What you do today for yourself both mentally, physically and physiologically has a huge impact on your life tomorrow.

In the wise words of Zac Efron from his new series, Down to Earth he says; “We don’t like to think we are growing older even though we are constantly doing it”. When we are in our twenties and even thirties, we often feel a little too invincible to the real world and the happenings within us. We often neglect to remind ourselves of the importance of healthy aging which begins while we are young. Although our metabolisms are in it’s prime and we may not pick up weight as quickly or feel the effects of what we put into our body immediately, it is important to remember what we put into our body today will have an impact on it tomorrow. 

This is a topic that resonates with me and has been on my mind for a while now, too often I see friends or people I know of neglecting their health for which I can assume 4 reasons; 1. They are unaware of the importance in healthy eating and living 2. They are somewhat too lazy to try and make an effort on doing so 3. They think just one more won’t hurt (200 times over) 4. They don’t really believe the impact it will have on their life in a few years time.

In just over three months, I will officially be a qualified Sport Scientist and with that comes all the amazing knowledge I’ve learned over the years about health and wellness, the importance of exercise, eating well and the disadvantages of doing the opposite. Although it would be nice, we youngsters unfortunately don’t have a free diet pass, a healthy diet is so crucial at every age and if there was one thing I want this post to do, it is to to urge you to be mindful of the food you put into your body and maybe think twice before you have to decide between a cheesy pizza or a chicken salad! Living a disease free life is what the goal should be and this is how its done..

Your future self will thank you for it

This is probably the most important point I want to get across to you. We all know the saying  ‘prevention is better than cure’, If you are mindful of being healthy both mentally and physically now, you’ll be putting your body at less risk for health problems and diseases later on. Working out and eating healthy is more than just losing weight and ‘looking’ a certain way, if you are purposefully introducing healthier habits into your life your body will be able to function at it’s best and in turn, it will feel so much better in the long run. 

Eat right to have more energy

I am sure somewhere along the road you have heard of the term ‘brain food’. The brain is an organ that uses energy and takes about 20% of the body’s calories in order to function, that’s why it is so essential to ensure you are fueling it with the necessary foods. It also needs good whole foods to remain healthy, just like the rest of our body. 

Consuming foods that are full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals is vital in ensuring health whether it be brain health, gut health, heart health – it is all relevant and they are all interdependent, meaning they influence one another. Eating the right kinds of carbohydrates, fats and proteins will provide you with more energy throughout the day, you will be able to function for longer periods of time before feeling fatigued and your overall mental health will improve too.

You’ll feel better about yourself and attract healthier habits and people

It is no doubt that when you eat healthy, you feel healthy. When you are putting the right nutrients into your body and working out a bit more often than usual, you will begin to notice that your body will be able to perform efficiently and function a bit more adequately then usual.

Another part of your body that will thank you for it is your skin, remember what you put inside your body will show on the outside. If you are eating wholefoods and saying no to extra greasy and cheesy foods, your skin will start to relish. You will glow and in a few years time, your skin will reflect the healthy habits you began when you were younger.

Stretching

I don’t want to limit looking after yourself to just the foods you consume, simple things such as moisturising after the shower or doing 5 minutes of stretching every morning will all have a huge impact on you in the years to come.

Stretching has a wide variety of benefits for both the younger generations and older populations. Stretching when you are young can help prevent many injuries from occurring as you get older, and is also known to help prevent or minimise the risk of certain diseases such as arthritis. It helps maintain mobility and balance which are crucial the older you get, as it’ll prevent you from falling.

So as you can see, there are so many important reasons as to why you should look after yourself from a young age. Don’t do it for me, or your friends, you should do it for you because you love your body and you want to look after it so it can look after you the older you get.

and Just like that it is the end of the decade and the start of a new one! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

What a ride 2019 was, full of ups and downs. It was by far the most challenging year of my university career yet and definitely a year where I grew and learned so much about who I am, who I want to be and where I want to go from here. 

I know what you may be thinking, “Jean, it’s literally a month and a half into the new year – you’re a bit late” and while that may be true, I also don’t think there is ever a time limit for setting yourself goals. Regardless of where you are in the year! If you feel it within you, go for it.

I have thought long and hard about my resolutions for this year. Usually I go into the new year with a clear mindset of what I want to achieve and how I plan on doing so, however this year it was a bit more different for some reason. I had not thought about it until mid January. I took some time to detox from the copious amounts of food I’ve eaten and to assess what my plan is for 2020 and I came up with some very distinct and clear resolutions that I am sure many of you will relate to as well. 

• 1. Self-acceptance

This one is an important one for me. Over the past few months I have come to realise that I am too much of a critic of myself. Everything that I do or say, wear or eat, I am constantly criticizing myself and trying to find better ways to do what I am doing or wearing. Habits of a perfectionist unfortunately! 

I know being hard on yourself is good, it means you know you are capable and worthy of more but when it starts to control every single tiny action you do – I think it is time to cut yourself some slack and reevaluate! 

Hence why I want that to change this year, give myself a break, learn to love who I am whether that is a me who is 3 kgs heavier than usual or a me that ate well for a full week – it is time to be more self-accepting & I think the new decade is a great way to start that habit.

2. Not care about what other people think

I go through these phases where I don’t care about what other people thought about me, let them think what they want to think and then I have these phases where I care more than what I should and currently I am at the latter. 

I care too much about other people and their feelings to not worry about whether I may be posting something that will offend them or irritate them, and so for the past few years I have tried my very best to not do that. 

There have been so many things I have wanted to do with my blog and instagram page – things I know some people will love and some people will hate. But when I was thinking about it yesterday, I realised how silly it is that I am stopping myself from doing things I have thought about doing for years because of other people and yes, that comes along with self acceptance and confidence too, but if you are someone who cares a little too hard then you’ll understand! 

So my second resolution for 2020 (Alexa cue doin’ me by Mikey Mike) is to not wonder what other people are thinking and doing things for me! 

• 3. Be more consistent with my blog and social media posts 

During the holidays it is easy for me to be consistent and make content I love, because I have the time. What I struggle with is when I don’t have the time my social medias and blog kind of take the backseat. In fact i’m sure I even said something similar to this in my resolutions post for 2019 so this one i’m carrying over! It is something that definitely needs to be worked on. 

So I am keeping myself accountable for two blog posts a month and during the holidays 3, something small but possible and if I find myself having the time to be able to do more than I can do that too. 

• 4. Make it into honours 2021! 

This one is probably my biggest resolution yet. I am extremely lucky to be studying a degree I love and I am passionate about. I often hear stories where people are studying because they have to not because they want to so I feel very grateful that I found my niche so quickly but that doesn’t mean it’s not challenging!

This is my last year for my degree and then it is into honours for another year and I would be lying to you if I said that I haven’t been studying my butt off just to not get in. SO.. I am putting it into the universe now already, honours 2021 will be mine with much hard work and dedication, I know it is possible. 

• 5. Become the best version of myself YET! 

2019 was more challenging mentally and my physical health suffered more than what I would have liked but it is okay because that’s last decades issue, not this one!! 2020 is all about positivity and self love. I want to become a better me both mentally and physically while thriving in all the things I love.

That means exercising, drinking water, eating right, enjoying myself, giving myself breaks, spending time with people who make me feel whole and making this year the best one yet!!

I am trying to make my resolutions a lot more measurable this year, something that is often overlooked. I believe that someone is most likely to achieve more if their goals are realistic and less daunting! But, with that said. Don’t forget to dream big too!

My wish for you this year is that it brings you all the happiness, success and adventure you are seeking. It is a good year to have a good year so let’s make it happen! 

Let’s grow together <3

I’ve been on this health and fitness journey for about 5 years now, i’m an avid believer in a healthy active lifestyle but that isn’t only going for a run or to the gym but also what you eat, how much you eat and when you eat it.

Growing up my family has always been very active and fairly healthy. We would eat steak and salads, roasted vegetables and roast chicken but with that said there are definitely many things that we could do to improve our eating habits in and around the kitchen.

I think that every person is subject to their own ‘diet’. I’ve tried many things to see what works for my body and what doesn’t, what leaves me fuller for longer and what makes me feel fatigued really quickly – i’ve been vegetarian, i’ve been paleo, i’ve been ‘eat whatever you want and hope for the best’ but over the years i’ve really got the hang of what I love to eat and what fuels me the right way. Nowadays I’d say i’m more of a paleo based eater – I don’t eat many grains, however I do enjoy the odd rice bowl here and there. I don’t have lactose, although I am not lactose intolerant I find that having milk or yoghurt makes me extremely nauseous and so I prefer to steer clear of it.

After years of understanding my body and food I like to call myself an intuitive eater, I listen to my body and I give it what it needs whether that’s fruit, veggies, nuts, chicken or meat, smoothies – whatever else, even sometimes chocolate! You don’t have to eat how I eat but I hope it inspires you to find out more about what your body enjoys on your fitness journey!

I was home for 3 months on holiday before going back to uni and I think that was the most difficult part about eating healthy. My mum loves spoiling me and buying me my favourite chocolates and feeding me my favourite meals however, it’s also the easiest way to derail from the point of the healthy lifestyle. (It’s okay mom, still love you!)

I find that in my area there really is a shortage of farmers markets and places to get food other then the supermarkets so when I go, I definitely try to keep it as organic and as free range as possible (as much as the budget can allow ofcourse) but if you live near food markets that offer these then go for it! You’ll probably save a bunch too!

I would say healthy snacks are one of the easier ways to keep it healthy whether you are at home or not, I always like to make sure that i’m fully stocked on those so when I am feeling peckish and go to the fridge or pantry – there is always something good and wholesome for me to eat.

FIRST GROCERY TIP: Go shopping with a snack or some water, never on an empty stomach or else you’ll end up buying the whole shop and getting things you don’t really need! Trust me, I’ve been there!

SECOND TIP: I’ve learned that it’s best to stick to the parameters of the supermarket just because that’s usually where all the fresh produce is, the stuff in the middle can get a bit confusing and seem healthy when it’s not but there are a few things I do get from the middle but then I know there is a plan and a purpose, not just wandering around aimlessly.

THIRD TIP: Don’t fixate too much on labels. Although its important to understand what you are buying and are going to put into your body – I find that the more people fixate, the less enjoyable it comes. Start small and grow from there.

FOURTH TIP: Keep it sustainable. The way 2019 is going, it’s shameful to not try and reduce, reuse and recycle EVERYTHING. I would highly recommend keeping already used grocery bags / material bags in your boot so that when you go to the shops, you don’t have to purchase some more!

This grocery shop was a stock up of the big one I did last week. Other things I add to my list is Almond milk and Kombucha, which I find really helps with my digestive system / IBS, Gluten free choc chip cookies (guilty pleasure), Spinach – the darker the green, the better it is for you! I also add fruits such as banana’s, strawberries which are high in a antioxidants and grapes. Although I don’t eat it often, I buy the brown and wild rice for those days where im craving something hearty!

FIFTH TIP: Do your own grocery shopping. I always find that when I do the shopping, there is less chance of me buying things I shouldn’t be buying.

Getting healthy definitely is a personal thing, you have to make the decision and commit to it but once you get the knick of it, it’s so much more inviting and exciting!

Two things; first of all, how is it basically the second month of the year?? Not sure how that happened, I know for many it feels like the 74th day of January, but for me definitely not! Second of all, it’s almost the month of love! What a time, am I right!?

I think this is my first ever recipe that i’ve posted to the blog, 2019 is making things happen!

This recipe is my take on Niomi Smart’s “Healthier Ginger Bread Man Recipe“, I absolutely love her recipes and for those who are vegan – her recipe is the recipe for you! Now I know they’re not the healthiest but the base of the cookie actually isn’t too bad – it’s the icing that has all the naughty but nice stuff in it. If you are wanting a healthier icing alternative, head over to Niomi Smarts recipe and she had a vegan/healthier version of my icing! 

These delicious oven baked goods are the perfect sentiment to give to your friends, family, significant other – it’s so cheesy, I know but to be honest with you, I freaking love it! So here I am, taking full advantage of Valentine’s Day / Month of love to bring you a delicious recipe for healthy (kind of) ginger cookies, heart shaped at that. CUTE!

Ps. If you eat them all in one sitting, don’t be alarmed – I did too!

Some recipe hacks I’ve figured out whilst making these gems;

1. When you take the dough out of the fridge, be sure to roll it out on a flour-based wooden board and throw some flour over your rolling pin. I find that it sticks less when doing so and is easier to cut with the cookie cutter this way! 
2. I like to outline my cookies with icing before filling them, this way it dries a little and creates a sort of ‘barrier’ so the icing doesn’t leak out. 
3. To outline my cookies I used a medium sized zip lock bag, got a tall-ish glass, put the corner of the bag into the glass and folded the rest over – this makes it easier to pour the icing in. Then cut the tiniest little hole, when I say tiny I mean tiny then you have a DIY piping bag! 
4. You know when you go to fairs or sports day, they always have tomato sauce and mustard in those plastic bottles that you can squeeze out? I went to the plastic store and got two clear ones (only R8.00 each, bargain!) and used one for each colour then used it to fill the centre of my hearts. 

Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

If you try them out, please do tag me on instagram, my facebook page or twitter so I can see how they turned out!

Disclaimer: The ginger cookie recipe was not made up by me, it was created by Niomi Smart – I just took the base and changed a few things to my preference. I am not trying to take ownership of her recipe, I have used it many times and love it so much, I wanted to share it with you all! 

If you have been following my blog for a while now you’ll know that I am definitely a routine type of gal, whether it be workout regimes or makeup looks – once I find something I love and it works for me, I stick to it.  

I’ve recently come to love this light everyday combo/look. I didn’t have the best skim growing up as a kid so I love my full coverage foundations and concealers, however if I am just popping out of the house to go for breakfast or going to be out the whole day I don’t necessarily want a heavy face of makeup.

In Cape Town the weather is extremely indecisive if it’s not howling with wind or scorching hot, it’s raining with blue skies (makes no sense right) sometimes we get all four seasons in one day. However, when it’s hot, it is HOT! That’s why I find it so important to find a makeup look that doesn’t make you feel as though your face is melting off!

In this summer makeup look, there is definitely a wide array of products but honestly, it takes minimal effort to whip this look up.

the face

Being on roaccutane for just under a month meant that I wasn’t allowed to spend copious amounts of time in the sun and SPF all day, every day hence for my pasty complexion and the lightest foundation colours ever but i’m embracing it, it’s better for my skin anyway! For foundation i’m using two – Rimmel Match Perfection in the shade 100 ivory (SPF 20) and Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-place Makeup (SPF 10). This combination is the perfect mix between light and medium coverage. You can build on it if you want too but with it being summer and all, you don’t need to! These foundations not easy to blend and not ‘cakey’ if you will and a subtle yet lovely natural finish.

For concealer I used the photofocus in the shade light ivory, I feel as though this brings the whole face together. I make an upside triangle just under my eyes and then buff it out with the Real Techniques contour brush for a smooth finish and a great coverage! Once that is all buffed out, I pair the concealer with a loose setting powder from Estee Lauder, Lucidity in the shade 01-Transparent. I don’t bake under my eyes but I do like to put it on a little thicker when i’m still busy with the rest.

To add definition to my face I use both a bronzer and a blush. Now I never used to be a blush girl but once you go there I can almost guarantee you’ll never go back! For bronzer I use the Benefit Hoola Bronzer, I absolutely love this colour and the bronzer. It buffs out so gracefully and gives a distinct yet subtle definition to the face depending on how much of a cheek bone you’re going for! Teamed with that I use the Estee Lauder blush in the shade 320 Lover’s Blush. This colour is absolutely gorgeous, I just lightly brush it just above the bronzer and on the apples of the cheek to give it that warm natural look. I’m not the biggest fan of adding a lot of highlight to my looks but a subtle glow is definitely something i’m here for! To finish off the cheeks I used the MAC highlighter lightscapade.

the eyes

This part is pretty straight forward, if i’m doing a completely natural summer look then I go for the light brown Inglot Eyeshadow 337 just in the crease to add some dimension to my eye after I have concealed it like I have done here, but sometimes I do like to warm it up with a burnt orange which is what I put just below the waterline of my eye, this gives it more of a smokey effect without smoking out the full eye. I can’t do my makeup without doing this, I feel as though it finishes the eye look altogether. I love a subtle highlight in the corners of my eye, it adds brightness to the look and the face that’s why I love using this gorgeous rose gold colour from Inglot number 397 and of course, no eye look is completed without mascara, here I used essence get Big! Lashes volume boost. This mascara has to be the best drugstore mascara I have ever used, highly recommend!

the brows

I’m such a fuss pot when I do my brows. They’re so dark and full already that I don’t like to over do it but I have to do something to finish off the face. So I like to just outline my brown and briefly fill then in with the L’oreal Paris Brow Artist Genius.

the lips

I’m a bit fussy when it comes to lips, not sure why I just don’t think there are many great nudes that I like on myself – however, this lip combination is something I’ve been using for ages and love! For liner I use the NYX lip liner SPL 810 and for the gloss I use NYX in the shade Natural.

Just because this look is said to be an everyday makeup look it can easily be transformed into an evening look just by adding some shimmer onto the lid of the eye and some false eyelashes and a darker lip! 

I know this post is something a little different but I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it and taking the photos! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This is JUST what we  need on a hot summer’s day like today. Somewhere between Clifton’s ice lollies and home – the best.

Last week I wanted to play around with the different fruit that I had at home to see if I could make some delicious but healthy summer coolies and I think I hit just the right spot. (If I don’t say so myself) I got the stamp of approval from mom and dad so I knew that if it were good enough for them, it would be good enough for you! 😉

Ideally you would want to make batches of these bad boys so you always have at hand for when you’re laying by the pool or reading a book in the hammock. It’s inexpensive and you more than likely already have some of the ingredients to make them, BONUS!

I have created 4 ice lolly recipes but of course you can tailor these to your taste buds.

1. Watermelon and apples with mint.

Cut up watermelon and apple into small-ish pieces, blitz together and start filling the mould putting pieces of mint into it along the way until they are filled.

2. Mango and pineapple with lime juice.

Juice 1 whole lime, mango and a few pineapple pieces then blitz and fill into moulds.

3. Orange and pineapple slices.

Cut up and juice 1 whole orange and a few pineapple slices (depending on how pineapple-y you want them) blitz and fill into moulds.

4. Water, strawberry slices and blueberries.

Slice up some strawberries and stick them into the moulds along with the blueberries and add the water into the moulds. It’s basically like having fruit in your water but frozen, delicious! You could add coconut water if you’d like an extra bit of tang but because I didn’t have any I just used water.

Freeze them and VOILA! You have delicious and healthy ice lollies ready made for those hot summer days or even for that sweet tooth.

As you can tell, these are super easy to make and are completely inexpensive. I even think the ice lolly moulds that I purchased were under R50 so that was a bargain too!

You can buy the moulds from your local plastic shop, they should have them there.

Tag me on Instagram, or Twitter if you recreate these or your own versions. I would love to see how creative you can get!

Stay cool,  stay sunblocked and stay hydrated!

Lots of love, Jeanna x