Reducing Your Plastic

Hi, yes I am studying marine biology and yes I am going to blab to you about saving the marine environment.

You are probably sick of hearing about your plastic usage nowadays, seeing as there are countless adverts and news articles on how they are polluting our planet. The reality is that plastics are in a way indeed killing our environment.

As a population we consume 245 million tonnes of plastic per year, with the overall cost of plastic pollution costing around 4.7 billion in that time (GESAMP, 2015). Not only is the issue in the greenhouse gases released when plastic eventually degrades, but also the effects plastic pollution is having on our animals, especially our marine organisms. A number of species are consuming the plastic packaging that has been dumped into the oceans by fisheries and the public themselves. They mistake its identity for a food source, for instance plastic bags are known to be consumed by turtles who mistake them for jellyfish. Plastic bags contain Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) that are toxic for animals in high concentrations and can as a consequence lead to eutrophication further up the food chain therefore may even be harming ourselves without us even knowing. Also, animals like sea birds and other organisms are becoming entangled in parts of the packaging debris that floats along the surface of our oceans. This debilitates the animals and can lead to death, having catastrophic effects on our marine ecosystem and animals populations as a whole with certain sea turtle species numbers declining by up to 95% of their original population. If nothing is done this problem will just continue to escalate further.

The issue of plastic has become more widely known and this has led to many attempts being made to reduce our overall consumption as a planet. Many reusable alternatives are being produced with shops and restaurants being seen to scrap plastic usage all together and opting for more wholesale options where you bring your own bags and containers for produce.  Little steps can make a difference, whether it be you just taking a reusable cup to a coffee shop (which can save you money as well) or even taking your own metal straw rather than wasting the plastic ones. Also cutting the plastic packaging that comes on cans to hold them together or the rings off the long life milk sealers will prevent animals becoming trapped in them. Not being lazy is what will make the impact, make an effort to save our planet. Yes, it may be tedious to carry a reusable cup, straw or bag with you day to day, but the difference it will make is worthwhile. Please do not litter on the beaches or streets, find a recycling bin to reduce landfills. Taking part in beach cleans can really help your local council, it will protect the marine animals and also help to improve the appeal of your local beaches.

In a nutshell there are many things you can do to help, because in order to help combat the growing issue of plastic everyone needs to get on board. Realistically one person is not going to make a difference, everyone needs to take a step to reduce their plastic usage including you.

High End Cruelty Free Brands | 2019

Yes I will admit it, I am more into my affordable beauty bits being a student, however there are times when I like to splash out and treat myself to the slightly better quality products. So I thought I would put together a list of cruelty free brands that are a little more on the pricey side to use when those student loans come in. Now, even though I cannot say that I have actually used the majority of these brands (mainly because of their price tag), they are some of the most sought after brands in the cruelty free market. The ones marked with an * are brands that themselves do not test on animals, however are owned by a parent company that does such as l'oreal. I do still believe that by purchasing from these companies you are supporting the cruelty free protest, as you are showing these parent companies that you want your money going to those that do not support animal testing rather than buying directly from brands that do test.  The List  Two Faced*  Kat Von D Pixi Zoeva  Illimasque By Terry Sonia Kashuk Becca* Charlotte Tilbury Lime Crime Anastasia Cover FX Tarte* Hourglass Urban Decay*

Vegan | 3 Years On

It has been 3 years since I changed to a vegan diet, I am not malnourished and I have actually gained a substantial amount of muscle mass on a 'protein deficient' diet as people call it.

I started off my vegan journey when I was 16. I was very much one of those 'preachy' vegans who dismissed all other diets, and wanted everyone to know the benefits of veganism. Whilst I was living a healthier lifestyle with my diet, with my eating disorder history I used it as a way to steer clear of certain foods I deemed 'unhealthy'. For my first year of being vegan I lived a very much 'clean' diet of salads and lots of fruit and vegetables. I rarely ate the meat substitutes and pretty much lived off salad and chips on meals out because that was all there was to offer back then.

When I turned 17 and started sixth form I discovered alcohol and parties. Yes, I was still vegan but I became less hard on myself and ate less 'healthy' choosing to enjoy myself more and live in the moment. If I wanted a burger (vegan of course) , I had it. Of course with alcohol comes impaired judgment and to no ones real surprise the vegan became a chicken nugget eating fiend when she had a few too many drinks. But that was okay, because slip up's are okay and I learnt to not kick myself down for doing it, even though I did often feel shitty the next day (and not just from the hangover). So a few slip ups were a thing in 2017.

2018, to be honest I slipped up less, once or twice. I started training at the gym a lot more frequently and pushed myself harder at every session. With training more I needed to fuel myself with more food, including upping my protein. Whilst I argue a vegan diet is not a 'protein deficient' diet, I did add protein powders and bars into my diet to build more muscle quicker. Though beans and vegetables can provide you with plenty enough protein for your daily requirements also. I started cooking a lot more for myself, making (kind of) healthy meals but with a lot more bits like fake meats, vegan cheeses and chocolates. Everywhere seemed to offer vegan options now, so no longer did I have to opt for a limp salad when I ate out. Balance was much more my thing this year and I no longer saw certain foods as 'unhealthy' but as treats instead.

2019. This marks my third year as being vegan (minus the slip ups). I cannot see myself not eating a vegan diet as I truly love the benefits it has given me. Even being vegan I have been able to gain muscle mass at the gym and continue to work hard, I am the strongest I have ever been and continue to get stronger. I have accepted balance when it comes to veganism, you do not have to go all or nothing. Small changes help, whether it be eating less meat or switching to a plant based milk, it is putting a foot in the right direction to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Becoming a Gym Girl

When I was younger I was not the athletic type of person to say the least. I never competed on sports teams, the most I did was swimming. When I was around 14 I started doing little home workouts after discovering the miracle that is YouTube but most days I would only do one or two Blogilates videos and that was it for my exercise.

Going into sixth form I wanted to put on weight by gaining muscle and so I started the gym. All over the media was the growing appeal of girls with curves and butts, so I signed up to my local gym and started going regularly. Since joining the gym I have gone through many phases. I first started out by only doing leg day and training my booty. I did this by light weight squats and using the machines that were provided. When I started the gym I was very intimidated by the guys in the free weights area, so I stayed away.

As I became slowly stronger and more confident at the gym and going more regularly, I tried out new things. I started hypertrophy training by doing free bar squats and deadlifts in sets and I got my schedule down. Now, I train lower body twice a week and upper body twice, sometimes I do cardio once but very rarley (I am not much of a runner) but if I do it is a short inclined walk. I tend to do either sets of 8 or 10 depending on the weight I am using. Recently other than hypertrophy I have incorporated more hyperplasia training which requires doing less reps and has longer rest periods but using heavier weights and forces you to train your muscles harder. For example, I have started squatting 5 sets of 4/5 at my maximum weight where as before I would have done 3 sets of 8 at a lighter weight. I have found this has helped to prevent my muscles plateauing.

I use the gym as my me time, I put on my music and block out any anxiety or stress I have and put it all into my workout. When I up that weight a little each session I get that little bit of pride in myself knowing I am becoming stronger. Going from a girl who was scared to eat or workout because it would make me 'curvy' to a girl who strives to lift heavier each session and fuels herself with good food is something I am really proud of.

My Routine

1 x back and biceps
1 x leg day (butt focused)
1 x chest, shoulders and triceps
1 x leg day (hamstring and quad focused)

My Favourite Exercises

Free bar squats (5x5)
Deadlifts (5x6)
Push Presses (5x8)
Shoulder Press with dumbbells (3x8 or 10)
Cable chest flys (4x8)
Leg press (5x8)
Bulgarian split squats (4x6 per leg)