Keeping Hydrated Top Tips! Tuesday's Change Week 1

So it's 6 days into Tuesday's Change Week 1 - Drinking more water and I hope you are all feeling the benefits! Here is the link if anyone missed it.

I have put together some top tips to help you keep going with the challenge. The plan is to stick to it for the 7 days and then it should become a habit and part of your daily routine.

1) Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Put it out beside the bed the night before.

2) Drink a glass just before you go to sleep (after you go to the toilet!)

3) Drink a glass before each meal

4) Drink while driving - the only time you are allowed drink drive! Keep a bottle in your car and sip every time you are in traffic or cruising along the motorway.

5) Sip while watching TV. Chug at every add break!

I always like to know why I'm doing something. So here are some great reasons to drink more water!:

It aids digestion which aids fat loss

It boosts your metabolism

It is good for your skin

Helps you think better

Helps you work out better

Prevents headaches

Helps aid detox

Helps all your internal organs and systems function better

Helps you sleep better

Now surely you don't need any more reasons than that?

I'd love to hear from you so send me on your top tips or things that you feel work well. Sharing knowledge is what it's all about!

Keep a look out for Week 2's change announced this evening!

#EatClean #Train Dirty #LiveEasy

Canarian Food. Sampling the local cuisine.

When I travel I always try and sample as much of the local cuisine as possible. Not only is it fun and tasty it usually is locally sourced and fresh. Often you find it is cheaper as well as it doesn't have to be imported or stored for long periods of time. My great friend Adam Frost inspired me by going into a restaurant in India one day and just asking the waiters 'Please make me what you like to eat yourself', it was the best food we had all week! And finally local food is usually suitable for the environment whether it's cold or hot, humid or dry. Allow your body to adapt by helping it with local food. Check out where the local people eat and try and eat there!

My father, Papa Lifestyle Jeanie to you boys and girls, lives in Lanzarote and so we jumped at the chance to see him for a week and get some winter sun before the Christmas madness begins.

The good thing about having a resident to show you around is they know all the best places to eat!

As we were staying in his apartment it was also great to have somewhere to cook and prepare our own food. Helpfully he also lives above a massive supermarket, a fantastic fruit and veg shop and an AMAZING traditional tapas restaurant! (yes there is such a thing as Roquefort Chips and they were as amazing as they sound!).

Paella and fresh sea food is always a good shout here in Spanish countries by the sea. As in Iberian Ham or Serrano Ham. Especially when it is served with fresh melon. So refreshing after a thirsty day in the sun getting some Vitamin D and swimming in the sea.

Canarian Potatoes are a favourite with the locals on the Canary Islands and last night I cooked at home for my husband and father. I got some fresh Salmon which I baked with some lemon, salt and pepper and served it with chopped salad and the Potatoes. Here is the recipe:

You’ll need:

• 1kg small new potatoes
• 250g salt (Organic Sea Salt or Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt)
• Sprigs of fresh Thyme

You’ll also need:

• A medium-sized saucepan to accommodate the potatoes

The Steps:

• Scrub the potatoes and leave them unpeeled.
• Add about 1.5l water to your saucepan. Add the salt and stir to dissolve. Add the potatoes and set over a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes can be easily pierced with knife, about 15-20 minutes, depending on size. You’ll see the skins of the potatoes start to wrinkle a bit towards the end of cooking.
• Drain almost all of the water off the potatoes, leaving just barely enough to cover the base of the saucepan. Return the saucepan with the potatoes to the heat for a couple of minutes to dry off, shaking the pan periodically. You should see a white coating form on the potatoes as the salt recrystallizes.
• Sprinkle with the fresh Thyme and serve. They don't need any more seasoning and are perfect with any meal.

As we have both had a hectic year and past couple of weeks our routine has been fairly low key here the last week. Rise early with some morning exercise. Either yoga on the roof for me and a run for Dan down by the marina. Or this morning I jogged to the beach, did some yoga in then sand and went for a swim then jogged back to dry off. There is also an outdoor gym here in Playa Blanca near the beach that is free and open to the public. There are many of these in areas around Cork and Ireland too so keep an eye out and use what you have in your local area. You never have an excuse not to exercise! All you need is your body, desire to work out and a small space. There are lots of online work outs you can do if your unsure where to start. 20 minutes a day is all you need and it will set you up for the day. #TrainDirty


After our various workouts I love having a long and lazy breakfast. That's what holidays are all about right!

This morning we had some Papaya and Mango with some natural, plain yoghurt to start.  Then as a treat some chocolate muesli and then a 3 egg omelette each with spinach, peppers and local goat's cheese. Delicious. Sunshine and books help of course! #EatClean


And finally it would be rude not to sample the local Cava. Bubbly is one of my favourite drinks. Prosecco is my favourite or a dry Cava if I have to! Best served by the sea with good company and a better view with nothing on your schedule but to relax. #LiveEasy

I'm so glad I used to be fat!

There is still a fat girl trapped inside of me. Sometimes I think there always will be. But I'm working on loving myself more!

I was skinny as a child. I remember my mother recounting stories of her safety pinning me into my skirts as they would fall down as I walked. I began to gain some puppy fat around puberty and my penchant for sweet treats and sugary snacks was my greatest downfall. We weren't allowed fizzy drinks or chocolate in the house and looking back now my mother was so forward thinking in ensuring we got the best food and nutrition.

From L-R: with my sister Kate, Cousin Laura, Myself and Cousin Anthony

However, I have memories of her heading out to the shop and me climbing up on the counter top to reach the few treats at the back of the cupboard that were kept for guests, the 'Good Biscuits'. I would scoff them quickly and indulgently, not knowing when to stop, always thinking when will I get my next treat? I better eat as much as I can now before my mum comes home and catches me!

I continued to gain weight through school and adolescence. To be honest I didn't notice it.  It suddenly became an issue as soon as boys were introduced into the equation! I was the fat girl amongst my slim group of friends. Looking back I had plenty of attention from boys and I actually wasn't that big but I was bigger than them and that made me feel huge. It then became a deep rooted seed, lodged in my brain growing roots, trunk and leaves. It was part of me. It became a factor in almost all my decisions. I would try and dress like my friends and suck in my belly or just push guys away so they wouldn't get close and I wouldn't have to show them the real me.

With my Dad

I will never forget the moment I realised I was in control of my feelings and my weight. I was slovenly laying on the couch, watching MTV. I saw all these bikini clad girls dancing and bouncing around a Rapper. I just suddenly thought to myself 'I don't want to be fat any more, I am going to lose weight'! Just like that! I felt so empowered. 

I began by making small and consistent changes. Maybe one a week/month. Things like cutting out biscuits, chocolate, snacks, eating more vegetables etc. Once I had made a change and stuck to it for a few days it soon became a habit and just part of my routine. It wasn't a chore any more. Slow and steady wins the race as they say. I started eating better and exercising more. I felt amazing. I loved the rush of adrenaline from exercise and was rewarded by seeing my weight drop. I also enjoyed being in control. Being the one who decided how I felt and how I looked. All it takes is slow and consistent changes. Dramatic weight losses never stick and they are unhealthy.

Sometimes I lost weight the healthy way, other times not so healthy but all the time I was learning. I was initially focused on how I looked. How my body appeared and the shape and tone of it. Pure vanity. I thought being thin would solve all my problems, make all my troubles go away. But guess what? Thin people have problems too.

My mum and I on our respective Graduation Days from UCC

I slowly began shifting my focus to just trying to being healthy. Looking after my body, my vessel, and ensuring it worked to its optimum potential. It became about performance and function rather than aesthetics. 

Now my motivation is to feel strong and healthy. Yes, we all want to look good but this comes as a bonus side effect! I am striving for a body that serves me. A body that allows me to do practically any physical activity without pain and with ease. A body that enhances my overall life. A body that doesn't hurt in the morning or become a hindering factor in making decisions. A body that makes me feel good!

On my journey to health and weight loss I learned so much about myself and still am. I am learning every day. I hope I never stop learning. And this is why I'm glad I used to be fat! Because without that as my motivation I might not be as healthy as I am today.  And that is why I started this blog. To help and encourage other people to look at their lifestyle and see if they need or want to make some changes. I encourage you to do lots of research, test and trial things yourself. You have a wealth of information at your finger tips. Knowledge becomes wisdom when shared.

Myself and my mum on my Christening Day

I still have a lot to work on. No one is perfect. But I am content where I am right now. I am fortune to have been raised by a kind and caring mother who from a young age instilled kindness, compassion, empathy and love in me. She always encouraged me to read more, learn more and ask questions. She gave me the tools and inspiration to go on this journey of self discovery and for that I am forever grateful.

On today, her birthday, she would have been 58 years old and so I dedicate this post to her. My inspiration.

Ann Noonan 1956-2008 R.I.P

"Men that had seen her,
Drank deep and were silent,
The women were speaking,
Wherever she went -
As a bell that is rung,
Or a wonder told shyly,
And O she was the Sunday,
In every week."

The Planter's Daughter by Austin Clarke