The World's Fastest Workout !!! 4 mins and ur a** is whipped i tell ya

Yep! just 4 minutes too. I was not a believer until I tried it. I could not even go past 2 mins the first time! And I had been working out for about a month prior to trying this. It is also called the Tabata workout, invented by a Japanese man I believe, who wanted to formulate a compressed workout that would be equivalent to a 40 minute run. This work out also claims to increase your metabolism for up to 36 hours!

I stumbled on this pic on pinterest and my curiosity was so aroused. I literally did research on it, checked how to do squat thrusts, mountain climbers, until I found this video on youtube.

My advice: Do a 1 to 2 minute warm up before starting this workout!

I found this workout to be really effective, and if you need a quickie workout that would help you melt some calories daily and sculpt your body quickly, I suggest giving this a try.

Have you tried the Tabata workout and what was your experience like?

5 Daily Habits for Living Longer

There are no magic potions that halt aging, but green tea has been shown to speed up weight loss.

Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

For those of you who check fitness and health websites or blogs, you would definitely have come across the www.livestrong.com website a few times. I stumbled upon this article and thought I should share it with y'all. Here goes:



Winning the war against aging is not achieved by drinking a daily shot glass filled with the mystical juice of a magical berry from Southeast Asia. In fact, aging is best kept at bay by fighting off chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, which accelerate the aging process and are the main causes of premature death.

Although accelerated aging -- and aging in general -- is a complex process, you can fight it with five simple daily habits.


Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables

People who eat a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest rates of chronic disease. They maintain healthier body weights, and they live longer.

The diverse colors of fruits and vegetables represent different nutrients and antioxidants. These various nutrients and antioxidants can fight aging from a number of angles. Anthocyanins, for example, the antioxidant that gives blueberries their dark blue color, can help fight cancer cell growth, while beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A that gives carrots their orange color, can help support optimal immune function.

To eat a rainbow of colors each day, Kara Mohr of Mohr Results recommends you "pick out one to two new fruits or vegetables every time you shop for food, and include a fruit or vegetable in every meal and snack."

My comments: It's hard getting blueberries here in Nigeria, however I get as much variety as I can. Carrots, mangoes, pawpaws (my new fave), oranges,apples and bananas have been regular visitors in my fridge. I have also been making salads made of lettuce, tomatoes, eggs, cabbage, cucumber and homemade dressing. The dressing is very low-calorie and I love it-send a comment below if you want the recipe.

Your Aging Chromosomes

Scientists have found a way to measure the rate at which your chromosomes are aging by measuring the rate at which their protective caps are degrading.

The ends of each of your chromosomes are "capped" with a hard structure called a telomere. These telomeres help prevent your DNA from being damaged when your cells are dividing and replicating.

As you get older and your cells replicate again and again, these telomeres begin to break down. Once they have been completely worn away, your chromosomes and DNA are no longer protected and your cells die.

Increased inflammation and oxidation can accelerate the speed at which your telomeres are broken down. A proper diet, rich in omega-3 fats, can fight inflammation and slow the damage to your telomeres and thus slow the aging of your cells.


My comments: I have not been having enough fish and I need to work on that. All types of fish, nuts and seeds are rich in omega 3.

Floss Every Day

Flossing isn't just good for your gums; it's good for your longevity, too. Flossing removes the bacteria that causes periodontitis and leads to cavities. But this bacteria can cause problems for more than just your teeth and gums. If you wait too long between flossing, the bacteria surrounding your teeth and gums will build up. Flossing loosens and removes the bacteria. This is important because if enough bacteria builds up, it can enter your blood stream, causing inflammation and increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, the leading killer in the United States.

In fact, research from the "Journal of Periodontology" compared people who floss every couple of days to those who floss daily. The results showed that those who floss intermittently had an 86 percent higher chance of bacteria entering their blood than those who floss daily.

 My comments: I always have dental floss at home but why don't I floss everyday! I guess articles like this are beneficial in that they encourage and remind you to take on healthy habits and stick to em...I flossed yesterday though, after eating a mango-yep flossing is the best way to take out those annoying mango fibres that stick between your teeth! lol. I did read somewhere that flossing too often isn't too good. I think flossing once a day or every other day is not a bad idea.

Drink Plenty of Green Tea

Green tea may not be able to fight cancer, but it will help you shed those extra age-accelerating pounds you're carrying around. Green tea contains an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate. A daily dose of EGCG combined with caffeine will help you lose as many as three pounds in 12 weeks and one inch off your waist, according to a January 2010 study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

While scientists are not sure of the exact means that green tea enhances fat loss -- there seem to be multiple -- you can reap these beneficial effects by drinking three to five 8-ounce cups each day. This is easily achieved by simply having a cup of green tea with each of your meals.

My comments: Yep, yet another habit I adopted that just hasn't become a habit yet. I will make a conscious effort to have one cup a day. I use either Carrington's green tea or the Clipper brand. My cousin told me she adds some honey to sweeten the taste. I just wait for it to cool a bit and gulp it down.


Move More

Inactivity and the loss of muscle mass as you get older can accelerate the aging process. The age-related changes in muscle quantity and quality that occur -- even down to the cellular level -- can be counteracted by staying active.

Certified trainer Keith Scott, owner of Impact Training & Fitness in West Berlin, New Jersey, urges his clients to engage in simple tasks to get themselves moving.

"Going for a walk the first thing in the morning is an excellent way to increase general movement," he said. "In the spring and summer, I encourage clients to work on their yards by cleaning up, gardening or weeding. Activities like yard work encourage multiple movements that are simple yet great ways to move. Squatting, walking, bending, lifting [and so forth] are just some of the movements that are done in a few hours' worth of yard work."

My comments: Well I certainly have been working out and have lost a substantial amount of weight. I promised to share a post of my Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred DVD workout progress and I will soon. I just need to get someone to take my "after" pics. However, in my next post I will be sharing on the Tabato workout, popularly known as the fastest workout in the world-just 4 minutes. I did not believe its efficiency until I tried it out! But anyway I know that asides reaching my target weight, I need to work out often in order to stay healthy and fit. My energy level has certainly increased lately and I hope I can work out a sensible work out regimen for when I get back to work.



Source: www.livestrong.com

Right behind my apple, a bunch of lettuce, beside the apple is the dental floss I got from HealthPlus, green tea, and my 2kg dumb bells!

Studio 29 Exhibition, Lagos

 

I was invited to the Studio 29 exhibition for African fashion as well as contemporary fashion, which was held on the 14th April, located at Opebi, Lagos. It was from 2pm to 6pm, there were about 20 vendors with displays like lovely Ankara designs-bags, shoes, dresses, jackets etc. There were also modern displays and shoes, jewelry, hats as well. There was a lot of networking going on, as a lot of media people were present. I had fun, snacks and drinks were served, there were free take-home gifts, but the main hall was super-stuffy! I was sweating non-stop. I took a few pics anyway:

 



 

fabric hats......

 

 

                                                         me and my friend

sassy shoes....

                                                        apologies for the wack picture quality!

                                                               the lighting wasn't too good!

 

kiyuute Ankara bags, and so affordable too

For a maiden exhibition, I believe the organizers did pretty well-it is a monthly event, and it is good to know of a monthly exhibition event taking place in Lagos other than the more popular le petit marche exhibitions.



What other exhibitions or cool events have you been to lately?

DIY Nail art-Nail print more like

Like what you see? I stumbled on the pic on pinterest and thought I could give it a try. So my results weren’t perfect but I am sure my next take would be much better. The pic is very explanatory; here's what I used to create the look:


Nail polish (LA Colours in Violet)
Top coat
Newspaper sheet
Alcohol (Methylated spirit was what I used)
Scissors
A cotton bud

 

                                                                Nail varnish, methylated spirit and top coat

 

After my base coat and nail varnish, I applied the top coat and then let my nails dry TOTALLY. In fact I waited till the next morning to continue with the nail art. I cut the newspaper sheet into small strips-large enough to cover my entire nail with enough leftovers all around. I used the cotton bud to apply the alcohol to my nail liberally. I also lightly coated the middle of the newspaper strip with alcohol.

 

Next I gently placed the strip on my nail, making sure not to wriggle it, and I applied firm pressure for about 45 seconds. I also applied more alcohol over the strip to keep it in place but it was just a little. Too much alcohol would begin to wear through the thin newspaper strip and when it’s time to peel off, you would have something like this lol:

 

 

 

see that white patch ? that's part of the paper dat stuck to the nail because I applied too much alcohol and left the strip on the nail for too long

 

 

 

I allowed this dry for about 3 minutes after peeling off the strip, and then I applied a final coat of top coat. The final top coat gives the nails the glossy, finished look that the alcohol would have stripped off. My final results:







Bf thought I was a genius when he saw my nails hehehehe.


 

Beaded Jewelry Classes!

My friends and I have decided to begin a jewelry making training programme for those interested in learning how to make cute beaded jewelry for traditional weddings, events and casual outings.

Classes would take place in a relaxed, fun and comfortable environment and it will run for one month, 3 times a week for 15,000 naira (includes starter materials). Feel free to contact us at harold3sodipo@gmail.com or +2348023462591 for further enquiries. Also visit this link for more information:  http://lagos-mainland.olx.com.ng/beaded-jewelry-classes-affordable-and-flexible-in-a-homely-environment-iid-505096189

Details
-3 classes a week, for one month
-2 hrs training per class
-15,000 naira including starter materials/tools
-Located at the Lagos mainland-Maryland

Ego- Bia nulu

                                                         Photography from egomusik.com

                                                             Young Onyeka Onwenu

I just heard the Ego CD, “Firsteps” and I thought it was awesome! I have always thought she has got a beautiful voice right from her collabo days with Lagbaja. The CD features soulful songs with even a track that was sort of a modified version of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s “Palaver”. There were also a few gospel-oriented tracks. It was produced by Cobhams Asuquo. I mean what more can I say….. My faves though were “Bia nulu”, “Fall in Love” and “I believe”. Bia nulu is an Ibo spiritual folklore song that was originally sung by Onyeka Onwenu yeeaaars ago. But what Ego did to the song was beyond amazing. Onyeka Onwenu would be proud in my opinion. I heard the song, and I updated my bb status and said the song just makes me wanna be held and slow- danced with, haha. But really, it's such a soothing song. I encourage you to get the album if you can will you?


If you have listened to the album what do you think? Also if you can send the lyrics and possibly, an English translation in the comments below, it would be much appreciated!

My trip to Obudu Cattle Ranch and Resort!

Hi people!

It's been a while, I have been a little occupied and I have also FINALLY started my diet and daily workouts! I have been following the Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred DVD for 5 days and I cannot wait to share my results with you in a few days!

Anyway, I thought it would be cool to share with you my experience at the Obudu cattle ranch and resort. Obudu cattle ranch and resort is one of the foremost tourist spots in Nigeria. It is strategically located at the Obudu Hills in Cross River State, and it is indeed a beauty to behold! One striking thing about the resort is the awesome cool weather. I was there in January (one of the hottest months in Nigeria) and I even noticed there was a heater in the bedroom I was in! We did not need any form of air conditioning AT ALL. It was a wonderful experience; there are several activities lined up for tourists- like the popular cable rides, hiking, bird watching, the "monkey face view", the "love garden" (lol), the inifinity pool, an awesome landscape, my goodness it was just beautiful. I was there for 3 days. My friend and I shared a room and we picked the hut-like suite (hut-like on the outside but very modern on the inside!). There are other living facilities, large enough for a family of 6 or more. To get to the resort you would have to travel by road from the city of Calabar-now this is actually a long trip-5hrs! But at the end of the day, the trip is way worth it. Tourist fees are quite moderate; you have to pay for every activity and it costs an average of 1500 naira per activity. However, it gets reasonably cheaper when you are part of group, which was how it was for me. The restaurant, in my opinion was a bit spendy though-about 2000 per meal. The larger house-y suites have kitchens anyway so it might be a good idea to do some minor cooking of your own. Of course, a pair of hiking shoes and a jacket and/or scarf are needed for the trip.
There is a tennis court, a gym of course, and free wifi for half the day at the rooms. Obudu Resort is all about energy conservation, so the power is turned off from 10am to 6pm, turned back on from 6pm to 10pm or 12am at night, turned off again from 12am to 10am the next day. This encourages tourists to step out and tour the resort during the day.

 What else? hmmm I think I'll just leave the rest of the story-telling to the pics!

 View from my suite-the other "modern huts". It was about 3pm. It felt like 7pm and way cooler

Me chilling later at night-all wrapped up!

View from the lobby/reception area. The cable cars terminate cable rides around here

 

 

Modern hut

Bedroom view from the bed

 Cable car right above me

I was getting tired here, we had just come back from some hikes and were back in the bus

Look at that view! Notice how foggy and misty it is

I think they call this the "cataract view" . That's some waterfall in the distance

View from the President's Villa patio. Awesome. The villa is completely bulletproof by the way, hehe.

The crew

Another waterfall in the distance. One of the hikes takes us right to THE VERY BORDER of Nigeria and Cameroun! The tourist guide told us how some villagers from Cameroon hike from Obudu right to their country. We saw a few of these villagers in the distance.

A beautiful lake, or brook just by the "love garden"

 The larger, family living quarters

 Living quarters

The interior

Yes, there is some farming done by the locals all around the resort

Conference room at the resort. There were quite a number of these as well as a banquet hall

This is where the cable cars commence the cable ride.


The pics don't do the whole trip and experience enough justice lol. Some pics are not here, like the cattle and their rearers, the garden, the pool....but it was mad fun, and I would encourage friends to go-it needs some planning, particularly financially, but it isn't a back-breaking venture if you catch my drift.

Let me know if you wanna know more about the trip, and please drop a comment about your experience as well if you have been there!