September 2019 – Mel Adela | London Travel And Lifestyle Blog

Here is a matter that I hold close to my heart. Sometimes taking the time out to sit here and write makes me feel so much better because I try and break things down in my head and type it on the keypad. I am a very happy, drama free and positive person in general, but some days I can wake up and feel so shit.

Am I the only one?

I have realised in the past two years how much food really impacts more than just my physical well-being but my mental perception. Many of us are body-conscious and no thanks to the society we live in and the media portrayal of perfection, it is so easy to feel like you are not good enough. Sometimes I find myself two hours deep of scrolling through “insta-models” pages comparing myself to them and isolating all my physical imperfections. But then I have to remind myself that it isn’t real life! I would say that I am confident in myself and love everything that I am but when I have days of eating bad food, especially anything that makes me bloat, it has a direct correlation with my “feeling shit days”.

With my intolerance test showing that I was intolerant to many things I love, I was determined to cut these out of my diet but it gets hard when you’ve grown up on rice and bread (being Asian and German). Soya, wheat, yeast and dairy are my main triggers. I’ve realised that cutting these out also reduce any bloated feeling or tummy pains. Then I noticed, that eating these actually have so much more of an impact on my body than I thought.

When I have yeast or dairy, I get discharge and bad skin – all of these contributing to a lower self esteem on those days.

On the other hand, when I cut everything out and stick to my workout routines, I feel energetic, toned and fresh.

The fact of the matter is, not every day will be great and we all have bad days, what helps me is having an early night that night and starting the next day with a good sweat and healthy breakfast – that will always kick start your good vibes. Take a look at how your diet affects your feelings and self-esteem and make a conscious habit to remember – you’re body is a temple and what you feed it can either nourish or poison. You do not have to be a carb-free vegan, but everything in moderation and understanding your body is the key.

It feels like forever ago but the sweet taste of every spice and herb lingers on my taste buds when I think about Bali. Not only is southeast asia one of my favourite places in the world, it is where I grew up so returning to the familiar smells and bustling streets always brings back childhood memories. Prior to this trip, my only other memory of Bali was when we visited Nusa dua for a long weekend to celebrate my cousins marriage. I never truly saw the vast landscapes this island has to offer.

It was D’s first ever visit to southeast asia so I wanted him to soak every bit of it in and we all know that food is the way to every man’s heart, and he fell in love. Most people always caution you about the “Bali belly”, mainly due to the still unsophisticated irrigation systems. We made sure we were extra cautious, avoiding fresh salads and brushing our teeths with bottled water. But one thing we were not going to do is let this stop us from trying the real local delicacies. While there are many dishes that make up a local’s diet, these three in our opinions are the must haves if you want to discover the real side of Bali (outside of the many tourist traps crowded by aussies).