Come grocery shopping with me.

This summer I've been working a lot to get the money to buy the Macbook Air I'm using right now.

I got a job at a local grocery store, called "carrefour", which means crossroad (it's french).

Working there, I got a good look at the products they sell and their prices.

The Carrefour is not exactly a cheap store, personally I wouldn't buy my groceries there, especially if I were a student on a tight budged (which I will be soon, I hope).

I noticed first and foremost, while putting away the products on the shelves, that there are a lot, and I mean A LOT, of products that are completely unnecessary. In what kind of world do we live that there are people out there who actually pay more to get the toiletpaper with the drawings on that's perfumed?

When I'm buying my own groceries, you can be sure I'll buy the toilet paper that's cheapest, or the brownish one that's made from already used paper, making it better for the environment (I suppose). Toilet paper doesn't need to be pink. After all, your butt doesn't care what it's wiped with (just make sure you wipe everything off and all will be fine).

Another thing I've been doing, is when I'm at the cash register, I kind of started judging people`s groceries.  When you're the one selling it, it's easier to see what's good and what's bad for you. A kilo of fruit costs just as much as one bar of candy (such as snickers, mars, bounty, ...). So instead of buying candy bars, try to buy the healthy, fresh stuff.

I realised that fruit and veggies are not as expensive as I thought. As a matter of fact, they're not expensive at all!

When people buy their pre-made, heat-up-and-eat-up meals, I internally shake my head. They could have easily made that themselves. That, or they could make a meal that doesn't take as much time as lasagne to make, just as cheap. You buy some vegetables like a leek and a zucchini, chop that up, put it in a pan and heat it up until it's ready, meanwhile you make some chicken and voilà! Meal is ready (assuming you don't eat any potatoes, which are really not as good for you as the food-triangle claims they are).

Message: Buy as much fruit and vegetables as you can and use them! Don't let them rot in your fridge.

By the way, since when does scented rice exist? I had no idea some people wanted their rice scented until I had a pack of scented rice in my hands. Why does everything need to be perfumed? Isn't the natural aroma enough? The scent just decreases the freshness and the naturalness of the product you're going to eat. Nowadays, I always think about what I'm putting in my body. Take a waffle for example, does my body really need sugar, butter and eggs? And I haven't even mentioned the flour and the products they put in there to keep it from going bad...

I know the fruit and vegetables in grocery stores aren't the freshest either; they've been sprayed on and genetically manipulated to look good, but it's the freshest thing you're going to find in any grocery store.

Lastly, there are the people who have this on their grocery list:

Each and every item I have to scan for these people makes me cringe.

They are treating their bodies so badly but it's not my place to judge them so I keep my mouth shut.

All that money spent on the wrong things!

For the same money or less, they could've bought this:

Next time you go grocery shopping, think about that...

Trying to be healthier

Hello there, 
since the beginning of this year, I have been trying to eat healthier.
So far, I haven't had any results in losing fat (especially arm fat).
So my mom and I went to the doctor`s to get my blood tested and I had to write down all I eat for one week. Eating healthier is great in theory, but in some cases, when you don't live alone, it's really hard to eat the right things. For example, my dad hates cooking. Therefor he always makes dishes like spaghetti, pizza and lasagne. So I know I don't eat the right things, but nevertheless, I wanted to share with you the diet tips I have gathered from the internet so far. Some of them are scientifically supported, others mention no sources, so just be warned that these may not be the most scientifically proven diet tips out there...

Tip #1 : Water

You've probably heard it before: you need to drink at least 2 litters of water each day. If not to lose weight, then just because it's healthy. But why? Besides the fact that water contains 0 calories, why does it help you lose weight?
Here's the reason why:


When it comes to water, our bodies sometimes act like camels. If you don't drink enough water each day, your body will think there's a water shortage. So what happens when there's not enough water? Your body starts storing it for when it's needed, like a camel. This is called water weight and can make a difference of up to 4 liters. If you drink enough water each day, your body will know that storing water is not necessary, and you'll lose those extra kilo's within days. 
It's good to stay hydrated even if you're not aiming to lose weight. Our bodies need water to function properly, so even if you think this is all some sort of bullcrap, it's always better to stay hydrated.

It is also said that drinking a big glass of water when you wake up can do wonders, but I haven't noticed any difference when I do. What does make sense is that if you drink a big glass of water half an hour before you eat a meal, you'll be less hungry and will eat less.
When you're hungry, before eating anything, stop and ask yourself if you're not actually thirsty. Thirst can often disguise itself as hunger, so don't be fooled.

On the note of drinking, sparkly water is a great replacement for sodas. 
If you drink a lot of soda, like I used to, STOP. Soda is so bad for you, but you probably already know that and if you still drink it, knowing that, that means you just don't care. But you should. Your body needs to be taken good care of and by drinking liters of soda everyday, you're doing the exact opposite. 
!Soda is addictive, so be careful and try to keep your soda intake small!

Tip #2 : Green tea

This one is really popular as well. It appears that green tea can really help your body to detox itself. It helps you digest and detoxes your body in a way that makes you lose a small amount of weight.
Be careful you don't drink it too much though, this may cause you a lot of stress and can be bad for your liver according to wikipedia. It's also not a good idea to consume green tea right before you go to bed. It can keep you up, a little like coffee. As much as coffee contains caffein, tea contains théine, which is basically the same molecule only working differently. The effect is the same, but since tea contains way less than coffee, it is less noticeable.

Tip #3 : No to starch

I'm sure you've learned in biology class how starch and sugar get digested. They end up as the same molecule, meaning that starch is just as bad as sugar is.
Message: don't eat too much rice, potatoes, pasta, bread or anything representing this food group.
If you are very active and you do a lot of physical activity, it's okay to eat a little more of these things considering you're burning it off when you do sports.

Tip #4 : Colour your plate!

As much as you have to watch the amount of starch you eat, you don't have to watch the amount of vegetables or fruit you consume. (*please see tip 5 before you start stuffing yourself with fruit and vegetables, also, fruit can be hard on your stomach if you eat it in great amounts)
Try to make your plate as colourful as you can, because vegetables contain zero fat and zero sugar. They are the healthiest food you can find, together with fruit, which can be a great replacement for candy, cookies and other sweet snacks. Instead of eating that Snickers, try a pear, banana or an apple. It is just as good, fills you up just as much, but contains only natural sugars.

Tip #5 : "Hara Hachi Bu"

Eat until you're about 80% full. You may have seen this tip in bubzbeauty`s '10 easy ways to lose weight', but it is all over the internet in fact.
Logically, eating less means you get less calories in your body to consume. I am not saying you should starve yourself, but maybe eating a little less can make a big difference. The less you eat per portion, the less you'll need to eat in order to be full. This is because your stomach expands every time you eat too much and shrinks when you eat until you're about full.
It also takes 20 minutes for your brain to realise your stomach is full. 20 minutes in which you can eat great amounts of food, thinking you're hungry, when in reality, you've eaten enough for days.
This is something I have never had a problem with, but if you're a fast eater, try to eat more slowly.

Tips #6 : Try new stuff

The internet is a big place. There's loads and loads of information, recipes you've never even heard of, and it is so close within your reach. If you're craving ice cream but you don't want to break your healthy eating habits, you can find the healthy replacement with one click of your mouse. 

Ice cream is replaceable with frozen banana, which is a lot healthier. There are a lot of other replacements like this one out there, so look for and try new stuff, you'll be surprised how healthy life can get when you really want it to.

Tip #7 : Never starve yourself

Every time a friend of mine says he or she skipped breakfast, I can barely refrain myself from screaming how bad that is for your body. In order for you not to have any hunger attacks, during which you stuff your face with all sorts of bad stuff, your body needs something to digest every 2-3 hours. On a normal school day for me that means eating something at 7:30, 10, 1 PM, 4 o'clock, and 7 in the evening. After that, I try not to eat anything anymore because my body won't have time to use up the energy that would provide me with before I go to sleep and it will opt to store it, as fat.
So no eating in the last 3 hours before you go to bed. 

Tip #8 : No high expectations

If you get on your balance everyday, checking every little gramme that's come off or on, you will get disappointed fast and may become obsessed, in the more extreme cases.
So here's how you weigh yourself:
- once every week, on the same day
- in the morning, before you've eaten anything
- with as few clothes on as possible
- after you've peed (because that's extra weight too)




So here are some of my tips that I've gathered over this year. I'm pretty sure I've missed a lot of them because they seem obvious to me, but if I did, I'll make a PART 2.
If you start by taking these tips seriously, you're sure to be headed towards a healthier lifestyle.
I've noticed that a healthy life style makes you happier and more active.

Youtube Vlog channel

hey there,
recently I started a Youtube vlog channel, and I wanted to share it with whoever reads my blog.
If you're interested, klik this link: https://www.youtube.com/RainbowSpecial
Starting september, I'm going to upload every sunday.
Be sure to check it out if you want to :)
bye xx

Saturday januari 11

TODAY, I went shopping for ingredients to start my new haircare routine, finally!
What I bought:
-honey,
-apple cider vinegar (ACV),
-montmorillonite clay,
-coconut oil,
-a bar of organic soap
Here is the magic natural shampoo I'm going to make with the first three ingredients.
So far, I've washed my hair with water everyday since new year (and sadly I've washed it with store shampoo once too) and I've combed through it with a Boar Bristle Brush to spread my natural oils.
It's been since wednesday that I've washed my hair, so tomorrow I have to wash it again.
However, I'm not going to use traditional store shampoo. I'm going to clarify my hair using a clay mask. This ought to get all shampoo build-up out of my hair, so I can start fresh.
After that (next wednesday,) I'm going to start using natural shampoo for the first time in my life.
Wish me luck!

After shopping in the essenza (= a store in my city) I went ice skating with my brother (he's kind of a pro, he does shorttrack, which is ice skating, but only really, really fast). I excercise about 0 minutes a day, so I thought it'd be good to go out and do something, anything at all. Why not ice skating?
Despite the fact that the skates ruined my feet, I don't regret going at all. Skating, if done right, does wonders for the muscles in your butt. Seeing as you're supposed to be in a crouched position, you're constantly using your buttmuscles :)

Tomorrow I'm going swimming with my other brother. Yes, it's an eventfull weekend. At least for me it is

CHUROS xx

Update: OneYearWithoutChemicals

How's my beauty stash coming along?

- shampoo II (long-hair, henna)
- conditioner I (joico)
- deodorant III (my current deo stick and 2 bottles of perfumed deodorant)

Since I haven't bought any of the new stuff yet, and I still have to use shower gel and such, I'm using my mother's right now.
Tomorrow, I'm going to buy the new stuff in the body shop and I'm very excited but I probably won't even find anything...

Also: HAPPY NEWYEAR! I wish you all the best of everything in 2014, lots of luck, love, happiness and joy!I hope you'll find a ot of new songs to listen to, that you'll get to know new things, new people, that you'll try your best to be the best person you can be.

Traingraffiti

So lately i've been spending a lot of time traveling by train... Doing so, I've seen more and more traingraffiti. Decided to take a picture.  I was on this train :D sitting behind this very window ....

Update:

My reviews on Goodreads?

On Goodreads, when you post reviews, you have more chance of winning the givaways you've entered. Therefor, my reviews will now be posted on Goodreads, as well as here, with this beauty on top :) Yes, I took this picture myself, in Budapest. But it wasn't nearly as good-looking as it is now. There's some special effect-thingy going on that I found on the internet. So what if there's actually no connection between the picture and bookreviews... pffshh. Nobody pays any attention to that anyway (I hope).

Wish me luck on winning a lot of FREE BOOKS hurray!