FITNESS TIPS FOR THE WOMAN ON THE GO

Some of my female friends often tell me how impossible it is for them to make time to workout or live a healthy lifestyle. “It’s hard” they tell me, “when I get back from work all I want to do is jump into bed” some say. For those who are married, have children and work, suggesting exercise to them is as good as suicide!

Yes it is hard and I know because I did work in a law firm and anyone familiar with the working hours in Nigerian law firms knows the craziness involved! How did I survive it back then:

1. I hugged every opportunity I had to engage in physical activity: contrary to what many may think, fitness does not start and end in the gym. Your saloon is five to ten minutes’ walk away, but you drive anyways! Your husband suggested you both go on a walk, but you chose to watch TV instead! Your hotel has a swimming pool, but you stayed locked up in the room ordering everything they had on the menu! Your active child suggest you play with him/her a while, but you offered him/her some ice-cream instead! Your office has steps, yet you use the lift! You see you need some lifestyle changes?

2. I found an activity I loved and stuck to it: Before I started instructing Zumba Fitness classes, I religiously used my Home DVDs. Exercise becomes less of a chore when you choose an activity you love.

3. I watched my diet: Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my food. I look forward to dinner while having lunch! I still love my food, but I watch my portions and try to have a balanced diet. I am glad to say that I have come to a point where I feel empty whenever I go days without eating some type of fruit or vegetable.

4. I invested in some lightweight fitness tools: fitness tools like resistance bands and jump ropes are light and perfect for travel. There are also tons of exercises one can do using the body or body weight only. For example: planks, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, mountain climbers etc. OR if you love dancing like me, insert your earplugs, play some music and start dancing!!!

5. I bought myself some active wear: If I look into your wardrobe and see no active wear, I would know exactly how serious you are about achieving your fitness goals. I remember as a teenager when I visited my Aunt in London and we went shopping, she would always walk into the sports shop. For me spending money on sportswear was bad investment. I was young and naive then, now I know better!

6. I did what I had to do: That’s the summary of it all. No matter how busy you are, truth is you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. If you had a sick child to attend to, no meeting would keep you away from attending to him/her. It all comes down to how much importance you place on your health. If it is not a priority, then you would always have an excuse!

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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