Sunshine award – fun with questions ;-) Join in if you wish!

Hellow again

I want to thank Madison for nominating me for the Sunshine Award!

I haven’t filled out any surveys lately, so I’m excited to take this one!

Here are the rules… 

• If you are nominated you must include the link in a blog, linking to the person/blog that nominated you.
• You must answer some questions and nominate 7 fellow bloggers and link their blogs in your post.
• Let the people you have nominated know that you have nominated them!

1. Who is your favorite philosopher?

My favorite philosopher isn’t really a philosopher – I use Winnie the Pooh as a main character to teach me about life I’ve always loved the bear and now I’m getting “older” I’m starting to see how extremely right he – and friends – are on almost everything!

I mean.. the stories are so similar to our every day life – it causes me to become my own philosopher – wondering way with just my thoughts on life and learning as I go.. this sounds really fuzzy – but hey! that’s the point of being philosophy right

I’m borrowing the same picture Madison used for her survey – because look at it… it’s hilarious And so true

2. What is your favorite number?

I have multiple favorites.. I love the number 3 and 5 — I also love number 7 & 9 because they stand for my mum (7) and dad (9) and their favorite numbers. I love the number 8 as my year of birth is 1988… I also love number 11 and 16 because again, it’s my birthday on the 16th of November. It’s kinda cheesy, but I just really love the numbers of my birthday! I guess that’s a good thing though

I don’t really like even numbers like 2,4,6,10,12… etc.. only number 8 and 16 are an exception

I have a pentagram tattooed on my lower back / left bum – it stands for me and my personal journey — the 5 pointed star represents a lot of me and my life

3. What is your favorite animal?

I’ve always loved Cheetahs! So I guess I’d have to pick them! Unfortunately I’m very allergic to animals so we could never have pets I’d LOVE to have a cat. We did however have rabbits and guinea pigs in the yard – I really love those little creatures as well!

4. What are your Facebook and Twitter?

www.facebook.com/EATandgetFIT 

https://twitter.com/EATandgetFIT

I love social media and I spend too much time on there

At least it’s a great way to interact! And that’s never a waste of time in my opinion!

5. What is your favorite time of day? 

My favorite part of the day is around 6:00 / 7:00 pm. I usually don’t get up before noon – I’m a night owl and I love to stay up late. I work at different restaurants and usually I work evening – night shifts. So by the time it’s dinner-time for many, I feel like I’m just getting started with my day and I have the most energy!

6. What was your favorite vacation? 

LOS ANGELES in 2004!! I’ve already talked about that on multiple occasions so I’m not gonna bore you once more I also LOVE Disneyland Paris!

My mum will kill me if she sees this photo however I think it’s great!

7. What is your favorite physical activity?

Dancing will always be my favorite form of exercise. I also love to do yoga and I really like fitness – however I HATE CARDIO – so you will only see me on the treadmill for 5 minutes as a warm-up and that’s IT! I love lifting weights though and I love what the extra weight does for my body! I’m finally getting back some muscle-mass :D

8. What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink? 

I drink mostly tea and (grain)coffee with goats milk. I drink water while working out or I mix apple juice with water if I’ll be working out heavy / for a long time.

I don’t like to drink juices and I never drink pop. I do love sparkling water though! I also like smoothies and nut-milk but I hardly ever make it.. I’m just too lazy when it comes to blending things… couldn’t tell you why for the life of me haha

9. What is your favorite flower? 

I love crocuses because when I was a little girl I called them “krokeltjes” – unpronounceable in English sorry — therefore it makes me think of my childhood and smile every time I see them. It’s a sign of spring, of new beginnings and happiness and warmth… I just love them!

10. What is your passion?

So many different things! My number one would probably be dancing, but it’s something I’ve been pushing away for the longest time. That has made me realize I have many more passions too:
- I love to write;
- Photography – even though I don’t really do a lot of photography now – nor do I have a good camera – I do have a love for it!
- Nutrition – I’m trying to make a living being a nutritionist and studying sports nutrition. It’s a tough business though – especially where I live. However I’m a health food nerd at heart and I love it!
- Baking – SO RELAXING
- Doing nothing… absolutely nothing – letting a day go by with just wondering around not thinking – not doing — just nothingness – very refreshing!
- Fitness
- Friends I love interacting with people – not just in real life but through blogging, facebook too

And now I get to pass this award onto seven other lovely bloggers:

• Bec at Half Baked Bec – but Madison also awarded her this award last week – however I do wanna give you my appreciation!
• Bonnie at Recipes Happen
• Talia at Art and Practice
• Sunnie at Modern Girl Nutrition
• Jessie at Jessie Love To Run
• … at In Her Chunks - OMG I forgot your name! And I can’t find it on your blog! Sorry it’s near bed-time for me so I blame the “I’m not fully awake anymore” state I’m in  
• Kelly at My Love Affair With Running
• Lauren at Nutritiously Plated 
• If I didn’t tag you but you wanna join us — feel free to fill out the survey yourself and let me know you’ve done that — I’d love to read your post too

One final picture & quote I’d like to share with you… I LOVE this one and it’s very inspiring to me I’m trying to live more this way…

WIAW with some broccoli, avocado, teas, angels, soup, carrot cake protein squares and SALSA (the dance, not the condiment ;-)

Hi Everyone!

I can’t believe the month October is already 2/3 gone! It’s almost Halloween!

Are you guys planning anything special this year??

I had a conversation with our WIAW host Jenn about Jack ‘O Lanterns and how we should cut or paint a pumpkin this year.. I think I will make my first Jack ‘O Lantern this year and I’ll show you the photo once I’m done carving I hope I’ll be able to keep all my limbs

I haven’t been posting a lot because I’ve attended a Salsa Dance Festival this weekend! It was amazing! It started on Thursday with a pre-party and we had workshops all day on Saturday and Sunday! I seriously have blisters on parts of my feet I didn’t even know possible!

–> One funny thing to mention is that I’ve never really taken basic lessons (which I’m gonna take a.s.a.p. now ) however one of the guys I met at the festival made me enter the dance competition which took place at the last party of the event – at random 1 guy and 1 girl got picked to dance together and compete against the other couples – I thought it was gonna be a huge disaster, but faith linked me to Nick himself which made me relax a little bit more and I just went for it.. So, this is what happened:

–>First round: Salsa; with a little improvisation we got through –>Second round: Play – we had to express ourselves to the music and tell a story – our story line was “we’re on a cruise ship, we meet and fall heavily in love, the ship sinks, we strand on an island, there’re cannibals who’re trying to eat us but we survive and live happily ever after…”

Easy right?! Anyway.. I had a brilliant expressive partner and with some love making on a hotel towel, swimming for our lives on the floor and other dramatic moves we WON the competition!!

For everyone who knows me as introvert.. you should have seen me going lol

–> Our price? Next year… we’ll be back because we’ve won free tickets for the whole festival of 2013!

I seriously can’t wait and this made me realize once again how much I love to dance!

I think I need to take this advice and get back into dancing – even if it’s just socially as a hobby instead of professionally which I’ve always strived to achieve before getting anorexic 8 years ago.. I haven’t accepted my loss (of a professional dance career)  yet, but I think I’m ready to forgive myself. Life happened as it did, and I should be able to enjoy my passion without feeling hurt, guilt and regret. Life’s too short to worry about what could have been, we need to JUST BE

As for now… back to food for this weeks What I Ate Wednesday

For breakfast I had mashed – leftover – sweet potato with coconut milk, cinnamon, shredded coconut, and one scoop of protein powder. It might look a little odd and unappetizing but it’s SO GOOD!! I love sweet – so I added some stevia, but it’s actually pretty tasty without as well! Please give it a go some day, I bet you’ll love it

These were carrot cake meets Dutch “speculaas” inspired protein squares – YUM – I made these on Thursday last week to last me all week long (I made 24 squares in total). It’s my go to protein-rich snack! I took 5 squares with me on both Saturday and Sunday to keep me fueled between Salsa workshops at the Salsa Festival Haarlem I had a blast this weekend! I danced my ass off and I’ve got blisters all over my feet, but it was worth it

Cooked broccoli, avocado-sauce, sesame seeds, olives, basil and a pan-fried egg post workout as my lunch — YUMMY

I made a few pictures… so here’s another one!

Close-up of the veggies!

This was my dessert sorta meal – one hour after lunch – a bowl of yogurt with seeds and walnuts and raspberries.
You know me… I need to have my yogurt fix every day

I bought my mum some basil yesterday – her favorite herb I seriously can’t make her as happy with anything else, lol – anyway… doesn’t it look super cute in this red pot? It makes me happy to have fresh herbs in the kitchen! I love the smell and sight!

Look at these cuties! They’re me + my mum’s fruit & veggie angels! They’re called Sonny Angels. Have you ever heard of them before? From left to right we’ve got an onion, tomato, carrot and lemon

Dinner was millet flake porridge and cooked carrots – blend together with some veggie broth to make a soup – I added some curry spices and fresh parsley. Super delicious! A girlfriend of mine who doesn’t like soup agrees with me on this one so if you ever want a thick and creamy soup – try adding some millet or quinoa flakes! It works wonders!

Photo # 2 – I served this with some toasted pumpkin seeds on the side for an extra crunch (yum-yum-yummmm)

I forgot to make a photo of my before bed snack – I had some leftover broccoli with olives, some walnuts and 8 oz. cooked chestnuts (I LOVE chestnuts! Mainly because I hardly ever eat them) + I added some hot sauce.. very plain and simple but super yummy and a great sweet ‘n salty combo!
I did make a picture of my recently bought teas. Have you ever tried this brand? I believe it’s from the UK(?) … I think… not sure… What I do know is that it rocks my world at the moment If you like herbal teas – give these a go! I really like the spicy – licorice one, but the fruity pomegranate is really refreshing!

♥ Please leave me a comment below to let me know about your Halloween plans or to tell me if you’ve ever danced Salsa before! I’d love to know! ♥

Enjoy the rest of your day! 

The basics have not changed since the 1950′s…

I love Jack Lalanne and I want to share two clips in which he talks about fuelling the body and bad habits.

The way he explains food – exercise – our body – health – fitness… is so simple, yet so complete! I love to watch him speak if I need to get inspired again So take a moment… and be inspired!

♥ Leanne

Look through heaven’s eyes!

Just when I’m about to put myself down again, questioning myself, ready to give up… this song comes to mind.

Take a moment and listen… sometimes a song like this is all you need to give you the courage to carry on

We must look through heaven’s eyes! No matter how much of a failure we feel to be, if we look through heaven’s eyes we might not do so bad after all

We are all part of a bigger picture and we should never forget where our value lies .

~ ♥ kindness to ourselves & kindness to everyone around us ♥ ~

Yoga Challenge – life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain…

Hi everyone!

Another week blew by and it’s time to give each other our updates on the Yoga Challenge!

On Wednesday I’ve uploaded quite a long blog-post about my journey to fitness – past, present & future… So you’re very welcome to read that if you have the time & are wondering how my personal challenges with fitness are going

As for the challenge:

I haven’t met my yoga-twice-a-week goal this time, however… I did meet my other goals which includes:

- At least half an hour of Pilates √
- Making time for a 4 minute energy boosting workout each day √
- Enjoying my time working out  √

& I did workout 4 times this week in the gym! So, I think that covers my missing 1.5 or 2 hours of yoga

On Monday my trial week @ the gym will end and I’ll be back to taking yoga lessons once a week ’till summer break

I want to give you a little something to think about: A quote I read a while ago on Alexias blog ↓

Have you ever caught yourself putting your life on hold while “waiting for the storm to pass”?
I sure have! Now it’s time to learn to dance in the rain again… and Boy have I been missing life’s dance for a long time now!
I feel blessed to be able to workout again & enjoy myself each day.
I feel blessed for my (our) freedom & I thank God (mother nature – the universe - or however you want to name the Greater Good) each day for teaching me my life’s lessons!
I’m ready to DANCE again! And I wish you the same!  ♥

Namaste

Work it out! How to get motivated for a workout day in…day out, week in…week out!

Hi Everyone!

I AM EXCITED!!!!

Today Emily got me excited about two “fitness” challenges! The timing couldn’t be better, because I was just writing a blog-post on how to get motivated for a workout because I REALLY need the motivation myself!

For DAYS now I’ve been lacking motivation to work out regularly. I’m not gonna lie, I wish I would make working out more of a priority. I love how my body feels after a workout or yoga session, I just can’t seem to make time for it!

Eating right isn’t always easy either – check out yesterdays post, haha – but at least I know my pitfalls and what dietary choices I should make in order to have more energy… Getting myself motivated to get my sweat on is a whole different story!

There are so many things to get done in a day, many of us don’t give ourselves time to work out as often as we want to!
Also, after a long day at work or having a “bad” day (you know, those days were you just can’t be bothered because you feel grumpy, lazy or PMS-like) many of us don’t want to work out!

Whenever I have days like these, even the thought of getting my sweat on makes a little voice inside me yell: “NO… NOO…. NOOOOOOOO I don’t wanna!” (kinda like a little kid who doesn’t want to eat her veggies) 

Does this sound at all familiar? Or am I really the only one who needs a kick in the butt before moving it?

I’m fed up with my lack of self-discipline, because I know I have plenty, it’s just covered up with my desire to sit on my butt instead of moving it.
So I’m gonna write down a list of motivational-motivators (how articulate eh?) to get myself (AND YOU!) OFF the couch and ON TO the mat!

How to make working out a priority:

1. Start by saying “I want to work out” instead of “I need to work out”. Setting yourself a goal in terms of ‘I have to do this’ or ‘I need to accomplish that’ is not a great starting point. All this will do is create resentment towards the thing you want to accomplish and that little voice inside your head is going to scream and shout until you eventually give in and forget the goal altogether.
2. Make it pleasurable! Put on your favorite music and get out your favorite sportswear. Make going to the gym, running outside, doing yoga at home – whatever your choice of workout may be – a pleasurable experience!
3. Make it part of your daily routine! Try to work out at a set time each day => something I REALLY need to work on myself! Nowadays I don’t have ANY routine whatsoever! I feel best if I work out right after coming home from work or right after breakfast. Figure our what time of day works best for you and commit to it! After a while you’ll notice it’s becoming a habit you don’t even have to think about any longer!
   –> So for myself: I’m going to make it a habit to do a short workout after breakfast. I can squeeze in a few extra crunches after work if I feel like it but I won’t have to feel bad if it doesn’t happen, because I know I’ve already started my day with some exercise.
4. If you need someone to push you, look for a workout partner. It’s OK if you need a little extra push! The great thing about working out together, is you’ll have twice as much energy to get you going. You can keep each other accountable and help each other to push through a hard workout routine. Look for a workout partner who has goals that are similar to yours.Note: finding a partner online can work just as good! Join a fitness challenge like the ones I’ve mentioned above or join forces with a fellow blogger!

I hope this post will inspire you to squeeze in a daily workout routine from this day forth! …But don’t forget: NO ONE IS PERFECT! If you skip your workout one day; so be it! You can hop on the next train. Everyone has their “off days” and everyone deserves a day off!

♥

MUCH LOVE  from me to you!

Liebster award!

I love receiving comments, so I was happy to notice I had another comment on my “about me” blog-post. I was pleasantly surprised to read in this comment that I’ve been nominated for the Liebster award!

 “A Liebster is an award passed on by a fellow blogger. When you nominate someone, it’s because you believe they are an up and coming blogger with under 200 followers.”

I feel honored that I got nominated by http://livepassionatelytonight.wordpress.com/! We both have a passion for health with a similar background. So if you enjoy my blog, definitely go check out hers as well!

It’s a great feeling to know that you (and hopefully others ) enjoy reading my blog! 

This next part is just copied and pasted from http://livepassionatelytonight.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/liebster-award/:

If you receive the award, you should:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

 4. Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favorite bloggers and keep it going!

So these are my 5 picks!:

-          http://alexiaku.wordpress.com/; because she’s a lovely person and a self said ‘health food freak’ (just like me ) – she’s a great inspiration to anyone who enjoys yoga!

-          http://domesticdivamd.com/; because I love to read her blog-posts. Her writing is awesome, and her recipes are great. I admire her for following her heart by going to Med school!

-          http://iheartvegetables.com/; have you read the name of this blog?! I mean…how can someone who hearts veggies be anything else but cool?!

-          http://cookeveryday1.wordpress.com/; because I love how she combines culinary school with nutrition and food sciences! Best of both worlds if you’d ask me!!

-          http://tiarefitness.com/; with her bubbly personality she keeps others motivated to work out. I love health, food and fitness… so I can relate to her !

Here you have it… my top 5 at the moment! So, check out those blogs as well as http://livepassionatelytonight.wordpress.com/!

Thanks everyone for reading my blog and for the great community here on wordpress.com!
XO, Leanne