Off the books** Your Health: EAT TO FLUSH OUT FAT

 

Did you know that eating raw onions, carrot and cabbage every day helps in breaking down fats? As much as what we eat may pile on the fat, there are certain fooods you can eat to shed them off.
 

We have all heard the deadly warnings about having excess fat in the body and have maybe tried in vain to get rid of it in different ways(*cough cough!!) Well, there are many crash diets out there that tell you what not to eat to avoid fat accumulation and that usually ends up leading one having an even greater craving for the same. So, let me share what I learnt a while back(mhmmm,decided to act on it now, not too late huh?) about how you(we) try out EATING to cut out and flush out fat for a change?
 
Certainly, there are foods that when eaten flush out fat from our bodies; and these are the ones I am going to focus on today.However, please note that not all fat is bad for you, every diet should contain some amount of fat because there is such a thing as healthy fat.

 

Water
We have all heard about the healthy benefits of drinking water and as is, this is one of them. Water is the key component to any fat-flushing diet. It’s the quickest way the fat will exit your body. Make sure you drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day to ensure stored fat is released out of your system; if the water is too bland, you can add a drop of organic honey or a slice of lemon to taste. This is also a great detox solution and will keep you hooked to your glasses of water.

Cabbage
This cleanses your body of waste matter because it contains sulphur and iodine, which help to cleanse the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. Cabbage is a great food if you should have a potbelly or a middle age spread. The diuretic cabbage will help to break up the fat in this area.


Seafood
Whether you are trying to lose weight or not, every diet needs a good source of protein. In the digestive process, protein is used as fuel and therefore aids in the burning of fat. So, always endeavour to include seafoods like Tuna or Salmon in your diet or should I say Lake food liike Tilapia (just for Uganda's sake?!) Fresh fish,eggs and chicken are also a very good alternative.

Soybean
Soybean is known for being a good source of nutrients, so it’s intake is encouraged by many nutritionists. Soybean is top of fat-burning food that contains lecithin, a substance that blocks the process by which cells absorb fat, thus helping in the flushing out of fats. Soybean is used in a variety of products from soymilk and soy porridge to roasted snacks which luckily are cheap and in plenty in Uganda. So here, you'll have less trouble getting all the lecithin you need.

Citrus
Citrus is recommended for burning body fat. Citrus foods contain a lot of vitamin C, which among other things is responsible for increasing the rate at which the body burns fat.You can have a tangerine, orange or grapefruit every day preferably in the morning to take advantage of the fat burning effects.

 

Carrots
Carrots contain carotene, a form of Vitamin A, which when digested starts a fat flushing reaction in your system. This reaction literally washes out fat and waste quickly. The carotene is transformed into vitamin A in the intestines and this process creates a speed up in your metabolism and causes a reaction in the cells to remove fat deposits. Carrots can be eaten in many different forms; you can munch carrots as a snack, or slice an dice to add to your salad dish or food, or blend to make thick carrot juice.

 

Cucumber
Cucumber contains a high sulphur and silicon content. These minerals work to stimulate the kidneys to wash out uric acid, which is a waste product. With this uric acid being washed out, it stimulates the removal of fat, and loosens the fat from the cells. To take the boring out of cucumber, add a few salted slices to a meal as a side dish or blend in with your juice.

Garlic
Garlic has long been known for it's vast medicinal purposes since the mediaval times. It contains mustard oils and which create a an immediate cleansing action in the body when digested; garlic is best eaten raw! The oils promote a vigorous action of peristalsis, which is muscular contraction, and this will loosen fat and help wash out fats; they can also break down clumps of fat. So eat as much garlic as you can and watch yourself and thin down!  Onions, similar to garlic, have minerals and oils that will help to break down fat deposits and speed up your metabolism. If you are worried about the strong smell, suck on a slice of lemon doused with salt to cleanse your mouth after. If that is still a problem then you don't have to eat it raw,use it to season when cooking.

 

Bad Hair Day?? Don't Let It Faze You! Try a Head Wrap

The head wrap is so in fashion and even better than before, it’s not only confined to the house mama-style but is now funky and sassy and be can be proudly and confidently adorned outdoors at all times and still leave you looking smart, stylishly artsy and classy! From the office, dinner date, night out to the red carpet, the head wrap is here to stay!

Gone are the bad hair days; a simple head wrap is a life saver of all seasons, occasions and can be worn to match most attires.

For a long time now the head wrap was left for those who were into “African” style and was mostly associated with West and North African cultures but guess what ladies? It has evolved to include the modern African woman and when worn well, can be addictive as it is a good break from the monotonous permed and synthetic hair styles not to mention a money saver!

The trick of a good head wrap is to make it a little bit layered. So wrap a cotton cloth on your head first and proceed to use the scarf. If your hair is braided or done in corn rows you will need to arrange it in such a way that it doesn’t leave ridges. Tie the scarf from the front and fold at the base of your neck for a better look as it shapes the head better that way. For a quick head wrap, whether it's becuase you are short on time or skill, just wrap a beautiful scarf around your head and let it hang loosely around your neck 'celeb paparrazi style' and finish off with a cute pair of earings and big glasses!  You can go on and push it just a bit by adding a hat, trust me this look will take you from average Jane to 'photoworthy' Jane!

Another way to spot a head wrap is not to wrap the entire head; just cover three quaters or half of your head leaving some of your hair out for a different look altogether. This look is even better with 'big hair' say braided hair, weave ons and dread locks. Anways, a head wrap requires a bit of creativity and you'll find that you do it different most times; just relax your fingers and go with the flow.

So if you want to be part of this new fashion craze (you have to...) you will start by investing in a number of head scarves. The best way to go about it is to choose scarves with colours that go well with your complexion and will blend with your clothes and jewellery but please stay from the colours that scream "she's a flag" if you know what I am saying. You don’t want to draw that kind of attention on your date or at your place of work.

Try the scarves on sale at National theatre and Buganda Road Craft Village. There is a variety of scarves there in most colours at affordable prices ranging from Shs15,000 to Shs30,000.Try on as many as you can till you get the ones that go well with your complexion. Black and coffee brown usually do for all complexions and are easier to match with outfits. Flea markets are also a great place to go scarf shopping and you'll be spoilt for choice; in mrakets like Owino Market, you will find unique and original scarve and random pieces of cloth that make for beautiful head wraps. For those of us who are in love with everything VINTAGE, you are assured to find alot on offer for a fair price. Other wise high end malls like Graden City and Game have a few stores that will satisfy you too.

For casual outfits, go for the scarves that are multi-coloured, with bright but sane colours and finish off with big hoops. For working hours go for safer patterns, keep it simple and plainer. Try adding a ribbon to a plain coloured scarf to add character to the look. You can opt to keep it simple but to really pull off the whole bold look, accessorise with long necklaces and pile on the bangles; don’t forget to include the wooden ones. To office, wear medium sized loops or your choice of earrings. Bear in mind though that very small earrings are not suitable for the head wrap.

 

DIY; Hammock

How to make a hammock

A hammock is one of those must haves in all our homes but it hasn’t picked up that much in Uganda. Why not consider making yourself one? It is one perfect place you can escape to when bored with your bedroom, living room .

You can lounge in it as you read a book, sip your favorite drink; be it in your backyard or patio you are going to love it. Relax in a hammock alone or with your better half, toss in a shawl for warmth and comfort. 

Alternatively you could bask in our abundant cool weather though I’d say our sun gets too hot sometimes, so maybe you would consider building the hammock under a tree shade or on the front porch.

What you need

Strong elastic cloth  material in a colour of your choice,  strong rope in say sisal, two posts in either metal or wood, throw pillows, cement, concrete, spade, paint or vanish, hooks and strong nails. Buy all most of these and more in camp stores and hardware shops in most parts of town. 

Drill two holes each into the poles, paint them a colour of your choice and leave to dry for and hour. If it’s wood, apply grease to avoid rotting and bugs. Try to take into consideration the backdrop colour and appearance of where you going to fix the hammock so that it blends in well.

Make a neat few holes into both shorter sides of the cloth and loop the rope through like one would do when lacing a shoe and leave part of the rope hanging out on both ends.

The hammock material should be elastic and very strong so as to be able to hold maximum200kg at ago so that it doesn’t easily tear. Begin by digging two holes six feet apart and one foot deep. Fill with concrete mixed in cement and sand and fix post firmly. Give it a day for the concrete to dry.

Pull on the hanging rope on one side of the material to make a cone like shape and hook it through the previously drilled holes in the post, do the same for the other side and make a tight knot. If you don’t trust your knot, use a hook nail to fix to the rope to the post to be on safer side as a loose knot will give away easily.

Add the throw pillows and jump in your new hammock! Easy; right?

Fab! Design Secrets*: Decorating A Studio Apartment

www.guide2uganda.comFab! Design Secrets*: Decorating A Studio Apartment

When You Gotta Scarf It!

When the scarf trend hit town, it was like a strong tidal wave that threatened to take us all back at sea with it. One would have thought there was a scarf store in town that was dishing out all these beautiful patterned pieces of cloth for every one to wear.


I sat back and looked on as the trend moved from the young, to middle aged, to the old! What was obvious though is that many wore it the famous Desert Arab way in the checkered form over anything regardless of colour and weather especially in this dusty city.


Well lets say that was working , for a while anyway until people got bored and ditched it for the next trend.

When it came to every Tom,Dick and Harry wearing the same pattern with no way to differentiate the brand and cost, I saw the checkered trend die out slowly and now it's lets safely say only held up by SA's Luclay in the Big Brother House.


But we scarf lovers don't want to give up that easily bearing in mind how much of a wardrobe saver they are. They are one of the must have items in any one's closet because they effortlessly turn plain to stylish. Like they say, it gets better as it gets older; and nothing gets older than this trend.
There are quite a number of interesting and still trendy ways to work that scarf for all occasions and styles. The scarf doesn't have to be black checkered to work, enough with that already!

Wear the scarf in as many ways and colours as you can for instance to shield yourself from the biting cold, as a belt, as a necklace , head wrap, head gear and well, a scarf!


Scarves can be worn with casual, business or night/evening attires and trust me they will always add style to even the most boring of outfits.


So don't be discouraged by the fading trend, stock as many different scarves and see your outfit take on a new twist!  P*mela*

Decorating A Studio Apartment

Taking a one room studio and converting it into a multi-use living space may seem challenging, but it is possible as long as you use a few simple tricks.

For those who prefer simplicity on a small budget, opting for a studio apartment may be the answer to your questions. And for those who don’t know what a studio apartment is, it’s a bedroom combined with a living room and kitchen. In a few cases, it may not have a separate kitchen area. Sometimes the kitchen is tucked in the corner of the room and has a small fridge area, a cooker/stove and microwave.
A studio apartment usually comes with a whole lot of questions about how to decorate and transform it into proper living quarters where you will still be able to entertain guests whilst maintaining your privacy. Achieving this is no mean feat but it can be done. Here’s how.


Multi-purpose

Make sure every item in your apartment has more than one purpose seeing as space is needs to be economised. There are many multipurpose home items out there if you know what you are looking for.

Choose a couch that converts into a bed or have your bed built into a closet and only remove it at bed time. These are space and money savers but more important you get two for the price of one. Other items are desks that can be transformed into a dining table or a kitchen counter that can double as a bar for that time when you throw a house party.

For studio apartments, less is more and it’s better to choose streamlined furniture which has simplicity. This simplicity is portrayed through the use of crisp, symmetrical geometric forms. Streamlining enables diverse furnishings to coexist seamlessly with in one space.
More so, go for a drop-leaf table or one that pushes against the wall instead of a round one that will occupy more floor space. You can also oprt for folding chairs and tuck them away when not in use to save space.
Use the space near the window to make a window seat to cut on the amount of furniture needed and provide space for a lounging area where you can lie down with a book, watch TV or even take a nap. For extra storage space, choose coffee sets, beds and dining tables with storage for books, magazines and racks. You can also position the shelves in such a way that they act a partition between the bed and sitting area.

Partitioning




Add partitions to seperate rooms

This is the only way you will have that much-desired privacy. Use simple partitioning that can be bought in furniture shops or order one of your choice from a workshop. Try and add style to your partition’s design rather than have it plain.



You can use beading, a folding screen, curtaining, or bookcases, but keep it simple and artistic for a good finish. Use movable folding partitioning to create a wall for the bedroom and dressing area and to separate the bedroom from the bathroom and living room.
Movable partitioning will also allow for easy change of your interior when bored with one old look.





Colour to define space
  

Use colour to help define space. Colour is well known for making small rooms appear bigger and big ones smaller. Manipulate this and bring whatever perspective you want to your apartment. So, for your small studio apartment, use lighter colour in corners that you want to appear bigger.
Colours like white, soft cream and beige will add size to a room and should be used more. Use a dark colour on the wall that holds the TV as this will make it appear endless, thus creating an illusion of an open space.
Keep the dark colours to a minimum. If you are using a bookcase to partition the living room and bedroom, paint it the same colour to create the feel of a big room. Stick to a particular colour scheme such that everything is in harmony.
You can also use the light trick to create an illusion of different rooms: dim the lights in some areas like the bedroom and brighten those in the living room or kitchen.P*mela*





A space saving closet bed




A futon bed-sofa by day, bed by night!







Multipurpose Sofa bed