Browsing Tag

health

Posted on January 21, 2016

8 types of people you’ll meet at the gym

fitness/ lifestyle

gym goers

Being a regular gym goer means I come across a wide range of people who share the same passion for health & fitness as I do.  I bump into a few once every blue moon.  While others have me questioning whether or not they live there.

Since I go at least four times a week, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve gotten to learn the habits of avid gym nuts and have witnessed some of the most unfathomable behaviour from my fellow gym lovers. So here’s a list of eight ‘types’ of people you’re bound to meet at the gym:

gym goers judging

1. The selfie king

Sometimes you get the impression that the selfie king goes to the gym just to take selfies. It almost seems like they document every workout from start to finish – and with little to no shame! One or two selfies? Absolutely fine! Check in on Facebook? Again, totally normal. But is a two hundred second Snapchat story really necessary? I dunno…..

2. The makeup addict

You’ll never see the makeup addict without makeup. Before her workout, she is caked in it and after her workout, she is just as caked (what setting spray does she use and where can I find it, right?). The makeup addict won’t dare to break a sweat because she fears she’ll rub off her perfectly drawn brows. If it weren’t for the yoga pants, the sports top and kicks, you’d never guess that the makeup addict is going to the gym.

3. The show off

I can already sense you rolling your eyes as you think of someone who fits the bill. No matter what fitness club you’re in, you’ll surely come across that one person who makes a point of letting everyone and anyone know that their dead lifting game is unbelievably strong. They also walk around half naked so that they can strut their stuff. #Gainz #FitFam #Lean. We get it, you’re not new to this at all.

gym goers gym rats

4. The serious one

This person takes gym time a tad bit too seriously. You always see them carrying around a post-workout shake alongside an unusually large collection of workout gadgets that only a true die-hard fitness fanatic could own. The serious one drinks at least three litres of water a day, works out every single day and even weighs their food! There’s no stopping this guy!

5. The chilled one

The chilled one takes even the most intense workouts in stride. They calmly float about in the weights room as if they haven’t a bother in the world. These are the types of people you need to have around when you pull a leg muscle and have a near-death moment because you can always rely on the aura of the chilled one to calm you down.

6. The newbie

You can spot a newbie from a mile away. He or she jumps from one machine to the other in hopes that they will eventually figure out how one works because they are too shy to ask anyone around them. When the newbie finally discovers how to use a machine, they do more sets that required and then call it a day – bless them!

gym goers newbies

7. The two bestos

When you see one, you see the other. They are never apart. They attend every single class together and only use the treadmills when they can find ones next to each other. In the world of the two bestos, the gym isn’t a place to sweat. It’s a place to socialise and have a bit of a laugh.

8. The nudist

The nudist tends to prance around in, well, the nude (in case the name didn’t give it away). The second they get into the changing room, they strip down bare and walk around with pride. They’ll try to make small talk with you so you don’t feel uncomfortable although you never know where to look. Sharing the changing room with a nudist is one thing, but when it comes to sharing the sauna, then all bets are off!

What kind of people do you encounter at the gym? If you’re an active gym goer like myself, then which ‘type’ are you!? I’ll let you decide which one you think  I am! 🙂

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Posted on August 24, 2015

Irish Fitness Gurus that will inspire you to hit the gym

fitness/ Health

irish fitness gurus

We all know that social media is absolutely saturated with fitness addicts, healthy eaters and dedicated gym goers. I’ve personally found Instagram to be one of the best sources when it comes to finding fitness motivation. While there are plenty of international fitness junkies out there like Jen Selter (I honestly think she should trademark that ass), I do find it more inspiring to follow the journey of those who are closer to home and based on Irish soil.

I think the transformations that some of these ladies have undergone are unquestionably mind-blowing and I honestly think that anyone who has even the slightest interest in health, fitness or both, should see these images for themselves – I am actually in awe!

Stephanie O’Quigley

stephanie oquigley

Instagram: @stephanieoquigley

It took Stephanie two and a half years of healthy eating and exercising to lose five stone and now she is committed to that lifestyle. While she likes to keep her body guessing with different types of exercises, HIIT training works the best for her. She eats a high protein diet and tries to avoid dairy. For more on Stephanie’s eating habits, check out her blog snappedup.ie or Instagram.

Kelly Donegan

kelly donegan fitness queen

Instagram: @itskellydonegan

Kelly Donegan is the ultimate health and fitness queen. Her life revolves around clean eating and making sure her abs are in check (no wonder they’re perfecto!). Finding fitness was a massive saviour for Kelly as it gave her a new outlet to be successful. She has participated in competitions in the past and she continues to throw herself in challenging environments. She is currently developing her website kellydonegan.ie, but has plenty of workout inspiration on her Instagram.

Faces by Grace

faces by grace fitness

Instagram: @facesbygrace23

Here we have yet another remarkable transformation of a driven and focused gal . Not that she needs much of an introduction, Grace Mongey, widely known as Faces by Grace is a qualified MUA and beauty blogger. While I think she is extremely skilled with a makeup brush, I find her fitness journey the most inspiring. Her hard work has led to her becoming the brand ambassador of Miss Skinny Fit Tea and an idol for those looking to embark in a life of health and fitness. For healthy recipes, fitness tips, and more, check out her YouTube and Instagram.

Grainne Nash

grainne nash fitness guru

Instagram: @insta_gra_88

Last, but not least, is Grainne Nash. A dedicated weight lifter who is currently prepping to compete in the Nabba and Ribbf bikini competitions.  She is committed to clean eating (full fat clean food up to 10 times a day) and pays frequent visits to the gym. Just looking at these photos is enough motivation for me! For progress photos and more #fitspiration, check out her personal Instagram account @insta_gra_88.

I commend every single one of these ladies for being so devoted to their health and fitness. I think it is evidence of strength, courage and an exceptional work ethic.

I truly find them inspiring and think they are evidence that making the right diet choices and being consistent with workouts, eventually will pay off. While all four of these ladies are huge fitness influencers for me, I would be delighted if even just one of them inspires you to start being the best version of yourself!

And because no fitness post is ever complete without a motivational quote, here is one of my favourites…..

It’s a shame for anyone to grow old without ever seeing the strength and beauty of which their body is capable of

Thanks for reading my post, hope you all have a meaningful and productive day 🙂

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Posted on November 18, 2014

Would you have sex with an STD carrier?

Health

Apparently having an STD doesn’t put everyone off having sex……

std

I came across an article on The Daily Mail about research conducted on young adults who admitted to having sex with someone with an STD – wait, it gets worse.

The research was commissioned by pharmacy www.UKMedix.com.  They asked over 1,200 people whether or not they’d have sex with someone they knew had an STI and around 19% answered ‘yes’ while up to a quarter said it would depend on the STI – I know, how gross!

What grossed me out more is the fact that 39% of those questioned have willingly jumped into bed with an STD carrier and didn’t even use a rubber! Most of them didn’t think that dealing with the consequences of having unprotected sex with an STD carrier was a big issue (because having an STI is soooooo normal!).

According to one of the representatives of UK Medix,

“Exposing yourself to the risk of contracting an STI is never advisable. Even though condoms can offer a certain level of protection, this isn’t the case for some sexually transmitted infections – and certainly shouldn’t be put to the test. If you really like a person, wait until their condition is treated properly before venturing into a sexual relationship with them. That way, you can ensure your intimacy is safe from risk of infection. There is never any excuse for knowingly exposing your body to potential harm in this way, particularly those who claim that they’d happily jump into bed with someone unprotected despite knowing they had an STI.”

Sarah Bailey

I totally agree with Sarah on this one. Safety first, fun later – your health is your wealth, people!

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Posted on May 19, 2013

Not so guilty pleasure: Dark Chocolate

Guilty Pleasures/ Nutrition

not so guilty pleasure

I never thought I’d ever see the day I’d praise something that I don’t even enjoy eating! It’s not very like me to recommend the things I don’t like, but I guess I’d have to be fair once and a while so my promise to you is that I will not impose any of my personal feelings towards dark chocolate in this post (not intentionally anyways), instead, I will just give you cold hard facts on the benefits of consuming dark chocolate!

Just so we’re on the same page, I must say that if you really want to enjoy the health benefits of dark chocolate then you would have to be looking at the ones that contain over 70% cacao; the darker the chocolate, the less sugar and milk it contains and the closer it is to cacao, the secret behind it’s health benefits.

Cacao is probably one of the main sources of health benefits from the consumption of dark chocolate. The reason being that it produces neurotransmitters in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin which are associated with feelings of well-being and happiness…..

Do you see where I’m going with this???

It’s a natural anti-depressant! So don’t be afraid to indulge yourself with a bit of 70%+ if you’re feeling kinda down!

Alright so now you’re thinking, ”it might help me with my mood and I wouldn’t feel as down if I take a few squares of it, but what about the fat? Isn’t it as fattening as all the other chocolates out there???” I’m afraid not!! The fat that is in dark chocolate comes primarily from plants so it would be a lot healthier for you. It contains the fatty acid that is also found in olive oil and this promotes antioxidant activity and also prevents heart disease. So as long as you look for a dairy-free bar (which would contain more of the bad fat),  I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about if you’re taking these in small doses!

What about the beauty benefits?

Dark chocolate contains an antioxidant called flavinoid which are usually found in plants such as the cacao plant. These bad boys are associated with the anti-aging effects in the skin and the flavinoid found  in dark chocolate are greater than the antioxidants found in some berries. So if you’re feeling guilty about passing on the fruit salad the other day, you can forgive yourself!

Lastly, these flavinoids also absorb UV light which helps protect your beautiful skin from the sun. It also increases blood flow to the skin which improves your complexion and keeps your skin well hydrated.

Now that you know that dark chocolate isn’t all that bad, you no longer have to make this a secret pleasure. Just remember, the more bitter the chocolate, the higher the cacao content and the better it is for you! 🙂

If you’re not convinced, here’s a few more articles that you can read:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/benefits-of-chocolate

http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/3-health-benefits-of-dark-chocolate/

http://www.naturalnews.com/031959_dark_chocolate_antioxidants.html

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Posted on May 1, 2013

Guilty pleasure #1: Caffeine

Appearance/ Guilty Pleasures/ Nutrition

Something tells me that there’s a few coffee worshipers out there who are now dreading to read the rest of this post. Not to worry, I’ll keep this as short as I can (which isn’t always easy for me to do, but I’ll try my best!)

We all know the list of foods/drinks which contain this addictive drug(yes it’s a drug,don’t look so surprised!). The list is endless really, to name a few, coffee, energy drinks and chocolate would be the most common sources of caffeine. Since my new respect for chocolate has motivated me to write a POSITIVE  ”guilty pleasure” post on it, I’ll leave chocolate out (For the most part anyways) and instead, I’ll focus on the other two (bare in mind that I’m a recovering coffee addict so there’s no judging here….)

Now, I can go on and on about how the consumption of coffee and energy drinks increase health problems for both male and female, how they increases blood pressure which leads to heart problems or how they both contribute to blood sugar problems. But that really isn’t my focus. (And I’m not exactly your doctor!)

My primary focus is on beauty (Surprise surprise!!) and here are the main reasons why I think you should avoid taking these products:

the affect of caffeine on your appearance

1.It speeds up the aging process.
Caffeine accelerates aging because it contributes to the decline in the production of hormones that are usually produced ‘in riches’ during youth. As well as this, it dehydrates your body which sucks all the water from your skin cells and as a result it causes wrinkles and sagging.

2.It affects sleeping patterns.
Because caffeine is a stimulant, it keeps you awake for longer which in turn makes you sleep less, and as Sleeping Beauty already informed us, no sleep takes a toll on your overall appearance and reflects very badly on your face.

Still not convinced? Well how about this one…..

3.Say Cheese!
This alone should be a reason to cut down! Not only is it visible on your face, but too much coffee/energy drinks reflects very badly on your teeth!! You might think that by adding milk or cream to your coffee, you would prevent your teeth from staining,but sorry to burst your little bubble there but white coffee would still contain the same pigments and acids as black so it doesn’t really make much of a difference!

Now that that’s all said and done, I’ll let you go enjoy your cuppa. After all, coffee addicts have always been the toughest to crack! Just don’t say you weren’t warned though!

Hope you enjoyed reading my post.  Feel free to comment below 🙂

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