Ballarat in Bloom luncheon

What a sensational day we had in Ballarat yesterday!! I was thrilled to be invited to attend the "Ballarat in Bloom" luncheon and take my wonderful readers on a journey to some of Ballarat's key venues, beautiful food and brilliant attractions. 

The day saw us hear from key speakers and visit some amazing places. The day commenced at Jackson and Co. for a delicious fruit cocktail punch and some light refreshments. This Hotel sits on the site of the first major intersection in Ballarat, Lydiard and Mair Streets. It has recently experienced a sympathetic restoration including the original verandah.



Life is all about having balance. I enjoyed both the scones with fresh cream and jam, along with a plate full of fresh fruit. Everything is made fresh, daily.




Funny, funny historian Barry Ryan runs us through the history of Jackson and Co. in the rooftop terrace.



Did you know there were 466 pubs in the Ballarat region during the 1800's and now only 46 exist. Amazing how times and lifestyles have changed!



I love fruit especially with a rooftop view. Overlooking our beautiful city


Our day then saw us walk to Doveton Street towards The Forge Pizzeria and past some amazing vintage cars. 



To arrive at a beautifully styled table filled with lunch specials including their most popular pumpkin vegetarian and Shearer's lamb pizza's. The Forge Pizzeria is a great casual dining restaurant and I highly recommend to any visitors (if you can get a seat). This place caters for everyone and has an awesome industrial feel to it.




I then struck gold when some special guests arrived....




What an awesome tourist attraction Sovereign Hill is. Our kids absolutely love that place and personally, I love it too. I remember visiting when I was younger so it's great to share this same experience with our kids today. My tip is to take advantage of the multi-day pass as there is not enough time to see and do everything in one day. If you are a local, I recommend a yearly pass allowing you to come and go as you please 365 days of the year. Sovereign Hill hosts so many events throughout the year you will get value for money. 




We then arrived at The Golden City Hotel, named after our glorious city which earned it's nickname in the 1850's during the gold rush. We had some more super tasting canapés and refreshments. Check out these little miniature hamburgers over looking Sturt Street. 




What a view right? We have such a picturesque regional city and we are super lucky to have these historic buildings surround us. Ballarat is steeped in history and is within reach of Melbourne. Only a little over an hour from the CBD it is well worth the trip to see what I am talking about.

Hang on!!! Who's this??? 


Pickles the wombat from the Wildlife Park popped in. He couldn't miss out on this luncheon. He's even changed his eating habits and eating more healthier "green" meals too. 


Such a beautiful variety of canapés. Hats off to the chef at The Golden City Hotel!



It was then time to head around Lake Wendouree and visit the Botanical Gardens, at which point I had to bid farewell to my amazing group. I waved everyone goodbye as they rode off on a vintage bus. 


This following picture is courtesy of The Couriers IG page. A Knight in shining armour pictured with some beautiful flowers from The Botanical Gardens 



This amazing knight can be found at another awesome theme park in Ballarat, Kryal Castle. Another one our favourite family things to do. See more on our experience at Kryal Castle here.

Happy Saturday everyone!
XxDani 

November #ffs_style challenge

Let's have some fun this week. Please tag the word per day, use the hash tag #ffs_style and get creative. You can Tweet, Facebook, Pin, Google+, Instagram etc... We'll find you!!!




Day 1 - lunch at The Golden City Hotel, Ballarat




How amazing do these little hamburgers look??? I attended the Ballarat in Bloom luncheon today and can't wait to share more pictures of my day on my next post. 

For now get snapping! I look forward to checking out the #ffs_style gallery and seeing all your pictures. 

Happy Friday!
XxDani 

Why I have been MIA from Blogging and what has been going on

Hello Blogging world! Did you notice that my blog has been "deleted" for almost 2 weeks? Well, shame on you if you didn't. Kidding.
Image Map

Have you ever heard of the saying by Marilyn Monroe; sometimes GOOD things fall apart so better things come together? Or if you are of Christian faith like I am, "God has perfect timing". "It's all apart of God's plan"?

Perhaps you have heard the most famous saying:

Everything happens for a reason.

Can I please tell you that I am cold, hard, living proof that ALL of the above quotes are TRUE.

Let me explain what has been happening...

As a lot of my friends know, my current job was downsizing. This was the third "downsize" in nearly 2 1/2 years. I have been there since day one and I just felt that the time had come for me to move on and venture into a new career. However, the best way to do that is to have a new job lined up before I leave my current one. So, that's what I did. I obtained an Executive Assistant position for a blooming Real Estate company. My last day at my job was Friday, October 18th and my new job as the Executive Assistant was starting on Tuesday, October 22nd. I talked about that on a lot of my blog entries. The job was Uptown Charlotte and I found a brand new apartment ONE block from my new job. I could walk to work, walk to restaurants, bars, etc. Everything sounds great, right?

That Saturday, the 19th, to celebrate my new job, I went to Greensboro to stay with my grandma and grandpa, and my mom even came up to stay as well. We grilled steaks, looked through old pictures, drank wine, and it was just the best night. Sunday, my grandmother was going to take me shopping for gorgeous new office clothes. We wake up bright and early Sunday morning, get dressed and dolled up, then take off for a day of shopping. 

Once my grandmother and I set out for our fun day off shopping, my cell phone rings. It was the CEO of the real estate company. She told me my job offer was rescinded. And to be honest, I have no idea what happened. "Upon further review, we are not going to be a good fit". NC is an "at will" employment state, which means you can be hired, fired, and anything in between without reason at any time. When she told me that via telephone, my entire world fell apart. The apartment I was so damn excited about? Gone. My new career? Gone.

I am the type of person who measures a lot of my confidence, self actualization, and self worth by my career. My grandmother is the same way, so is my dad. It runs in my family. Sure, it may not be politically correct, but it is what it is.

I felt humiliated. I was so excited and I had told everyone. I was making huge plans. And with a 3 minute phone call, everything was taken. I can't tell you the pain, anxiety attacks, and tears that followed that call. I could not drive home that Sunday because I was so distraught. So, last Monday the drive of shame back to Charlotte commenced. I called my prior boss, sister, Kelly, and the closest people of my life to let them know what happened.

Marquis took me out for pizza when I got back and I hit the ground. It was time to start over. The worst thing I could do was keep harping on what happened and beating myself up. Last week I worked out, did some deep cleaning, and researched company after company applying for jobs and sending my resume for them to keep on file for future openings. I probably contacted over 300 companies.

Sunday night when I was Googling different companies in the Ballantyne Corporate Park (aka the land of opportunity) I saw an investment firm that seemed VERY interesting. Since I previously worked for an investment firm, I thought I would email them. They did not have any job postings on their website, but I did not let that stop me.

The very next morning the President of the company emailed me and told me that he had been interviewing for an Executive Assistant/Office Manager, and he was close to making a decision, but if I could come in that day at 3 PM, he would interview me. So, I got my crap together and I was in his office at 3 PM sharp. The office was in the heart of the corporate park on the fourth floor, overlooking the lake, and was very modern and chic. It felt like "home" being there. I had a great interview. He told he liked my drive and my spunk. (LOL... spunk, huh?) Today, I got the call that he wants me to join his company. I graciously accepted, and I start FRIDAY! This has been some process; interview on Monday, offered the job on Wednesday, and I start Friday.


The President of this company is amazing. He has a stellar sense of humor and we got along great. I am also getting a significant pay raise. Plus, full benefits. Everything makes sense now. I am SO happy. The absolute happiest I have ever been. Now that I have come through the dark, I want to be back at my blog documenting this crazy, ever changing life.

Grandma and I finally had our shopping day today, and man was it successful.


PS: I know a lot of you may know that I am engaged to Marquis and we have a house, etc. so why the heck was I looking for an apartment uptown? I know that sounds crazy, but he and I have a very nontraditional relationship that would probably sound insane to most, but that is a story for another day. No worries though, he is still in my life. 

Well guys that is it for now. I have missed you all so much. I can't wait to catch up and see what everyone has been up too!

Rave Review with Monster Health Food Company Breakfast in a Bag

Welcome to our very first Rave Review campaign with Monster Health Food Company!

A very big Fitness Food And Style thank you to our first bunch of Rave Reviewers for taking part and congratulations on being the first to try the brand new range of "Breakfast in a Bag" from Monster Health Food Company. 

Jessica from Deloraine, Tasmania
Amanda from Perth, Western Australia
Jodie from Ballarat, Victoria (see below LHS pic)
Alix from Sunbury, Victoria and (see below RHS pic)
Michelle from Frankston, Victoria

Check comments stream below

Jodie's little girl and Alix's little man enjoying Monster Muesli breakfast in a bag

Amanda takes her Breakfast in a Bag to the beach and gym. Jess' little boy enjoying his Monster Muesli.


About Monster Health Food Company

Monster Health Food Company (MHFCo) is a family-run, 100% Australian made and owned company dedicated to delivering healthy breakfast foods. MHFCo has been providing Australians with breakfast mueslis for over twenty years and is focused on the delivery of high quality, nutritious cereal with a great taste. Monster Health Food Company carries an extensive range, and are specialists in a range of ‘free from’ products, with gluten, dairy, soy, nut, preservative and wheat-free alternatives available, as well as being Halal and Kosher certified.


Don't forget to submit your favourite muesli recipe for your free sample pack and to be in the draw to win a hand blender. Click here to register. 

My first personal experience with the muesli was last week on our way to the airport.

Stevens family give Monster Muesli breakfast in a bag a thumbs up!

The beauty of these bags is that you pour your preferred milk directly into the bag or natural greek yogurt, which is what I had. Kids thought it was Christmas as we don't normally eat breakfast in the car in the mornings on our way to school. However this was a special day and what better way to eat than a healthy muesli mix. However now that we have this convenient breakfast in a bag, it's definately coming away with us on our road trip to the Gold Coast over the summer holidays. 

There are so many flavours to choose from. I love that it tastes real, no added sugar and so glad there are no preservatives added. Noah isn't a fan of nuts, so there is a nut free range. We love the fruits and nuts, so there is a flavour to suit everyones taste buds. 

Super happy that it's jam packed with all the vitamins, minerals and protein for our growing kids. They love the fact they know they are feeding their bodies healthy foods. Our kids have a bad habit of asking if things have added sugar in them so, glad these don't.

My only recommendations to the pack, is to make the base a bit more flat as we couldn't scoop all the muesli out. Also the serves need to be the next size up, we had to have 2 serves each of the 60g packs. When something tastes this good, you don't want them in small packs. We couldn't get enough of them.

Thank you to all the Rave Reviewers, I am so glad you had fun tasting and reviewing the Monster Health Food Co Breakfast in a Bag packs. Thank you so much for your comments below, the Monster Health Food Co family are very appreciative of all your feedback.

For those that wish to be a part of our FFS Rave Reviews team, click here to submit your interest.

Much love and friendship,
XxDani 

Workout Wednesday and getting organised with IKEA

Hello everyone, what a day!

Mine started off with these babies. Banana pancakes with coconut butter. How good! We had so many ripe bananas that I simply placed them into a blender and added eggs. You typically add 2 eggs to every banana. For more flavour you can add some lemon zest, vanilla essence, cacao powder and/or cinnamon.

Banana pancakes


The girls loved the banana version and I added cacao (and some almond meal) to some of the boys pancake mixture. The almond meal makes the cooking texture thicker (as the banana and egg mixture is a very delicate process, something I didn't really have too much time doing this morning) so they were a lot easier and quicker to flip!

Banana and Loving Earth coconut pancakes


Getting Organised with IKEA

After school drop off we headed over to IKEA to meet with my girlfriend who is helping me get more organised!!! Managing a household of 6 people can be pretty challenging and recently I have missed a lot of things in this house, so my goal is to get more cupboard space and make a study/creative room for the kids. I'm loving these Bestå Storage Solution above cupboards and then desk space for the kids to be creative and do their homework. 

How organised are you?



Talking about being organised, I have another birthday party to organise!!! Sheesh!! It's the never ending party house here at The Stevens household! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! I love it! Our little Oscar turns 6 and he has requested a pool party, so what better theme to have than a Hawaii Tropicana one :-)

But I need your help please. Give me some of your ideas or if you have Pinterest please feel free to pin them on my KIDS PARTY IDEAS. So far I have had people suggest fruit kebabs, Hawaiin pizza's, banana leaves as plates, dive to catch the plastic Hawaiian doll or dolphin.

What are some of your Hawaiian party theme suggestions?

Hawaiian 6th Birthday Party

Fitness

I know we all lead busy lives but please try and make time for your fitness. This workout took me a total of 7 minutes and 12 seconds. No gym required, workout in the comfort of your own home using your own body weight. There were 3 rounds of burpees, mountain climbers and high jumps. 

Do yourself a favour and grab your Freeletics workout HERE. I have the cardio program and my husband is doing the cardio & strength program. So for those that need their partners to keep them on track and motivated, these programs are a perfect team workout!

Can you make time for your fitness? From 7 minutes to 30 minutes, that's all this takes.


Freeletics workout at home with no gym equipment, just your own body weight

I hope you are having a sensational week, the days are just flying aren't they? I have been invited to the Ballarat in Bloom luncheon on Friday and the Angelsea Big4 Holiday park this long weekend, to experience and explore the scenic Great Ocean Road in Anglesea. Busy busy days ahead.

More pics to follow. Stay tuned.

Much love and friendship,
XxDani

2014 EVENT/COMP T-SHIRT DESIGN COMPETITION

 
 
With Hybrid Fitness having so many members participate in events and competitions we are looking at a generic t-shirt to be used in 2014 for anyone wishing to represent Hybrid. For example the shirts will be used for events like dragonboats, fun runs, tough mudder, city to surf, Samson, Spartan etc. The only thing that may change for the various events will be the colour of the shirt. 
 
Details for the comp:  

 
CREATE A DESIGN FOR OUR NEW COMPETITION/EVENTS SHIRT
WINNER WILL SEE THEIR DEISGNS WORN BY HYBRID/G-TOWN CROSSFIT MEMBERS AND RECEIVE A FREE SHIRT
Designs must include:
- A template of both the front and back of the shirt
- May be hand drawn or computer design
- The Hybrid Fitness "H" Symbol and the G-Town CrossFit Logo. (The wording of Hybrid Fitness can be altered but the "H" symbol must appear on the shirt somewhere).
 
- You may also include any slogan you wish.
 
Hand entries in to Shaun or email them to hybridfitness@bigpond.com
Entries close 15th November
 

Weight loss story on Transformation Tuesday with Sarah McGee


  • These transformation tuesday posts are the highlight of my week. Especially when you get to meet these inspirational people. Let me introduce you to the amazing Sarah McGee,  I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting her in person down in Melbourne over the weekend as our team VisionCrusaders.com completed their 4th ride out of our 6 RTCC Grand Slam rides. So thank you Sarah for coming down to see us and your hug!!!

    I purposely didn't edit anything in this post, as I like to keep things real. So please enjoy this amazing story as Sarah has lost over 70kgs (that's an entire Dani Stevens!!! ME!) so I am totally blown away by her and loved her 100 reasons that keep her motivated. 


    Sarah McGee 70kgs weight loss story 
    25, and a repeat offender of the "over-share", so sorry about the editing job ahead of you, Dani :P

    I've been over the 100kg mark since childhood. I couldn't tell you when that first happened, but I remember going to the Royal Adelaide Show as a kid, the one time big rides come to town in little Adelaide, and wanting to go on one of those roller coasters. You know, the ones with the safety harness that shuts over you and locks in for safety? I was too big for it to close. The ride manager came over and tried to help, closing it with a little force, but it just wouldn't shut & I had to get off and wait for my sister. I would have been 12 or 13 at that point.

    The last time I weighed myself (before last year) was when I went to a kickboxing gym with a girlfriend and we had to weigh in before training. The club was owned by her dad who had suggested we come and play for the night. I stepped on the scales, at this point I was 15, and weighed in just under 120kg. I remember my small Cambodian girlfriend looking at the number and saying something along the lines of "wow Sarah you're SOOOO heavy" in an innocent reaction with no harm intended... I avoided the scales for almost a decade after that. (out of sight, out of mind)

    When I left Uni (the first time) I went to work in a call centre, expecting to be there as an "in-between" and ended up working my way up into a comfortable management position and staying for about 6 years. I learned all kinds of new & creative ways of avoiding movement whilst in that environment, wheeling my way around the office on my chair instead of walking, printing out a report at 10am but not picking it up until I had to walk passed the printer for that lunch time meeting, or catching the elevator between a single flight of stairs.

    Fast forward to February 2012 and I was standing on the scales in a doctor's office being told that I was 165kg and at serious risk of a heart attack. I'd gone in initially to have him sign a medical waiver for me to do an event with some friends, he took one look at me and said no. The next thing I know I'm having blood tests for obesity related illness, being sent to hospital for an ECG to check my heart and being told I shouldn't be doing anything more than light cardio until I get a little of the weight off.

    I bought a bike, I started hiking with friends on the weekends, and joined a circuit gym where I could train with professional guidance. I spent one night a week with a "foodie" friend who taught me how to cook one new healthy meal each week, and I would go home and prepare that in bulk for freezer meals for the week ahead. 12 months later I was no longer scared of the kitchen, training in ways that felt more like playing than training (crossfit, rugby, boxing, cycling, hiking, trail running),and, a pretty amazing bi product of this new life, I was 70kg lighter.

    The short version is that I trained 6 days a week & prepared every meal I ate for 12 months. I trained weights (crossfit) in my lunch break and cycled 30km home from work most nights. The physical "what did you do" is just so much less significant than the mental empowerment this process brings about though - and that is your own to find.
  • My whole family have always been overweight, I ate a lot of fish and chips, fast food, pasta bakes etc. We always had frozen vegetables on hand and I always avoided them - I didn't realise "real" veggies tasted any different until I had a carrot from out school veggie patch one day in grade 4.

    I carried those fast food, highly processed, foods into adulthood and added a lot of alcahol on top.
  • I play Rugby and touch football and I don't watch ANY sports. I've never quite understood the appeal of watching other people have fun.
  • People are my passion, I'm back at Uni studying to be a psychologist at the moment because I believe people are powerful beyond measure. The impact one person can have by simply making a choice to live their own lives passionately is incredible and hopefully one day I can help people to unlock that. Aside from that, I play the guitar and dance in exceedingly embarrassing ways. Embarrassing for my friends generally, not for me. I spend my time hiking mountains around the Sunshine Coast here in Queensland, riding my bike through rainforest trails, and swimming under waterfalls. I have an amazing home gym, a housemate who cooks like a boss, and a 4 year old housemate who keeps me smiling with the variety of cute and random things you will only know if you live your life surrounded by small children at some stage.
  • People always ask me what that “moment” was that motivated me. Well it wasn’t a moment, it was a series of events that lead to me being bold enough to get real & get honest. You can read more on my blog, but I spent my entire life obese. I was over 100kg as a child and I told myself and everyone around me that I was perfectly happy as I was. There came a point where I let myself admit that I wasn’t happy. I didn’t want to ask for seatbelt extensions in aeroplanes, or have to worry about fitting in a chair, or missing out on that snow trip because they didn’t make snow clothes big enough, or feel like a burden to society because I took up two seats on the bus instead of one. I let myself get real, and I admitted that I NEEDED to change. I have quit 100 times. I have had breakdowns, panic attacks, cried in the gym, on my bike or whilst climbing a mountain more times than I can count. I have eaten crappy foods, fallen back into old habits and cried “it’s all too hard, ill never get there” on more than one occasion. But guess what? It is possible, you can do it. Just look at what can be achieved in 12 months if you just turn the volume down on your doubts, and get up
  • travel to Manilla and mountain bike through the mountains, hike a volcano and watch the sunrise, compete in a few more obstacle course races, lift heavier, run faster, smile more & let my weight continue to be an amazing reaction to the life I'm living.
  • You get there by realising you are already there. Stop waiting for the perfect diet, time, or guru. Start building a life that's good for you right now. Go for walks on the beach with your family, get off the bus a stop early, ride a bike, take the stairs, start reading the labels when you're shopping. Change up your idea of relaxation & recreation - go to the beach or on a hike with your friends instead of letting your down time be dinner or drinks every time. You need to live a life that is good for you, right now, tomorrow, and the next day. When you make a poor choice let it be just that, one choice. Every day you wake up take that opportunity to shape your life and your weight will be a reaction to that. The recipe really is simple - find ways to move that make you smile so you won't avoid them. Exercise is not punishment, it should be a celebration of your body & your life. Eat foods that you LOVE and get creative in the kitchen. This is not about diet and deprivation, it's about getting back to basics and reintroducing yourself to what flavour really is. Celebrate everything. Don't take yourself too seriously - and find like minded positive people to fill your life with.
  • IG: @sarahmcgee & @thweighout
    email: theweighout@mail.com
    tumblr: http://sarahmcgee.tumblr.com/ 

    * * * 

    Thanks once again Sarah for sharing your amazing story with us. Keep up the fabulous work and I look forward to seeing again real soon.

    Much love and friendship,
    XxDani 

Happy 20th birthday Asics Gel-Kayano!

A new family member has joined The Stevens house hold, let me introduce you to the beautiful Kayano 20!!!!




As you all know, last week I went to The Athlete's Foot to get fitted into some new Asics and WOW!!!! I learnt some great things from the team as they told me when we run, our feet absorb the shock of 2.5 times our body weight. What people often don’t understand is how the overall body can be impacted by a poorly fitted shoe. Feet can protect themselves and shift the pain to our shins, back and shoulders.

What I love about Asics and the new Gel-Kayano 20

They are super comfortable, it's like walking on a spongy cloud (there is ample of cushioning AKA Fluid Ride which is a 2 layered midsole with a top & bottom layer) so smooth, silky (AKA Fluid Fit multi-directional stretch fabric that improves fit and comfort) and so light! They are unreal! I now understand why people change their runners frequently. As soon as you stop feeling like you are walking or running on cloud 9, its time to get a new pair. For most people, this is about every 6-10 months, depending on your level of activity.

I feel like running a marathon in these bad boys. Even my intense Freeletics workouts with the interval sprints, 2kms runs  and burpees I am doing, the shock absorption is amazing. Above is me in action over the weekend, listening to a bit of Lady Gaga performing as many burpees within 300 seconds (5 minutes) x 3 rounds.



Since the new Asics range has launched first at The Athlete’s Foot and in exclusive colours in their stores, I visited the team at Ballarat. The Fitting experience was fabulous and was my first pair of Asics fitted in over 10 years!!!! In a nutshell, the team at The Athlete’s Foot are very thorough and knowledgeable - they measure your feet, get you to step and walk on this cool intelligent pad which displays how much pressure, stability and balance you have on each foot. You are then given a summary of your "static snapshot" report and with the help of their fit technician team, voilá you walk out of the store in some runners that are fit to your unique feet. You can read more about your Fitprint here.


Getting fitted in Asics at The Athlete's Foot


I was thrilled to try all the new colours and the range of the new ASICS runners which are exclusive to The Athlete's Foot. Even the staff were excited to have their first customer fitted in the new ASICS 20 year anniversary runners. They don't hit other retail stores for a couple of weeks, so I felt a bit spesh. See the new Asics range here.

I tried all 4 styles of the new Asics range -  GT 2000 2, GEL Nimbus 15 and the GT 1000 2. I ended up being fitted to the Kayano 20 as it provided more arch support for my feet.


Kayano 20, GT 2000, GEL Nimbus

These Asics runners range from $149.95-$229.95. Mine were $249.95. We all know healthy starts from the feet up and I would much rather invest in my health, then pay unnecessary injury hospital/doctor fees. Do you agree?

So for any of my readers that need a new pair of running shoes head to your local The Athlete's Foot store as they are the knowledgeable ones when it comes to fitting the right runners for you. 

And how about winning your own exclusive pair of Asics runners here on Fitness Food And Style?

Win a free pair of Asics runners on Fitness Food And Style

I am super excited to announce an exclusive competition we are having here on Fitness Food And Style and the lovely folks at The Athlete's Foot. After falling in love with my new Asics Gel-Kayano 20 runners, I thought what better way to celebrate 20 years of the Asics Kayano than with one lucky FF&S reader!!!!

To enter and win an Asics fitting in store at The Athlete's Foot, all you have to do is:
Terms and conditions:
  • This giveaway is only open to Australian residents
  • Closing date for entries is Saturday, 30th November 2013
  • The winners will be contacted via email on Monday 2nd December 2013
  • If the winner does not reply to my email within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen
  • Entries will be judged on merit and decision of the winner will be final
I can't wait to see all your fit pictures out there!!! 

XxDani

Hormones and Osctober, a geniune link.

With our latest challenge event having finished yesterday it's time to really reflect on firstly your level of commitment and your results. If commitment was 100% then your results would have been positive, and remember these results are for a 26 day period only, if you continue (which you should) the challenge guidelines further improvements will continue until homeostasis is reached.

The Osctober challenge was one of self commitment, learning, reflecting, and self improvement, guidance on how to do challenge was given but the commitment was all yours, wow,that sounds like real life!! Now what I didn't tell you at the start was the changes you should achieve if the challenge was adhered too. Yes you will see physical changes but the main result I was wanting for everyone was their hormone responses in the body. What I am going to go over is how many of you would have felt during a typical day when food intake was not spot on, then I will show the way you feel if you eat right.

Before the challenge this would be maybe a typical day:
  • Your alarm goes off early morning and you reach for the snooze button, maybe not just once but 2, even 3 times.
  • once up you go straight to the kitchen for a coffee as your not feeling to bright or perky (caused by low cortisol (hormone) levels which has been contributed from your unhealthy eating).
  • For breakfast you grab a low fat muffin, or some cereal,  have a glass of juice, and then head out the door. In a few minutes you have energy, your breakfast that has been exclusively fast digesting carbohydrates (sugar) and you feel ok, good enough to workout or start your daily routine.
  • Around 10am the insulin (hormone) spike caused by breakfast which gave you energy has started to crash, this instant crash causes a cortisol response which in turn uses glucagon (hormone) to get your blood sugar to normal. Your brain now thinks "I need energy now" so you start getting cravings, some may have another coffee, some reach for a piece of cake etc. (it's going to be something loaded with sugar), but in actual fact your liver and muscles are still full of glucose from this morning. Oh no, this coffee, piece of cake only has 2 places to go. Its stored as fat or it remains circulating around in your blood once again increasing an insulin spike.
  • We have made it through to lunch and you think that you would like to try and eat something "healthy". You head to subway or the local bakery and grab a sandwich (sub) with chicken, some low fat chees and some salads on wholemeal bread. To was this meal down you grab a sugar free diet drink. You've done well right? No not exactly. Once again your carbohydrate dense food causes another insulin spike, the caffeine in your drink elevates cortisol (stress). This has all been done and to be honest you aren't even full.  Once again like with breakfast you get a energy lift but around about 3pm the sugar spike plummets and you all that insulin that was released now has driven blood sugar levels low. It is likely that you now have what is called the trifecta - you're tired, hungry and mentally foggy.
  •  Although your tired, and need a sleep its ok as you can reach for another coffee and grab that snack you packed this morning, a low fat health bar, or some yogurt covered sultanas. Once again the sugar rich food has picked your energy levels up as you have increased cortisol and insulin and for now your appetite is satisfied.
  • You get home and you feel a bit stressed and have an urge for takeaway food, or something that is calorie dense (i.e. large serving of creamy pasta). Due to the stress of the day you also feel like a glass of wine. In the end you end up eating more than you should and drinking a bit more than you should too as your leptin resistance has gone haywire and your body no longer has the ability to tell itself its full. Oh no, now the hormones in your body have responded again and even though you just had dinner as you are sitting watching television and you get urges for something sweet, you go to the freezer and find a sweet, you sit down and love every spoonful, You deserve it right, you are so exhausted from the day.
  • Finally you try and go to bed but your cortisol levels are high and you can't wind down, you toss and turn, and generally don't sleep well. During the night your cortisol drops (it should be at its highest early morning) and suddenly your alarm goes off and you reach for the snooze. Your ready for another day of hormonal rollercoaster due to mainly your food intake.

Now if you followed the challenge as you were asked to, or you eat clean and unprocessed foods this is more like your day will be:
  • Around 5:30am your cortisol levels rise helping you wake up before your alarm goes off. Due to also eating well you will wake up hungry. You will probably sit down to a simple meal that takes a little prep, something like 2-3 scrambled eggs, with some vegies scrambled in, some blueberries and a cup of coffee.
  • Due to a balanced macronutrient level (protein - carbs - fats) your blood sugar rises moderately and the liver and muscles are able to deal with the energy and it is stored as glycogen to be used as energy as required. Because you also have been exercising there is room for the energy to be efficiently transported into cells to do their respective jobs.
  • Over the next few hours your blood glucose slowly decreases which triggers the release of glucagon which tells the liver to release a bit more glucose into the blood so your blood sugar is in a healthy normal range continuing to give you energy required for life. (along with good mental focus too)
  • At lunch time all of your stored energy declines and your reminded its time to eat. For lunch you grab a hearty salad (mixed greens, beetroot, apple, walnuts etc.) with chicken breast strips and olive oil/balsamic dressing. You relax and chew your food properly, enjoying your meal. Again your meal has a good macronutrient content and the same response hormonally happens as it did at breakfast time. Your hormones are in balance and operating how they were designed too operate.
  • As the day goes on things start to get busy and you haven't eaten for a while your blood sugar again declines, but thanks to a balanced hormonal system the brain signals cortisol to use glucagon to release some stored energy (dietary fats and stored fat) keeping blood sugar and energy levels constant.
  • You finally arrive home, you are hungry yes, but not exhausted or cranky, you dig into a meal with comprising of meats and vegetables etc. This meal leaves you full and satisfied after dinner. The protein you had at dinner ensures stable energy levels and balanced hormones over the coming hours.
  • You continue to enjoy the evening, you may even grab 1 glass of wine or a cup of tea, maybe even a herbal tea. You don't suffer from any cravings and you slowly wind down and cortisol drops meaning a good nights sleep will be the result. Around 5:30am your cortisol again will rise and you will wake and think, wow I must be a morning person.
So there you have it, this is what happens with what we eat. If you eat well you will be well as your hormones are in balance and you will have sustain energy and mood. Poor food means poor hormonal response (haywire hormonal response actually) which plays havoc with energy, fat storage, mood and general well being.

If you have done the challenge as it was asked to be done then you should be feeling good throughout the day, your hormones have returned to normal function and if you continue the good eating and eliminate grains and processed foods the response will continue to get better leaving you feeling better. The other great thing is that if you feel good on the inside then that correlates to look well on the outside.

The info in this blog on hormonal repsonses from food comes from "It Starts With Food" - Dallas and Melissa Hartwig (2012)
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