Duronic SAD Lamp

Following on from my post on Seasonal Effective Disorder I did say that I would do a write up for   my  Duronic SADV1 medically certified SAD light therapy box so here it is.

First I feel I need to into the difference between traditional lights and SAD lights.

  SAD lamps are much brighter than their traditional counter parts and they also give full spectrum light which mimics natural sunlight encouraging the production of the happy hormone serotonin and the sleep hormone melotonin.

This lamp is bright, it's not something I could use a nice little table lamp it is just like having your curtains open with the sun beaming in., the picture I took does not do it any sort of justice.

With the lamp being so bright I do find it a little uncomfortable to sit with it on.

 This is potentially due to the tension headaches I suffer and a sensitivity to light.

 Fun fact bright lights can make me sneeze until I adjust to them.

This doesn't mean that you won't be able to sit quite comfortably with yours on but I don't have your eyes so I can't give any guarantees.  

You only need to sit with your lamp for 30 minutes to an hour and can start to feel the benefits within a couple of minutes and is best used in the morning to give you a lovely little energy boost.

Using the lamp later in the day can impact your sleep making it harder to drift off.

"But do the lamps work " I hear you cry!

 Disappointingly the science is out on this with not 100% in agreement with it being effective in around 85% of diagnosed cases of SAD.

If you were looking for a miracle cure then light therapy might absolutely tick that box but then again it might not.

In my own personal experience I found my lamp does work when I use it, however I don't use it frequently enough.

I find it incredibly hard to get up in a morning in the winter so I wake up as late as possible.

 When I do claw my way out of bed  I am scrambling to  get ready for work, having a shower, possibly ironing my clothes etc  leaving me little time to sit in front my lamp and bask it's brilliant glow.

I think I will invest in a automatic timer for it to turn it's self on in the morning because light therapy does have a mark improvement on my mood and energy. 

For £69.99 I paid on Amazon I feel it really is a worth while investment  I only wish the lamp was smaller and came with a built in timer so I didn't have to turn it on manually.

Click here if you want to give it a look for yourself.

 There are a lot of lamps out there but I wasn't able to trial any before buying one and honestly I simply don't have the time or energy doing all that so there very well could the perfect lamp out there for me but I haven't come across it yet.

If you think you are suffering from SAD then please consult your doctor,.

 Light therapy is not often offered on the NHS so you might need to set a little bit of cash aside if you are wanting to explore this alternative to medication.

Aspire, healthy energy

Aspire were incredibly generousness and sent me two full crates of their entire range of healthy energy drinks to review and review them I did!

Aspire have three flavours in their range, Apple and Acai, Mango Lemonade and Cranberry, all accompanied by the subtle taste of green tea.

I personally enjoyed the Mango Lemonade the most but couldn't really get past the green tea after taste, however my neighbour went absolutely wild for the Apple and Acai flavour, to the point I thought she was going to shed a tear when she thought my supply had run out!

Needless to say Aspire have at the very least gained a new customer in her.

But what sets Aspire apart from the more main stream energy drinks like red bull or monster?

Energy wise I feel that Aspire is a much cleaner sort of buzz with no sugar crash and zero calories.

With a 250 ml of red bull containing over 100 kcals just changing to Aspire could see you start dropping some of your excess blubber in no time at all with no real effort on your part.

Aspire boasts natural ingredients such a premium green tea, guarana seed extract, L- Carnitine ,Ginger root, vitamins C and B all working together to speed up your weight loss along side other benefits to your overall health. 

I personally did not really enjoy the taste of Aspire but that doesn't mean that you won't, my neighbour is looking into booking a church to marry a multi pack of the stuff.

 I certainly can't deny  how pleasant the energy it gave me was or how low in calories each can is.

Give it a try and you might fall in love too, click the link here to check out where you can get your mitts on some of your every own.

If you are a fan of tea based drinks then check out my post on Little Miracles

January 2017 Progress!

Well this will be a fairly short post!

Not a lot of progress was made physique or diet wise since my last post, this post is 22 days late as it is so no big well done to me.

The back end of 2016 had quite a bit of upheaval for me, a big shake up at work, strengthening friendships and removing toxic influences from my life.

All for the better but it does take a toll on you at the time.

 You can't put a price on how much your life is enriched when you identify the aspects of  you want to grow and nurture and the parts you want to lop off and burn.

Gym wise I think I went once in the last 4 months and my blog posts came down to a snails pace.

Don't get me wrong my fitness and my blog are parts of my life I want to keep going but I had to prioritise other areas last year so both took a massive back step.

That all being sad 2017 is looking to be my best year yet!

 I am feeling the happiest I have ever been!

 I have got myself down to that London and hit the Vegan Life Live Expo, got loads of exciting brands to work with and generally more energised.

 Now if only I can start hitting the gym three times a week like i was a couple of years back!

December 2016 Muscle Crate

My Muscle Crate came! 

If you haven't heard about Muscle Crate it is a superscription service in the same vein as Graze boxes, Loot Crate, Secret Scents but this time with supplements!

 From now on for £15 a month and can have a bevvy of supplement samples delivered to my door and I can give them a whirl without having to shell out £60 on a tub of magic powder that may not live                                                                                      up to it's promises.

In this months crate I received four pre workouts:

A sachet of Shadow X , Lemon Zero flavour

With it's description declaring that it's for hard core users makes me question  if I should be heading to rehab or the gym!

 I'm a bit nervous and excited to be giving it a whirl, on a side note the face on the package upsets me greatly.

A Sachet of CNP Pro Pump, Cherryade flavour.

 There were no details on the pack to tell me what it actually does.

 Is it a fitness supplement or a sex aid for those who can't raise to the occasion?

 Time to get Mr Google involved!

It turns out that it's a pre workout and is stimulate free so no caffeine, this could be a game changer for those that are effected badly by caffeine so I have high hopes.

A Venom Power Gas Mark 10  Bubblegum flavour sachet.

I do love the blurb the on product description letting me know that I will be kicking leg day in the face.

This has over 100 less mg of caffeine than Shadow X so I might give this a blast before taking that bad lad.

A sachet of API Hustle 

I thought it sounded quite tame until I read that it will create skin tearing muscle pumps!

Now I like my skin in one prefect piece thank you very much but I have paid my money for this so I am going to risk it.

Three different protein powders:

Two sachets of Pes Science Select Protein, Blondie flavour.

What makes this stand out is because it's a blend of whey protein and casein which is great because it whey is fast acting where as casein will release slower over time.

Select also has Leucine which is one of the amino acids found in BCAAs and has the biggest impact on protein synthesis than any other amino acid.

A sachet of API Whey Elite, Hot Fudge Brownie flavour.

If casein and whey together made the last sample stand out well Whey Elite blows them out of the water!

Not only is it a whey/ casein blend but also contains BCAA and promises a milkshake quality drink, now if only it could make a start on my ironing pile!

A sachet of Performix Pro Whey +, Chocolate Flavour.

Performix, at first glance, is another whey and BCAA supplement but it has a unique "Terra" technology which is essentially beads that are in the mix which as far as I can tell will break down and release the BCAAs slower so you can fuel your protein synthesis for longer.

Two different BCAAs.

For those not in the know, BCAA stands for Branched Chained Amino Acids which tend to be Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAA

Ths BCAA has added vitamin C, which will boost your immune system, Magnesium to help support your muscle function and they will both also reduce fatigue and tiredness.

It also says it has a unique formula containing Rhodiola rosea, Wellmune and a blend of electrolytes.

 Before you start with your ooos and aaaas at all that Rhodiola rosea goodness thrown in do you actually know what is does because I haven't the foggiest idea!

After a quick google search it sounds like a wonder root with promises to boost your energy, brain, stamina, helps in fat burning and generally helps your body adapt better to the stresses it comes under.

Wellmune will further boost your immune system and electrolytes will help you with muscle contractions.

Dedicated BCAA Sensation, Exotic Fruit Flavour

This BCCA contains your standard three amino acids but it also throws in a cheeky little helping of Taurine, Citrulline Malate, EPO-DRO, Super Grape, Phosphates and Astragin.

I would go into why all these ingredients are present and what they do but this post is already the longest and most time consuming post I have written so click the link for their website which gives you an in depth explanation about what everything does and why.

The website doesn't seem to mention that it also uses Rhodiola rosea, and we all know how amazing that stuff is!

A solitary fat burner.

Lipo 6 Black Ultra Concentrated

It has extreme caution on the pack, is the strongest that Nutrex have ever made and says to never take more than one at a time, twice a day.

 So who knows?
Once I go Lipo 6 Black I may never go back!

If you managed to get through all that then why not torture yourself a little more and check out the video I made on my youtube channel of me opening the crate?

Sounds fun right? So just click here

If you just want your very own Muscle Crate then click here or follow then on twitter for teases about their upcoming crates and promo codes @musclecrate

Fitmas Gift Guide

If you, like me are not terribly organised then you are in the right place!

With all the "New Year, New Me" Facebook updates and tweets that swamp us shortly after Chrimbo it's not a bad idea giving your nearest and dearest a Fitmas gift alongside  the mountain of selection boxes and rivers of booze that we will be gifted over the festive period.

Some of the gift ideas I am going list I have written reviews on and others I haven't yet gotten my hands on but I will include links to any reviews I have written or the website for the gift.

Promixx

Promix is to put it simply a shaker bottle/ blender hybrid but there is a bit more to it than that. Promixx uses blunt blades that are designed to emulate a vortex to help mix your supplement without damaging it's micro nutrients whilst also creating a smooth drink with no lumps and here I am mixing my shakes by hand like a chump!

The Promixx is powered by two triple A batteries with a more expensive rechargeable option available.

I have not yet got  my mitts on a Promixx but I am looking to get one in the New Year to write a review on in the mean time feel free to check out their website by clicking here or follow them on twitter where they often run competitions, I am yet to win one and I promise you I am not bitter....click here for their twitter account.

U Fit or Twist Protein Coffee

Yes, I have given two options to chose from here with both being really great brands that make delicious protein coffees. Now I have giving both as a suggestion because I feel that U Fit is more of a coffee lovers drink with a much stronger flavour than Twist, however Twist is much sweeter. It's a bit like Coffee Nero and Starbucks, both great but marketed more towards a certain kind of coffee lover!

I have reviewed both so click here for U Fit and here for Twist.

Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice  

I am a massive fan of Muscle Moose and Muscle Juice, in fact Muscle Moose was one of the first companies to reach out to me to write a review, I couldn't believe my luck getting to work with a brand I love fairly fast after starting to work on my blog properly.

Muscle Moose  is a high protein dessert which can be made easily if you have access to water and a fridge, not only that it is a versatile baking ingredient, if you check out my recipe section you can have a gander at my experiments with it.

Muscle Juice is BCAA pre workout drink that tastes great, has zero sugar and available in two flavours, Berry and Blue Raspberry.

I have reviewed both so click here for the moose and here for the juice and of course have a peak at my recipe section or go to the Mousse Kitchen by clicking here

If you are in Leeds then pop down to Hi Def Supplements and pick some up for the best price in town. They were caught up in the floods on Kirkstall Road last Boxing Day and are back on their feet and I am sure they will appreciate all the support.

Meggings by Kapow

Why settle for some socks for Christmas when you can grab some super funky Meggings?

Yes, you probably guessed it, Meggings are leggings for men!

With bold, eye catching designs and excellent mobility in them you can boss your workout then hop on a train to the nearest festival and boss that too! 

You can check out my own review by clicking here or head straight to their website to see all of Kapow's designs in all their glory on much more attractive models than myself by clicking here

Anything from Fresh Naturals!

Muscles need to recover from the brutal workout I am sure you treat yourself to so stock up on the vegan and vegetarian bath products  and aromas from Fresh Naturals.

They are a start ups based in Leeds with Fresh Naturals being based online so you don't need to leave your house to buy a touch of luxury.

Fresh Naturals have everything that Lush would without the price tag and without compromising on quality.

I have experienced amazing customer service from them and highly recommend them to anyone click here for my review on Fresh Naturals Vegan Soaps or here to check out their website.

I have bought their products and used them myself and heard nothing but great things so treat yo self but don't forget your friends and family too!

Muscle Crate

There are loads of subscriptions available nowadays and are not just limited to just magazines.

If you so desire you can get make up, fragrances, cheese, meat or pretty much anything you can imagine delivered straight to your door.

 Muscle Crate is of interest because you can get a selection of supplements delivered to you so you can discover new products without throwing £60 plus on something you are not sure you will like or if it will deliver on it's lofty promises.

I used the discount code FIRSTBOX02 and got my first box order for just £5 with it only going up to £15 after that, both prices an absolute bargain in my book so click here to order your first box with the choice to cancel at any time with no contract.

I will hopefully being making a video of my reaction to the products that come in my first crates so keep your eyes out for that, I am sure it will be a delight for everyone involved.

I could go on and on, there are so many great products and brands out there but I will have to stick with this lot!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

U Fit, Protein Coffee

I was kindly sent some U Fit iced latte protein coffee by The Protein Drinks Company to review.

U Fit has no added sugar which helps give it an authentic coffee taste, which you would expect from a drink made from Arabica beans which are used by big companies like Starbucks, Kenco and even Mc Donalds.

 Packing 22 grams of protein in each 310ml bottle which is like eating four eggs.
There is also added vitamins D, E, C and Fibre.

You also get about the same amount of caffeine as you would expect from an actual cup of coffee.

I am not a coffee drinker and personally prefer Twist Protein Coffee due their sweetness but my housemates who do enjoy coffee really enjoyed U Fit and said they would buy them over  traditional protein shakes.

It's not to say I didn't like U Fit I would just personally prefer my protein coffee to be sweeter which kind of defeats the No Added Sugar tag on the U Fit bottle.

My serving suggestion would be the colder the better, especially over ice.

If you love coffee then you will love U Fit, in fact if you check out their on line store you can pick up a pack of 8 for £10 at the time of writing this post, click here to check it out.

If you are in Leeds then you can pop into Hi Definition Supplements and pick some as well as some Moose Juice.

Moose Juice

When I saw that Muscle Mousse had released their own pre-work out BCAAS, Branched Chained Amino Acids, I had to run out and get some and check out if it lives up to their line of high protein desserts.

Luckily Hi Definition  Supplements already had a shipment so I could literally try some on the day that I discovered it's existence and for only £1.99.

I have tried products like this before and they have never really dazzled me, but I did enjoy Muscle Moose's venture into the pre workout arena.

Taste wise, if you have ever tried Refreshers then it's basically those in liquid form with  two coffees worth of coffee, some added B vitamins to help your body utilise fuel into energy and taurine to boost mood, concentration, memory and reduce the anxiety you some times get with caffeinated products.

The most interesting thing I found about Muscle Juice is that although it is zero sugar and doesn't even have aspartame in it, Muscle Juice does not have that artificial taste that many sugar free products tend to have.

Give a go for yourself, if you are a big fan of energy drinks but want to get an amino acid boost then you should definitely give Muscle Juice a blast.

 You can buy some online by clicking here or if you are in Leeds then pop into Hi Def and pick some up today.

Muscletronic

I was kindly sent some Muscletronic to review and with all the claims it makes I couldn't turn it down.

You can't throw yourself into using Muscletronic, you need to build yourself up for the first 5 days, taking them only in the morning with breakfast on non workout days and about 45 minutes before your main workout on workout days.

Once your first 5 days are over you can then you can up the dose to twice a day, taking it with your breakfast and lunch on non workout days and with your breakfast and 45 minutes before your workout on workout days.

As with any supplement make sure you are suitable before taking anything so pregnant women, children under the age of 18 and anyone on any sort of medication or with persistent health issues should consult their doctor before taking anything.

You should also cycle any workout supplements or pre workouts with Muscletronic recommending 12- 16 weeks on and 1.5 - 2 weeks off.

Mucletronic says it will increase your strength and energy flow, improve cognitive function, focus and drive, build quality, lean muscle, increase fat burning, elevate your mood and reduce stress, expand your physical capabilities and it's suitable for all fitness levels.

And breathe!

Since there's quite of but of information there I am going to take each point and tell you my thoughts and experience using Muscletronic for 4 weeks.

Strength and energy flow:

I normally take Caffeine Pro for when I need a bit of extra sparkle in my day and did find Muscletronic milder.

 Muscletronic has 50mg less caffeine per serving than Caffeine Pro and is packed full of juicy B vitamins which help   my body convert protein, carbs and fat into energy, giving me a much a cleaner buzz.

I did also feel like my workouts were super charged, seriously I almost flew off of the rower into the poor dear behind me! 

Improved cognitive function, focus and drive:

At the time I wasn't really aware of any improvement in this area but since coming off Muscletronic I did notice a decline in my productivity.

Build quality lean muscle:

I have let the gym slip again, blogging was taking up a lot of my spare time, it is sometimes like having another job in it's self, plus the title of my blog Bone Idol Fitness doesn't really give anyone the illusion that I spend my life in the gym, that and my progress pictures!

However I have noticed more muscle growth, not massively but that's because I haven't been putting the time into my own body like I should of been.

Increase Fat Burning;

Photogenic as ever.

I am not sure my fat burning rate has increased or not.

I can drop fat quickly and fairly easily when I put my mind to it thanks to my ectomorphic body type but I am sure with the caffeine, increased B vitamin levels, the Alpha Lipoic Acid helping prevent fat being stored in the first place and Forskolin Extract reducing the amount of fat your cells can hold I am sure Muscletronic will have had a positive effect on my fat levels.

Elevate mood and reduce stress:

My mood has been pretty consistent since taking Muscletronic, not that I have wild mood swings or anything like that but I have been in a good mood most of the time.

My life isn't really that stressful, although I have been in a couple of stressful situations I have managed to keep it together and not remove the heads of those around me. whether this is due to Muscletronic or a sign of my budding maturity remains to be seen.

I definitely feel that Muscletronic delivers, I felt much more energetic and my gym sessions become more intense and productive, it's also great to see that all the ingredients are explained on their website, nothing in Muscletronic is there needlessly.

Because Muscletronic helps you make the most of the nutrients in your food it's great to stack with whey protein to further post your recovery after exercise.

The only downside I found  was that because I am quite sensitive to caffeine I couldn't handle the full dose without it affecting my sleep so I did struggle to get to sleep and get up in the morning, this a factor that may not affect you, I know loads of people that sink 5 cans of Monster a day and claim to sleep like a baby.

All in all my experience using Muscletronic has been a great one and highly recommend it.

Click here if you want to give it a go, with a money back guarantee you can't go wrong.

Banana Island Cleanse

I decided instead of trying a 2 week  challenge like going veggie or gluten free that I would give a one week cleanse a try.

Now I have seen a lot of water based cleanses and to be honest they do not interest me from a blogging prospective.

What? You lost 2 stone by drinking nothing but lemon water and not eating for 2 weeks?

Well who would of thought that starving yourself would do that to you!

This is one of the reasons Banana Island appealed to me.

Not only the supposed benefits like more energy, better digestion, better skin hair and nails, more alertness, natural weight loss, more balance mood and better sleep but you can have unlimited calories as long as they come from bananas.

The rules are you can eat as many bananas as you want and drink as much water as you want.

Day1:

I felt some of the benefits almost straight away, energy levels high, feeling focused and had the best poo I have had in months. I went to work, went to the gym and felt really energised all day.

I can't top weeing though, I am drinking a lot of water partly because my mind is focused on detoxifying my body that and bananas are around 75% water. Oh well better out than in!

 I only managed 18 bananas which is about 1900 which is quite a bit of a calories short fall from the recommended daily calories for a man at 2500kcal. If I keep this up I certainly will lose weight!

Day 2:

Struggled to get out of bed, to be fair it was 5am but I can't help but wonder if it was because of the increased melotonin from all those bananas. I didn't feel refreshed as if I had slept well and deep.

I made the decision to stray off the cleanse and eat something else.

I had started to dread meal times and this is only the second day..

I still had the benefits from the day before, increased energy and focus but the thought of gorging on more bananas actually had an effect on me emotionally so I ate a chicken sandwich.
I have had a bad relationship with food in the past and I don't want anything like that to start up again.

I am still going to continue as best as I can with the cleanse, however I am not doing this cleanse to punish myself, I am doing this cleanse to see if it lives up to it's promises.

If I feel the need to eat other foods I am going to be honest about, in case you were wondering I didn't even feel better for eating it, I just felt guilty.

I feel that I would done better with the cleanse if I had been vegetarian for a sustained period of time, but hey ho lets not dwell on my chicken sandwich eating shame and move on with our lives.

I ate 19 bananas, still not enough calories. I am finding that eating greener banana is easier for me as they are no where near sweet and have more bite to them.

Had loads of energy and went along to a Out Door Fitness UK session near Kirkstall Abbey but this will of just created an even bigger calorie deficit!

Day 3:

Slept really well last night but woke up full of energy but not wanting to eat anything, after being up 3 hours I decided I had to get something inside me so I smashed in 5 bananas.

Smashed another 5 bananas before heading to a speed friending event to help raise awareness for Autistic Spectrum Disorder, full of energy, feeling alert and positive and even received compliment on how fresh I looked, although that might just of been my newly loped off mullet.

 It's seems the bananas have given me massive diarrhoea, how embarrassing!

I am going to see how I am tomorrow, if I haven't improved by tomorrow then I will sadly have to stop the cleanse. So 10 banana in total today.

Day 4:

I have still have the trots so that is the end of my cleanse!

 I decided before I began that I would stop if I had any ill effects on my health and I feel being to scared to trump in case you pebble dash your Calvin Kleins as a ill effect

Even though I am I haven't eaten any bananas today I am still in am amazing mood, in spite of having to stay with 100 metres of a toilet I might add!

I find myself singing to myself, smiling at silly things and generally being an absolute delight to everyone I encounter.


So would I take a trip to banana island again?

To be honest probably not and the main reason is I either didn't need to ween myself off my addiction to high calorie fatty foods or break my emotional attachment to certain foods, cliches like eating chocolate when you are feel sad etc.

At no point in the cleanse did I feel like I was starving myself, I didn't feel hungry but I didn't feel satisfied either, like I am not hungry but I could eat as long as it didn't mean more bananas!

Will I eat bananas again?

Yes I will, for a start I have a shed load left over from this cleanse and my mother did not raise me to waste food, I just need to wait for my bowels to calm the funk the down!

My attitude towards food has shifted as well, I have had issues with seasonal effected disorder in the past and I think instead of sitting in the dark and listening to Dido I will see if grabbing some bananas will boost my mood and get me out of my funk.

I am not saying bananas are a cure for depression, I am no where near qualified to make a claim like that but for me my bouts of SAD have vastly improved since I started making positive changes in my lifestyle through diet, exercise and taking inspiration from the people in my life so banana may well help me get through the darker months.

My thoughts on the actual cleanse are if you love bananas give it go and see how you feel.

 I did terrible in comparison to other people who I have read about/

They had upwards of 25 bananas in their first day, admittedly they were making 10 banana smoothies for breakfast but the thought of that makes want to throw up a little.

The other people who I have read about doing the banana island cleanse were vegan which is probably why they didn't start pooing out for internal organs.

If you decide to undertake a cleanse such as this please consult your doctor first and do your research.

I had countless people telling me how bad bananas are for you and that I will have a heart attack from all of the potassium

 For starters I was probably quite deficient in potassium and from what I have read you would either have to eat over 300 bananas in 30 seconds or have serious issues with your liver/kidneys for that to happen.

There is about 1g of protein in a banana and almost no fat so if you are trying to build muscle this isn't going to do you any favours unless you can getting those bananas smashed in without throwing up.

Cleanses are no substitute for a healthy lifestyle, it is your choice whether or not you attempt a cleanse but they are not sustainable in the long term and any weight loss etc will soon disappear once you come off them if you return to your old eating habits and lifestyle.

So to finish this post I
would like you all to pray for me to have a solid poo!

Music and Exercise

Music is amazing, it can effect your mood, focus and even restore memories.

It has a massive effect on the brain and has been used to help people suffering from Alzhimer's disease.

Music also effects our cardiovascular system affecting blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels.

In the fitness realm pretty much any endurance athlete will tell you that  music with help you go faster, for longer.

Music reduces your perceived effort and pain, if you don't feel the pain as much then you can push past where you would normally stop.

 Of course you need to pick the right music,Enya or David Gray are not going to quite cut it I'm afraid.

Faster music works the best, just think of all the songs that come on the radio that give you an energy boost and suddenly you want to get drunk and go dancing!

If you are not currently listening to any music then maybe you should re think buying that I pod, if music can help make plants grow or cows produce more milk then imagine what it can do for your performance!

If you are a runner be warned, be careful when listening to music when running near traffic.
If you lose concentration or don't hear a car coming you are more likely to be hit.

The other danger is if might unwittingly start belting out Ke$ha while on the treadmill!

Why should you go gluten free?

Everyone seems to be going gluten free at the minute and but fair there is a strong argument for it.

Gluten is found in wheat and can cause inflammation of the intestines, this is why you may feel really bloated and lethargic after eating wheat pasta or bread.

 Hopefully you just have a mild intolerance like I do and can get away with some slight discomfort, if I eat really crusty bread than I end up walking round like I'm 8 months into a pregnancy without the sore nipples!

Symptoms can include diarrhoea, stomach pain, tiredness, bloating and surprisingly depression.

To makes things clear I have self diagnosed myself with a gluten intolerance.

 After keeping one of many food dairies I recorded how I was feeling and my energy levels after I ate and did notice a difference when I either reduced or increased my gluten consumption.

If you are worried you should consult your doctor and ask to get tested.

Gluten is used in  loads of products ranging from the obvious like bread to the more surprising like ketchup! If you are considering going gluten free then you best out out your deer skin cap and magnifying glass to read practically every label you come across.

Try and stick to rice, corn, quinoa, flax and oats but be aware that they still may be contaminated by gluten so keep those eyes peeled!

Cutting out gluten won't cause you any harm but it is more effort when out shopping so if you don't feel gluten is causing you any harm then keep calm and carry on!

My year so far

A quarter of the year has already escaped me and I would like to say I have stuck to the goals I set myself at the start of 2016 but like my ability to stand after a few bottles of wine my commit to them has also faded.

In January I blasted through a shed load of blog posts, was a regular feature in the gym and was pretty much working my glutes off, now two things changed which had a big impact on my motivation and energy levels.

The first being the weather, I don't do well in the darker months, all I want to do is sleep and the more I sleep the more terrible I feel with a heavy sense of dissatisfaction with me wasting my life rotting in bed.

January was very mild, couple that with the New Year New Me glow everyone gets once you have recovered from your new years hangover and you get an incredibly productive month from, bring on the crappy British weather and a house with central heating in every room and you are going to see me transform into sloth.

The other thing that ruined me was my attempt at bulking, now I did gain size, both fat and muscle but the high calorie foods took their toll on me.

I felt sluggish all of the time, I stopped going to the gym as much and my blogging stalled, I wasn't happy with my abs disappearing, waist getting bigger and peoples comments on how skinny I am which started making me think I might have body dysmorphia!

Thankfully I do take regular pictures of myself so I can compare how my body is looking when I change up my diet or training so I could justify how I am feeling/ looking to myself.

I expect people were trying to be kind but when I are trying to bulk up and are feeling heavy and disgusting being told you are skinny makes me feel "why I am putting myself through this"?

Honestly I would rather diet than try and bulk, I find it tedious eating to fuel myself rather than for the enjoyment of what I am eating.

When  diet I put much more thought into what I am eating so every meal is something to look forward to, plus I am actually hungry and ready to get some food in my belly.

With the sun out I have booked myself into doing the Bubble Rush 5k for St Gemma's Hospice with Irene, the same charity that organised the Santa Dash I ran in December.

I would of liked to of done some sort of event before now but my heart just hasn't been in it, sadly I don't have a strong support system in my life to pick me up when I am feeling crappy so it's left up to me to pick myself up and get my act together!

If you are interested in taking part yourself here is a link to the Bubble Rush website, it's on the 23rd of April, sorry I have left this post far too late but hopefully some of you will sign up!

Hopefully I can stay positive and motivated for the rest of the year!

How to boost your energy!

I don't know about you but my energy levels have been rubbish this last two months, my greatest wish has been to quit everything and go and become a full time sloth, sadly this was not an option given to be at careers day.

On busy days I do take a Caffeine Pro pill to help become a delightful morning person, rather than a savage beast, however caffeine isn't forever so I have had a look into other ways to pick myself up!

Get outside.

 Vitamin D with help boost your energy levels and make you feel better in your self in general, the sun might not be very strong but it will still get you of that D that you have been craving!
Check out my post on the benefits of training outside

Hot to Cold showers.

Showers are great for waking you up but to make sure you are really wide awake and really to take a slice out of life after you finish your normal shower turn the temperature down low and try to endure the frigid for half a minute or so then reward yourself by taking the temperature back up then finish on cold again!

This will actually give your cardiovascular system a workout, heat opening up your capillaries and cold constricting them, making blood travel faster!

Listen to some sick beats!

Listen to some music with a fast beat, no Adele I'm afraid, think of all the songs that make you want to party and get them blasted on.

Eat!

Get some high GI food down your neck for a quick boost of energy and some low GI foods for the long haul.

Smell.

Certain smells can boost your energy, you don't need to carry around a bottle of your preferred fragrance you can incorporate them into your day to day life, either by using perfume/cologne, air fresher, shampoo/ body wash or even cleaning products can perk you up.
Look out for Peppermint, Lemon, Lime, Cinnamon, Rosemary and Lavender.

Tidy up!

If your house is messy and cluttered this will have an effect on your energy levels.
Time to roll up your sleeves and spring clean!

Exercise!

Get out to the gym and have a workout, I can't say that I have met anyone who says they don't feel energised after a good workout, even the next day when you are crippled with DOMS you wish you were back in the gym getting that energy and endorphins hit.

Drink more water!
If you are dehydrated then you will feel rubbish, check out other benefits of drinking more water on my water challenge post.

I know that some of these are harder said than done, when you feel like a sack of potatoes it's hard to shake that feeling off, try and choose some of the easier tips and see how you feel about getting back into the gym.