Fitness Friday: Top 10 Tips for Clean Eating

Hi all!

It's been a little while since I've written a Fitness Friday post, but I felt compelled to write one this week after continuously seeing posts on Facebook, tweets on Twitter and comments on Instagram about how hard it is to eat clean and find time to make things, to find recipes etc etc etc. 

EVERYTHING IS HARD.

Let's just get that thing right out there. Life generally is hard and you go through it having to work for things you want and quite often, there are setbacks.

If you want a holiday, you save hard and give things up for it knowing that the end result will be worth it, why don't people treat eating in the same way?

You can always come up with excuses; I ran out of time, the ingredients are expensive, it's too much to cook all the time, I don't like eating x/y/z......

All it takes is a bit of preparation and effort on your part and you can have meals quite easily. Here's my top 10 tips to help you out.

1) Write a meal plan - plan 7 evening meals, plan 7 lunches, and plan a variety of breakfasts and snacks. If you plan it all out and know what meals you have available to choose from then you have no room to deviate, and can actually look forward to meals knowing what you are having. To eat clean you will have to cook, accept it now!

2) Bulk buy everything in - clear out the old (or use it up if you wish) and then bulk buy in everything that you will need for a few weeks of meals. Obviously you can't buy fresh foods in for that long and if you don't have much cupboard or freezer space then this may be a challenge but the less you have to go to the shops the less you will be tempted. Also it means that you can....

3) Have a cooking day - doing this is essential for me! I make sure all ingredients are available and batch cook meals, snacks etc all on one day, i.e. a Sunday. If you cook a chilli, bolognese and a curry in one go with enough for a few portions of each it will take you a large part of the day, but will save you hours during the week. I also roast some veg, cook a whole chicken, a packet of quinoa and bake some muffins using this recipe here so that I have lunches and snacks for the week. It's tiring sure, but saves so much time and effort in the week it's worth it.

4) Swap things slowly - Or as fast as you like! Some people prefer to go cold turkey and others are all about a gradual change, but the easiest thing you can do is to swap your foods, that way you can still have them. For example, swap your white rice for cauliflower rice, swap spaghetti for strands or courgettes (courgetti?!) or even simpler, just swap chocolate and crisps for fruits, nuts and yogurt. There are always alternatives and fresh produce is always a better choice than anything that comes in a packet. There are so many small changes you can being to make that I can't even begin to list them!

5) Plan the freezer and cupboards - there are a lot of alternatives to save you running out of fresh ingredients. Frozen fruit and vegetables can be lifesavers and you can stock up on meat and fish if you have the room when it's on offer. Tins are also great, chickpeas go in almost any meal to bulk it out cheaply as well as loads of different types of beans, plus fruit and veg. Tuna is also something that can be bought quite cheaply and be added last minute to a salad.

6) Variety is everything - batch cooking is great but don't fall into the trap of eating the same thing, variety will keep you enthusiastic and motivated and finding new recipes to try is fun, especially when you find a recipe for brownies or muffins that contain clean ingredients!

7) Always take snacks in your bag - NEVER leave home without a snack. My bag is constantly full of food; fruit, nuts, pretty much anything like that that can help when hunger strikes and will stop you from buying crisps or sweets when in a weak moment. I get laughed at for always having food, but I've saved so much money and stopped myself from eating unnecessarily bad foods so many times it has been worth it.

8) Increase the number of meals you eat - Eating more often but smaller amounts is a much better option than bigger meals less often. Eating more regularly will stabilise your blood sugar levels and keep your metabolism going which are all positive things! Never skip a meal, eating because you are hungry is vital, don't cut down on what you're eating just swap it for something else. It's also quite exciting to eat 4-6 meals a day don't you think?!

9) Keep your motivation going - Create Pinterest boards, follow 'fitspiration' accounts on twitter and buy fitness and health magazines. Seeing everyone else working out and looking healthy and happy will want you to do the same; it's also invaluable for new recipes, workouts and exercise ideas to boost your enthusiasm and dedication.

10) Don't sabotage your hard work - I believe in rewarding yourself for your hard work, and over time have changed this from a bar of chocolate to magazines, books, shoes, anything that isn't going to add calories to my day. Of course I have treats, I go out with friends for food and cocktails and I have bad days that mean I end up on the kitchen floor with a jar of nutella and a spoon. I try to work off my daily problems and frustrations to help with this but avoiding adding additional salt, sugar, alcohol and bad fat to your day can only help. A cheat meal once a week is ideal, look forward to it and work hard knowing you can reward yourself at the end of it, but as they say, one cheat meal won't make you fat, but one salad won't make you skinny!

What do you think of my tips for eating clean? Have you been trying and failing to eat healthier?

What would you add to the list?

I'm always looking for inspiration so send blogs or pinterest boards my way if you have favourites!

L xxx

Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner in Perversion

Happy Friday everyone!

I know that you know by now that we are both huge Urban Decay fans and it will come as no surprise to you that there is another review from the amazing brand. I really cannot fault their products, from the endless covetable palettes to their revolution lipsticks and their infamous highly pigmented black colour Perversion, they are all hyped up and wanted by everyone.

My latest buy is the 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner that I recently bought with my Debenhams Beauty Card points and obviously my choice was Perversion.

The 24/7 theme is one of my favourites, the eye and lip pencils have never let me down so a liquid liner from UD was the obvious choice for me. The brush allegedly draws lines so sharp they could cut glass, so I put it to the test.

The design is pretty simple, the tube unscrews with the longest side being the handle with the thinnest brush inside. It's somewhat boring looking for UD as normally they have a bit more going on but to be honest its a bit refreshing to let the product itself do the talking instead.

I was worried the brush wouldn't hold enough product initially as it's so thin but I was wrong. for a full feline flick you do need to dip it back into the pot but for a simple line it's perfect.

It glides across the skin dispensing the liner evenly and although it does need a steady hand and a bit of practice it is quite easy to use.

Here are some images with the liner on top in a feline flick along with 24/7 eye pencil in Perversion on the lower rim. As the brush is so small its easy to create a really sharp line for the flick and to get right into the lashes for a super close line.

I'm a firm fan, what do you think?

The only thing I've seen that may be an issue is that after a while, as it's so pigmented, it does start to peel off. I'm talking after a full day and night of wearing it, but it begins to lift off at the edges like eye lash glue does, though it hasn't been a huge issue for me as it's only when I've been home that I've noticed it starting after a relaly long day.

Have you tried the 24/7 liquid liners? Do you love the Perversion range? Which colour would you recommend?

L xxx

Korres Coloured Hair Shampoo and Conditioner

Morning!

I seem to rarely buy or try hair products, I'm quite lucky that my hair is quite pliable and does what I want it to without much hassle. however it has become very dry after a long summer and lots of highlights. I've been dying it back darker recently and hopefully less of the stripping effects of highlights will also help, but after seeing these Korres shampoo and conditioner on offer at 2 for £10 at Waitrose I snapped them up for a try.

I chose the set for coloured hair containing Sunflower and Mountain tea.

The designs of the bottles are quite simple and standard, its a little confusing to have so many languages on the bottles but it's an international brand and I don't see why more brands shouldn't do this. Although the bottles are standard in design they do feel quite substantial so they won't break easily if you drop them in the shower, like I seem to do all the time!



The shampoo feels quite thick to use on the hair and lathers up easily, this is probably due to SLS being present which is confusing again as Korres are a 'free from' brand and do not use many chemicals that other brands do. Having said that, my hair felt clean but not 'squeaky' and it didn't matt together which it can do with shampoo that is drying.

I can't comment on it's colour protection as mine has faded since being dyed anyway, as it will with blonde hair being changed back to dark brown! But my hair did feel clean and I'd use it again.

The conditioner was also very nice, it was hydrating and felt thick and moisturising on the hair and scalp. My hair felt a lot smoother and silky after drying so it clearly works and I've enjoyed using it.

I also like that Korres list on the sides for each product what the formula facts are including everything that it doesn't contain and who it is catered for.

Having said all of this....finding out that at full price these products are £10 each I wouldn't say that these were worth that. The 2 for £10 was a great deal and I've enjoyed using them as a treat, but I couldn't justify spending £10 on them each as they're just no different to a lot of other shampoo and conditioners that I've tried.

Have you tried products from Korres? What is your favourite? 

I've heard their lip butters are amazing but I've got so many eos spheres to get through at the moment I don't need any more!

L xxx

Nip and Fab: Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

Hey All

I'm currently sat in bed in massive amounts of pain after completing the Cardiff Half this morning so thought I'd share with you something L and I are currently loving while the other half slowly potters around tidying. A cheeky Chinese is on the way soon.

When I was browsing debenhams the other day I spied a lot of Nip + Fab stuff massively reduced. Que me immediately ringing L and seeing if she wanted some too. Most of it worked out about 75% off. So far from all we've tried we are big fans!

We are both skincare fans and have always tried to have a proper skincare regime and believe that prevention is better than cure. A serum is something I've been bad at using but been trying to recently after we went to a Neal's Yard Remedy evening and it was mentioned that serums are good to use pre moisturiser as they penetrate the skin and moisturise the under layers.

As you can see from the box the claims it offers. It claims to blur wrinkles and contain viper venom to help minimize the look of them. As my wrinkles are pretty non existent I can't comment on if the serum is helping them.

It's a clear gel like formula that sinks into the skin and leaves it feeling non greasy. My skin has approved of using this as of late and it hasn't broken me out in spots. My skin feels smoother and more hydrated from adding it too my routine.

It's also lasting pretty well. A little goes a long way! The viper venom and bee sting things always intrigued me with their claims of plumping abilities. I'm really glad I tried this one and will be repurchasing at full price!

Have you tired any of the viper venom range? I'm loving the Eye Fix.

Love M

xxx

Hello there!

As M has said, we're lovers of skincare (and pretty much every product really!) but prevention of wrinkles and the like is very important to us. Finding the perfect skincare that doesn't break you out but provides enough hydration and helps fight the signs of ageing is pretty exhausting to find. There's so many elements!

This Viper Venom serum instantly drew me in because of the name; I'm always attracted to Venom, Bees, Dragon's blood etc and I cannot wait to try the new range from Nip and Fab with Dragon's Blood in, how freaking cool. I've also heard lots about the Glycolic acid products too so will have to try them once I've worked my way through a few more things.

I always get a bit confused with the random names of the patented products in these but they are pretty cool. Liftonin Xpress smooths the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and Syn-ake is inspired from the venom of the Temple Viper which I assume has a positive effect on skin though it doesn't actually state what it does? Maybe it's the plumping effect.

I love the packaging design, monochrome with an acidic green accent always looks good and perfect for a snake inspired product. The tube is pretty sizeable and will be easy to squeeze out even the last drop.

I've been applying this morning and evening and have noticed a really good hydrating effect on my skin, it drinks it up almost straight away and doesn't leave a greasy residue at all so it's perfect in the morning before a long day and at night. I do find the base requires moisturiser after it as my skin can feel a bit weird otherwise but this isn't an issue for me as this is an additional step before my moisturiser anyway.

The nozzle also makes it easy to dispense the right amount of product and the tube allows you to know how much is left unlike pump style products.

I've been a fan of the results, fingers crossed it is preventing any lines and wrinkles from forming. I'm lucky that i don't have many yet...but I'm sure there are some lurking on my forehead ready to spring out as soon as I forget to apply some hydration!

We've been using this in conjunction with the rollerball Viper Venom Eye Fix which we will also be reviewing soon so check back if you're interested in the full range.


Have you tried many products from Nip and Fab? What's your favourite?

I have SO MUCH on my list!


L xxx