The Balanced Life blog

21/12/2019

Follow my friend, yogi/ dietician for more inspo like this 🔥

Following up on one of my previous posts on how to manage the festive season, by squeezing in veggies where you can 😊

Bed of baby spinach
Mixed roast veg
Roasted chickpeas
Hummus
Avo slices
Balsamic drizzle

A bowl full of plant-based deliciousness 😜

Choosing plant based options will increase your fibre and nutrient intake, and is nice and light, which is a change from the rich and heavy Christmas treats we have been having 😊😊

21/12/2019

Official owner of a Carrol Boyes - you know you’re getting old when this excites you🍾🎄🎉👭🏻

18/12/2019

Here’s my annual tips on how to make it through the December season without losing all sense of routine & healthy thought:

1. Stay in a hydrated state by drinking at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Water (& positive hydration) will help assist our detox organs, it will help the hangovers & aid digestion, among many other things!

2. If you’re a breakfast eater, start the day with a lower carb, protein-packed meal of eggs & veg (omelette) or a smoothie with a bit of whey protein. Protein helps maintain satiety and level blood glucose. It’s the craving - reducer.

3. Exercise if and when you can but don’t start to feel guilty if you can’t make it to the gym. Go for a walk with the fam, take the stairs or do a quick 20 minute YOUTUBE workout at home. You don’t have to slaving away for an hour a day & you DON’T have to exercise to justify what is the December diet.

4. If you’re having dinner parties then plenty then stick to healthy principles like dishing up less and going back if you’re still hungry, skip dessert if you don’t feel like it (don’t just eat it for the sake of the holidays) & add veggies wherever you can

5. There’s a fine line between saying “to hell with it, it’s the holidays” and being too harsh on yourself out of guilt. Find your balance and don’t throw all caution to the wind. Jan 2nd isn’t the time to “start again” health is always

6. Alcohol- there is really no secret answer here. It’s empty calories (I.e no nutritional benefit) & has a way of creeping in the added calories, but some ways you can better your choices is by watching what mixes you add (sugar)

7. Don’t drink your calories in juices. Water where you can and juice in between

8. If you have a big night, remember the next day your blood glucose levels will be all over the place making you crave and feel hungry. Be careful to MINDFULLY eat the next day... this is normal but must be understood and controlled

9. Is a time to be present, happy & involved. Don’t let your fear of over-doing it keep you from doing this. Remember... one unhealthy meal won’t make you gain the same way one healthy meal won’t make you lose!

Happy Christmas season from

03/12/2019

Home-made wrap pizza’s are sooo quick and easy to make. A great “go-to” for the busy holiday season. You can get the whole family involved in the cooking process. It’s not real pizza I’ll say that, but it’s close enough... and it’s slightly lighter on calories if that’s what matters to you 🙏🏻
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Some tips:
1. Wraps can be cooked from frozen
2. Good tomato sauce = good “pizza” follow the story I posted
3. Cooks quickly @ 180•C so keep an eye
4. Dried Italian herbs adds so much flavour
5. Always have tinned chopped tomato @ tomato paste in the pantry- it can add so much bulk and flavour for less
6. Use baking paper on the tray to prevent sticking + it makes the washing easier
7. It’s a relatively cheaper option to take-away 🍕!
8. I never addressed it in my story but you better believe there’s 2 cloves of garlic (at least) sprinkled on top there before cooking!
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Hope you enjoy! DM if you have any specific questions.
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27/11/2019

I call this my Mexican Fiesta summer salad 😍🇲🇽 🦙🍹it’s a regular in my diet and it’s an Ibiza party in your mouth. We had a rather indulgent day at work today so I thought I’d end on a less “rich” note!
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It’s so easy and so delish, all it’s missing is the guac because I have no 🥑 in the house!
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Black beans (pantry staple) lightly fried with well diced cauliflower in garlic, olive oil, ginger & chilli till they get a slight crisp/ brown on. Don’t forget to add seasoning
Lettuce & coriander mix
Tomato’s
Capers & olives roughly chopped (fridge staple- that’s the European in me)
A drizzle of 🍋 + olive oil and for me a salad is not complete without a drowning of balsamic vinegar 🤣
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It’s filling, healthy & packs a punch of flavour. Also made in less than 10 mins. Black beans are so underrated, they take any food from zero to olé in a minute!
Also just make sure you buy the ripe and ready’s because really that’s the hero 🥑
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25/11/2019

Some delicious looking Christmas ideas 😍

21/11/2019

The thing about our bodies is that even if we’re not always pursuing fitness or exercise or healthy eating (because let’s face it we’re all human) & that’s not always the top on our priorities list... if we make small efforts weekly your body will surprise you with exactly how much it can handle/take!
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Being healthy should be a priority because you want to reap the benefits of longevity, being/staying disease-free, mental clarity & health and because really there is only one of your body forever. However, being healthy doesn’t mean going to the gym 5 days of the week and slaving away at something you hate for an hour, eating salads all week and letting loose on the weekends, giving up all the things you love to eat in the name of the scale. I always tell people to just START SMALL! Start by going for a walk or commit to one day a week at gym/ your local running group. Start by making simple swaps like a side salad instead of chips! Setting a GOAL!
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Being fit is an important aspect of being healthy but so is doing it in a manner that makes you happy!
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I had barely been exercising when we took on this insane hike. It pushed me but wow I was so surprised by how well my body coped despite me paying it little to no attention. This seriously kickstarted my fitness routine when I got back because I enjoyed the “high” my body felt after being pushed a little! It reminded me of my “why” and gave me the motivation to set my goals and make small commitments to better my health and give back to my body!
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If you’re stuck in a healthy-less rut... what SMALL commitment can you make tomorrow that may help to get your groove back! 🦙
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11/11/2019

GUYS! I have some exciting news... life is crazy, it’s busy & we hustle every day to better the economy. Sometimes it’s VERY necessary to invest a little time & money back into ourselves.

There’s a Release & Re-align Retreat happening on the weekend of
Fri 22 - Sun 24 Nov 2019
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We will be working on reflecting, releasing and clearing what is gone and no longer serving us from the year passed to step in to and re-align with who you are to set intentions for the new energetic field coming in 2020.
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Come and ground with intention before the busy season starts.

The retreat will be held at the beautiful Ukuthula Lodge just an hours drive from Durban overlooking the Albert Falls dam filled with beautiful African wildlife with so much space to rest and regenerate.
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Investment R2850pp

Includes:
•Accommodation
•Vegetarian meals
•Yoga classes (all levels welcome)
•Meditations
•Walks
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All provisional bookings to be made by Sun 17 Nov.
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Email: louvevinyasa@gmail.com or
Info@ukuthula-lodge.co.za
Call Britt: 083 265 1810 or Kirst 082 495 1347
or DM me!
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26/10/2019

This guy gave me more than one fight ... the one that actually happened and the one that keeps re-occurring in my dreams 😍 such a lucky girl. Lesotho was a trip I’ll never forget!
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It was challenging, abrasive yet enriching & one helluva’n adventure! To top it all off got dreamy pics of my PB. Can’t wait to be back
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08/10/2019

Tried a new class today.... 🤣 it was like death by 40 mins of skipping combined with a bit of HIIT! It took guts because I’m pretty unfit at the moment (that’s an understatement) & it was tough as it sounds omg!

I have chickened out of classes for so long now thinking “maybe when I’m fitter” but I dunno, today I just thought “to hell with it” and went for gold. 🤣 I was so red in the face (after like 15 mins already) it looked like I was about to spontaneously combust while next to me was this lady a few years older than me absolutely killing it, sporting ankle weights even .

The thing is... classes are intimidating. That is a given. There are people of all fitness levels, experience & strength that will be in that same room as you. BUT... they’re all there with a similar intention and goal. Don’t let your fear of not being able to keep up, keep you from going. You have to start somewhere.

I probably would suggest starting with a shorter class if you’re not used to training, but don’t let your lack of fitness or experience stop you from making a healthy choice for you and your body!

A tip: I always secretly tell the trainer how I’m feeling before the class starts so they don’t pick on me if I slow down & people may look but they actually don’t care & if they do that’s on them... you just do you & you’ll thank yourself for it afterwards!

Who’s trying a class this week????