FIVE REASONS WHY YOU ARE STILL AT THE BEGINNERS LEVEL

I see people who would proudly tell you how many years they have been exercising. “I’ve been doing yoga for 5 years” or “I’ve been attending step-classes for 3 years”. With all this years of experience, one would expect their fitness level to be topnotch, but, I see them at the back of the class gasping for air after 10 minutes, and their bodies showing no proof. I mean if you could do two squats at the beginning of your first year, it is expected that you would do 5 or 10 squats at the end of the first year, especially, if you are so consistent that you need to brag about it. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. You find someone who has been on level 1 stay on level one forever. I believe there should be progression in life. Staying fit is not all about losing weight; it includes progressing in your fitness level.

After chatting with a few people, I came up with five reasons why some people make no progress in their fitness journey:

Lack of understanding: You probably do not understand why you need to exercise, or how to exercise effectively. Besides making exercise a lifestyle, you also need to set goals for yourselves. If you are looking to lose weight, for example, a fitness programme like pilates is not the most efficient method to achieve this. You would make better progress combining pilates with a HIIT cardio workout.

Status: For some, exercising is a status thing. In order to belong to a social circle, some people register at the popular gyms and attend regularly so people know there are in town.

Lifestyle: Your lifestyle might be hindering you from making progress. If your goal is to lose weight, for example, you probably are consuming more food and exercising too little.

Consistency: Many people are either too busy, or too lazy to stick to a fitness programme. Consistency is key to making progress in your fitness journey. If you only have time to exercise once a week, though not enough, stick to it.

Challenge yourself: Many times we set limitations for ourselves. “I can’t jump too high”, I can’t run”, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t”. I can’t does not get you anywhere. Put in the work. Jump a little higher, squat a little lower, punch a little harder. You’ve done well by attending that class, now do great by putting in your best and making that hour worthwhile.

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.

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