Year 2017

Hello to every single person in the whole wide world!
Can you believe that are are already done with 2017? As I am typing this, we are only a few hours away from 2018.
I can still remember going to see my grandmother and while I was there, I started practicing Yoga sequences, and that was in January, and I still feel like that happened just the other day.
Anyhow, let's get down to business, here are a few highlights of what happened in 2017:

• Hurricane Irma became the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in record history with winds of 185mph. (This was scary!)
• North Korea tested the first successful intercontinental ballistic missile in Sea Japan.
• Donald Trump was in augurated as the 45th President of the United States of America.
• The tragic suicide bombing attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester which killed 22 and 59 injured. (This was tragic!)
• Floods and landslides in Sri Lanka which killed at least 151 people.
• Mark Zuckerberg received an honorary degree from Harvard University after dropping out in 2004, and Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook reached 2 billion monthly followers.
• The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum opened in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• British actor Daniel Day-Lewis announced his retirement of acting.
• Canada celebrated their 150 years since it's formation.
• BBC announced that the first female Doctor Who will be played by Jodie Whittaker.
• Great Britain's Prince Philip aged 96, made his final solo public appearance before retiring from public engagements.
• Actress Emma Stone is the 2017 highest-paid actress.
• 8.2 Earthquake hit South-West of Pijijiapan, Mexico, killing at least 90 people. This is the strongest Mexican quake in history. (This is so sad!)
• Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Salvator Mundi" was sold for $450.3 million at an auction in New York City, and this marks the world record price for any artwork.
• Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement.
• The first pizza party in space was held by astronauts of the International Space Station.
• The Walt Disney Company bought most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion.
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi took more than $450 million worldwide in it's opening weekend, and the 2nd largest opening in North America with $220 million.
• This year there has been a huge crisis with the water in Western Cape. There are now signs everywhere to ask everyone to help save water as the Western Cape is heading for a drought. (With this, I urge everyone who lives in the area to please help reduce your water intake, and save every drop!! It is a huge crisis!)
• The movie Split had a stunning opening weekend with $40.2 million in ticket sales.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium rescued 3 otter kits, responded to over 230 animals rescues and rescued, rehabbed and released 29 sea turtles.

2017 Deaths:

Over the course of 2017, there had been sadly many deaths of beloved ones. My heart goes out to all of you who lost your loved ones as I do know how this feels!

Sadly, we have to say goodbye to the following people:

Chester Bennington; Tilikum the orca; Sir Roger Moore; Mary Taylor Moore; Adam West; Robert Hardy; Martin Landau; Michael Bond; Hugh Hefner; Miguel Ferrer and John Hurt.
To Tilikum, or Tilly, I am sure you are in a happy place now. It was sad to see you go! You will solely be missed!

A few talented people, and animal, who sadly passed away during 2017.

My drawing on Tilikum earlier this year.

This year, I also had to say goodbye to my grandmother, who unexpectedly passed away at the beginning of the year. She had been one of the main people in my life that has been there for me, and that has supported me throughout the years. I can still remember going to see her and my grandfather, and wanting to go and sleep over by them. I can still remember being excited whenever my mother said "We are going to go visit your grandmother". I also had such great memories with my gran, there are so many I can say, but for now, I can tell you I had an opportunity to be featured on the  "Expresso Show", and my gran was only going to come and sit with me, but not be on the show. When we got to the location, no one else arrived, so the team asked if my gran could sit with me and be on the show, and she said yes. We had such fun at the place, and when we saw ourselves on the TV, it was so quick that we joked about it and laughed so much our stomachs hurt. Ah this was a memory I will not forget.

I miss her terribly! I know how painful it is to see someone you love go. It is not a nice feeling at all.

My grandmother who sadly passed away this year.
I MISS YOU GRANNY!

During 2017, there have been great movies that came out this year, and here they are, to name a few: Star Wars: The Lady Jedi; Kingsman: The Golden Circle; Fifty Shades Darker; Logan; Justice League; Baby Driver; Ferdinand; Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle; Thor: Ragnarok; Coco; Wonder Woman; Baywatch; IT; Spiderman: Homecoming; Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.2; Captain Underpants; Wonder; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales; Kong: Skull Island; Murder on the Orient Express; Despicable Me: 3; Cars 3; The Dark Tower; The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie.

As of December 31st in 2017, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle had grossed $169.8 million in the U.S and in Canada, $153 million in other territories, and for a worldwide total of $322.8 million.
As of December, Star Wars: The Last Jedi had grossed $517.1 million in the U.S and Canada. The movie also grossed $523.3 million in other territories and for a worldwide total of $1.040 billion. The movie had a worldwide opening of $450.8 million and was the 5th biggest film of all time, which included the amount $40.6 million, that was allocated from IMAX screenings, which was the second biggest for IMAX.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle had grossed $100.2 million in the U.S and in Canada. The film also grossed $295.3 million in other territories and for a worldwide total of $395.5 million against a production budget of $104 million. In North America, the film was released at the same time The Lego Ninjago movie was released, and was projected to gross $40 to 45 million in the opening weekend.
Fifty Shades Darker grossed $115.4 million in the Unites States and in Canada. The film also grossed a worldwide total of $381 million, against a production budget of $55 million. The film grossed $97.8 million in its opening weekend, which the film was also the fourth largest R-rated international opening of all-time. The top grossing locations for this film was Germany with $11 million, in the United Kingdom with $9.7 million and in France with $8.7 million.

A few movies released during 2017.

Also during 2017, there have been fantastic music albums that were released this year, and here they are, to name a couple:

Butcher Babies-Lilith; Evanescence-Synthesis; Halestorm-Reanimate 3.0 the Covers EP; The Letter Black-Pain;In This Moment-Ritual; Motionless in White-Graveyard Shift; Arch Enemy-Will to Power;Ed Sheeran-divide; Bethal Music-Starlight; In Flames-Down, Wicked & No Good; Our Last Night-Selective Hearing; Taylor Swift-Reputation; James Maslow-How I like it; James Blunt-The Afterlove; Take That-Wonderland; The Chainsmokers-Memories...Do Not Open; Katy Perry-Witness; While She Sleeps-You Are We; Lindsey Stirling-Warmer in Winter; Linkin Park-One More Light; Paramore-After Laughter; Bee Gees-Timeless: The all-time Greatest Hits; All That Remains-Madness; Nickelback-Feed the Machine; Shakira-El Dorado; Seether-Poison the Parish; Harry Styles-Harry Styles and David Garrett-Rock Revolution.

A few music albums released during 2017.

The heavy metal band Butcher Babies released their album "Lilith" this year, as well as 2 new music videos from this album, but here is one of their latest music video:


The rock band Evanescence released their new album "Synthesis" this year, which does not sound like the other Evanescence music, but Amy has stated that the latest album is going in a different direction. Here is their latest music video from their latest album:


The alternative metal band In This Moment released their album "Ritual" this year, which had songs that are more raw from their other music. Here is one of their latest music video from this album:


The metalcore band Motionless in White released their album "Graveyard Shift" this year. They also released a music video this year from this album:


The singer Taylor Swift released her new album "Reputation" this year, along with a new music video. This song broke many records, including the most played song on Spotify and the most watched music video in 24 hours. Here is the song:


The melodic death metal band Arch Enemy released their album "Will to Power" this year. Here is their latest music video released this year, and this music video was directed by Patric Ullaeus:

On a more personal note:

This year marks 1 full year, plus a few months, since I have started my fitness journey. I can honestly say that I feel much more stronger and fit. I have started practicing Yoga since the beginning of the year. In 2016, I discovered the Youtube channel "Yoga with Adrienne", which features multiple videos, and Adrienne had said on her Youtube channel that she will start, in January 2017, a "Yoga Revolution". Since I was not sure exactly where to start with Yoga, I started the "Yoga Revolution", and then from then on I have practiced Yoga each day. I can tell you that the one person that inspired me to actually start practicing Yoga was Caralishious. I thank her for the huge inspiration and for also having such healthy recipes to look at on her website.

I have also started performing workouts and mostly, Yoga sequences, from the website Spotebi.

Spotebi is a fantastic website for women who will absolutely love following Spotebi's workouts. these workouts are designed so you can perform these workouts int eh comfort of your own home, and you also don't need much equipment for the workouts. One of the main equipment tools you need are dumbbells.

I now workout 6 days a week, and I feel that it is well worth the time. Also remember though, even if you are working out, remember to also eat healthy as well. That is priority!

I have adapted to a healthier approach to food.

This year, thanks to my dear mother, I started following the 12 week-program from BodyBoss Method. This is a definite must try for all ladies as this workout program is mostly based on your own bodyweight. This program only requires minimal workout equipment, and you can also substitute equipment if you need to. With this program, you can actually perform these workouts anywhere, and at any time. You only need 24 minutes, 3 days a week, for the actual workout and believe me, you will thank yourself for getting this book.
I also took the August, September and October challenge from Women's Health SA. In August, there was the 10 push-ups a day challenge for 30 days, September was to do 50 sit-ups a day for 30 days and October was a Yoga October challenge where you performed a different pose each day, and I was so lucky as I won the Yoga October Challenge! YAY! Thank YOU Women's Health!
This year I was also featured on Lucy Wyndham-Read's Youtube channel. I do feel that I have achieved a goal this year, which was to be featured on Youtube. I felt so proud and honored to be featured on her channel.
I still follow Lucy Wyndham-Read's videos from her Youtube channel. I have followed all her monthly challenges and still find other videos off her channel.
Here is the videos I was featured on, taken from my Instagram post:

A post shared by Andria 🍓🌸🐾 (@andriamackinnon) on Jul 27, 2017 at 1:40am PDT

With regard to what health products I have used during the course of the year, I have used USN protein shakes, and also the GNC Soft Chews - which I absolutely loved! I still use Herbex products, but mostly the fat concentrate drink. I also started using the Evox protein shake as well, but then as I walked into a Wellness Warehouse, I discovered a new protein shake by the name of "Wazoogles", now that is an amazing protein blend to have. The ingredients Wazoogles contains are organic based food and when you open the packet, I am not joking, you can smell the flavor its contains. One flavor I do love is "Chocolate Moondust", and when I open that packet, I can smell the chocolate goodness. This is the same for the other flavors as well, such as "Unicorn Berry" and "Kung Fu Coffee". The smell of these flavors are amazing! If you can, I highly suggest you get Wazoogles and see how that protein works out for you.
Another healthy product I came across is the "Nanuki" chocolate bar. This bar is made with superfoods, which is wrapped around rich dark chocolate, but this bar does not contain any refined sugars, dairy or egg. A fantastic bar to have whenever you feel like eating a snack. In 2017, they released a brand new flavor called "Matcha Explosion" which you can guess, contains matcha powder in the bar. This flavor bar tastes so good and super delicious!
This matcha powder is fantastic if you want to try and drink matcha: http://www.get-matcha.com/

I am still a vegetarian, and this year marks 4 years without any meat on my plate at all! I must say I do feel great about that. I don't honestly eat a lot of egg, nor do I consume much dairy products anymore. This year, I decided to use almond milk or soy milk instead as these are great milk alternative's to have instead of cow's milk.

This was also the first year I got to experience being in the snow. I can tell you it is freezing, and yes, super cold! It is always good though to experience what it is like to be in snow. I even exercised in the snow.
Here is my one post on Instagram where I spoke about the snow I experienced:

Happy #MondayMotivation to all #fitfam 🤼‍♀️🤸🏼‍♀️🏋🏼‍♀️⛹🏼‍♀️🤾🏼‍♀️🏌🏼‍♀️🏊🏻‍♀️🏄🏼‍♀️🤽🏻‍♀️🚴🏼‍♀️🚣🏼‍♀️💚 "Sometimes, all we need is a little change in our lives to appreciate the wonders of nature" - Words by me. What I mean by this is at times, we just need a change of scenery or just a change of things in our lives, in order to appreciate what nature has for us. Like in this photo, it was my very first experience in snow ❄️ and I appreciate Mother Nature for letting me experience what I haven't before. And yes, I even exercised with the cold weather as well, and it still felt amazing! So enjoy a change of scenery and enjoy a little change sometimes. Have a happy week and stay fit and healthy and live strong 💪🏻! Happy Monday! #happyday #happy #smile #happymonday #monday #mondayfun #monslay #snow #snowflake #wellbeing #stayfitandhealthy #inspiration #quotes #motivation #goodmorning #instahealth #healthygirl #healthyjourney #fitnessgirl #fitnessjourney #fitness2017 #healthyliving #instafitness #happytimes #strong

A post shared by Andria 🍓🌸🐾 (@andriamackinnon) on Jul 17, 2017 at 1:38am PDT

For those of you who are interested in the Wazoogles Protein blend, you can check out their website and social media sites below:
Website: https://wazoogles.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wazoogles/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wazoogles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wazoogles
For those of you who are interested in the Nanuki superfood bars, you can check out their website, as well as their social media website below:
Website: https://www.nanuki.co.za/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanukichocolate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nanukisa/
For those whoa re interested in the BodyBoss Method program, you can find the program here:
Website: https://www.bodyboss.com/method
For those who are interested in looking up the Spotebi workouts, you can find their website, social media websites and Youtube channel below:
Wesbite: https://www.spotebi.com/
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyHOyk3jHUsWquS8e1DnR-Q
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spotebi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spotebi/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotebi/

In 2018, I will definitely try to post a blogs more regularly.
I do hope all of you had a great year and you are all looking forward to the New Year. For those of you with New Year Resolution's, try to keep to those resolution's and commit to them.
Oh happy days ahead! Enjoy the New Year!
2017, it was great knowing you! Now onto the road of 2018 and see what is in store for us there...
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018!

Goodbye 2017! I can look back and see what memories I have made, but it is time to see what is in store for 2018!
2018 I will be staying as fit and as healthy as I can be!

Women's Health SA Push-Up Challenge

Hello everybody!
I have recently seen in the August issue of Women's Health SA magazine that you can do a 30-Day push-up challenge, in which you only do 10 push-ups a day.

Before you perform the push-up challenge, take note of your wrists before you get into position of a push-up as you do not want to hurt your wrists in the process of performing a push-up.
Take a few minutes rotating your wrists clockwise, and then reverse it to warm your wrists up, and to avoid injury.

Below is a breakdown on how to perform a push-up:
1. Start in a standard plank position.
2. Try to set your hands directly inline with your shoulders. Try to get your elbows as close to your body as possible (For Yogis, think low plank pose with your shoulders). Do not let your arms flare out, keep them as close to the shoulders as possible.
3. Pull your navel in toward your spine (pull your tummy muscles in; engage your core muscles) and squeeze your glutes in. Squeezing these muscles in are key for stability and to keep your glutes from sticking up in the air, and your tummy from sagging to the floor.
4. If you are a beginner, you can keep your legs apart, but if you think you can perform the push-up with your legs together, do that instead as this will be more effective.
5. Your head should be raised slightly ahead of your hands, as your chin should be the first part of your head to touch the floor and not your nose.
6. Lastly, once you are in the correct form to do the push-up, then you can now do the 10 push-ups.

After you have done your 10 push-ups, do not forget to stretch your arms, especially your wrists. You can also stretch your entire body afterward, if you feel your muscles are sore as well.

Here is the video I made of me performing the 10 push-ups in the most correct form I can do:



Do you think you can do 10 push-ups once a day, for 30 days straight? Take the challenge and find out!
Don't forget to pick up the latest issue of Women's Health SA magazine, featuring Fitness Icon Emily Skye, who was 6 weeks pregnant when shooting this cover shoot.

A post shared by Andria 🍓🌸🐾 (@andriamackinnon) on Jul 28, 2017 at 1:30am PDT

Pictured above is a selfie I took of the new Women's Health SA magazine.
Women's Health SA magazine has also said that you can upload a video of you performing your push-ups on Instagram, using the hashtag #WHPushUpChallenge along with tagging @womenshealthsa on your post, and you might just have a chance of being featured on their social media page.

You can also check out Women's Health SA magazine's website: http://www.womenshealthsa.co.za/
You can also follow Women's Health SA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenshealthmagsa/

Thank you all for taking the time to read this blog!
Strive for your own goals!
Thank YOU all!
Stay fit and healthy!

Signs you are losing weight - without using the scale

Original picture from Google Images

Hello everybody!

Sorry I haven't been blogging for a while. I have been writing ideas of what to blog about, and I have been researching some ideas as well. After much research and inspiration, I have decided to blog about something in the fitness field, and that is the issue with the weight scale! Run for your lives!

Many people seem to think the only way they can track their weight is by hopping onto that weight scale and seeing how many kilograms they weigh - and many people are also afraid to step onto that scale because of the result they will get. It is true that you can weigh yourself, but did you know that you don't need to track your weight loss by just weighing yourself? There are other ways of knowing you have lost weight.

Here are a some ways of knowing how you have lost weight:
1.  Measuring tape:
One of the best alternatives to use other than the scale. If you haven't yet, purchase a measuring tape and measure your wait, thighs, arms, neck, abdomen and hips. Remember to measure yourself accurately, it should conform your body. Also, when you measure yourself, do not pull too much on the measuring tape as this will make an indentation in your skin.

2. Clothing feels looser:
When you start your fitness journey, notice how your clothing fit you. Is it too tight? Do you feel uncomfortable in them? 
After a few weeks, put the clothes you were wearing at the start of your fitness journey, and try them on again. Does it feel looser? Do you feel you have dropped a dress size? If so, then you know you have lost weight. To know that you have dropped a dress size down is a huge achievement!

3. Take before and after photos:
When you start your fitness journey, take a photo of your physical figure. You may not like to do it, but believe me, you will thank yourself in the future. Then, after a few weeks, take a photo of yourself again, and you will be amazed at the results you have.

4. Measuring body fat percentage:
You can go see a professional who uses a skinfold caliper to measure you body fat level. It's a good idea to measure your fat percentage as you can only then the body fat you have lost.

5. Your skin has a natural looking glow: 
 You know you are getting fit and leaner when you notice your skin is getting that natural-looking glow by just exercising and eating healthy foods. This is a good sign that you are loosing weight.

6.  Test your fitness level:
When you start out your fitness journey, take note of how your fitness level is. This could mean the following:
--> Taking a brisk walk for about 30 minutes and tracking how many steps you take. See if you are breathing heavily after the 30 minute walk, or if you are breathing normally after this walk. If you find this 30 minute walk easier than when you first started out your fitness journey, then that is a good sign you are loosing weight.
-> You can time yourself and see how many reps of a workout you can do in a limited time. For example, if you could only do about 5 pushups in 20 seconds, see if you can do up to 10 pushups in 20 seconds. --> Another example is seeing if you can hold a plank for a full minute (that is just 60 seconds). You may think this is easy, but wait until you are on the ground, holding a plank for a full minute, you will feel it, but do give it a try.

7. You physically look slimmer: A simple way to see if you are loosing weight is just by looking into the mirror and taking a good look at yourself, and seeing that you have lost weight. Notice how your thighs look, do they look slimmer? Take a look at your tummy, does it look like it is getting flatter? Question yourself as this will help you notice your body changing.

8. You are sleeping better:
When you exercise regularly, you are guaranteed to have a good night's sleep as your body needs rest and sleep is the best way to rest your body. I do know many people struggle to sleep, and this results in weight gain as you do not get your recommended sleep time. You need to sleep at least 7 hours during the night. So if you get your recommended sleep, you will not be gaining weight anytime soon.

9. You feel more energized:
Do you look forward to your exercises? Do you feel like you can get up and go running just because you want to? Do you feel less tired in the morning when you wake up? Have you noticed your metabolism has increased when you start your day? If so, then you are definitely feeling more energized. If you get enough sleep and you are exercising regularly, you will be feeling great and full of energy to start your day. This is a sign that you are losing weight.

10. People start to notice you have lost weight:
It's an amazing feeling to have when someone you know tells you that they can see you have lost weight. Trust me, you will feel so proud of the hard work you have done with your body.

Source: Google Images

Overall, you can actually ditch the scale and focus on other alternatives for weight loss. Also take note that you may weigh the same you weighed a few months ago, but that doesn't mean you picked up weight or you haven't lost any weight. This could mean you have lost body fat and have gained muscle, so therefore, the weight scale is weighing your weight plus your muscles as well. Remember the scale measures everything - muscles, bones, fat, food, water and organs.
Also, take note, exercising is an amazing aspect to have in life, but do it for yourself, and not for anyone else. Exercise because it makes you happy, and you are striving to look lean and strong and it is for the right reasons. Do not exercise just because you want to look thin and have that "dream body" people keep talking about. Every single one of our bodies are different from one another. Some of us have bigger hips than others, and some of us have a flatter tummy than some of us. The important aspect here is that you are loosing weight and you want to look lean and strong by exercising, and by eating healthy foods. Just remember to live a healthy lifestyle and strive to just be living healthy and keeping fit.
Also, do not think that starving yourself will make you more slim, because that is a lie! Did you know your body goes into what is called "survival mode" because if you haven't eaten for a good couple of hours, and then you eat something, your body will store that food as fat because your body does not know when it will have food again. So take note of that.

Source: Google Images.

All photos featured above was found on Google images.

I hope you have all enjoyed reading this blog, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you taking time out of your lives to read my blogs. It is much appreciated!
Please do not forget to share my blog with your friends and family!
I hope I can inspire other people to live a healthy and fit life!
I do promise that I will try and post a blog again, soon!
Thank YOU all!
Stay fit and healthy!

The Wonderful Cape Town: Part 2: Alphen Walk:

Hello everyone! We are now on the second part of “The Wonderful Cape Town” chapter. This blog will focus on the Alphen Trail.

I will share with you photos of the Alphen walkway, what pathways there are and the Alphen hotel.

The Alphen Trail is a greenbelt, which is located in an affluent suburb of Constantia in Constantia Valley. The Alphen Trail can start and end at either entrance on the trial. The most popular place to start is on the bend of Alphen Drive. If you start the Alphen Trail at Alphen Drive, you’ll keep walking until you reach Le Sueur Avenue.

A photo of where Le Sueur Avenue is, and one of the entrances to the Alphen Trail.

If you enjoy walking, and are up for a little challenge, you can walk even further than Le Sueur Avenue and continue forward on the path. If you continue along this path, you’ll end up going on the Diep River Trails, and along to Constantiaberg Mountain. There are also quite a few bridge crossings along the path of the Alphen Trail, and you can also choose which side of the river you can walk on.

Regardless of the pathway you choose to take, the Alphen Trail never fails to show it's beauty with lush grass, trees, and the wonderful skies and also the beautiful Le Sueur Meadow.
This walkway is also perfect for runners, walkers, and anyone who wishes to do exercise along the path. You can even make the forest your gym by maybe jumping from left to right while keeping your hands on a log you will surely find on this walkway.

A photo taken with the sun shining brightly. This photo is taken while walking past the Alphen Drive entrance.

One of my favorite parts of this walkway.

Alphen Trail with its beautiful lush green grass and scenery.

It is a wonderful place to take your dogs, as this walk is known to have people walking their dogs along the path, and you might also catch horse riders riding beautiful horses along the path - so watch out if you decide to talk your dog (or cat!) off the lead.

If you decide you want to stay at a place near the Alphen Trail, might I recommenced the Alphen Hotel. The Alphen Hotel is a 5 star luxury hotel which is right next to the Alphen Trail if you are parking by the Alphen Drive. (For those interested in accommodation at the Alphen Hotel, you can check out bookings on their website: http://www.alphen.co.za/ and also check out their social media pages: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.)

A view of part of the Alphen Hotel you can see while walking on the Alphen Trail.

When I go on the Alphen Trial, I usually go with my family and our dogs. I have been walking on this walkway for years and years. I remember there was one tree that has bees in them, so we had to quickly walk past this tree fast.

The scenery is beautiful and is perfect for any time of the day. One of the best times to go walking is on a Sunday late afternoon with your dogs. People who just want to go run or walk can also just enjoy the beautiful scenery and listen to Mother Nature.

A photo of the Alphen Trail.

If you start to walk on the Alphen Trail by Alphen Drive, you will see the Alphen Hotel on your right and if you walk along the pathway all the way until you reach Le Sueur Avenue road, you will see horse stables there - not quite sure what they are called, but you can see the beautiful horses there - and the beautiful lush grass and spectacular trees. We - meaning my family and I - usually walk up until Le Sueur Avenue, but we do walk further up the pathway if we feel like walking further. I can tell you it is such a fun and joyful - and peaceful if you go at the right time - walk in this forest.

For those who take their dogs on the walk, it is best to leave the dogs on a lead because when your dog meets another dog, the meeting might not get on so well and it is best to avoid conflict between dogs. Also, if your dog/s decide to do his/her/their business, then please bring a plastic bag with on your walk.
Also be careful for horse riders who pass by. That is why it is best to keep your dogs on a lead as the dogs might get frightened or get excited when a horse passes by, and we don't want to scare the horse nor the dog.

For those who play the activity Geocaching, there are about 2 hiding places for Geochaching - from what I remember. Where are the locations? Well, that you will have to find out for yourself. My lips are sealed.

Overall, the Alphen Trail is dynamic and you can choose to walk as far as the Diep River Trail, or as far as the the horse stables near Le Sueur Avenue. No matter where you walk on the Alphen Trail, you will surely enjoy yourself, and if you have a dog, then take your dog - or dogs - out to this greenbelt and you can all thoroughly enjoy this walkway with beautiful skies and beautiful scenery.

Here are some photos I have taken in the past when I have gone walking on the Alphen Trail with my family and dogs:

A photo of the Alphen Trail.

A photo of the walkway on the Alphen Trail.

A photo of the river stream along the Alphen Trail.

A photo of the swinging rope on the Alphen Trail.
(Swing on the rope at your own risk!)

A photo showing the pathway to Diep River Trails.

A photo captivating the beautiful greenbelt of the Alphen Trail.

A photo of the Alphen Trail in it's beauty.

A photo of the beautiful river stream on the Alphen Trail.

A photo of the mountain when you walk by the Le Sueur Avenue.

A photo of the logs which could be used for exercising by the river.

A photo of the bridge which leads to the horse stables.

A photo of a log which could be used for exercising (for jumping left to right while holding onto the log).

I thank every person for taking the time the time to read this blog.
This blog is about Cape Town, and an attraction you can visit if you feel like going for a walk, but this trail is also for fitness people who want to go running/walking on this trail.
Thank YOU all!
Stay fit and healthy!

My Health and Fitness Journey

Hello everybody out there!

My blog in this post will be all about health and nutrition.

I have made a pledge to myself that this year; I will be a lot healthier than what I was in the past. Let me begin by sharing with you the past relationship I had with food and fitness workouts, and how I came to actually accept this relationship and take it to the next level. I will also try to make this blog short and sweet, and to the point.

In the past – to keep this short and sweet – I ate foods that were mostly high in sugar, and I did tend to eat processed foods at fast food restaurants/take-away places. I was very bad with food. All I mostly wanted was the sweet stuff and the fries from the take-away places, I didn’t even mind having ice-cream or a chocolate bar first thing in the morning. At times though, I would go completely off sugar foods which I know now you cannot do as quickly as this process takes time.  I also, at times, went through what I would call a “health stage” where I would eat healthier foods, but this lasted at most about 2 weeks.

When I was younger, I never liked to exercise. It was one thing I didn’t enjoy doing, and I did groan and moan that I didn’t want to exercise, yet I took part in my school’s sports day running and swimming galas. This was mainly to just participate on the sports days. I did though for 1 month take an exercise programme titled “Adventure Boot Camp for women” with my mother. I did notice a difference in my body shape taking this challenge, but it was not what I wanted to achieve because my eating wasn’t as healthy. (Tip: You must eat healthy as well as exercise to achieve your fitness goals).

To be fare though, I did eat fruit and vegetables as well, and I did eat healthy foods, but very seldom.

This year however, it is all about healthy eating and all about fitness.

What I look liked before starting my fitness journey.

I started to get very serious about being fit in May last year. One particular actor helped inspire me to get into fitness – I will keep the name a secret for now. Every time I looked into the mirror, I couldn’t stand that my stomach was not how I wanted it to be, and that I was not happy with my body at all. If I went for a run or even running on my school’s sports field, I would be out of breath, very tired, nauseated and also low in energy. I didn’t eat the right foods, nor did I drink the right liquids (turns out water is the healthiest drink to have). That is why I decided to be a lot more healthier and incorporate eating healthy and exercising into my everyday life, and make it a lifestyle.

I actually got more into health and fitness when my mother spoke to me about it. She is the main reason why I wanted to be fit, healthy and strong. My mother told me that one needs to stay as strong and healthy as they can be throughout their life.(She really gives great advice about health).

If you are new to exercising and not sure where to start, perhaps do workouts 3 days a week (You can search for a workout on YouTube or Google), up until you know you can do 6 days a week. I workout 6 days a week as one does need to have a rest day to rest their body before going back into working out again.

Here is an example of the type of exercises I do for 6 days a week:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 5 Toning workouts, 3 sets - meaning I do the workout 3 times.

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – Cardio and/or HIIT workouts. One of the easiest cardio workouts for beginners is running and walking. Enjoy the outdoors!

Sometimes though, I do add some other workouts in the day. Why do you ask? It is fun and I love the workouts I do!

One day in the week, I would go for a run/walk, or I would do yoga instead. My aim is to workout 6 days of the week. On Sunday I would do a quick morning workout, and then maybe some yoga and then that is it, nothing that stresses my body out. On rest days you can either do a little workout if you wish, or you can relax for the day as your body needs to recover and so that you feel refreshed the next day.

I feel a lot more confident with my body now than what I had felt at the beginning of last year.

There are literally no excuses to not exercise. I do understand there are people in this world that are super busy – even on weekends. What could be suggested is follow a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout.

Here are some excuses people make to get out of exercising, and the solutions:

·         “I have no time” – You can do a 4 minute HIIT workout. You can even do squats for 4 minutes.

·         “My muscles are sore” – Stretch your muscles and do a warm up before you exercise.

·         “I am too tired” – Are you getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night? Also exercising gives you more energy.

·         “I cannot afford to go to a gym” – You do not need a gym to workout. You can work out in your own house, or go outdoors.

·         “I don’t want to work out” – Find exercises you enjoy. If you don’t like doing squats or jumping, then go for a run or walk, or even dance around.

·         “I have children” – As do millions of mothers out there, yet they find time to exercise. Children can actually become your motivation rather than your excuse by showing them what excises you do. You can even tell them to do the workouts with you and make it fun for both you and your children.

There are a lot more excuses out there, but rather find a solution instead of just making up excuses. Everyone in this world is busy with their own lives, and yet they find time to exercise. Believe me; no one will judge you with the exercises you choose. They will in fact compliment you with your fitness journey. Also, find people who will help motivate you and have a positive effect on you. You can even ask a friend or family member to do the exercises with you.

Another thing you must know is you need to learn self-love. You need to learn to love your body, accept how your body figure looks (Nobody's physique looks exactly the same as another person's body figure), and take care of your body. Your body is your own, and you need to listen to what your body says. I know it’s hard. I even find it hard, but I am learning to accept how my body looks and feels. I also say listen to your body as your body does give you a message when it is feeling tired, and sometimes when your tummy grumbles, your body could just be thirsty and not hungry.

The best part of eating healthy is that you can experiment with many foods and make up your own unique dishes you find fulfilling.

Here are 4 healthy recipe ideas you can make in your free time:

1. Ideal for a on-the-go breakfast:

1/2 cup Woolworths rolled oats

1/2 Almond Breeze almond milk 

1 tsp Clicks Smartbite chia seeds

1 tsp Clicks Smartbite almond butter

Method:

Place all the ingredients in a jar, mix all the ingredients, then place into the fridge and leave overnight. You can use more than 1/2 cup of almond milk if you want to. You just have to have enough to cover the rolled oats.

The next day, add fruit/nuts/dried fruit to this meal if you wish.

Pictured below on my Instagram page, is the meal dish I made for the no. 1 recipe.

Happy #WellnessWednesday to all #fitfam 😁💪🏻💚 Today I am sharing my one #breakfast jar I made. I used @woolworths_sa rolled oats, @almondbreeze almond milk to make #overnightoats and then I added an apple 🍎 a banana 🍌 and then a little bit of #trailmix and that's it! It's #vegan as well 🌱 😁 I hope everyone is keeping fit and healthy!! I am trying very hard not to be drawn toward sugary foods, I am getting there and I am trying to stick to healthy foods. Happy Wednesday! • • • • • #stayfitandhealthy #instafitness #fitfamsa #fitspo #veganbreakfast #veganfoodshare #veganrecipes #almondmilk #healthygirl #fitnessfood #healthyfood #healthybreakfast #fitnessgoals #healthyeating #healthyliving #livewell #wellnessfitness #happyday #happy #smile #happywednesday #wednesdaymorning

A photo posted by Andria 🍓🌸🐾 (@andriamackinnon) on Dec 7, 2016 at 12:10am PST

2. Ideal for breakfast: Inspired by one of Caralishious recipes.

1 cup Woolworths rolled oats

1 cup Almond Breeze almond milk

A handful of blueberries

4 raspberries chopped

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tsp Wazoogles Superfood Protein Shake vanilla sky flavour - Purchased from Wellness Warehouse

1 tsp Nature's Choice ground flaxseed

Top with Le Coquin coconut milk dairy-free yoghurt and dried cranberries the next morning - Purchased from Wellness Warehouse

Method:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix altogether. If the coconut oil is too hard, you can warm it a bit - for ONLY a few seconds - in the microwave, and then add the coconut oil to your meal dish.

The next morning, you can add the coconut yoghurt and some dried cranberries, or fruit of your choice, to your meal dish.

Pictured below from my Instagram page, is the meal dish I made for the no. 2 recipe.

I warmed up my dish for a few seconds in the microwave the next morning.

Happy #WellnessWednesday to all #fitfam 😁🏃🏼‍♀️💚 This #breakfast I made was inspired by one of the #recipes by @caralishious I used @woolworths_sa #rolledoats plus I used #coconutoil and I used @almondbreezesa #almondmilk and I used #coconut yoghurt from @wellnesswarehouse and this dish tasted SO DELICIOUS! 😋 This also kept me full for a long time and it was #vegan and #healthy Remember to stay fit and healthy everyone! Happy Wednesday! 💚 #stayfitandhealthy #wellnesswarehouse #woolworths #healthygirl #fitnessgirl #caralishious #healthyeating #healthybreakfast #healthybody #fitnessjourney #fitnessmotivation #healthyliving #livewell #eatwell #happyday #happy #smile

A photo posted by Andria 🍓🌸🐾 (@andriamackinnon) on Jan 25, 2017 at 12:56am PST

3. Ideal for lunch or dinner:

1 tbsp coconut oil

Spinach + cauliflower noodles - As much as you want. I purchased these noodles from Woolworths.

6 Pick 'n Pay mushrooms chopped up

4 Pick 'n Pay brinjals (eggplant) cut in halves

A few sprinkles of Ina Paarman's veggie spice and Pick 'n Pay cayenne pepper

2 Pick 'n Pay kale

1/4 of cucumber chopped - You can add this if you want to.

Method:

In a pan, start by putting the coconut oil in the pan and once the oil has melted, you can get started. Stir-fry the mushrooms first, then add the chopped brinjal. Add the kale, and then sprinkle veggie spice and the cayenne pepper on the mushrooms and brinjal. Before the brinjal and mushrooms are cooked, add the spinach and cauliflower noodles. Once all is cooked, place on a plate and you can top the meal dish with cucumber, like I did.

Pictured above is the meal dish I made for no. 3 recipe.

4. Ideal for on-the-go for anytime of the day:

175ml Le Coquin coconut milk dairy-free yoghurt - Purchased from Wellness Warehouse

1 tsp Clicks Smartbite chia seeds

1 - 4 nuts of choice (I used macadamia nuts) + dried cranberries 

About 1 tsp of Wazoogles Superfood Protein Powder Chocolate Moondust flavour - Purchased from Wellness Warehouse

Method:

Add the chia seeds and Wazoogles superfood protein powder to the coconut yoghurt and then add nuts and dried cranberries for topping if you wish.

I was actually in a rush one morning, so I put all of the ingredients into the coconut yoghurt cup.

Pictured above is my on-the-go meal for the No. 4 recipe

It is not expensive to eat healthy. You can still eat fruit every day, as well as vegetables. The best is roast vegetables; they are super tasty and can go literally with any dish at dinner time. The main goal is to eat clean and as healthy as you can. Another food substance you must try to avoid is sugar. Sugar is really bad for you, and you should try to stay off it as much as possible (if you can, try to stay off sugar at least 3 – 5 days a week). If you want a sugary food, have it in moderation and do not get carried away with eating a lot of sugary foods. In truth, I do have sugary foods, but it is rarely and I have it in moderation and no, you will not pick up a lot of weight by eating one slice of cake if you have been eating healthy for weeks. On the rare occasion yes, you can treat yourself to something sweet, but it is best to treat yourself to a spa day or something like that, as you won’t be focusing on sweet treats. If you really want that sweet dessert, you can eat it, but do not go overboard. Remember, you are taking care of your body.

For those who are looking for quick and easy workouts to do, might I suggest this wonderful fitness lady: Lucy Wyndham-Read. On her YouTube channel are 4 minute HIIT workouts. You read that right, just 4 minutes a day. You can do more workouts if you wish, but if you are a busy bee then these 4 minute HIIT workouts are perfect for you.

To make your body shape to how you want it; you must add nutritional foods, and foods that’ll keep you fuller for longer. I would highly suggest looking at this lovely lady’s website, Caralishious. She has so many recipes on her website that it is hard not to try any of her recipes. There are recipes for on-the-go meals to breakfast meals to even healthy snacks you can eat during the day. All of Caralishious’s recipes are mostly natural ingredients, clean eating foods and organic foods as well. She is my go-to if I need to look up healthy recipes or find inspiration for meal dishes. Caralishious also has blogs about self-love – which you should go read – and among other blogs that’ll help you with your healthy lifestyle and fitness journey.

For those of you interested in Lucy-Wyndham-Read’s videos, you can click HERE to view her YouTube channel. Lucy Wyndham-Read has over 20 years of experience in the fitness industry and is ex-army, and also has great nutrition tips and clean eating recipes to help you as well.

For those interested in viewing all of Caralishious delicious and healthy recipes, you can click HERE to go to her official website. Caralishious also has healthy vegan coconut ice-cream out in health stores such as Wellness Warehouse, which you can purchase from R39.99, and it is well worth the money.
Both Caralishious and Lucy Wyndham-Read are very inspiring women who are all about your own health and wellbeing. I highly recommend viewing their websites to see what advice, recipes and health tips they give you on their pages.

 

Pictured above is the Caralishious Peanut Butter flavoured ice-cream.

I am still learning more and more about health and fitness, and what is great is I am still learning new things I never knew before. The best part about any industry you want to pursue is learning new things each day.

I will definitely be posting more blogs on health and nutrition in the near future. I want to start blogging about health and fitness because many people are really interested in this, and some people also want to know about this specific industry. I will try and cover as much of this industry as I can.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this blog, and that it’ll maybe inspire you to go out there and start getting fit and healthy.

Thank YOU for taking the time to read this blog, it really means so much to me!

Share with your friends and family!

Stay fit and healthy!