Embracing all things Africa – My random thoughts

There is a saying that says for you to be old and wise you need to have been young and stupid first. If I could write a letter to my younger self the first thing I would probably say is embrace your Africaness and enjoy the beauty that is Africa and most importantly Zimbabwe (for me). For the first time in a very long time, I have come to treasure all things African. Perhaps it is because I am getting older and the priorities of what I value seem to have shifted or perhaps it’s a phase of all things African that I am going through.

Back then in my teenage years, most of us embraced all things from the UK and the States (the West) as the IT culture and as such neglected to look at the beauty of what was our own. More specifically, as Zimbabwe went into economic decline, the populace seemed to lose its identity more with people always looking for hope to beyond the Zimbabwean borders and as such many of us never placed or treasured our country, ok well I speak for myself…..

 

So many years on from my teenage years, I have a different view point of the African continent and all things African. Despite the economic hardships most African countries face due to lack of good governance there is a brighter side to the Continent. Africa is filled with talented and warm people. We have a continent rich in resources, while not properly used for the benefit of the populace we have them all the same. Africa is home to many areas with breath-taking views, my favourite being Nyanga in Zimbabwe, the Western Cape in South Africa and of course Zanzibar. The list is endless and I could go on.

 

Over a decade ago having hair cornrowed or braided in a particular manner was not so cool, instead, weaves were flying high supreme as they had just come in. One would not even have imagined that young girls or guys would wear anything with African print and consider it fashionable. For me wearing anything with an African print design was probably wearing the long “Zambia’s or Chitenge’s” worn by the older women or our grandmothers for big family gatherings or for being in the rural areas and that is where it ended. Again, there was not much appreciation for local music in Zimbabwe or Africa as a whole as people seemed to embrace all the latest music that came out of the states as being the coolest sound ever. Again speaking the vernacular was not so popular in certain areas as everyone was expected to fluently speak the queens language, as a result we never paid attention to African Literature but instead our focus was on English literature, not that it was bad but I see now that our focus was always getting languages and other cultures right while we neglected our own and never took pride in it.

Today, all the above is different thanks to a generation that decided that we needed to showcase our identity and culture. This generation is one that spent its childhood in Africa and then early adulthood overseas and had embraced foreign culture then realised they had to set themselves apart wherever they were so that people could see they were from Africa. This is the generation that would order the latest music from their countries and would cook the meals that reminded them of home so that they wouldn’t get so homesick and in the process revived African culture in the countries they most likely call home now.

From the early 2000’s local African music has become popular among the ‘youth’ of most African countries wherever they are in the world, people are proud to play loudly the local music and dance to the local dances that go with the tunes. Even international artists now sample music from African artists for example Beyonce sampling a TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie and sampling dance moves from Africa and even incorporating samples from African musicians such as Fela Kuti for good measure in her tracks.

Today, African fashion is showcased in all the fashion capitals of the world with the African print or Ankara designed dresses being showcased. We have designers such as Mucha, Doreen Mashika and David Tlale showcasing showstoppers in African print. Young women flaunt their designer African print dresses while young men wear their African print suits with such confidence and pride and all sorts of accessories that go with it. African women are proud to flaunt their African hair and have all sorts of fabulous hair designs and the hashtag #teamnoweave and #teamnatural have become a common one on social media. We now even use our very own African produced beauty products and export these, for example the famous West African Black soap more specifically the Dudu Osun black soap that is quite big in the US as well. African food now also features as African cuisine on world menu’s with people all over the world trying out and enjoying ‘African food’.

People are proud to speak their local languages and in fact encourage others and the younger generation to speak their local languages. African Literature has never been more appreciated than it is now with people from many parts reading books from Africa’s finest writers such as the late Chinua Achebe, Yvonne Vera, Ngugi Wa Thiongo from the old schools and young writers such as Petina Gappah, Angela Makholwa, Chimamanda Adichie and many others.

 

 

So what’s changed from the 1990’s to now? “You cannot be what nature did not intend you to be, the struggles of life come from trying to be something other than you” – and Africans have realised this. Apart from Globalisation and Africans being global citizens, Africans are learning to support each other on a social level and on a business level and take pride in their rich cultures, and have learned to embrace their uniqueness. I for one, have done just that and love it (took me too long though). Other than the big names of Africa, we also have the smaller people that at times go unnoticed that however do their bit to showcase the talent that we have on this beautiful continent.

Despite all the tough times that Africa has gone through and continues to go through, I can safely say I love my country and continent and embrace all things Zimbabwean as I am Zimbo first then all things African. I hope that more and more African people see the richness in culture that we as Africans possess and embrace and appreciate it and use this to further develop our countries and continent. Lets now wait for other people other than Africans to show us the richness that we possess but let us discover and develop this richness on our ownJ

 

 

 

 

New Year, New Thangs!

Happy New Year! Something about a New Year that brings about new goals and new plans all in the form of new year’s resolutions. As usual, one of my resolutions is always to keep fit and do better from a fitness perspective than the previous year. As a result of my knee injury I wasn’t so enthusiastic about gyming or doing my normal runs as yet although I had gone through my recovery period. I was reluctant to start any form of exercise until l came across an interesting status update on a friend’s Facebook page and I had some motivation to get moving. In a nutshell, Nigel couldn’t have said it better. He said “In life you have to show up for ish. SHOW UP and let God. Action pays not wishing. Stop waiting”.

Here I was wishing that I’d love to have a well-toned up body and fit into one of my older LBD’s in a smaller size, but there is no way that can happen if there is no action or showing up to my gym sessions. Action in the form of eating right and exercising and showing up in the form of physically going to the gym or starting a run. I decided that I’d start my fitness plan the very next day despite the day being a Saturday. I decided that the longer I’d take to start, the more excuses I would come up with. I managed to get a knee guard thanks to Papa J and on the 4^th day of the First month in the year two thousand and fourteen I got back into the fitness gameJ

The run went better than expected, it was an early morning run before the sun was up and I had Beyoncé playing on my playlist #Flawless.  From the moment I took my first step I didn’t stop, my run was awesome! I managed a 10km run in just about an hour which was my personal best. I am hoping to maintain this level going forward. This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t take any action to start. Nigel’s life lesson can be applied to basically anything in life, if you sit and wish and take no action nothing will happen, life is all about getting out of your comfort zone and trying out new things…..taking action.

 

With the above in mind, the diet plan in our household has been adjusted…..not a single bit of junk food in our house (Sorry People). This in the hope of curbing the unhealthy snacks we sometimes tend to have. We’ve substituted the junk with fruits and vegetables and from the looks of things the Foodlovers market will be our favourite spot soon. Our household is quite the sporty one so eating right is important to us……particularly our new trail athletes in the form of Papa J and his team.

 

As we get into the New Year I certainly hope that we all keep the positive attitude we have and work towards the resolutions we’ve all made and take action to make things happen. 2014, let’s do this!!!

Tis the season to be jolly!

It’s been a very long time since I've blogged, I never would have imagined that the last three months of the year would be as hectic as it was. It was filled with long working nights, out of town trips and with that my gym regime and eating plan almost certainly went out the window! The 13th of December saw my work year come to an end! Phew!

I now get to take it easy and sleep-in in the mornings and catch up with family and friends and of course enjoy the silly season!  For many of us the festive season is filled with good food, good friends, and good company and of course the good summer cocktails and the ever flowing champagne! This is usually the time when eating plans and exercise fall out the wayside because of the carefree air that exists around. I myself have already been party to such and have even got myself a popped knee while enjoying the festive season. My quick weekend visit to the Dr had the Dr shaking his head and exclaiming the silly season has begun and silly indeed I did feel but nonetheless good times were had on that particular occasion.

 

 

It’s almost impossible to stick to a good eating plan due to the nature of the treats that are always out there, however this is also the time where we also have the opportunity to take time and cook a good healthy meal as well. so how does one beat that festive bulge then....it’s simple, eating clean and ensuring one doesn’t overdue the copious amounts of ever flowing alcohol that’s usually available.

Here are a few tips from Mama J to try and beat that bulge:

1. Keep active, this is the perfect time to catch up on that spring cleaning, gardening and take those long morning strolls or even runs in the morning without worrying about the time.

2. Always keep hydrated by drinking lots of water. If you are in the southern hemisphere and it gets as hot as it does, hydrating is the best way to keep you going and most likely prevents you from having unsavoury treats as well. There's always means and ways of making your water look interesting...adding lemon, cherries or berries will add that pop of colour as I love doing.

 

 

3. If you like to indulge in some alcoholic beverages, try and stick to the recommended limits for both men and women, in addition to that always ensure that you do not eat on an empty stomach as that always leaves one with the munchies once you have a drink or two, try to always line your stomach so that you are not only filling it with booze. Sticking to the limit and eating before indulging is almost the best way to not get a hangover ;-)

4. While this one may prove tough, always aim to eat clean, eat loads of vegetables and fruits and avoid overeating when it comes to the all too lovely cupcakes, cakes, biscuits, chocolates and all the other treats out there.

5. Try also to keep to the natural organic stuff rather the eating up the refined foods which most likely have a lot of preservatives. If you are lucky to be me and have the opportunity to eat fresh fruit, vegetables and organic meat like me, then always grab that opportunity as such foods are always high in nutrients.

I do believe that sticking to the above will keep anyone trying to lose weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight in the right direction during the festive season! Enjoy but don't overdo it, after all tis the season to be jolly indeed!!!

We Run This Town!

When the year started off, I never could have imagined myself becoming an avid runner, but I shocked myself with my very first run and I’ve been running since then. There’s something about running that is just so addictive, it’s always a challenge to prove to myself I can go further each time and with each record I break I feel great and liberated.

When I found out about the Nike We Run Jozi 10km race the entry into this competition had closed. I was excited when I saw an email in my inbox from Vitality letting me know that I could win possible entry into the race if I ran 5km and uploaded the run via Nike plus. That weekend I set out on a 5km run that ended as a 8.70km run with the local running club. The following Monday afternoon I squealed with excitement as I got an email confirming that I had qualified to get a special entry via Vitality to get into the race and I managed to get my sister in as well which made it even more exciting.

The week would now be filled with preparations for the race! Unfortunately, I never managed to get all the training time I would have wanted but nonetheless I was determined to do this. This would be my first official 10km night run in the City and I was in it to finish it!

 

Race day came Saturday 12 October 2013. I was super excited so was my sister, we geared up early so that we could get to the race on time. Just getting into the running shirt which was personalised with our names was just amazing, the reality that we would actually do that run sunk in and a certain level of nervousness set in, but that was not to be a deterrent!

When we arrived at the venue, the atmosphere was amazing, the vibe, the levels of excitement among the runners was just electric! Everyone there was super excited to be taking part in the biggest night race in the country and there was a sense of pride knowing that we would be the one in ten thousand people moving the inner city of Johannesburg CBD.

We all got into the line to start the race, there were thousands of people but we managed to worm our way through the crowds and get closer to the front. The race began and it was amazing! There was a huge, beautiful fireworks display which made it all even more exciting. We decided to pace ourselves so that we wouldn’t run out of energy.

 

After the first two kilometres I felt side pains, that was the first hurdle and I decided that I would continue going no matter what came my way, I walked and jogged a bit and it seemed to get better, at this point my dear sister was cruising way ahead and I let her go ahead as she would be my personal marker.

The race took us from the M1 south past Mooi street and into Joe Slovo into the notorious Hillbrow area of Johannesburg CBD. Hillbrow is known for its high levels of crime, and for being home to many immigrants that start off in the country when they first arrive, it’s by no means the ‘burbs’ that a lot of us are used to. The buildings are once glorious but now run down, there’s a lot of street art in the form of graffiti, and it is home to one many drug lords and gangs, I could go on about Hillbrow but one thing that struck me about the place was the people. I never would have imagined setting foot in Hillbrow but I did because of the run. Hillbrow was alive with its entire people screaming and cheering the runners on. There was loud music blurring from all corners and there was even a water point within the inner city location. The people of Hillbrow had welcomed us and when many of the participants felt like giving up, they cheered us on.

On the last leg of the race, I felt like giving up but I was determined to do this. As I approached the Nelson Mandela Bridge which was beautifully coloured I knew we would be getting to the finish line and I had to press on. I like many people around me was super exhausted but it was the last final stretch and although I was not in it to win it I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. As I saw the finish line and the timer on the side, I began to run with all the little ounce of energy I had left within me! I had done it and was super proud of myself! I got through the finish line at exactly 1 hour 30 minutes……not bad for a novice runner and first time night race!

Everyone was relieved that they had done it and completed the race without a hitch! I for one was glad it was done, I could relax and my then my nerves had calmed down. I managed to locate my sister who had managed to clock in 15 minutes before me doing a total run of 1hour and 15 minutes. Impressive. As the night came to an end, I could happily say that we came, we ran and we conquered! We had moved the city of Jozi and we had run this town! Next 10km race….I see you J

 

 

Turning Flab to Fab

Turning flab to fab is not the easiest thing to do, it takes a lot of effort and a massive lifestyle change. I have seen two friends transform over a period of years versus the quick weight loss we see on celebrities which usually takes a couple of weeks to shed off using unconventional methods amoung other things the maple syrup diet.

 

Just the other day I was driving home and Juicy J's Bounce track came up and I was thinking just how funny it is that flab can be viewed differently, on one end having flabby bits can be interpreted as a sign of good health in certain cultures showing that the people eat well and are well taken care of while in certain hip hop and rap culture having flabby bits comes in handy for those that entertain via twerking.

 

On a real note body flab is actually telling you something about your lifestyle or maybe an indicator of potential health conditions that may affect one later on in life. While I am not a medical doctor or qualified registered phyisician I came accross an interesting article in the Women's Health magazine that helped me realise some potential dangers of having certain types of flab on one's body. I have quickly listed these below and potential causes in the hope that it brings a certain level of awareness regarding body bits and things.

 

1. Chubby Cheeks, also known as the moon face are usually caused by by drinking too much alcohol and experiancing a high amount of stress. I love my chubby cheeks, infact i think they have always been like this so I hope you like me do not have to worry too much about this one. But if you work in a stressful environment, you might need to look at ways of reducing your stress levels to prevent them chubby cheeks or if you drink, you would certainly need to cut down or cut out the booze!

 

2. Flabby arms, sometimes referred to as bingo wings, these are most likely caused by toxins and not lifting up things enough.

 

3. The stubborn boep (tummy). This is most likely caused by high stress levels, hormonal issues or simply eating badly. Its important to note that tummy fat is probably the most dangerous type of flab to have as these fat cells are more active and secrete hormones which cause insulin resistance and can in time cause diabetes.

 

4. Love handles which are commonly called muffin tops. The most likely causes are too much sugar and excess oestrogen.

 

So what can most people do to turn the flab into fab???? Exercise and keep active as this reduces stress levels and kicks in the happy hormones. Cut out the alcohol or reduce the intake of alcohol to ensure your proper health (hic hic, a bit of a tough one i know). Cut out the sugary treats......well i guess you can have some sugary treats once in a while but generally cutting out sugar makes a huge difference when it comes to cutting out the flab. and most importantly eat clean. I believe eating clean has been a running theme in my blog posts in the last month and I cannot stress how important this is. There are certain foods that act as catalysts to help to fight the flab shown below.

 

 

 So next time you hear Juicy J's Bounce or anyother song telling you to shake what your momma gave you, think long and hard if those bits you are shaking maybe a hazard to your health or not and if so make a plan to turn that flab into fab!!

 

 

 

Week 2 - Dream Body Fitness

I used to think I knew my stuff when it came to gyming properly but boy was I wrong. I started week 2 of my training for the Dream Body Fitness program with a 30 minute training session every alternate day, I eagerly received the training program which I thought was way too simple as it was something I was used to doing. It turns out I wasn't quite doing those push-ups, squats and crunches quite right. After the first session with the fitness Marshall I was aching all over! I remembered my similar experience a couple of months back with Gerald one of the personal trainers at Virgin, this was just as bad!

I however managed to gel into the program in that week and it has become easier thanks to the help from the fitness coaches that are always assisting from the moment you walk in to the time you complete your work out. With week 2 came a new eating plan...whoop whoop, I am now able to eat fruit but certain fruits so long as these are not high in sugar and finally I can at least have some carbs in the morning and have nutritional holidays on 2 days of the week.

Its amazing how I have become so aware of what certain foods can do to my weight just by going through phase 1 of the eating plan, in week 1 alone I lost 3.5kg just by cutting out sugar and carbs. In week 2 I have also managed to lose some fat but at the same time I have gained muscle which I am told is a good thing........I on the other hand could only picture myself with massive muscle and freaked out when the fitness coach assured me I would not look like a body builder!

Week two also had some challenges as there was a public holiday, more specifically braai day in between.....you all know a braai ain't a braai without some meat, potato salad, rolls and some good old traditional sadza! I couldn't help but help myself to a little. With the guilt of munching down I eventually managed to stick to my program and maintained the clean eating for the rest of that week.

I am happy to report that I am still going strong with my salad or veggie eating even now as I am in week 3. I am starting to see the result of 'clean eating'!

Its not easy cutting out the food we love such as the sweet treats but clean eating will definitely give you the result that you want. as hard as it is it always pays of but most importantly it requires a lot of discipline! I walked into a bakery this afternoon for my lunch break full of treats.

I am happy to say that I didn't go buck wild and order a storm and munch the treats down. I am soldiering on on this very tough journey but I can't wait to see the result weeks from now:)

Dream Bodies come with a lot of work.....(I know this)!

So spring has definitely sprung! the weather is good with the occasional bout of cloudy skies and the expected summer rain but all is well.

 

About two weeks ago I was on my way to work and my attention was drawn to this really large trailer advertisement on the side of the road that had a buff looking character who I have come to know as Steve. This advertisement was for Dream Body Fitness and promised to give good results when it came to weight loss. Out of curiosity I took the number down and immediately gave them a call as I wanted to see what it was all about. I had reached a plateau with my weight remaining constant without a change so I wanted to try out something new with the season change.

 

 

That afternoon I went in for an assessment. This place is totally awesome and I went onto this body machine that calculated my weight, muscle/fat ratio and a whole load of other things I had no clue on, but was super impressed coz I had not seen anything like it anywhere else, I was already excited. Due to my FOMO I decided to sign-up for the program and see what it was all about.

 

I was excited to hear that the first week was purely all eating and no exercise.......until I realised that it wasn't as easy at it seemed. I got a phase 1 eating plan and a clear instruction not to exercise as my energy levels would be low. The best thing they have in collaboration with the centre is a nutrition section where the meals will be prepared for you for the whole week and you pick what choice you want to follow (How easy can this be). I ordered my meals for the following week and ate all the 'unhealthy' things that weekend as I knew it would be a tough road from Monday. 

Monday came and I was ready for the detox, the target for that week was 3kgs. The eating plan was quite simple and I told myself I had to do this. Monday started off well, with slight irritability as I was kind of still hungry after I ate the lunch. I drank lots of water and by Tuesday I was settling into this eating plan. You never realise what an impact certain foods have on your weight until you stop eating them. The eating plan for phase 1 excluded carbs, sugar anything fizzy and dairy products which of course for me were my daily favourites so it was tough, but on day two my weight had dropped by 800 grams and by day three I had lost 1,5kg! I hadn't seen this kind of change for a very long time.

 

Day four came without any hiccups and went and then on day 5 I kind of cracked, my energy levels were really low and I was feeling weak so I ordered an energy drink - full of sugar bad mistake! I didn't think it would make a difference but as my weigh in today showed it did. That very same evening of Day 5 I indulged in a double Southern Comfort and lemonade.......another wrong move. I topped that up with water and well hoped that it would not make a difference. On day 6 My weight had gone down to 3kgs exactly and I was quite chuffed with myself however in the joy and excitement I went and had more sugary treats. By the time day 7 came along and had wolfed down some flat bread from the local Indian deli......that was not such as wise decision.

 

Anyhow day 8 and week 2, I find myself having an assessment again at Dream Body Fitness and the machine was clever enough to pick up that I had had carbs and sugary treats!! I was quite moved but I had cheated on the eating plan thinking it would not make a difference. So what have I learned after all this..........it really takes a lot of discipline to stick to an eating plan, it not as easy as it seems. So for anyone out there wishing to lose weight, the yummy mummies and Co, you have got to be disciplined when it comes to your eating habits and most importantly you need to eat clean, its as simple as that.

 

 

 

 

Week 2 has begun and I'm starting out the Phase 2 eating plan on Wednesday but in the meantime the real training program has begun (beast mode)! I hope that this week, I can stick to the eating plan and training program and I hope that will yield some results......... :)