Monday 20 August 2018

Fitness: Meal prep

Hello my beloved health hunters!

I am so glad I found some time to post on this super busy period of my life and today's topic is one of the best allies to make it through it while still progressing. Meal Prep.

Image source: Pinterest
Meal prep stands from Meal Preparation which is the process of both scheduling and preparing your meals in advance on a daily or weekly basis. That might sound fancy as many people tend to perceive it as a trend but it is in fact, a powerful tool to get the best possible results while saving time AND MONEY. Yes, Money.  Let's dive into this.

What happens when people do NOT meal prep? The groceries shopping becomes chaotic since they don't have a clear image of what they NEED to purchase in order to prepare their meals, they skip a lot of key-ingredients [which makes the cooking not so pleasant experience], they tend to buy a bunch of stuff which do not fit into their nutrition plan, mainly influenced by their current cravings or temptational offers. Furthermore, when someone does not meal prep he doesn't have consistency on his shopping cart, he can not estimate his usual nutrition expenses and thus he is not able to track and spot the best offers in order to supply smart and save up. Does it sound familiar? Well, it comes paired with the direct consequence of food waste. If there is no single clue of the meal flow across the day/week then, many products will stay on the back side of the fridge, unseen, forgotten, unconsumed, until they rot and eventually end up in the trash bin. Not alone. With all that wasted money.


People who do not think in advance of their meals, tend to forget supplying some crucial basic ingredients (ex. onions, vegetables, olive oil, etc). Thus, when the cooking time comes they realize that they need to get a second run to the store to make up for them. Chances are that those 1-2 products won't be the only ones which will make it to the second-round cart. Yes, you guessed right. More waste of money.

Now that you got what happens when one does NOT meal prep, let's examine what happens when someone DOES. Someone who meal prep(are)s, is aware of what comes into his mouth. That means that he knows and tracks his food, which comes pretty handy both to avoid cheating and being able to detect how his organism responds to certain foods. A meal prepper can also track his progress (aka the level of persistence around his nutrition plan) and as a consequence he can acknowledge and reward himself for that. Acknowledgement, self awareness and reward are pretty important factors of success as a person can use these tools to keep himself motivated, excited and persistent throughout the process. Now that you got an insight of how meal prep saves money and promotes an individual to a more productive and efficient state, it's time to delve into the ultimate excuse people usually present: TIME. Aye, that lad.



The most widespread hoax I come across the internet (and real life conversations) is that meal preparation is a time consuming process and people are too busy to spend hours in the kitchen every day. To begin with, one will either way spend time in the kitchen in order to prepare a meal and eat it right away. During meal prep, a person will spend exactly the same amount of time to cook the meals (in larger proportions) ONE TIME (instead of 6-7 in case of cooking each meal in a separate day) and save them. Having the meals already prepared means that one can take his lunch/dinner with him on the go/at work/wherever, saving up all that time he would spend to go home, cook, eat and go back to the rest of his daily responsibilities. That will also contribute to less crappy binge eating since healthy meals will be accessible at all occasions. Take a moment to imagine the amount of money spent on delivery/take away meals or snacks just because people do not have some food available. Additionally, weekly groceries shopping instead of every other day will save a good amount of time which could be used for any other purpose such us personal goals, relaxation, leisure activities, family/friends/spouse, exploration and so on. MYTH - BUSTED.
Extra BENEFIT: You don't have to clean cooking pots, pans etc on a daily basis. 😏



What a remarkable thing is that changing such an individual part of your daily routine can have such an impact across your whole life, isn't it?

Up to now everything sounds ideal and I am pretty sure that many people have perceived meal prep as a great idea at some point but most of them did not proceed to the actual execution of the plan just because they didn't know where to begin from. Let's try to shed some light on this.

Some main course and snacks I prepped. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
View more details about this particular set of meals here



Meal prep is flexible and can be adjusted to the individual's needs, that is basically the main reason of its efficiency. Meal scheduling can be weekly whereas the physical preparation of the meals can be daily (like cooking the night before), every 2-3 days, weekly or even monthly (if there is a close friendship with the freezer). Furthermore, one can invest time to meal prep only the main-large meals of the day such as lunch/post workout meals/ dinner/ which is impossible to cook everyday. Other people, prepare also their snacks both because it comes handy and also because it is more likely to consume them in order to avoid throwing them away (ex. you might not really turn to a fruit or veggie when you have mid-day cravings but it is way more possible to do it if there are pre-cut fruits, salads, etc available). All the patterns can potentially work because the power of meal prep relies on its adjustment to every person's unique needs.

 Prepped snack. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
View more details about this particular meal here

For instance, I am a person that usually meal preps the most complex meals of the day (usually lunch/dinner and sometimes post workout meal) and in some occasions I also prepare snacks which I take with me on the go if I spend a lot of hours outdoors.

Preparing snacks doesn't mean always processing them, it can be just a Tupperware with a green apple and some nuts.

I usually prefer my breakfast or evening snacks to be made right before consumption due to texture, temperature and composition matters.




For more details, ingredients etc click here
For more details, ingredients etc click here



















Some breakfast prep for the days I was sleeping over. Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.



From planning to execution, it is a long road ahead. Once you have your meals scheduled regarding the frequency, quantity, proportions and consistency, you are ready to start the great the real thing.



MEAL PREP EXECUTION AND PACKING GUIDE


Salmon, veggies and cottage cheese prepped lunch.
Taken from my personal 
Instagram  Account.
View more details about this meal here



  • Cut/Chop all the ingredients (ex, veggies) that you will use either for raw consumption or as a part of your cooking process either the same or the following day (ex. mushrooms, peppers etc).
  • Wash your salads in advance
  • Boil your veggies/eggs/whatever in large quantity
  • Marinate your meat/fish/mushrooms/hummus in advance
  • Cook all (or most) of the foods like grilled or baked stuff
  • Use airtight containers to store your spare fresh cut ingredients for future cooking purposes
  • Divide and combine your food accordingly to form containers with your meals
  • If you are into packing some snacks, now it is a good time to proceed 
  • Be very careful with the hygiene and quality of your containers to maximize the food quality and preservation 
  • Smoothies prep.
    Taken from my personal Instagram  Account.
    View more details about it here
    Smoothies preparation in advance can also be a practical option for your snacks but it is not super duper advisable since they will lose a lot of vitamin load until consumption
  • Arrange your containers in the fridge in such a way to both see the content and have a clear image of which meals will be consumed first.
  • For better preservation, avoid putting your containers too close to the back side of the refridgator, there is a lot of moisture going on there and especially fruits and veggies get frozen.

  • ALWAYS have a bag/box/whatever works for you - to carry your containers PLACED READY on a kitchen table from the night before, to remember getting your food with you in the morning (or whenever you are about to leave the house)
  • Remember your water and liquid intake. You might need to take coffee/tea/water with you if you are spending a good amount of time away from home.


Easy, don't you think? All you need is to be organized and invest around 1 hour of your time. Then, you are ready to benefit of the entire process and outcome as well.

Dinner side-dish prep.
Taken from my personal Instagram Account.
View more details about this meal here

 During the process of meal prep, one will improve his cooking skills, he will learn to be more creative and even experiment to give a different taste to the same basic ingredients and he will get better at organizing his time and further aspects of his life. 

In the long-term, meal prep will help with fitness goals and health improvement due to nutrition control, track and persistence, it will make a lot of time for other activities and personal-space and it will also provide a financial boost out of savings that would otherwise be unnecessarily wasted. 

Last but not least, all these will contribute to the emotion of accomplishment which in turn will provide a lot of motivation, self confidence and positivity.






If you are reading this sentence then it means you made it through this entire long article for a reason. I hope that the information provided above have been useful and inspiring for you to try meal-prep yourself and seize the benefits.
 If there is any question on the topic or anything you would like to ask/suggest/share don't be shy and contact me right away using the info below. 
Have an exceptional day and till our next catch up, take care, work hard and smile!
Love,
Irina


CONTACT INFORMATION


Emails :
&
Facebook page : 
click here

Twitter :
click here

Skype :



irina.alexopoulou

Instagram :

Pinterest :

Vero: 
Irinä Aleksainen

_______________________________________________________________________
Keywords/taggs: 
fitness, fit, health, healthy, blog, blogger, diet, nutrition, gym, fatburn, weight loss, workout, mealprep, mealpreparation, meal, recipes, smart, tips, save money, bodybuilding



Sunday 24 June 2018

Fitness: Workouts: Arm explosion

Hey back my epic gym rats!

Source: Fine Art America
It's been some time since the last workout post so I thought I should follow up with a nice Arm explosive session.❤

This routine incorporates body weight, lightweight and heavy weight exercises to target as many muscle groups as possible (even the secondary etc) and provide a multiple stimulation which can be used accordingly to your personal goal.

 In other words, you can adjust the weight and rep range, the time in between sets etc to make it spot on your own needs wither it is strength training, muscle hypertrophy, fat burn or simply toning/maintenance. 💪😁 

You can also start with the muscle group which you want to target the most. If you are a beginner/intermediate aim for less sets than mentioned, you can either a circle (1 set of each exercise/per side) and figure out if you can complete one more OR you can pick half of the exercises and perform full sets, adjusting the weight range on your own level :)



Bicep curls (4 sets)

Heavy weight: 2 sets x 8-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Stock Above

Twisting Bicep curls  (3 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 8-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Men's Health UK


Dumbbell or Barbel triceps extension (5 sets)

Heavy weight: 2 sets x 5-8 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Light weight finisher: 1 set - until failure


Dumbbell Version


Source: Weighttraining Guide

Barbell Version
Source: BTF Inner Circle / Google




Dumbbell hammer curl (2 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 5-8 reps
Light weight: 1 set x 15 reps

Source: GYM VISUAL

(Deltoid work)

  • Dumbbell armpit row (4 sets)
Heavy weight: 2 sets x 10-12 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: Google


  • Plate or dumbbell front raise (3 sets)

Heavy weight: 1 set x 8-10 reps
Medium weight: 1 set x 10-12 reps
Light weight: 1 set x 15 reps

Source: Weighttraining Guide


  • Cable external shoulder rotation (3 sets)
Medium weight: 3 sets x 12-15 reps

Source: GYM VISUAL



Barbell wrist curls (4 sets, 2 front and 2 behind the back)
[Forearm work]

Per variation:
Heavy weight: 1 sets x 8-10 reps
Medium weight: 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Behind the back version
Source: Fitness Stars



Front version
Source: WL - Workout Labs


Chair/Bench dips (3 sets)

Tip: You can make single-arm dips (using only one arm) to make it more challenging if you don't perform all the exercises mentioned. I use it as a finisher but it can easily be in the middle of your session in the more challenging version.

Bodyweight: 3 sets x 12 reps

Source: Exercise Goals





Plank (2 sets)

Tip: Same as mentioned above, you can experiment with different variations of plank-type of exercises, like a single-arm plank, single leg plank, side plank, side plank + rotation (and even a dumbbell one). If you wish to incorporate it in your basic plan, aim for all of these variations, perform at least 2-3 sets and work your way up to the duration. Extra bonus: it helps a lot with core strength and posture  👀

2 sets x 30 sec/each

Source: Diet of Life





That's it guys! I hope  you got inspired to hit the gym and progress either following this workout or your own plan. Make sure to alter your workouts here and then to prevent your body from adapting. Incorporate different exercises, change the order, experiment with weight and rep range, try variations of the usual exercises you perform or try a completely different session once a while. 
Have a happy and productive week full of health, happiness and gainz!
Take care sweet hearts.
Hugs, 
Irina

Bicep flex at the gym, June 2018


P.S. You can always leave me your feedback, questions, requests and thoughts using the contact information below.


CONTACT INFORMATION


Emails :
&
Facebook page : 
click here

Twitter :
click here

Skype :



irina.alexopoulou

Instagram :

Pinterest :

Vero: 
Irinä Aleksainen

_______________________________________________________________________
Keywords/taggs: 
fitness, fit, health, healthy, blog, blogger, diet, nutrition, gym, fatburn, weight loss, workout, training, arms, biceps, triceps, deltoids, ideas, gymrats, bodybuilding, exercises, muscle, hypertrophy, growth, definition, tone
________________________________________________________________________



Thursday 31 May 2018

Motivation: Wind of Change

Hello sun rays!

Chilling on a rock in Telegrafbukta, Tromsø, Norway
This article welcomes you back in a very different energy field, formed upon a lot of different
circumstances which led to significant changes in the way I am and I perceive things around. Thus, the most suitable title should be " Wind of Change". If this sounds familiar in any way, keep reading.

Life is an unpredictable ocean of experiences itself. It can be calm for really long time but in order to remain functional and sustain any presence there, it needs to be shaken, stirred and redistributed. On the other hand, it can survive through extreme occasions and still make it back to the peaceful calm state again. As a Norse proverb says " It is the still and calm sea which drowns a man" which in my opinion is absolutely correct.

Comfort zones have always been a pleasant environment as they offer the illusion of control just because their limits are within our range of abilities/management, they require minimal effort and uncertainty compared to the world out there. Having a comfort zone can be a very beneficial fortress if you run there through rough times just to recharge your batteries and come back stronger. It can also be a quicksand if you just rely on it without some safety measurements. When you step back into your comfort zone you need to set a specific deadline for your presence there, you need to be completely conscious that this is a healing period to gain back your energy and motivation, rest yourself and return back even more fierce and strong. If any of these terms is not met, your comfort zone gradually becomes a jail and separates you from the life of your dreams. You get so comfortable there, you have everything under control and thus your ability to handle challenges, be creative and explore, sinks in atrophy as the time goes by. Comfort zones are nice but nothing great ever grows there. A downside here is that in most cases, it takes a long time to realize how stuck you are there. However, the feeling your get after your initial step out is of course backed with fear, risk and uncertainty but has also a ton of freedom, independence, courage and confidence in it.

Whither you consciously step out of your comfort zone or circumstances around you cause you to change from the inside (altering your emotions and thoughts too along with your actions), it is certainly a remarkable point in your life. While crossing this path in the present, I recalled a moment from 2017, when I definitely earned some Life Lessons. ( You can find more about it on the link ).
I tried to compare the sense of discomfort, frustration, realization and post-relief between these two periods of my life and I believe that nothing is nearly as big as the intensity of these emotions when situations force you to change without even realizing it.

It comes in waves which catch your eye, you sometimes feel confused but you don't think it's any kind of big deal. Day after day, you keep doing your thing, you have your routine, your goals and social circle but one particular day something feels really different. You can't look at the same people in the same way. Your thought orientation is not the usual one. Your physical and mental response towards the same stimuli is uncommon. That's when you take a step back trying to figure out who you are and where did these observations come from. You feel an inexplicable sense of mental clarity, physical serenity and a cool breeze spreading across your head and body. That's the wind of change. And that's the first time you are not frustrated about all these differences but you can't really understand why.

Let's dive into this a bit further: Usually, this transformation happens under harsh conditions where you have been compressing your own wants, needs, dreams, self expression for so so long. This can either happen in your own will or it can be a long-term situation established by uncontrollable factors that you have to deal with at a certain time. No matter the cause, the outcome follows the same pattern leaving you unrecognizable and some times even surprised by your own self.

Very accurate.
You stand in front of the mirror, you start spotting changes and some of them are not even close to what you cope with. The most significant one is the emotional frost towards things that used to mean a lot to you but do not seem to upset/have any control over you anymore. You do not come in that state within a day because that's a build-up of compressed moments, discomfort and lack of freedom to be your pure, spontaneous self.

What you do not understand until you reach that state is this:

All the burden you felt trapped inside, cumbering and blocking you each and every day can act as an enormous force to launch the arrow farther than you could ever imagine.
Specifically, the arrow will land in a new world, free of all the negative compounds that suffocated you in the past because you will not let any of these grow on the new fertile and virgin soil. You simply take no shit anymore. Even if this is your general moto, this does not represent strength unless you get imposed on yourself and practice accordingly towards situations that have high emotional value for you. Being solid and strong while feeling vulnerable and fragile is the true expression of self-strength. It will not be easy, it will not be pleasant at that particular moment but nothing compares to the upcoming liberation you will experience. Embrace yourself, understand your emotions and give yourself space and time to adapt. Time itself won't heal anything unless you take charge of it.

Wind of Change doesn't come peacefully, it comes after the storm and leaves you renewed with tons of lessons, thoughts and challenges to process and turn into wisdom. 

That's how it goes. You can not jump to the next step if you are not completely done with the previous one. You need to accept the responsibility of your choices and support them, you need to alter some of your default reactions to overcome obstacles and finally LEARN. You need to test your limits, your wants, your values and prove to yourself that you are stronger and more capable of achieving things than you thought (or others wanted you to think). You must get through the storm to build your confidence and trust yourself and your abilities. You may not be able to determine an outcome entirely but at least make sure to have the absolute control of your own contribution. You are allowed to make mistakes, you are entitled to start over and take your time to figure things out. Embrace the journey, let things flow and OBSERVE. The truth is hidden between small or significant things, you only need to pay attention.

Now close your eyes and picture the following: 

Moment of self reorientation
You are on strong ship, fully comfortable and secure but through the journey there is a crash and waters get in quickly. The panic gets over and you feel helpless, frightened and overwhelmed. There are a lot of thoughts to deal with and you are basically blocked and completely clueless where to start from or what to do next. The choice of remaining still and stuck into an unavoidable sinking means certain suffocation and death of your dreams, goals and whole existence. The other choice is to jump off and claim a chance to survive or "a better tomorrow" than letting yourself inactive, to suffer. No matter how scary it feels when you jump into the tide, once you take a deep breath and dive deeper you realize it is far more calm and manageable than the surface (aka first contact). You start adapting and handling it, you believe in yourself and you feel less frightened or uncertain. Then, you get out to breathe again and you are not drowning anymore, you can actually think of the shore since you sorted out the most vital thing first. Things do not really seem that bad and you are actually enjoying yourself swimming and getting more skilled. You are now completely free to dream and choose your own direction and it feels damn nice! You take your time to decide, you set the goal and act upon it.

You focus on that while processing all the facts and progress and after some time you spot other brave warriors swimming in the same sea, either familiar ones from your own "ship" who followed your example or even new ones who are saving themselves from their own "wreckage". What matters is that you are not alone anymore, you are surrounded with people who share the same traces as you do, they have mutual values, experiences, mindset and vibrate around your wave length naturally. You may feel bitter of those who were left behind but after all you realize that everything is a matter of conscious choices, they make us who we are, they stayed back because it was their own choice and you have to respect that. Even if they were present in the form they existed back then, they wouldn't be compatible anymore. That bitterness though is getting smoother and smoother after the appreciation and gratitude you feel for these people around you, they exist without absorbing/spoiling your energy so you can keep going and interacting with them at the same time. While cheering, smiling and enjoying this energy, what a surprise... you can now see the shore! You are actually pretty close without even noticing before! 

Congratulations! You just saved yourself and you arrived in a new, virgin land to build the life of  your dreams, as a brand new person. Welcome to the first day of you Free Life.


Hope that this text had quite an impact on you, as it had on me. More content is on the way so don't forget to follow me on social media to stay updated. In the meantime, you can always reach me for your feedback/questions/recommendations through the contact information provided below. Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Irina

Very recent picture of myself taken in Ekebergparken, Oslo, Norway
Feeling Free.

CONTACT INFORMATION


Emails :
&
Facebook page : 
click here

Twitter :
click here

Skype :

irina.alexopoulou

Instagram :

Pinterest :

Vero: 
Irinä Aleksainen

_______________________________________________________________________
Keywords/taggs: 
lifestyle, courage, relax, relaxing, relaxation, support, positive, thoughts, positivism, positive energy, healing, quotes, strength, inspiration, motivation, philosophy
________________________________________________________________________

Sunday 29 April 2018

Top 6 ESSENTIALS for a cozy, atmospheric night

Hello lovehearts!

Welcome back to Irina's Beauty Advices! Today I'll take you in a journey to a magical atmospheric place. Specifically, I will show you how to create this wonderful place on your own based on your preferences and available options.

Source: Pinterest
Based on my own experience, being able to form a recreational, relaxing and inspiring environment is VITAL to keep yourself motivated, happy and sane. We all have to deal with demanding, exhausting or overwhelming situations on a daily basis and thus we spend a lot of energy on various receptors other than ourselves. Making time for yourself should be a priority instead of a luxury. Spending time doing things you love should have a frequent position on your schedule along with some quality alone time in an environment which will allow you to disburden yourself of the excessive tension, tiredness, stress, negativity, toxicity and any other unpleasant factor. That will be your own shelter to recharge your energy bar, motivation level and come in contact with your inner self, dreams and emotions.

Whether you seek to create an atmospheric evening for yourself or you plan to share it with your friends or partner, you are on the right place! These are the top 10 essentials you need for an unforgettable, cozy and spiritual atmosphere!

DIM LIGHT

There are countless choices to create a dim light environment that will help you relax and relieve your eyes from any further tension. Depending on the weather, location, indoor or outdoor choice, you can pick the one which works best for you and your needs. Make sure you keep your sight satisfied with a nice view/background and most importantly a TIDY place. You don't want any random distraction spoiling your relaxation. Here are some ideas to achieve wonderful lighting:


Source: https://institutoflash786.org


Source: http://mattsouthern.com/

Source: https://www.guidepecheaveyron.com/

Source: http://homemydesign.com

https://www.shelterness.com/






NICE SCENTS

Scented candles

Source: https://www.realshop.gr

Scented plants/ flowers

https://www.floristcamp.com


Burning scented sticks

https://www.lifealth.com
Scent oils

https://www.edenbotanicals.com

RELAXING MUSIC

This is clearly a matter of personal preference, listening to relaxing tunes will help you calm down and it will definitely promote a lighter dreamy mind. You can choose tracks from your favourite bands or search for related playlists on Spotify and YouTube.

Some personal recommendations are definitely Delta or Theta waves or atmospheric ambient music.

It may sound a bit cliche, especially if you recall relevant movie scenes. Having a bath will not only help  you get rid of the actual dirt but it will relax your muscles as well as relieve you from a lot of tension ( which is something necessary here). Being clean, is super important to let all your senses enjoy the surrounding environment at its finest. Not even to mention the wonderful smell a shower provides. If you are a body lotion lover, here is the right moment to give yourself some extra treatment.

Source: Pinterest

GET COMFY

Do a favour to yourself and release your body from the discomfort of tight and uncomfortable clothing. You need to feel as convenient and comfy as possible to focus on positive thoughts, dreams any any mental activity required to achieve the maximum relaxation. It is smart to pay attention to the texture of your surroundings. Soft clothes, smooth materials and fabrics will obviously upgrade this whole experience. Based on your own preference, weather and conditions you can go for silk, cotton, fluffy socks, over sized/loose clothes, velvet blankets, puffy pillows etc.

Source: crazy4lifestyle.com//


Source: www.vivaterra.com



Source: sporteluxe.com
Source: Pinterest

Source: we heart it



TASTES

This is an equally important sense that needs to be satisfied along with the other four. Stimulating your five senses on the same time will offer you a unique experience free of distractions and thus you will have all the energy you need to focus on your mind. The choices are endless, from drinks to wine and juices, from fruits to brunch, dinner or sweets, pick your favourite options to feel satisfied at that time.

Source: Pinterest
Source: wisconsincheesetalk.com


Source: einmalige-erlebnisse.de

Source: Weknowyourdreams

Source: Difford's Guide



Source: Open Table





That was it for today! Thank you very much for visiting my blog.
I hope you enjoyed my content and that you got inspired to treat yourself as nice as you deserve!
I would really love your feedback and your own ideas/experiences.
All your messages/requests are always welcome. Feel free to use the contact information provided below.
Till next time, take care, keep calm and dream on wonderful people!
Lots of love,
Irina


CONTACT INFORMATION


Emails :
&
Facebook page : 
click here

Twitter :
click here

Skype :

irina.alexopoulou

Instagram :

Pinterest :

Vero: 
Irinä Aleksainen

_______________________________________________________________________
Keywords/taggs: 
lifestyle, meditation, relax, relaxing, relaxation, candles, candlelight, romantic, atmospheric, garden, cosy, cozy, blankets, silk, wine, fireplace, bonfire,
________________________________________________________________________