Ever been scrolling through social media and before you know where you are you’re sifting through someone’s photos from 2016? Don’t worry, you don’t have to say whose photos they were. Let’s just say I think we are all a bit scroll happy. Whether they are Facebook accounts or Instagram profiles, they are small windows into the lives of others and it’s so tempting to take a peek…
Last weekend we had one of our male friends round for the evening for a small bonfire. As usual my husband was keen to document the occasion with an Instagram story. After his phone had panned around the scene of us sat by the fire I warned him, “You best not post that if my face looks too big!” Laughter erupted from the pair of them. “What?!” our friend said incredulously. “Seriously I have a moon face!” I exclaimed.
As daft as it sounds, I’ve always been self-conscious of how round my face looks in photos. For someone who has been called a stick insect more times than I care to remember, I have a surprisingly chubby face. It’s a perfect circle with more cheek than cheekbone. If I take a selfie with a friend it always seems to look so huge at the side of theirs!
“That’s stupid!”
This was the conclusion my lovely pal came to. Great, so now I’ve got a big face and I’m stupid I too!
Whether you love it or hate it, Halloween is nearly here and you can almost taste the sugar. The supermarket aisles are heaving with sweets, chocolates and buns. Anything edible has been caked in orange icing and declared ‘spooktacular!’ Meanwhile the slimming groups and healthy food bloggers cry out, “Don’t do it, try our healthy Halloween cupcake recipe instead. It’s not a trick, they really do taste just as good but they’re half the calories!” Secretly the fitness instructors and personal trainers rub their hands with glee, “eat what you want, we’ve got the workout to scare off any weight gain!” Parents everywhere try to establish a quota of how many sweets they will let their child eat in one sitting, how much is too much? More importantly, will their child notice if one creme egg goes missing from their trick or treating stash?
With all this conflicting noise from different sources I bet we could all benefit from some easy tips on how to stay healthy this Halloween? Well here’s why I’m not going to give any…
It’s that time of year again when nasty coughs, colds and bugs start to plague everyone around us. You decide to buy a bottle of hand sanitising gel for safety and start hiding your face behind a scarf on public transport! Being ill makes you feel rotten, fact. But there is one thing I fear more than any of the awful symptoms of being poorly and that is being “too busy to be ill.” Being ill slows you down. It can feel like walking through treacle trying to get anything done. Sometimes it simply stops you in your tracks. I don’t know about anyone else but I really struggle to admit defeat! Taking a day off work or cancelling plans is always the very last resort. But why? The guilt monster, that’s why!
So you’ve signed up to an exercise class, great! Now what? This is where we tend to start over complicating things. Panic sets in and we start worrying about everything from getting there to what to wear. Will people stare? Should I do some research in preparation? Should I start a daily workout regime to get in shape for it?!
So what should you do? Well the answer is very simple – turn up! That’s it. You definitely don’t have to do any of the following…
This week I returned home after a week away in Tenerife on holiday. It was hot, hot, hot and sunbathers and beach goers were out in force. What struck me was how relaxed everyone was when it came to stripping off and walking around in their bikinis, swimsuits and trunks (sometimes less!) Thousands of different bodies all different shapes and sizes were proudly on display. No one batted an eyelid, no one cared.
Dance Fit with Helen does Desert Island Discs! Here are 10 songs that define certain stages of my life, have had an impact on me and that I can’t stop listening to.
A few months ago I decided to go cold turkey on wearing makeup throughout the week. In the past I’d had comments like “Ooh you do look tired,” or “You look pale,” or “You look run down,” when I’d not made much of an effort with my appearance! However, I was determined to start a no makeup routine. Why? I was positive that it couldn’t be doing my skin any good wearing makeup when exercising. I hoped going bare-faced would improve the overall look of my skin.
By and large it has helped me keep a clear complexion though sadly I still suffer with milia just as much as before (those small white bumps which are sometimes mistaken for whiteheads but are actually keratin-filled cysts) Unfortunately no makeup doesn’t mean no breakouts. I’ve suffered with quite a few pimples recently which I am putting down to stress and tiredness.
You might be thinking why don’t you just go back to wearing makeup everyday then if it hasn’t made a miraculous difference going without? Well the simple answer is I don’t want to! Many other positives have come from going makeup free which don’t involve how my skin looks.
Here are the advantages of having a naked face on weekdays…
I love a good motivational quote to get me in the mood for a workout. However, there has been plenty of discussion about the damaging effects of ‘fitspo’ (Fitspo meaning fitness inspiration) What should be a positive movement encouraging people to become healthier is being used in some cases to set unrealistic body standards and send out unhealthy messages.
Here are some fitspo quotes that I think we should all ignore…
So you probably guessed that Dance Fit is a great form of cardio, it burns calories and it can help you to lose weight and get fitter. You guessed right! But the benefits do not stop there. Dance Fit is the workout that keeps on giving…