My workouts!

Hello all you beautiful readers! I have had quite a flight travelling back to my hometown for winter break and I've been keeping myself pretty active, so I've filmed myself doing some work out and thought I'd share with you all on Facebook, which turns out to be a huge success! more than 600++ people have viewed it!

And I was thinking why not blog it?

This first set focuses on the abs and body strength:

1 Min normal Plank
1Min plank up and down *As shown above*
1 Min mountain climbers.

Repeat this for 2 sets!

The next is:

2 mins side twist *as shown above.
1 min frog style *going up and down.

This exercise targets the thighs, make sure that your core is engaged! it should always be engaged!


MORE TO COME!! check back here for more fitness videos :)

Love you guys!

zohye (trying out a new sign off!)

Green Smoothie

Hello all you beautiful readers! 

Today I'll be giving you a recipe where it's basically A SMOOTHIE! Who doesn't love smoothie, am I right?



This smoothie focuses on revitalising, rejuvenating and detoxing the body. It is jam packed with vitamins, minerals and tons of fiber to keep you feeling fuller for the longer.



It is super simple and customisable to your own liking.

Here's what you are going to need: 

- 2 Handful of Organic Spinach

- Half an Organic Apple

-One Banana

-2 Cups of Organic Coconut Water (remember to check the ingredients list to make sure it's 100% pure coconut water)

-3 Stalks of Parsley

-Quarter of a Lemon

-Half a handful of Carrots.

-Half a Cucumber



If there are any ingredients in it that you don't like, feel free to change! Frozen mangoes or even celery tastes really good too.

Instructions:

-Blend your spinach with coconut water for about 30 seconds (varies accordingly to your blender's power).

-Then slowly incorporate all the other ingredients into the smoothie.

-Parsley and Lemon should go in last.



*Some of the health benefits consuming this smoothie are that it gives you enough enough because of the maca powder (MACA is good for revitalising the body as well balancing the hormones), tons of finer from the fruit and vegetables, glowing skin, strengthening the nails and hair.
Additionally, it helps you lose your weight because this smoothie will keep you feeling fuller for the longer! Have a Green Smoothie daily and you will notice a difference.

YOU ARE DONE! Simple and yummy. The measurements of the ingredients given will give you 2 servings. 

Top tip to store this for 2-3 days, keep it in a mason jar or any glass jug to retain it's freshness. You could even freeze them and the night before, just bring them out and thaw them. 

Hope you enjoy this post!! 

Follow me on social medias to keep up with my daily food: 

Instagram: @zzoeyla

Snapchat: @Nichollezoe 

Twitter: @Nichollezoe 

Ÿ Nicholle Zoe Ÿ

Adventure: Climbing The Story Bridge.

Hello all you avid readers! 

Thank you for checking in. Today's post is all about the little adventure that I had recently, and that is climbing the story bridge. In Brisbane, we have an 80M high bridge that connects over the river and you can see the amazing skyscrapers.

The reason that I am writing about this post because I actually was able to climb the bridge and not felt like I was about to faint. Thanks to the leaders who took us all 12 participants up, we were able to see the beautiful sunset and the beautiful skyscrapers. This story bridge is an icon to Brisbane and a definite must see if you're travelling to Brisbane. The best view is at Kangaroo's Point where you can take a city cat or a bus that takes you straight there.

This is all how it begins: (This is a review of my experience) 

Firstly, as my boyfriend and I walked in, we were greeted by a very friendly atmosphere and staff. One of the staff checked us in and made sure that we are all equipped ( closed in shoes, and clothes that were easy to move in). Afterwards, we were asked to sign the agreement form. I had a thorough read through because I like a little read before signing any papers.

When everyone arrived, we proceeded to wearing an overall suit and had our safety belt on with a hook attached to it to hook onto the metal rail on the way up to the bridge. We were inducted with the safety actions and rules, then proceeded to go up the tunnel where it leads to the bridge.

It was terrifying at first when you could literally see everything that is going below your feet and you are approximately 60M high on the lower level before reaching the peak. Jen who was our tour guide spoke to us via an intercom whilst climbing the bridge notifying us when the steps get a little more steep. Jen was very professional and she took really good care of us, together with her was Maddie who helped take photos and ensure that we are all emotionally well.

I personally had a very good experience, although it was very scary as we climbed up. However, once we have reached the top, the satisfaction is beyond measure. I was able to view Brisbane in a 360Degrees angle, as the sunset peeks right through the skyscraper leaving a eerie twilight moment that reflects off skyscrapers windows. I felt in awe with the sky and how the sun slowly set and finally disappearing to the silver lining.

We climbed to the peak to take some photos, although we were not able to take our phones or digital cameras, our guides helped take the photos and we got them transferred onto a USB drive for $35.

The view from the story bridge at the peak, this was indeed beautiful and I think everyone should give this adventure a little go. It was breathtaking and something out of my comfort zone which taught me how to adapt to new environment. I faced my fear and I was very proud that I was able to overcome my fear and climb the entire bridge.

The bridge is around 80M high and the steps that we took to climb up at 1,138. It took us roughly around an hour and half to go up and climb back down as we were stopped at some point to take photos and also to learn about the history of each and every building. It was an amazing experience and I think that everyone should try climbing the bridge, I guarantee it will be fun and memorable.

My experience in a less thorough way was absolutely amazing. I had so much fun and I felt very comfortable with the tour guides and also dealing with heights. The view is amazing once you reach the top because you are able to see the scenery, the best timing to climb the bridge is at 4:00pm which is the last session for most weekdays.

For more info, please check out their website www.sbac.net.au. 

Tickets: (depends on the day, please check out the website link above to get the exact pricing)

$99 for Adults
$85 for Students. ( Your student ID will be checked upon arrival)

That is all for today! 

p.s This is not a sponsored post. 

Follow me on social media: 

twitter- @nichollezoe 

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Ÿ Nicholle Zoe Ÿ

Escape Hunt Brisbane

Hello all you beautiful people! 

This may come off as a little bit of a rant but I absolutely loved what I did during my birthday.
If you may not have known, last Sunday was my birthday and I got to spend the first half of my day with some amazing people and I thought I would share with you what I did for the first half of the day.

We went to Escape Hunt Brisbane. They have successfully opened around the world, so do google check if your country has this game. It was mysterious and exciting to go in and have some mystery solved.

The atmosphere in different countries will give a different vibe, but this was my experience so I thought i would share with you all, so just in case you're trying to find something to do this could be on the top of your list.

When you walk in, you walked in pretending your a detective. I walked in and was greeted by a lovely lady, we were sat down to unlock all the locks as a practice. So basically you are meant to open all the locks in a specific room (you do get to choose what type of difficulty you would like to do), find hints and open secret passages to unravel the secrets of a murder.

We choose barber shop 1, which was under the easy difficulty selection but IT WAS NOT easy, there were math involved but that was really fun and interesting to watch as my friends were trying to crack the code. After multiple attempts of calculations and throwing things in the air trying to find hints, we were able to open another secret door. It was pretty interesting to see how we could find things in the finest places.

Basically, the Escape Hunt will give you an hour to solve the mystery and escape the room however, you are not able to have any support such as internet or phone for calculations. You are meant to find all the clues around such as posters, ribbons, pad locks, behind mirrors and cupboards trying to solve a murder.
You are able to beep for help and ask for clues.


If you're planning to celebrate your birthday in a more unique way, do check out Escape Hunt (Not in brisbane, but in your country).

For readers in Brisbane; 

- They are located at 77 Russell Street, West End.
- If you're driving, there are parking available. If you're taking the bus, you could take the bus from King George Bus Station, the 199 or 196 which stops around the corner. If you're taking the train, the nearest train station is South Brisbane on the Gold Coast, Beenleigh and Cleveland Lines.

Opening Hours: 

- Open from 9:45AM to 10PM ( Monday- Saturday)
- Open from 9:45AM to 8:30PM (Sunday)

Pricing: 

- 5 Players- $29 Per Person.
- 4 Players- $31 Per Person.
- 3 Players- $33 Per Person.
- 2 Players $35 Per Person

Also you get to take pictures with the props that they give you and they will print it out for you to write on the memory book at the shop. Photos will be emailed to you and printed out for you personally each too.

p.s This is not a sponsored post. 

Enjoy the rest of the day guys!! 

Social Media; 

Twitter- @nichollezoe 

Instagram- @zzoeyla 

Tumblr- mszoeyla.tumblr.com 

Ÿ Nicholle Zoe Ÿ

Why Do I Always Feel Tired?

Hello all you beautiful readers! 

Due to circumstances, I wasn't able to upload a new blog post but no worries! I am back. 

In Brisbane, it has been raining for at least 30 hours and it has finally stopped. But on most days, even when it is not raining we will feel tired and sleep deprived. Here are a couple of tips and food that you must incorporate to your daily life to be able to get through the day!

Iron

Iron will help you both men and women feel more energised. Iron boost your energy level and also deliver oxygen to the cells.

Some great sources of Iron:
- Beans
-Lentils
-Spinach
-Sesame seeds.

Quick tip; Eat them with Vitamin C and you'll be able to absorb more iron into your body.

Skip Caffeine/ Sugar. 

Most people think by getting a cup of coffee will boost their energy levels, it may to some people but on the most occasion, caffeine gives you false energy because it is a stimulant.
Same to sugar, it increases your insulin level and a sudden crash just like carbs.

Skipping cafeeine and sugar will really help you stay on top of things. A cup in a day is fine, but I know some people who have at least 5-6 cups per day.

Your Breakfast. 

Most people don't really have breakfast in the morning because they are either in a rush or they just skip it in total. Skipping breakfast is not good for the body because you need food to fuel, by feeding your body with good food, it signals the brain to work therefore making you more alert.

Having breakfast in the morning really sets the body for the day. Do not limit your breakfast to protein or carbs. Breakfast is part of your well balanced diet too, make sure you have all the components.

Have your protein, antioxidants and good fats like nuts and avocados.

Eat REAL food. 

Real food means it has not been processed or even gone through anything but harvesting. Real food includes vegetables and fruits.

Alternatives to chips or crackers, have wholegrain spelt crackers which are better for the digestive system.

Fruits and vegetables give you more energy than temporary energy when you have crackers or anything that has been processed or modified.

Have Healthy Fats. 

Many people misunderstood fats, they think its the toxic fats but in reality its the fat that brings you energy and also strengthen your hair and nails.
Healthy fats gives you energy and you need the fats to absorb the anti-oxidants. Antioxidants are important for the body because it fights free radicals and keep your cells healthy.

I hope this post has helped you! 

Keep out for new recipe coming up soon!! It's my birthday on Sunday, So i am taking that day off to explore some good food places and hopefully be able to write some reviews here!! 

Follow me: 

Instagram- @zzoeyla 

Twitter- @nichollezoe 

Snapchat- @Nichollezoe 

Nicholle Zoe 

How To Prep Your Food & Be On Top Of Things.

Hello loves! 

Most of you reading this are either attending university or even attending high school abroad. Wherever you are, you should always have the skills to prep your food before hand.
For myself, as I am studying abroad it becomes rather difficult for me to handle the pressure from you and eating clean, but one thing I found myself doing rather quite a bit would be prepping before hand.

Today I am going to show you some of the tips I like to do in order to stay on top of things!

Pre-chopping your food. 

One thing that my housemate love to do is pre chopping all of her vegetables beforehand and for the week. As we have saturday market's here where the fruits and vegetables are at it's freshest, we tend to buy in bulk. So she would always take at least an hour to prep and chop up all her vegetables and place them into a plastic bag and keep it in the fridge.

Therefore, it'll be easier for you when you are trying to cook for the day.
So pre-chop all your food if you're always in a rush or tend to fall behind schedule if you are busy chopping up vegetables before cooking!

Containers! 

Little containers or even just normal sized containers will be your bestfriend. You know those pre packed goods that you get at the supermarket? Why bother, when you can do it at home? As seen above, after pre chopping your food place all of them into a container with the other ingredients and place them in the fridge. Label the container so you know which dates of the week you're going to cook that specific contents of the container.

Writing it down: 

Writing down what meals you are going to have for the week would be a great additional for you to be on top of things. It is so simple:

Monday- Breakfast (egg sandwich)
                Lunch (Quinoa with stir fry vegetables)
                Snack (Banana
                Dinner (Baked Salmon with Greek Yogurt and garden mix) <<< watch out for this recipe soon!

As so forth, this is so simple when you are always wondering what to eat for the day. Sometimes a person spend countless hours in front of the fridge figuring out what to eat.

Do it the night before: 

If you know you are going to have a busy day the next day, then what I like to do is cooking for the next day as well. I tend to cook more than a serving for one if I know I am going to have a busy day. This really saves time, so what I like to do is cook extra vegetables and then place them into a container, half filled with rice and half filled with vegetables. When you want to eat them, just heat them up! Make sure your containers are BPA free!!

I hope this helps at least some of you!! Sorry for not updating my blog recently, I've been spending at least 8 hours at the library trying to smash this assignment out! More interesting post will be uploaded by the end of this week!!

Love you guys! 

Take care 

Follow me on social medias: 

twitter- @nichollezoe 

Instagram- @zzoeyla 

Porridge Oats

Hello loves!

Here is another recipe for the week, Porridge Oats!

I absolutely love having porridge oats as it keeps me full throughout the day without snacking which is great if you're trying to watch your weight.

This recipe is relatively simple so it won't take long.

Ingredients:
- A handful of organic oats (If you prefer using steel cut oats, then go ahead and do so, but my local supermarket ran out of their organic steel cut so I went for the rolled oats)

- Almond Milk (If you're allergic to nuts, you can sub this with rice or soy milk)
-A dash of cinnamon
-Just a bit of honey (optional)
-A tsp of Chia Seeds

Fruits:
-A handful of berries (Strawberries are my absolute fav)
-1 Banana

Again, if you prefer other fruits go ahead and add them in!

Step by Step:

Firstly what you're going to do is soak a teaspoon of chia seeds into 1 teaspoon of water in a mug, This activates the chia seeds and you are able to consume it's full benefits. They will turn into a paste almost like jelly.

* Chia seeds are filled with omega 3, fiber, magnesium, calcium and iron!

Next, find a pot and place a handful of oatmeal into the pot (If you prefer to have more than a handful again, it is totally up to you).

Add almond milk and just water into the pot, to be honest I just eyeball-ed it, I didn't really measure. I personally add water and almond milk together because it really cuts down the calories. 

Also just a tip is that if you can still see your oatmeals then it's usually the correct measurement of liquid :) 

Once its done, it will look something like porridge. It usually takes about 3-4 minutes for it to fully cook, I added a few banana chunks into the oatmeal and mashed them up to sweeten the oatmeal abit. Oatmeal can be a little bit bland on it's own.

Checked on the chia seeds and they're all plumped and looking like jelly. 

Alot of people think this is gross but you won't even taste it once you mix the oatmeal together. 

I absolutely love cinnamon, so it's got to be in there somewhere. 

A dash of cinnamon would do. 

Other options, you could add in is raisins. 

Mix them altogether and you're done! Simple and quick breakfast or even for a snack.

Cut your fruits up and placed them nicely & you are done!!

Take Care 

Follow me on Social Medias! 

Instagram- @zzoeyla 

Twitter- @Nichollezoe 

Next Post: How To Prep Your Food