Women of Rubies
Category

self development

Category
In #TheMansPointofview By

THE WOMAN’S PERCEPTION OF THE MAN (PART 1)

Men, have you seen them? Of course you have; they are practically everywhere. They have two arms, two legs, one head and basically all the typical features consistent with that of a human being. So what really makes a man, ‘a man’? Is it his role in the family? His position in the society? Or maybe it’s just the anatomical addition of that ‘thing’ that sits between his legs.

The first male figure most women encounter are their fathers. A lot of women don’t know that many of their ideologies about men, first come from their fathers. The second male figure is sometimes their brother(s). During a woman’s formative years, these two characters are responsible for the development of both her foundational perception and psychological comprehension of men. Unfortunately, these men are almost completely oblivious of the ‘power’ they behold. The words that proceed from their mouths, the way and manner in which they show love and care to these women (daughters and sisters) are very strong factors that come together to create a notion of who the man is to a woman.

In our world today, growing girls (future women) are bound to come across two types of early male encounters; the abusive father Vs the loving one, the stubborn brother Vs the kind one, the wayward (male) cousin Vs the level headed one. These men do not know how their actions affect the women around them. They are mostly unaware that their way of life affects the little girl that cohabits in their world. For some of them who rarely take cognizance of this, they are quick to resolve that a young woman, (like Esther, Bisi, Voke) is too small to understand what is going on around her. But Oh! How ignorant can they be!?! How negligent they have now become, expecting these things to wash away with time. I read somewhere that scientists have been somewhat able to estimate that if the human brain’s memory capacity were to be measured in bytes like that of a computer, it would be capable of holding all data seen, heard and experienced to a capacity of 100 terabytes to 1 petabyte; now that’s a lot of space.

 

As a woman progresses through the stages of life, she continues to meet more men. Classmates, schoolmates, neighbors and male friends from her church or mosque are all men she is bound to come across; I said it before, these men are practically everywhere. Note that as a woman grows, she is not impacted by every single man she meets. She is much older and can begin to form more meaningful bonds with specific men in her life. She is going to have male friends, male acquaintances, male classmates/colleagues, not forgetting the boyfriend and of course the toasters association that would be very present and sometimes remain present even after she is married.

However, whoever a woman decides to bond with, contributes a little ‘something something’ to her previously formed perception of men. It’s almost as if the girl’s idea of a man is a pot of soup and each meaningful bond she forms, is similar to someone adding a little salt, a bit of pepper or curry and at other times it’s a little sand or cement, to that pot of soup as the case may be.

 

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

#WCW: CELEBRATING STEPHANIE OKEREKE LINUS

Hello WORriors! Today is #WomanCrushWednesday and we are celebrating Stephanie Okereke Linus as our Woman Crush for this week!

Stephanie Okereke is a humanitarian, actress, scriptwriter, producer, and director. She was born in Ngor Okpala, Imo State on October 2, 1982. She is married to Linus Idahosa and they are blessed with a son. She has a Bachelor degree in English and Literary Studies from the University of Calabar. She started acting during her teenage years and has starred in over 90 movies. In 2002, she contested in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant and reached 2nd place. In 2003, she was nominated in eight different categories and won two awards out of the whole nominations. After graduating from the New York Film Academy in 2007, she released the movie Through The Glass in which she served as director, scriptwriter, producer and actress. The film received an AMAA nomination for Best Screenplay in 2009. In 2014, she release another movie, Dry and again served as a director, scriptwriter, producer, and actress which won many awards including 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards and 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards’ Overall Best Movie.

She has featured in many movies including, Waterloo, Compromise 2, Emotional Crack, Genesis Of Love, Queen Sheba, Diamond Lady, Critical Decision, The Cross Of Love, Eyes Of The Gods, Mission To Nowhere, Dry, Windfall, among others.

Some of her awards include, Afro-Dublin Awards- Outstanding Actress, Reel Awards- Best Actress, Film Makers of Nigeria- Award For Excellence, Pan African Film Festival- Best Actress, Pan African Film Festival- Best Movie, 2015 Bentonville Film Festival- Best Protagonist, DALA Awards- Face Of Nollywood, 2016 AMVCA- Overall Best Movie, among others.

Stephanie Okereke is the Brand Ambassador of California Natural Food’s Green Valley Oatmeal. ​She is also UNFPA Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health in West and Central Africa.

 

Women Of Rubies celebrates you, Stephanie Linus!

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

#MONDAYMOTIVATION| LYDIA OLADEJO: START FROM WHERE YOU ARE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

A wise go-getter once said “A year from now, you are going to regret not starting today” Another wise go-getter said ”Success is a failure turned inside out. You can only succeed if you are not afraid of failure”. You can have big dreams, great goals, and still not succeed. You know why? The reason is not far-fetched- PROCASTINATION…always waiting for the right moment, always waiting for the perfect location, the right/huge capital..etc. Stop waiting for the right opportunity, create an opportunity for yourself. Start with the little you have, right where you are, and with the little audience you get. Don’t be afraid to fail and don’t be discouraged when you fail. Learn from your last mistake and don’t stop trying until you succeed. Stop waiting for people’s validations and approvals, pat yourself in the back and push yourself to be more.

There was a time I was trying to convince myself that I couldn’t be anything unless I relocate to Lagos. After reading the story of how Instagram and Walt Disney were started, I decided to start from where I am and build a name for myself right here! Stop waiting, start doing. Stop reading success stories and start reading failure stories. Trust me, you will get more wisdom. Big things don’t just start from being big, big things starts from being small.

Start from where you are with what you have!

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

JAY HILL : WHAT NOT TO DO ANYMORE WHEN YOU TURN 24

Congratulations on making it to 24! You’re still young, but you’re starting to move into fully-mature adulthood. So how exactly should you change you life for the better? Start by following this guide that outlines 10 things you should stop doing right now!

  1. Stop buying cheap clothes.

As a teenager and young adult, it’s fine to buy clothes and only wear them a few times, changing them as fashion dictates. However, now you’re older and probably settling into your first serious job, it’s time to start taking style more seriously. Invest in a few key pieces rather than buying a new wardrobe every few weeks.

  1. Stop dating unsuitable ones.

It can be hard to find someone worthy of your time and attention, but by the time you reach your mid-twenties, you should have a better idea about what you need in a partner. Don’t waste your time on experimenting with people who you know, deep down, are not right for you. Strike a balance between being realistic and being too willing to give people a chance.

  1. Stop caring what other people think.

It’s human nature to worry about what other people think of us, and no-one likes to feel as though they are being judged or criticized. However, being overly concerned with others’ opinions can cause you to lose sleep and even sacrifice your cherished dreams and ambitions in favour of living someone else’s idea of a great life. Trust your own judgement first and foremost.

  1. Stop blaming your parents.

Sure, no-one’s parents are perfect and yours probably made their fair share of mistakes. However, it’s too easy to fall into the trap of blaming your parents or your upbringing for any current issues you may have. This isn’t productive, and will sour familial relationships.

  1. Stop holding onto old hopes and dreams.

Are you guilty of holding onto aspirations that you really would be best off releasing? It may be time to trade in your old goals and ambitions for newer, more realistic aims. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your vision of an ideal life, just that you need to keep your aspirations realistic.

  1. Stop living in denial about your finances.

Those years when you could get away with being oblivious to the intricacies of your financial situation are over. It’s time to get responsible and set up a decent savings account, together with a pension plan if you haven’t got one already.

  1. Stop being too nice.

This is an extension of Point 3, above, but deserves its own point. Stop people-pleasing. By your age, you should have a good idea of what you are capable of, and where your limits are. Learning how to say ‘no’ is an important step on the road to maturity.

  1. Stop wasting so much time on the internet.

This is a tough one. These days, it seems as though everyone is addicted to the internet. We use it to find information, keep in touch with friends…and most of the time just browse social media unconsciously…wasting plenty of time. Learn to set time limits for yourself. You could even try one completely internet-free day per week.

  1. Stop taking your health and fitness for granted.

Most of us can subject our bodies to late nights, too much alcohol and excessive junk food in college without feeling the after-effects. Unfortunately, as you move into your mid-twenties and then into your thirties, your body isn’t quite up to the task any more. Time to start eating more healthily and limiting those wild late nights!

  1. Stop being messy.

How many hours have you lost looking for your wallet, cell or keys? Make this the year you finally start getting your possessions in order. Nothing makes you feel more mature than knowing exactly where your stuff is.

Source: Lifehack.org

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

AKUDO ABENOGWE-ADEBAYO: NO, I DON’T BELONG IN THE KITCHEN

I vividly remember my article ‘Lagos Hustle’, where I narrated my daily activities in a bid to paint the picture of how stressful it is to work or live in Lagos. I read the various responses about how I was trying to be a super woman. Some people even called my husband a lazy man who was not helping me in anyway. While I enjoy reading the comments and feedbacks, sometimes I think we are too quick to judge without checking the angles to understand what the writer is trying to say.

I am first a woman, before I became a wife and a mother. As a growing girl, I had dreams, things I hoped to achieve, status I wanted to attain, lives I wanted to touch, and I will still try to achieve those dreams.

This is what drives me. My dreams shouldn’t change because marriage and motherhood happened, no. As much as I would try my best to make a success of my roles as a wife and a mother, I should also try and make a success of my dreams.

The worst thing that can happen to any human is to live an unfulfilled life. I don’t think it’s right to think that marriage or motherhood is enough validation as a human, there has to be more to life. I love my husband and children, but I also love ME and will strive to make ME happy. So every hustle I make is not because I don’t have an option of staying at home to be a good wife and mother, every hustle is because I had my dreams as a girl and I want to make them happen.

It will be total injustice for a girl to endure the stress of getting educated or skilled and then throw them away on the altar of being a wife and mother, well if it works for you, good, but it does not work for me.

And that is why I have a problem with being told plainly without mincing words that my place is in the kitchen and bedroom. I disagree. I don’t think any man would set out to marry a dumb, foolish girl as a wife. What kind of kids would she give you? How would she even be able to take care of your home? Marrying such a woman will be tantamount to inviting unending stress into your life because you will end up doing double roles.

I believe that one of the qualities men look out for when picking a wife is smartness, they need to be assured that God forbid if anything happens to them, their kids and properties will be ably handled and safeguarded by their wives. So they marry smart women. Assuming they have political ambitions, they not only marry smart women they go for the ones that are skilled at communication and winning people to their sides, and they bring out their wives to campaign for them when the need arises. How can you then tell me to my face, after bearing and training your children for you, after giving you both moral, emotional, psychological and financial support (if need be) that I belong to the kitchen, just because I am bold enough to air my opinion?

I remember back then as an undergraduate, I knew someone who would always say he wanted to marry me. I thought he was joking about it then. One day, he came to the house and started again with his usual talk, so I told him to get on his knees and propose to me. It was a joke but he took offence and said, what if he got on his knees and I refused to marry him, how would he get up? That as a titled man it was a taboo for him to kneel for a woman. So I told him that my greatest desire is for my fiancé to propose to me on his knees. That was the end of his marriage proposal, he stopped saying it and even avoided coming to the house if I was around.

America is on the verge of having a woman as its first female president. Will we ever have such achievement with politics in Nigeria, if we are constantly reminded that we belong to the kitchen? So I say so, I don’t belong in the kitchen, I also have a dream and will strive to achieve it, so help me God!

Source: Bellanaija

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

TALE ALIMI: 5 MARKETING LESSONS FROM NOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS

2016 will be remembered as the year of Nollywood blockbuster movies.

As the year was rounding off, we were inundated with the promotion of various new movies, most of which had great reviews from TIFF (Toronto international film festival).

I was spoiled for choice trying to decide which ones I was going to watch, but I finally settled on a few good ones and I must say; they were worth the time and money spent.

While I was giving them kudos for putting out good production, I was not paying attention to the effect it was having on the economy until the beginning of this year.

A few days into the New Year, myself and a business partner were analysing the 2016 economic performance and expectedly, most key sectors had a decline in growth due to the recession, but the tourism and entertainment sector experienced growth mostly fuelled by the growth in activities in Nollywood.

Last week, one of those movies shattered the current Guinness book of record for highest earning film in West Africa with revenues of almost half a billion naira in a country that is supposed to be in a recession!

I immediately put my business strategist hat on to glean marketing lessons from these blockbuster movies that businesses can apply to grow their revenues.

Lesson 1: Mass appeal
These movies had an appeal that cut across social, religious or gender class. They were mostly easy to watch, relatable and connected with current cultural nuances. Even the movies that were based on historical events created enough nostalgia that made you feel like you were relieving the past.

When you position your product or service to appeal to as many people as possible in your selected market space, you are going to sell more or reach more people and in turn earn more revenue.

Lesson 2: Inclusive campaign
In this age of social media, it is very easy to carry your customers and fans along, as you create anticipation for your products or services. Some of these movies carried fans along by showing behind-the-scene pictures, videos and even involving them as the script and characters developed.

By the time the movies came out, the fans appetite have been whet consistently, that they were ready to run to the cinemas to watch them.
When you are creating your products or services, you can leverage on instant feedback from your prospective clients or fans to ensure that you are creating something they will buy.

Lesson 3: Influence marketing
Meet and greet with celebrities during movie premiers and launches have become commonplace. Most of the cast of these movies were present in various cinemas to meet with their fans, and fans were willing to go to the cinemas several times to meet with them.

The use of influence marketing has become quite popular, as you see major brands signing up celebrities as brand ambassadors.

I quite like the idea of the celebrities leveraging their influence to mobilize their fans to see their movies and take selfies with them. Small business have to also begin to find ways to leverage influence marketing to drive revenues.

Lesson 4: Community mobilization
People were encouraged to see the movies over and over again with their family member, friends, colleagues etc. I heard some stories of people who went to see a particular movie 5 times!

Using social and peer influence to mobilize people is one of the most effective ways to market products and services and it is quite popular among network marketing companies.

You can create a marketing campaign that encourages your customers to carry their friends and colleagues along and you will have a marketing team without the payroll!

Lesson 5: Sweeten the deal
Isn’t it amazing that you could watch a movie that cost you under five thousand naira (refreshments included) and stand a chance to win a phone, car or even a trip abroad? Movie promoters have become apt at sweetening the deal for movie goers.

Even though just a hand full of people will eventually win, but it gives people something to look forward to beyond just watching a movie, because you could get over 10 times or 100 times the value of your investment  – if you win in the raffle draw.

These five lessons are not exhaustive, but I believe you can draw some inspiration from them as you create your future marketing campaign.

If you want to get specific strategies and tactics you can leverage to drive your marketing activities and increase your revenues, then my upcoming Marketing master class will benefit you. You can learn more about it and register here.

Tale Alimi

About Tale Alimi

‘Tale is an Entrepreneurial thought leader, foremost Business expert, coach& strategist with an expertise in guiding business owners and professionals to up-level their business and revenues. She is on a mission to help people find their niche and stop the struggle in starting and growing a business which she personally experienced in starting and struggling in several businesses before she finally began to achieve success. She has a Masters in Business Administration from Lagos business school, a certificate in personal coaching from the coaching academy UK and is currently the Lead coach/CEO at Tale Alimi Global( talealimi.com.com). Get daily business inspiration when you follow her on twitter (http://twitter.com/talealimi) and Instagram(https://www.instagram.com/talealimi).

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

AKUDO ABENOGWE-ADEBAYO: ON CRUMBLING MARRIAGES…DON’T LIVE A LIE

Marriages are falling apart and that is no news. What is news is the way and manner at which the institution is breaking. Our forefathers clearly understood the purposes of marriage and placed optimum values on the marriage institution. These days, however, people have little or no respect for marriages.

I think people are more in love with the idea of getting married than the married life itself, and I stand to be corrected. Do you know the level of planning, excitement etc that women especially put into their wedding? The hair must be right, the makeup great, the outfits perfect, the venue wonderful, the food and drinks amazing, the music and entertainment outstanding. In fact, everything must be perfect. However, little or no plan is put into the marriage on how to face the expected challenges that comes with it. What often happens is that after the glitz of the ceremony, the day breaks and the challenges comes, you see the couple falter and give up even without trying.

Truth is, marriage is as hard as life. Life is hard, but you see us trying to survive and conquer all odds to be successful in life. But we hardly make such efforts to survive our marriages and conquer all odds to be successful at it. We give up and use every available excuses to defend ourselves. I will try to analyse the various angles to the recent breakup of the marriages of Tonto Dikeh and Ubi Franklyn, the best way I can, bearing in mind that there are three sides to a story, your side, my side and the truth.

Ubi Franklyn fell out with his acclaimed girlfriend Emma Nyra and went public with gory details about her, painting her black and him white. In the same process, he got engaged to Lilian Esoro and they went ahead and got married. Lilian Esoro was matured enough not to speak about Ubi and Emma Nyra’s controversy, but she married him because they were in love right? After their grand wedding, Lilian and Ubi would put up happy pictures and cryptic words showing them living their lives on social media. Meanwhile, there were were already cracks in the wall, and it finally happened few months after the birth of their son.
Lilian walked out of the marriage citing almost the same issues that Emma Nyra claimed she went through in her relationship with Ubi.
My question is, why make so much effort to show a façade on social media when it’s not the reality of that marriage?

Now, Tonto Dikeh got married to Olakunle Churchhill in a secret wedding that shocked everyone. While I gave kudos to her for managing to keep her relationship out of the public until they wedded, I was mostly impressed that she seemed to have turned a new leaf. What with all the inspirational and almost spiritual messages she would often post on her wall, her fans were ecstatic for her. I got a bit worried when she would post every little thing about her marriage on social media. She would write epistles on special occasions and eulogise her husband, calling him all sorts of nomenclatures and praising God for giving her such a loving husband. I felt that all was not well, and that it was a desperate attempt to cover up something and create a different picture from reality.

And suddenly the cookie crumbled, now Tonto is singing a different song. There has been accusations and counter accusations from both parties, the husband whom Tonto used to paint as a demi-god has now become the devil himself. The most funny of them all is Tonto’s recent claims that she lied on social media to paint her husband in a good light. That is absurd because we didn’t ask you if your husband was a saint or not, we didn’t even need to know if he was the perfect husband or not period!

A lot of responsibility of the marriage is placed on women, especially christians. This is because we are homemakers, we are builders, we are shapers. Remember that the Holy book says ‘whoever finds a wife finds a good thing’. It didn’t say a woman will find a husband. It is the man that will find a wife, and she will be a good thing to him.

Make no mistake ladies, we have roles to play in our men’s lives. We have the power and ability to build, shape and make our homes into what we want it to be. We shouldn’t give up on them just because there are issues, rather we should help them get the help they need as the case may be and if that doesn’t work we would know we tried our best.
Don’t waste so much energy displaying perfection on social media, and to the world… instead of building your home. It should be the other way round. Ask God for the ability to forgive all wrongs, conquer every challenge and survive the odds in marriage. Don’t live a lie; if your spouse sees your effort in making the marriage work, he/she will join you and you will both make sacrifices for the good of the home.

My 2 cents, see you next week.

Akudo Abengowe-Adebayo is a multiple award winner, with over 8 years in the media industry. She also hosts (Love Moments With Akudo) and is CEO of SATT Media, a content and media marketing company. She blogs at Akudosworld.
She is married with two adorable kids and loves Jesus with all her being. She is a TV addict, loves dancing and traveling, and a lil gossip now and then. Follow her on twitter@akudoabengowe or instagram@akuabengo

http://akudosworld.blogspot.com.ng/

About Akudo Abengowe-Adebayo

by
Keep Reading
In Career Gems By

HARVARD FOUNDATION HONOURS RIHANNA AS HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

Rihanna received the 2017 Harvard University Humanitarian of the Year Award at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre yesterday, on February 28, 2017, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Rihanna was honoured because of her work in her native island of Barbados and the charities she has founded over the years, the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations.



During the ceremony, Rihanna thanked the university for the honor and delivered an inspiring speech.

by
Keep Reading
In self development By

OLAMIDE BALOGUN: 6 GOOD LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO ADOPT

Hello again everybody.

This month I am going to give you tips that will be useful. This is an excerpt of one of the seminars I have given. At the end there is also a testimonial from a mid fifties lady who has been on two of our challenges. Our challenges really try to replace bad lifestyle habits with good lifestyle habits. They are simple and very doable. We have another 30day challenge starting on the 1st of March. Email me at olamideb@awakenlifestyles.com if you want to join. Remember if you want to go fast, go alone; If you want to go far, go in a group.

1.Drink water

Our bodies are made up of 50-75% water and this decreases as we age. Besides helping us lose weight, water helps nutrition work, ⅔ of the water in our bodies is intracellular (inside the cells) and ⅓ is extracellular, which circulates between cells and inside organs, supplying nutrients and excreting waste.
Research shows that obese people who drank 2 cups of water before each meal over a 3-month period lost 5 pounds more than those who didn’t. 1 year later, the water drinkers had kept more of that weight off.

2. Sleep
How much you sleep AND the quality of your sleep will affect nearly every aspect of your daily life, so it’s important to get the sleep you need every night. Proper sleep is critical for stress management, weight and overall health.
Inadequate sleep leads to an increased chance of developing obesity by 23% with just 6 hours of sleep per night and 50% with just 5 hours per night, and 73% with 4 hours per night.
Lack of sleep disrupts circadian rhythms and can lead to inefficient body regulation of energy balance, metabolism, and appetite.
Abnormal leptin and ghrelin levels – hormones that tell your body “I’m full, stop eating” – can go away with too little sleep.
Said simply: Sleep more, eat, and weigh less! Strive for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Stress:
Increases The Hormone Cortisol and makes our bodies crave carbohydrates and increases appetite
Makes our bodies store fat around the midsection

We can gain weight even if we don’t eat more due to stress
Contributes to Major Illnesses like heart disease, depression, obesity and poor mental health

3. Exercise
Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure.
Examples of exercise. Walking, jogging, cycling ,dancing , swimming.

Physical inactivity has been identified as the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally.
From a health standpoint, exercise can be more beneficial than simply being at a healthy weight.
Besides burning calories, exercise is also important because when you exercise your body releases endorphins, which make you feel good and motivate you to eat well, do your job well and simply be happy
A growing body of evidence has shown that normal weight couch potatoes are more vulnerable to all causes of death, especially heart disease, than overweight people who exercise
Exercise for an exercise goal, not for a weight goal
Strive to be active at least 30 minutes every day to help keep your body strong and lean. Remember it doesn’t have to be expensive.

4. Eat Right
Feel empowered by putting the most nutrient rich foods in your body. When you focus on how good you feel when you fuel yourself with the best foods you will continue to be motivated to eat these foods.  The benefits from skin health to weight loss, and all that’s in between, will follow.

Eat Real Carbohydrates not processed food. Replace refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta, cereal, with complex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Complex carbs are also packed with antioxidants that help reduce inflammation in the body.

Eat healthy fats.
A common misconception is that fat should be completely eliminated. In reality, we could not live without fat. The body utilises dietary fat for energy, healthy hair, skin, nails, vitamin absorption, and normal everyday bodily functions. Good fats promote several health benefits such as protection against heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, depression and it can reduced blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Choose sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil.

Eat lean protein
Our bodies require protein to continuously renew and replenish our cells, stabilise our blood sugar, and give us energy.  Our bodies are literally made out of the amino acids that make up protein in our food.
Many foods contain protein, but the richest sources include animal products like meat, dairy, eggs, and fish as well as plant sources like beans, quinoa, nuts, and seeds.
Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which slows digestion and promotes stable blood sugar levels.

Eat Breakfast
By eating a hearty breakfast, you’ll give your metabolism a jumpstart and be in better control of your cravings.
When we miss our first fuel of the day, we are often hungry by mid-morning and more likely to engage in mindless nibbling, snacking, overeating, and over compensating for any calories “saved” by skipping breakfast.  Studies repeatedly show daily breakfast consumption is associated with maintaining a healthy weight.

Eat at regular times
It’s important to balance your food intake throughout the day to help maintain normal blood sugar and decrease the chances of binging when hunger strikes.
Keep track of what you eat. Try to avoid frying foods by learning how to roast or bake, and eat more raw foods to boost flavor and cut calories. Also try experimenting with herbs and spices to reduce salt intake. The healthiest foods are those found just as nature intended – whole and unprocessed. When was the last time you saw an ingredient list on a stalk of vegetable or a fresh fish

5. Live Deliberately

Our surroundings impact our mental and physical healthy. Improve your work and home environments:
■ A clean and organized work space increases employee productivity
■ Keep a clean and organized bedroom
■ Have a designated place for everything
■ Label items and folders
■ Use plants to help circulate air

6.Nurture and pamper yourself

Treating yourself to something special can have great emotional and physical impact
Time spent caring for yourself is valuable: massage, bubble bath, manicure , etc.

It is obvious that many things need to be in sync for us to be in optimum health. Don’t worry, it is like driving. When you don’t know how to, it seems difficult but when you know how to, it is very easy. These are general guidelines and the specifics may differ from person to person.

Testimonial from KI
Where do I start? I guess back to 2013 with my Cambridge diet. So I had a nice round happy face and weighed 92kg. A comfortable size 18 and then shirts started gaping at the bust line and skirts began to get snug and would ride up and crease all day long. Had heard of Cambridge but thought, too drastic!

However I really needed to shed the weight, so I dove in. Good results, because 6 months later, I was 75kg, my target weight. And down to size 14 and happy as a lark. This was April 2014. I could swear by Cambridge and mocked everyone who put the weight back on. I told them to eat right…but did I know what eat right was? I had dropped a few bad habits, but did I really know what was bad for me?? I thought bread, cakes, sweets….I was right, but didn’t know the whole story.

So come October 2016, I was 79.6kg. Praised myself though that I had done well to keep of the 17kg that I’d lost but couldn’t seem to shed the 4.6kg. Tried all kinds of diets, would drop 1kg put back 2Kg. Yo-yoed for a while. Got myself the Cambridge products and couldn’t seem to muster up the will power past 1 week. Had tossed out all big sizes, so dilemma! My size 14 clothes were tight. The first 2-3kgs you gain, your clothes are still fine. I was up almost 5kg and miserable.

So my lifestyle change started when I received the GET.IT.TOGETHER 30 day weight adjustment challenge flyer. My motivation? I needed to lose weight – 5kg. I’d seen LB’s physical change and believed something must be right here. I also liked the idea of weight adjustment…not diet!

So along came the 1st lesson, before takeoff…No flour, no sugar. I have preached that to everybody who cares to listen. That’s the starting point and we can keep whatever weight off by simply cutting out on these two “killers”.
Week 1 menu and after the 1st week I weighed in minus 2kg. Compared it to my Cambridge plan, then I weighed in minus 2.7kg but no food…only porridges, shakes and soups.

I was thrilled to high heavens. Because that 1st week, I had era, I had sweet potatoes, I had salads, chicken, fish, boiled eggs/omelets! And lost 2kg! First real diet where I was eating and losing weight. I was hooked.

My work takes me all over the place, hotels, flights…and complained to LB that the weight wasn’t dropping off as I hoped. Got my next vital lesson. Sleep! Nothing is going to happen if I didn’t get enough sleep…if I didn’t drink enough water….and throw in some physical exercise. Not to mention eating your food fresh!
I have since made so many adjustments with the varied food plans, cut out all the processed food, and seasoning with garlic, salt and ginger. Throw in the lifestyle seminar and that’s a real winner.
What more can I say? I’m down to 71.3kg after 2+months and I’m heading to a new target 70kg, to get my BMI as close to Normal as possible.

LB has been a super health coach, listening, advising and helping us make the necessary adjustments. The most fun part is get on your scale and take a photo of your weight! You can’t cheat…it’s distant coaching and I’ve encouraged a number of people to get on the challenges and they can see, feel and are living the results.

Olamide Balogun

About Olamide Balogun

Olamide Balogun (LB) is a wife of one man , a mother, a mentor and personal coach, a Human Resource consultant,
a minister of God, a friend , a confidant and many more. She trained as a lawyer and now runs an HR Consulting firm and manages furnished offices to let. LB spear headed the registration of an NGO that has adopted a school with over 2000 children in premises that has no water, electricity or toilets. LB has a passion for imparting knowledge and also for wellness and optimum quality lifestyle. Follow me at catapultbylb.wordpress.com

Source: Bellanaija

by
Keep Reading

©2025. WomenofRubies. All Rights Reserved.