Forget about the tiers, just make sure you sparkle at Christmas https://t.co/UwfYUzXWhN

Forget about the tiers, just make sure you sparkle at Christmas https://t.co/UwfYUzXWhN

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) December 22, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Forget about the tiers, just make sure you sparkle at Christmas

 

LIKE so many people I was really affected by the news that much of country was being put in virtual lockdown.  Like a lot of people, I had special plans for Christmas which had to be cancelled because I’m now in Tier 4.

It was a real shock and as the news sank in,  I felt numb and in a mental place I don’t go into very often.  However since March I’ve found myself having to be far more mentally resilient than ever before and set myself a personal goal of reading a positive thinking/inspiring book every month.

I must admit I didn’t achieve my goal every single month but I’ve no doubt whatsoever this has helped me be stronger during the past nine months.

The latest book I read was Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King and it’s SO good that my children are each getting one for Christmas!

On Sunday I decided I needed to read some bits again because I REALLY needed it.

This quote jumped off the page and I thought it would be useful to share it with you because it might help you too:

“If you can’t change the situation, change your perception of it.  That’s where personal power lies”.

This is SO true right now.

Many people will have heard me say this several times since March, but stress makes us stupid.  We get stuck and just can’t think.

I was mentally stuck in the negative situation we’re all finding ourselves in but what changed on Sunday was I decided I had the power to choose to think differently if I wanted to.

When the fog cleared a little I decided I wasn’t going to let this situation get the better of me.

I reframed my thinking and Christmas is back on but in a different way.

I’m going to enjoy my home, my family and my dogs.  I’m going to play games with my kids and I’m going to relax and watch some Christmas films (something I NEVER do because I’m always too busy entertaining).

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m very sad and even had some tears.

But this year has taught me what I need to do to keep going and that means loads of self-care is involved!  I need to stop and just be.

I love dressing up and won’t be letting my Christmas outfit go to waste so the sparkle will be well and truly on for a few days.

Hope you’ll be putting on your sparkle too (if that’s what makes you feel good – or PJs if they’re your thing!)

2020 has not unfolded in the way we would have liked.  There have been far ranging difficulties and sadly many many casualties. 

There have also been so many wonderful examples of individuals within our Slimpod community who have embraced the new normal and helped others remain positive.  

I’m so proud of my community and I’m equally proud of my lovely team who are always there to help others. Sometimes it’s the smallest thing that makes the biggest difference.

 COVID may have temporarily taken our freedom, but kindness has shone through and we’ve all been reminded of what’s really important. 

All that’s left is to send you so much love for Christmas and to wish you a happy, peaceful and healthy 2021.  Take care of yourselves and stay safe.

Xx

The post Forget about the tiers, just make sure you sparkle at Christmas appeared first on Slimpod.

Coconut fish curry is the winter warmer with a healthy difference https://t.co/vHsxRlULrP

Coconut fish curry is the winter warmer with a healthy difference https://t.co/vHsxRlULrP

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) December 14, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Coconut fish curry is the winter warmer with a healthy difference

 

WE’LL all be sick of the sight of turkey, chicken, beef, lamb and pork once Christmas is here – so in the run-up to the holiday why not try an ultra-healthy coconut fish curry?

Now that the cold, dark nights are well and truly here they can be a trigger for the bad habits of previous winters to try to slip their way back in again.

But you’ll find this coconut fish curry is really comforting and nourishing and isn’t packed with carbs.

You can cook this delicious curry in about 20 minutes and not only is it healthy, it leaves you feeling good, too.

Cooking in coconut milk adds a whole new dimension to a curry and brings out the full flavour of the fish.

By the way, you don’t have to have rice with a curry – there’s plenty of fresh veg in this dish and the protein in the fish will leave you feeling satisfied.

Try a coconut fish curry with a side salad like they do in Thailand! Or maybe add a helping of steamed broccoli and spinach.

Ingredients for coconut fish curry

2 tablespoons sesame seed oil

1 red onion, sliced

2 red peppers, sliced

50g mangetout

50g sugar snap peas

1 courgette, cut into batons

4 fillets of white fish

600 ml coconut milk (tinned)

3 teaspoons fish sauce

juice and rind of 2 limes

4 tbsp Massaman curry paste (found in most supermarkets)

Large handful coriander leaves

Basmati rice to serve four (small helpings!) or a salad

Easy cooking steps for coconut fish curry

Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan.

Once hot, fry the onions for 2 minutes and then add the red pepper and cook until onions have gone slightly brown.

Add the curry paste and stir to coat the pepper and onions. Season to taste.

Add the coconut milk and stir. Add the lime juice, and fish sauce, stir well.

Place the fish fillets into the sauce flesh side down, and scatter the rest of the vegetables around the pan.

Poach the fish for 5 minutes and then turn over so that the skin is facing the pan.

Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the flesh is fully cooked – flesh becomes flaky and glistens.

Serve with fresh coriander leaves and small helpings of basmati rice – leave out the rice if you’re into no-carbs or low-carbs. Try a side salad instead or a helping of steamed broccoli and spinach.

Give it a whirl and please leave a comment below to let me know how you got on and how much your family loved coconut fish curry. Who knows, you might even be serving it up on Christmas Day!

If you’re a Slimpod Gold or Extra member, you’ll find this and more than 100 other recipes in our Healthy Recipes section.

The post Coconut fish curry is the winter warmer with a healthy difference appeared first on Slimpod.

Keep the weight off over Xmas with this unique free download https://t.co/hMvWOFdxWF

Keep the weight off over Xmas with this unique free download https://t.co/hMvWOFdxWF

— sosnicaragua (@sosnicaragua) December 7, 2020

from Twitter https://twitter.com/sosnicaragua

Keep the weight off over Xmas with this unique free download

 

CHRISTMAS can be a challenging time of the year for so many reasons.  People become anxious that they will undo the great work they’ve achieved over the year because traditionally the Xmas period is full of temptations and excesses.

I know from the comments in our private Facebook group that Christmas brings on huge food anxiety. It can take a different type of effort to keep going.

So how would it feel if you had a control boost?

How would it feel if you could stay within your limits and were able to simply look forward to the New Year, knowing you had nothing to worry about apart from simply continuing on your journey?

Well, now you can!

Here’s a special pre-Christmas gift from me.   It’s a download which will help to take the worry out of the seasonal anxieties and enable you to enjoy Christmas without going over the top!

It’s designed to play from the blog NOT via your app. So return to the blog and listen either before you go to bed or when you’re relaxing at some other time of the day.

I’d recommend you start now and listen until the end of December.  That’s it! Peace of mind for Christmas!

Below the download you’ll find some other useful tips on keeping the pounds off at this time of year.

Keep The Weight Off Over Xmas

 

What else can you do to keep the weight off over Xmas?

In several studies researchers intentionally overfed people and discovered that some people put on weight and some people didn’t. Weird, eh?

Further experiments were carried out to see what actually happens inside people’s bodies that determines whether they store excess food as fat or burned it off.

So what was happening?

Well, the people who burn it off naturally increased their movement and those who put on fat did not. We’re not talking about going to the gym or doing intensive workouts.

We’re talking about natural everyday movement that seems to stop during the holiday season!

This type of movement is called NEAT. And it stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.

This is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise.  It ranges from the energy expended by walking, typing, performing physical work around the house/garden to running around after kids and general day-to-day activity.

So how do we put this into practice right now?

Well, have a think about CONSCIOUSLY increasing your NEAT during this holiday season.  Make time for post-meal walks and stay ACTIVE during the day (even if it’s cold outside!)

The message is: Keep your bum off seats as much as possible!

If you’re on Instagram and you haven’t already followed me, please find me @sandraroycroftdavis

PLEASE feel free to share this blog and the download with all your friends who might find it helpful.

And do leave a comment below to let me know how you’re getting on as Xmas approaches.

The post Keep the weight off over Xmas with this unique free download appeared first on Slimpod.