"You have to spend an enormous amount of time doing something to get really good at it. This is 90% of what separates the artist from the imposter. Talent, education, luck, finances, and all the rest add up to a small part. There are no excuses, the ones who are willing to do the work will find a way - and the ones who aren't never will, no matter how many opportunities come their way."

 

"I think it's very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person."

 

At the very moment my blog is a complete mess - and I am very sorry about this! I've been working on a new design which is almost completed now, and I've also been trying to clean it up a bit (adding new categories so it's easier for you to find exactly what you're looking for, translating all of my posts to Swedish since my earliest posts are written in English only etc.) Please understand, and prepare for a much better blog with lots of helpful posts in the near future! 

 

"The most dangerous sicknesses are those that make us believe we are well."

 

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

 

"True beauty comes from the inside, so step aside from the scale and create your own beauty."

 

 

 

 

"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect."

 

"Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose."

 

"Don't let the sadness of your past and the fear of your future ruin the happiness of your present."

 

 

 

"The only one who's really judging you is yourself."

 

 

 

The key to good health is an effective immune system that can protect us from colds and cancer, fight food poisoning, relieve allergies and delay the aging process. Poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle and an environment with much pollution can affect and weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to various diseases - from common colds to more serious infections.

 

The immune system acts as a defensive army. It is based primarily in lymphatic and blood, even if the skin and e.g. the digestive system also plays an important role. The lymphatic system is a network of veins which return the fluid - lymph - between the space of the cells and the blood. The lymph nodes, spleen and thymus are also parts of the lymphatic system, where lymphocytes are produced. These cells identify, eliminate and knocks out contaminants, microbes and cancer cells. There are two types of lymphocytes: B-cells and T-cells. T-cells are produced in the thymus and may destroy extraneous cells directly, while the B-cells which are produced in the spleen instead excrete antibodies against the undesirable to destroy it. Natural killer cells are similar to lymphocytes and is particularly effective against cancer cells. The white blood cells in the blood - phagocytes and lymphocytes - play an important role in the immune system by destroying the invading bacteria and removing dead and damaged tissue.

   A properly functioning immune system is in perfect balance. Although the immune system's main task is to prevent and destroy extraneous substances it's also letting the substances we need get past, such as food. The stomach contains both beneficial and harmful bacteria, and as long as they are balanced the digestion is good. But if the harmful bacteria increases - perhaps because of high sugar and saturated fat in your diet - you can get indigestion and fungal infections.

 

All organs and cells need specific nutrients to function effectively. Interferon - an antiviral agent that counteracts the development of cancer cells and is excreted by the body tissues - need vitamin C for its production, while lysozyme - an antibacterial enzyme in body fluids such as tears and blood - need vitamin A. Hence a poor diet immediately results in a weakened immune system. Other enemies of the immune system are stress, smoking, excessive alcohol and caffeine consumption, drugs (both medical and others), food additives, pesticides and air pollution.

 

It's normal to have a cold one or two times a year, but if we have a weak immune system we are susceptible to all colds and flus that circles around us and we are soon to discover that we often get sick. Other signs of a weak immune system are indigestion, fatigue, aching joints, muscle weakness and poor complexion.

   An immune system that is not in balance also causes allergies and intolerance to certain foods by attacking when it detects certain trigger substances in the body. This leads to chemicals being secreted to drive out what the immune system perceives as an enemy and this in turn causes many unwelcome symptoms.

   Autoimmunity occurs when the body is overworked and starts producing antibodies to attack its own tissues - the skin disease lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are examples of autoimmune diseases.

 

 

 

Cakes have gotten a bad reputation. People equate virtue with turning down dessert. There is always one person at the table who holds up her hand when served a cake. “No, really, I couldn’t,” she says, and then gives her flat stomach a conspiratorial little pat. Everyone who is pressing a fork into that first tender layer looks at the person who declined the plate, and they all think, “That person is better than I am. That person has discipline.”

   But that isn’t a person with discipline; that is a person who has completely lost touch with joy. A slice of cake never made anybody fat. You don’t eat the whole cake. You don’t eat a cake every day of your life. You take the cake when it is offered because the cake is delicious. You have a slice of cake and what it reminds you of is some place that’s safe, uncomplicated, without stress. A cake is a party, a birthday, a wedding. A cake is what’s served on the happiest days of your life. If sides are to be taken, I will always take the side of cake.

"The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too."

 

 

"Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking about how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present."

 

 

 

"Nothing ever happens like you imagine it will. But then again, if you don't imagine, nothing ever happens at all."

 

The first step towards confidence is not being afraid to be ugly.

   Once you get over the fear of being unattractive and stop equating beauty with other good things in life (friends, love, happiness) it's a lot easier to love yourself unconditionally.

   Your job is not to sit around and be pretty and easy on everyone else's eyes.

   Your job is to do whatever the fuck you want and look however the fuck you want while doing it.

 

 

Haven't had time to write some worthy posts these last couple of days. At least you've had the daily quotes to read which I hope have been able to motivate you a bit! I'll soon post an informative post again, and when I say soon I mean before the end of the week. I've really been busy this time and I'm not even exaggerating when I say that - I literally mean zero minutes spare time. Yesterday I studied chemistry for SEVEN hours straight for this big test I had today. I'm a little bit annoyed though because apparently it was a waste of time since not one of the things we were being tested on was in the book(???). But it feels awesome and like such a big relief to have it all behind me. It was probably good that I studied after all, because one can never be too wise! Even if I had no use of it now I know I will later in life. 
     I also have a test on Thursday this week and that will be focused on the First World War. History is not my favorite subject, but rather my "hating subject" (hehe) and I honestly think it's quite pointless. But I'm bloody sure gonna get a good score even though I hate it! Got a high score in religion so why can't I get that in history?
     I've just eaten a snack which unfortunately was a little too big and I'm now feeling a little sick. I'm thinking about if I should exercise today or not. Haven't had the urge recently so as a result I have skipped it a lot. Thought I'd take care of it around my birthday and I've been planning to create a workout schedule and set up a food plan with more regulated times to eat. I'll also put up some goals, etc. so I have something to work towards. Haven't had much motivation lately either which sucks but it's hopefully just a slump, and no way I'm giving up because of something as ridiculous as that! I'll come back better than ever!! I already have a big goal though which is to feel really hot when I'm going to America, and it's only about a 100 days left until I'm going there which is totally wicked. I remember how I sat during the summer / fall last year contemplating how I would bring it up with my parents, and dreams really do come true at times because here I am and will soon turn my dream into reality!
     This post turned out as a very variated one. Hope you have a blast!

P. S. Please comment if there is something special you want me to write about and I'll try to fix it!

Banana/coconut oatmeal topped with warm banana, low-fat cottage cheese, natural peanut butter and warm raspberries. Smoothie (skim milk, raspberries, banana, spinach) topped with shredded coconut and frozen raspberries. Water.

Microwaved banana,  raspberries, shredded coconut and peanut butter topped with low-fat cottage cheese, dark chocolate and raisins.

Minced meat/potato thingy served with salad. Water.

Banana/coconut oatmeal topped with warm banana, frozen raspberries, half-melted dark chocolate, raisins and peanut butter. Water.

Banana/coconut oatmeal topped with warm banana, warm raspberries, warm peanut butter, melted dark chocolate and raisins. Smoothie (raspberries, spinach, banana, skim milk, shredded coconut, oats) topped with frozen raspberries. Water.

"Be happy for no reason, like a child. If you are happy for a reason, you're in big trouble, because that reason can be taken from you."

 

"So build yourself as beautiful as you want your world to be. Wrap yourself in light then give yourself away with your heart, your brush, your march, your art, your poetry, your play. And for every day you paint the war, take a week and paint the beauty, the color, the shape of the landscape you're marching towards. Everyone knows what you're against; show them what you're for."

 

"There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroad, afraid, confused, without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back."

 

These are common ab exercises that I like. Especially the 3rd one, it’s a killer!

Try to do each move 10-15 times, repeat 3 times.

  

  

 

This is a series of ads from the early 20th century right up to the 1970s.

 

You might notice what they’re advertising is, instead of the weight loss solutions we’re used to today, they’re actually advertising weight GAIN.

 

 

Notice how less than a hundred years ago, these ads were meant to shame thin bodies the way weight loss ads shame fat bodies today? Notice that how as time goes by, the ‘ideal’ body shape changes from era to era? Notice how in these ads as well as those seen today, they’re meant to make people feel bad about the way they look?

 

These ads are just as bad as the ones that run today. They’re meant to shame you and make you feel inadequate for one sole reason: so you go out and spend money on their products. It’s not about your self esteem, your health, or your happiness. It’s about selling the product. It’s about making the money.  

 

Your body is NOT wrong. You don’t need pills, diets, or supplements to make you happy, attractive, or ‘right’. All bodies are good bodies. It doesn’t matter if you’re skinny, fat, tall, short, disabled, scarred, anything at all.

 

Do not let the media dictate what you think you should be. The media is fickle. It does not care about you. Don’t let yourself care about what it says.

 

 

 

 

"The inner voice of anorexia and bulimia whisper that you'll never be happy until you lose weight and that your worth is measured by how you look. But the truth is that happiness and self-esteem come from loving yourself for who you truly are - and that's only possible with recovery."

 

 

Banana oatmeal topped with melted dark chocolate, one of the candies from above, banana and shredded coconut. Soft-boiled egg and water.

Coconut/banana oatmeal topped with warm bananas, warm raspberries and peanut butter. Raspberry/banana smoothie (banana, raspberries, skim milk) and water.

 

I'll probably get a lot more personal on this blog, vent and so on so I hope you're preparing for surviving something like that. Will OF COURSE not stop writing about health/fitness and it will still be the main topic! Will shortly answer all the questions I've been getting because I hate to know that you need my help and I just ignore it because I don't have any energy left. YOU WILL GET ANSWERS I PROMISE I LOVE YOU OK.

Woke up on the right side this morning and was tired as usual but took a different bus to school which was much better and before/during PE in school I was hyper and completely filled with energy and recieved questions about how much booze I've had for breakfast ahaha. Unfortunately that changed when I got home and I'm almost ready to go to bed already BECAUSE I AM TOTALLY DRAINED OF ENERGY. If I haven't got luck on my side I might even get sick. I really want to avoid that because in two days I'm going to Stockholm with my class! I have nothing more to write because I walked away from the computer and apparently my urge to write disappeared so .... bye.

 

Hi everyone! Recently I've had fifty-one million thoughts in my head that goes around and around and around and I feel that no, I can't live like this anymore. Without exaggerating I have got anxiety about literally EVERYTHING twenty-four/seven and it's chewing on me from the inside. All kinds of anxiety you can imagine. It's so lame really because I go around worrying and over-thinking the smallest things that have no impact on my life in any way. I blow everything out of proportion. I have performance anxiety (have had it all my life but it has gotten much worse). Will I ever feel good enough?

I never feel satisfied with school work and I can't ever get praised. In the latest development conversation I had with my teacher it was the first time ever that they didn't said anything about that I talk too little. That I have to raise my hand more because they know that I have the knowledge. I have improved so much and the teacher told my dad that he should be proud of me because he has an "incredibly talented" daughter. See? Even that I couldn't write without adding quotation marks because it felt so wrong to be described like that. A couple of weeks back we had to write a big religion essay and my teacher just told me I will get the highest grade - still, I felt neither excited or even close to satisfied. Another classic example is when I got an A in art. My teacher informed me about that after a lesson and he asked me "Why do you look so sad? Had you hoped for a lower grade?". I was not happy at all and did not feel worthy of that A. I even refused to tell my classmates what I got because I was ashamed. I was ashamed WHEN I GOT THE HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE!! Do you see what I mean? Anxiety everywhere and when I get a good result I feel nothing but bad. I have soaring expectations no matter what I do. About everything. It makes me so tired and sad.

I can not do anything without getting anxiety. Thoughts like:
am I really working out enough
I think I'm eating too unhealthy now
I have to study
my parents must be so disappointed at how I turned out, they probably regret that I was born
everyone's probably lying when they say they like me
I waste too much money
I will never get a job in the future
I need to be more outgoing
I gotta answer all questions I've received
I have to blog
I need to drink more water
I need to get more sleep
I need to get more money
are living in my head every hour of the day and I'm afraid I won't be able to cope for much longer. You wanted a more personal blog - here you have it. I guess this also proves that I'm not perfect, not even close. 

Turn off your phones, stop checking the internet and set aside a whole day for YOU!

 

7-9AM is reasonable. Get out of bed, stretch, open your window and put on some calming music.

 

Pamper yourself by making something yummy and nutritious. A mango smoothie, whole wheat French toast and berries sounds delish! Keep some tea handy throughout the day.

 

Turn your music up and take a nice, warm bath. Use bath bombs or yummy smelling soaps/bubble bath! Put on some ultra comfy pajamas when you're done.

 

Look up homemade recipes for face and foot masks. Lots of them are easy to make and very beneficial!

 

Go for a walk, paint your nails and watch a funny movie, or take a nice nap! Don't lift a finger and take care of yourself. Remember to relax!

 

Look up at the night sky before you do and realise how magic it is. Reflect upon your day. Tell the world and yourself just how amazing and beautiful you are.

 

I've been absolutely terrible at blogging but my computer is so slow and I don't have the patience to go through that. I'm going to TRY to get better at it. Since it's my birthday soon I hope I'll get a new one and then this won't be a problem anymore!!!