Tag: life

  • 8 Benefits of Sugar Free Diet.

    8 Benefits of Sugar Free Diet.

    BENEFITS OF GOING SUGAR FREE

    Reduced food Cravings

    • More balanced blood sugar makes it less likely for you to crave foods or feel constantly hungry.

    Better appearance

    • Sugar causes inflammation in the body which can break down the elasticity in your skin. Which can cause wrinkles.
    • Sugar robs the body of minerals which the body needs to keep skin nails and hair healthy, which can also cause bad acne, dull weak hair and many other issues.

    More energy

    • Unbalanced blood sugar levels can cause you to crash regularly. Sugar raises the blood sugar level very high, really quickly and soon after the body brings the sugar levels way down to control it. This can leave you exhausted and craving again. Whereas whole food unprocessed sugars help to keep balance of blood sugar levels instead with a slower release.

    Fat loss

    • When I did the 30 day sugar free challenge, I lost a dramatic amount of fat from my back and my body fat mass even went down and after a year of being sugar free I lost a stone in weight.
    • Sugar triggers your hormone Ghrelin ( the hunger hormone ) making you likely to eat more than you need. Sugar is also full of empty calories, so you are just taking in extra calories for satisfaction purposes but they are actually leaving you more and more unsatisfied as time goes on.
    • It may not make everyone lose weight but can help to maintain the weight you currently are.
    • At a small percentage, excess sugar is turned into waste but mostly stored as fat by the body as it is seen as a valuable resource to hold onto. This is why whole unrefined sugars are better to consume than processed because they include fibre and other nutrients which digest slower and can be used as energy.

    Lower risk of illness

    • Majority of illnesses in the body are triggered by the consumption of sugar.
    • Since ive gone sugar free I’ve avoided most common sicknesses like flu / cold.
    • Sugar causes a lot of systems in the body to not work to their fullest potential causing illness to take over.
    • Sugar also is a cause of inflammation which also causes a lot of bodily health issues and can also cause depression.
    • Sugar also weakens the gut which plays an important role of absorbing nutrients needed for optimal health, causing unnecessary illness.

    Clearer mind

    • When Sugar effects your energy levels and causes inflammation, it has a grand effect on the mind. Sugar can leave you distracted, anxious, and cause negative thinking. 
    • Removing sugar from my diet has allowed me to focus more and just feel less heavy minded.

    Better sleep

    • Having more control on your blood sugar and energy levels can make it easier for you to go to sleep.
    • Consuming sugar can cause a delay in your body release of melatonin a hormone which controls your sleeping cycle and helps you sleep deeper. 

    Better moods/ improve mental health

    • High sugar consumption has been linked to depression, and I have to say, since going sugar free I haven’t felt depressed, and i was diagnosed with depression before I cut out sugar from my diet. (i also ate a hell of a lot of sugar)
    • The constant rise and fall of blood sugar can cause a lot of feelings of nervousness and contribute to those who already have anxiety.  Also leading to craving which can make people agitated and hangry.
    • When I was eating sugar compared to now, there is a massive difference. I went from someone who was super sensitive and emotional one day to happy and chilled out the next, most people I know are still shocked at the difference. And when I had a moment of weakness at the beginning of my journey and ate sugar…. I suddenly felt all the feelings of depression again. Was a really strange experience.
  • 🍰SUGAR FREE CAKE HUNT!🍰 in London. Raw, Vegan, Plant based | SKY CHRISTINA

    🍰SUGAR FREE CAKE HUNT!🍰 in London. Raw, Vegan, Plant based | SKY CHRISTINA


    Hi Hi Hi everyone!

    Today I have for you the long awaited Cake hunt ( sugar free and vegan of course ).

    I promised a while back that I would test out and investigate some locations for sugar free cake for you all to go out and try – and here we are! The first part in many to come..

    To be honest, I thought we would fall short and not be able to find anywhere to get this elusive Sugar free, vegan cake, but lucky us – there are actually more places than I think any of us ever realised..

    All it took was for me to grab a friend, and do a little google search and now here we are πŸ˜›

    All of the places I visited were refined sugar free, so if you have just cut out refined sugars there is plenty options for you in the London area.

    Top tips:

    -Take lots of pix

    (f or evidence to show unbelieving friends, and convince them to join your sugar free side hehe )

    -Check all ingredients properly, and ask the waiters

    ( don’t get over excited like me and miss some key information )

    I really do hope you enjoy the video, me and hayley had an amazing time eating all that cake.

    Please do give the video a LIKE if you did, share to your friends and SUBSCRIBE for more content like this in future.

    Love and light

    Christina Sky

    x

  • Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s pie Recipe | SKY CHRISTINA

    Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s pie Recipe | SKY CHRISTINA

    Hi Beautiful,

    It has been a while since I posted up a recipe for you all.

    Since posting the video above , this Shepherd’s pie has been highly requested so here it is:

    (I know the video doesn’t match the recipe down below but I forgot to bring the recipe with me, so I tried to quickly write it down by memory haha but trust me this one here is more flavourful and better haha)

    If you decide to make it let me know how it turned out πŸ™‚

    (also if you are a total beginner at cooking, I have done my best to make the instructions as detailed as possible, but just know this might take you a little longer than an hour and 10minutes to make.)

    Screen Shot 2018-09-28 at 01.47.08.png

    VEGAN LENTIL SHEPHERD’S PIE

    Warm and hearty, Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with lots of veggies and a mix of white and sweet potatoes for topping. You will love this Plant based version.
    Author:            SKY CHRISTINA
    PREP TIME:    40 minutes
    COOK TIME:   30 minutes
    TOTAL TIME:  1 hour 10 minutes (beginners: 1 hour 30 minutes)
    Servings:         8
    Category:        Dinner
    Cuisine:           Vegan, Plant based, No added sugars

    Ingredients

    ( you will need a large casserole dish, measuring cups, foil and pots for this recipe)

    TOPPINGS

    • 0.75LB White potatoes ( I use Maris pipers)
    • 0.75LB Sweet potatoes
    • 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (plant milk)
    • Pinches of Sea Salt (optional)
    • Pinches of Thyme (optional)

    FILLING

    • 3/4 cup Lentils. (can mix red/ green)
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut oil
    • 1/2 cup chopped Carrots
    • 1/2 chopped Red Onion
    • 1 tbsp Garlic powder
    • 1 cup chopped Spinach
    • 2 cup sliced Mushrooms
    • 1/4 tsp Thyme
    • 2 tbsp Whole flour
    • 1-2 cups Veggie broth
    • 1/2 cup Sweetcorn
    • 1/2 cup Peas
    • 1 tsp All purpose seasoning ( add more of less depending on what you like)
    • 1 tsp Sea salt ( add more of less depending on what you like)

    Instructions

    1. Start with boiling all your potatoes in a Large pot, to do this slice all potatoes in half and place in pot, fill with cold water up till it is just covering the potatoes. Cook on high heat until starts to bubble and boil, turn down to a medium/ low heat and boil until soft (roughly for 15 -20 minutes).
    2. Place Lentils in a pot with 2 1/2 cups of water and boil for 15-20 minutes.
    3. Preheat over to Gas mark 5 (375F)
    4. While everything is boiling take this time to chop up your vegetables if you haven’t already. Then get another large pot and heat the Coconut oil up on a medium heat, add the carrots, onion, garlic, spinach, mushrooms, all purpose seasoning, sea salt and thyme and simmer till vegetables are soft.
    5. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of flour onto your vegetables and mix, cook this for about a minute and add the second spoon, mix and cook for another minute.
    6. Slowly mix in your Veggie broth to this to make a slightly gravy consistency. When your gravy is made add peas, sweetcorn and cooked lentils. Simmer this for another 5 minutes. (make sure the mixture is not dry, add a little more water if so)
    7. Grab your casserole dish and pour in the Veggie gravy mixture.
    8. Grab your large pot of boiled potatoes and pour out excess water. Add Unsweetened Almond milk and mash together.
    9. Once mash is free of lumps (unless you like your mash lumpy..) spread evenly onto your Veggie gravy mixture in the casserole dish. Cover with foil and place into the middle shelf of your oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Once 25 minutes is up, safely remove foil and place casserole dish back in oven on the top shelf for 5-8minutes.(until mash has slightly browned)
    10. Now your food is ready sprinkle on top salt and Thyme (optional) and serve.

    Notes

    You can store this for up to around 3 days and reheat with a little water, so it doesn’t dry out.

  • Finally embarking on my Journey to Fitness! | SKY CHRISTINA

    Finally embarking on my Journey to Fitness! | SKY CHRISTINA

    Oh wow Guys and girls and everyone in between!

    πŸ˜€ I literally just completed a very challenging fitness challenge, that in no way did I believe I would ever do. – Ah!

    Check out my journey here in this 2 part vlog I made :


    I have really been struggling to do even some of the most basic of things like standing and walking and going up and down stairs…. The pain I talked about in the video was a nightmare. I really had to push myself to get this done.

    And now I feel absolutely amazing! – I have tons of energy – even my butt looks different haha

    before and after 100 squats for ig.jpg

    ( screenshots from the 2 videos)

    – and I even gained 2+% muscle in one week – not sure if thats really good but wow! still a win for me.

    I am currently in the process of starting a new challenge… but that doesn’t mean I have stopped the squats – I plan to continue them on but just do 30-50 per day to add to my new challenge workout….

    I feel like I can do a lot more now and I am so happy I did it.

    I really am looking forward to my progress – I just want to be stronger , able to carry my own body weight with ease and shed some fat %.

    I hope you enjoyed the video or at least felt some inspiration to do more for yourself.

    Do you think you could do 100 squats for 7 days?

    If yes, why aren’t you doing it right now?!!?

    hehe

    Love and light x

    Christina Sky

  • So many green opportunities are happening all at once :o | SKY CHRISTINA

    So many green opportunities are happening all at once :o | SKY CHRISTINA

    My life is just doing something amazing right now.

    green sky christina 4

    I have a dream …

    That one day I could… simply put… live off the land.

    No longer did I want to rely on the super market to provide me with all my produce. No longer did I want to accidentally consume chemicals (e.g pesticides), and so much more…

    I dreamed of a day where I could walk out into my own garden in the morning or evening and pick what I needed from the plants and enjoy my fresh meal, just like that.


    However I have always lived my life in small flats with my family, with no garden and very small balcony spaces.


    Two years ago, in 2016 I decided I wanted to kick off this dream by growing what I could in the small space that I had. I took in a few small houseplants at first, I really fell in love with cactuses and succulents.

    I then moved over to Shoreditch for a short while where I began to take in and care for some larger house plants, which…I kind of killed or nearly killed most of them now. uh sorry… I was not a fit mother please don’t hate me.


    But I wasn’t going to let a few failed attempts stop me from achieving my dream, so I started growing produce like potatoes , spinach, tomatoes, etc. I loved it, but for some reason in Shoreditch the air where I was living was super dusty and my plants kept contracting mites/ aphids , bugs… No matter what I did they always came and devoured my plants, it did stress me out for the longest time and made me feel like I just didn’t have the green finger and I contemplated giving up and just having 1 or 2 house plants instead.

    green sky christina 2

    Time went on and eventually I moved back home with my family and we were in a new flat with a front balcony space and not much else.

    I asked my mum if I could use that space to grow plants and she was delighted to have me grow plants there. (even when i started all the neighbours were telling us how nice it all was and started growing stuff of their own. I love that!:D )

    I have to say, I am not the richest person in the world so at the beginning it was all pretty bare and nothing much was going on for the longest while. Over time I went to places like B&Q to shop the plant sales , I visited places like wilkos or searched the internet for hours for the cheapest tools , even hunted the streets and I went to a few nurseries to get cheap baby plants and seeds so I didn’t have to spend so much money on fully grown plants .

    This did make my job harder, as I had to teach myself a lot about how to grow from seed and care for the plants in all seasons, but this was really worth it because now I have a much bigger understanding of a wide array of plants and their growing cycles.


    Again , I was doing better than before but I did kill a lot. Even recently I killed a ton of plants that I had spent a lot of money on because we had a very frosty cold winter….which hasn’t happened in years, I believed they would be fine out there and then it snowed – that meant game over…


    When Spring came along this year I had to rid the space of all the dead… I was back to near empty. A little sad but still undefeated. (At least all my house plants were still alive and healthy)


    I took my booty down to the nursery again to purchase a bunch of plants and since then I have collected a few more along the way.

    It has most definitely been a hot spring and summer…the hottest ….and to be honest I think the plants absolutely love it.


    Currently my house plants and balcony garden is flourishing!

    After lots of trial and error, I’ve almost figured out what they all like. .

    I’m actually really happy about all this green because recently I have decided to take this path/dream more seriously and go to college to study horticulture ( I got in!haha ) This is going to make a big jump in my current knowledge and really help me in future.


    😁 I start September yay!πŸ˜„.

    I also found a person nearby, as well, who’s offering up their massive garden so I can grow my crops all year round.πŸ’šβœŒ

    – This is a little crazy for me as I have never worked in a garden space, I’m literally going to have plants growing in the ground omg! .. This could either go really badly or absolutely amazing. I’m sure my course will help me out. (still deciding whether i should take it on right now though)


    Another crazy thing thats happening is that in the winter the tree I told you I was adopting is coming! (It’s gonna be 2 years of nonstop watering to make it as big and strong as the giants surrounding it but it’ll be all worth it when I have a  healthy beautiful tree, that can live maybe 100-300 years and I can indulge in all the amazing fruits – still got to decide what tree to get -please help me with suggestions πŸ˜…).


    I honestly thought , for the longest time, that I was only going to be able to grow a few bits on my small balcony and now suddenly all these opportunities are happening and my dream to live off of fresh foods that I grew myself is becoming a reality 😍.

    I put out my dream into the world and here I am making it a reality 😁😁😁


    FREEDOM!

    A post shared by Sky Christina πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ (@skychristina) on


    Its actually so weird how life has played out, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would be growing plants and learning about plants… its a very weird reality for me right about now.

    Which fruit tree do you think I should grow? I want to try something different and exotic that can grow in UK …πŸ˜‹πŸ€”πŸ€”


    Love and Light

    Christina Sky

    x