5 Realisations That Make Life Easier
All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.
I talk a lot about change in my previous posts: The Unknown, Change, You Have To Do The Hard Things, Nothing Changes Until You Do and more…
But in this post, I want to emphasise Growth. It’s part of our natural process, but I found that consciously acknowledging and reflecting back on growth, brings a lot of valuable insights and wisdom saving you a lot when dealing with life in the future.
As you are (consciously) shifting, you will begin to realise that you are not the same person you used to be. The things you used to tolerate have become intolerable. When you once remained quiet, you are now speaking your truth. Where you once battled and argued, you are now choosing to remain silent. You are beginning to understand the value of your voice and there are some situations that no longer deserve your time, energy, and focus.
Some things I’ve learned through evaluating my own growth:
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There is only one really good life…that’s the life you know you want….and you make it yourself…
Though it’s never really one vision, and it’s subject to change as our needs change through different phases of our live. A simple and funny example of this is looking back at our 7-year old self who (probably) didn’t want to eat vegetables and didn’t like an early bed-time; whereas for me 20 years later – I crave healthy food (and miss my mom preparing it for me), and I have a very exclusive love relationship with my bed, which my partner is very envious of 😀 . The same principle goes for everything. What used to be your vision of life, doesn’t have to be the same over time, but regardless of this vision changing, you’re still the pilot on your own flight. -
In any given moment we have two options: To step forward into growth or to step back into safety.
The first often scary and uncomfortable, but always with great rewards (exciting next-level changes and opportunities); the latter being easy but non-satisfying, as there’s always that little voice inside that will keep nagging you for not taking that step forward, since you are clearly not happy where you’re standing. Also, there will always be the question ”what if..?”. Realising this saves you a lot of time when pondering on whether or not to take certain steps in the future. -
You start dying slowly when you become a slave to your habits, walking everyday on the same paths, if you do not change your routine. Especially when you are not satisfied with your love-life, your job or surroundings and you choose not to change your life.
I know so many people, who choose to be a victim of their surroundings, and they are so unhappy, all the while there is a lot they can change. Even if it’s just step by step starting with ”100 little, easy to change, but make all the difference” things. -
You become a master of your life when you learn how to control where your attention goes. Value what you give your time and energy to.
Choose your battles. As easy as it is to give in to so many triggers around us, stop and ask yourself ”what will pursuing this bring me?”. It’s a simple principle. Everything you give time and energy to grows, so you decide by directing your attention what your life looks like. Knowing this…and applying it everyday, is power. -
You are under no obligation to be the same person you were a year, a month or even 15 minutes ago. You have to right to grow. No apologies.
We are products of our pasts, but that doesn’t mean we have to be prisoners of it. Don’t let anything limit you into changing your thinking, attitude or anything else that you know and feel will bring you to a better place in life.
And don’t forget this…
” You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work-in-progress at the same time”.
I’ve said this before, but I emphasise it again…One doesn’t exclude the other as we never stop being a work-in-progress until our passing. So love yourself and all that you are in every phase. Embrace even the broken and ugly pieces, as they are triggers for you to actually take those steps to a better you and a better life. Besides; perfection is overrated, your flaws make you a masterpiece and your tragedies make your story one worth telling.
Love,
Nadira
I love this picture below, as it describes me perfectly stumbling and balancing my way through the whirlwind called Life. Outfit details: ”Red Rose”. Photography: Fons de Keijzer
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
Nothing Changes, Until You Do
There is a lot happening in my life at the moment…It’s all very personal, so I cannot share any details until I’ve figured out the most important things for myself. It’s a time of deep reflection and contemplation for me, which will inevitably lead to change. It’s so scary because it’s unknown, and for the exact same reason it’s exciting as well. It’s difficult because it requires completely stepping out of my comfort zone and being honest to myself, which I haven’t been for a while.
All I know for sure is…Nothing changes until you do. The very definition of ”Insanity” by the great Albert Einstein, is ”doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”.
So…if you want things to work out differently, you have to behave differently, which starts by thinking differently.
It’s so easy to evoke responsibility and blame everyone and everything else for the situation. The problem with that is that you’re only fooling yourself. YOU are the common denominator in every situation in your life. So always start with yourself whenever you’re in a situation you want to change. Ask yourself: ”What can I do to change the situation?”
An example is that I often observe women around me dating the same kind of men, and not the good kind. They’re not happy, yet they will keep attracting those until they learn the lesson and choose differently….and that goes for pretty much everything else in life.
Sometimes it means sucking up your pride and realising that you’re in your own way of finding happiness. It means it’s time to be really honest with yourself, instead of that story you keep telling yourself.
”The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new” – Socrates. For more on the subject of change, read my past blog ”Change”.
Love,
Nadira
Full photo diary and all outfit details below (Click on product pictures to shop the item). Another lovely fashion shop you ladies will love me for sharing is Romwe. Gorgeous, high quality fashion shipped really fast internationally.
Outfit details (Click on pictures to go to shop the look): Blouse: Romwe.
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
Change
Change…As inevitable as it is, some fear it, some love it. I prefer to embrace it, because change is given.
Nothing in this world is free from change, everything is subject to a form of change or at the least a perception of change.
Change for me often comes with novelty and freshness, in the form of new beginnings and challenges. Even when I was younger, I would, at least twice a year, change the interior of my room. I would move the bed to another wall, and my desk to the other, facing a different angle. I would stay up all night cleaning out my closets, and organizing documents, books etc. Feeling new, fresh and relaxed afterwards. I’ve always had this longing for change after a certain period of time.
At the moment everything is changing, luckily for the better. I can finally announce that we are moving to a new, much bigger office for both of our companies. A separate Showroom for our Sports & Casual Brand Wulterkens & special Production area for Customized Wear.
At the same time, we are working on the launch of part 1 of the new Wulterkens’ fashionable sports collection. To say that it’s a crazy busy time is an understatement, but we are starting a new chapter. A new beginning where our businesses are taken to a higher level, something we’ve been working on for a long time now. I am super happy, grateful and excited!
One thing I have clearly noticed is: A change in Focus = A change in lifestyle. You get what you focus on, so the smart thing would be to focus on what you want. If you want things to change for the better, you have to do and be everything that will make it better. In line with the law of attraction, I’ve experienced that what you focus your energy on, you will attract and create as a reality, whether it’s doing something physical or just a thought.
From this perspective, change is beautiful and infinite. I just love something about the fact that at any point in life, we can choose to change ourselves and our situation; the fact that we always have the choice to start fresh and create, whatever comes after, to our ‘’ideal’’. It does however, require balls (courage), a lot of hard work, dedication and perseverance, since change usually doesn’t come overnight. It often requires breaking out of your comfort zone and doing less fun things. Fact is, if we really want it, we can change ourselves…our mindset, our actions, our bodies etc.
Of course we cannot always change anything and everything. One thing a lot of people do is to try to change others, which is something that rarely happens unless that significant person wants to change themselves. Sometimes you cannot change a certain complex situation. One of my favorite quotes from my Mom in this case is: ‘’If you can change it, then do so. If you can’t change it, then accept it and change your perception of it’’. Pretty similar to Maya Angelou’s quote: ‘’If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change your attitude’’. Relativity is key here; always choose to look on the bright side of things, which helps focus more positive energy on to your goals.
From this perspective, change = growth and taking control/responsibility/action. Not leaving your life to what may or will be, but actively contributing in creating a life you want. Just like Steve Maraboli’s advice: ‘’Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” or like Rumi’s advice: “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”
And one of my absolute favorites, which has become sort of a motto to me: ‘’Edit your life, frequently and ruthlessly, it’s your Masterpiece, after all’’.
Love,
Nadira
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama
Outfitdetails: Dress: Missguided. Shoes: Aerosol. Sunglasses: Nastygal. Bracelet: Hermes Collier de Chien.
P.S.
these pictures are taken at a remarkable, historical location in my hometown Paramaribo, Suriname: Fort Zeelandia. Now partly a Museum, it has actually marked certain points of change in Surinamese history several times. Dark pages of history, unfortunately, from which too little people have learned. Those that know the history will know what I mean, but I will not elaborate on the subject. Despite the fact that I have very clear opinions regarding Politics, I’ve decided not to disclose on them in my blogs, keep it light.
P.S. 2
A few of my lovely readers asked me where I find the time in between the chaos to write. Well, most of the time I write concepts, when ideas come to my mind or before I go to sleep in bed. That way, all I have to do is structure it, check on spelling errors, add a few things and voila! Most of this post was written over the past 3 months.
My pictures are usually taken on the go to somewhere, so it’s little extra effort and can be planned in between my usual to do’s. Sometimes it’s hard to find a nice location though, so this does require a little bit of planning if you want to give your outfit a little more edge by matching it into an appropriate surrounding.
The Past, The Now, The Future
As Fall arrives in the Netherlands and it’s getting colder, I’m reflecting on our summer. For me and my partner it was a working summer mostly. Despite the fact that we live in a recreation area, by a big beautiful lake and we have a lovely boat, we didn’t even make one boattrip on the lake during the whole summer, which I do regret, to be honest.
At the same time, when I reflect on the growth and progress we’ve made with Wulterkens, I know it was worth it. Building an empire, requires lots of time, work, sacrifices, blood, sweat, tears.
It’s easy to get carried away in your future plans. Basically all we do every day is planting different seeds and watering them in the hope they will sprout in the (near) future. This is a must if you want to live a life on another level, however, constantly focusing on the future might make you miss the Now. The Now is just as important as the future, because it’s the only thing you have with 100% certainty. The future is not certain, you never know if you get another tomorrow.
So as I am writing this, it’s also a reminder to myself to enjoy the Now more. Luckily I am a person who enjoys the little things, and I am grateful for everything in my life now, even if I am not yet where I want to be in life. I know every day I am one step closer, but only because I am healthy Now and constantly developing my skills, intelligence, knowledge, resources etc.
One positive thing in my case is that I do what I love, so I am enjoying my work everyday, but in chaos of the work I sometimes forget to for instance, plan some free time for myself, to be social (with the very few people still around), to plan a date night with my partner etc etc. And just like the summer flew by, the weeks fly by, and life flies by and I don’t want to regret things in life.
So I guess the key word is Balance, finding balance in life to be able to work hard and efficient towards the Future, yet still be able to enjoy the now to the fullest. Still working on this, though, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
As for the past. The past is not something to dwell on yet is full of wise lessons that we can use to make a better Now and a better Future.
If I think back to 5 years ago, I was a student at the Technical University in Eindhoven, living in a small ”box” (student dorm, in the form of a box of 18 m2) on the university campus. I was studying Innovation Sciences, which I didn’t enjoy at all, but I was smart enough so I thought, ok let’s just get through these few years and then we will see. I didn’t have my driver’s license, I wasn’t exercising, eating a lot of unhealthy stuff, not in shape, no work, lots of sleeping, watching tv series, lots of ”empty’ friendships, basically living a typical student life. I had just met my partner, who at the time was managing an Italian restaurant for his friend in a very boring little town, he had a boat, but no car and no driver’s license. We were both not happy with the situations we were in.
Eventually, I decided to stop with Innovation Sciences, because it just wasn’t what I wanted to do and I took half a year off, got myself together, moved to the Hague (and then to Utrecht) and signed up for International Business Administration at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. I got my driver’s license, which gave me so much more freedom. My partner decided to make changes as well, he started his own company/website selling funny, but handy gadgets, he bought a car, also got his driver’s license. This all happened within a year, maybe a year and a half. We both used to live in big buildings that were empty. In the Netherlands we call it ”anti-kraak”, which is basically to prevent people from claiming the buildings. There used to be a Dutch law that stated that if a building was empty for more than 6 months, anyone can claim it and live in it. So to prevent that, they let people (like me and my partner) live in the buildings (for very low rent) and watch over them.
It was a really cool phase in our lives, it was adventurous and in one of the buildings my bedroom only used to be like 100m2, which was very luxurious, but also a pain in the ass to clean.
Two years later, and during the last year of my Bachelor IBA, my partner and I decided to start our own clothing line together (I skipped a few less important parts, because otherwise this post will be way too long). This lead to me having to do an extra year of my Bachelor, because it’s simply not possible to start your own business AND do a full time university study at the same time. We started with some crazy t-shirt designs in 2012, which we launched on a beautiful catwalk with 9 male models in the middle of Amsterdam City Center during the Amsterdam Fashion Week in July 2012, and the rest is history. We also moved into a ”normal” house where we live now for 1,5 years already, with a gorgeous lake view.
So now in 2014, when I think back to our lives and that moment when both my partner and I weren’t happy with the way our life was going, but we didn’t have any idea what we wanted to do; and to see where we are Now, in the Wulterkens Office, with a beautiful showroom, It’s just amazing what can happen in 4-5 years. I could never have thought that I would be having my own fashion brand, let a lone in sportswear, while I was developing a particle accelerator for particles with a certain density (yes I used to be a big nerd). Let alone a bachelor degree in International Business, being highly active in Fitness, and doing a part-time Master study in Marketing.
I am so excited, when I think of where we will be in the next 4-5 years. When the seeds we are planting now will be trees, growing taller and taller. Anything can be done. You just have to be brave to make certain decisions and take steps towards changing your life, even if they are small steps at a time. Eventually all things will fall into place and you just have to follow your path to live your dream.
I am so lucky and grateful to have met my partner. I don’t believe in coincidence, I truly believe we are meant to be, and Wulterkens, as a brand, is meant to be. From the beginning we supported each other, we literally inspired each other and lifted each other up to become more, to become better, to grow. Without him, I wouldn’t be co-owner of Wulterkens and without me I’m not sure he would have taken the steps to create ”Wulterkens”, which is his last name, as a brand.
I will be doing another reflection in 2016 and 2018, I think it will be nice to look back again to today. There is so much that can happen in 2 years. Life is constant growth, and constant change; it’s up to you to steer it in the direction you want to grow/change in. Make the most out of the now, make every day, every hour, count, and it will pay off in the future. Remember every Pro was once an amateur and every expert was once a beginner. Dream big, start now, make it happen.
Love,
Nadira
Outfitdetails:
Top: BBarbarella, my favorite boutique in Hilversum City (The Netherlands)
Jeans: Nastygal
Sandals: Zara
Hat: Don’t really remember!
Earrings: Gift from a lovely friend
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Better You: HOW -> Food & Nutrition Part 2
‘’If you want to get fit you only have to give up one thing: your Excuses’’.
So I will start by making my excuses…haha, well my apologies for the delay on Food & Nutrition part 2. My dad was on vacation here in the Netherlands for 2,5 weeks, we went to Paris, I turned 25 and celebrated with 3 days of partying (and 3 cakes) and next to all this, work kept calling of course. The Wulterkens new collection is ready for shooting this weekend with some amazing fitness athletes/models. So super busy, but all really fun!
Most of everything written below was written some time ago, when I decided to split it in half, so I luckily found a little bit of time to add the food diary I promised you guys. In addition to ‘’A Better you: How: Food & Nutrition Part 1’’ (make sure to read it first), I present to you Food & Nutrition part 2!
HOW you eat.
It’s all about perception and tricking your brain. Scientists have discovered (I tried it, and it’s true) that if you eat in smaller plates/bowls and with smaller spoons, you will eat less without even noticing. Your brain perceives a ‘’full’’ plate, even if it is a smaller one, so it gives a satisfied signal to your brain.
Also taking the time and giving all attention to eating instead of watching tv really makes a difference in your perception of being ‘’full’’. If you eat slower and take time to chew very well, you will also get a ‘’full’’ feeling faster. Try it!!!
Rule number 1 when you start changing your nutrition.
Cut all soft drinks, soda’s and juices. Yes juices, unless you’ve freshly squeezed it yourself (and even then I would keep it limited). All juices in boxes or bottles are loaded with added sugars.
The only thing you can drink unlimited is: WATER! And maybe a little bit of low fat/ (unsweetened) almond/soy milk with your oats and protein shakes, depending on your fitness goal.
Train yourself to drink at least 2 liters water per day. I drink around 3 liters per day, but it’s not easy, so try starting with 1,5 liter and then build it up to 3 liters.
Rule number 2: No snacking, no candy, no chocolate. And NO alcohol! Alcohol can really mess up your system, and contains tons of sugars.
Rule number 3: Watch your carbs and cut them down gradually, replace them with vegetables or proteins. I forgot to mention in part 1 that while you should cut down your carbs throughout the day, you have to make sure to eat a little bit of carbs before and after your workout. Before the workout you need it for the energy, even if it’s just one spoon of rice or a banana. After, you need it for your body to replenish. If you completely cut carbs from your post workout meal your body might go into fat preservation mode. So again, even if it’s just one spoon of rice, don’t forget your carbs! While carbs form the biggest wall between you and your sixpack, they are one of the main building blocks of that same sixpack. Make sure to find the right balance.
Rule number 4: NEVER EVER substitute a meal with a shake or meal replacer. And don’t go on crash diets where you only drink shakes. You will lose weight, mostly water weight and start gaining the weight back as soon as you start eating normal again.
Make it your lifestyle to eat healthy, nutritional foods in good proportions at the right times and you will not have to worry about gaining weight even if you cheat once a week.
Remember the word GRADUAL!
To give you an example: If you have coffee the way I like it, with 2 sugars and milk, I would start the first week putting in 1 sugar and less milk, the week after no milk, the week after that no sugar. And if you can’t drink it like that (just like me), skip the coffee and go for green tea (without sugar).
For the tea drinkers who drink sugar in their tea, switch to honey instead of sugar en eventually after 2-3 weeks, try it without sugar.
In all cases you will eventually get used to it and believe it or not, you might even start liking it!
Your taste buds adapt according to what you eat for a longer period of time, so all you have to do is stick with it for a month or 2 and then it all becomes a lot easier.
NO counting Calories
Another misconception that has widespread is the counting calories story. The basic is true. In order to lose weight you need to create a calorie deficit, meaning you need to consume less calories and burn more (increase your exercising, decrease your calorie consumption).
But the problem is that people say a calorie is a calorie, so one calorie of vegetables is equal to one calorie of milk chocolate. This is true in its definition, but in practice it just doesn’t work. The average woman needs to consume 2000 calories per day to function. So a lot of women are told to consume 1500 – 1000 calories maximum if they want to lose weight. What most of these women do is, they count their calories, without considering WHAT they are actually eating. So they eat bread, cheese, and sometimes even skip a meal to be able to eat a piece of chocolate in the evening and it will still amount to 1500 calories or less. Yet, they don’t understand it when they don’t seem to lose weight. Most women will lose weight in the beginning, but eventually your body gets used to your 1500/1000 calorie intake. Moreover, your body will go into fat preservation mode if it doesn’t receive the right nutrition.
If you have carefully read everything I wrote about nutrition in part 1, you will understand why the whole calorie counting thing is bogus. Focus on WHAT you eat, eat small portions in moderation every 2 hours and gradually reduce your carb/sugar/fat intake throughout the day and you will see results, I promise!!!
Supplements: Whey Protein, BCAA, Pre workout
In order for your body to recover after intense fitness workouts where the weight lifting really tears up your muscles, I recommend taking a whey protein shake after your workout. You can buy whey protein in different flavors at supplement stores. There are so many brands to choose from, but basically they all do the same. I get mine at Rumble Store and at B-Fit, both are located in Utrecht, the Netherlands, if you order online they ship it to you.
You have Whey isolate which is really the best, because it contains microwheys, meaning it’s more than 90% protein. These Whey isolates are usually not available in any flavors, so they are not very tasty, I personally don’t like them. When you buy your whey protein, make sure it contains a lot of protein per 100 gram and much less carbs and fat compared to proteins. For instance, at most 1,5 gram fat per 100 gram of whey protein.
A lot of whey proteins also contain BCAA, which helps with muscle recovery. There are also BCAA pills you can buy as extra, but only do so when you are training really hard and you feel like your body is not recovering in time.
When you’re getting closer to a ripped body, you will be going very low on your carb intake. This means that you do not get enough fuel from your food to do a good workout. What I use is a bit of pre-workout boost, which will give you an energy boost to do a great workout. After the workout, your endorphins kick in and you don’t really need it anymore.
There are so many more supplements on the market, but I don’t use them, so I can’t advice you on them.
Cheat day
So this is what I think will be your favorite part of my story. There is some light at the end of the tunnel! One day (yes only one) per week, you are allowed to eat whatever it is you want!!
This is to keep you sane during the process. Depending on your goal you can make it an entire day, or just one meal. I usually make it one meal + a snack.
To be completely honest, in the 4 months of my fitness journey, I never had one cheatday. Every time I planned on it, but when the day came I didn’t feel like it, because I was seeing results and I didn’t want to delay my progress. Also, my body was getting used to not getting sugars etc, so it wasn’t craving it either. This is something really personal and it’s up to you to decide what you do, but don’t feel guilty because one cheat day is not going to make you gain weight (if you really keep to the rules). My nutrition and training advisor actually told me that the sugar and carbs you suddenly eat will wake up your body and increase your metabolism, so cheating once a week even has a good side to it.
If you want to snack healthy my recommendations are fruit snacks. Or spice up your food with certain spices like Raw cacao and 100 % pure chocolate are quite healthy when eaten in moderation. Also peanut butter, which contains good fats, can be eaten in moderation as well. Examples: Low fat yoghurt with fruit and some honey, apples in the oven with some cinnamon or peanut butter over it.
In conclusion
You need to go back to basics, how our ancestors used to eat before we started experimenting with additives and preservatives. It’s all really toxic and it requires a lot of your body to process, leaving you with less energy. This is why people eventually get diseases like cancer.
All the sugar free/diet products aren’t good for you either. Ask yourself, if it doesn’t contain sugar, but it tastes just as good, what is in there? Whatever it is, it’s not natural and thus, toxic for your body. Try to avoid canned foods, most of it is also available frozen, which is better.
Try to eat as biological as you can. In reality you can never be 100% sure if your vegetables are completely green and don’t contain any toxics or if your meat or fish is hormone free. But do your best to get the best available for your body. I know it costs a bit more, healthy/clean eating is expensive. Just try to get the best for your budget. And believe me, it’s more worth it than any material object.
Important!
After you’ve reached your ideal weight/picture of how you want to look, you can eat this way and then maybe do 2 cheat days a week. So for instance, in the weekend, you just enjoy and go to a restaurant or have a few glasses of wine. Or you can build in a healthy snack that you take after dinner every day. However, you have to make sure you keep on exercising at least 3 times a week to keep in shape. Exercise is key to keep you in shape, while being able to occasionally enjoy those cheatmeals.
Basically, if you want to know more on anything I’ve written in this blog, Google it, read on it so you can understand better how your body works. If you understand your body, you will know how to treat it. I did a lot of research before I started my fitness journey. The chart below will help you with understanding your body’s cravings. Understanding this will really help you to stick to clean eating!
In my next blogpost ‘’A Better You: HOW: Fitness & HIIT Cardio’’ I will talk to you in detail about my workouts, schedule, exercises, why I don’t do regular cardio, but also where I find my motivation (fitness pages I follow) etc. By changing your nutrition and eating clean you can achieve great results, but for that perfect body you need to put in the work at the gym!!
Food Diary
First I have to apologize for the quality of the pictures, food photography is clearly not my expertise. I see so many lovely pictures from healthy meals on Instagram and Facebook, but somehow I haven’t succeeded (yet) to make my food look as good. All of these pictures are random meals I’ve had over the past 2 weeks. The really small ones are snacks. As you will see they mostly consist of proteins and vegetables, protein pancakes, a little bit of rice or crackers, and on my salads only 1/4 of the dressing that they add. Sometimes I add a nice fruit or vegetable smoothie to my mealplan, but they are usually quite simple, I have to make more time to experiment with them. All very small portions on small plates. In some pictures you can see I am having a bit of protein shake as well, usually that’s in the morning or after my workout.
Here goes!!
Rucola Salad with Paprika, Chicken & Raisins, a Whole grain biscuit with Sandwich spread (natural) and half a protein pancake.
2 Tablespoons of Brown rice with spicey mackerel and snap/french beans
Unfortunately I didn’t eat this beautiful plate below, I accidently added it along with the pictures, I save lots of pictures like this for inspiration.
Lean minced Beaf with Brocolli, Carrots and Paprika with a little bit of Brown rice (3 tablespoons). It’s a really small portion, good enough to hold you for 2 hours.
Breakfast: Proteinshake & Whole grain biscuits with Baked eggs.
A random soup filled with chicken and veggies
Banana – Blueberry Shake with a little bit of Low fat milk + Orange Juice
As much as I do my best to prep my food, sometimes it’s too busy and not possible. In that case I run the the Supermarket and get these ready to go salad’s. Usually I get tuna and I only use 1/4 of the dressing that they add.
Low fat quark/curd cheese/cottage cheese with Banana – Loaded with proteins!!
I remember it being such a busy day and we had to go to Ikea for some stuff, we forgot our food at the office so we had to get something at the Ikea restaurant. I added this picture to show you guys that there are healthy options at places like this. This is fresh salmon with steamed veggies and potato out of the oven (no oil) and I didn’t even eat all of the potato. It’s really up to you what you choose.
My Dad brought me Surinamese vegetables, so I made a traditional vegatable soup. Super healthy and yummy!
Chicken, Paprika, Raisins, Nuts, Seeds (Flax & Chia) + Protein Shake
From the Surinamese vegetables my dad brought I made a nice dinner with Mackarel, and the veggies.
A Mozarella salad from the Supermarket
Rucola salad with green peas, tomato & cucumber + lean minced beaf & whole grain tortilla wraps
Fresh off the tree cherries make a lovely snack!
Chicken in coconut sauce, with brocolli + lean minced beaf with green peas, tomato & cucumber
Late night snack: Brocolli topped with a fresh tomato sauce
Another late night snack: lean hamburger with rucola & cucumber and a little bit of ketchup
Ceasar chicken Salad from the Supermarket
I prepped these meals for during our roadtrip to Paris, always be prepared, wherever you go!
Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mixture of cellery, carrots, chicken and lean hamburger + cooked eggs
French beens,green peas, cauliflower + chicken & eggs, perfectly balanced.
Smiling breakfast! Protein pancake with a few scoups of protein, a little bit of whole grain pancake mix, eggs, steal cut oats and Brinta + sometimes we add raisins or nuts, chiaseeds, gojiberries etc. This time with a blueberry topping.
And lastly, my birthday breakfast: Red velvet cake + Pistache & Caramel Macarons from Laduree in Paris! Cheatbreakfast!
I hope you guys now have a better understanding of what, how and when to eat to get to that better version of yourself. Stay tuned for my next blog on Fitness & HIIT Cardio.
Stay Healthy, Fit and Focused!
Love,
Nadira
”Your life doesn’t get better by chance, it get’s better by change” – Jim Rohn
- Published in Health & Fitness, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Better You: HOW -> Food & Nutrition part 1
Wow, where do I start! First of all I want to thank everyone who took the time to read my post. I’ve been receiving amazing feedback on my first part of A Better You: WHY (State of Mind). It really means the world to me, because for the first time ever I opened up about my feelings, thoughts and insecurities and I felt a bit ‘’naked’’. Seeing how it inspires a lot of people, makes it all worth it! So have you guys figured out your WHY yet? Are you willing to change your lifestyle for it? Are you willing to suffer pain and hunger for it? How committed are you?
As I was writing everything I know about nutrition, I realized it’s way too much for one blogpost, so I decided to split Food & Nutrition into 2 parts. In this first part, I discuss how you can best measure your progress, WHAT to eat and WHEN to eat. In part 2 I will discuss HOW to eat, basic rules you need to hold on to, cheat days, counting calories, supplements and I will add a food diary.
I want to start out by saying that I’m absolutely no expert. Everything I write is based on my own research and my own experience. It is what works for my body and mind. It might work differently for you, so you have to try and see how your body responds. Most important is to listen to your body.
Measuring Progress
In addition to the first part, I want to start by saying that I lost about 8-10 kg between August 12th and December 20th 2013. If you missed my before and after picture, check it out here.
The reason why I don’t know exactly how much weight I lost, is because I almost never stepped on a scale. I remember stepping on a scale somewhere in July weighing 59 kg and I stepped on another scale in December weighing 49 kg. These are different scales, so it may vary.
One of the major things that too many people do wrong is constantly stepping on that scale.
Don’t do this, because you will frustrate yourself and it’s not necessary. The reason why the scale is not trustworthy is because your body weight consists of many things that vary: Body fluid (water), Fat and Muscles. By the way, if you weigh, you should be naked to get an accurate weight or make sure you wear the exact same clothing next time you weigh, preferably early morning on empty stomach.
Research has shown that muscles weigh heavier than fat. Muscles burn fat. So if you want to lose fat, you need to create more muscles mass to burn the fat. When you start developing your muscles through training (in combination with eating clean), you will increase in muscle weight, but decrease in fat weight, which is exactly what you want.
The problem is that if you weigh at a certain point, the scale might tell you that you gained weight, which is true, but it’s muscle weight that replaced the fat weight. Despite you being conscious of this, you will probably still get disappointed because the scale is showing a higher number than before.
Also, in some periods your body might hold onto some extra water, which will also make it seem as if you’ve gained weight, when it’s not fat but water weight. So in order to avoid unnecessary frustration, stay away from the scale en measure your progress in other, more reliable ways. You see, your weight is nothing but a number, it can constitute of so many things, so you shouldn’t focus on reaching a certain weight, but instead focus on a picture of how you want to look like, or a certain fat percentage, which is more reliable.
The best way to measure your progress is by taking your measurements: Bust, Waist, Hips, Thighs (Left + Right) & Arms (Left + Right). Don’t forget to add the date and then you can measure weeks later to see your progress (I take my measurements once a month).
Next to this, professional athletes measure their fat percentage. You can ask you personal trainer in the gym if he/she can do this for you. When I started I didn’t measure it, so I have no idea how much I dropped in fat, unfortunately. I am measuring it now, so I will keep you guys up to date when I’ve reached my point of satisfaction in the Summer.
Moreover, I would like to recommend to take a before picture when you start and when you’ve reached a point where you are satisfied you can take an after picture. You don’t have to share it with anyone, but it is very motivating to look back.
Another measurement of progress is your clothing. You can easily notice you’re losing weight by your pants or belt that will fit looser. This is a way better and more reliable indication than your scale.
I used to stand in front of the mirror everyday to see if I made progress. I don’t recommend doing that because eventually you won’t see it anymore and this can be frustrating as well, while maybe you are making some great progress. I’ve added my progress based on measurements in the picture below, so you have an idea of how to do it (I left out Bust due to privacy reason, but don’t forget it!).
Nutrition
It’s the most cliché quote in Health & Fitness, but it’s true. ‘’Abs are made in the kitchen’’ or… wherever you eat. It doesn’t come down to that hour or 2 you spend in the gym, but it’s everything you do (and eat) in the other 22-23 hours that really counts.
First let me help you out of the illusion: There are no magic pills, no shortcuts, it’s all just invented to make money. All you need is discipline to control what’s on your plate and hard work in the gym.
Working out is just 30 % of the effort, controlling what’s on your plate counts for 70% to get a 100% of results.
In today’s world, with everything being reviewed by basically everyone who thinks they know enough about something to write about it (a little like me haha); but also new technology, enabling researchers to elaborately study our foods and bodies, it is not easy to find out what is genuinely healthy and what’s not.
Bread, for instance, which is quite a generic food, considered healthy and consumed by millions around the world, really is NOT that healthy. Sorry to break it to you guys, but it doesn’t have much nutritional value. For my Dutch friends, here is an article that explains it.
I’ve personally gotten the advice as a woman to not consume dietary products, so no milk, yoghurt, cheese etc. I do consume a little bit of milk with my protein shakes or oats, but it’s always (unsweetened) almond milk or low fat milk, and I tend to keep it at a minimum. This however, doesn’t mean I have a calcium deficit as most people think, because you can get calcium from many other healthy sources. Soy milk (unsweetened) is also an option, but I’m allergic to it.
WHAT
Fat
I cook everything either with the 0 % fat cooking spray they sell at the supplement stores, Organic Coconut oil, or simply Olive oil. Since there is a constant debate going on, on for instance whether coconut oil is really good or bad for you, I just switch it up, making sure I don’t get too much of any of the 3 in my system.
A major misconception is: ‘’I have to lose fat, so I have to avoid fat’’.
Please, do NOT avoid ‘’Fats’’, because you need them to function. It’s a common mistake people make when they go on certain diets. If you don’t add fat into your daily meals, your body will go into a fat preserving mode, which will lead to you not losing any fat despite your hard work in the gym. You have to make sure your body gets in a little bit of fat and most important the right fat.
The best kind of fats you can give your body are the ‘’good’’ fats called Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats like Omega-3 and 6, which you can find in Unsalted Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews), Avocado and fatty fish like Tuna and Salmon, but also Olive oil. Read more here.
Important: A fat free/low-fat label on a product doesn’t necessarily make it a healthy product. It’s usually filled with carbohydrates and sugar that will transfer into fat in your body.
The basic rule is to eat everything in moderation to avoid excess of anything that might be bad for you.
Carbohydrates aka Carbs
Carbohydrates are fuel for your body. You need them to operate. However, if your body takes in more fuel than it burns, the carbohydrates will transform into fat. If you keep your carbohydrate intake low and increase your physical movement, your body will not have enough fuel to burn so it will start burning your fat reserve, which is what you want.
If I consume carbs, which I do at a minimum, I make sure they are the healthy carbs or the slow carbs. Slow carbs are good because they are gradually processed by your body, meaning you can function on them longer before your body starts to get hungry again compared to fast carbs. They keep your blood level at a relative regular, keeping you satisfied and energized longer. With fast carbs (white pasta, rice, bread) your blood level will drop faster, making you feel hungry very fast, because your body needs your blood level to peak again.
So I’m getting really technical on this, but it’s fairly easy: the closer you want to get to that sixpack, gradually reduce the amount of carbs you take in. And you should consume only good carbs like: whole grain crackers, steal cut oats, wholegrain rice, sweet potato and quinoa. Avoid bread, especially white bread, and any kind of white pasta and rice. Especially rice can create a big bloated belly. If you would just cut down on rice, I bet you will notice a difference. Lowering your carb intake is the hardest. You can get really cranky about it. But as I said before, it’s not going to be easy!
Proteins
Proteins are the building blocks of your Muscles. In combination with building your muscles (to burn more fat) you need to take in a lot of proteins. I eat a lot of lean meat (chicken, lean turkey, low fat minced beef), Fish and lots of eggs. I also eat a lot of beans, like brown beans, white beans or chick peas, which contain lots of protein (in combination with carbs, but mostly good carbs). If you’ll be doing fitness it’s very important to get in your proteins to build your muscle mass.
Vegetables
I eat a lot of vegetables, naturally cooked. Vegetables also consist of carbohydrates and nutrients like vitamins, Iron, calcium etc. that fuel your body. They are a must in your new lifestyle of eating nutritional foods.
Fruit
I don’t eat a lot of fruit, and here’s why. Fruits are very healthy, but next to all the vitamins they also contain loads of natural sugars. The fruits that you can eat are: Banana (but they do contain a lot of carbs so it’s best to eat them pre-workout or for breakfast), apple, kiwi, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries (contain lots of anti-oxidants that help burn your belly-fat). Most other fruits contain a lot of natural sugars that can basically delay you from reaching your goal.
Salt
Keep your salt use limited and spice your meals up with peppers which are good for the metabolism. People tend to focus a lot on their sugar intake, but your salt intake can be just as harmful. Apart from the cholesterol issues; if you eat too much salt your body will hold onto extra water, which will make you bloated and increase in water weight.
Overall
Basically each meal you have should consist of around 20-30% protein, 60-70% carbs (which you can get out of vegetables as well) and 10-20% fat. All depending on your goal. It is very important to make sure your meals have all of these nutrients and they are balanced out in good proportions.
When I’m on my mission and getting closer to that ripped body, my meals usually consist of 60-55 % protein, 40-30 % carbs (mostly vegetables) and 10-5 % fat, which is enough for my body to not go into fat preservation mode, and perfect for my body to start burning the stored fat because it doesn’t get enough fuel from my carbohydrate intake. However, my carb intake is just enough so I don’t get dizzy and I’m still energized/able to function normally, while the proteins make sure my body restores.
Another thing that is almost just as important as WHAT you eat, is WHEN you eat and HOW you eat.
So we’ve got WHAT covered, I will add a food diary in part 2 about Food & Nutrition.
WHEN
You probably all know the saying, eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. Well it’s true, in the sense that you have to lower you carb intake throughout the day.
So for breakfast it might be ok to have a piece of whole grain bread, with a nice piece of salmon and some coffee with one cube of brown sugar, but don’t dare to do that before bedtime, for it will go straight to your thighs and belly unless you get up early and burn it off with some cardio on an empty stomach (which is highly unusual for most people). So make sure you lower your carb intake as you go through your day. Also, start eating smaller portions throughout the day.
Starting the day with protein and ending the day with protein is a golden rule, especially if you work out with weights and have to build muscle. Also, it’s extremely important to start eating within the hour after you wake up! By eating breakfast 15-30-45 min after you’ve woken up, you start your body’s engine for the day. A lot of people aren’t hungry in the morning, but you have to force yourself to eat something, so you can start up your metabolism.
If you want to become a fat burning machine, you have to start with speeding up your natural metabolism. So what we do is eat every 2-3 hours! By eating every 2 hours you can afford to eat just a little bit (as long as you hold onto the nutritional rules: protein/carbs/fat) and it will hold you until it’s time to eat again. So you eat 6-8 smaller meals a day instead of 3 big meals.
In the beginning I used to set my alarm clock every 2 hours, now I don’t need to because my body literally starts screaming for food after 2 hours. Sometimes, I’m getting hungry after only 1,5 hour has passed and I still have half an hour to go. In that case I just drink a lot of water, because you shouldn’t be eating before the 2 hours have passed.
This brings me to the next, very important point which is:
Meal Preparation
Most of you have a life, so a job, school or another obligation that keeps you busy during the day. This means that you don’t have time to prepare food every 2 hours, which means that you have to prepare it beforehand, like the night before. Meal preparation is crucial to succeeding in keeping up this healthy lifestyle. If you don’t prepare your food, you don’t have anything when your alarm goes off. If you skip it, your metabolism slows down and so does your fat burning. This will result in overeating/binging at night, because your body is going to want to catch up with that missed meal.
If you still want to keep it up you will have to grab some ‘’fast’’ food and that will certainly not be healthy. Most foods available at a cafeteria, lunch room or fast food restaurant will not offer you the nutritional value you need and are very likely to be too high in fat, carbs and sugars.
Preperation is key to success! And it requires time and effort, which is why it’s not for everyone (as you’ve been warned in part 1).
Your last meal for the day should be at least 2 hours before going to sleep. This is usually the killing part, because your body is used to eating every 2 hours, so by the time you have to go to sleep you’re hungry. And yes, you have to go to bed hungry. Eating right before you go to sleep will cause your body to have to work hard during your sleep to digest, which sucks up so much energy that you will probably wake up feeling very tired. Moreover, you don’t burn those calories you just consumed (because you’re asleep), so depending on the composition of your last meal there is a possibility that your body will store fat.
So this concludes part 1 of Food & Nutrition. Stay tuned for next week, when I publish part 2 on Food & Nutrition and the week after when I talk about Fitness & HIIT Cardio.
I really hope this helps you guys, make sure you take notes and if you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section below. This way, I can answer you here so other people that might have the same question will read it as well.
Stay focused and fit!!
Love,
Nadira
‘’When I lost all my excuses, I found my results’’.
- Published in Health & Fitness, Written Archives 2013-2018
A Ship In A Harbor Is Safe…But That’s Not What A Ship Is Built For!
They say that the magic is happening at a place way out of your comfort zone. If you want to be part of that magic, you got to grab your guts and move out of it.
This is so easily said (and written), I know. It’s been almost a month since my last blog post and also my first one this year. I spent the holidays with my loved ones in my hometown Paramaribo, capital of Suriname, located in South America, right above Brazil.
It was 2,5 weeks of getting my mind off work and enjoying being home, spending time with my loving parents and friends. At the same time, I realized that with a new year, comes new things, new opportunities, challenges and lots of growth. While I think constant growth and improvement are one of the most important things, it’s still a fact that with growth come more responsibilities.
It’s scary, yes, very scary. I think my fellow entrepreneurs will understand. Along with that excitement and all those opportunities that you are pursuing is that little voice that makes you doubt everything, including yourself and your abilities.
But as the title of this blog post says…You can play it safe, but then you will never leave the harbor and you will never grow. And one my biggest fears is to stand still. I always need a new challenge, even if it scares the hell out of me.
So this year started out amazing, super busy with our fitness line and sale, but the great news is: We found a beautiful venue to finally create an official showroom for our fashion brand Wulterkens. We’ve been working from our home office ever since we started 1,5 years ago and we’ve been wanting to take it to the next level for months, but somehow it didn’t work out. Do you believe in coincidences? I don’t. I think we weren’t ready. And now we are. We looked around, saw 3 different places and then this one and the moment we saw it we knew it was perfect….pricey, but perfect.
Again with the risks, in this case a financial one, but my intuition is screaming that we have to do this in order to grow to the next level, put our brand in the market on a different scale. If you do something, no matter what it is, do it at the best of your abilities. So we’re doing it and I’m super excited!!
Another thing to be excited about (yes you too, in this case), the new collection of tshirts will be launched beginning of March! New exclusive tshirt designs and also new fitness wear, this time more for the gentlemen as well!
This February is going to be super hectic with moving the office, designing the showroom, new collections, refreshing new look of the website etc., so I probably will not be able to write as much as I would like to. I promise I’ll make it up in March!
Bottom line…don’t be afraid to take (calculated) risks, challenge yourself! I like the way Peter Drucker formulated it: ‘’People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year’’. You will not die from a mistake, you can only learn and when you learn, you grow. Never a failure, always a lesson.
I think this entrepreneurial, risk-taking, adventurer, go-getter, goal-digger – side of me is growing, I am starting to like the ‘’rush’’ and I am very grateful for these scary beautiful opportunities coming towards us!
Lastly, ask yourself this: When we become comfortable, do you know what happens around us?
Answer: Absolutely nothing. Each day becomes just like the one before. We do what we have always done, therefore we get what we have always gotten.
That’s definitely not who I am, and what I want for myself…How about you?
Love,
Nadira
P.S. It’s winter, and although it’s not as cold as it usually is around this time a year it’s still hard to do nice posts in the cold, did my best with this one, hope you like it, the location is my beautiful garden/back yard!
Outfit details: Leather skirt: H&M, Boots: ZARA, Blazer: MANGO, Tanktop: Wulterkens (Basic collection, will return soon!) for more check out the SALE on www.wulterkensclothing.com. I don’t remember where I got my hat, I think it’s from one of the local department stores in the Netherlands.
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life ~ Muhammad Ali
If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories ~ Richard M. Nixon
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone ~ Neale Donald Walsch
We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are ~ Max DePree
Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared ~Eddie Rickenbacker
I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough ~Marissa Mayer
- Published in Business & Entrepreneurship, Written Archives 2013-2018
Woman In The Mirror
Michael Jackson, one of my idols sings: ‘’If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change!’’
I want to make a change, I want to leave a legacy and I am working hard every day to realize this goal. The reality is, we live in a world with too many inequalities. There are so many charities, because there is so much pain, sickness, poverty, hunger, theft, cruelty, destruction. It breaks my heart.
One of the most recent occurrences that has really got me thinking about the world we live in, is the horrifying way the angora rabbits are stripped from their wool. The problem is, that the companies that sell this angora wool or clothing made from angora wool, are very aware of the process of acquiring this wool. Despite knowing, they sell it, because for them all that matters is their profits.
Since recently there has been going around a video where you can see the rabbits getting stripped from their wool ALIVE!! It’s gone viral through social media and gotten a lot of media attention to it and suddenly, you have these big clothing chains claiming that they never knew that this was the way the wool was acquired. Of course, it is against their company policy and ethics.
Read the previous line as sarcastically as you can, because it is all bullshit, believe me! They knew exactly what was going on, but only until their customers found out, they decided to save the company’s face/reputation and take back their clothing.
There are so many examples of big company’s conducting unethical business. I took this example, because, as a fashion designer of my own brand, I can’t take this hypocrisy.
We know exactly where Wulterkens products are made, what kinds of fabrics are used and under which conditions everything is produced. We make sure that we use environmentally friendly products, made in labor/worker friendly environments and we don’t use or abuse animals in the process. This is also one of the big points where we distinct our brand from our competitors, and we’re proud of that. Our products are pricey, but you get real value and at the same time you contribute to a better environment and economy.
Either way, it is up to you, the customer, the people. Please be conscious about what you buy, inform yourselves (we live in the age of information), so you don’t end up fueling these businesses! And please don’t believe everything you hear from conventional media, because it’s all government regulated and guess what, they don’t want us to know everything, because they know the people have power (and they also know their slate is not clean). I’ll get into this in another post.
This all also goes for food, know what you put into your body. Always eat all you have on your plate, because others don’t have the privilege. Keep your environment clean, save on water, be aware of your pollution etc etc.
In the end we are all responsible for the pain, suffering (of both animals and humans) and inequalities in this world. And NO, one person might not be able to change the world, but if you decide to just make that change for yourself, you are already contributing to a better environment. And in the process you might inspire others to do so as well. Call me naive, but I believe in the power of the people.
There are enough resources in this world to let everyone live a good life, including animals that might not have to go extinct if we would get our priorities straight.
I really hope you all think about it, and make that change, for yourself, your (Future) children, grandchildren and a better world overall! Every little effort matters, even if it might not seem so.
Love,
Nadira
Outfit Details: Wulterkens Signature Studded Sweater (made from Fairtrade Organic cotton):
My faux fur vest: Saboskirt (and it’s very faux, as in FAKE). Leggings: ZARA. Shoes: Collin Stuart.
‘’Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has’’ – Margaret Maed
‘’Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world’’- Joel A. Barker
‘’It’s a philosophy of life. A practice. If you do this, something will change, what will change is that you will change, your life will change, and if you can change you, you can perhaps change the world’’.- Vivienne Westwood
”You may not realize this, but people have the power to change the world”. – Steven Morrissey
”Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”. – Apple Inc.
- Published in Business & Entrepreneurship, Written Archives 2013-2018