UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Review- "Milk with added oomph!"

 UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake ""Milk with added oomph!"

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to be back with another fitness post as it has definitely been a while since I posted one. I am more active in the gym than ever so definitely expect more fitness posts in the future. If you want to check out my older fitness post you can check them out here.

I went to a blogger's event a few months back and was lucky enough to meet the people behind the UFit drink, the Protein drinks company. They were super friendly and told me about the concept behind the drink and let me try all the different flavours. As I really liked it, I am so glad I got the opportunity to proper review them and try some more.

Now why would you need a drink with extra protein? Most of us are familiar with gym goers drinking or eating extra protein to build muscle. This is the main reason that I drink and eat protein personally. However, in addition to building muscle protein can provide you with energy, benefit your hair and nails and also make you feel more full. In other words, whether you go gym or not this is a great drink to just bring along with you in your bag, or pick it up from the shop if you do not have time to make a smoothie or mix a protein drink in a shaker. When I was trying out these drinks I was going through a tough term at University and towards the end, exams. So even on the days when I didn't go gym I found it very convenient to bring one with me in the morning if I didn't have time to make breakfast.

What does it taste like? I remember being told at the event that the Strawberry one was their best seller, and I did try both flavours there and then. But as chocolate is my favourite flavour I still thought that would be my favourite. I have to admit that I found myself reaching for the Strawberry one and I also ran out of them before I ran out of the Chocolate ones. The taste is quite similar to Yazoo milkshakes and there is no taste of any protein or any "grittiness" in the drink at all. In fact, it's pretty watery (in terms of consistency not flavour) and very smooth which is a huge plus compared to other protein drinks. They both taste pretty sweet, but not too sweet. In my opinion, some protein drinks and snacks can almost feel too heavy but this went down very easily and once or twice I actually had two in a day just because they taste nice.

"UFIT is our best selling high protein nutrition drink, specifically formulated with passion and goodness to support active and healthy lifestyles! UFIT comes in a delicious chocolate or strawberry flavour and is bursting with 22g of protein and added vitamins and minerals. Just pop one in your bag or grab one at any time during the day for the healthiest, high protein snack."- http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/product/ufit/

What are they ingredients? They both contain 22g. of protein and 3.2g of dietary fibre as well as added Vitamin D, E, C and Selenium and Calcium

Picture borrowed from: http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Chocolate flavour ingredients:

Ingredients: Skimmed Milk, Water, Whole Milk, Milk Protein, Dietary fibre, Fat reduced cocoa powder, Vegetable oils (Sunflower, Corn), Beta glucan, Trisodiumcitrate, Stabilizer: Carrageenan, Dextrose, Salt, Flavour, Sweetener: Sucralose, Vitamins & Minerals: Sodium ascorbate, Vitamin E acetate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3.

Picture borrowed from: http://theproteindrinksco.co.uk/

UFit High Protein Health Drink Shake Strawberry flavour ingredients:

Ingredients: Skimmed Milk, Water, Whole Milk, Milk Protein, Dietary fibre, Vegetable oils (Sunflower, Corn), Beta glucan, Trisodiumcitrate, Stabilizer: Carrageenan, Dextrose, Salt, Flavour, Colour: Carmin, Sweetener: Sucralose, Vitamins & Minerals: Sodium ascorbate, Vitamin E acetate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3.

Pros & Cons

It's tricky to write up pros and cons as it just varies depending on your personal opinion. The drink contains no added sugar like a lot of other milkshakes and protein drinks, however it does contain the sweetener Sucralose.  It is ready made which I am sure would be a pro to most people as this is very convenient. Another pro is that it is quite readily available and stocked in a lot of "normal" stores compared to some fitness products which are only stocked in health or fitness stores. You can find the drinks at stores like Superdrug, Tesco, Holland & Baretts and Ocado. However, I actually found it available at my local corner shop and I believe it is stocked at my local gym too!

Check out the protein drinks company on social media if you're interested:

Website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Have you tried this drink and what do you think of protein drinks?

xx

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(*) This product was sent to me to review

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My Protein Review: Chocolate Protein Pancake Mix, Pure Energy Tropical Fruits Energy Bar, High Protein Bites/Snack & MP MAX Elle Aqua Slim

My Protein Review: Chocolate Protein Pancake Mix, Pure Energy Tropical Fruits Energy Bar, High Protein Bites/Snack & MP MAX Elle Aqua Slim

Today I will be reviewing these products from MyProtein, they are all from an online store called The Hut Group, they sell products from well known brands like Apple, Nike, Nikon, Playstation, Loreal, Garnier, Kardashian Beauty and a ton more. Check out all of the different brands they sell here. 

But today I am specifically reviewing products from MyProtein which is one of the leading fitness supplement companies in the UK. I have previously reviewed their Oats & Whey Flapjack protein bar, MyProtein Pulse V4 Tropical Storm Pre Workout Formula and MyProtein ENER:GEL Energy Gel, check out that review here if you are interested. 

MyProtein Pure Energy Tropical Fruits Energy Bar, £15.99 (for a big pack as seen above), "With over 25g of carbohydrate per 60g bar, Pure ENER:GY combines an optimal blend of fast and slow acting carbohydrates to help fuel activity. The natural and healthy ingredients combine cereals, fruits, honey and coconut oil to give you the best nature can offer in one great tasting bar."

I've tried quite a few protein bars, including another one from MyProtein which I linked at the beginning of this blog post, and this is the only one which is a cereal bar instead of a chocolate bar. This one is in the flavour "Tropical Fruit" but it also comes in Forest Fruit. It contains dried fruits which usually aren't my favourite but I really enjoyed this bar. You can see how big the pack is and I have finished all of them (plus another box which was sent to me again by mistake)! These work well before or after gym or just as a snack in your hand bag to keep you from feeling hungry throughout the day.

 MyProtein Chocolate Protein Pancake Mix, £8.99 "Myprotein's pancake mix is a ready to make high protein, low GI, great tasting snack. It includes three types of protein (whey, milk and egg protein) which can help with the growth and maintenance of lean mass. These protein pancakes are Ideal for breakfast or as a nutritious snack in between meals and provide over 30g of protein per 50g serving."

I was so exited to try these. You have all probably seen that protein pancakes are pretty popular in the fitness community but I still hadn't tried making them. Now these are the easiest pancakes ever to make! The pack comes with a measuring cup of the correct size (!) so all you have to do is add a scoop or a little bit more into some water and mix. When you mix, I usually always get "clumps" and they don't go away when whisking more but they disappear as soon as you put the mix in the frying pan. Oh and the taste of them, I read some reviews saying they taste nothing like "normal" pancakes- well of course they don't because a). They are protein pan cakes b) they come in powder form and are mixed with water. So they don't taste bad but I would recommend adding fruit/honey/syrup (or see my recipe below) for added flavour.

Pros: Let me tell you, these will make the most perfect round pancakes on  no time! You know how it is hard to flip normal pancakes because they might fall apart? Not with these, perfect pancakes every time with hardly any effort!

Cons: They contain sweeteners and no real sugar, now for some this might be a plus, this is just my personal opinion- I don't think you need to completely avoid real sugar to maintain a nice diet. Also, both sweeteners and a lot of protein can give you a belly ache!

Here is how I eat them:

-Fry them in Coconut Oil (will test yummy)

-Serve with Fage thick and creamy greek yoghurt (it's so nice trust me), some cinnamon and dark chocolate sprinkles (don't worry, to get as much chocolate as in my pic you need like a 8ths of a "square" of chocolate) and fresh berries.. yummy!

Inside of the pan cake mix bag- you get your own scoop! And I also wanted to show the easy instructions.

MyProtein Protein Bites (Protein Snack), £.6.99 (I believe this is for more than one pack) & MyProtein MP MAX ELLE AQUA SLIM, £7.29:

MyProtein Protein Bites (Protein Snack):"Available in 3 flavours, Protein Bites are a great tasting savoury snack which can be enjoyed as part of your Exante Diet. Low in carb and high in protein these are the perfect snack for low calorie week, working or simple solution and even a part of our Man Plan!"

Now I really loved these. I think snacks with protein is a great idea and this taste just as nice as normal crisps/snacks. Also they don't contain too many calories so they might be a good substitute for "normal" crisps if you are trying to maintain or lose weight, or just tone up and focus on eating protein!

MyProtein MP MAX ELLE AQUA SLIM: "With a light and refreshing taste, Aqua Slim is the ideal drink to quench your thirst. It has been designed to keep you hydrated throughout the day whilst boosting your performance during exercise."

So this is as you can read a drink which does not contain any sugar, instead it contains sweetener. It comes in two different flavours: Mixed Berries and Orange & Passion fruit, I tried the latter. It says that it is designed to help burn fat more effectively, and contains L Carnitine, Green Tea, Chromium & added vitamins.

Have you tried any fitness supplements or any from MyProtein?
What did you think and what are your favourites?

xx

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(*) These products were gifted to me to review

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Tea Overload- PG Tips New Fruit & Herbal Infusion Range Tea

PG Tips New Fruit & Herbal Infusion Range Tea

Hi Guys! You have probably seen the odd health and fitness posts and fitness supplement reviews on my blog, but today I am reviewing- tea! If you are British I am sure you will understand why that really excites me, I absolutely love tea and I drink at least 2 cups every day. For health reasons I usually drink the healthier types of teas like Green Tea, Peppermint Tea and Camomile- and I received exactly these and more! 

They are all from PG Tips new range of fruit and herbal teas- super tasty and all very healthy. If you want them to taste a little sweeter I'd suggest adding a bit of honey- still healthy! Here is what they say on their website:
"Here at PG tips we’ve created a fantastic new range of fruit and herbal infusions with a big taste that will not disappoint. We’ve packed our tea bags with the rich flavoursome ingredients of Delicate Camomile, Fresh Peppermint, Juicy Red Berries, Smooth Red Bush & Vanilla and Aromatic Spices and Mint. Thanks to our famous pyramid bags the blend has more room to infuse to give you that tasty PG pleasure you love in every cup. Each box contains 20 cuppas."

Due-Therm Oslo from Grosche Kuchenware: In addition to all the tea I also received these unique tea cups, or whatever you want to call them. I think they are so cute! They really come in handy for me as I only have one tea cup (broke the other ones, so clumsy).

Here is some info about them from their website: "
The Duo-Therm Oslo will allow your beverage to gently 'float' in midair as it keeps your drink hot (or cool) for longer than a standard non-insulated cup. It's appearance is almost that of a wine glass without the stem, but with our own twist. These cups are extremely elegant, and the perfect size for a double-shot of espresso, fine tea, or ice wine- drinks meant to be enjoyed with conversation. The Oslo comes in packages of four"

How nice do these look? :)

What are you favourite tea flavours,
have you tried these?

xx

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My Protein Products Review- Oat & Whey Flapjack, Pulse V4, Energel & Impact: Whey Protein Shake

My Protein Products Review- Oat & Whey Flapjack, Pulse V4, Energel & Impact: Whey Protein Shake 

Hey Guys, today I have another fitness and health post to share with you, it is a review of some fitness supplement from the brand MyProtein. I was really excited to try them as I recently went back to going gym after a really long break- and it is going really well! I have tried protein bars and drinks before and I really liked them, plus now I got to try an energy drink and energy gel as well.

A little info about MyProtein: "Welcome to Myprotein, a fresh approach to buying sports supplements and nutrition. At Myprotein, we know from first-hand experience that nutrition isn't a case of one size fits all. Each of us is unique and just like personal training, our nutrition should be tailored to fit our very own personal circumstances. From innovative flavouring of supplements to making massive savings when buying in bulk, we give you the choices so you never have to compromise on your nutrition, or your goals."

My Protein Oat & Whey Flapjack: "Oats & Whey is a tasty and nutritious meal replacement bar for those looking to add quality proteinand carbohydrates to their diet. Each 88g bar contains a massive 22g of tapered release protein derived from Milk Protein and Whey Protein. The carbohydrate content is based around the low glycemic index Oat Blend, providing a sustained supply of energy." This is a chocolate flavoured protein bar that you can eat inbetween meals, pre or post work out. I had it after work out as I am usually quite hungry and want something filling as soon as possible after a gym session. Looking at the information online (click the link in the title to view), that works well as "it provides a rapid method of refuelling your glycogen and protein stores in the recommended ratio of 2:1 (carbohydrates:protein)". It contains no Aspartame or Acesulfame K but contains other sweeteners like Isomalt and Sucralose. Be warned, this is really, really filling! It is a little grainy, the same way all protein bars are (you'll know if you had one), but I really like that and I thought the bar tasted really nice. 

MyProtein Pulse V4 Tropical Storm Pre Workout Formula: "Pulse® V4 is our most powerful pre-workout formula to date, combining some of the most heavily researched performance boosting supplements available. It is formulated to increase energy, pump and mental focus, and help you achieve the most intense and effective workout possible." 
So I was really excited to try this as I had never tried a pre workout drink before. It comes in a powder form and as you can see from the directions above, you're supposed to use it 30 minutes before your work out. A lower dose is recommended if you're not used to this type of drink. I tried half of the sachet mixed with water the first time I tried it and I actually got a belly ache while working out and did not feel energetic at all. However, I took it like 20 minutes before the workout and I didn't eat before so next time I tried it I made sure I definitely had it 30 minutes prior to working out and I ate a little at the same time. This time I got better results and I felt crazy energetic on the cross trainer lol, it didn't make it easier, like I still felt a burn in my legs but I was just going at a faster pace than usual!

MyProtein ENER:GEL Energy Gel: " ENER:GEL is a unique energy gel containing both Electrolytes and B Vitamins.Each 60ml sachet of ENER:GEL contains over 21g of carbohydrates. The unique formula has been scientifically designed to help promote endurance levels during prolonged exercise through its combination of carbohydrates and electrolytes." 
So I'd never seen a product like this before being sent this. It is a "Energy Gel" and you are supposed to take 2-3 of them each hour you work out.  I obviously couldn't eat 2-3 as I only had one to try, but I had it before my work out which was a leg session. With this I felt that it was definitely easier to life the weights. For example, as of lately I have done 100 kg leg press and sometimes I really, really struggle to first "lift" the weight up but the day I had taken eaten the Energy gel it was super easy. The gel tasted really nice, but was more like a liquid as opposed to a gel. 

My Protein Impact Whey Protein: "Impact Whey Protein™ is available in 19 delicious flavours including Cookies & Cream, Rhubarb & Custard and Summer Fruits in addition to the more traditional Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla flavoured options. Our Impact Whey Protein™ is a rich source of whey protein concentrate from vegetarian sweet cheese, sourced directly from the world’s leading whey protein manufacturers. Having the highest Biological Value (BV) of any known protein, whey protein concentrate contains high levels of both essential and non-essential Amino Acids" This was the first protein powder/shake I tried and I really liked it. It is chocolate flavoured and tastes really sweet. You mix it with 150-250ml, I think I chose the least amount of water and I still found it a little bit runny. If I remember correctly I had enough for two shakes so I can't comment on results but I definitely recommend it based on how nice it tastes.

Have you tried this brand? 

& do you take any fitness supplements? 

xx

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Exante Diet Review And Pictures- Simple Solution

Exante Diet Review And Pictures- Simple Solution

Today I am reviewing these food products from the Exante diet. Just as I decided to go back to the gym again after almost a year long break I saw on Twitter that Exante were looking for bloggers to review their products, and I just thought the timing was perfect!

How does it work? So I received quite a few products to try out. Once you have your products, you can decide whether to follow either of these three diet plans: the Simple Solution, Working solution or Total Solution. For each of them, you'd use the same products and only how many additional meals you have will vary.

Here is a little info about their products "All of our soups, shakes, bars and food packs (porridge, pasta carbonara, shepherds pie etc) are Total Meal replacements. By using 3 of our products a day to replace your normal meals you can cut down your daily calories, and you'll still receive 100% of your Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) of vitamins and minerals. This means that you stay fit and healthy whilst you lose weight, because your body has all that it needs to enable safe and effective weight loss." Find a link to their product ingredient lists here.

So this is what the packaging of the products look like, for the Simple Solution, I got a mix of breakfast, lunch and ready meals. I got the flavoured shakes in: Strawberry, Toffee Caramel, Banana, Vanilla, Chocolate and Chocolate and Mint. For ready meals I got the Spagetti Bolognese, Pasta Cabonara, Red Bean Chili, Shepherd's Pie and Curry. The "breakfast food" I got were the Porridge Oats and the lunch type of food was the Mushroom & Tomato and Basil soups. 

Below you can find my favourite of each type of meal, and some thoughts on them. In the end I will put my overall thoughts on all of the Exante Diet products I have tried.

Information about the Exante Diet shakes: "Exante's diet shakes are thick, creamy and formulated specifically for weight loss. They are high protein, low carb and we've made sure they contain NO aspartame, NO artificial colours, NO MSG and have NO genetically modified products! 3 packs gives you 100% RDA's for vitamins and minerals."

So I received this Shaker Bottle for my shakes. It came with a stainless steel ball inside of it, to help the shakes mix properly when you are shaking it. I didn't realise so for the first shakes I tried (Chocolate & Vanilla), I tried them without using it and they were thick and not properly mixed. After using it the proper way, with the steel ball inside- they turned out so much nicer. The consistency is pretty thin but they are super tasty! My favourite is this one in the pictures, chocolate and mint, and also the toffee caramel ones. As mentioned in the info, they do not contain aspartame but they use the sweetener Sucralose instead. A little tip, these contain a lot of added vitamins, minerals and best of all- a lot of protein! So bring the Shaker bottles with you and your favourite shake to drink straight after a gym session! 

Check out all of the shakes here.

Information about the Exante Diet Porridge Oats: "Exante Diet Porridge Oats - the perfect winter warmer. This generous portion will fill you up whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We have recently updated the composition of the Porridge Oats pack, so some of you may find the product less sweet than previously. If you like it sweeter then feel free to add a tablet sweetener or how about some cinnamon for a nice change."

I was pretty surprised to discovered that this was one of my favourite food products, as I usually don't actually like porridge. The taste is really, really nice and contrary to what you might think from the info above suggestion that you might want to add some more sweetener- it already taste pretty sweet. Again, it is sweetened with sucralose and as with all of the other products, it contains added vitamin and minerals. The instructions tell you to microwave it for a couple of minutes, however, I'd say add a few minutes to what it says on the pack, or simply microwave it until you get the consistency you prefer. I always eat breakfast, and quite a lot- and I was surprised that this was actually very filling on its own. If you are used to light breakfast, this will be enough, otherwise- have a boiled egg on the side or some fruits. 

Information about the Exante Diet Mushroom Risotto: "Exclusive to Exante, you won’t find this stunning meal anywhere else in the UK! This lovely creamy mushroom risotto is packed with flavour while still being high in protein and fibre!"

As this contains rice, I thought this was okay to eat on its own. However some of the other ready meals, like Red Bean Chilli (see below)- I would personally eat with something like rice or pasta. This was really taste and had a lot of flavour. Again, when you microwave this, you might want to leave it in a little longer than the packaging says to get the right consistency. I really enjoyed this meal but as it isn't a really big, I would personally have it as lunch for instance. 

Information about the Extante Diet Red Bean Chilli: " Packed with full red kidney beans and sweetcorn, this spicy beef style meal is a real favourite. Suitable for vegetarians." 

This was my favourite ready meal, although I did have it with pasta, so if you are following the diet step by step- this is supposed to be eaten on its own as you can see in the product pictures on the website. It was really easy to get to a nice consistency and had a lot of flavour in it, and as they mention in the description- it contains loads of beans. It is a little spicy and very tasty.

So my overall thoughts? To start with, along with the products you can a few sheets of information about the diet which explains, how and why it works. And with calorie and eligibility for the different types of diet programmes they offer which was really helpful. If you try out the programme you don't have to worry about planning your meals as it is all thought through- and the total calories and vitamins/mineral per day have been calculated to match your personal (chosen) diet plan. The products do not contain aspartame (but instead Sucralose), no MSG trans fats or GM ingredients. All of their products are high in protein, fibre and vitamins and minerals and (from what I can see) they are all suitable for vegetarians.The allergens are either mentioned or highlighted in bold on the ingredient lists, and some contain gluten, lactose, both or other allergens. So if you have any allergies- just check each individual ingredient list. I really like the fact that they all come in powder form because they are so easy to bring with you somewhere, to store and probably to sit in your cupboard for a little while if you like to stock up on products. If you don't want to eat sweeteners, these are probably not for you. Also, if you don't have a microwave you will definitely struggle. Unfortunately I am moving soon and won't and I have a couple of products left so I might have to invest in one!

Have you tried any food products like these? Do you have any questions about the products I have tried? I included loads of direct links so it would be easy to check out any products you are interested in reading more about.

xx

Check out my other health and fitness posts here.

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*These products were sent to me to review, all opinions are my own and no compensation was given to write this post.

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Greek Yoghurt Berry Smoothie Recipe with Cinnamon and Flaxseed

Greek Yoghurt Berry Smoothie Recipe with Cinnamon and Flaxseed

Hey, so in addition to trying to get back to posting regularly and I trying to start posting some of the things that I used to post more often before, like health & fitness posts and DIY's and tutorials. So first up is this smoothie recipe. I have posted a similar recipe once or twice but with Soy Milk so here is another version.

• Greek Yoghurt

• Mixed Berries 

• Cinnamon

• Flaxseeds

• Honey and/or banan to sweeten

As I mentioned, you can also use Soy milk instead of Greek Yoghurt, it is a lot cheaper and doesn't taste as much. But this is the last time I post this same recipe and I really really need some new smoothie recipes, So do you have any nice recipes for a healthy smoothie? 

Pls share 

xx

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Neal's Yard Remedies Goodie Bag Contents

Neal's Yard Remedies Goodie Bag Contents

As promised when I wrote the blog post about the recent Neal's Yard Remedies event I went to, here is what was in the "goodie bag".

Neal's Yard Remedies Aromatic Body Butter "Deeply nourishes for silky-smooth skin.

A creamy, luxurious blend of shea and cocoa butters, infused with a soothing aromatic blend of essential oils, for ultimate relaxation." Find it here, and check out the amazing ingredient list! 

How pretty? It is a very thick and quite heavy body butter, I'd say you could compare it to the thicker Body Shop butters like the Shea Butter one. Only difference is that it is completely natural with only butters and oils, and the fragrance is all from essential oils.

The other thing we got was this Neal's Yard Remedies Beautiful Skin Tea, "With goji berry and rosehip. Help boost skin’s natural radiance, with carefully selected antioxidant-rich goji berry, rosehip, hibiscus, bilberry and sweet orange". Find it here. I was pretty excited about this since I love tea, and especially herbal and healthy teas. Plus for giving us the tea bag thingy in the back (sorry forgot what it is called)

Have you tried any of these products? Are you into natural skin care & healthy foods?

xx

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Neal's Yard Remedies Create Your Own & Super Foods Event

Neal's Yard Remedies Create Your Own & Super Foods Event

On Wednesday I was invited to celebrate the Islington Neal's Yard Remedies store's 5th birthday, along with a couple of other London bloggers. As usual with Neal's Yard Events these was a sort of theme or activity- this time the activity was to create our own blend of essential oils and use it for a chosen product. Last year I went to their massage event near Marble Arch and learned a couple of tricks, read about that here. 

As you might know if you have followed my blog for a long while, I am interested in both natural beauty products and making my own products- so I was super excited about this evening. If you follow my Instagram (link) you will also know that I will actually be studying Cosmetic Science starting in September.  (Check out ALL my DIY posts here) 

We were told a little about essential oils and their benefits and then we got to smell loads of different ones, choosing our favourites to go in our own blends. We then got to use them in either a body oil, body scrub or shower gel using NYR own product bases (find them here). I believe you can also go to the store and mix up your own blend using these! 

                                                                                                                                        My blend was a little bit of Ylang Ylang (spelling?) essential oil, Rosemary,Geranium and a whole lot of Lime essential oil. So basically I just made a lime Shower Gel. Find their essential oils here. We also got our own hand made on the spot lip balm a la Neal's Yard made of beeswax, love it! I have actually tried making a similar lip balm before which you can read about here. 

As we arrived we were treated to this super yummy champagne with their own added special syrup mix (I believe), it was soo nice!

We were also introduced to some of their new Neal's Yard super foods. This is their chocolate with added Goji Berries (amongst other healthy things I believe). I am usually not a fan of fruit added to chocolate but I actually loved this and when offered, I happily accepted to bring home a few pieces.

We also got treated to some yummy muffins! Check out their page with some Super Food Recipes here.

Last but not least we got a very nice goodie bag with some items I am really excited about. As this post is already pretty picture heavy, I will save those for another post :)

Have you tried making your own products?

&What is your favourite super food?

xx

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♥ Today's Killer Bum and Thighs Work Out || Squats, Lunges & Donkey Kicks

 I am very happy to share a very over due fitness post! Even though I don't post them as frequently any more, I have a good few fitness post in my archives. Check out all my fitness posts here. Today's (well it was two days ago) exercises included my boyfriends dumbbells, a lot of squats and lunges.

Killer bum and leg work out:

• 20 kg dumbbells- 30x3 Squats
• 10 kg dumbbells- 30, 25, 25 Lunges (thought 30 was a bit much)
• 60 Donkey Kicks/Glute Kick Backs (30 for each leg)
• 60 Straight Leg Kicks (same position as donkey kicks, but with a straight leg, backwards)
• 60 Sideways, Straight Leg Kicks (Same as above but leg going sideways)

Then we did Abs: (Click the names, for a link to a picture of the exercise)

• Pilates Roll Ups- 2 min (You gotta try this for your abs! Do it for at least 2 minutes it takes a while for it to start "hurting").
• Side oblique crunch: 25x2 (One set of 25 for each side)
• Knee Crunches- 25x2
• Bicycle Crunches: 25

The ab exercises weren't planned so I didn't keep track of what I did, so this is roughly what I did.

Healthy and easy to do post dinner work out (inspired by an Instagram pic from this fitness blogger)

• Beef (Steak, chop, don't know what it is lol)
• Green Beans/Mango Tout looking vegetables
• 1 medium sizes sweet potatoe and one small normal potatoe chopped into cubes
• The best part- Tzatsiki! This is so nice, I didn't make it myself but the ingredients are: Greek yoghurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, mint, olive oil

What was your last work out like?

& What are your favourite bum and ab exercises?

xx

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♥ 30 Day Shred Update No. 2

30 Day Shred Update No. 2 (Click for No.1)

To see my "belly snaps" on Instagram, with almost daily progress pictures. Follow me "Yolandaas" or click here.

 So as Promised I am writing update number two on the 30 Day Shred work out, as I have just started Level 2 (which you start after doing 10 days of Level 1). See all the information about this work out video here. I have also done almost daily updates with a belly snap lol on my Instagram, which you can view online here. Today is my 12th day so I have done 2 days of Level 2 already.


In this post I just wanted to update you on how it is going, what's been easy and what's been tough, and whether I've seen any results so far.

How did Level 1 go?
As expected, in addition to not being that tough, Level 1 was very easy to get used to and after about 5 days I found myself getting used to it. It was still "hard" but time sort of flied when I did the work out and it felt more like 10 minutes as opposed to 20. As I explained in the first post, I was using 4 kg dumbbells when the heaviest your were meant to use was 3 kg. Please note that my arms are my weakest post lol so it was pretty tough. But then again, as Level 1 wasn't very intese, I feel like heavier dumbbells seems pretty logical.

How is Level 2 going?
Well let me start of by saying that I was meant to start Level 2 (my 11th day) on Friday, which was also my 20th birthday. Due to not being home all day, and not being able to work out without disturbing other people when I got home- I had to skip that day. I wasn't happy about that but oh well. So today I've done my second day of Level 2 and it is pretty tough!

I thought I'd show you the toughest work outs according to me:

1. -Well the first pic at the top of the post, "jump rope" double jumps. They are surprisingly tough when you are already out of breath from previous work outs.

 2. Planking with jumps. I've tried to take screen shots so that you can actually understand the move. You start of in planking position, then jump (feet landing near your arms), then jump back into position again. Hurts your legs as h*ll!

 3. Static Lunges with arms. The arms are definitely not the tough part here. I would have never guessed that static lunges were so tough (static meaning you don't move, you stay in the positin all along, but moving your arms).

 4. Jumping oblique twists. Looks a little like the exercise in this video, but arms are moving the way you can see in the pic. Again, in conjunction with other leg exercises this hurts my legs as crazy after a while!

5. Sitting down as pictured while lifting the weights up as pictured. When you stand up again, you bring the weights down. This really makes my arms hurt!

6. The "Skater Exercises". Again, hope you can understand from the picture what the exercise is. If you look at Jillian (middle), after you've done what she does on the picture, you take a jump, but towards the other side, thereby switching leg. Sorry about the bad explanation lol.

To see my "belly snaps" on Instagram, with almost daily progress pictures. Follow me "Yolandaas" or click here.

Have u done this or any similar challenge?

What's your best exercise tip?

xx

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

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♥ 30 Day Shred Challenge?

30 Day Shred Challenge
(see download link for free, at the bottom)
-If you need help with how to download, Tweet me or Instagram me

Spontaneous as I am, after seeing yet another blogger/vlogger show their results of the Jilian Michael's 30 day shred challenge work out dvd- I randomly decided to download it and give it a go. I'm really glad I did because that is exactly what you should do when you take up a challenge, whatever kind of challenge it is- just do it, and do it straight away! 

I'm gonna be a little different and not post loads of skinny girl fitspo/thinspo whatever you want to call it, because they truly don't inspire me. I wouldn't aim to be like anyone else I don't have any role model but I do know that I am super unfit at the moment so I will just do this work out and get more toned :) What motivates me to be healthy is seeing pictures of nice and healthy food, so I am gonna post some of my old Instagram pics instead. (didn't realise how many I had until I wrote this)

What made me want to do this challenge?
The fact that I've seen real results, not amazing- but very good. The first results I saw was Maureen's from MyEverydayTreats, see her post here, she has got an amazing body! I then saw Beauty Crush Sammi's results in her video and they were amazing. However hard-to-convince as I am, I didn't think more of it. That was until today, when I saw another bloggers results on the front page of Hello Cotton, see here. Her results were really great too. Again, didn't think more of it until I randomly a few hours ago decided to download this work out and see what the fuss was about. To me it looked like the main difference was that they toned up their stomach area very well- which is what I want to do. Oh also, I feel like he blogging community is great with spreading challenges and encouraging people to join, latest one being the "spending ban". Unfortunately this doesn't appeal to me as I don't have any problem with not buying stuff I don't need. I have also seen quite a few work out challenges on Tumblr and Instagram floating around.

How does it work?
Well the work out DVD (or downloaded version) consists of three different workouts of 20-30 minutes each. They are called Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. So what you are meant to do is to do Level 1 every day for ten days, then Level 2 every day for ten days and then Level 3 every day for ten days. The idea behind the workouts is to use "muscle confusion" which is why you can't get these super fast results. Muscle confusion means that you switch workouts, switch between cardio and strength and then switch it up as you get used to a certain work out routine.

Update Day1:
So as I said, I've already done my first work out (update: I'm on day 3 now). You need a pair of quite light dumbbells, and a exercise mat if you wish. I would say that this work out wasn't more than 20-25 minutes in total. There is obviously the introduction to this whole thing and in the end a quick stretch. The workout was just a mix of legs, abz and cardio and I would say it wasn't too hard, absolutely not I'm-dying hard. The toughest part for me was the lunges while working out the arms at the same time, using dumbbells. Arms are my weakest part and my dumbbells are the ones I use for leg work outs- so they are a lot heavier than the ones the use in the video.

Update Day3:
I'd say this will be a killer workout only for the person who has practically never worked out. I haven't worked out in months and I didn't find it very hard (don't get me wrong, it was tough like any work out, but nothing amazingly tough). I also use 8.9 lbs (4 kg) dumbbells where they use 3 (1.4 kg) & 5 lbs (2.3 kg). dumbbells in the video, and the dumbbells in the work out are mainly used for arms and arms are my weaker point lol. I didn't have much of a muscle ache after Day1 but today I have a bad muscle ache in my upper body, and moderate in my lower.
Please note: I'm not a professional but I'd say the stretches in the video are pretty bad, they are just too short & she doesn't even show how to stretch all the muscles used in the workout. Add some extra stretches after every work out!

The next updates will be day 10 (after level 1 is finished), day 20 and final results at day 30.

So I probably shouldn't be posting download links but I figured since I heard the whole work out is on Youtube, it probably doesn't matter. Download the work out here 

People who have joined so far (let me know if I should add you to the list):

• http://persiannamedgirl.blogspot.nl/ (she was already doing the challenge) 
• http://www.thelovelycup.com/
• http://www.theeliteebony.com/
• http://curlsnrouge.blogspot.co.uk/ (http://irisguevara.com/)
• http://www.youtube.com/kawaiinails

Have you done this type of fitness challenge and

will you be joining me in this challenge?

Any work out tips?

xx

Twitter  || Facebook || Bloglovin || Hello Cotton || Pinterest

Update: I've now done 3 days, because I wanted to make sure I would actually continue the challenge before "announcing" it on the blog.

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