World Diabetes Day www.wellness4life.co.uk
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World Diabetes Day

14th November is World Diabetes Day. As more and more people have diabetes and increasing amount of people are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and the fact that lifestyle plays a big part in disease development – while it is important to raise the awareness of the disease, it is also very important to talk about its prevention.

Personally, I have diabetes in the family. I grew up with both of my aunties, my mum’s two only sisters, being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. One died from it and the other died of cancer before diabetes could claim her too. In my opinion, based on what I recall, apart from following the treatment – neither of them really took necessary care when it came to changing their lifestyle.

My mother, on the other hand, one that has always been more health conscious compared to her sisters, lived to her 79th birthday and has never developed the disease. She had a balanced diet and healthy weight. Still, this topic feels like it is very close to home as I love and miss my aunties very much.

So, what is causing Diabetes and how can we prevent it?

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4 Pillars of True Health – Path to being Healthy AND Fit

Ever thought if it is possible to be very fit and yet to be very unhealthy at the same time? I think it is very common…

It is usually demonstrated in regular exercise and feeling strong and fit, however, having low energy levels, possibly suffering from an impaired digestion or skin problems or frequent colds or some other form of ailment or even disease, even having excess weight!

You might be that person yourself or you might know someone who you even admire for being an example when it comes to their dedication to fitness, however, you can see they might not be eating great and are “getting away with a murder” when it comes to eating.

Some people I know are exercising so they CAN “eat what they want”. Or can they, really? That is the question.

It is also a possibility to be very healthy with great energy levels and youthfulness because of an attention to a healthy diet, however, to struggle to run for three minutes or get up a few flights of stairs.

I used to be this person after I had children and know the feeling very well. Exercise does burn extra calories, however, its role in weight management is actually minimal compared to its extraordinary role in our overall health, ageing process and general strength and stamina.

So, I think many will agree when I say that our aim, ideally, might be to be both – healthy AND fit.

The question is – are You? And, if not, how do we achieve both?

I can tell you that there is a lot more to it than just diet and exercise, but they seem to be good places to start!

NUTRITION

First pillar is Nutrition, of course. It is because, 80% of our health IS nutrition – what you eat and drink throughout the day because it does not matter how hard you work in the gym if you do not control what you put on your plate.

Your level of nutrition body gets will impact your mood as well as how your body functions. Ideally, we need to start seeing food as medicine. Because food CAN have that effect.

We ourselves are powerful beyond measure and it is equally incredible what our bodies can do when we give them the right nourishment and fuel that helps our cells thrive. Your nutrition is the first key to your healthy lifestyle and all the exercise in the world can not help you if you are not fuelling your cells right, in the right balance and frequency.

The latest research confirms that only 1 in 4 people, that is 25% of the population, across 15 European countries, considers nutrition when making their health choices.

Malnutrition (poor diet that results in micro-nutrient deficiencies that lead to disease) is estimated to cost £19.6 billion in the UK annually where malnourished adults account for about 30% of hospital admissions. No wonder we have such shocking figures if only a few consider nutrition in the first place.

I think there is a lot more to it and certainly education plays a huge part.

We are all different and different diets work for different people (where by diet I mean – a way of life, what works the best for you), however, at least 80% are absolute fundamentals that work for all of us because, simply put, we are all members of the human race and body is the engine that is pretty standard for everyone – same rules apply for majority of us:

To function optimally, body needs protein, fibre, healthy fats, micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc) and water delivered each day in the right balance and frequency!

On top of all that, we need to eliminate foods that drain our cells, lower immunity, cause inflammation, make us age faster and, ultimately, cause the disease.

EXERCISE

Second pillar is EXERCISE. It might be only 20% of your weight management efforts, however, benefits of exercise far exceed its benefits just for managing weight.

We are wired to move our bodies and what exercise does is quite astonishing. Exercise gives us energy, it releases dopamine which makes us feel better, happier, stronger; it releases serotonin which helps us feel more relaxed and it relieves stress, it helps neurogenesis or body to grow more brain cells; it accelerates learning and processing of information, makes us more alert, have more will power, makes us more motivated…

We are wired to move, all we lack is a habit of doing so intentionally, so, building exercise into our DAILY routine is an absolute game changer.

Best time to do it is in the morning, very first thing! Why? Because of all of the above that I mentioned that happens almost instantly after exercise. Also, because if you don’t, you know it – the day takes over and you are less likely to find time for it later on. How difficult is it to make time for it by just getting up 30 minutes earlier. You are worth it!

If you can go out and exercise in the nature, in the fresh air, it is even more impactful as it can be almost as a form of meditation, but even if you exercise at home, you will be awake, feel strong and ready to face the day.

Also, when you build exercise into your routine and learn about nutrition and start making the right food choices – then you are setting yourself up for success.

Remember, you can be fit, but unhealthy… and you can be healthy, but unfit… The ultimate goal to a long-term overall health is being FIT & HEALTHY!

And we are not done, not yet.

REST

Third pillar is REST.

Rest probably should have been first because it is after rest that we exercise and then feed our bodies. Body that is not rested is body that is not ready for anything. Good rest during the night regenerates our cells, repairs our muscle tissue, deep sleep rejuvenates our whole body.

If you have ever woken up not feeling rested enough, you know the feeling and can appreciate the importance of great rest.

If you have ever woken up feeling rested – you know that feeling too and how phenomenally it feels.

Sleep is a whole different topic, but best advice is to try to get 8 hours of sleep, avoid technology and LED lights 1-2 hours before bed time, as well as caffeine. Sleep in a dark and cool room.

All of those, and many more, help us rest during the night, however, there is another form of rest – relaxation during the day.

Allowing yourself time, even if it is 10-20 minutes to switch off, meditate, have a walk in the nature, clear your mind or even have a power nap that many successful people build into their daily schedule in order to freshen up and it helps them refocus.

There is a huge amount of evidence on the benefits of daily meditation on our well-being as well as productivity.

So, make sure you are not in your head and in all frenzy and activity all day long.

MINDSET

Forth pillar you might think is an unusual one, but it impacts our health massively – working on our HEALTH MINDSET. I am sure you have heard “80% nutrition, 20% exercise, 100% mindset!” Because we are creatures of habit and building healthy habits is built in the mind first!

Everything starts with a thought and healthy starts from making a CHOICE to be healthy, every single day. And this, in my opinion, is indeed the pillar worth mentioning because it is exactly with mindset itself that most struggle with before they can achieve health or reach their health, wellness, fitness goals.

Once we choose to be healthy, we need to start working on building habits that support our healthy, active lifestyle so we can continue taking action and feeding our bodies with the right nutrition, exercising our body daily and giving it rest and relaxation it needs.

To build those habits, we need to invest time in surrounding ourselves with people, influences, education, support that will help us achieve that.

We need to keep feeding our healthy mindset with healthy thoughts so our healthy active lifestyle continues to manifest itself.

So, how do YOU support your mindset?

Remember that if people around you are unhealthy, there is a nearly 50% chance you will be too. So, you must surround yourself also with positive examples. Find a coach, find a running buddy, enroll yourself on to a health programme that fits your lifestyle and gets you the support and education you need, etc.

So, think about this for a moment:

  • Who are the people around you?
  • What have they got you thinking? Reading? Doing?
  • Who are you following on social media? I am serious here. Who are your influencers?
  • What are you reading, listening to, watching?
  • Where is all that leading you?

If you want to be healthy, but are following, as an example – deep-fried pizza recipes on social media, or slogans how life is too short and should be enjoyed without limit so you can eat what you want and when you want it… you get the picture… Well, clearly none of that is really helpful.

If you have higher health goals, then you need to set clear goals, design a plan, surround yourself with the right support, positive affirmations and, ultimately, take action.

Most importantly, keep educating yourself what healthy is and what it is not because, life is a lot more fun when we are not sick and when we have energy to face the day.

Investment in our health is arguably the best investment you can make because life IS too short and it is worth and much easier living it in a healthy and fit body. Not because fit & healthy defines you and so does not the lack of it. But, because we are all worth living our best versions of ourselves – physically, mentally, spiritually.

I hope my four pillars gave you an insight into areas where you need to focus into making your health more balanced and health goals achievable. If you liked it, please share, because – sharing is caring. 🙂

I believe that health is our greatest wealth and state where happiness resides, so wishing you to be healthy and happy, always!

Yours in Health,

Sanela

Herbalife Nutrition Independent Herbalife Member, Bath UK Healthy Meals
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Work those hormones for a successful weight loss!

If your idea of losing weight is still stuck on the old-fashioned calorie control approach – think again! Or worse – if you rely on your will power – think even harder (that is an exhaustive topic in its own right)!

Weight loss science has long evolved and weight loss has become what it always should have been – a lot more than a number on your scales, for sure.

World is slowly realising that successful weight management starts from within… from nourishing your body as well as mind. By being kinder to yourself from the thoughts and beliefs you have about yourself to being kinder to your body by giving it the nourishment in the right balance so it can thrive instead of being deprived.

We are finally learning, or at least appreciate that we need to educate ourselves, about our bodies and how it functions so that we can eat for health and longevity – and weight management will sort out itself. These days, we can literally abandon the scales knowing that we are good!

Good for our body’s health and that shape is nicely coming along too.

How about that for body positivity! Loving our bodies just the way they are whilst we are building them healthier and better so this vessel can serve us well in whatever our purpose in life is – to raise a healthy, happy family or change the world – which is, kind of, the same thing, don’t you think?

By focusing on what IS – we only perpetuate its existence. Focus on health and becoming the best vision of you – you may be surprised how far THAT takes you instead of being obsesses with the number on the scales!

If you are not there yet and feel you are somehow behind this attitude towards your own health and wellness, don’t worry. It is never too late to start the journey the right way. Perhaps, keeping on reading for starters…

So, how do you get from that place of feeling heavy, lethargic, knowing you are not taking good care of yourself to actually not only losing weight, but also having energy, feeling good about yourself, having spring in your step?

The answer is as simple as – to make your wellness goals a reality – nutrition is the key and, more importantly, eating to balance your hormones related to weight management and metabolism. In the process, it is about repairing diet-related inflammation that exists in the body. Quality over quantity, right? Equally, quality of food is not measured in calories, but what it does within the body – does it feed & nourish your cells or does it damage them.

When our hormones are unbalanced – we age faster, develop disease as well as put on weight as they play a critical role in how body gets energy from the foods that we eat, which is known as metabolism.

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10 Item “Healthy Diet” Checklist

Back in 2004, a year after my first pregnancy, I took what I can only describe as a leap of faith, by embarking on my very first, and luckily last, weight loss journey. Since then, my focus has shifted on long-term health and becoming a better version of myself over the years. Healthier and happier version of me.

However, I did not understand at a time that weight loss is such a big thing for so many people and that choices are so vast that can truly leave a person lost in confusion as well as despair. It is because I never thought of weight before as I never had issues with it myself before my pregnancy.

These days, I imagine it to be even harder for those looking to improve their health or better manage their weight. The moment you open up your email or social media account – you are overwhelmed with health messages, recipes, different diets being promoted from all kinds of experts and influencers in health industry.

I am one of them, right?

Well, who knew that out of my first and very positive weight loss experience, passion was born and so was my calling. Because one thing I knew was that I felt better, not just for the weight I lost, but for the energy & confidence I gained as well as incredible satisfaction from helping others has given me.

With all that, there is also a constant need to remain a student myself as well as educate others on the latest in nutrition and health as, not only through solutions that we offer, but through the education – we can make this world a better, healthier place. Because knowledge is power. Always.

If you are one of those looking for help and not sure where to start, let me give you a few pointers what to look for, so you can make the right choice, the one that is sustainable long-term, rather than go astray or run around in circles.

If you are no stranger to dieting, I am sure you have, at some point perhaps, started a diet or an exercise regime but never got the shape and result you wanted, felt hungry or deprived, lonely, lacked energy or motivation to keep going?

It could be that what you were trying has not been something that is sustainable or lacked support or real science to make a long-term result. Here is my list of what to look for…

1.Focus should always be on body composition rather than weight loss alone as a measure of your progress. Traditional diets focus on a number on the scales rather than on what that weight loss consists of. Any time you go to the slimming class and step on those scales – you actually have no idea what is going on internally and whether that weight loss consists of fat or muscle.

Why is that important? Well, if you are losing muscle, you are also slowing your metabolism which is the quickest way to hit the plateau as well as gain all weight back, and more. And then you diet again and that is how we end up becoming a Yo-Yo dieters.

Diets like this are also a cause of premature ageing, reduced immunity, low energy, poor performance and declined strength. Only when we lose fat and fat alone, our shape starts changing and we are reducing the health risks that fat is causing.

Keeping or even increasing our muscle mass means that we have greater strength, faster metabolism and we only then run a chance of a sustained weight loss. Losing weight AND keeping it off.

2. Focus on balance of macro nutrients, not calories alone! Because if your diet is not balanced – it is not healthy. Full Stop. You may be eating foods generally considered healthy, but only when they are eaten in the right balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates – you will achieve more than weight loss – healthy body composition!

Commit to getting nutrition wise! Protein, whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or meat-eater, should be around 30% of your daily calorie consumption and so should be healthy fats.

So, salad alone for lunch or “everything low-fat” is not good for your body and diets promoting that are not great long-term! It is a sure way to lose muscle instead of body fat and that is not the right way to lose AND keep the weight off, to say the least!

Vegetarian and vegans in particular may struggle with this and if their diet is unbalanced in this respect – it may be the reason for unexplained weight gain or lack of energy and stamina despite eating “healthy”.

3.Focus on calorie quality to optimise metabolism, not just calorie quantity. Traditional diets allow you to eat within your calorie allowance and you are good as long as you do not go over! We need to move away from this outdated thinking because it is a calorie quality that counts far more. 200 calories worth of broccoli will have a completely different impact on the body than 200 calories of chocolate.

So,” calories in-calories out” approach is outdated and we know better now thanks to the science. Your body requires a certain amount of micro nutrients every single day to provide your body with health and vitality, so, the key is, even if you are eating to lose weight, to still hit your nutrient levels.

Nutrition can not be compromised. Otherwise, you WILL see lower energy levels, loss of muscle, and more. Research shows that only 25% of adults consider nutrition when eating. We obviously need more education on why nutrition always needs to be on our minds when eating, not just for an effective weight management, but for general health and longevity.

4.Think about your hormones. Traditional diets completely ignore the role of hormones. Because they focus on just calories alone. We need to know better, so we can do better. Most people do not realise that how we feel, look and even act is regulated by our hormones and we are not just talking menopause.

Everyone is effected by their hormonal activity every second of every day. They also control our body composition. Low quality food, even if it is low-calorie food, will compromise our hormonal activity and our biochemistry.

In particular we are talking about fat burning hormones that completely get out of balance when we eat unbalanced diet and it stops us from burning fat. Remember, it is fat we want to burn? However, when we eat clean, high quality food in the right balance, together with the right kind of exercise – fat burn is ON, baby! This really is the KEY!

5.Focus on meal frequency! The science now shows us that your body can only function optimally if it gets the right nutrients in the right amounts and – in the right frequency. So, the right plan would be the one that allows you to eat more high-quality foods, more frequently.

This would stabilise your blood sugar and satisfy hunger rather than spike it! So, skipping meals, especially breakfast and snacks is a big no-no for most people! Those are also the opportunities to fit in more nutrition.

6.Focus on exercising smarter, not necessarily exercising more. We are almost pre-conditioned to think that when we are trying to lose weight we need to get to gym more, like every day. Science shows us that doing small amount of exercise, but effective exercise that stimulates your metabolism is a lot smarter way.

So, instead of running for hours on treadmill, you are far better off adopting exercising at intervals so you get a varied heart rate. When you combine that with some resistance training – you will far better support your precious lean muscle and burn body fat. Remember that nutrition is 80% of your efforts, so make your workouts effective and no more than 30 minutes per day, on average, is needed.

And, more important than anything – find exercise that you enjoy doing as you are more likely to continue…

7.Focus on eating that promote stable blood sugar levels. Many diets promote low-calorie meals or snacks, however, whilst they are low-calorie, they could be completely unbalanced and messing up your blood sugar levels (calorie quality and balance, remember). The result is – storing more fat, even if weight loss is registering on the scales (loss of muscle due to lack of protein).

Another way we can cause blood sugar roller coaster is by skipping meals or snacks, usually in hope that we will lose more weight. It almost always backfires as research shows – all it does is causes us to over-eat on the next meal. If you truly want to do it the right way and achieve fat loss, avoid any diets that promote meal skipping. Meal frequency matters.

8.Avoid fads, eating plans that have a “fashion” element attached to them… so, high protein diet, low carb diet, high fat diet that is popular right now, etc, or basically, any diet that excludes whole food groups.

It takes years before we can see true evidence and clinical data on those diets and there is already plenty of evidence on some. But, just the sheer fact that they are excluding whole food groups means they will cause imbalance.

It may work short-term, but the imbalance generally means that people can not stick to it long-term. And if it is not a lifestyle thing, it is not right. Only balanced diet is a healthy diet, remember. We must understand that. That means – balanced amount of protein, fibre, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals and trace elements in diet will ensure our bodies get all they need so they can function properly and have strong immunity, slow down the ageing process and help us manage our weight for a long time after losing it.

9.Start with an end in mind – so, if your goal is to be healthy – focus on your long-term health, not on your looks alone and short-term weight loss. It is about long-term health strategy rather than short-term tactics.

For that to happen, your diet and diet of your family, needs to be … you’ve got it – balanced and nutrient dense. It does not matter how hard you work in the gym if you do not control what goes on your plate.

10. Focus on developing healthy mindset, knowledge and insights so you can achieve the shift within. Education on nutrition is so important so that you can understand and make right food decisions, however, working on developing long-term healthy mindset is far more important as it will help you get out of the dieting prison and ensure you can live your life free of negative body image, limiting self beliefs, stay in control of your emotions and a lot more.

So, instead of just focusing on your physical body, the key is to understand your emotions – where they come from, how to accept and process them; your psychology – beliefs and how to change them if they are limiting you in any way; your language – what you say about yourself, food and world around you and how you say it and if you are making any assumptions… etc. Only healthy mindset helps you stay healthy for life and I am sure that is what everyone hopes for.

I hope this was helpful, although it just gives you some pointers rather than in-depth solutions into each. Each of the points is a subject in their own right, but being aware of each can be a step into the right direction..

I am a Nutritional Therapist & Herbalife Nutrition Health Coach and if you would like help with your own weight management, or have any questions, please do reach out, I would love to help.

If you have been inspired by this article or wish to connect or place a comment, please do so further below and, please do share, because, remember, sharing is caring. 🙂

I believe that health is our greatest wealth, health is happiness, so wishing you to be healthy and happy, always

Sanela

Herbalife Nutrition Independent Herbalife Member, Bath UK Healthy Meals
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In defense of “Clean Eating”

The world we live in today is so different to the world we lived in a decade ago. You just take Social Media as one example. It was almost non-existent ten years ago or certainly it did not exist in the same capacity it does today. I am daily overwhelmed and inundated with messages, articles, opinions, research, etc thrown at me.

I am assuming many feel like this.

Some of this information is truly great, some not so much. “Not so much” stuff does not always bother me, but, today, I saw something that, instead of ignoring, I thought of using as an opportunity to throw a different light at it as it is health related and a subject close to my heart.

As the title of the article suggests, it is indeed about “clean eating”. Because, while I thought I heard it all, I was amused, to say the least, to read how one “TV dietitian”, names need not to be mentioned, called clean eating as “unhealthy, another diet and bullshit”, pardon HER French. Well, her 65 thousand (plus 2000 extra since yesterday) followers loved her for it.

I can see the appeal, audience loves when we dare, even swear and throw bombastic claims. Everyone has their audience. However, I can not agree any less and I thought it warrants writing why that is and why you shouldn’t agree either…

Firstly, what is Clean Eating?

Well, clear definitions vary and so do opinions on whether certain foods should be part of it, but, in a nutshell – it is a balanced diet that focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, protein and it is a diet that eliminates processed foods.

I think it is logical and something we have always known to be good for us, however, we have just now given it a name. Mediterranean Diet is probably the closest to clean eating we can think of. Which, in my opinion, is not really a diet, but a way of life for many people and they are better for it.

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Karine’s Story

Karine’s Story “50 lbs GONE but the journey CONTINUES” … Herbalife Nutrition Success Story

My friend Karine has reached an important milestone today, here is her story to date…

“Today is a big day for me as I have reached 23 kg of weight loss… yes that is indeed 50 lbs!

Back in December 2017, I was watching some fellow Herbalife distributors sharing their amazing results on Facebook after completing a 90 programme of healthy eating and fitness.

Having struggled for over 10 years to lose my pregnancy weight and having tried so many different types of “diets”, I thought I had nothing to lose but excess weight and fat and I decided to give a 90 Day programme a go. Unfortunately, I was very ill with allergy and asthma at the time and even spent most of the Christmas holidays indoors as stepping out in the fresh and cold December air was triggering my asthma attacks.

So, I decided I had to treat this problem and get better first before embarking on the programme especially as I knew that it required some form of exercise and I thought that sadly it was not the right time for me to join the next 90 day programme which was due to start beginning of January 2018…

However, deep down I knew that I wanted / I had to give this programme a go and so it stayed in the back of my mind and I was mentally getting ready to join the next wave starting in March whilst getting my asthma under control…

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Herbalife Nutrition Testimonial client Sharon Bath UK
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Sharon’s Story

Sharon’s Story

“I had been meaning to do something about my weight for a while but the time was never right and life got in the way, then Sophie, my youngest daughter, made some less than complementary remarks about my weight and that was the kick I needed to do something about it.  I saw the advert in the Local Look about the local Weight Loss Challenge and decided to give it a go.

My main goal was to lose weight but I also hoped to get fitter and more energetic. I had been unhappy with my weight for some time but had struggled to diet.  If I did lose weight I would put it all back on again.  I was sluggish a lot of the time and worried about my health – I knew I was overweight and unfit and I got coughs and colds all the time.

When I started on the Herbalife programme, I initially found it tricky to manage the protein and calorie count, but I found it really helpful sharing my food log with my coach regularly as this helped me to balance the protein and calories.  Once I had worked this out it became much easier to follow.  Having 5 meals a day meant I was never hungry and I was able to fit the programme into my lifestyle without too much difficulty.  I lost nearly 4 pounds in the first week and this kept me going. The shakes are quick and easy and are brilliant for giving you the protein boost you need in the morning.  Both the shakes and bars are a must for busy people.

I ended up losing 30 pounds in total and the whole journey has been brilliant for me.  I now have more energy and because I am drinking more water my brain seems to be working better!  It is wonderful to go shopping for Size 10 clothes (something I haven’t done since I left school!) and wear things I wasn’t comfortable wearing when I was heavier.  I have also noticed that my shape has improved and my health too.  I get less coughs and colds and my back problem has also improved. I couldn’t have done it without your help, Sanela, and also the support of the group was really beneficial.  When I had a bad week it was nice to know I wasn’t alone and I picked up some really useful tips chatting to other group members.

Support was truly excellent.  I have learned so much about what healthy eating really is (not just salad!) and I have also learned about which vitamins and supplements to take. I highly recommend Sanela, Herbalife & Weight Loss Challenge to anyone wanting to not only lose weight, but learn about balanced eating and how to maintain it once weight loss goal is reached.”

Sharon lost 30 lbs using Herbalife Nutrition plan
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Herbalife Nutrition Independent Herbalife Member, Bath UK
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Lessons and Blessings from my Second 90 Day Challenge

As my second 90 day challenge is about to finish, of course I am inspired to share my insights this time too. Many times down the line I thought I made a mistake for joining as I already got to my goal in the first challenge and I doubted that I will have the same resolve as I did in the first wave from January until April this year. Almost 90 days later, I am so very glad I did.

What was my goal?

Mainly maintenance. I think I secretly wished to be ready for The Next Level, but, I knew, while I had such strong resolve in the first wave, this time I was not as hungry for results as I already got the result that satisfied me. It is true when they say – the biggest enemy of great is good. And sometimes, good will just have to be good enough, as long as the purpose remains to be happy, healthy and strong.

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Tackling Childhood Obesity

Not sure if you heard it – it has been all over the news… The government has issued a 33 page document in an effort to tackle childhood obesity as it is one of the biggest problems that the UK and many developed countries are facing right now.

Nearly a quarter of children in England are obese or overweight by the time they start primary school aged five and this raises to one-third of children who are obese or overweight by the time they leave primary school at the age of 11.

Obese children usually turn out to be obese or overweight teenagers, which can lead them into adulthood also as obese or overweight. Not only that this puts a huge burden on the economy as, statistically, obese and overweight people need more health care (because of obesity related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, just to name major three), but also health of our children determines their opportunities in life, their level of confidence and generally quality of life.

Every child deserves the best opportunity in life, I am sure you will agree.

So, this must be a step in the great direction, although, in my opinion, what is being proposed should be seen as just that – one little step in the right direction. See it for yourself…

Focus on calories

As overweight or obese children are consuming over 500 extra calories a day, emphasis has been put to find ways to reduce calorie consumption, which is in a form of an initiative to list calories on menus in restaurants, cafe, take aways.

This sounds good, however, if a child wants a pizza and dessert and nothing else (which, by default, always has the highest calories) – what is the parent to do? These calorie listings are, of course, not for the children, but for the adults themselves, parents, to make an informed choice and whether it will actually help a child choose a lower calorie option – is another matter.

Sugar Reduction

Reducing sugar, of course, should be at a very heart of any adult’s or child’s health efforts. Government has challenged food industry to reduce the sugar content in their foods and drinks by 20% by 2020, with a 5% target in the very first year.

If a 330ml bottle of a sugary drink has, on average, 40 grams of sugar, the plan is to reduce it to 32 grams. I am sorry, but whilst every little gram less helps – 32 grams is still way too high. The same goes for cereals and other foods and drinks frequently bought by children.

Advertising and Promotion

Of course, then we have to look at all the factors that influence our food choices. So, the proposal is to introduce 9PM watershed on TV for advertising junk food geared towards children. Problem again is – how many children do go to bed before 9PM? (Apparently over 1 million children are still watching TV after 9PM)

What is also proposed is that food companies and supermarkets will not be able to display tempting, sugary sweets at the checkout or advertise multi-buy offers. I think this is a great part of the plan as it will, at least, stop some impulse buys. Disappointing thing may be the lack of incentive to encourage deals on fresh produce as price matters to many, if not most.

Education is the Future

The above are major few take aways from the legislation that we need to know about.

But, how do we get children to naturally choose what is good for them? That, I believe, starts from home. It is parents that need an education and change in their own lifestyle before we can expect them to pass it on to their children. Obesity runs in the families only because of the same habits that members of one family adopt. And habits indeed can last a lifetime.

I remember when Jamie Oliver tried to make school dinners healthier and more balanced – how much resistance there was from the parents themselves. Because they did not know any better themselves. It shocked me every time I saw them angry whilst dropping a portion of “fish & chips” across the school fence to their child who refused to eat a healthy, balanced meal. But, I understood. They simply did not know any better. Period.

Most probably, their parents did not either. How can we expect a child to know any better then?

My children are a testament that it all starts from home. They are no strangers to a ocassional bag of crisps or a biscuit or even a fruit drink. But those are not found in our fridge or cupboard all the time. They are occasional.

Fruit is always available in the house and, being a health coach with an access to knowledge & information and nutritional solutions for a healthy, balanced breakfast and snacks – that is what they grew up with. There is no tooth decays, no sicknesses, no excess weight of anyone in our household. We speak to our boys of healthy choices. They question things themselves. “Mum, doesn’s that have sugar?”

I believe also that it will take many generations before both adults and children are conscious about their health. Perhaps, this government initiative is just a stepping stone in the right direction despite that fact that it is as flawed as it sounds. Perhaps this is the best they can do as food industry is a giant and they are not happy right now even with these minimal changes they have been asked to adhere to.

I hope it is not just to make us all quiet and content that at least something is done. I hope not. Afterall, the future of our economy depends on it as obesity has a potential to bankrupt it.

I am honoured to be in the health & nutrition industry and we need more health coaches to work in their communities making a difference.

I believe, while Government can continue with their legislations, it is our work on the ground that involves education and helping people with their health and nutrition and getting them more active that will have the most powerful ripple effect on how overall habits are changing and, with that, also our attitudes toward health and what is good for us and our children.

Until next time, wishing you a happy and healthy day!

Your partner in Health,

Sanela

My nutritional journey with herbalife nutrition
Author Sanela Categories Health Coaching, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Personal Growth, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Day in a life of a Health Coach

Being a great Health Coach is more than just possessing the knowledge to help others improve their health and sharing health quotes and pretty looking plates of food.

Those looking to make changes in their lifestyle are looking up to our profession for inspiration, so, our work needs to be “true love made visible” so it can have the power to make an impact on others, to touch them and inspire them to self-betterment and becoming better versions of themselves.

For me, Health Coaching is a calling.

People are looking up to us not just for our knowledge, but how authentic we are in our message. We need to be relatable, honest, real, with compassion and kindness for those who are struggling and yet have strength to tell them the truth, the way things are and reality of the journey ahead, not just give a lip service.

And we also need to have integrity to show up every day and be first in line who take inspired action in our own lifestyle to show what is possible, commit to our own self-betterment so we indeed can be great in our profession. Integrity is when we do the right thing when no one is watching. People can spot a fraud. We give it away in our energy or lack of it.

You can not fake authenticity. Authenticity is beautiful. There are people I follow because they are honest and authentic. It also takes skill to be able to communicate it right, but energy is always there and can not be faked.

This article is not just about to show what I do on a daily basis, something I am asked about all the time. Following Get.Healthy.With.Sanela on Instagram would pretty much answer that. I also wish to communicate something much deeper than my “dear diary”while I also give those who asked me what they were looking for.

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Visceral Fat and how to reduce it
Author Sanela Categories Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Heart Health, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

The Truth about Visceral Fat and how to reduce it!

Visceral fat is the official name for the fat around our organs. It is not the same as subcutaneous fat found under the skin (body fat). Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat may, or not, appear together, but it is the Visceral fat that is a real trouble maker.

It causes metabolic syndrome and chronic inflammation that leads to heart disease and diabetes, just to name a couple out of many other conditions it causes. It literally envelopes the vital organs, the kidneys, liver, stomach, and others, making them to work harder. 

Visceral Fat also contributes to high blood pressure by squeezing the kidneys, working them and wearing them out.  It also drains directly into the liver where it infiltrates, replacing functional tissue with fat (fatty liver).

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healthy active lifestyle
Author Sanela Categories Health Mindset, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Personal Growth, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Think Yourself Slim – The Psychology of Weight Loss

I have been helping individuals lose weight for over a decade and a half now and, my belief through my experience is – even the best of the specialists in the world will not be able to help one lose weight and get them to their wellness goals if client is not mentally not ready for it, i.e. if they do not believe and see themselves there already with the burning desire to be at their goal weight or peak health.

The best of specialists would work on psychology first before they can even attempt to help clients with their diet.

I have observed many client’s behaviours over time and, in my experience, if you are one of those struggling to stay on track of your goals, here are just few simple solutions that may help you get on with your wellness plan:

Find your reason WHY

Sounds like a cliche, however, if your mindset is not geared up towards making healthy decisions, you will not be able to stick with any diet or exercise regime. No one can really force you to change anything, and no one should. This needs to be voluntary. Even your doctor may tell you that your health is at risk, but it is you who needs to make a decision to change. Good start, perhaps, is to think how your life would be different if things were different; what would you be able to do if you had more energy in a day, how would it feel if clothes fitted better.

Figure out the way so that pain of staying the way you are is higher than the pleasure that certain foods give you. Think of your why until it makes you cry. Dig deep to find internal motivation that would be a daily reminder and keeping you on track. Then stay with that feeling and a healthy vision of you believing it is possible. See yourself as healthy and at your ideal shape. Then start making health choices as the person who already is healthy and at their ideal shape would. The rest will follow.

Set Realistic Goals

It is almost impossible to transform your diet in one day. It took years to develop bad habits and Rome was not built in one day. When you start with a smaller goal, like drinking more water or eating a healthy breakfast every day or exercising twice a week for a number of weeks, there is a better chance you will reach it. Having all or nothing attitude and wishing to change everything in one go is setting yourself to fail as you do not yet have habits to support all that needs to change. Not YET!

Celebrate Small Wins

Setting smaller, more realistic goals helps you to achieve them. Achieving small goals on a daily basis reinstate your self-belief that YOU CAN DO IT. Celebrate small achievements, raise the standards slowly, keep repeating the process and slowly but surely you will build many new habits that support your healthy, active lifestyle. You would have built them over time and there is more chance they will stick.

Become more Mindful

Many of us eat out of boredom, sometimes when we are stressed or when we are feeling down. Emotional eating is a reality of many of my clients. Next time you reach for a drink or a snack– get in a habit of taking first a moment to decide whether you are actually hungry or thirsty. If indeed thirsty – have water instead. When having a main meal, make sure your portion sizes are right and put as much on your plate as you should be consuming in balance. Think twice before putting extra on your plate. Remember that it takes 20 minutes for the signal to get to your brain to say that you are full. So, eat balanced meals slowly, savour your meal, it will help digestion too. Being mindful goes a long way.

Find Some Support

It is well know now that joining a community of people who share like-minded goals will work out to be more successful. Whether it is a group support or an accountability health and/ or fitness coach, you will stand a better chance reaching results rather than going it alone. University studies show that of those who embarked on a program of losing weight or getting fitter with friends & within community: 95% completed the program compared to 76% who went solo and, after 10 months, 66% of the group had maintained new physique compared to only 25% of those who were on their own. So, you are THREE times more likely to succeed with support!

Commit to learning

Knowledge has a huge power. At this time of Information Age, any piece of information we need to help us make the right choices, whilst conflicting at times when it comes to health issues and what works and what does not, is readily available for us to find it, research it, study it, see what agrees with us and apply it. I believe that education is the most important component and that is why it is such a huge part of my business and how I chose to work with clients. I have seen my retention be the highest with those valued clients that are also committed to the process of learning because they get the best results. Only with learning we develop awareness and awareness is the first step to sustainable change. Always remain a student!

Be Accountable to someone

I have personally seen over the last decade that those of my clients that keep coming to see me regularly either on a 1-2-1 basis or those that keep coming to the classes, like our CobraFIT HIIRT  or past Weight Loss Challenge classes, will always get better results than those that come occasionally, then stop and then try to re-commit again and the cycle continues. All of my clients would have their meal plans & nutrition personalised, so they all have the same tools and mechanics, but regular accountability and support hold the magic key. I now have clients who have been with me for 10 years and they still see me at least once every one to two months, if not more often when they feel they dropped the ball. And they do. We ALL do. And that is OK. It is not about never dropping the ball, but how quickly we pick it up again.

Master Your Inner Game – Stop Negative Talk

While we all know now that 80% of your weight loss is nutrition and only 20% is exercise, I would totally agree that, on top of having the right mechanics and tools in place – your psychology is a whole other 100%. Work on your attitude and mindset daily. DAILY. Listen to the inspirational videos, audios or read books. Set aside at least 15 minutes a day on your personal growth, ideally first thing in the morning. Get up 30 minutes earlier to set yourself right for the day ahead. Set the right intention before the day takes over. Have a picture of yourself when you were at your best (or someone who inspires you) and let it be your daily reminder where you want to go and why making new healthy habits will be worth it in the end. That is what successful people in different areas of life do… work on their vision daily. Start as a winner, think as a winner, talk as a winner. Be impeccable with your word. No negative self talk! Only think in positives…

So, work on yourself more than you work on your weight loss, hence – Think your way to a slimmer, healthier You!

And please feel free to reach out if you would like advice or support! I hope this has been useful.

Sanela Mujakovic nutritionl Journey with Herbalife Nutrition
Author Sanela Categories Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 1 Comment on Here is what happened in 12 weeks when I reduced sugar & salt intake and eliminated wheat & processed foods…

Here is what happened in 12 weeks when I reduced sugar & salt intake and eliminated wheat & processed foods…

I am in Week 12 of my 90 Day Challenge and now I can really see the end of it in sight. It is the next week!

Saying that, my husband and I have already agreed that we wish to continue in as similar manner as we have learnt to live and eat over the past three months time. We are asked often when our diet finishes and the question does create a little bit of resistance in both of us.

While it was restrictive in many ways, I have not seen it as anything that was depriving my body of anything. The only thing that body was deprived of was added sugar, unnecessary empty calories, processed food, alcohol, unhealthy fats, added salt and everything else in between.

So, when you “deprive” your body of empty calories of cakes, biscuits, chocolate, candies, ice cream, crisps, alcohol, and then also white rice, white potato, pasta, bread, processed meats, sauces and other processed foods, etc., I can guarantee you your body will notice.

If you add, on top, home-made cooked meals with lean protein, healthy fats and vegetables as well as nutritional supplements that further enhance overall nutrient intake – your body will truly be able to get to Optimum Nutrition level. That is how it felt, almost for the first time in a long time.

You see, I have always been healthy, I had an interest in health & wellness since I was a teenager, but I have also “sinned”. A lot. When I think about it – most probably, on a  daily basis. Because I could.

Overall healthy eating and supplementation helped me to stay on top of my weight most of the time, with respectable energy levels, and very low amount of illnesses over the past decade, certainly a lot less than an average person. Some may even call this balanced. I used to. Not any more. And I used the word “sin” for a reason. The feeling we get when we do or say something we know we shouldn’t.

After starting my 90 Day Plan, it became clear that this challenge was going to challenge us. Physically and mentally. It was the cleanest plan we could have chosen, science based, balanced, safe and solid. This was important to us. Because of what we believed in personally and it also meant I was not doing all that much different from what I was advising clients to do.

But, starting in January also meant that we would need to go through family’s five birthday events and a few other dinner/ lunch engagements. And we did. Successfully. Without breaking the “diet”. Looking back, here are the changes that took place over the past three months:

  • My husband lost 10 lbs of body fat, with body fat going down from 19% to 14%. Visceral Fat went down from 8 to 5.
  • He used to suffer from digestive issues and flatulence. No more.
  • I lost just over 12 lbs. Muscle mass intact. Body fat went from 29% to 23%. Visceral fat from 4.5 to 3. I am 44-year-old mum with two children… I am very happy with those results. And I can tick off the list getting a six pack, although this has never been part of my list. I now know how to get it myself and how to help others get it too.
  • My skin has never been problematic, but every month, around my period, I would get a spot or two, I always thought they were hormonal. Well, there is no sign of them, I have had clear skin for weeks now without any breakages. I used to use a face concealer, now less and less, most days not at all. I am happy how my skin feels naturally.
  • I used to get painful period cramps and mood swings. This has disappeared too. They say there is no Japanese word for “menopause” as Japanese women do not suffer from it. This is, of course, all diet related. I am hoping, being at the age when menopause is not that far away, that the same can happen to a Western Woman when diet is right. Stabilising my PMS or, rather, eliminating it, gives me that kind of hope.
  • I have a generally sweet tooth, however, after three months of not touching any sweets, cakes or chocolates – those can be in front of me and would not bother me. We have a cupboard with biscuits for the boys if they wish to have something sweet – I have not been tempted to raid it in any shape or form. Craving has disappeared. I truly am free from temptation. I am not saying I will never touch chocolate, but, being in control and doing it when it is my choice, rather than craving, feels liberating.
  • I have more energy, not that it has been lacking, but there is even more of it. Getting up at 5:30AM and doing my exercise routine before boys get up has become a habit and something I truly look forward to each morning.
  • My children took notice of our plan and we are showing them the way, they are asking questions and, with that, learning at the same time. This all is a way of us, as parents, setting up the example.
  • My mental strength has increased. I am tempted each day to go back to old habits or break our 90 Day Challenge rules because of some foods being all around us that are not on the plan or do not serve me, but are incredibly yummy and satisfying. Instead of giving in, I am mindful, I pause, think about it and opt out. And then feel good about it. Really good feeling. This has got to do with more than just no longer being addicted to sugar. This is a CHOICE. And, from whichever angle you look at it – it is liberating.

I used to think my diet was balanced, but forcing myself initially into clean eating, I have grown to like it because my body is thanking me so much each day after following it for almost three months now. I think word “balance” will mean a different thing to different people, but, my approach to “balance” has shifted.

For my body to feel and stay in full balance, diet needs to be clean. Full stop.

Any time when it is not, my body will be pushed OUT OF Balance. Balance for me these days is feeling well and in top form every single day. This is how I want to live. And this is why our plan has never been a DIET.

Word DIET comes from a Greek word DIETA, which means WAY OF LIFE. So, if I have been on a diet, it is a WAY OF LIFE kind of diet.

And, I think, this is the only one that counts and that gives sustainable results over long period of time, so you stay healthy and vibrant for a long period of time.

I focus a lot on eating as it is 80% of your health, but, rest assured, I also think that to change your health, one needs to change their habits in relation to exercise, rest and hydration too. Those, together with clean eating, will give you the best chance to truly live a disease-free, healthy life for a long period of time.

Thank you for reading to the end, hope it has inspired you to live cleaner, healthier lifestyle. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Yours in Health,

Sanela

Herbalife Nutrition Testimonial client Karine, London UK
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

My Friend Karine…

Here is someone very dear and special to me. My friend Karine.

Karine was my very first team member when I joined the business and my very first Supervisor. Karine is kind, hard working and very intelligent. She saw what I saw, where hundreds around us didn’t. She had an incredible product result. There was a point in my business when I was made redundant when I got so low and it was Karine who, with her act of kindness, enabled me to keep myself afloat and IN the business until I sorted myself out. And I did. I have been trying to repay her ever since. I, basically, owe Karine forever. She REALLY paid it forward.

In my soul searching, this is an important thing never to forget or take for granted. Those that were there for you when you really needed it.

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Focus 4: Summer Shakedown 4 Week Challenge Sanela
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 1 Comment on My results of a 4 Week Challenge

My results of a 4 Week Challenge

It has been exactly four weeks since I decided to embark on the journey of cleansing my body of sugar and toxins, reducing my overall body fat and really proving to myself that I can be this fit and strong woman and mother in her mid forties.

I am already delighted with the progress I made to date, and, even more importantly, I enjoyed every moment of this journey!

My husband is too with already his lowest ever body fat of 14%.

Why was this important to me in the first place, I wonder? When I ask myself that, my immediate gut feeling leads me to the answer that has less with body image, but with the disciplines and struggles one needs to have in order to achieve it.

I do not necessarily want a muscly body, the one you see at body competitions, but I do admire the sacrifice and hard work, blood and sweat one goes through in order to achieve it.

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Anna's herbalife nutrition story
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Anna & Phil’s Story

Anna & Phil’s Inspiring Health & Nutrition Testimonial

One of the highlights of 2017 has been meeting Anna, who then also introduced me to her husband Phil. I was very interested in Anna’s work as a Pranic Healer and we soon both realised we needed what the other one offered in order to increase our well-being to the next level.

Anna is a wonderful, gentle soul and I am proud to call her my friend too. Anna and her husband have been coming to see me for about 6 months now and they have remained open-minded, keen students of improving their general health & nutrition, eager to apply what I suggested, so no wonder they had such great results. Here are their stories…

Anna’s Story:

“I will always remember the day I met Sanela at a Well Being Retreat Day run by World Health Heroes, I had a Pranic Healing stand and Sanela a Herbalife stand.

We soon got talking and realised that each of us had just exactly what the other needed! I was overweight and my eating habits although full of goodness was also full of comfort and binge eating tendencies!

Feeling quite low in my self-esteem as far as my weight was concerned. Sanela caught my attention as she was clearly passionate about her subject but knew exactly how to approach a delicate subject when it came to standing on the scales and discussing the rather negative results!

I became avidly interested with a bio age of 68, yikes I needed help! Sanela has been a wonderful support and coach. I have felt nurtured and respected all the way, no pressure to buy the products, an all round positive and encouraging experience.

Myself and my husband continue our monthly visits for our assessments, a trip we always look forward to. I am now feeling wonderful about my body, feeling confident and so positive that you feel like shouting from the rooftops! Yeah we did it!

I have lost over 2 stone and my hydration, muscle mass, visceral and body fat our improving month by month, I am now in the healthy sector (unlike before!) and my metabolic age is 27 years lower.

The shakes and protein bars are our favourite, yummy treats and still loosing weight! I have recommended Sanela to many friends who are now going through the same process and having a wonderful experience.

Sanela has a zest for good health and a positive lifestyle, this is reflected in her ever dedicated work with Herbalife. I am so privileged to be working with such a wonderful person. I would recommend Sanela to anybody who would like to make some life changes concerning their diet, you will be transformed!

Anna.”

Phil’s Story:

“Having been to various gyms, pop out for a run once or twice a week I felt quite comfortable in the knowledge that my 14.5 stone 6 foot frame was ok, and although there was a slowly increasing waist line from 34 inch ( first married, playing rugby ) to current 40 inch 33 years married there was no problem as my runs would enable me to eat and drink what I like with no worries. Or maybe not…

Anna my wife came back from a Well Being Retreat Day run by World Health Heroes one Saturday and began to tell me about this remarkable lady she met namely Sanela who though her work helps and advises people with nutrition via a product called Herbalife.

My wife starts to explain her findings ( I quietly sit and listen, which I have learnt it’s best to do through married life ! ! ) and to be fair she was quite shocked with the initial tests and results. would I be interested ? well maybe and so went along to meet Sanela.

Sanela has proven over time since we first met to be a totally enthusiastic, happy and very professional fountain of knowledge regarding nutrition and the Herbalife program, guiding you through the best approach to help you achieve a more healthy lifestyle without any pressure being applied.

My initial results were not too bad really ( he says smugly ) apart from my Visceral fat which was high and this being the main focus for reduction. Now I am skillfully guided via a monthly visit to Sanela who alongside my wife produce a more healthy eating way forward. I now eat more than I used too… a balanced shake for breakfast instead of a large bowl of salt and sugar cereal, a midmorning protein bar, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, second shake if I go for a run.

So the net change over several months is I am now a 36 inch waist 12 stone 12 pounds, still the same height 🙂 my runs are 10 minutes quicker, and feel so much lighter.

Without doubt I have been educated (never too old) to a different way of thinking, along with the positive results and encouragement it’s a huge thank you to Sanela.

Phil.”

I have personally always been open to alternative health practices and Pranic Healing and meditation have found me at the point in my life when I was seeking more spiritual connection with the world around me and within myself.

Pranic Healing is an energy medicine system that manipulates body’s vital prana or force in order to facilitate neccessary healing. It has also made me realise the greater role we all play in increasing the health and energy of the world in which we work and live.

I believe we are all energy, spiritual beings having a human existence and what we think, eat, do will have an impact on our own energy as well as an effect on the world around us.

Pranic Healing helps me balance and cleanse my energies, while I work daily on my physical well-being regarding choices I make on how I treat and nourish my body as well as my spiritual and mental well-being regarding what thoughts and experiences I choose to feed my mind with and what feelings I choose to cultivate.

Together they work to achieve energy balance, vital for our well-being. Anna is a great Pranic Healing therapist and I recommend her highly. She can be contacted on 0751 650 0569 or visit www.ukpranichealing.co.uk for more information.

For help with nutrition and general health, please do not hesitate to contact me and see ways in which we could work together.

Ann's herbalife nutrition success story
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Ann’s Story

Ann’s Story: Delighted with the results in time before 71st birthday

It was my local client who introduced me to Ann, her dear friend who lives in Liverpool. I have not yet met Ann, but, distance is not a challenge when client is ready to make changes as wonders of technology enable us to communicate despite the distance.

Eight months later, Ann continues to make great progress and here is her story to date she was happy to share hoping to inspire more people who wish to lose weight and improve their health… and I am very grateful to her for that…

“I am a 70-year old woman and have been gradually putting on weight for some years. At my annual check-up at the doctors last summer, I measured 5 foot 6 and weighed 13 stone 4 pounds. A photograph taken at the same time brought me up short! I honestly had not thought that was what I looked like.

At that time I was also suffering swollen ankles, not only as a result of long journeys. I did go for walks on a regular basis and I have never been one for eating sweets, preferring starters to deserts but I did like bread and potatoes, pasta and cheeses and I drank alcohol in moderation.

In October, a friend recommended Herbalife as she had started to follow the regime and found it successful. After a telephone consultation with Sanela, I was given a personalised nutrition plan to follow…

Breakfast/ lunch: I am fortunate in that I have always liked milk drinks and have found Formula 1 shakes very tasty. Over the months I have mixed the Soya milk and the Vanilla Formula with half a banana and the semi-skimmed and Vanilla Formula with steamed broccoli spears or spinach.

I have mixed the Red Berry Formula with strawberries or stewed rhubarb. (I found raspberries left pips and blueberries tough skin, when blended). This breakfast is very quick to prepare. When on holiday, I substituted a Formula 1 meal bar for breakfast (yoghurt and acai berry). These bars can normally be used for lunch, too.

Mid-morning/ midafternoon: There were a number of options, I have chosen between Herbalife protein bars, Herbalife tomato soup (delicious!), Herbalife Soya beans, cottage cheese and walnuts and poached egg and half an avocado on small piece of wholemeal bread.

Dinner: I followed the advice and had a small portion of potato or brown rice, lean meat or fish and vegetables or salad. I have cheated on occasions and had an Indian takeaway but with my own rice. Supper is not on programme but I have Ovaltine with skimmed milk.

At each of the main meals, I also have 1 x Formula 2 Multivitamin & Mineral tablet and 2 x Fibre and Herb tablets with a glass of water. I have also tried to drink as much water and/or herbal tea as possible to reach the 3 litres a day recommendation. I start the day with hot water and lemon.

When on holiday, I tried to be careful, especially in the size of portions and found that I did not regress or only by a small amount which I shed once I went back on the programme. I try to do 50 minutes exercise 4 times a week (unless it rains) and I walk a lot. I still drink alcohol in moderation.

Results: My swollen ankles disappeared immediately. I have lost 33 pounds, 6 inches off my waist, 5 and half inches off my hips, 1 and half inches off top of arms and 2 inches off the top of my legs. I don’t feel hungry and I feel so much better in myself. People are very complimentary (I do wonder what they thought before!) It is now a pleasure to shop for clothes as a new wardrobe has been needed! 

Sanela, my Herbalife coach, has rung me every week. I have appreciated her advice and encouragement.  She has helped me to keep following the regime and to refocus on the occasions when there has seemed to be a lack of progress. I have been delighted with the results so far and would recommend it to anyone in need of support and personalised nutrition plan.”,

Ann Hughes

Herbalife Nutrition Independent Herbalife Member, Bath UK
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 1 Comment on Sari’s Story

Sari’s Story

Sari’s Story: Journey from running out of clothes that fit to feeling fabulous!

“On 24th November 2016 I ran out of clothes, nothing I owned fitted me anymore.

Time for change, I joined a gym, started walking and did exercise workouts at home, I was 86.5kg at the time, I worked hard with the exercise and two months later – I weighted 84.2kg, I could not believe how little weight I had lost for all the effort!

To up my exercise I joined my local CobraFIT workout class, I was surprised to see a few people I already knew at the classes and was very welcomed by all and really enjoyed the workout.

Sanela asked if I would like to meet with her and have an assessment and do a 3 day trial of the Herbalife Nutrition. To be honest I was a little cynical as I had tried many diets and felt I knew what I was doing and was doing enough exercise that I did not need to think about my eating habits.

It was truly eye-opening, sometimes you just need the obvious pointed out to you, apparently eating nothing all day (I do a physical job) then nonstop eating anything I could from 4pm onwards is not the best way to lose weight, feel good and sleep well.

I was exhausted every day, not only from the extra weight I was carrying but from lack of fuel to get me through the day.

I did the 3 day trail, I lost weight, felt great and it fitted perfectly into my busy lifestyle. I now make a large nutritious shake with soya milk and a banana in the morning, drink half as I am getting ready to go and put the other half in my flask for lunch. I take 2 high protein snacks bars with me and I am set for the day. I used to crave coffee constantly and could not function in the morning without it, now I crave my morning shake, I do not even think about coffee anymore.

In the evening I eat a smaller portion of the meals I make for my 2 children. Sanela posts ideas on social media and in our group chat, great to have new and healthy meal suggestions.

No more running low all day and then eating the wrong things in the evening.  The cobrafit classes have really helped tone my body and I actually have a waist!!

26th June 2017 I am now 70kg, down from a size 18 to a 14 and still losing at a good rate every week, with total 27lbs lost to date. It really is about getting the balance of Nutrition and exercise right and realising this is not just a crash diet its a lifestyle change.  But it is not only about the weight lose, it about looking after your total wellbeing, something Sanela so positively promotes.

Thank you to Sanela and Cassie for being so friendly and encouraging and really changing my life for the better.

I have certainly learnt you cannot out train a poor diet.

Feel fabulous!”

Thank You, Sari – what a fabulous story and I know you will soon be at your goal, although we always work on our health goals, the work is never done as body needs nourishment above all every single day!

Thank you so much for sharing! You are an absolute superstar!

CobraFIT Bath Community
Author Sanela Categories Health Mindset, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

No need to diet… EVER AGAIN!

The four main factors that influence our weight and how we feel are*: Nutrition: 75%, Environment: 11%, Hereditary: 8%, Stress: 6%. (*Source: www.euro.who.int), so, good news is – we can change a lot through a change in lifestyle!

Through science, we have learnt that Nutrition plays a major role when it comes to not just Weight Management, but also our Heart Health, Energy Levels, Immunity & Aging process, Skin Health and so on.

Losing weight does not always equal health if balanced nutrition is missing!

Most diets you may hear about will usually restrict calorie intake or types of food you can consume. This means, your body may still not be receiving the nutrients it needs – not just for a healthy weight, but for a healthy life – strong immune system, healthy bones, healthy digestion, healthy heart, healthy skin and so on…

Losing weight can be hard. Right? It is a FACT, actually!

Statistics show that among those who succeed in losing weight, two-thirds return to their original weight within a year.

Within 3-5 years only 3% of those who have lost weight maintain this weight loss. Of the remaining 97%, 15% return to their original weight and the majority (82%) put on even more weight.

These statistics may alarm you. Furthermore, contributing factors to these statistics are:

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Group of people running in field.
Author Sanela Categories Health Mindset, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 2 Comments on The Power of Accountability for Weight Loss and Fitness Goals: one key missing ingredient

The Power of Accountability for Weight Loss and Fitness Goals: one key missing ingredient

After 13 years of working with clients on their personal journeys to a better health, weight loss, as well as fitness in the last few years, one thing is for sure – it can be a bumpy ride for majority and hardly ever a straight line.

Many times, despite having the best mechanics for weight loss, it is the psychology that fails us, which makes me believe that 80% is the psychology and having the right mindset to reach our goals. This is probably true for everything in life, not just our health efforts.

Once we have a great plan and a strategy, it is our mindset that needs the most support.

20% of Your Success – Having A Great Plan

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Hrbalife Nutrition Formula 1 Healthy Breakfast Independent Herbalife Nutrition Member Bath UK
Author Sanela Categories Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

How to Eat the Right Foods at the Right Time

While there is so much advice to Eat Right – it might be easier said than done. Eating right means not only making the right food choices, but also eating the right foods at the right time. To keep your mind and body properly fueled, here are some tips to help you to ‘Eat Right’ at the right time:
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Herbalife Nutrition Testimonial client Jenni Bath UK
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Jenni’s Story

Jenni’s Story: Feeling better in my 50s than I did in my 30s

Jenni has been my client for 6 months now and it was one of those moments when she first came to CobraFIT initially that I felt instant connection that I usually feel with people who are just open, kind individuals.

You just have to love Jenni. Whenever there is a new participant at CobraFIT, I know Jenni will immediately try to give them some tips and advice, be kind, tell them how good the plan is working for her and make them at ease. I am so grateful to have Jenni as part of our community, such an invaluable member and now very dear friend too. Here is Jenni’s story to date…

“I met Sanela as I had signed up for her Cobrafit workout.  My journey back to health, up to that point, had been slow to get off the ground and I was looking for a weight training style of workout to compliment my other excercise.

I had been very unwell with dreadful gynecological problems and severe IBS for over 10 years. I had not been able to take the time out of my children’s lives to have the Hysterectomy I badly needed, but 2 years ago I was so ill that I had to have the op…..whether I had time for it or not!

Because of the increasing pain and the lack of energy during that time I had been slowly putting on weight and then after the op I had to recover over the period of a year or so.  Last October, I began exercise for the first time in years. I chose Zumba and I was really enjoying it but it wasn’t enough. So, as I said before, in May this year I found Sanela and her Cobrafit.

I was also at the time really struggling with my diet as I had dislocated my Jaw!! I did the first class and afterwards I spoke with Sanela and she suggested we get together to speak about nutrition. I was sceptical at first. I’m pretty clued up about nutrition and thought I wouldn’t learn anything new…

But, I had nothing to lose. I had  to admit I actually wasn’t doing so well on my own so I agreed to meet up the following day.

After some pretty stark revelations on my body composition and metabolic age I agreed to give the ‘5 day eat clean challenge’ a try. After the 5 days I was convinced and converted, had more energy and was feeling brighter and more able to tackle the challenges of life! I hadn’t really been overeating, I missed so many meals, but I was clearly doing something very wrong. 

I have struggled with food all my life. IBS has dogged me since childhood and on top of that I suffered eating disorders through my teenage years. This had seriously damaged my metabolism.

I am still struggling a little with my IBS to some degree, as I find lots of things upset me. I am working on finding the best combo. However the shakes and the Herbalife supplements are brilliant because it means I don’t have to think about food or worry that I’m getting the right balance of nutrients or what I’m going to have for breakfast and lunch,  Plus including more soya in my diet had an unexpected benefit, as my hot flushes and some of the other pre menopausal symptoms I’ve been having have miraculously stopped and I’ve been able to stop my HRT! 

I have lost quite a bit of weight and dropped a couple of dress sizes, changed shape and am getting pretty fit. More than all if that though I have found a wonderful friend in Sanela. She’s helped me work through the problems along the way and together we are gradually unpicking years of damage. She is so positive and I really value her knowledge and am so glad we met.

The group support we share is also great. It helps to be accountable to the group and also acts like a confessional if we’ve made a mess of things. I am committed to using this way of eating as a life long choice and see no reason not to continue into my late middle age and beyond. I’m 53 now and feel better than I did at 30. Thank you Sanela. Xx”

Thank you so much, Jenni, you are simply amazing and I am so grateful to have you as a part of both our Eat Clean Community as well as CobraFIT, but, above all, as a friend.

When I asked Jenni to write few words, I had to mention that we need to be careful about making any medical claims as our products do not cure anything, they are just great nutrition and body responds well when it gets what it needs, but it is all individual and no result is typical as there are many other factors at play. She did a great job at conveying that message. Thank YOU.

Lejla's Herbaife Nutrition Success Story
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Lejla’s Story

Leyla’s inspiring story of gained confidence and aiming higher

Lejla has been a client for three years now, today being her anniversary of getting started initially and has, on her journey, inspired many around her to take the next step. She is an invaluable member of our Herbalife USA Eat Clean Support Group and I am so grateful for her loyalty and support.

I have not met Lejla yet, but surely look forward to visiting Washington in not so distant future. Thank you so much for your feedback, Lejla, delighted you too have been inspired to dream bigger and I know you will continue to be an inspiration… Here it is…

“Today is exactly three years since I started my journey with Herbalife. In the first 9 months of this long and hard but a joyful ride I lost 35 pounds. In the process, I become a new person. Sanela was there to guide me, provide support and share her knowledge and experience with me. It was not an easy process since she is the United Kingdom and I am in the Unites States. Our whole follow ups and support went through Skype and email.

In this first phase I reached a goal that at the moment I saw as very high. I was full of energy, happy and ready to take on the world. Many of my friends told me that I am completely changed person inside and out. So, I went to maintenance program, and was successful in it for 18 months.

However, this journey made me think about myself as a whole person. What else can I do to improve myself. As result, I challenged myself professionally, started volunteering and worked harder on my personal relationships. My life is busier than ever and I am enjoying it.

Of course there are crazy days, but at least I have now energy to take on these challenges. Throughout all these activities, I realized that I did not reach my final goal for weight loss, so here I am back trying to get there.

To make it more interesting, this time around I am the member of online chat group with wonderful ladies. They are there to remind me about today’s goals and to provide me a support on days that are not going my way. We laugh and cry, sometimes we are crying and laughing on situations that we all are going thru. We share the burden and it is much easier that way.

Thank you for everything.”

Lejla – Bethesda, MD

Maida's herbalife nutrition success story
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 1 Comment on Maida’s Story of Perseverance: Thriving with her Health Tribe

Maida’s Story of Perseverance: Thriving with her Health Tribe

It is then true when they say: “If you want something done, give it to a busy person!”.

Here is my oldest friend, Maida, when asked to write just a few lines about how well program and support are working for her, Maida, in between running a busy office at the major University in the United States, packing for her trip home to Europe in 48 hours, and everything else in between – finds time to also pour her heart and soul into this wonderful story that is so inspiring and brought a tear to my eye.

It is also a testament of a great friendship as one really has to love you to trust you enough to follow your lead and ask for help with something so personal, and then live to tell such incredible story…

“Sanela and I go way back. A long time ago when there was no Herbalife and we were just kids and best friends, Sanela was all about healthy, organic nutrition and exercise. I was probably one of her first clients and faithful listeners because not too many people at the time talked about food so much. She was always so passionate about it. It was only natural to join Sanela on my Herbalife journey.

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Herbalife Nutrition Independent Herbalife Member, Bath UK CLient Testimonial
Author Sanela Categories Client's Testimonials, Health, Nutrition and Fitness Tips & Advice, Weight Management Posted on 0 Comments

Sebila’s inspiring story: Going all the way…

Sebila was recommended to me by one of my clients in Washington, who also happens to be my oldest friend from childhood, Maida.

I made the plan for Sebila based on her body composition and joined her to the Eat Clean Herbalife US Support Group on WhatsApp where we daily communicate daily goals, challenges, meals, recipes and offer general support to each other.

We soon found out that Sebila and my very good friend Sandi from London are cousins (I know, small world!), so I felt even more responsibility for the plan to work for her. Here is her story so far on the plan …

“I started the Herbalife program with Sanela in September 2016, and in a short space of time I already feel better, have already lost 15 lbs and more importantly, for the first time in my life, feel like I can actually achieve my goal weight and live a much healthier lifestyle.

First, the supplements and shakes – they are truly amazing. If you are a busy mom of 2 with a meaningful full time job, a husband and a long commute, you don’t have time to spend all Sunday or hours every day preparing complicated meals. The shakes are truly the best thing for me in terms of time and commitment. They are easy to prepare and you don’t have to think about what you are going to make for breakfast or lunch, you know it’s a shake and you get on with your life. So easy!!!

Second, the online chat group. Well those ladies are truly what keeps me going. Every day, I can’t wait to check in with my food and calorie intake, because I feel like we are all in this together. We share our ups and downs and they are all here to keep me on track.

My life is full of people at the office trying to get me to eat the leftover lunches from meetings or friends who always want to go to dinner to catch up, and the online group helps me navigate those, helps me realize that I have to control myself and keeps me accountable. I feel like I owe them my commitment and it keeps me going every day.

Last, Sanela. What can I say about her that many probably have already said? She is amazing, supportive, knowledgeable and efficient. I am not sure how many clients she has, but to me it seems like I’m the only one and that is truly amazing; that she is able to always take the time to guide me, help me and hold my hand during the rough times.

The fact that she also drinks the shakes and takes the supplements makes me feel much better about the fact that she trusts the products to use herself every day, and she looks amazing.

I have been overweight for most of my adult life. I had settled on losing a few pounds here and there thinking that I’ll never be back to my pre-wedding or pre-pregnancy weight.

Now? My goals are much bigger, I’m not going to get down to just that wedding weight, I’m going for high school weight. And the best part about it, is that with this program and the support I get, I can actually visualize myself achieving them and I know I will!”

Sebila Raubacher, Washington, USA

Thank you so much, Sebila. It is such a pleasure to support you. I am delighted how focused you are and you truly have poured your life and soul into this. I love your attitude. Daily attitude, but what delights me, is seeing that you are dreaming big, as we all should, and planning to go all the way. THAT is truly something. It will be tough, but it will be worth it and all I can tell you – I am with you every step of the way. Thank you for trusting me.

6 months on and Sebila has made a tremendous progress and she is proud and confident enough to share on Facebook (below)

“While I may still have a ways to go, I did this pic today to inspire myself and hopefully others. With a Hypothyroid condition and a busy life, I finally said enough is enough. With the amazing advice from Sanela Harbas Mujakovic and the tough love from Maida Demirovic, Maida Heremic and my trainer Sarah Newhart, I have come so far and am looking forward to being happy and healthy for a long time to come!”

Well done, Sebila, you have been a tremendous team player in our accountability group and look forward to see you getting to your goal and beyond!

Sebila's 70 lbs weight loss with Herbalife Nutrition
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