Weight Loss

Treat yourself to these chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars by healthy dessert blogger and founder of Desserts With Benefits , Jessica Stier.    What you'll need (makes 10 bars) 128 g (½ cup) roasted almond butter 270 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1 tsp vanilla crème-flavoured liquid stevia extract 1 tsp natural butter flavour 168 g (1¼ cups, lightly packed) vanilla brown rice protein powder 80 g ( 2 ⁄ 3 cup) oat flour 2 ⁄ 3 tsp salt ¼ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips What you'll do Line a 20 x 20 cm brownie pan with parchment paper. Set aside. In an electric stand mixer bowl fitted with a beater attachment, add the almond butter, almond milk, stevia extract and butter flavour. Mix on low speed while you prepare the dry ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the protein powder, oat flour and salt. Turn off the stand mixer and dump in the dry ingredients. Return mixer to low speed and mix until the dry ingredients are fully inc...

  Learn more about recognising anxiety symptoms and how to treat it.    The Problem: You often feel anxious, with negative thoughts and a racing heart. Frequently, your stomach feels queasy and occasionally you stop in the middle of the room and can’t remember what you’re doing. More and more, you find yourself in tears over the smallest things. Mental Diagnosis: Anxiety. If the problem is ongoing, you could be diagnosed with GAD – generalised anxiety disorder. Your doctor will probably be keen to establish whether or not there has been any event in your life that may have triggered the psychological change, a death, break-up or another tragic event. If so, a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder may be made. Treatment for anxiety is wide ranging, from relaxation techniques and counselling to cognitive therapy and learning about what you are dealing with so you can problem-solve when anxiety arises. With anxiety, knowledge is definitely power. Tranquilisers or a...

  Combat the negative thoughts and feelings by discovering how and why affirmations and positive reinforcement can help you succeed.   Looking at yourself in the eye in front of the mirror (or looking inward to your mind’s eye) and repeating positive affirmations is not a new concept. It’s a psychological ‘trick’ that has been used by those in the know to boost chances of success and to counteract the negative chatter that so often infiltrates our thoughts. “Positive self-talk helps people to achieve good results in many areas, including completing simple and complex tasks, improving productivity, winning sporting events and boosting recovery and rehabilitation,” says psychologist Yuliya Richard. “Individuals who can tell themselves, ‘Yes, it is really uncomfortable, but I can do it. It might be really hard and usually I run away from such situations but this time I will give it a go’, are more likely to take risks and overcome fears.” Yes, positive affirmations work – when th...

  WH&F Head Trainer Sheena-Lauren shares her exclusive ab workout. Read more ...

  Whether you're experiencing a plateau or need a fitness pick me up, stay motivated with these simple tips. Self-inquiry: bring on the confidence What it does: Also known as 'interrogative self-talk', self inquiry promotes acknowledging doubts as part of a process to overcome them. An empowering process, it demands articulating what you'll do by turning them into questions. How to do it: Many negative thoughts originate from subconscious beliefs, which affirmations largely choose to ignore. Saying 'I can' and 'I will' works by making you more positive about yourself and your situation, but this has little sway if your fears surface and give you a list of reasons why you 'can't' or 'won't'. By acknowledging these thoughts and bringing them into your full consciousness you can create congruence between what you're saying to yourself and what you believe. A study in the journal of Psychological Science found that even something ...

    Don’t let the cooler weather deter you from reaching your health and fitness goals . Here are a few ways to change your mood .   Slow it down with yoga Moderate to high-intensity exercise cranks endorphins, but if you're looking to manipulate your mood, you might try yoga. Yoga's effect on mood and anxiety may be superior to other forms of exercise like walking according to Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) research linking yoga postures to increased levels of anti-anxiety neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric (GABA). Low GABA levels are associated with depression and other widespread anxiety disorders. In a 12-week study, a group practising yoga three times a week for one hour exhibited higher GABA levels and self-reported mood, with yoga participants largely noting more significant decreases in anxiety and greater improvements in mood than walkers. Rise early The most important external signal for the body clock is light, so exposure to bright morning light ...

  If you're after a fresh, nutrient packed smoothie, look no further than this super smoothie. What you'll need   2 scoops protein powder (whey or non-dairy substitute) 1 frozen banana ½ frozen mango 1 fresh or frozen kiwifruit ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen ½ avocado 2 cups coconut water, almond milk or filtered water 1–2 tsp maca powder 1–2 tbsp chia seeds 1 cup spinach Ice   What you'll do Add all ingredients to the blender and whizz. Pop any leftover smoothie in a jar with a lid in the fridge for later in the day.  Recipe extracted from  Nikki Fogden-Moore’s book, Vitality .    Read more about healthy, nutrient boosting smoothies for other recipes. {nomultithumb}   Read more ...