Free meal plan, detox: Join our January workout challenge!

In less than 48 hours, the new year will arrive and we'll be alive to welcome it, God willing. I'm pretty sure loads of people already have their "new year resolutions" and they're waiting to activate them by January 1st.

Research has shown that most people add alot of weight during the Christmas and New year break and some go on to include weightloss in their new year resolutions. I personally think that everyone should have "an everyday resolution" instead of waiting for the New Year, but there's really nothing wrong with making new resolutions.

Fashion gains and pains- pt 2

There are several problems associated with fashion and its world and also ways to curb them. (Read part 1 here)

I was watching television the other day and my friend said the problem of fashion is that it never lasts long. She had joked that she wasn't given enough time to wear her dress before it became obsolete and we all laughed. It seemed funny but it's true. Diligent and hell bent following of latest fashion trends is somewhat stressful and money consuming. Take an example the Hermes Birkin. It's an 'it' item for any girl who considers herself as a religious fashion trend follower. The least an original Birkin costs is $10, 000. Just one Birkin would put more than a lot of holes in the pocket of a student(if they can afford it) or a middle/low income salary earner in Nigeria.

Let's talk fashion! : Fashion gains and pains- pt 1

One firstly has to understand what the terms fashion and fashionable are to at least have a fundamental basis on the topic discussed. The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines fashion as a popular style of clothes,hair,etc. at a particular time or place.

 According to me, my own definition of being fashionable is the constant state of looking good. The definition of fashion infers that the style is only 'in' for a particular period and implies something that is transitory; something that would eventually change and pass away. You probably live in a cave if you do not know fashion is liquid and changes like the weather but it's normal as everything under the sun is subject to change(positive or negative), no matter how long it takes such change to manifest.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas Beauties! I wish you loads of love and every good thing you wish for! I am grateful to have all of you in my life.
As we celebrate Jesus Christ this season, let us extend love to everyone, let's also continue to live in love for the rest of our lives.
I'm all open for gifts and I'll be giving out some here. Who wants a Christmas gift?!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Tips for staying fit this Christmas

The holidays are in town already and it is a fantastic time of the year filled with parties, cocktails, chocolate… and usually very little exercise. According to research, people tend to add more weight during the holidays because they eat more during this period and most of these foods and drinks are calorie dense.
The good news is, to stay healthy, fit and energised this month, you don’t have to forgo the parties and goodies for the sake of keeping up with your workout routine while everyone else is having fun. You can have them all; a great time doing whatever you like this season and commitment to your exercises. Here are a few tips that'd help you stay healthy and fit as you enjoy your holidays

Dear Ladies, good men abound- A must read

I was with the CEO of AMAA at a party some weeks ago. A young lady walked up to me and after pleasantries and a few drinks she said something about good guys being scarce and the good men are not yet born.
Stupefied I was until I regained composure and hit her with my response;

The response is for all single ladies, married women, everyone who thinks good men are myth.
Walk with me, my answer to her was;

Weight loss motivation : Amazing before and after pictures!

Thanks to Instagram I saw this before and after picture of a former plus size model.
Though I couldn't speak to her directly, I could tell from her posts that her weight loss journey started out of her need to live a healthy life. She was able to lose a considerable amount of weight because she made the choice to exercise regularly and eat healthy. No special fad diets or fitness trainer helped her achieve this, but her resilience, discipline and willpower did! 
The story is the same for the lady whose picture comes after the cut.

Home remedies for long thick hair

Long, healthy and lustrous hair is a cherished desire of many, men and women alike, this makes loads of people concerned with the problem of hair breakage and thinning hair.
So many people have suffered hair loss as a result of varying factors. In this part of the world braids and the very popular "Ghana weaving' are top on the list of hairstyles to blame. When I noticed my hair growth was stagnant I had to evaluate the attention I had always given it and also considered some factors that caused my hair problem. Back then it was a result of excess use of flat irons and hair dryers.
Some other causes of hair loss include, genetics, nutritional deficiencies, certain intense hairstyles and hormonal imbalance.
However there are some home remedies that can help promote your hair growth and make it healthy always. One of my favourite amongst these remedies is shea butter. Shea butter deeply moisturises hair and protects against hair loss. Here are some other home remedies that work!

Foods for weight loss: Diet advice for healthy eating

A good weightloss program should comprise of a workout routine and a "workable" meal plan because these two work together. If you pay attention to only exercises and shut out healthy eating, you'll end up getting little or nothing from your workout program and this will only lead to frustration after a short while. 

The internet is full of dietary advice and meal plans for those looking to lose weight. Some of these meal plans are fad diets that will only leave you frustrated after few days of struggling to adapt to it. 

Good news is, you don't have to live on vegetables and green tea in the name of weightloss (cutting short on high calorie foods and drinks is a step in the right direction). Below is a list of foods drinks you can incorporate into your meals. 

Your dietary staples should include the following: 

Hey guys! I'm taking a survey and I need your help!

Hi Beauties, I'm working on a wellness project that I believe would help revitalise our everyday life. In order to do this I have mapped out 20 important questions that'd help me understand you better.
Please read through carefully and label your answers numerically in the order the questions appear (send your answers to ifuennada@gmail.com )
1. How old are you? ( 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s)

Top healthy foods: healthy foods for a healthier you!

If you're looking for ways to diversify your diet and become healthier, here's a list of healthy foods to incorporate into your meals, plus reasons why you should!

1) Pumpkin (ugu) leaves
Dark green vegetables like pumpkin are high in antioxidants that can reduce oxidative stress within the body.

Happy Birthday to our lovely blog reader, Chibaby Helen!

Happy birthday to our Lovely blog reader! The very popular Chibaby Helen AKA "fabulousity Mum". I wish her a life filled with Joy and laughter and God's amazing blessings!

What are your birthday wishes for her? Please leave them below. I'm in charge of collecting birthday gifts on her behalf, so send them in already! LOL .

Health benefits of lemon: weight loss, lightens skin, aids digestion

Yellow in color (depending on the specie) sour in taste, lemons provide more health benefits than just a refreshing zing to dishes. Lemons are high in vitamins and antioxidants thus they help prevent scurvy and treat a wide variety of conditions.
They are packed with vitamin C which enhances your beauty, by rejuvenating the skin from within or exfoliating it when used externally bringing a glow to your skin. Its numerous health benefits make it one of my favourite in the citrus family.

Aside using lemon to detoxify my system, I use it for lightening dark patches on my skin by applying the juice directly on it and trust me, my skin gets clearer after just one application.

Below are #10 health benefits of lemon juice that you should know:

Benefits of squatting: weightloss, flexibility, bigger booty

For some people squats are basically lower body exercises, but they are so wrong! Squats are functional exercises that work major muscle groups in your entire body.

The motion observed while squatting engages your entire body, builds muscle as well as promote mobility and balance.

All of these benefits translate into your body moving more efficiently in the real world too.

What is the role of a man in a relationship- Reader

"Dear Ifu, I'm glad that you're building a community where people can get help and support themselves. I have an issue I'd like to share with you and your readers. I'd also like your advice on this.

Everything I want to talk about is summed into this question "What is the role of man in a relationship?" I've been in a love relationship with an older guy who's doing quite well, but I don't seem to be getting anything off it. Don't get me wrong I'm not a leach girlfriend (the kind of girls you talked about in a previous article),

Get fit for xmas workout challenge! Get 10k for getting fit!

Get fit for Xmas! Yes you!, you! And me! Are you surprised I added "me" to that sentence? Well, I did because I need to get fit. I took a break from workout and you can hold my "past ill health" responsible for that, but trust me, I'm not joining the challenge to win the money.

It's been over a month we had any workout challenge, no thanks to several reasons, but this is happening now, especially because some of our lovely readers have requested a challenge and yes! Christmas is a few miles away.

Easy ways to lose weight this Xmas: Couple Workout

I don't think that most couples in this side of the world spend time exercising together. I mean if you were spending the weekend at your partner's (for those who aren't married) or just spending time together away from work, working out together might not be top on your "to do list", but there's a lot of benefits of working out with your partner.

Research has shown that people tend to be more active when working out with someone or in a group.

Happy New Month! Who needs a Xmas surprise? Nominate now!

Happy New Month Beauties! I'm sorry for my AWOLness, but I'm back and will always be here!

December is here and I can already smell Christmas. Who's excited to see the end of the year? I know that I am. I'm grateful for alot of things including the Love I get from everyone here, my family, and God's unfailing Love.

Sometime last month, I talked about reaching out to those in need and I asked everyone to nominate someone or a family they felt could use a little christmas surprise filled with goodies, love and warmth.

5 upper body exercises for toned arms and strong shoulders

Hi Beauties! How y'all doing? Below is an upper body workout program that will
contour your arm and shoulder muscles. This five-move circuit will also eliminate arm jiggles and give you a strong and toned upperbody.

You'll be needing your own bodyweight, a workout mat and  a pair of light and heavy dumbbells (say, 2kg and 5kg) and get to work!

Do each exercise for 12 reps, with little to
no rest between moves. Rest for a minute
or so after you’re done with the set, and
then repeat the whole circuit over three
or four times for a full upper-body
workout.

Workout report: Share your achievements, challenges and fitness goals

Good morning Beauties! How y'all doing? I'm doing great. I slept with a very disturbing headache, but I lost it in dreamland! Has anyone been working out or trying out new workout challenges?

I've got some good news! 2 of my colleagues made the decision to revitalize the way they live, so they've started working out. They're looking to lose some pounds before Christmas and so help me God, we're working together to achieve this.

How to tighten a loose vagina: Home remedies that work for vagina tightening

Previously we talked about causes of loose vagina, here's the concluding part that talks about how to tighten the vagina walls.

If you have a loose vagina and have been searching for ways to tighten it, there's no need to visit a doctor or opt for any kind of surgical treatments to get your vagina back to form.

Video: Best crunch exercises for flat belly and toned abs

Some people often complain of not getting desired results from the exercises that they do. This could be for a number or reasons including doing the wrong form of certain exercises.

When you don't get the correct form of an exercise you could injure yourself and cause your body serious damage, so it's paramount to always get the right form of any exercise in your workout routine.

I ignored Jesus and lost many things...but he saved me! -A must read

I woke up this morning saying "I have a word in my mouth and I'm gonna preach it". Before I went to bed few minutes past midnight I had no intention to share a motivational message filled with the love of Jesus with you, but I had this experience just during the hours I slept that caused an awakening in my spirit.

For a while I felt incomplete. I'm a Jesus girl but unconsciously I drifted away from my blessed savior, Jesus. I'd say my prayers before I sleep and when I wake up.

Rihanna steps out in Ankara outfit! New trend alert!

Hi Beauties! What do you think of Riri's Ankara outfit? She shared these pictures on her Instagram page. I think that it's a beautiful outfit. I like the addition of the long sleeve shirt. Checkout another picture below.

The morning show: Does size really matter?

Goodmorning Beauties! Allow me to introduce a new segment on this blog titled "The morning show with Ifu Ennada". Here we will talk about diffrent topics from various subjects that affect us directly or indirectly.

Today's show was inspired by a conversation I had with 2 colleagues. "Does size (a man's private organ) really matter?" This is a question I've heard most people ask and the regular reply is usually "size doesn't always count, what matters is how you work it". Ofcourse the guys are usually the ones to answer that way.

Women: How to get a smaller waist and bigger butt ( workout video and article)

Losing excess weight will get your waist smaller and make your figure more visible. If you want a bigger butt you don't want fat there, but bigger glute muscles. You can achieve this by doing some exercises that target the glute muscles so that your butt will get rounder and toned. ( Checkout my workout video on how to get a smaller waist and bigger booty. Play the video above)

A good diet and targeted strength training exercises will help you achieve your goals. Here are some steps to follow if you'd  like a smaller waist and bigger butt.

Step 1 

You'll need to burn excess fat by engaging in cardio exercises such as jogging, swimming, dancing and even cycling. You'll also need to cut short on your calorie by avoiding high calorie foods. Instead of drinking soda water, drink a simple detox water consisting of lime, lemon and grape juice. 

Men: Push-up circuit for slimmer waist and broader chest

Do we have any men in the house? Here's a workout program that can make your waist slimmer, arms stronger and back broader. It's an all new push-up circuit that will help you build bolder shoulders.

I believe that in a man's world, when it comes to shoulders, the bolder the better and one of the ways to achieve this is by making push-ups a favourite in your workout regime, but we're not talking about the classic push-ups here. This is an all new push-up circuit that will make your shoulder muscles bulge and your upper body burn. This circuit will challenge your body from three different directions increasing the demand in each shoulder and eliminating weakness.

Health Benefits of Lime: Weight-loss, Skin care...

Lime is a medicinal powerhouse that can do many things some advanced medicine can't do. All over the world people use lime for both culinary and non-culinary purposes. This small green fruit of the citrus family has been said to improve fertility, but there's really no scientific evidence to support this claim, neither is there any evidence to support the widely accepted myth that lime reduces a woman's fertility.

These are some of the health benefits of lime:

(1)Skin care: lime juice and it's oil extracts are highly beneficial in skin improvement both in consumption and application. It contains appreciable amount of vitamin-c and flavonoids which do not only rejuvenate the skin, retains it's glow , it also protect the skin from infections and body odour.

Lime possesses antioxidants,antibiotic and disinfectant properties that are beneficial to one's overall health. When applied externally, its acid scrubs out dead cells, cures dandruffs, rashes and bruises. It's also refreshing when mixed with bath water.

(2) Weight loss: lime is an excellent fat burner, a typical weight loss fruit variety. A glass of warm water with a full lime's worth in it can do all the weight loss magic in just a week, besides the  weight-loss benefit, it also plays a good role as an antioxidant and a brilliant refresher. For people trying to lose weight 2 glasses of lime water everyday will give you remarkable results within the first 7-days.

Workout report; Confessions and Achievements

Hi Beauties! It's a beautIFU Saturday morning in this part of the world and I'm glad to be alive! How you doing?

One of our lovely blog readers suggested that aside sharing our successes and workout achievements we should also confess our relapses. I totally think this is a great idea. So I'm gonna start with myself. I don't remember exercising this week. *covers face* I bet you're thinking "ah Ifu...you're  not practicing what you preach here. "

Amazing before and after weightloss pictures! 24kg gone!

Hi Beauties! What are your thoughts on the picture above? Before I go on to tell you these weight loss stories, here's a little update on me.

I've had a busy schedule coupled with an illness that has kept me from reaching out to you guys here, but I'm getting proper treatment.

Get fit for Christmas workout challenge!- Checkout my first squat video for Booty workout

Hi Beauties! My YouTube channel is up and running to kickoff our "Get fit for Christmas workout challenge". Yeepeeeeee!!! I'm excited! Christmas is in less than 2months from now and I'm pretty sure many of us would like to get in shape or get super-fit before the holidays start.

The first video I shared on my youtube channel is a squat video where I illustrated the proper way to squat and build your posterior end.

Meet our WOW! (woman of the week)- Ify Brown Monye

Hi Beauties! How you doing? I am so excited to start this new week, thanks to God, my interesting work schedule and the prospects of reading from you guys! Last week I was plagued by loads of things , but I'm better this week. OK, enough of "Ifu's diary"! Let's meet our "Woman of the week", Ify Brown Monye.

This charming, young and energetic woman studied biotechnology at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (Futo). Ify's love for the acts has turned her into and an actor,dancer, and presenter. Over the years she has familiarized herself with all the genres of performing arts.

What are your fitness goals? Tell us and let us help you achieve them

Hi Beauties! I hope this meets you well. I totally apologise for my absence this few days. I'm working on a fitness and wellness project that I believe would help improve our everyday life. In order to achieve this I have mapped out some important questions that'd help me understand you better.

Please read through carefully and provide appropriate answers.

1. How old are you? ( 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s )

2. What's your gender? (Male or female)

3. What is the highest level of school you've completed or the highest degree you've received?

Puffy eyes: Natural home remedies for puffy eyes/eye bags

Puffy eyes or eye bags can be a major setback especially when you have a great day ahead of you. I woke up with puffy eyes today, but I didn't let them dictate the beginning of my day because of a major photoshoot I have. I considered and used the treatments for puffy eyes available to me at home and that triggered my decision to write this post.

Some factors responsible for puffy eyes include; too much crying, hangover, stress, change in weather and even our genes. For me, I get puffy eyes when I have a hangover (that hasn't happened in a long time), when I'm really stressed and when I cry. Yes I cry... I'm not alien.

Meet our fashion/style star of the week!

Hi Beauties! I'm sure the name Ono Bello rings a bell in some of our heads when it comes to fashion and style. Ono Bello is a fashion, style and beauty blogger/ consultant. She's been around for a while and her fashion and style sense gets better by the day.

For me, her style can be defined as chic and sophisticated. Even her casual looks are super stylish! What do you think of Ono's style? Checkout more pictures below.

Fit or fat man? Ladies what's your spec?

Hi Beauties! Get in here and let's talk your spec in men. LOL. The other day I was hanging out with some ladies and we got talking about fitness. One of the ladies said " I can't stand fit men o. I like men that are so fat ladies won't give them a second look...". When I heard this I was shocked and I asked her why, but she simply said fat men are her spec and that was it.

Woman of the week: Meet Chibaby Helen!

Hi Beauties! Say hello to our woman of the week, Helen, popularly known as Chibaby Helen on this blog. Chibaby is one of our regualr blog readers and commentator, but here's more;

Helen AKA Chibaby is married with kids, self employed and she likes being called "fabulous mum". When I first saw her picture I was overwhelmed by her beauty and body. I mean look at her! Find another picture after the cut;

Best exercises for toned/smaller thighs

Hi Beauties! How's your week starting out? Today I'd like to share some tips on how to reduce the thighs and get them toned. Targeting the thighs alone can be very hard, but there are some exercises that can help get them in shape as they work other lower body parts.

Weekend workout report- I'm currently underweight...

Hi Beauties! It's a rainy Saturday in this part of the world, but I'm doing great. How you doing?

I know we haven't done this in a while, but hey! There's no harm in sharing our workout reports and achievements here. I'm gonna start with mine. Yesterday I discovered that I've been underweight for some time now and I was quite sad.

I've always struggled with weight gain because my lifestyle makes me burn loads of calories, but before now my BMI was stable for a long time.  My ideal weight is 54kg, but as I write this I currently weigh less than 52kg.

Dry skin: natural homemade remedies that work!

Hello Beauties! Forgive my AWOLness, my work on set of Emerald TV drama series has made my schedule really tight, but it's quite flexible now. Today's post is on dry skin in fulfillment of a blog reader's request.

Dry skin isn't considered the ultimate skin type by most ladies and this is no thanks to its characterisation that includes dullness and flakiness.

Factors that contribute to dry skin include; harmattan , winter, genes and even nutritional deficiencies, but managing this skin type can be easy with natural home remedies that are cheap but effective.

Let's checkout some natural home remedies that nourish and hydrate dry skin.

Loser baby daddies: Why are some baby daddies irresponsible?

" ...I've just had loads of issues o. My babydaddy won't help with child support... In fact since I gave birth to her he's only seen her on my DP. He hasn't spent a kobo on her, yet he's been threatening to take her away from me. I've known him for 13 years and we dated for a long time, but I never expected him to behave this way...." - Anonymous reader

Hi Beauties! I'm on a break thanks (no thanks) to a colleague who hasn't shown up on set and the above message from a blog reader got my attention. It also got me upset so I decided to talk about it here.

Woman of the week: Meet Uche of Bella Signatures

Hi Beauties! Say hello to our woman of the week! Young, hardworking and talented are some of the words that describe this beautIFU entrepreneur, Uche Patrick. Uche is the CEO of Fabulous Bella signatures, a luxurious beauty brand that provides makeover and skincare services. She's also a professional makeup artist and a brand ambassador for Guerlain cosmetics.

Trashy or Hot?

Ladies,what do you think of Eniko's outfit?  Eniko AKA Neeki baby who's popularly known as Kevin Hart's girlfriend wore this combination of lingerie and sheer (my definition of the outfit) to the premiere of Real Husbands Of Hollywood with her man.

Do you consider this trashy or hot? Another picture below

New Trend Alert! Ladies check this out!

Image credit: Marie Claire

Thanks to celebrities like super model Kate Moss and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, the turtleneck, a demure fashion trend is back. I'm not a big fan of following trends, but I'm definitely going to incorporate this into my outfits. I honestly hope we don't see crazy versions of this trend. Imagine a turtleneck with cutouts that expose side-boobs.

Relationships: When do you say "enough is enough"?

"I suffered insomnia for a long time after my marriage broke up. It was due to depression and confusion and fear of tomorrow. I was stressed out. But then I started taking time to rest and my sleep pattern returned to normal..."

The above comment was left by a reader under one of my blog post and the first two sentences got me sad and got me thinking...

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Blog expansion and giveaways! A MUST READ

Hello Beauties! How you doing? Right now I'm typing this post with a smile on my face. OK, I'm chuckling now. I bet you guys are wondering "what's wrong with Ifu?" . Before I go any further, I'm on my knees saying "please read all of this post and leave your comments" *smiles*.

Moving on----->>>Well, considering the fact that I had a "not too pleasant day" and loads of people owe me money I shouldn't be smiling, right? Oh, forget that! Annoying things will always happen, but how we let them affect us is what really matters. I'm smiling right now because I'm thinking of all the love you guys have for me. I'm always looking forward to your comments and emails. OK, let's go straight to the core of this blog post.

Regular exercising may lower the risk of breast cancer

Hello Beauties! Yesterday, Oct 13 was "No bra" day to support breast cancer awareness and this post was supposed to happen yesterday... In this new post I'll share how regular exercising can help lower risk of breast cancer, (thanks to cancer.net) .

Pictures of TY Bello's twin baby boys! They're so cute!

According to reports, renowned photographer and singer, TY Bello gave birth to twin boys in a US hospital on Saturday. Here's a picture of her beautiful babies They're just so beautiful!

TY is a first-time mum...congratulations are sooooo in order! Her land is definitely green! Congrats new mum!

Getting rid of stretchmark with sheabutter : Here's what worked for me

Hi Beauties! I'm writing this post to share more tips on how to get rid of stretchmark. I'm going to briefly and precisely talk about what worked for me, but first, I'm going to talk about how stretchmark ended up on my skin.

This skin condition hardly pays any respect to anyone and it's caused by a number of things, including obesity, pregnancy and even weightloss. It found its way to my skin no thanks to weightloss. After I lost a signigicant amount of weight in my mid teens, I discovered stretchmarks on my left breast.

SHOUT OUTS to my wonderful readers!!! A must read!

Hey Beauties! Most of you are probably asleep by now (or not), but I'm not sleeping and I've been doing loads of flashback... How this blog started, how I never really planned for it to start, how I go MIA sometimes, but most of all I've been thinking about you all and your awesome love and support! My blog is going to be 3months old in a few days and so far I've exceeded my expectations all thanks to you guys!

I want to thank you all for your numerous emails, comments, suggestions and Love! You guys have been wonderful! As we grow and expand and also "make loads of money" here, I'm gonna spoil you with the best giveaways ever! And yes I mean it. My vision for this blog is for it to get to a point where we'd give out financial and every kind of support to anyone in need! I've always loved helping people... I know that this would happen soon in Jesus name!

Insomnia: Why can't I sleep? Heeeelllllp!!!

Have you ever suffered insomnia? Lord, sometimes when you need the sleep, insomnia is a terrible curse. Back in my early days as a TV producer I always had the craziest deadlines to meet, so I'd stay up late working, editing and supervising. Sometimes I'd only sleep for about 2hrs in 2days. Yes! It was that bad (or should I say awesome cos I kinda liked it). I can't say if I liked my insomnia days totally... No I don't think I did because eye bags felt my face was their place of birth.

So what causes insomnia?

Wonders of squats: Check out Funmi's Iyanda's posterior end

This picture is about a week old, but I couldn't stand not sharing it here. That's Ace TV host and media entrepreneur, Funmi Iyanda showing off her fit figure in a nice outfit and yes she said something about that curvy backside!

How To Make Delicious Low Carb Chicken Maxican Tortilla Pizza

Hello Beauties! It's saturday in this part of the world, so I am screaming "happy saturdaaaaaaaay". I hope this meets you well. Are you a pizza lover? I know I am one beautiful pizza lover! Here's a low carb Mexican chicken tortilla pizza I'd like to share with you. I found the recipe on Instagram, so I'd like to give credit to @Healthy_italian for the recipe and photo.

Your end product might not look exactly like the image above, but I'm sure you'll do a great job making this pizza. I'm also going to be trying this out, so let's get started already!