Black Leaves Australia | Healthy, Handcrafted Teas.

I've always been a coffee person - you know, the kind of person who needs a cup of joe in the morning to function properly throughout the day, and depends on strong coffee blends to meet writing deadlines and pull occasional all-nighters. But every now and then, I fancy a good cup of tea - especially on days when I just want to detoxify my body, destress, and get a good night's sleep.

Just recently, I discovered Black Leaves, a popular tea brand from Australia. They offer a variety of teas and tea blends - from Butterfly Pea Flower Tea and Peppermint Teas, to carefully curated concoctions like ginger and calendula flowers, turmeric, fennel, and dandelion root. Their products are all-natural,  with each herb picked, blended, and packed by hand.

Care for a cuppa?

The story behind the birth of this much-loved tea brand is quite interesting, and a very heartwarming one at that. Its founder, Anthony Loggia, discovered the wonders of tea whilst on a trip to Thailand. Amazed by the health benefits of tea, Anthony researched and studied different herbs and blends, until he was able to create a concoction that could help his mother lose weight. In six months' time, Anthony's mother was able to go back to her original weight in a healthy and sustainable way, thanks to the filial son's labor of love. 

New Me 28 Day Teatox from Black Leaves.

This piqued my interest for Black Leaves' products even more, and as I navigated through their website, I came across the "New Me 28 Day Teatox" - a special blend of teas formulated to rid your body of toxins, flush out water weight, and help you achieve your weight loss goals. This 28-day program consists of the following tea blends: Goji Berries to increase fat burning and decrease fat absorption; Berry Bay to fight fluid retention and help reduce body weight; Cinnamon Garden to relieve bloating and help with constipation and indigestion; and Délices des Abeilles to suppress cravings and reduce appetite.

I've tried teatoxing before, and would love to try it again with Black Leaves' New Me 28 Day Teatox program with hopes of losing some (if not all) of the weight that I have gained since this pandemic started. Thankfully, I have a friend in Australia who can buy them for me and have them shipped to the Philippines. Black Leaves currently ships within Australia only, and I can't wait for them to do international shipping soon. They have so many wonderful blends that I would love to try!

Spotlight | Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg + L-Carnitine 500 mg.

Times sure have changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Gone are the days when we could all travel freely and leave our houses without having to worry about getting sick or being infected with a life-threatening disease. In this day and age of the pandemic, our home has - literally and figuratively - become our haven, and my family's health and well-being has become my top priority. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to safeguard our health and have a strong immune system. This is where Puritan's Pride comes into play.

Originating from the USA, Puritan's Pride is a trusted brand of vitamins and supplements with an almost 50-year history in the industry. The company manufactures their products in the United States and carefully sources out ingredients from over 100 different countries around the world. The brand is also known for their commitment to quality, which is why they take pride in the rigorous testing during the process of making their products and before releasing them in the market.

Here in the Philippines, Puritan's Pride products are exclusively distributed by no other than Puritan's Pride Philippines. They offer a wide and complete range of products - from multivitamins to health supplements (skin care, anti-aging, weight management, among many others) at very competitive prices. Puritan's Pride Philippines recently sent me these gifts of health and wellness, which I'm all too happy to receive. Health is definitely the greatest wealth in the 'new' normal, you know. :)

Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg +
Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg.

With all the quarantine cooking and eating that I've been doing lately, Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine surely comes in handy. Dubbed as one of the best weight loss supplements in the market, Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine promotes a faster metabolism to help you shave off some pounds and allows you to burn more calories as it supports your body's fat-burning functions. Not only does this product enhance the effectiveness of your workouts, it also helps your muscles recover after a high-intensity exercise.

Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg,
1 caplet a day, preferably after a meal.

Each bottle of Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg comes with 60 coated caplets. Serving size is 1 caplet per day, to be taken preferably after a meal. I take mine after lunch since I usually skip breakfast because of intermittent fasting. Each caplet contains 500 mg of L-Carnitine and is made with vegetable cellulose, food glaze, vegetable stearic acid, and silica. 

Nutrition facts (click on photo to zoom).

I've tried Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine before, and I can vouch for its effectiveness in terms of metabolism and calorie burn. No other product has made me sweat buckets like this weight loss supplement. I sweat profusely even inside an air conditioned room! I also like how this product has made me feel more active and energetic - no feeling of sluggishness even if I had less than ten hours of sleep. Looks like my weight loss journey will finally get back on track now that I have a two-month supply of L-Carnitine.  

When it comes to health supplements, perhaps the most well-known is Vitamin C. It is one of the most widely-consumed supplements in the world, all because of its reliability and wide range of benefits such as a stronger immune system and clear, healthy skin.

Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg,
1 caplet a day, preferably after a meal.

A bottle of Puritan's Pride Vitamin C contains 100 coated caplets. Each caplet contains 500 mg of ascorbic acid which is vital to immune function and necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It also contains 14 mg of Rose Hips that boost Vitamin C absorption. In addition, each caplet is also fortified with Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex, a potent antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals and helps prevent premature aging.

Suggested intake of Puritan's Pride Vitamin C is one or two caplets daily, preferably after a meal. I usually take one caplet after lunch, along with the other supplements that I take daily. The caplets may look a tad bigger than the usual ascorbic acid, but they're easy to swallow and they don't leave a burning sensation in the stomach when ingested.

Both products are available on Puritan Pride's official website.
Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg (60 caplets) retails for Php 799 per bottle, while Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg (100 caplets) retails for Php 549 per bottle. Be wary of fake Puritan's Pride products proliferating online. Make sure to purchase only from their official website or their Lazada flagship store.

Effective Ways To Lose Weight.

Losing weight can make you feel great, both physically and emotionally. Not only can it be a good way to feel better as you move through everyday life, but it can give you a confidence boost, too. However, losing weight can often feel challenging, and it can be easy to get discouraged, especially early on in the weight loss process. If you're looking for some ways to lose weight effectively, here are a few things to try.

Shin Min Ah in Oh My Venus, 2015.

Try a Diet Plan
Even for those that may not think a diet will work for them, a diet plan can be a simple way to help develop healthier eating habits. Not only can a diet plan be helpful because you will be tracking your eating, and usually eating healthier foods, but also because it can help to make you aware of just how harmful some of your previous habits may have been. It can also make you better able to recognize the things that were causing you to gain or hold on to weight, too. Additionally, whether you're interested in the hcg diet plan or another kind of plan, doing research before you begin is often a good idea.

Drink your water - a reminder from Nam Joo Hyuk. :)

Stay Hydrated
Although many may think about how the foods they eat and how they impact their waistline, what they may not realize is that what they drink, or don't drink, throughout the day can have an impact on their waistline, too. This is due partially to the fact that when you are dehydrated, your body will cling to excess water weight, resulting in a higher number on the scale, as well as bloating. By aiming to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day, you can help to avoid this.

Work It Out
Working out is another key component of losing weight. Not only does working out help to burn calories, but it can also help to regulate your body's metabolism and other weight control mechanisms, as well, like your hormone balance. It should be noted, though, that working out too much may prove to be just as harmful as not working out enough, so listening to your body and finding a balance that works for you can be important.

Kdrama > Sleep.
Flower Boy Next Door, 2013.

Get Plenty of Sleep
While many may know that sleep can help you to feel more relaxed and mentally alert, they may not realize that it can help reduce their waistline, too. This is because when you sleep, your body often does work to regulate many hormones related to weight control. When you don't get enough sleep, your body may not be able to regulate these hormones, which could lead to weight retention or gain.

Screencapped from My ID is Gangnam Beauty, 2018.

The Bottom Line 
Losing weight can have many benefits, from improving how you feel physically, to giving your confidence a boost. However, it may not always feel easy to get started. That doesn't mean, though, that you should necessarily feel worried. With some lifestyle tweaks, it can be possible to see positive changes in your weight and overall health.

Top 5 Sports to Accelerate the Weight Loss Process.

Other than healthy eating, increased physical activity is another great way to lose weight. While most people like going to the gym, it can often get repetitive and boring, causing you top lose morale. So, why not engage in something you'll actually enjoy doing like sports?

Sports provide a fat-shedding stimulus that will keep you fit and healthy as well. Since you'll like what you are doing, you are more likely to stick to it. And we all know how important consistency and patience is when looking to lose weight. Here are a few sports to help you accelerate your weight loss process:

Seo Ji Sub in Always (2011).

Boxing
Boxing utilizes most of your body muscles, offering a fully toned body. Workouts are so intense that you can burn up to 800 calories in an hour, which makes it among the most effective sport to accelerate your weight loss process. In addition, boxing improves your muscle endurance and cardiovascular fitness, which is essential for a long-term weight loss process.

Squash
Squash is a racquet sport that requires a lot of movement of your whole body to be able to hit the ball. The rallies in squash tend to be longer and the breaks between points are shorter compared to other racquet sports, making it the most cardio-demanding sport you can engage in. An hour of playing squash will melt over 700 calories. The constant running also builds up your muscle strength and endurance in the lower body.

Lee Soo Hyuk in Lucky Romance (2016).

Tennis
Whether as a sport or a recreational activity, playing tennis is another great way to lose weight. This sport combines several intense actions that help you to strengthen your muscles and improve your cardiovascular system. Tennis helps you achieve a fully toned body by working your legs, belly, arms, buttocks, and back. If you still need convincing, look at all the tennis players, they are mostly thin with toned bodies. To begin your weight loss journey with this sport, you need the best tennis shoes, a Racquet, tennis clothes, tennis balls, and useful accessories such as sunglasses and a sweatband.

Swimming
Swimming is a great sport for weight loss for a number of reasons. First, it challenges your entire body, working both your lower and upper muscles. With the many swimming strokes available this sport provides different types of aerobic exercises, offering a new challenge to master each time. If you are looking for a fun activity during the summer that will help you continue your weight loss journey then start looking for a pool near you. You'll be amazed at the level of fitness you can achieve with a few daily laps in the pool.

BTS playing beach volleyball.

Volleyball
Playing volleyball involves physical activities like running and doing squats. These activities will require you to use most parts of your body, including the arms, legs, thighs, buttocks, and hands. It goes without saying that playing volleyball tones and shapes your entire body. An hour-long game of volleyball can help you burn over 300 calories, and this number goes up when you play on a much less stable ground of sand.

Foodie Goodie | Orange Ginger Chicken.

It's been awhile since I last posted in the 'Foodie Goodie' section of my blog - mostly because I'm on a diet, and lately I don't eat much. If you're following me on Twitter or Instagram, then perhaps you've seen the hashtag #HCGDiet in some of my posts. That's because I'm doing the HCG Program, whose diet protocol includes the intake of HCG drops plus VLCD (very low calorie diet). And by low, I mean just 500 calories a day.

Sounds like a feat? Not really. Although I must admit, at first I thought I wouldn't be able to survive with this diet program. No sweets, no junk food, no cola, no rice - WTF?! But now I'm on Day 22 of the program, and very happy with the results so far.

A few days ago, I posted an Instagram photo of the Orange Ginger Chicken dish that I cooked. Some of my friends and readers asked me to post the recipe, just so they'll have an idea of the kinds of food that they can eat while doing the HCG Diet. Request granted, ladies!

Orange Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:

100 grams chicken breast, cut into chunks

1 medium-sized orange, quartered

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp basil

1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

juice of half a lemon

black pepper

Procedure:
1. Preheat pan over medium heat.
2. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
3. Add chicken to pan and stir fry until brown on all sides, about 5-10 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook for a minute.
5. Squeeze juice of orange quarters over chicken.
6. Peel and separate orange into sections.
7. Add orange sections, ginger, lemon juice, and basil. Stir well.
8. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Wanna know more about the HCG Diet Program? Like The Slim Firm on Facebook or follow them on Instagram. :)

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.