found and they inspire me all the time. Too many girls to mention but you know who you are – ❤ ❤ ❤

PEACE – LOVE – UNITY – GIRL POWER ❤

Hope you’ve enjoyed my little post – happy international womens day xxxxx Sal 🙂

 

Day 259 of Sal’s Healthy Quest – Let’s Dance!

Hello All ❤

I hope you are all doing fabulously, it’s Friday..wahey!! I’ve deffo got that Friday feeling today as i’m off to dance tonight with my gorgeous girl Jessie.

I’ve recently started following a new routine – a bit more intensive, focusing on areas of my body I want to tone and shape such as my arms, belly and bum- I’m really enjoying the new workouts but I am definitely feelin’ the burn especially the morning after 😉 haha, it’s worth all the sweat and work though because I can see the difference allready.

The routines I’ve been following have been mostly dance routines, I love flailin’ around to music, it makes it feel less like hard work and more like fun, and that to me is what makes it easier to stay on track – here are some I really like at the moment:

Dancing is so good for you and so fun, here are some of the benefits of dancing…

1. Forever Young. Dancing is tremendously beneficial in keeping us young. It retards the aging process immensley. It benefits our heart, cardiovascular system and increases our lung capacity. Fact: The muscle exertion and breathing rates of dancers performing in one dance competition is equivalent to those of cyclists, swimmers and an Olympic-level 800-meter runner.
2. Strong Bones, Lubricated Joints. Dance aids in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis for men and women. For women during post-menopause, there can be a significant drop in estrogen levels which stops calcium from being absorbed into the bones.  Dancing can also help keep joints lubricated in order to prevent arthritis.
3. Calorie Blaster. Dance exercises our bodies to allow for increased circulation. It helps us burn those calories away, while improving our stamina. It is estimated that dance burns anywhere from 5 to 10 calories per minute depending on speed and intensity. For example, swing and mambo burn more calories than a slow waltz. Check out approximately how many calories you burn while dancing to your own tune:
4. Better Blood. New research has discovered that it is necessary to measure both good and bad cholesterol levels when determining our health. Dancing aids in lipid control, which raises our HDL (good cholesterol), and lowers our LDL (bad cholesterol). Dancing is also great for diabetics because it aids in blood sugar control.
5. Mental Mastery. Dance improves our memory by making us recall steps, routines and dance patterns making it a great mental exercise for our brains. The big benefit is that increasing mental exercise keeps your mind young, quick, alert and open.
6. It’s All About Balance. Balancing yourself in one position may be easy, but balancing in the numerous types of positions involved in dancing is much more difficult. Dancers have mastered the ability to balance themselves in a number of positions. This strengthens our stabilizer muscles, while protecting our core and keeping us less prone to injury in our daily lives. Dancing also aids in co-ordination and helps strengthen our reflexes. It is a great way to keep our Central Nervous System and Peripheral Nervous System in tip-top shape by improving the connection of our bodies to our mind.
7. Socially Satisfying. Dancing is recreational and entertaining. It creates a social life for us, while affording us the opportunity to make new friends. Friends helps us grow, make us laugh and support us as we learn.
8. Culturally Diverse. Dancing has no cultural barriers. People from all parts of the world, with different ideologies, meet on the dance floor. Cultural interaction improves our health by expanding our mind and sharing our spirit!
9. Groomed to Perfection. Dancing is not only fun and romantic, but it helps promote good grooming because everybody wants to look his or her best while they dance. Good grooming keeps us healthy by keeping us high on hygiene.
10. A Happy Self. Dance elevates our mood by raising our endorphin levels. This is what allows us to heal stress and depression – two of our immune system’s biggest enemies! It helps us establish our self-confidence and self-discipline. It improves the harmony between our mind and body, giving us a sense of well-being.

***Delicious foody things i’ve been enjoying recently  🙂 healthy and scrummy!!!!!!

 

Thanks again for love, support and encouragement – feel free to message me for any tips, recipes or advice ❤ Much love Sal xxxx 🙂

Day 250 of Sal’s Healthy Quest ~ Postitvity & Inspiration. The Benefits to Embarking On A Healthy Journey!

Hey beautiful peeps,

I have been overwhelmed with the many positive responses and messages and comments from friends, family, kindred spirits, the online community and on Instagram with regards to my healthy quest. Thank you all so much – I think it’s so great that there’s such a wealth of knowledge and support out there, power to the people!!

I’ve decided to write a little  post about initial fears/worries about changing your lifestyle and getting healthier and working through slip ups so that you can keep on going!!

**PRE-HEALTHY QUEST ANXIETIES**

When I first embarked on my journey towards becoming healthier, I’ll be honest.. I was scared shitless, pretty nervous about getting into running gear and publicly flailing around the park sweating’ like a piggy and so many things were running through my head. As like most people I have a negative voice and a positive voice battling with one another in my brain and here were some of the negative things I was worried about…

• What if people stare at me when I’m running? Will I look like a chubby idiot, running slowly with skinny girls flying past me.
• What If i’m hungry ALL the time?
• What If I slip up or give up and binge and then gain more weight than when I started?
• What If I simply can’t stick to it and end up looking like a twit?
• What If I loose my sense of identity and inner beauty?
• Will I be able to eat anything naughty?
• What If I loose my shape and loose my womanly curves?
• If I loose weight, will it change me? I don’t want people thinking I’m vain and searching for perfection, to think I’m superficial or different in any way.
• What If people think I have a negative body image or think I feel differently about size and beauty?
• Will my back and dodgy knees cope with the exercise?
• Will I have the time and money to exercise and cook healthily?

All of these things were going around in my head before I got off the sofa and onto the running track but then I decided to think positively about the benefits and after watching the This Girl Can advert on TV and talking to my doctor, as well as talking to friends and family – I listened to my heart and head and decided to say NO to negativity and YES to change.

 

MOTIVATION IS KEY – The Best Reasons to Break a Sweat (Exercise Regularly)

1. It works as an antidepressant.

2. It reduces PMS.

3. It reduces stress and anxiety.

4. It boosts creativity.

5. It wipes out allergies.

6. It strengthens your heart.

7. It helps you resist temptation.

8. It reduces risk of metabolic syndrome…

9. … And lessens the risk of oodles of other diseases too.

10. It protects your peepers.

11. It adds years to your life…

12. … And life to your years.

13. It makes you respect your body.

14. It strengthens bones.

15. It saves money.

16. It helps your fertility.

17. It makes you a sex god or goddess.

18. It improves self-esteem.

19. It helps you sleep like a baby (or puppy).

20. It doesn’t just make you look younger, it makes you be younger.

21. It pumps you up.

22. It blasts bad fat and boosts good fat. (Yes, there is good fat!)

23. It makes you a good example for your loved ones.

24. It makes you smarter.

25. It manages chronic pain.

The Best Reasons to Start Eating Healthier

1. It fattens your wallet. – Eating Healthy doesn’t need to cost a lot – especially if your cooking from scratch and getting all those veggies instead of lots of meat!

2. It makes you happier.

3. It protects your bones.

4. It revs up your fertility.

5. It conquers cramps.

6. It gives you an iron-clad immune system.

7. It fixes your DNA.

8. It can help cure irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

9. It makes your (future) children smarter…

10. … And it makes you smarter too.

11. It’s the ultimate workout booster.

12. It chills you out.

13. It delivers clearer skin.

14. It amps up your sex drive.

15. It prevents insomnia.

16. It soothes sore muscles.

17.It gives your more energy.

18. It reduces cravings for bad food.

19. It makes you a faster runner.

20. It will make you win at life.

Here are some of my foody things i’ve been making and enjoying recently –

 

NEVER GIVE UP – once you start doing it and see and feel results it will become all worth it. Reach out for encouragement and support wherever you can and remember to lift others up too, we are all in it together y’all. If you need any tips/recipes/advice feel free to hit me up 🙂

❤ BIG LOVE ❤

Sal x x x

Day 230 of Sal’s Healthy Quest – Video.

Day 230 of my healthy quest – video blog !! xx

This was Day one of my Healthy Quest — 😛 hehe!

 

Day 226 of sal’s healthy quest. Healthy size success!!

Hey Peaches,

I’m six months into my healthy quest now, I’ve finally reached my happy size that I feel is healthy and right for me (of course everyone one is different), I’ve dropped almost 5 dress sizes and I’ve gone from a size 20-22 to a size 12-14 and I feel confident, toned and happier in my body. Some people might say that a size 12-14 is still ‘plus size’ but for I like the fact I’ve retained my curves and boobs and feminine shape that make me feel like a woman and for me the size or weight wasn’t the biggest deal – it was about how I felt. Stronger & healthier. I will never go back.

Many people have asked how I’ve done it – It’s been a mixture of making some radical lifestyle changes and swaps with regards to diet and also making time for exercise almost every day.

The best tips I can give you if you about to embark on your own healthy quest are:

1.) DIET > Make healthier choices and swaps – eat more veg, whole foods and cleaner in general, some of  best the swaps I made were:

• swapping from white rice, white bread, pittas, pasta, potatoes etc to all wholewheat, multiseed or brown rice, couscous, pasta, bulgar wheat, quinoa, fengreek, or lentils, food doctor pittas, sweet potatoes.
• swapping from olive oil/sunflower oil to organic coconut oil, hemp oil or avocado oil.
• chocolate bars to chocolate organic ricecakes or dark chocolate, or cacao mylk organic buttons
• toast and jam or sugary cerial to homemade high nutrient super smoothies/juices every morning, including powders such as Chia, Flaxseed, Spirulina, Wheatgrass, Cacao, Linseed, superberry raaw juices etc.
• Taking really good multivitamins and oils – I use a combination of wellwoman and pukka women’s health, as well as high stregnth cod liver oil.
• Oily and high salt/fat crisps to sunbites or organic hummus crisps
• sugary cakes and deserts to bowls of yogurt with fruit, or organic gluten free sweet treats from the health food shop such as Nakd bars, or coconut balls.
• Full fat butter, cream, cheese, mayo to low fat alternatives.
• Eating less meat, more fish and when we do eat meat we use leaner cuts – trimming meat and buying more quality than quantity.
• Having at least one or two vegetarian and vegan days a week.
• Full fat milk to skimmed, unsweetened soya, almond or rice milk.
• Making food plans before doing the shop is so helpful – looking for healthy recipes online, making lists of ingredients needed.
• DRINKING LOADS OF WATER – also there’s some lovely tonics, delicious juices, sugar free cordials, ginseng juice, organic fizzy drinks etc that make a nice treat.
• Instead of fatty or sugary/salty snacks – I choose healthier alternatives such as nuts, seeds, pitta, carrot sticks, fruit, cucumber etc

 

2.) Exercise > Choosing fun and maintainable methods of exercising and toning up.

I lost the first chunk of my weight just by getting off the sofa and onto the running track, I started off power walking, then over the next few weeks I was able to run one circuit, then two..then three, I felt my fitness really starting to improve, my stregnth and stamina too, I also always did a warm up and cooldown.

Once I had lost 2 stone, i wanted to move on and do a bit of running and a bit of yoga, which worked really well, toning up my arms, core and also taking care of my ongoing back problems.

Once the winter had kicked in, I decided to start working out in my living room, simply clearing a space after work, setting up my laptop and doing 30 mins to an hour of different youtube workouts, some days I do Arms and legs, sometimes I do cardio and core workout, some days It’s weights, some days It’s full body, I like to mix it up and listen to my body.

Some of my favourites are:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vve4BVTZ0QU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9j6xpqCROA

 

Love and light – Sal ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤