Best tip for cooking brown rice

So this year I got on my fitness horse again, started eating better (still very much a challenge) and working out more. TBH working out is fun for me I love sweating and pushing my body, but giving up my haribos has been very hard. Which is such a shame because for proper weight loss clean eating is 80% of the work; alas I still struggle but I am making improvements and I am seeing changes in my body.

So as part of clean eating I cook a lot of my meals especially my lunches for work. Meaning I eat a lot of the same thing lol I mean, I eat a lot of brown rice. Now brown rice isn't the tastiest and it can be chewy. I also eat a lot of beans, boiled yams, sweet potatoes and un-ripe plantains. Any ways back to brown rice, it's chewy and not so tasty, so I thought of a way to cook brown rice so that I would really enjoy it. I enjoy spicy, savory foods so most of my meals are packed with flavor, chilli, garlic, ginger and different spices. So one Sunday while prepping my meals for the week; I had some stock left over from boiling my beef for stew;(Nigerian style stew is most tomato, chilli and onions based) Not wanting to throw away the spicy beef stock it came to me to boil my rice in the stock; that way the flavors from the stock will get into the rice. And it was an amazing idea I tell ya..... with even more more amazing result.Once the rice was/is cooked it can almost be eaten on its own.  I then chop cabbage and/or carrots into the rice when it has been cooked and the heat turned off then I let the heat from the rice cook them.

Brown rice and beef stew prepped for the week

Half eaten lunch at work, I assure you it tastes better than it looks lol

So clean eating does not have to be boring, there are many creative and fun things to do with healthy food. I am unsure by how much brown rice is healthier than regular rice but I really believe in portions. You can eat most types of carbs because our bodies need to fuel but you have to really consider your portions and obviously no frying and oily stuff.

Good attitude at work

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. —Colossians 3:23-24

Today I work in an environment where I feel free, comfortable, encouraged, capable, interested and expected. In my previous jobs I cannot say I felt these things. At my last Job there was so much tension with/and unrealistic expectations and the job before that one, I worked so hard and got very little pay. I know that those jobs prepared me for the job I have today, they helped mold the woman that I am today.

When I look back I remember that I may have complained now and then but I always had a good attitude towards my work and I know I gave it a good effort. Sometimes it may not have been my best work, effort or assertiveness but I did put in an effort. I always kept an open mind, took very little personally and made sure I was learning. I took criticism as constructively as possible and used that to help me improve and grow. 

Today I still make mistakes, I am still learning, still growing and still improving. If I had the above bible verse back when I struggled with my jobs I think it would have been easier. I thank God for where I am today and the path that I am on to become the woman he wants me to be tomorrow. Working for and with other people is never easy but having a good attitude towards your work and your environments helps a lot.

Plus Sized

Check out this hawt mama ...... Her name is Robyn Lawley. She is an Australian native and plus size model. Standing at 6.2 feet tall and a size 12, she is breaking norm and is fast becoming a renowned international model ( there is hope for us). 

I believe all  women are beautiful as long as they are at a healthy weight. I am pro healthy living, meaning I believe in eating right and regular exercise. We all have our goal weights  and sizes but we must remember to be healthy.

So back to Robyn Lawley, she registered with modelling agency in her teenage years and was told to lose weight. She did but put the weight back on during her University years. Upon return to her home country she was inspired by another plus size model and took to modelling again (so I read). Since then she has now graced the covers of top magazines across the globe such as  French Elle and Marie Claire and  Vogue Italia.

 She is just gorgeous!!!!!!!

I think the UK size 12 is the average size of Nigerian women. So all my sisters out there if you ever had the dream to model and you are not stick thin, there might just be a chance out there for you. But you will never know till you try.

Positive attitude

 Having a good attitude towards life and everything in between makes all the difference.

Sometimes I feel I may not be able to do a certain task or project, but when I tell myself that at least I am going to learn something new and also learn how to do that particular task, I give it a go. If I am going to do it I might as well do it well. I try to use this at work, my boss isn't the most approachable person so when I am given a task, I maintain a positive attitude, try to be as resourceful as possible and make sure I work to the best of my ability given the resources at hand. When I make attempts they sometimes don't come out great but I did do it all the same. When I accomplish it, I get the greatest rush ever. I feel more confident in myself and my abilities.

So you see we never know till we try and it all starts with having a positive attitude.

Soya hmmmmmmm Milk

Last night on my way home after a good two hour workout my body was craving for something sweet and refreshing. I looked in the refrigerator at the gym hoping for a healthy option and there it was a bottle of soya beans milk. I wasn’t a big fan of soya milk till now. Not only did it taste fantastic it felt healthy too.  So I did a little research and found so many interesting and encouraging facts about soya milk and soya beans.

• ·         Soya milk is made from soya beans, also known soy beans. It is a non dairy alternative that is rich in vegetable proteins, essential fatty acids and a variety of minerals and vitamins.

• ·         Being non dairy means we are not ingesting any of the hormones from the dairy cows which may affect our own hormonal balance.

• ·          It is free of saturated fats and cholesterol. Soy milk is advised if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or other propensities for heart diseases.

• ·          It’s also great for weight watchers like me as it helps suppress your appetite and promote more efficient metabolism “Studies have shown that regular intake of soy products in addition to routine exercise can lead to reduced body fat and higher percentage of lean muscles”.

• ·         Soya milk is a better option for lactose intolerant people (which a large percentage of people are)

• ·         Soya milk helps slash the fat in the mid section of the body. We all know that fat around the belly happens to be very bad as most of our major organs are in that area

• ·         Soya milk unsweetened does not taste so good but you can control the amount of sweetness by using sweeteners

Also made form soya beans is tofu which is what cheese is to dairy milk. I’ve never had tofu before and I wonder what it tastes like. So tofu soya milk and the beans can be traced way back in the history of Chinese and Japans people, that’s where soy sauce comes from. However the US is the highest producer of the beans (Just a little random FYI). 

Bottled soya milk can be found in most shops and markets; they also come in different flavors. It would be interesting to try a few of those. Look around for a brand with a 60% soya milk composition or more also one that has very little sugar too. I have bought two different brands; I will try both later and give a review later.  I’ve read how to made soya milk at home (http://www.soya.be/how-to-make-soy-milk.php) and I think I will give it a try. I am convinced that soya milk is a healthier option and I think I will give it a try.