Category: Lifestyle

Healthier Options When Eating Fast Food

We all love our fast food, and now that we can get it delivered again I’m sure everyone is more than thankful. However, fast food isn’t exactly known for being very healthy – in fact it’s known more for being high in fat, calories and salt .. which isn’t good. But does that mean we have to say goodbye to all these delicious foods if we want to be healthy? No! So, whether you’re on a health-kick like me, or looking to make some healthier lifestyle changes, or simply don’t want to eat thousands of calories in one take away meal, here is a list of low-cal options from a few different fast food joints. The healthiest fast food option is no fast food at all, but if you still want to enjoy the treat without blowing your cal-count out of the water, this list has some of the best options.

Read More

Tips for dealing with loneliness (especially during lockdown)

It doesn’t matter who you are or how social you may be, but everyone on this planet experiences loneliness and I think that during this time more than ever, loneliness is a growing feeling for us all. We’re isolated and at home and as much as we have the aid of all our modern technology, it’s just not the same as interacting face to face with friends and family. You can only catch up so much via messaging and even though we’re all at home, it still seems hard to find the time for video or normal calls and that starts to have an effect on us. No matter how old you are, we all experience loneliness at different stages of our life and that’s okay. I promise you are not alone (no pun intended). I’ve struggled with this a lot over the years and particularly in the last year and a half and while I don’t have all the answers these are some of the things that have helped me get through it. I hope that they can help you too.

Read More

Healthy, low-calorie Apple Banana Muffins! Step-by-Step Recipe

Everyone seems to be baking up a storm with all of the extra hours at home, but that increase in delicious treats everywhere means more snacking and they aren’t always the healthiest. If you are enjoying the baking but don’t want to make items that are full of sugar and calories … don’t worry because here is a step-by-step recipe for my delicious (and healthy) low-calories apple and banana muffins. Keep reading to check out the recipe 🙂

Read More

How to crush those sugar cravings!

Hey there everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy during this difficult time and that any cases of cabin fever haven’t gotten too unbearable. This lockdown/quarantine period certainly isn’t easy, especially when it comes to staying healthy. Most of the foods that are non-perishable tend to be of the less-healthy variety, chips, chocolates and cookies have become the ideal snack food because fresh fruits are not as easy to buy and we’re stuck at home so don’t have as much natural exercise or variety of food to consume. So, given all of this, I’m sure everyone is struggling to keep up healthy diets or lifestyles. One thing that is particularly challenging is dealing with sugar cravings … We all know that when those strong cravings hit, it almost impossible to not cave in to temptation. How on earth, given the situation, can we stay healthy when it seems that our very lifestyles at the moment allow us to give in to desires for junk food and sugar cravings? Well, I know that it can be extremely challenging to let go of sugar (trust me, I’ve been there and it’s not exactly a party), especially when the situation isn’t ideal, so today I thought I’d share some tips to help with that. The global quarantine doesn’t exactly make it any easier, but if you are determined to drop the amount of sugar you consume and don’t want to be overcome by cravings, then try out these tips to help you crush those sugar cravings!

Read More

“The Earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.” – Chief Seattle

Today is earth day, so what better way to celebrate our planet and all of its amazing creatures than to reflect on a few things. COVID-19 has brought a few positive changes to the environment, but it’s not enough. We need to act because after generations of selflessly helping us, it’s time for us to help our planet. Keep reading for some fun ways to be more eco-friendly during quarantine. Let’s work together to save our planet – it’s the only home we have so it’s time we start treating it right.

Read More

Tips for working at home during quarantine

With COVID-19 still terrorising the world, quarantine and self-isolation is the best thing for both your and other’s safety. However, forcing all of us into the solidarity and sanctuary of our homes means that instead of waking up each morning and bringing a cup of coffee into the office to get work done, our travel mug becomes a normal mug as we have to work from our home offices rather than professional ones. (This obviously doesn’t apply to all of you who already work from home – if that applies to you maybe you can share your tips for how you successfully work from home for all of us who aren’t used to it?) That being said, working from home may seem like an assignment from heaven or a dream come true, but after a few days we realise that that isn’t the case. Yes, it may be more comfortable and relaxed when working from home but it can also throw your whole routine out of whack. It can be difficult, distracting and near impossible to be quite as productive when at home as opposed to at work so how are we meant to get anything done when we have no other option? Fortunately, there are a few things you can do and steps you can take to make sure that you stay productive and keep your work levels up in the same disciplined approach that you had at work. Let’s get started, shall we?

Read More

Easter Weekend Carrot Cupcakes

Hey everyone! I can’t believe that the Easter weekend is already upon us. It feels like only a week ago we were celebrating Valentine’s day. How time flies. This year, I’m sure, is a particularly strange Easter. Even though the stores were stocked with chocolate bunnies and eggs from the beginning of March, COVID-19 has meant that our usual celebrations have all had to change. We usually have a big brunch on Easter, complete with an elaborate hunt around the garden for chocolate left by the Easter Bunny himself. We may not be having a brunch this year, because lockdown is still intact and it’s social distancing instead of social gatherings, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to enjoy the same delicious treats. Hot cross buns, scones, fresh fruit, croissants and carrot cake are usually part of our spread, and for me, nothing is more Eastery (apart from the chocolate eggs and such) than fresh carrot cake with cream cheese icing. The warm spices combined with the fresh carrots, the flavour from the raisins and walnuts and the silky sweet icing is just too mouth-watering to resist. So this weekend, to make things feel a little more festive while we’re all stuck inside, I’m making carrot cupcakes for everyone. I don’t really have a taste preference between the two but I prefer making cupcakes for groups of people because then you don’t have to worry about evenly slicing up a cake. Each person gets their own mini cake. If you’re looking for something to bake this weekend and have some carrots lying around, why not try out this recipe? I promise it is delicious and well worth the effort.

Read More

How to keep the calories at bay during quarantine!

Hey everyone! I hope you are all keeping well, given the COVID-19 pandemic, and that you aren’t going too crazy with all the social-distancing and having to quarantine at home. I was looking through my planner the other day and saw that today was caramel popcorn day! How delicious and heavenly does that sound? Now I was tempted to write a post all about the wonders of this scrumptious treat, along with a recipe of mine to make the best caramel popcorn ever. However, as I was writing out my recipe I was struck by inspiration and found something even better to talk about. As amazing as caramel popcorn is, it isn’t exactly the healthiest and that got me thinking … this period has been challenging for all of us and one of the predominant hurdles is how on earth we are meant to stay fit and healthy when we have to stay home and limit our grocery shopping to non-perishables or frozen foods. I love pastas and frozen meals as much as the next guy, but that doesn’t mean they are friendly on our diets or bodies. It isn’t easy, and certainly far from ideal, but even in this current situation, there are ways for us to keep our health in check. It just requires a little extra effort and a positive, persistent attitude.

Read More