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.
Brits can not believe their luck with the current hot weather spell and it is a topic of every single conversation. Now more than ever is important to keep our body well hydrated. And there is no better way to do it but with water. Apart from body’s need for air and breathing, water is possibly the second most important catalyst in keeping us alive.
We all know stories of how, in extreme circumstances, some people have survived for weeks without food as long as they had water. It feels almost strange to be compelled to write about water in the first place as it is such basic human need, so what more could I add?
So many clients I work with struggle with fitting enough water in, even when temperatures increase. There are many reasons why we are not fulfilling this basic need. Sometimes, it falls down to the lack of a habit, so there is no natural thirst present.
It could also be down to the fact that many are addicted to caffeine and sugar, so they keep hydrating with coffees and teas, which are slight diuretics – and they have an opposite effect – instead of hydrating, they can slightly aid to dehydration as they are diuretics. Some simply insist that they do not like water.
I once had a client texting me on her very first day of starting her nutrition plan saying that she was gagging on water I suggested she drinks first thing in the morning (just to set the record straight, I only asked her to start with a one single glass of water, not litres at once) So, basic need and yet many issues about it.
There are so many strategies that can help us develop a habit of drinking enough and if I tell you WHY you need to drink water, HOW may, perhaps, sort itself out. And, to those of you who simply love water, hope this inspires you to keep up a great habit!
So, let’s not underestimate the benefits of water:
I am inspired to write something rather different today. Something personal. And yet, something that concerns those who desire, sometimes desperately, to get healthy. I hope it gives hope.
I have been healthy most of my life.
I started being conscious about food when my mother’s breast cancer and her pure will to survive has inspired her to seek alternative ways of beating it on top of cancer treatment she received.
Based on what I now know, she choose foods that reduce inflammation in her body naturally through seeking answers in plant-based diet and that gave her body a fighting chance to heal itself.
I don’t even think she knew why she did what she did, she just knew instinctively by being open to natural healing she picked up from books and advice from people who had knowledge about the natural healing of plants… Fast forward 40+ years, she is a healthy 78-year-old still inspiring with her attitude to health and taking care of herself.
I was only an eight year old girl at the time when she had breast cancer. I remember waking up every day with a fear that I would lose her to cancer. I was fully aware what was going on.
She made close friendships with nine other ladies in Zagreb clinic where they were all treated and all shared one room. Over the next 12 months, I remember phone calls she received being notified of their passing on, one by one.
My father was my rock at the time. Hers too. I remember overhearing her crying to him saying that she feels lesser than a woman after the operation. He replied: “You at least have one. Look at me, I have none!” She laughed. And retold that story many times after that. We still remember it.
Support is everything sometimes. When you feel you are at your lowest point, it can mean the difference between you giving up and picking yourself up again. Support is love. And I felt it. I still feel it. And I am better person for it. I am so grateful for this experience early on. It shaped who I am today.
Having spent over a decade helping clients improve their eating habits, it fascinates me how everyone has different eating patterns and behaviours and motivations as well as how different they all respond to even the same eating plan.
Because we are all wired differently, which is part of the issue as, according to the research (Wansink/ Sobal, 2007), we make, on average, close to 230 food decisions every single day and close to 95% of those decisions are completely unconscious, believe it or not.
This means, we may not be in control of our food choices as we would like to believe. The point of this article is to bring to your awareness what those factors are as, once you have an awareness of them, it may be slightly easier to be more mindful about food choices you make and make alterations to your lifestyle in order to accommodate healthier eating patterns.
And once you practice mindfulness for a certain amount of time – new patterns start appearing with new eating behaviours. So, we feel more in control as a result. And results follow too.
Influences on our eating behaviours can be due to social factors, our own physiology, psychology, hormones, visual factors such as food marketing, olfactory (influenced by the sense of smell), etc. It gets even more complicated when it is not just the single factor as, most of the time, it is more factors at once influencing our decisions and food choices. Here are some of the factors and I have left the most fascinated one for the end, so, stay tuned.
Take SLEEP as a one single massive influencer. There are numerous studies linking sleep deprivation with weight gain. University of California, Berkeley study concluded that lack of sleep made us desire food more and, at the same time, made our brain incapable of evaluating our appetite, whether we were hungry or not. Sleep deprivation has also been shown to increase stress hormone CORTISOL and higher cortisol levels – higher the fat and sugary food consumption, as another study at University of California concluded.
It is all linked to STRESS, which leads to an increased appetite and brain’s inability to make right decisions and controlling our emotions. So, managing stress and improving our sleeping pattern could mean improving the amount we eat and choice of food we eat. Aim for 7-8 hours of good quality sleep.
Almost every single day, more and more studies are proving that sugar is addictive and it plays a major role in the development of many major diseases from heart disease, diabetes, cancers, Alzheimer’s, just to name a few.
So, everyone knows it is bad for us and yet we still indulge in it daily, some perhaps even unaware of its addictive properties.
So, what can we do about it? More importantly, dear reader, could you, perhaps, be one of many who is eating too much sugar?
Some obvious signs that you may be addicted to sugar are:
You constantly crave sugar and simple carbohydrate foods like bread, pastries, cakes, biscuits, coffee with sugar, etc…
You crave meat and salty foods (as a way for body to seek balance as you are eating too much sweet foods – and it works vice versa too),
You can not stop eating simple carbohydrates and “will power” simply does not work
You eat them so much and can get to the point of being sick from the quantity you have eaten?
If any of the above is YOU – yes, you indeed may be eating way too much sugar or simple carbohydrates, in general.
But, do not worry as you are not the only one and it can be changed.
I used to be the same. For years. Because I ate healthily the rest of the time, I convinced myself that it was OK. Everything in balance, right?
Well, wrong!
Feeling that I was not in control and could not stop was driving me crazy.
Nutella was the poison of my choice… I would sneak into the kitchen just to have “one little teaspoon”. And then I kept going for more, until I felt I was going to be sick or realising that in the space of two to three days it was all gone. Guilt galore!
The truth is, with that action, I was undoing all the great work I was doing the rest of the day. Because of the way I felt emotionally (guilty, frustrated, disappointed) as well as physically (possible diarrhea, stomach pain, occasional spots on my face), I decided to take action…
Most people have their poison. What is yours?
Whatever it is, I can assure you that it can be kicked.
The truth is, we all need a small amount of sugar to function.
Government has set daily adult sugar intake to a limit of 90 grams for adults (it includes natural and added sugars), whilst there is no guidance on children’s upper overall sugar limit intake.
There is, however, guidance on the amount of free sugars or added sugar. That limit for adults is 25 grams for women and 37 grams for men, whilst it is, on average, 25 grams for children (depending on the age, it ranges from 19 grams for 4-6 year olds, to 30 grams for children aged 11 and above.)
To put it all in perspective, one can of fizzy drink or a fruit juice is around 40 grams of sugar. So, just this puts us over the limit and you can imagine how much more we could be having if we have a cake or biscuit on top, start our day with cereals or pastries, put dressing on our salads or sauces over our food (that are high in both sugar as well as salt), etc. No wonder we are addicted.
On average, research shows that children, in particular, have three times more sugar than they should on a daily basis. Adults are right there too. It has been estimated that an average Brit is eating sugar by pounds, over 100 lbs of sugar per year.
Have a look what the health implications are for sugar over consumption:
Cycle of sugar highs and lows, which effect our energy levels throughout the day, focus and concentration as well as our moods.
Same cycle causes us to over eat and store excess weight, which, in turn, can lead to diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, just to name a few major conditions that have all been linked to sugar.
It lowers our immunity making us more susceptible to immunity related conditions.
It causes tooth decay that has become more and more common in children
So, given health implications, we must kick the sugar habit, like our life depended on it – because it does!
The science shows that eating sugar emits the same signals in our brain that drugs, such as cocaine, activate. It is easy to give a solution to a healthy, active lifestyle, but, given the nature of sugar, my experience tells me that it is easier said than done.
However, it CAN be done and you CAN do it, you must believe in this!
Here are some tips how you can start kicking the sugar addiction:
Eat three meals and two to three snacks OR five to six small meals a day. For most people, if you don’t eat regularly, your blood sugar level will drop – hunger sets in and so does the craving for sugary/ carby snacks.
Eating a good, balanced breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings. I recommend a very special Healthy Breakfast to all my clients that my whole family use that is easy, quick and nutritious and gives body all it needs in a perfect balance. The typical breakfast full of carbs and sugary or starchy foods is the worst option since you’ll have cravings all day (cereals/ bread etc.).
Try to incorporate protein, fibre & fat with each meal. This helps control blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each. Example: Tofu or oily Fish combined with large salad made out of courgettes, carrots, tomato & pepper in a little olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Take a Pharmaceutical Grade multivitamin and mineral supplement, Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin D3. Nutrient deficiencies can make cravings worse and the fewer nutrient deficiencies, the fewer cravings. Certain nutrients seem to improve blood sugar control including Chromium, Vitamin B3 and Magnesium. Rather than buying them separately, Good quality Multivitamin & Mineral is preferable.
Add naturally sweet foods to your meal: Use a little bit of raw honey rather than sugar is far better alternative. Squash & sweet potato instead of potatoes. In the evenings have plain yoghurt with some berries or some warm honey water. Have a piece of fruit instead of a cake!
Cleanse Your Colon. There are parasites that live in the colon and feed on sugar, making us crave refined sugars and carbs even more. I recommend an amazing programme that helps cleanse colon – Your skin will clear up, you’ll have more energy and retain less water, and pretty much everything in your body will feel and look better than ever, not to mention your sugar cravings disappearing.
Spice It Up. Spices such as cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cloves & cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
Analyse. Write down when and why you are craving sugar to help you come up with what triggers are and a plan to break the cycle.
Explore the emotional issues around your sugar addiction. We could be substituting an emotional need that isn’t being met with sugar.
Get enough sleep. When tired, we often turn to sugar for energy. Also, it triggers cortisol, fat storing hormone that encourages weight gain.
Break habits that involve sugar. Watching late TV, going for a coffee with a friend or to a party almost always involve some sugary food. Read a book instead, occupy yourself, plan your outing and commit before going out to what you will eat and drink and, of course, make a healthy choice.
Practice Distraction. If it works with children, it works for adults too. It is said that cravings usually last for 10-20 minutes maximum. If you can distract yourself with something else, like going for a walk, it often passes. The more you do this, the easier it gets and the cravings get easier to deal with and you will develop habit how to deal with them.
Get Active. Whatever form of exercise you do, be it yoga, walking, dance swimming – it will boost your energy & mood, relieve tension and decrease your need for a sugar high. Exercise has been found to have a positive effect on our blood sugar levels.
No sugary snacks in the house or office. Out of sight – out of mind! Go cold turkey! Sometimes, this is the only way.
Get Educated on food labels. Educate yourself about what you’re putting into your body. Learn to read labels. Food can be very cleverly marketed and that yoghurt that is portrayed as healthy could be loaded with sugar.
Watch Hidden Sugars. Sauces, dips, soups, baked beans, etc… are all loaded with sugar (and salt).
Watch Sugars in Disguise. Most of the complex carbohydrates we consume like bread, including whole wheat, cereals, bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all – they are highly refined & act just like sugars in the body. Same with fruit juices. It is not a substitute for fruit. 330ml of fruit juice contain over 40 grams of sugar – like eating several bananas in one go! The same sugar content as in one can of coke.
Drink lots of Water. Sometimes we are thirsty rather than hungry. Drinking water can help with the sugar cravings.
Eliminate added Salt – as mentioned above, in the same way as too much sugar makes us crave salty foods and meats – also is true that too many salty foods and animal products, especially processed meats, will make us crave sugar as a body’s way of seeing balance.
Work on your Mindset. This may be the final point, but do not underestimate it. It could be the one that makes all the difference. Your mind is powerful beyond measure. You can only achieve an idea if it is clearly planted in your mind and remains a daily focus. Where focus goes, energy flows. Focus on being healthy with vibrant energy and at your goal weight. Why? Because life is a lot more beautiful when you are not sick or lack energy or when can move effortlessly because you are not carrying excess weight. You already know what to choose in order to have that kind of health. It is not easy, but it is worth it! That is how you truly honour the gift you were given that is your body.
Here is to kicking the sugar habit! Because you are worth it!
You are sweet & beautiful already!
Thank you for reading!
Your Partner in Health,
Sanela
Free Wellness Evaluation
If you are not getting the weight management and health results that you are after, Wellness Evaluation can help analyse your diet and find areas where you may be falling short and recommend solutions.
It will help you understand what changes need to happen and why in order to take your health to the next level in a healthy and balanced way…
Local clients can also enjoy the benefit of a Full Body Composition Analysis…
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.
I often ask clients if they would share their story of working with me and how Herbalife Nutrition plan works for them. I believe in story telling as stories are a powerful catalyst in our own transformation, the way they affect us, as well as for the story teller, in terms of reflection they get from telling their own story.
So, when I ask someone to write something it is because I recognise something in them worth sharing with others. I may admire them for their perseverance, commitment, loyalty, transformation or all of it together and hope sharing their story from their own perspective would inspire others into action. We all need more inspiration in our lives.
Also, I believe putting our journey on paper and using the power of reflection can be a great personal exercise in appreciating our journey to date and help us gain clarity and decide on the clearer vision we have for ourselves for the future.
Ramadan is a Holy Month for Muslims all around the world, during which time strict fasting is observed in daylight hours, from dusk till dawn, sunrise to sunset. Fasting, in general, is an ancient and powerful method that can promote healing and regeneration; it can bring consciousness to our life and give us an ability to get in touch with our body and let go of old patterns.
I personally have a very fond memories of Ramadan as a child. My grandmother was a devoted Muslim and Ramadan used to be my favourite time of the year because, as I did not know in-depth the true meaning of it until I was older, I enjoyed the custom of bearing gifts for children, usually in money and new clothes.
House would have been cleaned from top to bottom prior the start of Ramadan, with crispy, brand new or freshly washed and ironed bed linen, even carpet rugs would have been washed in the garden, if season allowed it, and there was this excitement and anticipation in the air.
When it was time in the evening to break the fast, food was so plentiful and colourful. Some of my favourite dishes were almost exclusively cooked during Ramadan, like my favourite dish with okra – “bamija”.
It feels great to be 43 and often complemented on the health of my skin and asked what my skin regimen is.
However, before I say what actually goes ON my skin, it is impossible to talk about skin health without talking about overall nutrition…
Healthy skin is a lot more than just skin deep, so nourishing your skin starts from the inside first. No cream or skin regimen will be a good substitute for a bad diet or lack of sleep and rest.
One does not need to be a skin health specialist to say with confidence that what we eat and drink will show itself on the outside too.
From personal experience, the moment there is more sugar in my diet, more fat or processed food, especially lack of water or good night’s sleep – my skin will feel it too, not just my overall body, be it digestion, energy levels or else.
It is also well known that teenagers who suffer from skin conditions like spots and acne almost always benefit and see skin improvement when decreasing saturated fat and sugar in diet, starting with replacing sugary cereals in the morning with healthier and more balanced breakfast options.
The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday has been around since the 15th century, when certain produce, especially perishables like eggs and butter, had to be used up before fasting began a day later in Lent. Saying that, anything else could go in, therefore, pancakes could possibly be made with anything, not just eggs, butter and flour.
And I like that idea a lot.
Hence, I had an idea of spicing up my pancakes a bit and, when researching for savoury pancake ideas, I could see I was not the only one.
Eggs are a great source of protein, around 6 grams per egg, and all nine essential amino acids. They could also be an excellent source of choline and selenium, and a good source of vitamin D, vitamin B12, phosphorus and riboflavin. Poached eggs are a great way to enjoy them.
I have never attempted poaching them until recently, however, have not done very well as they need to be very fresh and freshly bought does not necessarily mean fresh. I even got a special pan, but did not like the fact that eggs were sticking to it. Then some swear by adding vinegar to the water – I can not think of anything more revolting then for my eggs to taste of vinegar.
So, I am forever thankful to the maestro everyone knows, called Jamie Oliver, for coming up with poached egg parcels idea.
By adding some veggies to it, they are quite an exquisite experience. I tried them today for the first time and they are a winner! I made egg muffins before, but this was even quicker and less messy.
place a piece of cling film over a glass, cup or a small sieve
break an egg into it
add some chopped veg (I used spinach and red pepper)
add salt, pepper and even chilli flakes to taste
close the parcel and place in hot water
for one egg alone – they are perfect at boiling for 3 minutes; 4 minutes or longer with veg
take them out of a wrapper once done and enjoy on its own as a snack or as a part of a balanced meal
For more protein, I would suggest 1 egg and 2 egg whites per parcel (around 16-18 gr protein) and extending cooking time to 5-6 minutes.
My boys already ordered some today after school with cuts of turkey rushers in it. I bet it would go great with some smoked salmon too.
Healthy snacking is an important part of our diet and lifestyle for many reasons:
It prevents us from being too hungry and over-eating for lunch or dinner by helping keep blood sugar levels stable;
It is an opportunity to sneak in some veggies or fruit to increase our nutrient intake of vitamins, minerals and fibre;
Keeping our lean muscle on throughout life depends, apart from exercising, also on eating enough protein, therefore, balanced, protein snacks are a great way to help us reach our daily protein requirements.
When creating meal plans for clients, snacks play an important part for all the reasons mentioned above.
For a snack to be considered healthy, we need to take into consideration both energy it gives us (we want just enough calories to keep hunger at bay until next main meal) and balance (low in carbs and high in protein, healthy fats and fibre, which all nourishes, but combined, also keeps blood sugar levels stable).
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:
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.
Protein Balls seem to be in fashion at the moment and there are many recipes – some I tried and they are to die for, but not all would constitute as a protein snack, in my humble opinion.
I have seen many with over 200 calories and with not even 5 grams of protein. Just adding nuts does not hugely add to protein but it can add hugely to calories. And this does not work for me.
So, based on some recipes I have seen, here is the one I came up with, but promise to keep trying improving on the protein v calories ratio:
150 gr of almonds (944 calories/ 32 gr protein)
100 gr Herbalife 24 Powder (380 calories/ 51 gr protein)
20 gr coconut oil (172 calories)
30 gr of raw honey, the one that bees actually make, not industrial (92 calories)
tablespoon of vanilla extract or (for adults) some rum
for garnish: sesame seeds or desiccated coconut and/ or raw cocoa powder
Mix it all in a chopper or blender until you get thick paste and using a bit of coconut oil on your palms – mould into balls and then roll in sesame seeds or desiccated coconut and add a sprinkle of raw cacao powder and, voila, they are done. Put your feet up and enjoy.
I decided to use Herbalife 24 Rebuild Strength, normally used for a recovery shake after a strength training, because it contains array of essential nutrients, but also because I just love its distinctive chocolate flavour, reminding me of Baileys.
For my snacks, I am always looking for around 8-10 grams of protein under 150 calories and this snack just about does it. Above makes 12 balls each 25 grams and they are under 140 calories and 7 grams of protein. Not too shabby at all and these protein balls are amazing and will be loved by everyone in the house.
The only two questions that run through my mind are where to hide them safely so they do not disappear in a flash and how to stop myself from not eating more than one in one go as they are superb and literally each is just one bite? Hmmm… But, mmmmmm….
I really wanted to do a little video to address and extend gratitude to all the people who made 2016 really special for me. Here it is…
I also hope you do not mind me adding some thoughts that did not make it into the video message…
I feel I should start by acknowledging that year 2016 has been a difficult year for many and my thoughts are with the people of Syria and the people who are suffering right now in various pockets of the world.
As a Bosnian, I feel tremendous pain that tragedy like this is allowed to happen again and feel powerless to do anything about it, as I am sure many feel right now too.
World is watching, still. I can not help wondering what can we do individually. There is almost a sense of guilt for continuing each day to live the life I do, we all do, whilst so many people are dying and have died. I turn to great thinkers of our time Dr Wayne Dyer, Ekhart Tolle and more for a perspective that I know will be different to the feelings of anger and desperation we are all currently exposed to in the media, especially social media, because I do not think those feelings will solve anything and they surely do not lead to peace.
I saw this recipe at Tasty and really fancied making it as it was incredibly simple to prepare, literally it took a few minutes and once it is baked, all one had to do is to enjoy it…
I can see this dish being great for one person but also to impress a few guests too as a choice when entertaining… It was very tasty, simple and did I mention also quick to prepare?
The link to Tasty explains the recipe in full, but, if you prefer to stay on this page, here it is:
Oil the baking dish and toss in it some spinach and asparagus and add some salt and pepper and mix it all together.
Put fillets of salmon over it, break one egg per person over the spinach too and add more salt and pepper to the fish and egg (Next time I may add some chilli flakes too)
Bake on 200 C for 30 minutes and then serve with some lemon juice over the salmon
Enjoy, it is an order!
I added some asparagus for better balance of veggies and fibre as there isn’t much in spinach unless we eat a huge amount of it…I used ocean caught salmon from Waitrose as we all know the dangers of farmed salmon by now. Now you just have to try it yourself!
I don’t think I have ever been excited as much as I was when Herbalifeline Max was announced to be released in Winter 2016.
I remember a training few years ago when one of our leading medical doctors mentioned that whilst our Core Nutrition, helps us reach optimum nutrition as part of a healthy eating regime, one other thing they would highly recommend adding to our daily nutrition intake are Omega 3 fish oils in form of a supplement on top of a healthy and balanced diet.
To most people I speak to, thinking of fats as healthy seems to go against nearly every piece of nutrition advice they have ever had in the past, but, this sentiment is slowly changing as nutritional science is discovering more and more benefits of healthy fats.
There are certain types of fats that are considered healthy and that are actually essential to the body.
You see, our body requires a small amount of fats that help our bodies to function properly. Some fats are healthier than others and Omega 3 that are unsaturated (polyunsaturated) are considered to be better for us as they are proven to keep blood cholesterol within normal range, amongst other benefits.
Herbalife Nutrition Philosophy recommend getting 30% of our daily calories from fat with special emphasis on optimising our daily intake of healthy fats.
Getting more fats from saturated sources can lead to health problems including weight gain. Research shows that the intake of saturated fats in adults in the UK often exceed recommendations, with average intakes ranging from 9-26% of daily calories intake. (Source: EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies, EFSA journal 2010)
Healthy fats are found in fish, nuts, olive oil, avocados, to name a few main sources. Different types of fish have different amounts and to ensure we get those good-for-us Omega 3 oils, it is recommended we consume at least twice a week oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
However, studies show that some Western diets are very low in long-chain Omega 3 fatty acids.
The European Food Safety Authority recommends adults to consume 250 mg EPA and DHA per day, however, this can be difficult to reach, which is why a dietary supplement is recommended and can be helpful in helping us gain the benefits of EPA and DHA (omega 3 fatty acids) to keep our heart heathy and maintain normal brain function and vision, as well as maintenance of normal blood pressure and normal blood triglyceride levels.
Our Herbalifeline Omega 3 supplement contains 250 mg of EPA & DHA and I have been consuming it for years. However, company went a little bit further with the release of NEW Omega 3 Supplement – Herbalifeline Max:
It contains even higher levels of EPA and DHA per capsule, which delivers even greater heart, vision and brain benefits:
One capsule contains 1063 mg of fish oils, out of which Omega 3 fatty acids: 375 mg EPA & 250 mg DHA
Four capsules contains 4253 mg of fish oils, out of which Omega 3 fatty acids: 1500 mg EPA & 1000 mg DHA
Five capsules contain 5315 mg of fish oils, out of which Omega 3 fatty acids: 1875 mg EPA & 1250 mg DHA
New formulation comes with key claims:
Taking 1 tablet per day contributes to the normal function of the heart (daily intake of 250 mg of EPA & DHA), normal vision (daily intake of 250 mg of DHA) and normal brain function (daily intake of 250 mg of DHA)
Taking 4 tablets per day contributes to the maintenance of normal blood triglyceride levels (daily intake of 2g of EPA & DHA)
Taking 5 tablets per day contributes towards the maintenance of normal blood pressure (daily intake of 3g of EPA & DHA)
New sustainably sourced fish oil is accredited by Friends of The Sea, supporting the same respectful values for the marine habitat
It is a new vegetarian gel capsule, suitable for vegetarians and also contains the exclusive combination of essential oils from thyme and peppermint to eliminate any aftertaste.
So, one capsule per day and so many benefits. Exciting or what? Please do not hesitate to connect should you wish to find out more.
Remember also that if your body composition goal is to lose fat, this does not mean that you should stop consuming fats. On the contrary…
Wherever you go, come back home. Strangely or not – home being where the heart is – I have two homes. One that was built for me and one that I built. I have built my home here in England since 1993, but heart always takes me back to my home in Banjaluka, Bosnia, where I was born back in 1973. I left when I was nearly nineteen, on my own, and those first years were turbulent as I did not leave by choice but necessity as war was starting in Bosnia.
But, I do not want to talk about the war and those unsettling times. Everyone has their story how war found them and where they ended and how they felt. And everyone’s story is heartbreaking if you care to truly listen and forget about yourself for a moment, some more than others when you factor in families they lost, including everything they lost that they have built over the years, if not decades for themselves and their families or inherited from ancestors.
Everyone dealt with personal loss in their own way. But, all I know is that, thankfully, we live in better times right now (well, different times, and bad times still happen to someone else right now somewhere on Earth) and memories of my happy and beautiful childhood are bright and shiny as they ever where. I am so grateful to be born in this beautiful part of the world, it made me who I am today with all the good as well as all the bad and ugly.
Some mornings are just better than the others. Even for me, one that believes in getting up and greeting each day with smile and gratitude, there are mornings when I could just wish I could put a pause button… so I can freeze time and everyone around me whilst I snooze for another hour or more, then, when fully rested, I then get invigorated and energised after I first take a shower, do at least ten minutes of meditation, give my thanks, do twenty something minutes of exercise, plan the day (oh, I did that the night before, right?), make breakfast before everyone is up, … then unpause at 6:30AM and “voila” – happy days, everything is ready for the day, no morning rush and I feel like million dollars!
My mother is a breast cancer survivor. She is the only one of 10 ladies that were treated at the same time back in 1980 in Zagreb hospital that survived. The other 9 ladies died within the same year, may they rest in peace. Actually, most of my childhood I thought my mum was going to die too. I am telling this story to celebrate her recovery and the fact that she is still alive and healthy, soon to be 77 and probably healthier than most of her age.
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:
Here is another great and simple idea for a main meal that is high in protein, fibre and nutrients. You will need 1 small squash, 200gr low fat cottage cheese, 1 egg, salt pepper and choice of veggies for salad. I used samphire that I just lightly turned on heat for a few moments in olive oil.
With Christmas holidays right around the corner, people are gearing up for one last battle of the bulge before “goodie season” settles in. But fasting, living on lettuce leaves, or excluding entire food groups won’t cut it in the long run, because it’s just too hard as well as unhealthy and the slowed metabolism, binging, and self-recrimination that follow can make a weight problem even worse.
