Homemade chocolate syrup

Homemade Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup Recipe

Makes about 16 ounces (2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Dash salt

Directions:

• Use a big saucepan – at least 2 quarts. This will expand when boiling.
• Combine the cocoa powder, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix with awhisk until smooth.
• Stir constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon until it boils.
• Allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Add vanilla.
• Syrup will be very thin/watery. Allow to cool completely and it will thicken to about the same consistency as Hershey’s syrup.

Store the syrup in a mason jar or any other container. It will keep for several weeks in the fridge.

蕃茄蜂蜜美白

这个美白配方可同时作脸及手部美白。
特别是暗疮皮肤，能有效去油腻，防止感染，使皮肤白皙细緻。

配方：蕃茄半个、蜂蜜适量。
用法：可将蕃茄搅拌成蕃茄汁后加入适量蜂蜜搅至糊状。
均匀涂於脸或手部，待约15分鐘洗去。建议每星期做1~2次。

brightening and tightening ur skin

DIY Brightening and Tightening Face Mask

Ingredients

• 1 Egg White
• 1/2 T. Raw Honey
• 1/2 T. Fresh Lemon Juice

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a deep bowl. Whip briskly with a fork or whisk until foamy, 1-2 minutes.
2. Wash and dry your face, and then, using your fingers or a small brush, spread the mixture over your entire face, avoiding the eye area. I like to spread it on as thickly as possible without it dripping.
3. Leave the mask on for 30 minutes, or until it has completely dried and feels tight on your skin.
4. Rinse the mask off with warm water, using a washcloth to gently wipe the mask away.
5. Splash your face with very cold water and gently pat dry.

HOMEMADE TEDDY GRAHAMS

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• About 1/4 cup water or milk (we did half water, half milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the honey, vanilla, butter and water/milk together. In another bowl, stir the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice together. Make a well in the center of the flour and stir the mixture to combine.
3. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a mini teddy bear cookie cutter (we used thesmallest one in this package) stamp out shapes (you'll get about 45 to 50 bears).
4. Place the teddy grahams on the parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
   

healthy snacks around 100-200 calories

1. Half cup low fat cottage cheese/yogurt with one sliced banana, half cup grapes, or any serving of fruit
2. One apple sliced with one tablespoon all natural peanut butter
3. One grapefruit with one teaspoon honey
4. Half cup air-popped popcorn with butter spray, one tablespoon melted butter, and a dash of sea salt
5. Fourteen Raw Almonds with two tablespoons cranberries or raisins
6. 3/4 cup frozen red grapes
7. Whole grain pretzel sticks
8. One cup edamame with sea salt or a quarter cup dry roasted edamame
9. 20 Pistachios = 80 calories
10. Half cup whole grain cereal (Mini-Wheats, Oat Squares, Multi-Grain Cheerios)
11. low fat Wheat crackers with one low fat string cheese
12. One whole grain granola bar (Annie's or Special K)
13. Celery sticks with one tablespoon all natural peanut butter
14. Eight ounces of light yogurt mixed with half cup of low fat cottage cheese
15. Half cup raspberries/blueberries/ strawberries with a half cup of nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
16. One Granola bar
17. One packet of peanuts
18. Two hard boiled eggs — There are seven grams of protein per egg and no fat if you don't eat the yolk
19. One large rice cake — I like lightly salted (add peanut butter on top) & chilies flake rice cake (do not need to add topping as it has its own flavor). 
20. A quarter cup of hummus with baby carrots or half a whole wheat pita in wedges
21. Half cup of Greek yogurt (Be sure to look for a protein count of 20 grams or higher) topped with 1/4 cup cereal or granola/muesli.
22. Five whole wheat saltines with a slice of cheddar cheese
23. An apple sliced with a single low-fat string cheese/ cup of greek yogurt.
24. Veggie Smoothie - beetroot+ apple+ lemon+ carrot 
25. Protein smoothies
26. Egg omelet with tomato and cheese on top.

refined grains vs whole grains

Leg, abs & buttocks workout

Double crunches

Leg pull down

concentrated hip extension

Foot to Foot crunches

4 times abs step by step

4 times abs

lateral lunge

vertical leg crunches

Peanut butter lava chocolate cupcake

 Ingredients:
- All purpose flour (half cup) [Add two scoops of protein powder]
- sugar (1 tbsp)
- baking chocolate
- butter (1 tsp)
- choc essential (1 tsp)
- 1 egg
- peanut butter (roll it into ball shape)

1. Melt the baking chocolate and the butter together. 
2. In a dry bowl, sift the flour and add sugar, egg, choc essential into the flour mixture. Mix to a soft batter with some milk (** I don't like milk so i substitute milk with soya).
3. Put the batter into refrigerator for 20 minutes.
4. Turn half of the batter into the pudding basin. Add the peanut butter ball in the middle and cover with the rest of batter.
5. Steam for 20-25 minutes. 
6. Turn out into a plate and sift some powdered sugar for decoration purpose. 

Don't afraid of fat!

Reason you should eat fat

Dietary fat does not determine body fat

That’s right, according to Harvard researchers in the US. And with other studies revealing that there are no dramatic weight differences between those on low-fat, low-carb and very low-carb diets, researchers say a personalised approach to our health is the best way to go about weight loss. 

Your body needs a moderate amount of fat to slim down

When you’re not getting enough dietary fat, your body stores fat, suggesting you need some fat to achieve weight loss. That’s supported by a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which found that women who followed a moderate-fat diet shed an average of 5.9kg more compared with those on a low-fat diet.

Some fats keep us full, boosting our chances of weight loss

So, if you’re feeling peckish, snack on a handful of nuts to keep your tummy feeling full. Packed with monounsaturated fat (the good kind), nuts offer a range of body benefits to boot!

Spices that I added in my food which aid in weight loss

It can found in the form of powder or capsules.

Studies show cayenne pepper can speed up metabolism and suppress the appetite. The hot and spicy taste of cayenne pepper comes from capsaicin, a compound found in many hot peppers. Capsaicin is known to boost metabolism, causing the body to produce extra heat and burn more calories for fuel. Research suggests that after consuming foods with capsaicin, the body’s metabolic rate (aka energy use) can increase 15 % for up to two hours. Other studies suggest capsaicin also increases fat oxidation, allowing the body to better use fat as fuel.

A more significant effect of cayenne is appetite suppression. It helps to cut down the craving for fatty, salty and sweet foods. 
Add some cayenne powder into your foods such as vegetables, soup or meat to boost your metabolism. 

But don't expect the pounds can be cut down by using cayenne. Regular exercise and clean diet are necessary too. 

cinnamon also comes in powder form

Cinnamon is rich in manganese, iron, calcium and fiber. It has been used since medieval times to cure diarrhea, indigestion and bloating. In addition, it helps prevent the spread of cancer cells, the formation of stomach ulcers, and assists in curing bacterial infections. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels along with bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while having no effect on the good cholesterol (HDL). Hence, it’s beneficial for both heart and type 2 diabetes patients. The lowering of blood sugar levels and improvement in cholesterol ratios helps to reverse insulin resistance or pre-diabetes. Since cinnamon is sweet to the taste, it also satisfies the craving for sweet foods that generally afflicts diabetics.

Cinnamon has a regulatory effect on blood sugar levels and simultaneously increases insulin levels in the body. It imitates the biological activity of insulin and increases the metabolism of glucose. Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon helps prevent this increased storage of fat and enables you to lose weight. In addition, it influences the manner in which sugar is metabolized by the body and prevents the transformation of the metabolized sugar into fat. Cinnamon also delays the passing of food from the stomach into the intestine. Hence, you feel satisfied for a longer time and eat less. Cinnamon also helps the body to process carbohydrates more efficiently and this assists you in losing a few pounds. Studies show that abdominal fat is more sensitive to the effects of cinnamon than fat from other parts of the body.