THE GREATEST BARRIER TO FITNESS IS YOU!

I often hear people ask what fitness programme is best for them. You make recommendations and they come back again asking for another alternative. There are so many fitness programmes and the numbers would only increase. You could try all and still find yourself on level zero, with little or no progress. What then is the problem? I mean Sister Felicia who got introduced to fitness a few months ago, is already seeing tremendous results! Why are you struggling so much in shedding a pound?

Before you start feeling defeated, you need to ask yourself how determined you really are? How important is fitness to you? Are you attending that zumba class just because all your friends attend? Are you out jogging the streets of Lekki to show off the new NIKE sports gear you bought on your last summer trip? What really is your motivation? If it is to please your friends, then your goals are only limited to whatever goals your friends have, if it is to show off the new gear, then you would stop when the gear is old.

Assuming your motives are right and you really want to lose weight, get toned and generally live a healthy lifestyle. Then you need to check how engaged you are during exercise. Where is your mind while exercising? How much of your workout time is actually spent working out? Are you thinking of the delicious food waiting at home? Are you spending 5 minutes on the treadmill, and the remaining 30 minutes chatting on Blackberry and updating your status and display picture to let everyone know you are at the gym? If you really are serious about exercising, then you have to engage your mind and body while exercising. I would rather say mind, body and soul...but I don’t want to sound deep!

Sister Felicia has seen tremendous results in a shorter time, probably because she is more determined. Her workout time is her workout time, not chatting time, or reminiscing time. Sister Felicia is probably expending a lot of energy during an aerobics class, in fact, she is so energetic that everyone thinks she is the instructor! Sister Felicia does not make excuses to miss exercise, oh no! She would rather use her exercise as an excuse to miss some other event. Sister Felicia understands the importance of exercise and for her exercise is not an option, it is a lifestyle.

Food for Thought: It is not about how long you exercise, but how well!

NUTRITIONAL/HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAINS

P lantains are widely eaten in West Africa. Plantains are similar to bananas but larger in size. While bananas are termed fruits, plantains are vegetables. Bananas are mostly eating raw, while plantains are usually cooked before consumption. Plantains can be eaten unripe, ripen or over-ripe. When unripe, plantains are usually green in colour, when ripen, they turn yellow. In Nigeria, for example, unripe plantains are usually used to cook plantain porridge, ripe plantains are mostly fried and used as a supplement to main dishes like rice and beans. Over-ripe plantains are used to make snacks like plantain fritters.

NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF ZOBO/SORREL DRINK

z obo/sorrel was a must have during family gatherings. As children, we loved drinking it, not only because of how nice it tasted, but also because it coloured our lips and tongues red. Zobo (Nigerian) or Sorrel (Jamaican) is a red coloured drink made from a flower called Hibiscus sabdariffa. The sorrel plant contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, calcium, niacin, riboflavin and a group of compounds called flavonoids. Flavanoids not only gives the sorrel plant its deep red colour, but, are also rich in antioxidants which rids the body of toxins. The sorrel plant also contains nutraceleuticals, which are said to be helpful to the health. Nutraceleuticals can help prevent and treat several diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF LIME AND HONEY

L ime and Honey are two must haves in my house. I use honey as a substitute for white sugar. I remember a friend of mine visited me once and she wanted to drink garri (drinking garri is local to Nigerians, i.e. eating dried cassava with cold water as opposed to hot water), she was astonished when I told her to use honey to sweeten her garri. I'm not a tea person, but my parents are, and a cup of tea for them is not complete without limes.

Fabila's Fitness Club

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