Pink lemonade smoothie

Being healthy cannot be underestimated. A healthy person is a wealthy person. You can go about your daily activities with easy. Even if you have a health condition , you can still find eating right a good place to start with managing it.
This one packs a punch... i used a whole lemon ... yes with the rind and all well apart from the seeds.  If you love being healthy and don't mind the slight astringent feel with slight bitter tangs then this is for you. I used zobo/hibiscus drink with honey to make this. Recently been discovering the wonders of lemon. Apart from being rich in vitamin c.. it is a decent source of potassium and vitamin B6. Apart from putting the common cold at bay... its great for digestion and keeps the body in an alkaline state therefore preventing disease from thriving. I know many people say lemons are acidic but actually do the opposite when they enter the body. It also helps in supressing the appetite. Amazing fruit i must say... ah there are the beauty benefits too.. try taking lemon juice before bed daily and see how clear your skin will start to look. You can even using the essential oil from the rind on your face. But please try and use unwaxed lemons or better still organic ones.

Coconut chicken and prawns on a bed of salad leaves

Coconut chicken and prawns on a bed of salad leaves with Zobo/hibiscus drink . Healthy eating can be very delicious honestly. Its amazing how the flavours in this recipe combine... so tasty. I have been on an eat clean sort of diet. Its  amazing how food tastes without stock cubes... for years been telling people how unhealthy these cubes or stock pots or whatever form they  are. Honestly you are better off not eating these excitoxins. Anyway to my recipe very simple

Ingredients
Olive oil
Pink himalyan salt(honestly this salt is packed with flavour) use rock or sea salt if you can't find it.
Garlic
Chicken breasts or diced chicken from any part will do
Handful of Prawns
An onion
1 tsp chilli flakes
Yellow,orange,red peppers
Coconut milk
1tsp Corn flour
Curry powder
Thyme

Add olive oil to pan about 3 tablespoons to heat on medium heat. Then add some of the chopped onion to flavour the oil and add chicken to cook until all done and add all spices
Then add prawns and allow to cook until pink if you are using raw prawns. Add vegetables and fry for another 3-4mins and then add coconut milk about 1 cup and then add corn flour. Keep stiring at intervals so sauce does not stick at the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 5min until sauce has thicken to the consistency of gravy. Serve on a bed of your favourite salad leaves. Enjoy

Chocolatey gluten free Beetroot cake with cranberry sauce

So i was trying to get a red velvet cake done but i wanted it relatively healthy and did not want to use artificial food colouring. But it didn't turn out red. I don't know but every red velvet i have made has never been red i guess because of the brown ingredients present. Mainly because i love a rich tastey cake more than a good looking one, its always character over looks for me.So here are my ingredients in the last picture the only thing missing is vanilla extract,you need a teaspoon. This cake was very light and fluffy and with the cranberry sauce it just give it that tang to compliment the sweetness of the cake. 

To make the cake mix the wet ingredients separate from the dry ingredients ,make sure you sieve the cocoa,carob and brown sugar in,just to avoid having lumps of those ingredients in your cake batter, also use a strong spoon to help while sieving. Then pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until fully incorporated. Pour into your desired tin of choice but make sure you butter and flour your tin in this case make sure you use corn flour or gluten free flour to do so. Bake at 175 degrees celsius for about 25 minutes or until your knife comes out clean from the cake whem checking to see if it is fully baked. For the cranberry sauce use about a handful of cranberries with about quarter cup of water add a tablespoon of sugar and blend. You want the cranberry still tart and not so sweet. Serve drizzled all over your slice of chocolate beetroot cake ... enjoy the gorgeous cake!

Vegetable pancake pizza

So i got inspired by another blogger one friday night and i was hungry. Its a simple alternative to pizza and you can add any topping you care for. The ingredients are

flour

an egg

Cup of water

tomatoes

shallots

white onions

One scotch bonnet

green chillies

kale

curry powder

thyme

Chicken stock pot

mix flour and egg with water and whisk throughly. Add chopped kale about a handful. Slice all the other ingredients and mix spices together. In a tray add some oil to grease the tray. Then pour the batter in and make sure it is all leveled out. Then spread the sliced tomatoes in any pattern you like. Mix the other ingredients with the spices and spread on top of the tomatoes and bake in the oven for 30mins or until done at 180 degrees celsius. You can use this as a starter for dinner with friends or a simple light dinner and even for lunch at work or school. Add any other meaty ingredients if you are the carnivore type or more vegetables or both. I hope you enjoy this nutrient packed dish. Enjoy cooking..

Yam hearts and liver sauce

Yam a low glyceamic carbohydrate,releasing energy gradually. Liver full of iron and protein. I remember saturday mornings as a child perceiving delicious odours of liver sauce as my mum prepared breakfast. Breakfast was always a must in our home and still is in mine now. My husband and i make sure we eat something very satisfying on weekends. Ah we don't joke with weekend breakfast. During the week its sort of hard to have a proper breakfast together because of that early morning rush.  Traditionally as a child we would have fried yam with liver sauce.
However decided to make mine a little healthier using boiled yam. It still tastes great. Very satisfying and it is absolutely delicious. All you need is..
Yam
Onions
Garlic
Hot peppers
Cornflour
Stock cubes(i used chicken,try beef or anyone that suits your taste)
Curry powder
Salt
Water
Sunflower oil
The very first most important step after cutting and cleaning your liver is boiling in water to remove the scum. My mother in her funny accent would always say 'pour the first water away' in her Nigerian bura accent. She said that a meat seller in the market had adviced her to do this. It actually tastes better and cleaner.

Rinse the boiled liver and add sunflower oil and fry for about 2mins. Then add all the fresh ingredients and fry until brown. Add stock cubes ,salt and curry powder to taste.Add about 5 teaspoons of cornflour into a cup of water and pour in to liver. Allow to simmer on low heat for about 20mins. You should allow the sauce reduce into a semi thick sauce.Boil yam which should take about 20mins. For those of you who are not so conversant with yam. It is a root similar to potatoes,cassava and sweet potatoes. So if you can't find yam in your area feel free to substitute with these. Enjoy it.

Rose birthday cake

Hello again, this time around its a cake for a change. I love cake decorating. Its the only artist thing that you can see with two eyes that i do lol. This cake actually took me at least 6 hours to decorate mainly because i had to change the design at one point. I made a spicy victoria sponge cake. Many people who have tried my cake love it so this recipe of mine is definitely a keeper. Enjoy the pictures....

Coconut chicken vegetable soup

For those who are looking to loose weight yet find something delicious and satisfying to eat, here is my very own coconut chicken and vegetable soup. It is filled with lots of yummy goodness and it is very easy to do. So here goes, the ingredients for this soup are

chicken

coconut milk

prawns

courgettes

potatoes

bell peppers

bay leaf

curry powder

stock cubes

onions

water

salt

hot chilli/pepper

cameroun pepper(roasted hot pepper)

mushrooms

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

Some of the ingredients i used were organic but pls feel free to use what you can afford but also make sure they as clean and not full of chemical pesticides. 

kale moi-moi layers

Recently i have seen so many different ways of making moi moi ,everybody's take on it. One that really fascinated me was the moi moi roll up. It was too ingenious and looked like something crafted in a top class restaurant. It was beautiful. So i decided to try mine and i did not completely weigh out the pros and cons to making moi moi this way.  So i ended up with moi moi squares. To start with it must be done in a tray wide enough so you can have good rolls. But if you want to have them in squares then pile the layers as high as you can, varying each layer. Here are the ingredients used

beans flour

Red hot pepper

Red bell peppers

tomatoes

salt

stock cubes

kale

eggs

mixed vegetables

Water

White onions

beef stock

Blend onions,bell peppers,red peppers,tomatoes in water. Add to beans flour and stir until wet and dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Add beef stock ,stock cubes and salt to taste. In another bowl set aside some of the beans mix. In a blender add some kale and blend with water and stir into the mix, it will turn green. Boil the eggs,allow to cool,peel and slice. Then in a bowl add spices like curry and thyme to mix vegetables. There is no need to cook them first as vegetables do not take a long time to cook and you would end up with overcooked and dull looking vegetables.

Now it is time to layer. First grease your tray with a little oil or butter. The pour the red beans mixture and level out, the next layer will be eggs and then vegetables and finally the kale mixture. Make sure it is all leveled out. In a pre heated oven bake at about 180 degrees celsiua for about 50mins or until done. It really depends on how much water you have added to the mixture. Finally its ready and it is the must satisfying and tasty dish. I had mine with a little Nigerian tomatoe stew. 

Beans are very rich in folic acid,iron, zinc and B vitamins,protein and fibre. They mainly contain incomplete protein hence its important that you supplement with other foods that will give you complete protein. If you are looking for a fuller longer meal this is definitely one to go for. Slowly releasing energy and hunger pangs are kept at bay. For the health lovers, it is a clean, nutritious meal that keeps you vibrant. Personally i have found that when ever i needed to strengthen my balance or even concentration levels I include more pulses such as beans. Please always consult your doctor before any dietary change as we all have different bodies and health situations. 

Kale mix and red beanflour mix

Eggs on top

Mixed vegetables

Finally kale mix

   Voila

 Enjoy cooking and be inspired.

Chia breakfast

So i have been hearing,seeing pictures of chia seeds and being a health lover, got me curious. So I looked around for the most affordable yet organic Chia seeds and found some. I decided to try them for breakfast. They are a very good source of protein and omega 3 

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

So next time when you are thinking of breakfast or making a smoothie add some chia seeds.

The Hair Journey 2......

 last time I wrote about this, people where asking what my hair is like now. Now i don't want to discourage anyone but it has actually broken off a bit, reason being i slacked on the hair journey and did not pay attention to it by giving it all the tender love and care it needs.
I would really love to know peoples opinion if you have experienced this, it means so much to me so feel free and drop a comment below. The idea is not everybody's hair is suited for certain weather conditions especially when you have permed or relaxed hair. Since living in a colder climate I have discovered my hair was not thriving as much when relaxed, it would get brittle and dry and just break off. Even when I moisturise my hair, by the next day its dry. African afro hair seems to thrive better in humid and warm climates.
So I am also resorting to cutting my hair and growing my hair natural and keeping it that way. I know straight hair is nice and easy to manage but I think afro hair can be too if we spend time knowing our hair. This has been different for me in recent years, am starting to know and understand my hair and know how to treat it right. what oils work well with my hair and how should I care for my hair. Foods we eat play a big role to the strength,shine and beauty in the hair. A diet of vegetables,whole grains, fish and other types of protein ,nuts and fruits will help the hair grow strong.
So today is the big chop and am hoping and praying to nurture my hair back to afro health!
And yes true to my word, I had the big chop and it has been 10 months now and am loving it. I have learnt so much about my hair and I feel so comfortable with my hair. I have type 4c hair, so my hair has little,tight curls and it is dense. I do not think I ever want to get my hair relaxed again.


My 10 months natural hair plus shrinkage lol

My normal routine since my big chop has been, moisturising with water and locking in moisture with Avocado oil,Castor oil, Shea butter and Sesame seed oil and also Glycerine. I have found they work very well for my hair. Castor oil tends to thicken my hair strands, making them stronger, Avocado butter is amazing, its so emollient and makes hair soft and smooth. I also deep condition like every two weeks or before any hair do. my usual treatments are -Avocado and Banana hair treatment or eggs and cider vinegar treatment. They both help to condition your hair and leave it soft. I also use a Shea butter conditioner and sometimes after all the treatment I rinse my hair out with tea such as Black tea for extra strength or Hibiscus tea. Its so important to use as many natural products as possible because many of the man made ones are filled with so many chemicals that are just not healthy for your entire body.
The first few months of my natural hair, I trimmed my hair regularly, cutting off all the weak ends from relaxers.
To protect my hair I try not to do hair styles that put too much strain on my hair strands, like fixing a weavon too often and I noticed with constant brushing of the weavon it weakens your own hair because of the constant pulling and combing. I discovered this new hair style, crocheting. At first I made it with straight hair and because I had to constantly comb, part of my front hair gradually broke off.  So I decided to use curly hair so I would not have to do any combing at all and still have the protection I needed during the winter months.
It worked out fine. I usually leave my hair out after a couple of hair styles but I make sure I am daily moisturising with water and sealing with butters. I also either make my hair into twists when I am home or plaits and cover with a silk scarf all day, so my hair does not dry out. I sleep with a silk scarf too and a silk pillow just for extra coverage in case my scarf comes of at night.
Whenever I go out with my natural hair, I make sure it is well moisturised with water and oiled. Try not to leave the hair out for too long, no longer than two weeks in winter so that it does not keep breaking from dehydration or the stress of cold winter months.
Your diet matters too, eat well, drink a lot of water and exercise as much as you can. So there you have it. I will do another update soon.

The desire to fit in......

So many pressures surround each and everyone of us, whether as children, teenagers or adults. In different areas of life, whether it be education, career, marriage and so on. Many people loosing their identity or defining themselves with things. I know it all too well, having come from a cultural background that puts so much appreciation on being somebody, you are first known by your title, or who you are related to, or what you have achieved. All these things are relevant and import in the scheme of things but when you find yourself in a situation where you are struggling to define yourself, what do you do? It can be quite hard for the person who always wanted to be a lawyer.    Due to circumstances and situations beyond their control, they suffered  a lot from poverty. Maybe there was only one bread winner in the family and hence no money to provide for children to live their dreams. how does one handle that space in life when you are expecting the expected, waiting for the desired. where does the person fit in? how does the person fit in? how is the person perceived? how is the person treated? what is the responsibility of the people around be it friends or family to make that person feel loved and desired. 

It is so easy to gravitate to people who have got it all sorted, who are rich, well spoken, well dressed and well mannered. It is easy for people to desire the butterfly than to go through the process of cocooning. Everybody loves the ready made, the instant coffee, the fast food joint and the credit card because you can have what you want, when you want, how you want it and as you want it. 

The desire to fit in is met with impatience and self gratification. Patience is no longer the watch word, maturity with time before success. 

For young and old, wanting to be part of the crowd, be in vogue, be trendy regardless of the cost attached to it. You hear stories of people doing the unthinkable and heartless to get money, you hear of women who sell their bodies in order to wear the latest fashion of the day. Many people selling their birthright in order to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter.

Please do not misunderstand my persuasion in mistaking it for a hatred for people who are well to do, successful and so on but on the contrary. My own quest is how was it gained, by what means, who suffered or what suffered for your indulgence.

There is a place that opportunity meets preparation and it is in that space that gap that patience and waiting and endurance tends to linger on and on. It is in that place of a desire to fit in that you find your niche, your unique role, your purpose, what you are meant to be and who you are. You discover a strength that lies deep in you because of one who Strengthens if you truly have a relationship with Him.

What is my attitude towards those who are in this patch, the desert in which streams are yet to appear. The place that is filled with so many mirages. Do I seat in silence and watch them suffer? Do I lend a helping hand and even if I may make mistakes at supporting them. For the person in this space, what is your attitude towards those who are not in the zone of deprivation you feel at the moment. Are you joyful , happy or bitter? Are you constantly unhappy , refusing to be excited for another persons happiness for lack of your own? How does one transit from constant moodiness because of stagnation or should i say hidden growth in the sense that it is not apparent that there are changes occurring.  how does one prevent from constantly being introspective, making everything seem dark and gloomy when in actual sense the rain is falling , yes the sky is grey with clouds but the sun is shining, blazing behind that gloomy weather. 

Is the desire to fit in over rated? I feel it is so much more important that your roots go deep down to find a source of strength and life that cannot be quenched, that will constantly be available for life's challenges. It is important to understand whose you are and who are, to embrace situations that will develop you into who you actually are meant to be.

But even on that note , one has to be careful about unnecessary isolation, that can starve the life out of one. we all need support in that space, that time of dryness and nothing happening, that time when you sort of don't fit in. we ought to surround ourselves with other pillars , people who would truly stand with us, people that will pull you out when you feel down, people that will lift you up and not push you further into the mud. If you Have a relationship with God , to be fully anchored, to know that He is your sustenance, the one in whom we have our identity.

Career vs Hobby

I have been thinking for a while now,  in my late twenties and I am still yet to fully get my career up and running. I have worked in different places some related to my chosen field of  study and some not. I do not know who else out there is in similar shoes as I am. Just a few thoughts as to where the shoe pinches. I am quite artistic by nature or should I say I love the social sciences. There is  this struggle in my mind to know which career path to take. There are many interests and things that fascinate me. what makes it really bad  hence some indecision ;is to an extent is my desire to know everything. I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, whether its about animals, food, politics, history, travelling, children, fashion, new trends and so on and so forth. There is so much out there to interest one and to learn. But where does one draw the line from knowing which one is your clear career path and just your interest or hobby or can you combine both?  How do you know if you should pursue a hobby as a career?  Recently watched a tv programme and saw a guy who was working as a lawyer or something quit his six figure salary job to pursue a career in lego. He started making sculptures from lego bricks and oh my are they amazing!
It is quite frustrating in the sense that when one is passionate about too many things particularly if you love them all, its hard for you to make up your mind to follow a chosen route without thinking you may feel very cheated particularly if the chosen field does not really work out. Many people say follow what you love doing but in the economic climate we live in its quite hard to do such. You sort of want to have something you can fall back onto just in case what you really love doing does not blossom as you expect it to.
There is the constant feeling that you might be famous in that particular hobby you think you are good at, you have received compliments for. but what if you don't become as creative as you like to be, or opportunities do not arise enough to express your desired gift? Should one give up or keep on trying? I look at my peers and feel there is that innate pressure to be successful as soon as possible, quicker than you could say ' dodo'. There is the pressure to meet up to expectations of parents, people around, society, friends and family.
There is also the question of should one follow a vocation or a chosen career. Are you a hands on person or someone who can sit at a desk contently. I know certainly where I fall and it is not at the desk. There is that desire to be one's boss, particularly for those who struggle to handle a 9-5 job, please there is nothing wrong with you. You might be best suited for starting a business of your own and being an entrepreneur.
There other train of thought too is that , is one giving up too soon on a prospective career to follow a much easier route because of all the hard work it would take to build that career. is it out of sheer laziness to develop ones self. It could it be also the frustrations of finding the right job telling on a person, hence making them indecisive?
I guess the answer is to be patient , work hard and trust God to guide one in all ones endeavours. Also to have hope and keep on planting seeds, knowing that one day it will sprout and as you nurture it, it will become a big tree. There is no fast route to success at the end of the day. It is good old rich principles, hard work, education and an endearing spirit.

Bus ride

A time for sober reflections on the way to work
catch up with my thoughts and plan my day of work
a bumpy ride by an over zealous bus driver crazy on caffeine or just plain wild
a time where I catch a glimpse of the day's news in the paper
a time to chitchat and catch up with old friends you happen to meet on the bus just hope there isn't an awkward silence or avoid someone you don't like
where you wish the person seating next to you would only turn down their music but you are too polite to say and suffer in silence
Bus ride a time for goodbye's to friends until you see tomorrow at school
a quiet moment to yourself and see local sights
a time to be kind to the person who hasn't got enough money to get on the bus or change to pay for the bus fare.
To be kind to an old stranger and offer you seat or kind to yourself because you back and feet are aching from a days hard work.

What defines me.....

A question we all need to ask ourselves, if we want to live life with purpose and the Way God wants us to live it. I have been thinking about this for a while now, just how in the world we are defined by so many things.

First of all what we do as means of work, so your career, vocation or job. we have created jobs that are more prestigious than others, take for example Doctor sounds much better than home maker. we place so much emphasis on what we do for a living, please don't get me wrong, its very important because it involves to a greater extent some things that you enjoy doing and also source of income, but when it comes to it and that job goes and you have to stick with a less prestigious one how would you feel, just for a while. when you meet up with friends, family or past colleagues and they ask what do you do? what is your reaction?

Titles, I know that from where I come from it is such a big thing! One must be known as Doctor, Mrs, archbishop, reverend, chief, senior pastor yangayanga! we place so much values on them, sometimes use them to intimidate others, your title is not just for the sake of it, it serves a purpose, you were bestowed with it for a reason.

The Family I come from, are you proud of yourself knowing that your  family is well to do, rich, parents are hip and go with the trend, or are you happy with your family members be it whether they have different characters that may not even suit societies idea of how people ought to be in terms of being trendy, posh etc

what you earn, would it make any difference to who was your friend, who you hang out with depending on what you earn or not. Remember we are to condescend to men of low estate. Christ did that, did not esteem His riches and the position he had for anything, but laid it all down so that he might save us all. I know money is a big thing these days and usually the more you have of it the more you can buy and many people may feel the more happy you are but better is a house where bitter herbs are eaten and it is full of joy and happiness, than a house full of sweet bread where there is sorrow and anguish.

Your possessions, am I married or not, do I have children or not, have I got a house I own or not, do I have a house in the village or not, do I own a car or not, do I have a masters or not, a Phd or not, do I have the latest phone, weave( brazillian, peruvian , the list goes on lol ) . I just remembered what Paul wrote i have learned in whatsoever condition I am in to be content, I have learned to abound and to be abased basically to be rich and to be poor. Just remember this that God will supply all that you need according to his riches in glory, I am not saying that meaning you should  claim everything that comes your way but that the things that you truly desire and need God is ever ready to supply, that which will bring you joy and increase and also glorify His name.
The way I look, am I beautiful or ugly ( in your mind, because everyone is beautiful), I believe the world has actually defined what beauty is and when you discover that the way you look does not fall into that criteria , how do you feel? Thank God for it anyway, I know its easier said than done but loving yourself for who God made you to be is so important, being honest it takes a lot of stress from your life. Instead of struggling to be a skinny size 8 which might suit others, stay the size 12 that you are, you are still healthy and being curvy might suit you better. we are so obsessed with looks in the world, I know times when I have been to certain places say like a salon and I know I was well dressed but because of the image that the hairdressers in this particular salon had created about customers I was not treated as best as could.
what should define us as believers should be who we are in Christ. we are over-comers, head and not the tail. There are more weighty matters in life than certain things, understanding our priorities will really help us. The fact that I wear designer clothes, should that make anyone less important than I am. There is a value that God has placed on each and everyone's life, we should all appreciate one another for where they come from, the experiences they have gone through and not put everyone in the same bottle.

what actually defines us should be the way we live our lives and for whom we live our lives, our character, the way we think of others, the way we treat others, how we love and respect others. You find that when you don't have certain things your perspective of the world changes and you tend to value those things when you have them. That's why a season of trials is necessary so that the gold nature of God will be brought forth in us.Trying times come to allow us see who we really are, if we don't like what we see or what we see does not line up with his will about us then we cry out to God to change us. God wants the fruit of the spirit to be born or birthed in each and every believer, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith and meekness. These are the things that should define me. I believe these are things we learn through life, not just at one good, so its not a one of lessons and we are sorted. the lesson keeps popping up until we have learnt but also to remind us when we have forgotten. Just bear in mind that I am in no way implying we should not look good, be irresponsible or untrue to ourselves but that the meaning of who we are be well understood then everything will be in God's perspective.

The Journey to Slim world... a destination or drive through

hmmm where do I begin, I would say this is one of the biggest struggles most people have, weight gain and coupled with the fact that the world has created the ideal man and ideal woman idea, its getting so hard just to be yourself. am still at loss of words where to start! well let me start with my own struggle with going up and down the scales.
i have been a size 14 or so most of my life and i have been very comfortable with that, i actually never really paid attention to it until i started wearing a size sixteen, i think that was when the alarm bells started ringing and it just went down hill after that. i have tried different diets, the G.I diet, the eat all you want but under a certain number of calories diet, the don't eat after 7 o'clock diet, and the i will start my diet tomorrow diet plan lol which is always bound to fail lol. We all need that ounce of determination, when there is a goal to be achieved but the main problem is the stumbling blocks that come along the way to hinder, like the chocolate bar hiding at the most convenient place when you are you weakest.  Will we rise up to the challenge or break under the heavy weight? I have found I keep failing to achieve my desire goal alone unless I have someone keeping a watchful eye over my diet plans.

 Now I am not giving excuses for being over-weight or piling on the pounds but serious the media has got their fair share of blame in all these. if we put out of our minds the perfect figure eight, model like girls we see in magazines and on tv ads and movies, then I think we might have more realistic goals. How about first of all trying to be healthy and eat right, sleep well and have a good amount of exercise. Drink a lot of water, fruit teas( the list is endless, I have a fond love for these), plenty fruit and vegetables and all the regular stuffs. I think the less we focus on I must look like this to be happy the better for us all as men and women.
Another concern is how much importance we put on what tastes good to our mouths and creates a  gymnasium of activities on our palate than what actually is good for our bodies. I kind of shudder a bit understanding some of the side effects to some of the methods of slimming. I see many people on so called low fat but high in sugar or fat free and full of sweeteners  Being honest I am a bit weary of the effects that sweeteners have on the body.

Another struggle with losing weight especially if you are from another culture other than western culture, it can be a bit hard trying to adapt your diet to suit all the dieting needs mentioned in whatever method you are using. Because most of the foods listed there you might not be used to them. I keep wondering why there aren't any African,Asian etc diet books unless I have not come by them yet. Maybe I should write one lol. I don't know if anyone finds that starting a diet can actually be quite expensive. I remember starting one particular diet and after I had gone to the supermarket and bought all I needed and started the diet, I was struggling to reuse the food because by the time day 8 came most of the stuff where out of date or getting bad. I just found it best to just pick out certain recipes and repeat them , it might be a bit boring but for a couple of days that should be al-right. 

Our natural build also matters, are you tall and small boned or big boned, short etc . Also instead of panicking when you put on weight, it helps realising that there is a range of weight you could be depending on your height that could be healthy for you.

Exercise is another thing that I really struggled with. Finding the right regime and also right exercise, I tried jogging a couple of times with friends, only discovered I only got light head and on one occasion of exercise had a nasty accident, I looked like I was in a fight! I eventually settled for power walking and jogging in between. Then someone on this diet I was on told me exercise does not actually help you lose weight! It is actually what you eat and exercise only helps you tone muscles and improves your fitness. Obviously I was kind of hooked on that but thinking of it that way as an escape route not to exercise doesn't really help. I am quite hopeful that I would get to a more healthy weight each day. I think that's the trick really, healthy choices every day eventually will count for an over all healthy life style.