Aloha From Hawaii

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Awesome Ashild

As you may have noticed, if you are following me on Instagram, I have been in Hawaii recently. Didn’t bring my laptop, so no updates from the middle of nowhere. Came back last Sunday night, but this week has just been franticly busy (and absolutely amazing if I may say so myself) so here is a delayed Aloha from Hawaii. I though I should share some pictures with you in a couple of posts.

We stayed in Maui and Oahu, for 10 days total and it was total bliss. Just relaxing, swimming, hiking, tanning and shopping. And eating. We did a fair bit of eating. Ribs. So very delicious! I love ribs. Nomnomnom. But hey, I side track. Let’s talk about Maui.

What a beautiful island. We drove the Road to Hana one day, and actually a little further than Hana too, to a place called The 7 Pools. We didn’t actually go to the pools, but went inland, through a bamboo forest (amaaaazing) to a big waterfall (ehm, not so big and not so impressive for a Norwegian viking, but hey, you might have different standards). It felt a bit like you at any point would spot a dinosaur chewing on the tree tops in the distance.

The Hana Highway (HI-360) has 620 curves and 59 bridges. The road leads you through flourishing rainforests, flowing waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes. There are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the lovely views so I would recommend leaving early, because it takes quite a while to get there. We stayed in Kihei and for us it was an all day adventure. I should also mention it is a good idea to bring some food along they way, as there are limited options to buy anything. We came prepared with iced coffees that lasted for ages, fresh fruit, peanut coconut butter (you must try it) and local seed and nut bars. I am only telling you this because we bumped into a shop assistant in Honolulu a few days after that told us she had gone on a day trip from Honolulu over to Maui and driven the Road To Hana on the same day as us and she didn’t bring food. She told us she nearly died of hunger. The moral of the story; always bring food.

We parked at the Kipahulu visitor centre and walked inland from there. The trail is easy to find and well maintained. I am not quite sure how far it was to the waterfall, but maybe 2.5km in each direction. The best part was definitely the bamboo forest. It got really dark and quiet and all you could hear was the bamboos playing music in the wind. Go there.

Enough with the chit-chat, here are some pretty pictures from the road. Look at that amazing Banyan Tree:

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How beautiful is that. Doesn’t look like what you think when thinking of Hawaii, right? Well, we did stop by a beach on the way back after sitting in the car for way to long.  The beach was called Hamoa Beach and has pretty dark sand. There is also another beach along the way called Red Sand Beach. Check them out.

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I want to go back now. So beautiful.Oh well, I’ll just stick to Melbourne beaches for now…

Have a great Saturday.

Awesome Ashild, xoxo

Posted in 7 pools, Bamboo Forest, Banyan Tree, Hana Highway, Hawaii, Healthy Lifestyle, Hike, Holidays, Kihei, Maui, Nature, Photography, The Road To Hana, Travel, Waterfall | Tagged | Leave a comment

Harvest Box ~ A Better Snack

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Awesome Ashild

Do you sometimes sit at your desk at work, daydreaming about food and thinking ‘how great wouldn’t it be if I could just get a snack delivered to my desk?!’. Well, guess what, you can!

As a part of the No Sweets For Six Weeks challenge I am proud to introduce you to Harvest Box – handpicked, healthy snacks suited to your tastes and delivered to your door. How good is that?! You get 4 portions of snacking pleasure in each box. You tell Harvest Box what you like and don’t like by rating their product range. Based on your choices, they select from a growing range of over 50 mixes of nuts, dried fruit, seeds and fill the box just for you. Sounds pretty good right. Definitely much better than having a muffin when you’re feeling a little peckish?

“Each time, we will deliver a different variation to you. That means maximum flavour and variety in your munch mix. And no more calorie-laden junk-stops at the vending machine.

Tell us how often you’d like a delivery and on which weekdays. Provide your details. We deliver it, as per your instructions, straight to your desk.

Harvest box are the experts of easy, the kings of convenience. It’s seriously simple, nutritious snacking delivered to your desk. Fuss-free. Guilt-free.”

-Harvest Box

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If this sounds like something you would like to try, I have some great news for you; I have organised one box for you for free, if you sign up. All you need to do is click on this link and off you go.

Try a Harvest Box for free.

Since I am not a huge sugar fan, I would recommend staying away from the dried fruits, but there is plenty of nuts, crackers, treats and bars. And if you would usually go for a bar of chocolate or a pack of chips, this would be a much better option. Portion controlled – as long as you manage to eat only one of the four serves that is provided in each box.

Have fun snacking!!

Awesome Ashild, xoxo

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One Week Down ~ 21 Days To Break A Habit

Posted on January 19, 2015 by Awesome Ashild

Wohoo, well done on smashing your first week in No Sweets For Six Weeks. 7 days in (almost 8, since Monday is getting long already) into a 42 day challenge. You may have wondered why it is exactly six weeks we have embarked on. Well, there are many articles around claiming it takes 21 days to break a habit. 21 days where you need to consciously make decisions around a habit that you would like to either get rid of or start doing. Well, personally I believe 21 days is just enough to break a habit. But I believe it takes another 21 days to subconsciously break a habit.

“The habit that took years to build, do not take a day to change.”

There are so many things you do without even thinking about it, like biting your nails or flicking the kettle on first thing in the morning. Most of us order a latte on our way to the office in the morning, without even stopping to think if you actually want a latte today. Some may have the good habit of jumping into their running gear first thing when they wake up, while others have the bad habit of having a cigarette instead of breakfast. It doesn’t matter whether a habit is good or bad, it is still a habit  and you need to consciously work to change it. Until it becomes and subconscious action.

Deciding not to have sweets for six weeks is a way of breaking the 3PM chocolate habit or the chips and dips after dinner habit. Because, we don’t really need those foods. We just want them and we just always have them without even thinking about it. A habit. Probably not a good one. If you are still on board for the No Sweets For Six Weeks challenge, you have probably been trying hard to not have your usual snack for the last 8 days. And succeeded. Well done! Now, keep working at it and you will notice how it just becomes easier every day. In another two weeks, you will have worked through the hardest phase.

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You can do this. One non-eaten sweet at a time.

Have an awesome week. Make sure you keep me posted on your progress on the Facebook event page. I love hearing from you.

Awesome Ashild, xoxo

Posted in Personal Development, Six Weeks With No Sweets | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Step Five ~ Stick To Your Guns

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Awesome Ashild

If you are unsure what that actually means, the definition for sticking to your guns is to refuse to change your ideas although other people try to make you change them (or in the military it means keep shooting at the enemy, but we won’t go that far!). You may have heard a few people telling you you are crazy for cutting the sweets for six weeks. Feedback I have seen on Facebook posts go along the line of “that’s my idea of hell”, “my condolences”, “that’s unheard of” and “are you crazy?!”. These are comments to people who have joined the Facebook challenge and not to me. I have plenty of really supportive and sensible people around me, and most of my work colleges have all joined in giving up various food items. 

One of the hardest and most frustrating parts of changing your eating habits or lifestyle is the people around you. Many people don’t like change and they don’t want you to change (especially not for the better). They want you to stay down with them, eating chocolate cake and boozing up on the weekend. They might be a little scared of the new, healthier version of you and they want you to be the “good, old you” again. So they will say things like; you’ve changed; you’re so boring; a little bit can’t hurt can it; and so on. You may also experience being talked into actually cheating on the challenge (and yourself really…), just so they can feel better about themselves.

I know this sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Therefore you need to stick to your guns. Believe in yourself and remember why you decided to do this challenge in the first place. Write your goal down somewhere you can see it. Remember what your reward will be. Maybe even come up with a clever reply to the people who hassle you to have just a little bit. This was your choice and your challenge. You can do this. So refuse to change your ideas although people try to make you change them.

Love Yourself

Happy Hump Day!

Awesome Ashild, xoxo

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LCHF Kale Chips Recipe

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Awesome Ashild

Do you tend to overeat on chips and other salty savory treats? Then kale chips are definitely for you. Super crispy and super tasty, all at the same time. And guess what? They are even good for you. Kale has been branded a superfood for years now and it’s packed with nutrients. If you have never tried kale chips, I highly recommend you do, because although kale tastes very ‘green’ raw and in smoothies, when crisped up and with added salt and parmesan, it tastes delicious! I promise! This is all you need:

Kale (any variety), olive oil, salt, parmesan cheese. You can also add dried chilli, garlic, pepper, other spices you like on your chips. 

You need to remove the stem from the kale as it tastes quite bitter, so do that and cut the leaves into appropriate sized chips. Wash thoroughly. Then put all the leaves in a big bowl, add olive oil and salt and mix until all the leaves have oil on them. This helps make them crisp in the oven.

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On an oven tray, spread the leaves out one by one. Then drizzle a tiny little parmesan on each piece. Put the tray in the oven on approx 125 degrees Celsius for about 10-15min (preferably on “fan” as well). You may even want to put a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it slightly open to get rid of any moisture. This helps make the kale chips even more crispy. Make sure you check on them so they don’t turn brown. They are finished when they are all crispy and crunchy.

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All you have left to do, is to enjoy! If you are giving up chips as a part of the No Sweets For Six Weeks challenge, this is a perfect substitute. Only one more day to go before we start!

Follow me on Instagram for more inspiration @awesomeashild

Awesome Ashild, xoxo

Posted in Recipe, Six Weeks With No Sweets | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments