Tag Archives: Health

(Update) Workout Week 1

Hello Maicurlies,

In order to stay committed (yes again) I decided I will update my workout weeks on here. In case you missed my previous post, you can find my entire workout sheet here.

Week 1 Workout Schedule

So my first week back on the “workout wagon” went really well. I totally enjoyed each session and I was able to stick to my plan but let me tell you, Billy Blanks is no joke!

I am trying to stick to as healthy a diet as I can (trust me this is not easy for me). On the plus side, I cook everything I eat myself so I know exactly what I am eating and there are no hidden ingredients etc. I ventured to make my own homemade fruit ice-cream which was mostly (mostly) healthy! This baby contained fresh pineapples (I had them cut into pieces and in the freezer for my smoothies), frozen strawberries, frozen mixed red berries, coconut water (with coconut chunks), a little condensed milk (the not entirely healthy part) and that was it. I blended the fruits with the coconut water then added the condensed milk, reblended it, poured into my container and into the freezer it went. Then into my tummy it rested LOL.

Homemade Ice Cream

IT IS SO GOOD…..SOOOOO GOOD! I have to limit myself on how much I take and I gave some to my mother so I wouldn’t overindulge.

Anyways, I am looking forward to week 2!

Thanks

Maicurls

Back on the Workout Wagon!

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Hello Maicurlies,

So yes….the audacity…I know…I know (hanging head in shame)…

photo credit: Weights (283/365) via photopin (license)

YES, I am back on the “let me get fit” wagon (again)! I will be the first to admit that I get into working out and then fall off the workout “high” quite quickly. However, in my defense (which is non-existent) I really am one of those types of people that becomes fixated with something, become obsessed…until something new comes along and then I am obsessed with some new hobby.

Anyways, excuses aside I have decided I need to start working out again regularly. I have a few “problem areas” that I need to fix and would like to tone my body so workout I shall!

Workout Start Date: June 26th 2016
Current Schedule End Date: July 25th 2016 (I will come up with new ones as the weeks go by)
Weekly – Written updates

I have always found 30 day challenges really fun to do and I have love for a good cardio workout too no pain no gain right? So here is my plan, I have a 30 day Guns, Buns, Abs and Thighs schedule all planned out (you will find it below) and to get some cardio in I shall be switching between my every so trusty (and dusty) elliptical machine and some golden oldies kickboxing/Tae Bo workouts by Billy Banks (yes I am taking it way back but I love his workouts and p.s. he has some new material out)! You can actually find some of his videos on YouTube, I plan to include cardio at least 4 days a week (when I am adventurous 5 days) and will have a day off from cardio as well as day that I stretch.

30 Day Fitness Challenge Guns, Buns, Thighs & Abs

So obviously the 30 day challenge will be carried out for 30 days and I plan in increasing the number of repetitions as the days go on since I will be “getting stronger” right? I do not plan on carrying out every single exercise every single day since giving your muscles a rest once in a while is actually more beneficial so you will notice that on certain days I have “SQUAT FREE” or “LEG LIFT FREE” etc days. As far as the cardio goes, as I mentioned I will be switching between my elliptical and my Billy Banks workouts so I do not get bored and while alternating I will also use different Billy Banks workouts, alternate between using my ankle/wrist weights and will also be pushing myself on my elliptical with resistance. I feel good about this Maicurlies!

I plan on doing weekly updates here and on my Instagram Page just to say how I have been doing, feeling, how motivated I have been etc, this will hopefully make me feel more accountable and will inspire me to keep at it.

So here is where you come in, if any of you are inspired to workout with me please DO! You don’t have to follow my schedule obviously, do what works best for you but any exercise is better than no exercise right?

Let me know if you do decide to join in, let me know what kind of workouts you are doing, we can help one another other stay motivated!

Thanks!

Maicurls

What I’ve been up to – Instagram & Pinterest

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Hey Maicurlies,

If you didn’t know I have become a Instagram (IG) FREAK! Seriously, it is an addiction. Before I was a Pinterest addict and now IG has become my fascination. My Instagram profile is not limited only to all things hair, I do put up posts about skin care and health (but yes hair is a big part of it.) I also have snippets of my YouTube videos on there too. What I love the most about IG is that there is so much inspiration and you get constant updates! Natural beautiful crowns and everything in between all the time!

Anyways, the purpose of this post is to share some of the things I have been doing with my hair, skin and health. These images are all on my IG page so if you aren’t following me yet, please do! While you are at it, you might as well follow me on Pinterest too (yes I am being cheeky :D)

So, as a way to perhaps encourage you to follow me on IG I put together a collage of some of the recent photos I have up on there (putting on every single one would too self promoting and self obsessed lol).

super defined twist-out before separating

Hope to see you on my IG & Pinterest pages! If you have IG or Pinterest please let me know, I love supporting others!

Thanks

Maicurls

30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge Week 4 Update Final Week

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Hey Maicurlies,

Smoothies Week 4

And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain. My friends, I’ll say it clear; I’ll state my case of which I’m certain…I LOVE SMOOTHIIIIESS! OK sorry, got carried away but it is true! 🙂

I finished the Green Smoothie Challenge and must say I couldn’t be happier that I participated. P.S. For those of you who might might have skipped my previous updates please check the links below:

The final week ended with a bang! I incorporated a few new fruits and got my hands on new greens (I was hunting for Kale, I will eventually get my hands on it but found something else to keep me going). In my last post I mentioned that I kept forgetting to add flaxseed so I made a point of always adding them this time. I even ended up with a “green” smoothie that wasn’t green (it was purple see below)! It was delicious and did include 2 cups of spinach so it counts, at least in my book recipe below on day 7.

Smoothies week 4

I loved this challenge so much that I plan on continuing with them. My aim is to keep having a smoothie a day but might have to do one every other day, we shall see. If you haven’t tried making smoothies and are worried that it is too time consuming or expensive I have provided a few tips that might help.

Buy a mix of fresh and store bough frozen fruits (especially those that are off season) – this way you have access to different types of fruits all year round.
Slice fruits and freeze them – place slices on a tray covered with aluminum in the freezer and then store the frozen fruits in resealable sandwich bags. It becomes so much easier to make the smoothies and measure out quantities.
Prepare bags of the fruits you plan to use – you can prepackage the bags with an assortment of fresh (frozen) fruits so that all you need to do is add liquids and any fresh ingredients you need when you are ready to make and drink the smoothie.

I can only say I saw positive results: happy skin, feeling good about myself and perhaps even a little more energy in the morning (this only happened a few weeks into the challenge for me.) So like I said this is to be continued 🙂

Would love to hear if you drink smoothies on a regular basis and if so what kind?

Thanks

Maicurls

30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge Week 3 Update (15 – 21st October)

1 Reply

Hey Mailoves!

Week 3 of the smoothie challenge went by smoothly (see what I did there… sorry) 😀

Smoothies Week 3

But seriously I enjoyed the last week. I added a few new items to my mixes but still need to get my hand on another type of “green”. I REALLY am starting to feel like Popeye!

Below are the smoothies I did in week 3:

Smoothies week 3

NOTE: I missed one day for the first time since starting the challenge (day 6) and actually felt guilty but it is alright. Things come up from time to time C’est la Vie right?

For the day that I skipped I’ve provided a Green Smoothie Recipe I found through the official challenge page.

I keep forgetting to add Flaxseeds to my smoothies so for week 4 I plan on making sure that EVERY smoothie has Flaxseeds added. (You can replace it with another seed if you want e.g. Chia seeds).

One week left Maicurlies let’s go strong!

Maicurls

30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge Week 2 Update (8 – 14th October)

1 Reply

Gooood Morning,

Hope all of you are well Maicurlies!

Smoothies Week 2

I just finished up week 2 of the 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge and all is well. Same as before, we received our new list of smoothie ideas and I am looking forward to their deliciousness!

If you missed my last update you can find my recipes from week 1 here.

Below are the smoothies I did in week 2:

Smoothie Recipes week 2

(Note: On Day 6 and 7 I made the same smoothie twice out of pure laziness . I also wanted to say that some of you might want to add honey or something to sweeten the smoothies. Some of them are not as sweet as you would like so if you feel the need go ahead and add honey, agave nectar etc. )

Now, after my first week I made the grand comment of how I felt my skin was looking and feeling great and I don’t know if I jinxed myself but I got 3 spots towards the end of last week!

It is not uncommon for me to get spots but it is funny that just as I declared how great my skin is feeling …voila… 3 spots grace me with their presence. (Slightly off topic: I am working on a few DIY Skin care products and will keep you posted!)

Anywho, apart from the 3 rather large and annoying spots the rest of my skin is feeling & looking great (I hope I do not get more now that I’ve said that!) I also started working out and drinking water in the morning which is part of a NEW challenge I am doing. I told you, “tis the season to be challenged” 😀 I will make a new post about my workout & water challenge.

Overall I am a happy camper. I like knowing I am doing something good for my body and health, I still love every minute of making (and drinking) my smoothies and I look forward to the weeks that follow!

Would love to hear from you and your smoothie experiences. Have you noticed a difference in your health, skin? A pep in your step? Anything?

Thanks

Maicurls

30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge Week 1 Update (1- 7th October)

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Hey Maicurlies,

Smoothie

It has been 1 week of my 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge and it has gone by really well.

As I mentioned in my previous post (here) I received the first weeks recipes and now also have the recipes for week 2 & 3.

The ladies that run the challenge mentioned that we can deviate a little from the recipes provided and they also have a bunch of additional ones on their own website.

So I of course did make a few little changes to their recipes depending on my taste preferences and also on what I can easily get my hands on without it costing an arm and a leg.

Here are the recipes I made:

Smoothies week 1

How do I feel? I don’t want to lie and say “I feel like a new person” or really different but one thing I have noticed is that my skin looks and feels good. I think it is clearer…I guess healthier is good word for it. I do feel good about the fact that I am drinking something healthy everyday and that makes me happy!

I also have to say that I am loving every minute of making my smoothies! I like going crazy with the combinations. For some of them I feel like I could do with a little additional sugar, something like honey but thus far I haven’t added any.

Regardless, I am looking forward to the weeks to come.

If you are doing this challenge or any other smoothie challenge please let me know how it is going. Do you have a favorite smoothie?

Thanks

Maicurls

Eating Healthy On A Budget

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Hi Maicurlies,

So I feel like I have neglected the “health” side of my blog a little simply because I have been doing a set workout program and schedule.

I do have a few tips that I have come across and will be writing about them shortly but to get us started I came across a really nice article on Natura Magazine that I think might be helpful for some.

It is about incorporating healthy eating while working with a budget.

photo credit: StockMonkeys.com via photopin cc

“How to Eat Healthy on a budget“. I think we all can do with a little saving for raining days right and seeing as a lot of the times if we eat out getting sometime quick usually involves fast food which is easy to access, cheap but not really health conscious. There are other alternatives and the short and sweet article highlights a few tips that can easily be incorporated into our lives while still ensuring that we are not spending tooo much!

I hope you find it helpful!

Thanks

Maicurls

Natura Magazine

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Hello Maicurlies!

I am super excited!!! (Doing my I am excited dance right now!)

I have been in touch with stunning Ms. Malia Brown (Editor in Chief) of the beeeaaautiful Natural Magazine & Blog “Natura Magazine” (psst) if you haven’t already checked it out then stop right now and click on the link above (and then come back of course!)

I guess the best way to explain what Natura is all about is to quote them:

“Natura Magazine gis an online publication/natural hair blog that celebrates natural hair and healthy lifestyle living. The main purpose of the magazine is to educate readers on natural hair care, healthy lifestyle and living your best life possible through fitness and nutrition. Natura (which is Latin for nature) is distributed quarterly to its subscribers and is in a league of it’s own. The content of the magazine will take its readers on a journey of what it’s like to be natural in America today while breaking down all sterotypes and highlighting the appropriate ways to care for natural hair, various styling techniques and natural hair care and skin products. Readers will also get up close and personal hair moments with their favorite celebrities as well as fitness regimens for various body types and many healthy lifestyle tips from experts themselves in the hair care, skin care, nutrition and health industries.”

Source: Natura Magazine – http://www.naturamagazineusa.com/natura-magazine

The quote above basically breaks down what the online magazine/blog is all about. You have the actual “E-Magazine” and a blog with a lot of blog posts! I love the concept, content and feel of the entire site and it is FREE! If you subscribe and/or follow them you will always be informed when something new comes up. Did I mention it is FREE?!?!

So first things first. Natura will have a new magazine out on April 30th! See the cover “sneak peak” below. Once it is out I shall be sure to let you know!

Of course they have previous issues such as the ones below. Yes, they are “old” issues but you can still read beautiful stories, see inspiring styles and learn a few tricks from the “old” right? (I just linked the magazines to their official magazine page.)

Like I mentioned, apart from the magazines they also have a blog with a ton of information, stories, pictures, posts etc. and it is not only about Natural Hair! So, what I plan on doing is to highlight stories from their blog that I come across and if the stories/posts/images interest you then all you have to do is click on the links and read the entire posts on their page. (Yes, I am excited LOL).

So expect to see more than just my waffling about my natural hair, skin care and health tips from now on Maicurlies! 🙂

Thank you Ms. Malia!!!

P.S I was not requested, paid or compensated to share this information or any information to come regarding Natura Magazine. I just wanted to share because I enjoy Natura Magazine.

Maicurls

Exercise Program 4

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Hi Maicurlies,

Dumbbell With Water And Towel – Image courtesy of Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I have two workout plans up: my 1 Month Mixed Cardio & Weight Training Program as well as my 1 Elliptical Workout Program. In the Mixed Cardio & Weight Training Program I have a mix of high impact Cardio and weighted exercise moves for strength. I created it “slow” at first and then increase the repetitions and length of each repetition. The Elliptical workout is tough (at least it is for me.) I have increased the amount of time spent on the Elliptical machine to 45 minutes for the first two weeks and 50 minutes for the remaining two weeks. You can opt which body part (legs or arms) will be the driving force on each day and can also use weighted wrist or ankle bands for extra resistance.

And to conclude, I have decided I want to try something a little different because I am a little bored with my Elliptical Machine. For the next 10 weeks I will be doing the Focus T25 program! Yeah baby! I have already done 2 days of it and let me tell you…it is NO JOKE! Read more about this and the above mentioned program here.

Thanks

Maicurls