TweetDeck or HootSuite?

The moment I begun this blog I knew that I was going to create other accounts on other social media platforms in order to share my passion of healthy living. As I am an aspiring Public Relations Practitioner, measurement is key to evaluating the effectiveness of any strategy that is implemented.
I therefore used social media management platforms TweetDeck and HootSuite and have being comparing them. My favourite? Definitely HootSuite.

Although HootSuite only works online, unlike TweetDeck which has applications that you can access on your desktop, the advantages still outweigh that of TweetDeck.

Hootsuite is an excellent platform which enables you to connect to more social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, mixi and WordPress. Whereas TweetDeck is limited to Facebook and Twitter (therefore is ineffective if you are looking to manage other social media platforms). HootSuite has many more features to offer and you can even personalise your dashboard through the colour theme customisation settings.  

Although I prefer HootSuite, TweetDeck is a platform that is free to use if you are looking at not spending any money in order to check your updates and engage with your audiences.

Work it Out!

That Belly! 

Dreading that troublesome belly? Want to get your stomach area more defined? 

Here are two quick 'At home' workout routines from Fitness Blender that will get you in shape and target those Ab muscles. These exercises assist in improving the muscle tone of your waistline and abs (to sum it up, that belly).  

Keep in mind that you cannot 'spot reduce' or target the reduction of belly fat on its own, you need to reduce your overall body fat in order to have a flatter belly, therefore incorporating other forms of cardio such as running before you do these exercises will assist greatly in burning more calories. Remember, HEALTHY eating plays a major role in achieving promising results.  

   

10 Min Abs Workout- At Home Abdominal and Oblique Exercises

Quick 100 Rep Abs Workout - Intense Ab Workout at Home

Chocolate

This should have been my first post! DARK CHOCOLATE! 

If you are not a die-hard fan of dark chocolate then I sincerely apologise but it has been proven that this form of chocolate has incredible health benefits. However, we still need to remember that it is still classified as a luxury therefore moderation is required and that dark chocolate ranging from 70% and up are the most beneficial and not the sugary ones which have other forms of unhealthy fats. 

For instance, authentic dark chocolate (85%), in this order contains:

Cocoa mass, fat reduced cocoa, cocoa butter, unrefined cane sugar, natural Bourbon vanilla beans. Authentic dark chocolate will never have sugar as its first ingredient including other alternative vegetable fats.    

Artificial dark chocolate, in this order contains:

Cane sugar, cocoa mass, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat, full cream milk powder, cocoa butter, whey powder (Butterfat, milk protein, milk sugar), emulsifiers, flavouring.

Shocking right? Always read food labels before purchasing an item that might be marked as healthy but in actual fact is very unhealthy.

Some of the few benefits of authentic dark chocolate:

[According to a study conducted by The Wellness Express]

-Reduces blood pressure (as a result of polyphenols present in dark chocolate)

-Increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol

- The high levels of flavanols are beneficial do cardiovascular health

- Lowers stress hormones

- Acts as a powerful antioxidant

  

  

Protein banana bites

This protein packed snack is great to have after a good workout session. It is quick and easy to prepare and not to mention, ridiculously ‘yummy’! If you are feeling a little naughty drizzle some dark chocolate over and indulge!

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana

Peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) –Raw peanut butter is a healthier option

Small tub of plain low fat Bulgarian yoghurt 

250 g Thomson seedless raisins

Rolled oats

Slice the banana into thin (1 cm) circles – the circles should be equal in number.

On a kitchen board, place the banana circles into pairs, use a butter knife and layer the one side with peanut butter (If the peanut butter has difficulty sticking to the surface of the banana, dip the butter knife into lukewarm water and then continue).

 

Place three raisins on top of the peanut buttered banana slices, a fair sprinkle of rolled oats and top it off with a dollop of Bulgarian yoghurt.

Use the plain banana slices and place each one on top of the layered banana slices to create a sandwich effect.  Place it in the freezer for 2 ½ hours. Enjoy!  

Attitude equals Outcome

The kind of attitude we need to adopt! Let this be the motto we live by!

It is amazing how by adopting a certain attitude towards something can either make or break you.
by this I mean that a negative thought or attitude can easily take over your current positive state of mind when you are working towards a particular goal that you have set out for yourself. Many have encountered this, after all, we are only human and therefore it's something we cannot always control.

So if you are feeling demotivated to get on top of your game keep remembering what you are here for and how far you have come. Remember the personal goal that you have set is to become a  better you, for you! Keep pushing yourself  to new levels in order to progress do not remain in your comfort zone, there is no limit to possibilities. Ignore the negativity because it will only hinder your progress! Smile! SMILE MORE! It can get challenging but try and enjoy every moment, because every small achievement, as long as you keep trying hard, is a step closer to your bigger GOAL!  A positive mindset pushes the body to do things that you might even think are impossible, but it's all possible, it is just a matter of applying and believing in yourself and not allowing your attitude to be determined by others that have nothing encouraging or better to say (this makes you better than them so hate on 'haterrrs') Keep doing what you do, you're almost there you awesome person!          

Summer calls for Smoothies!

What better way to cool off a hot summer's day but with a tasty smoothie? 

Simple Banana Smoothie

My simple and cost-effective smoothie right here consists of:

1 large Banana (sliced)

1 Apple (chopped into cubes)

5 small blocks of sliced papaya

A dash of berry juice

1 heaped tbsp. natural plain yoghurt

½ Cup crushed ice

Sprinkle of cinnamon 

 Blend all the ingredients together in a blender until smooth and enjoy a deliciously chilled drink. This smoothie will keep you feeling fuller for longer!  

What's your favourite kind of smoothie to make?

   

Be adventurous, try the outdoors

It is important to stick to certain training routines and techniques to attain your overall fitness goals but sometimes going through your weekly exercise routine can become a bit monotonous right? 
Why not incorporate outdoor activities on a frequent basis to your usual workout routines, as this also contributes towards an overall good physical workout! Outdoor activities are also beneficial to your mental health as you are surrounded with scenic views and the scent of fresh air while taking your body through new challenges!

It’s too late to say #ThrowBackThursday!...  because it is Friday (laughs) but I am still going to share one of my outdoor activities with you that I did with a few of my close friends not too long ago.

 HIKE UP LION'S HEAD

As you can see on your left, this is the view that awaited us on the top of Lion’s Head -the mountain is situated in Cape Town, between Signal Hill and Table Mountain. In order to reach this peak which is 669 m above see level, we had to climb a spiraling trail for approximately 80 minutes, that became rockier and much steeper as we ascended.  The fun part of it was that for one, we had physically applied every limb of our bodies’ into reaching the top and while doing so were surrounded by splendid views of nature! 

Once we had reached the top peak, it only got better as we found ourselves overlooking the spectacular beauty of the “Mother City”. After spending about an hour on the peak we headed down again,which I had found  as fairly challenging as climbing up. Overall. it was a rewarding achievement. I had fun and at the same time got a full body workout…that was definitely felt the next morning! The ‘full moon hike’ up Lion’s Head is also quite a popular expedition that I will be sure to take on very soon!  But with that said, there are numerous outdoor activities that you can incorporate with your regular exercises such as; rock climbing and bicycle riding to name a few.   

The fitness & health benefits of hiking:

According to a study conducted by the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation  

-Reduces overall body weight

-Enhances lower limb strength due to the downhill walking

-Improves endurance  

- maintains and improves mental health 

Running on Salads

Hello guys and girls, as we move closer toward the end of the week let’s forget about the downfalls and the downright haters and look towards progression and opportunity. Continue to think POSITIVELY!!! 

On that opening note let me get right to it and give you a quick update. This afternoon, my boyfriend and I went for our first run together. YAY (laughs)!  But truly, I found it to be more fun and motivating doing it with somebody, because I usually do it alone. So if you can find a committed team to run/train with that would be great. If you prefer and are more comfortable training on your own then you go do your thing!  As for me, exercise still happens outside of the gym…as I am still a student, money does not come easily haha. But there are many exercises that do not require you having to be in a gym to do it. 

After my 20-25 minute run, I always try to incorporate some additional exercises such as sit-ups, crunches, jack knives (love-hate relationship here), plank and the famous ‘squat’. But I will provide more information in later posts because right now I would like to share one of my signature salad dishes with you that I have made in addition to supper tonight! It is very light, simple and delectable and you can eat as a main dish if you would like but I usually serve it with grilled chicken strips- (Remember It is important to try and keep it light in the evening - Low carb meals for supper).

      Pecan nut & Apple salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Main Ingredients:

100g Mixed lettuce or rocket

60g Raw Pecan nuts

1 small tub plain feta cheese

2 large golden delicious apples (peeled and chopped into cubes)

1 medium sized red onion (Optional- thinly sliced)

250g cherry tomatoes (sliced into halves)

Salad dressing ingredients:

1 lemon (2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice)

Ground mustard paste (1 heaped tspn)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tbsp)

Mix all the ingredients together.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the raw pecan nuts onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for no more than 3 minutes or until it is toasted-lightly.In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce and salad dressing together and give it a good toss.Combine the apple, red onion, avocado, tomatoes, and chopped toasted pecan nuts in a separate bowl; add this mixture to the main large salad bowl and give it another gentle toss.Garnish the salad with creamy chunks of feta cheese. Please feel free to leave your comments below. Enjoy! 

        

Picture source: Food network

            HEALTH FACTS: Benefits of Pecan Nuts

                According to a study conducted by the Journal of Nutrition

• Pecan nuts are a great source of more than 19 vitamins and minerals such as Magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin A, several B vitamins, calcium, folic acid, phosphorus and potassium.   
• Pecan nuts have a high content of protein therefore assisting in slow energy release (Low GI).  
• A pecan-enriched diet reduces total cholesterol by 11.3%.
•  It has the highest content of antioxidant properties compared to other tree nuts.   

I couldn't wait to get started on my first blog post today! I’m very new to this as this is my first blog site ever but I am so excited to share helpful and positive factual information about the beneficial lifestyle that I have been living since standard 8, where I had tossed out that final chicken pie and ventured into a new and exciting world. Yes it is no lie, I am a total health nut and I love the benefits that have come along with it. -I still firmly believe though that moderate indulgence is absolutely essential! The overall aim of The Beauty of Health is to help you to feel, look and become better health wise, through providing information based on my own experiences and further research.  

 I have been fully committed to this lifestyle for almost 7 years to date. I have therefore been continuously researching healthy ways of living throughout those years, from food to exercise routines. It is not because I feel as if I HAVE to but because I enjoy it and the results are truly rewarding. Some people perceive that living a healthy lifestyle is dull and boring but NO it does not have to be. HONESTLY! :D . Most of the content posted on this site is focused on cost-effective means of living healthy as well as tasty yet still nutritious recipes. Furthermore, I will be incorporating encouraging thoughts and motivational boosters on this page to help fuel your commitment and perseverance towards attaining your fitness/health goals. And as I am within the field of PR, I will also be sharing, on occasion news related to fitness and health.

In addition to all of the above, this is a space of creative thought for anything to do with health food and fitness. It is for individuals that have recently gotten on board and are looking for a guideline, for individuals who are already living this lifestyle but are looking for new ideas to implement into their current healthy lifestyle routine and  for those that are just purely interested! Continue to watch this space! 

  

Remember a healthy lifestyle is about maintaining a healthy way of living life.