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! 

I’ve never done a post like this, I thought it would be interesting for someone who is just starting out their fitness journey and isn’t sure how to plan their workout days.

Essentially it is up to you and your body. I usually go by how my body is feeling, if my legs are still sore from the previous leg workout then I wouldn’t necessarily train them again even if it is my next leg day. Listening to your body is crucial when wanting results.

Before my workouts I always like to do a 5-10 minutes slow warm up, whether it be cycling or an incline on the treadmill just to make sure that my body isn’t cold when I start my workout, then once my workout is finished I do a 10 minute cool down stretch. Stretching is so important when workout out so make sure to always integrate it into your sessions (even though it can be a little tedious sometimes)!

On Monday’s I like to focus on my legs. It’s one of my less favoured areas of my body so I usually put more time and effort into planning and doing those then I would my other days. I train legs twice a week and then usually a full body session at the end of the week depending on how my body is feeling, however Ive recently been enjoying taking Saturday’s and Sunday’s off and using them as rest days.

My workout split at the moment looks a little like this:

Monday – Legs

Tuesday – Back and bis

Wednesday – Chest and tris

Thursday – Shoulders

Friday – Legs

Saturday & Sunday -Rest or Full body

I like integrating back and bis together because you’re essentially using your biceps when you are training back. It just so happens to work out that way depending on the exercises being done but I always do exercises during the workout that focuses mainly the specific areas and then I enjoy integrating supersets for both, back and biceps.

Chest and tris are definitely my least favourite thing to train, but I think it’s important to train weekly especially when trying to keep your body in proportion. A lot of girls think that only boys can train chest because they will get “man boobs” but that’s not the case at all. There are actually a few benefits from training chest, such as improving your posture, making your breasts perkier etc. So don’t neglect your pecs, your future self will thank you for it!

I definitely enjoy getting a little shoulder pump in the gym, it’s not my strongest point but it’s something I enjoy working on and challenging myself so I like to focus mainly on shoulders on a thursday.

As for full body, because it’s weekend and usually getting to the gym is a struggle I like to keep it short and simple and high intensity. If I don’t end up getting to the gym, i’ll opt for a run or a walk on the beach.

I’ll do abs at the end of every workout day that isn’t leg day, just because you need to activate you core a lot of the time when you are doing legs and it’s usually a hardcore session I personally don’t see the need for me to do abs as well but I do love doing 10 minute challenges as a burnout!

Depending on the day and time I go to gym, if it’s too busy for me and there aren’t many machines open for a specific workout I want to do – I would just swop days around to make my life a little easier (TIP: This also helps prevent a little bit of gym anxiety!) This workout split has been working for me and my schedule for the past few months, so hopefully it will inspire you to create a schedule that works well for you and your lifestyle.

If you would be curious to see some of my workouts, please let me know in the comments below or send me a dm on instagram – I would be happy to film some clips!

Moving to Stellenbosch has definitely had its trials and tribulations. I’ve made incredible friends and missed home A LOT but I think one of the biggest things I have struggled with is getting my routine back with gym, especially in the first semester!

I had to change gyms which I was excited for in the beginning until I got overwhelmed and always found an excuse as to why I shouldn’t go to gym rather then why I should.

I ended up changing gyms twice before I found one that I thought “okay, I can do this” and eventually I started getting excited to go to gym. So if you’ve been struggling in this department, don’t worry. I feel you!

Find a gym you are comfortable in. I don’t care what anyone says, I could never go to a gym that I wasn’t happy in and then still expect to see results. You work best in environments that are comforting and exciting rather than daunting and unmotivating.

I’ve said this before and i’ll say it again, find an accountability partner and start gyming with them. The easiest way to get comfortable around a gym and get used to the way it works is if you’re getting used to it with someone else. Bonus if they were gyming there before you because they can show you the ins and outs!

If you don’t have a friend that you can go to gym with, take your earphones with. I struggle to go to gym by myself if I don’t have earphones with me, it allows you to focus a lot more on what other people are doing rather than what you are supposed to be doing. Listening to music thats your own vibe will help you focus more on what you’re doing rather than worrying about what other people are doing.

Another thing that I find helps me a lot at the moment is deciding what to do in the gym, before getting to gym. I often just write down a workout in notes on my phone. I’ve found that if i go to gym without a set plan I feel a bit out of place and I become uncomfortable. I’m more preoccupied with figuring out what exercise im going to do next and seeing what machines are open then with the actual workout.

If you struggle with moving around the gym or going to the weight section, make sure you can do your workout in one spot, whether it be a full body workout without any weights or a dumbbell only workout – doing it in one area that you feel comfortable in is another way to help fight feeling anxious in the gym!

We all have times where we feel like the odd one out in a gym but just remember that everyone is there to work on themselves, they aren’t worried about what everyone else is doing. The more often you go, the more comfortable you’ll become and the more motivated you’ll get!

If you have any tips on how you fight anxiety or being uncomfortable at the gym, leave them in the comment below!

“In any given moment we have two options: To step forward into growth or to step back into safety”

It is no secret to those who know even just a little bit about me that one of the things that help keep me sane is exercise or more specifically, HIIT workouts. One of my best ways to blow off some steam is to smash out a High Intensity Interval Training Workout! So you can understand my excitement when HIIT Fit Stellies contacted me and very generously offered me a month free of charge to try out their classes.

I started going to their HIIT classes 4 weeks ago, I didn’t think I was that unfit until I was pretty much heaving at the end of the first workout (bearing in mind I have been recovering from a chest infection, but I think i’m just saying this to make myself feel better). It was honestly nothing like I had ever done before – I like to think i’m pretty good at creating killer hiit workouts but there was just something about doing a hiit workout with other people and having the coaches constantly motivating you to push harder that made it 100 times more difficult, in the best type of difficult there is.

Before the class begun, I got chatting to one of the members of HIIT fit, she was telling me how she started seeing a difference in her fitness levels and in her body after going to the classes just 3 times in one week! What’s nice about this is that the coaches were not inexperienced, they were extremely friendly and knew exactly what they were saying. One of the greater things I noticed is that they often corrected your form if you were doing it incorrectly and they also give alternative options to an exercise if you’re feeling a little too fatigued or if you have an injury of some sort.

During my first workout, I felt pretty good and fresh in the beginning but as the workout progressed, I became very tired and my body hurt, A LOT! Because this was the first HIIT workout I had done in over a month, I was exhausted when it came to the end. I definitely felt like it was a good kick in the butt and a good wake up call to get my behind back into gear this semester! One thing I really did appreciate was how the coaches explained why we need to do certain exercises in a specific way instead of them just showing us and getting on with it.

Waking up the next day was, let’s just say an easy challenge. When i’m sussing out whether a workout worked for me or didn’t i don’t only go by how sore my body is, i also go by how i feel mentally. Yes, I was stiff from my feet to my shoulders (which is always a good sign of a good workout) I woke up and got up without hesitation, which is a rare for me – usually takes me a few minutes to get up and at it. I’ve always found that a good workout the day before sets me up for a good day the next day!

As the weeks progressed I found that I was starting to get a lot fitter doing these workouts, I noticed I was doing more reps and had more endurance for those last few seconds of the exercise – don’t get me wrong, I was definitely still struggling but I could see results even after two weeks which is almost always the aim, to progress!

HIIT Fit is an amazing way to do a good workout in a short amount of time, their memberships are crazy good so if you are in stellenbosch and are wanting to try it out – all of the information is on their instagram or you can just dm them, @hiitfit.stellies

Some things to take note when you do try it out; I made the mistake of not taking a towel to my first class so when we did exercises on the floor my little knees got a bit sore and I ended up using my jersey. So make a mental reminder that water and a sweat towel are essential and some of the floors are wooden and get polished so make sure you wear shoes that have grips or else you’ll find your lower back will start to pain because it’s slippery! Lastly, push yourself. If it burns, it means it’s working!

The HIIT Fit workouts didn’t only push me mentally but also physically. I learned some pretty cool new exercises, realised I embarrassingly have no coordination whatsoever and that you can get a sufficient amount of exercise in 30-35 minutes! I’ve absolutely loved every minute with the HIIT Fit fam and I know you will too! 

I just want to say a little thank you to HIIT Fit Stellies for allowing me to come into their space and experience the magic they project and offer the beautiful women in and around Stellenbosch! 

Disclaimer: HIIT FIT Stellies did offer me a month free trial with them and asked me to write about my experience. I want to make it clear that I would not promote or encourage something I do not believe in but with my love for health and fitness, I felt right at home with the HIIT FIT fam and believe you will too! 

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

Week 4 of my 8 week journey to a better me has come to a close and let me tell you, it has not been sunshine and rainbows all the time but it hasn’t been all that bad either.

Firstly, if you are new around here WELCOME and thank you for stumbling across my blog! 4 Weeks ago I made a decision to undergo an 8 eight week journey to a better me and i’m finally half way through! To catch up on the whole story you can click on my blogpost, “Life Update & 8 Week Journey to a better you”. before you continue reading this post.

To be honest with you, I’m loving the experience because for the first time in my life I have stuck to something and actually gotten more than halfway through it without giving up – that’s already a win in my eyes!

So here is a quick rundown on how these past 4 weeks have been for me; Week 1&2 were amazing. Everything felt so easy and natural, nothing was forced and I had zero temptations or desires for junk food (which is weird for me because usually when my body does a “detox” if you will, all it craves is everything i’m not giving it which was not the case) I thought that I was going to breeze through these 8 weeks with no hassle. I had so much energy, I was so motivated, extremely happy i’m sure I started annoying some people (lol, aint my problem) well, that was until Monday of Week 3.

I woke up feeling the complete opposite of how I was feeling the previous two weeks. I was weak, extremely nauseous and I felt like I hadn’t slept in 12 hours. I thought maybe I was starting to get the flu so I made sure I did everything to kick it before it came flying towards me – drank lots of water, kept warm, ate well, gave my body the nutrients it needed, sweated (a lot) had natural anti-inflammatories and all that jazz but nope, nothing was working!

I carried on with my normal routine, I mean I wasn’t sick I just felt it and I had stuff I needed to do, by Wednesday I was besides myself because I honestly felt more ill than ever and I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me so I decided to give myself and my body a break and see if that would do the trick. I exercised on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and gave myself the rest of the week off. By Saturday I was feeling a little bit better and after doing some analysing of my week and what I ate I realised that I had a lot more carbs and gluten then I did the weeks before, which my body does not react well to (clearly.)

My body was just exhausted, overworked and although I was eating healthily, my body didn’t cope well with those foods (That’s why you should keep a food diary kids) but at least I now know for the future what I should and shouldn’t eat!

“You can’t pour from an empty cup,

Take care of yourself first”

Week 4 came round a lot sooner than I thought it would and I actually felt good again. I was excited to get back into gym and motivated to continue my journey and push myself! For the first 3 weeks I worked out about 3-4 times a week and Week 4 I started working out 4-5 times a week. That extra day made a huge difference to my routine! Although, towards the end of the week from around Thursday/Friday I struggled to eat, mainly because I just didn’t get hungry but when I did eat all I felt like was junk food so it was tough but I managed and conquered through.

I feel as if these past 4 weeks have been a good trial run to see where I am with my fitness and where I can go from here. I’ve understood what foods work with my body positively and which ones not so much.

I honestly believe that understanding your body and what works for you is a crucial step in creating a healthy active lifestyle for yourself.

And with that said I have written up 4 tips that i’ve learned from these past 4 weeks that I wish I knew before but didn’t so now I am hoping to enlighten you if you are wanting to take on this journey (if you haven’t already!)

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

The point of this is to create a lifestyle for yourself that you love. We want to live a long and healthy life mentally and physically, the minute you start doing things you don’t enjoy because you think it will get you to where you need to be a little bit quicker you will begin to resent the whole point of this and end up quitting rather than continue it. There is always an alternative way to do something and in a way that you enjoy it so whether that means it takes a little bit longer well at least you are doing it the way you could see yourself doing this for a long amount of time!

2. You’re allowed to give yourself breaks.

I’ve struggled with this many times in the past and to be honest with you, I still do I’ve just learned to understand when I really need a break or not. When I set my mind to something (for example like an eight week journey to a better me) I give it my all even if that meant I pushed myself until breaking point which actually ends up doing more damage than progress – There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself to the best of your abilities and I am on that train all day, every day but when you are tired or your body is too sore to do anything GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK, make it a priority to include rest days into your routine and train yourself into that habit. It’s so important to let your body recover from all the amazing things it does for you everyday, don’t see it in a negative light. If anything you will almost see better results from letting yourself heal rather than pushing yourself too far and injuring yourself.

3. Reinvent your routine, weekly.

I’m actually excited to share this tip with you because I found that it was what helped me when I struggled to get up to go and train or eat well. Constantly doing the same routine, same workout split and eating the same meals week after week can get extremely monotonous and tedious. That’s why I found reinventing my week, every week helped me so much. I make a point every Sunday evening to plan my week, I start with the things that have a set time like au pairing or appointments and then I plan around that – I will include things such as experimenting in the kitchen or working out in my back yard instead of in the gym and change of environment really makes such a big difference to you mentally as well. Have fun with it! If you do it in a way that you love, you will never get bored and lose motivation!

4. Don’t turn a bad day (in the kitchen or gym) into a bad week.

First things first, get rid of the guilt! If you have half a gym session because you lost interest or if you had one too many peanut butter cookies, know and tell yourself that it’s okay. We’re all human, we all get it. But what I don’t want you to do is get so sucked into your own guilt that you don’t make a conscious effort to change and you turn a bad hour of your day into a bad week. You can start fresh with a healthier meal or better workout as soon as you decide to and this does a full circle back to tip number 1, don’t take yourself too seriously! Be mindful of the food you eat, do mind to muscle connection in the gym, drink lots of water and you’ll be a happy human!

“Either you run the day or the day runs you.”

I hope these tips and my story so far has helped or inspired you to continue this lifestyle. Always remember that if it were easy, everyone would do it!

Lots of love, Jeanna x