Quick tips and tricks from Shape

Since you liked the last post, here are the tips and tricks I liked most in the recent Shape; bear in mind that you guys get exclusive information, this is from the Polish edition, I bet you don't get all that in the British/US versions ;)

1. Take care of your tired, puffy feet by putting them into an aromatic warm bath for 10 to 15 minutes. Try using essential oils such as mint or eucalyptus (I'm going to try tea tree oil, it should have similar effect). Then massage your feet to relax them some more, or you can even try reflexology; apply some pressure to the sole of your big toe, this can help you get rid of a headache!

2. Hate your bum? Try rollerskating: it forces your legs to move to the sides, making your thighs and buttocks nice and firm!

I know, I know, I do look super hot in this helmet and kneepads...

3. Always remember to warm up your body before you start exercising and never skip the cool down stage at the end. No warm up may equal sprained muscles, no cool down means sore muscles the next day.

4. Never skip your breakfast... and lunch! The meals you have in the first half of the day are crucial for your diet and further calorie intake. Obese persons ignore lunch 30% times more often than the slim ones!

5. You only need to stick to your diet 80% of the time in order for it to be effective! The results you get will be as good as if you followed it religiously. Practically it means that for 1,5 days in the week you can allow yourself to get some more calorific treats, or skip the gym :)

Hope this was useful, my beauties :) Thanks for stopping by! xxx

Yummy Saturday breakfast

My mum bought for me the last month's issue of the Polish edition of Shape magazine, and I found this yummy little recipe for Blueberry Banana Pancakes; perfect for lazy summer mornings! The amounts shown serve 4 and you need approximately 25 minutes to prepare them.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray or olive oil

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 very ripe medium bananas

1 cup nonfat milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries (do not defrost)

4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey to pour over the pancakes

In a medium bowl, combine both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl or food processor, mash bananas until mushy. Add milk, egg and vanilla and mix or process until blended.
Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and mix or process until just blended (tiny lumps should still appear; do not overmix or pancakes will be tough). Ladle 3 tablespoons of batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Top each with 1/2 tablespoons of blueberries.
When bubbles appear around the edges of pancakes, after about 2-3 minutes, flip and cook 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to a warm plate and keep warm in a 250°F oven while you cook remaining pancakes.

I served mine with fresh strawberries, honey and yoghurt. Delicious! If you're concerned about your diet, one serving (3 pancakes) contain 384 calories, 6% fat, 83% carbs (that's why they're better for breakfast than dinner!) and 11% protein. They have quite a lot of calcium and a bit of iron too :)

I am thinking of doing a little post about some interesting tips and tricks I found in the magazine, are you guys interested? Thanks for stopping by! xxx