Purely Amy

Scarily Good Soup / Butternut Squash and Sweet-Potato soup (V,Ve,P)

2015-10-27T12:30:00.000+00:00

You should know by now that I love a soup, a good soup. A healthy, thick smooth soup, of course.. there's always room in my heart for a thin or chunky soup but they're a special occasion kind of meal.
Since it's HALLOWEEN I thought I'd use squash,like in my previous (southern veg soup), it's such a neglected veggie, we only have it once or twice a year (maybe a few more if we're lucky)

A sweet creamy and thick soup, all you need is 15 minutes, four ingredients and a love of health, after all this is a Low Gi/Paleo soup.
Scarily Good Soup

I was pottering around last week, after being quite ill the week before, a glass shattering cough and head cold to clog the airways.
What's the first thing you want when you're poorly? Soup. I get memories from soup, mostly bad.. I hated soup when I was younger, It was always a 'drink', it didn't fill me and it wasn't a nice thing to have. One moment in particular , my mum had bought some cheap tomato soup and demanded that it I ate it as I would get nothing else.. (the only time I skipped a meal) and I cried for ages, or so I thought, I'm pretty sure my dad snook me some toast up before bed.

But, the good memories..
A chunky vegetable soup in a wooden barn-style cafe that we'd ran into as the rain came down on our walk to the beach, our holidays were always walking holidays so we were around an hour away from the beach. We were soaking and as me and my brother sat down, mum went to get drinks, dad sat at the table with us. She came back with these luxury hot-chocolates with cream and marshmallows in We weren't well off so having food out was like winning the lottery for us..Later that night I tried my first minestrone soup, and loved it, Soup can be an experience and remind you of your past, down to scenery and utensils you use to eat it it can bring back childhood memories.

So, soup can mean a lot to a person and to me this soup means;
"Treating myself to something tasty without breaking the bank" It's so simple and it's not overpowering, it's just 'relaxing'. Baring in mind I'm not getting money for this recipe so I don't need to 'sell' it in description but I really want you to try it!

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash.
3 Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 Large Onion
1 Vegetable Stock cube
1tbsp butter/flavourless oil for frying onions.
Seasoning, To Taste

Takes 2 5 minutes, SERVES 4. 115 calories per serving.

Instructions
1.Finely dice your onion and pop into a large saucepan on medium heat with your butter or oil of choice, sweat down your onions until translucent.

2.Deseed, peel and chop your Butternut squash into 1/3" cubes, Along with your Sweet potatoes.

3.Whilst your onions are sweating down you can pop your kettle on and desolve your vegetable stock into 1pint of water.
4.Once your onions are translucent and not coloured add your butternut squash and sweet potatoes to the saucepan along with your flavoured water.

5.Bring your pan to the boil, place a lid on the pan and simmer for 25 minutes, (or until tender). The more you make the longer it'll take.
6.Once your vegetables are soft enough to break with a spoon, take your soup off the stove..

7.Now, you can either mash your vegetables down into a chunky soup or, like I did, cool it down and pop into a liquidiser.
8.Serve with a gluten free bread, I really think it needs a bread or something chunky to eat it with. Why not mix it up and try it with a wholemeal pasta, as a sauce, yeah, really..

*Tip: Frozen/thawed squash and sweet potato, cooks quicker. If you chop your leftover butternut squash and freeze it, when you use it next the water in the vegetable will melt whilst defrosting and soften your veg, this means your cooking time will be reduced! Mine only took 15 minutes! :)
Remember I have tonnes of low-fat, paleo and sugar-free recipes floating around so make sure you pop up to 'purely recipes'. Healthy recipes are not just for weight loss their for dinner!

Happy Halloween!

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I'll give you my heart if you promise to look after it /Organ donation

2015-10-21T20:30:00.000+01:00

Today there's been a lot of talk in the media to get organ donation up and running, ad campaigns, there's a programme on Wednesday night, channel 5 "The gift of life" I'm hoping that it's going to be good, they're a few organ 'receivers' and their views on it.blood runs and tonnes of fund raising, apparently

60,000 organ donor deaths happen in the uk every year, only 5,000 are elidgable for organ donation (organs might have failed or been beyond rescue), and only 60% have family willing to go along with those wishes.

Why?

Why are people not willing to give life after theirs has ended, because it's scary!

Yup, I said it.

As much as people try to pretend it's not, it is! It's scary, 'kinda gross' and it's yours. It's something so personal and has such an emotional attachment to you, I mean, it's your life and death! Your organs were grown by you, in your mother's womb, it's a part of who you are...

Have you ever owned something and when it's passed it's use you feel sadness for letting it go?
That's how I'd image it to feel..but that's ok! It's ok to be scared of death, but to give something back from it should be an ease for the worry you feel. After all signing up as an organ donor is a one-time thing, after that you didn't need to think about it.
So, you die.
We all will, that's a given! Why not leave something after you die, leave a part of you, give life and help your family's grief by explaining to them that giving life after death is something important to you.

#Let them brag "My son was an organ donor" - "my Aunt died, but she was a wonderful person, she gave her heart as an organ donation"

Make someone proud.
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I'm not saying you should feel guilty if it really isn't something you want to do, mostly because I was in that boat too. I felt sick when it came to actually signing up for it..I spent years occasionally thinking about it, it creeped me out, like a lot of things. Someone walking around with my body parts? Frankenstein sprang to mind,It really 'weirded me out' to think that someone would have my body parts..but, I grew up. I realised that it could be me...

How much would I give to live?

I'd spent weeks thinking about it, I spoke to my partner about it, hoping someone would almost give me a reason not to sign up. There were no reasons against it, I'm a healthy fit and happy young woman, I would give anything to spend more time with the ones I loved so I want to give back and just hope that someone would do the same for me, should I need it.

I just needed to learn more about the process.I loaded up the NHS website.. filled in a 30-second form.."Who are you, what would you like to donate, What don't you want to donate?"..ect.

I finished it quite quickly, considering it's such an important form. Then again, there really were only 6 questions, then.. there was a Submit button.

Guilt,worry,nausea.
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I really didn't want to pause at that point or give up because "I was too scared" it's a chance for someone to have life, my petty worries would deny them that? I couldn't help but worry..all of the questions came flooding into my brain.

"Would my family agree to this?"

"Would my partner?"

"Would my mum be more upset after my death if I had donated" My parents are jehovas witnesses- They don't believe in organ donation, giving blood etc.

"Would my partner become obsessed with finding the recipient?" "What if it was a woman, what if she had my heart? - Would he fall for her?" I honestly worried about this

My biggest fear , as irrational as it sounds, would be that the doctors wouldn't try to save me. They've spent years training and they're taking organs to preserve life, why wouldn't they try their best to save mine? Exactly! It's a silly thought that the doctors wouldn't save me,..

Non-the-less, I still worried about it and in the few seconds it took for me to really re-asses my worries I felt guilty for having them.

But, I clicked it, I signed up.

I just wanted to say, whilst everyone puts a halo on organ donation it's ok to feel scared and you will definitely have worries ( I still do) but all you have to do is sign a piece of paper or click a box and you could save a life. It could be your mums,sisters, brother's or uncle's life, it could be a complete stranger, but you've done the impossible you've given a dying person another chance at life.

I hope that you follow the lead of the not-so-many others before me, and sign up today,tomorrow or anytime in the future, don't leave it too late though...

There's always a tomorrow but you don't know what it'll bring, or take away.
#Letthembrag
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If you're looking for things to sign-up for why not like us on facebook too?
Full bragging rights to anyone who's signed up or is already a living organ donor..
Brag in the comments below!

Halloween special post on Wed, then back to normal for Saturday! :)

What's in a name? That which we call a daisy.. (name change!)

2015-10-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking for months about having a change up, for a start I'd like to kick out- blogger, and install wordpress but with £99/ A month I think that'll have to come later down the ladder, once I have more time for writing. As you know I only get 12 hours a week to write and network so a big change is just not on the cards at the moment, maybe next year?

BUT! I am changing the name, Same old blogger account just a different name on the header, the domain name will be changing from

www. The Creative Fitness Channel .co.uk

www. As Fresh As A Daisy .co.uk

Fresh as a Daisy means to feel great, clean, vibrant, healthy and to be positive, which is what I hope this website is already promoting so the name fits in perfectly. (Until my sister has mentioned it sounds like a sanitary advert)

So, the name-hunt continues..
What about...

I want it to explain the blog "Fit, Health, Run, Life" but I don't want it to target a specific audience "Veggie, Vegan, Gender specific" I also don't want it to use negative words or target words "Weightloss, fat, diet " I don't want it to sound too professional "Guide, Advice, Channel *oops*"

Anyone have any good ideas?

I'll not be changing the URL for a few months, until the domain runs out, so it's an easy and quick swap, for now I'll be sorting out the art-work and slowly easing you into the transition.

I haven't had a good healthy recipe to create for you but it's Halloween so here's a SQUASH based recipe, perfect for autumn! It's Paleo of course, hope to see you there..

So thanks from me, Keep staying active, working out and

Eatin' As Fresh As A Daisy

Losing weight when you're ill: Should you diet & exercise when you're under the weather?

2015-10-17T09:00:00.000+01:00

Some of you observant and lovely lot will know that I've been away from the blog for a while now...

Firstly, because I went back to college to complete my NVQ, which takes up 3 days and I need to complete portfolios of work which takes up a lot of time. Along with that I'm looking for part-time work to pay the bills and secondly because I've been really ill, I've been moaning about it on twitter this week sorry! However, my illness has given me a bit of time from work and college so I've been able to come back to the blog and give you some advice.Silver lining!

So,
Should you still stick to your regular diet and exercise when you're under the weather?

This is a simple and complicated question, it's a loaded gun really so to make it more simple I want you to answer these questions, it's like a Venn diagram..

How long have you been ill? (Longer then 48 hours?) If no, just wait it out.

Is your illness a stomach bug: If yes then stop your exercises for at least 24 hours after your stomach has settled and you're feeling better. If no then continue on.

Does it affect your balance heart rate or temperature? If yes, stop right away, rest up, get better.
If no, you can do the low impact workouts.

Realistically, if you feel well enough then of course, you can exercise, but should you?

That's up to you, would you like to take the risk for a few calories burned? Or should you rest up and eat well until you can get back on the horse. As I've noted at the bottom of the picture, make sure if you're going to workout when ill that you've spoken to a doctor.

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I'm going to keep you up to date as best as I can, I'm hoping to update Pinterest weekly and Twitter every other day, Fingers crossed you don't get bored of me!

We're going to be more ill as it gets through the Christmas season so make sure you eat well, keep active and rest when needed! Remember if you need a healthy recipe I have a hearty winter soup to keep your spirits up, so you can come here and find some tasty treats to keep you healthy!

Just to keep you cheerful on this cold weekend day :

It's world sweet day, it's mostly in America but why not treat yourself?

The very first Sweetest Day, which was originally called “Sweetest Day of the Year”, was pronounced as October 8, 1921. Kingston created this day to give something or to do something nice to those less fortunate than oneself. A “Sweetest Day of the Year” committee was formed.

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Can you be FAT + FIT ?

2015-10-10T08:30:00.000+01:00

They're not often associated with each other but they should be, so often do I hear

"I work out and eat fruits and vegetables but I still can't lose weight"

bearing in mind that weight is the wrong word to be using, read any of my previous articles for a full explanation of weight loss. Fruits carry a lot more sugars and lower fiber than vegetables and with a healthy diet it's easy to slip up and sneak in some 'treat's so you may not even notice you're over eating.

The point being is that yes, you can be fit and fat you can be and will be what ever you put into your body. Most people get into healthy living because they want to lose fat and tone up, I know that's what I wanted.
so, I cut out the crap and worked out ALOT. So, why did it take me three years to lose the fat and get fit? Because I was over indulging in the healthy foods and being very in-active throughout my day.

A good workout can burn 300 calories a day! A healthy-bad diet can add 700 calories a day,don't even get me started on eating take aways.

Let's look at it in terms of a 'healthy bad diet'.

If you eat two eggs on whole wheat for breakfast with a black coffee: 468 calories
1 chicken breast, chickpeas and mixed salad: 450 calories
2 pieces of fruit with 1 cup of tea: 143 calories
Spiced Beef and Vegetable stir fry + coffee + cereal bar: 760 calories
Total =1821 Calories.
For a healthy day's meals,yes coffee's fine for a balanced diet, but even with doing an intense workout of 300 calories you're still looking at around 200 calories spare to be added to your energy storage centre (fat building blocks)

The simple point of it is. It's hard to 'lose' calories and easy to gain them;
so you can work out and eat healthily and be 'fit' but you still might look 'fat'.

Our bodies are machines of survival, we're programmed to store energy for our daily duties on the other side high-calorie foods are vast and varied, whether they're in a doughnut or a 'trail mix' bag.

The easiest way to be Fit + Fit, is to watch your intake vs outtake make sure you're eating what is necessary to fuel for a workout but not overeating, which is so easily done.

Make sure you're starting your healthy lifestyle because you want to be healthy not for any other reason.

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Extreme diets and eating disorders: What did you do?

2015-09-26T08:30:00.000+01:00

After my last 'group' peice, Stop Fit-Shaming became a campaign on twitter I thought a lot about how important big group articles are to send out the message and I found a lot of positive comments and compliments on my article tackling the issues of 'fitshaming'.It really brought to light that sometimes it's not all rainbows and sunshine when you're fit or on the way to becoming a better you.

Sometimes, we lose track of why we're getting fit in the first place, sometimes others knock us down.. the thing is, we get up and work harder than ever before and when we do.. boy, there'll be hell to pay. So, the lovely UK Blogger women I have spoken to have all been on diets/extreme weight loss plans and they've all paid the price for health, but why?

Mostly because we want to conform or fit in, but there's also the other side of it, where we just want to be healthier, so why do we go to such lengths to achieve it?

Because we don't know how to lose weight efficiently
Because we want quick fixes
Because society wants us thinner, taller, more 'beautiful'

I spoke to some 'serial' UK dieters and asked them..

What's the most extreme thing you've done on the road to becoming a healthier you?

I was on a slimming tea type drink, none of the famous ones, this was about 2 years ago when they weren't really known. I was doing the usual morning drink every day and night time every other day. I also have a strange eating regime, I either eat tonnes or nothing. This particular day I was going to the beauty UK show in Birmingham, so I'm stood on the train then bam, I wake up on the floor. I was pouring with sweat, shaking and had to run to the toilet in an attempt to not throw up over the crowd of people staring at me.
I've done a teatox since and I loved it, however I learnt the hard way that if you don't eat a normal amount while on them, you may pass out in public and it wont be nice www.youtube.com/Bexrenshaw

-I purchased diet pills off the internet - ephedrine (bad move.) I also hit the gym pretty hard because of the extra energy bursts they gave me and while I did lose a lot of weight, they made me feel really rough and like I'd had far too much caffeine most of the time. It certainly wasn't healthy and definitely not worth it as the weight came back when I stopped taking them scissorspaperrock.co.uk

Oh gosh I've done all sorts! 500 calorie diets, shakes, vegetarianism, skipping meals, crazy amounts of exercise you name it! I prefer to try and eat a balanced diet with regular exercise and me happy with myself now! My blog is cookieandcreams.com

Everything! Literally. No carbs, all carbs, caveman diet, paleo-diet, fat burners. Most extreme would have been eating uncooked chicken in the hope I could give myself food poisoning as a last minute ditch attempt. It's crazy the disgusting things we can do to our body in order to lose weight. (And no, I did not lose any weight in my quest for salmonella, I simply had an upset stomach which I felt the need to repair with ice cream
www.trackingwenty.co.uk x

-I actually started dieting quite healthily, cutting portion sizes and exercising but then got too obsessed with it, and it ended up decending into an eating disorder where I abused laxitives (YAKKK) and didnt even want to drink too much because I felt bloated by it! it's crazy looking back on it and now i'm healthy and probably about half a stone heavier than i'd like to be, but it doesnt stress me out now, if I want to eat something I will... If I dont feel like exercising I wont (maybe a little too often I choose couch over gym now!) but I wouldnt change my life now for the world, and I know I wouldnt have this life if I was still where I was back then.... #ibloodyhatediets
xxalittleblogforme.co.uk

-My mum did the Cambridge diet... She lost weight so quickly that she had saggy skin around her neck..... Not good and was way to extreme for her. After her whole life trying every diet under the sun .. (even the cabbage soup diet.... Which stunk the house out) in her 60's she's given up now, but is diabetic instead, so, sweets and treats are a no no for her.
It's such a shame that we feel under pressure to look a certain way.

D: I started to diet as a teenager (about year 10/11) because I was 'overweight'. It quickly spiralled out of control, I would read lots of tips online and put them into practice. I used to drink a mouth full of water for every bite of my meal to help 'fill me up'. I would only eat 1000 calories a day, then reduce it a lot. During my holidays from school only eat when my mum got home from work so I felt somebody else could help control. Eventually I was diagnosed with an eating disorder. It's very easily addictive!! The water one was bad, I would bloat a lot and have to wee all the time! I'd drink almost a litre with each meal!
www.thebritishbelle.com

I starved myself for years and then puked my guts up for a few more years. My weight has yoyo'ed from a size 6 to 14 and back again. Over and over. It's all temporary with unhealthy eating. The only thing that really works is regular exercise and a healthy diet - that has to include allowing yourself to eat 'bad' on occasion when celebrating or during holidays.
People want an easy life, a quick fix. You have to make an effort and commitment to your health and look after yourself.
Quick fixes will ruin you.
http://www.skinnedcartree.com/People want an easy life, a quick fix. You have to make an effort and commitment to your health and look after yourself.Quick fixes will ruin you.

-My friend drank vodka, every evening before bed which gave her a terrible tummy upset and made her feel so sick she couldnt eat she lost loads but I imagine rotted inside.My flatmate at uni used to brush her tongue until she was sick. At that point I also took aquaban tablets every night but far more than you are meant to! It just made me feel ill.
Having spent my entire life over weight I can quite understand why people do drastic things. Its exhausting mentally and physically and it is so hard to understand unless you have faced that desperation. I've never been too extreme (i love food too much) but I get it, the turnaround for me was weight watchers which I know a lot of people think is rubbish. for me the idea of poointing food is rubbish - you just point for bad stuff and learn nothing but the new 'filling and healthy' plan teaches you about a lifestyle change, drinking water, eating wholesome filling grains and vegetables, protein etc - much more of a long term thing.
wafflemama

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I left waffle mama's comment until last, mostly because i've tried to post them in the order I received them but also because I wanted to mention her 'group' weight loss community, Now...
Most of you who have read my weight loss posts will know that I HATE weight watchers, I have removed their ads from my site and will not promote them ( I love their chocolate and orange cookies, but hate their ideas)
That being said.. Laura (waffle mama) said this..

I know a lot of people think is rubbish. for me the idea of poointing food is rubbish - you just point for bad stuff and learn nothing but the new 'filling and healthy' plan teaches you about a lifestyle change, drinking water, eating wholesome filling grains and vegetables, protein etc - much more of a long term thing.

I can't argue it, I really want to.. because I hate that they charge people for the help and guidance to lose weight, they up the prices of food that is on the point system so they're making money BUT...they are teaching people who might not otherwise get the chance to learn about health from any where else.
It's hard for me..because I'm too stubborn to give up on health so I did it by myself, but some people do need that community to push themselves so, if it works..it works.

So, Back to extreme diets...
Did you notice something that they ALL had in common? They felt bad about it.
This idea that we put ourselves through extreme weightloss has become so normalised through fad-dieting and extreme weightloss shows that we do it, in our weightloss haze it makes us do crazy things! Afterwards we punish ourselves and feel guilty for having totrued our bodies in these crazy ways. I wrote a post recently about when or even if we should weigh ourselves, why we shouldn't put ourself in negative habits and what to do about our weight management.

This post isn't meant to make us look foolish for doing these insane things..it's meant to make us human.
We've done these things and many after us will too, because we feel we have to, to look better or feel better..but by us standing up and talking about our mistakes, we'll learn from them, we'll realise that the only way to look better is be healthier in ourselves, whether that means changing how we eat with a few new recipes or how activce we are, down to how we live..

To feel better about our bodies we just need to accept them.
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#STOPFitshaming.

To weigh or not to weigh, that is the question..but what is the point?

2015-09-23T09:00:00.000+01:00

*I've been away for two weeks! I've really missed it here and I hope to come back full-force but for just for one day a week (Saturdays) as I'm back to working 5 days a week and looking for a part time job that's paid. But, remember, if you have any questions you want answering, write a comment or pop by the facebook page!
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So, my mother-in-law has just come back from her holidays (a 10 Mediterranean cruise!) lucky whatsit! Whilst she's been gone we have had no bathroom scales, I don't personally own any for fear of becoming scale-addicted! The problem is...

She came back today.. and so have the scales, now my first instinct is to run upstairs and hop on the newly returned scales but of course I sat, saw all the tan lines and snaps and caught-up with all of the gossip, she'd had to pay $17 for a glass of wine!
But I digress, mum-to-be mentioned her weight, apparently she'd put on half a stone over ten days on her all you can eat cruise, but so did I.. I think. As we chatted, I told her about my chocolate and cake binges and the fact that I've cut off my paleo instincts and I'm now eating like a sugar crazy monster..
The reason I'm mentioning my sugar-bindgey habits is because;

I know that I've put on weight, I can tell from my my stomach, my lethargy and my need for sugary foods that I've put on weight, I'd guess hmmmm...around 5lbs in 9 days..

Why is it my first instinct to need to weigh myself when the scales return to my house?
Why is it that when they were gone I ate like I'd never felt healthy before?
Why did I need to know exactly how awful I'd been to my body?

So, what is it about the scales that call to me and make me want to put a number on my shame?

I feel like It's me punishing myself "Well you've eaten crap so you've put on x-amount of weight, look at you you dumbass" also, it's because I know how long it'll take to lose the weight. So why did I eat like that in the first place? Why should I put my healthy happy body,that I've spent years making stronger and positively encouraging.. through the hell of eating so much crap and sugar? because.. I felt a release from the scales.

Not because I'm addicted to them or to weighing myself, but because they're a habit, I find myself drifting towards them out of habit! I love seeing that I've not put on weight (It's not a surprise) I eat carrots and bananas like they're going out of fashion but who doesn't love to see the numbers dropping? But, the thing is, I shouldn't.

As a person who writes on here, gives feed back and tries to help others..by answering weight loss questions and giving out weight loss advice. I really shouldn't eat crap and weigh myself regularly, I tell everyone all the time; bin your scales! weigh yourself at the doctors, the gym or at a friends house but whatever you do, don't rely on the scales,

rely on your eating habits to help you lose weight.

So, when should you weigh yourself? honestly, I don't really think there is a need to, if you're uncomfortable and you feel like you've fallen off the wagon, just focus on sorting your self out, don't focus on the numbers. After all, friends, family and colleagues see you, they don't need to know the numbers on the scale, they just want to see you as a healthy person.

I never did weigh myself after the holiday and still haven't but I'm sure when the scales are there and I'm having a rough day I'll weigh myself as an extra kick up the bum to do a workout. I'd still say I've put on 6lbs over the break from the scales (The picture is from broken scales - I'm probably 9st 5), but I won't punish myself by finding out the damage because I had fun eating crap for a few days, It was a huge release and also it gives me a target again to tone up and get back to the healthy me I'm used to.

So remember, you might mess up, you might have bad days, but we all do..all you need to know is that if your body doesn't feel right, you feel tired and in need of sugar.. then fuel it with healthy foods and it'll soon pick up and snap back to fit & healthy.

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If you have a minute and you enjoy my website.. can you pop by the cosmopolitan awards site and give me a nomination, you can nominate as many as you want!

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Ask me anything, I'll get back with a plan and advice for you!

And the winner is...//Rafflecopter results + Personal update.

2015-09-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

If you're here for the winner of the gousto organic food box raffle, just scroll down below. In case you're wondering where I've been for the last..16 days...

I've been back at college.

I have loved my blog, I've been writing on it casually since 2011, but time moves on and thoughts change, so I changed my blog, I started tracking my fitness levels and started giving out advice, which meant learning more about fitness, so I took courses, did classes and lost my own weight.

I've grown with this blog, I've put in every part of me that was worth writing about and sometimes the boring bits too.. but It was my own special little space to do so, in early 2015 I started a case after being forced out of a job (I left on my own, but through bullying and sexual harassment I had no choice.) Which meant I had only college and a volunteer school placement left and more time to work on the blog. Time that I otherwise used to look for work and guide myself back onto the right path, it took awhile but I got there.

So I've spent 6 months writing on the blog, reviewing proteins, glasses, books and tonnes of wonderful products, I've really loved this year.. I love how I've changed as a person, things I've learnt and how the blog has changed to become more of a teaching blog, helping others find a love of health. The blog went from 800 views a month to 5,000 views a month, I've learnt a lot about networking and utilising media to broadcast myself and I've loved every second of it...but...

I'm back at college now, I'm back looking for paid work and I'm back volunteering and the time doesn't come freely..
My new schedule!

As you can see, my schedule is chaotic and the time I get to write has to come last, I'm squeezing this in when I get free time (that isn't used by college or workouts). I'll be updating the blog once a week hopefully, and by January I'm hoping to get back to blogging twice a week!

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So..The winner of the Organic food-box giveaway

I hope you can bare with me in the future and still feel as though you're learning and achieving what you want from my articles.

Stay focused, I will be!

Oh and of course, if you liked our review or bloggers day out, then why not like us on facebook too?

**The product was gifted as a review item not as payment:)

An Honest Review: Gousto food boxes & Giveaway opens Wednesday (9/9/15)

2015-09-05T19:00:00.000+01:00

Being the thrifty gal that I am I contacted a company that I had already heard of and wanted to work with, they swiftly replied, so I messaged them back and asked cheekily if they would give me another box for a give away.. and here we are!
So, my box arrived on Wednesday morning, just ready for my Saturday review, perfect! A gentleman arrived at the door with a sheet for me to sign, I remembered that the lovely company were sending me a box out, so when he went back to the van and brought out this HUGE Box, almost too big for him to carry

The boys were with my on Wednesday so I let them open the box, which they did expertly! Ripping the sides of the box, oops. They were so excited to see so much food come in one box, so we put it all out on the table and the youngest went round naming them all, except for some of the longer names 'freekah' isn't a two-year-olds word just yet.

Inside my review box:

After scattering my products over the table and mooching over the packaging I put my official 'review' head on, I like to be completely honest with the company and have no qualms with telling them straight if I don't like something, yep, I've done it before with fabletics and with another powder that I tried.
So the box itself is covered in organic slogans and how to recycle the box and packaging information. Once you open it it's in two halves, one for fresh produce and the other for the recipe booklets and the meat, which I didn't know was even in there! I arranged all the food I'd gotten on the table and displayed the organic wool bag too..which I later found out contained lamb, chicken and sausages!

Along with all the organic-hand-picked fresh food there was also pre-portioned food already for the meals, there were the recipe sheets with calorie contents, protein values and portion guide.The meat and produce quality was outstanding, the minced lamb was so tasty, no added bulking or fat to any of the meats.

The card explains precisely how to cook each component and when to add what to where, so whilst you're cooking your rice you can also be preparing your almonds,which I think is great, too often to we get recipe guides that don't explain what to do to speed up the cooking process.
The box also had two gift and vouchers for other products, such as organic coffee and a 'graze' food box.

The Ingredients:

In terms of fresh products bought online, I honestly can't think of better, they're organic and fresh, with a use by date of a few days so you know it's good!
The meat was on an ice pack so stayed cool and fresh ready for use straight away, the vegetables are organic and fresh and covered in individual bags to stop spoiling.

The meals themselves worked out at £6.66 per meal which is £3.33 per portion, for organic pre-portioned fresh ingredients, imagine going to buy a large bag of organic tomatoes, you've broken the budget already, right? this way you have the precise amount of tomatoes you need, and all the other fresh ingredients you need without any spoiling or going off!

Morrocan Lamb couscous

Meal #1I'm so glad I had this one first, It really solidified how much I loved this box, It took around 20 minutes to cook and it was the tastiest meal I've had in a long time (and I eat a lot of fresh veg) this was such a lovely break from paleo, I almost didn't try it because of course, cous cous isn't paleo!

Jewelled Chicken Freekah

Meal #2
Not so glad I tried this, I thought after loving the first one so much that this one would be just as nice, ignoring the fact that I don't really like cranberries or feta cheese (or any cheese really) and the first few bites were fine but It really wasn't my cup of tea, like an earthy green rice with a sweet herby flavouring. It's still good to try new things though.

Sausage Casserole
Meal #3Nom nom, It's a really nice sausage caserole with great quality sausages in an amazingly light but full-flavoured sauce, if I do say so myself, but I can't really say much else about it my sister had this one off me for her two fussy boys, they love a good food review and they scraped their plates! They loved the sausages.

What they say:
A snippet of what they say on their website.

What’s the big idea? Gousto enables you to choose and cook scrumptious meals without any of the faff. No traipsing, trekking or trying to make time you don’t have. We send you quality ingredients in exact portions, and easy-to-follow recipe cards that let you cook like the Fonz of food. Boxes are delivered weekly, but you can pause your account at any time. Grace yourself with Gousto at an introductory £15 discount – working out from as little as £4 per portion. Ayyy!

Fresh and organic.
We‘ll send you all the ingredients you need in exact portions, fresh from the farm! All our meat comes from British farms and most of our veg is organic. Oh and delivery is FREE!

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Just a quick plug for my other platform,I bought some new active leggings and reviewed them against some cheaper brands (fabletics and primark), have a look!

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Overview of the product:
I really actually quite like to be negative because it's more about what reviewers don't like, then the companies can improve, but on this I'm really struggling to give a negative view.
The only thing I can really say is.. that It's not something I'd buy;
I like to go into the shops and hand pick my foods in bulk,as I freeze a lot of food anyway, saving me money and meaning I can handle the products myself, but as I said earlier, they're all freshly picked, it saves you having to buy too much fresh food that will go off and ofcourse, it's pretty much the same price as if you went into the shop and bought it yourself, but they're more creative with your meal plan and they guide you through the cooking.

but;
If you're busy, you can't shop or you just want to treat yourself..go out and try one of these, mix up your routine have a new taste sensation.

The price is pretty damn good for less than £4 per portion. I normally spend about £30 a week topping up the Kitchen, sometimes up to £180 a month on shopping (that's not including the things you ALWAYS have at the back of the cupboard that come in handy on days you want to mix up your dinner plans) but with this product you don't need to buy your food and the little extras, they're portioned out for you for £40 for six days but right now there's £15 off!

~For meals I wouldn't normally eat, I'd eat out and Id' cost around £20, this way I get three exciting and new meals for a third of the price.

You can be dietary specific and they will cater to that too, but If you're fully capable of cooking and you're trying to save money then this probably is more of a 'treat' box,

I hope I've been non-biased and honest enough for you all to want to try and mix up your routine, remember a healthy body is a happy well-nourished one!

Enter The GIVEAWAY for the Gousto box!

Video to come next week along with a lovely GIVEAWAY!

Starting Wednesday the 9th-Thursday the 17th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oh and of course, if you liked our review, Giveaway or review of the fitness leggings, then why not like us on facebook too?

**Links included, no follow, no sponsors! The product was gifted as a review item not as payment:)

Seven Simple Paleo recipes for an alternative weekly menu.

2015-09-02T08:30:00.000+01:00

Inspirational day! I'm not much of a baker or chef so I'll leave it up to these amazing Pinterest articles to put my point across, healthy cooking doesn't have to mean expensive, time consuming or inedible.

All of these Paleo-recipes are easy, tasty and they aren't trying to hard...What I mean by that is you could give this to a stubborn child (or husband) who won't eat their veg and they wouldn't miss the junk foodie tast that they're used to. These foods are subtle, tasty and healthy!.

First on the list & my personal favourite from Everyday Maven
Who doesn't love a pie? It just had to be on the list and for me it had to come up tops because it's so easy and tastes just like a classic chicken pie! Definately a winner in my books!

Beautiful wraps from 101 cookbook
These beautiful omlete wraps are an essential for quick snacks on the go (mine don't turn out as pretty) but to replace bread with eggs is just great, brilliant for kids and adults.

Sweet n spicy chili from tastesoflizzy
I eat chilli every week so this had to be on here but also I haven't met a person who doesn't like chili and a healthy paleo chilli? Can't say no to it!

Chicken and Bacon Crockpot from peace love and low carb
Nuff said, homely and warming and carb free so non of the sluggish feeling normally associated with hearty dinners.

Spag bol' healthy gorgeous spag bol' from thelondoner
A healthy version of the classic, it's one of the most popular meals in the UK and probably a few other countries over the world,Italy's probably up there too.

Sexy Stir fry from Justataste
Stir-fry is a staple in my kitchen so here's a simple recipe to change your stir-fries forever,grab your leftovers!

Shrimp and Avocado rolls from my invisible crown.
This one is just a bit of a tease really, it's so alarmingly beautiful you won't stop to think about how healthy they are.Probably not an every day lunch idea but maybe somethingto perk up your saturday afternoon?

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I don't like treat days find out why in today's Vlog.

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Common sense #1 Remind yourself to Increase your fruits and veggies!

2015-08-30T08:00:00.000+01:00

Just a reminder really..to eat the good stuff!

You should all know by now, I am a real fan of keeping my body healthy and happy. I like to make sure that I pack lots of fruits and vegetables into my diet,well.. I try my best because I know they're packed full of goodies; they have lots of health benefits, including aiding weight loss.

As someone who has suffered from issues with their weight, I know how hard staying healthy can be. That being said, it might be hard shedding those extra pounds, but if you eat the right foods, it is doable.

Many people who are trying to lose weight make the mistake of eating processed low-fat foods. While these foods might help you shed the extra pounds, they aren’t good for your health. Instead, packing your diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is the best option. Not only will this help you to lose the extra weight, but it will also improve your general health.

Still not convinced that eating lots of fruits and vegetables is the best way to go? No - then make sure to keep reading below, for why these foods are ideal for helping you to get to your weight loss target.

Fruits and veggies contain the essentials for weight loss

Did you know that fruits and vegetables contain the three essential things that we need for weight loss? They are low in fat and calories, and they are high in fibre - these three things are crucial if you want to shed the pounds.

Fruits and vegetables are also packed full of vitamins and antioxidants; that can help to improve your general health. When we lose weight, sometimes we starve our bodies of the nutrients that they need. But by eating lots of fruits and veggies, you can make sure that your body stays healthy, inside and out.

You won’t be hungry

You might be under the impression that by swapping from junk food to fruits and veggies you will be hungry. However, that isn’t the case. If you eat the same amount of fruits and vegetables as you would snacks, you will feel just as full up, but will have saved a lot of calories.

For example, if you were to eat a 100-gram bag of Walkers crisps, you would be consuming a massive 525 calories. However, if you were to eat 100 grams worth of apples, you would only be consuming 47.5 calories. You would be getting the same amount of food, so would be full, but would have saved 477 calories.

You can eat as much fruits and vegetables as you like

Image from Flickr

For most of us, the main issue we have with dieting is being hungry. However, by swapping to fruits and veggies instead of eating junk food, you don’t have to worry about this. You can eat as much fruit as you like without gaining weight, so you shouldn't be hungry at all.

While it might be pricey to buy fruit and vegetables from the supermarket, there are other options to consider. In most grocery stores you pay around two pounds for a punnet of strawberries - that's a lot of money for fruit. If you want to save money on your healthy snacks, growing your own fruits and veggies is the perfect option.

Growing your own produce is affordable, easy to do, and is a great hobby to have. All you need to do is dig a vegetable patch, plant some seeds and buy some fruit trees, and that’s it. Yes, you will need to feed and water them, but that’s a small price to pay to have all of your favourite fruits and veggies on tap.

Losing weight is hard, there are no two ways about it. However, by adding lots of fruits and vegetables to your diet, you can make things a little easier for yourself. It will still be hard, but at least you won’t be hungry.

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An honest and casual rant about not eating healthily.. If you read the above article you'll know

how important it is to eat your fruits and veggies.. but sometimes you mess up,

and that's ok to. Just pick yourself up and move in.

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The 80/20 rule: the secret to easy weightloss

2015-08-29T08:32:00.000+01:00

The 80/20 rule: the secret to easy weightloss

Just a quick one from me this week!
Since my revelation on the Paleo diet I stopped working out for 4 weeks and continued to lose weight (and muscle but that's fine) So I thought I'd share with you my findings and I found out a lot...

The 80 20 rule is essential in most walks of life for explaining how to achieve ..anything really.

It's essentially made up of 80% effort and 20% fun = success.

In terms of weight loss the rule is 80% of your effort goes into healthy eating and the rest goes into being active.

A few people I know work from 80/20 with 20 going on 'junk food' this for me seems pointless, you're purposely taking out time to eat junk food, why bother spending 80% of your time eating healthily? the 20% of junk food would be so negative it negates eating healthily in the first place.

Food in this case is the most important of all, we are all told when we're young what foods are the most important for us to eat, so why don't we just eat healthily all the time? because.. let's face it, we like a sugar rush. Our bodies love sugar, don't they? No... our brains like sugar, so it convinces us that it's going to benefit you, however if you're trying to lose weight you need to be eating healthy to lose the stored up fat.So, have a look "What I've learnt this year:what is healthy eating"

How do you burn off stored up fat? Either use up the fat stores by reducing your caloric intake or by burning it off in a workout/active lifestyle.
The most common misconception is that 1500 calories is just 3 meals a day full of 'energising' carbohydrates, Is you swap them out you'll save up more calories and still guel yourself with nutrient dense foods!
So to save up your calories in a 'diet', the easiest way is by eating less, surely? Not the case. By eating in the 80/20 rule youll be eating more! By eating 'clean' and healthy foods that are low in calories, so non of those nasty fats and carbs, you'll be burning fat in no time.. and to burn it faster, you'll have all the energy from those great foods to fuel a workout!

The paleo diet has been a saviour for me, it's main goal is to 'eat clean' and the paleo diet puts the rules in place for you..essentially you're replacing carbohydrates with natural foods..

Example: The classic, Spag bol!
Minced beef, tomatoes, herbs and spices, Spaghetti! 580 calories=400 calories JUST in carbohydrates? No thank you.
With the cleaner eating plan.. you would swap out the carbohydrates and by doing so cut out 400 calories from your meal, which means you can indulge in fruit and nut snacks or your favourite banana ice cream!

So put down the biccies and pick up the veg!
Good luck!

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This year I've learnt; Workouts and Healthy Eating advice (So what is healthy eating?)

2015-08-26T08:00:00.000+01:00

This year I've learnt; Workouts and Healthy Eating advice.

This is just a few snippets of my food update I did for Ellen's blog at "Eat with Ellen"..feel free to check out the full article here.

Every year I do this, every year I surprise myself with the new things I've learnt and how I was so stupid for not realising sooner..

In terms of my weight, it's really been an uphill battle for most of my life, until Paleo..but I'll get onto that later. The past year has been amazing for me, I understood what it is to workout and eat right and I mean workout to the point of feeling the benefits...not just feeling like its the right thing to do.

This year I've learnt that a 'workout' should;

Tire you out but not exhaust you.

Last as long as you need it to, for your body, you'll learn that this can vary from day to day.

Be new and exciting.

Be a release and not a chore.

Fit into the lifestyle you need, not be rushed.

Be something you do for yourself and not for a social interaction.

Be the second part of your healthy lifestyle.

My most important lesson this year has been that it should fit around me and that it should be the second part of my overall healthy lifestyle.

Firstly let's talk about it fitting around me..over this year I had been forcing myself to workout for an hour every single day and I'd suffer throughout the rest of the day, so I'd binge eat and re-fuel, obviously it stopped me from losing weight, or losing very little weight.

This year I've learnt that 'healthy eating' is;

Not a trend..

Not a 'diet' and not something you can buy.

Something that you have to really want to do

A routine specifically designed for you.

Now, the past few months I've been extremely busy and I've been fitting in 20 minute workouts throughout my week, I've lost the most weight in the shortest amount of time? How? Because I used my first pearl of wisdom..

I used to fill up on protein/inedible foods and snack!

"Pearl of Wisdom #1: You’ll all have heard this a thousand times: “A healthy lifestyle is 80% healthy eating and 20% active living”. I’m not one for agreeing with, well, anything really, very argumentative and set in my own ways, but this little piece of wonder-dust… Oh my god they got it right!"
.....I missed it though my HIIT workouts are the best part of my day, but it made me realise eating healthily was definitely the key and ‘eating healthy’ is different for everyone."

So, What is ‘Eating healthily’?

For me? It’s about cutting out foods that my body doesn't like, doesn't need and probably shouldn't have. I have reduced carbs. I will never say ‘cut out’ because it’s an impossible feat, whether that’s because I’m drooling over that pizza slice my ever-so-loving partner has left or just because carbs are everywhere, it’s really impossible to cut them out completely (for me).

So, yes. I’m on a ‘diet’, but that’s because the word diet means “what you eat” – not the meaning that it has come to be “restricted foods to make me lose weight”. We are bombarded in the media to be on certain diets, but you in yourself know what’s good for you to eat, and if you don’t? Then that’s my job to teach you!"

Now I eat tasty meals that fill me up! (Cauli rice and spicy chiken)
Pearl of wisdom #2: With your eating plan, follow the same rules as I have. Note down when you feel rubbish and eventually you’ll work out what foods are a no-no and what foods you should reduce. Be as strict as you want to be but remember a healthy body is a happy one. Punishing yourself will get you nowhere. Positivity will get you to where you want to be.

That being said you'll be eating foods that are good for you, which means you'll be getting the odd eye from friends, family and strangers, ignore them, do the best for you.

Pearl of wisdom #3 I have to repeatedly tell myself, “do I need this?”, “will this get me closer to my goals or further away?”, whilst I’m reaching over the counter for my chocolate hobnobs. I really do think it helps.

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New video: I used to be 'BIG' How my eating habits have changed,
how they changed me, how you can change yours.

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Low Carb Dinner ideas: Cauliflower Pizza (Paleo Inspired) (V,P)

2015-08-22T08:30:00.000+01:00

Paleo Inspired Pizza

Good food, for your naughty days, Paleo or non paleo versions available,

both equally satisfying, not so equally healthy.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1 Medium Sized head of Cauliflower,
100g Of Strong cheese (minimum),
1 Egg,
1 tsp Mixed herbs: Basil, orgeano ,
1 tsp of garlic powder,
1/2 tsp of salt and pepper,
1/2 tsp of paprika,
Tomatoes,
Toppings (your choice).

Instructions:

Put your oven on 220 (Gas mark 7) Put in your pizza stone, if you have one. If not use a metal baking tray but leave it out of the oven at this point

Remove florets from your cauliflower (if using frozen, defrost now)

Place your cauliflower in a blender and blend until snow-like consistency.

Once it is blitzed, place into a heat-proof container and cover. Microwave on full power for a few minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.

Place your 'snow' into a linen cloth, and put into a circle, this way it cools down quicker.

Once it is fully cooled squeeze the water out of the cauliflower and into a jug, you should get around 150-200 ml of water.

Open your linen cloth and separate the ball, making sure all the contents are centered in the linen again, repeat the squeezing process.
Once you're happy with the dry consistency of your cauliflower ball, place into a bowl and add one egg and all of your spices and herbs.

Blend them together and then add your cheese,
If you're having non-paleo, for paleo jut skip ahead to putting your mix onto parchment.

So, I've put minimum 100g of cheese for anyone who wants cheese, this is because the recipe will work fine up to 250g, after that the cheese takes over (in the video below this I use 200g and 50g of mozzarella in the base). it's gorgeous.. but for healthier days I just use 100g of strong cheese and no mozzarella.

Once all your ingredients are mixed in, cut out a circular piece of baking parchment that is around 16" in diameter.
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For the Paleo Base |Serves 2 | 74 calories Per Paleo Serving
1 head of cauliflower |1/2 tsp of salt and pepper

1 whole egg |1/2 tsp of paprika
1tsp of mixed herbs | For a non paleo version: Add 100-200g of strong cheese and
1tstp of garlic powder | 50g of mozzarella into the base. (162 calories)

Great with a side salad ~ Sweet potatoe fries/crisps ~ Top with:Spicy chicken/beef/pork~

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Place this on your baking tray, Adding your mix to the centre of the sheet push out with a spoon, or your hands (I use my hands), until the pizza base is 1/2" thick, you can get it as thin as 1/3" but after that it starts to break.

Once the base is circular and thin enough to bake, tuck all of the cauliflower in at the sides (so no scraggly edges are visible) Slide your grease proof onto your pizza stone or baking tray into the over for 10-15 minutes or until firm in the centre.

Whilst you're waiting for your delicious pizza you can arrange your toppings, I bake my tomatoes in an olive oil sprayed tray for 15-20 minutes and crush them into a sauce, sprinkle in some herbs and et-voila. When I'm adding peppers and sweetcorn I bake them until they're relatively dry and then add them to the base.

Remember, your pizza is vegetable base so it will suck up all the moisture you add to it.

I hope you try the recipe and I really hope you enjoy it but even more? I've love it if you had a laugh at me trying to record this recipe and failing (very badly failing).
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Summer activities:Stay active at Trentham Monkey Forest.

2015-08-19T08:15:00.000+01:00

Trip advisor review!

*I write the day plan and then my quick summary* Please read both! :)

I had heard amazing things about Trentham through a family friend and I decided, I just had to see for myself, so on a whim and a long day out me and my partner decided to detour to stoke.
I am so glad we did.
Firstly, Let's just get it out there,we got lost.. there are huge signs for Trentham but it looks like an estate, we had no idea that it was a right turn into the fields. I'd like a sign post before the island explaining the directions.

Upon entering, we parked in the fields, must have been an over flow day (even though it was quite empty). There were young families every where I felt so uncomfortable! At the Kiosk, a friendly woman asked for our admission "£16.00 please" Each? that's good isn't it Thomas... "Oh erm no, it's just £8.00 each" The woman looked at me with a smile and eye brow raise "Yep, we're cheap".
Ooh I love a good bargain.

So, we entered into a circular layout, shops and cafe to the right and then left and straight on were children's attractions and the entrance to the 'monkey forest' obviously we were excited and dashed straight to the entrance, no ques just straight in, a woman greeted us and explained the rules very poetically, almost a rap! It made listening to rules actually enjoyable:
"Please no shouting, running, eating food and if our lovely monkeys want to walk past please give them the right of way"

We then walked around the forest, no monkeys.. I joked for a while about it being a scam and only teddies were hung up in the trees..until the forest cleared and the flat grassy area came into view.. monkeys EVERYWHERE, I have never been so emotionally confused, I wanted to break all the rules and hug them and at the same time I really was awe shock at the beauty & completely respected the women (and one man) who were looking after them.

The monkeys are regularly fed so will be sitting out for visitors to see and they're definitely shy when it comes to moving past you.

My most important note is that the monkeys (and other natural wildlife) are clearly very happy in the 'forest', which by the way is huge, we must only see about a qurter of it.

Over all review:
Really happy with the monkey forest it is big enough for the monkeys to have a good roam about, I just wish it was longer, me and my partner walked around twice and browsed the cafe and cinema and were still only there for 2 and a half hours.
Great price! You can't get a meal in a pub for that!
Guest can really get up close to the monkeys!
A lot of food variety!
Clean toileting facilities

Could improve:
More children's activities.
More signage around the monkey forest, there were a few, but it could be made more interesting
Maybe a monkey photo opp?
More individual talks about monkeys
Better cinema video (it looked out dated and wasn't very fun for the kids, or adults-me)

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We have Youtube, did you know?

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**Links included, no follow, no sponsors! The product was gifted as a review item not as payment:)

Can you be a foodie without getting fat?

2015-08-17T08:00:00.000+01:00

I’m a foodie, an all-out fan of food. I think about it, dream about it, plan it, cook it (sometimes), and blog about it. My blog is a collection of delicious meals, my Instagram is stocked up with food porn, and I witter on a lot about food on Twitter. I’ve had my fair few issues with food over the years (probably because I’m obsessed with it) so I spend quite a lot of time exercising too, and I understand the concept of balancing foodie fun with a bit of healthiness at times.

But despite heading to the gym four or five times a week, lifting weights, and squeezing in some cardio, I’ve found myself losing control quite a lot recently. I’m a big fan of finding balance between enjoying life and keeping yourself in good nick, and I point blank refuse to give up all the things I love, no matter what my goals are. But recently I’ve got to confess that balance is a bit out of kilter.

Apparently, nutrition can be up to 75% of the battle when it comes to changing your body shape, which effectively means that no matter how hard I train, how heavy I lift, how much HIIT I do, it’s not going to make much of a difference if I’m consuming more than my body needs.

I try not to measure my progress by the number on the scales, but by my fitness and ultimately whether I’m happy with my shape or not. But hey, you know yourself, and i know that I’m gradually taking myself down a path that I don’t want to go down, slowly and surely eating and drinking too much, putting on fat, and affecting my own health and fitness.

It’s not the end of the world, but it’s time for a reset. Which is why I’m writing this post. I’ve already written about my plan to ‘rebalance’ myself a bit on my own blog, but I’m inspired by this blog and all the great things Amy writes, so how better than to kickstart a bit of accountability for myself by writing about it here.

Since my training isn’t the thing I’m worried about, it’s my diet I need to focus on (from that, take diet with a small ‘d’, not ‘Diet’ that is one of those short-term fads people go on that never last). Over the years I’ve tried all sorts and these days I’m a bit of a believer in a system called IIFYM - If it Fits Your Macros. No, it’s not a fad, it’s not a quick fix, it’s basically just a way of working out how much your body needs and what of in order to have a balanced diet. Your macros are macronutrients - protein, carbs, fats and fibre - and all IIFYM helps you do is work out how much of each of those you should be having for your body shape (as well as the number of calories you can have), taking into account your training and your general lifestyle.

Now, some people will stick to this religiously - and you need to if you have hardcore goals when it comes to your body shape, look, etc. I don’t, so I’ve never said it would be the end of the world if I didn’t ‘hit my macros’ every day. There’s no way I’d be able to enjoy the life I live - in which food and drink plays rather a large part - as well as doing that, so something’s got to give. But I know that if i have something to aim for, then I might exercise a bit more control when I’m eating for the sake of it rather than because I actually need or want something.

There’s plenty of literature on IIFYM out there for you to look at if it interests you - in short, there’s no cutting out of foods, no only eating at certain times, just a system where you work out how much you should be consuming, based on what you want to achieve, and how much of the different food groups.

Here’s the link to the calculator - for me I know I’ve added a bit of fat to my body over the past few months, so to shift that I’m going to have to create a calorie deficit. (burn more than you consume, and you’ll lose fat). I have a desk job, which the IIFYM calculator takes into account, and I lift weights four times a week, with some HIIT thrown in the mix.

So, bearing all this in mind, and my weight and height (5ft 4ins and 9st 12lbs for honesty’s sake), according to IIFYM I can consume around 1,422 calories to be in a calorie deficit, given my levels of activity.

When it comes to the breakdown of that, according to the calculator I should aim for 138g protein, 55g fat, and 94g carbs (you can adjust your fat and carbs depending on whether you prefer fatty foods or carb-festa ie if one goes up the other goes down).

Like I say, if I don’t hit that every day, it’s not the end of the world, but I know it’s good for me to aim for, which means trying to cut the carbs slightly (not completely cutting them out you’ll see -you need carbs for energy) and upping my protein intake. I’m lucky that I love things like chicken and fish, so I know I can manage it. I’ve decided to allow myself one day a week where I don’t worry too much - I know myself well enough these days to know I need it, and that way I can fit in one meal for my blog a week that will still give my own food porn-loving readers their fix.

If I stick to this, and carry on training hard, I should be able to do something about losing the bit of fat I’m carrying and build my lean muscle. For me, this isn’t about being skinny, it’s about being the shape, strength and fitness that I want to be, and still living a life that I enjoy. One of the biggest fans of IIFYM that I know of is Mike Samuels of Healthy Living, Heavy Lifting, and he regularly tries to remind his readers that it’s not just about sticking to numbers and hitting macros - it’s about being happy with yourself, which sometimes means not hitting the numbers exactly.

I said at the start of the post that this is all about balance for me - and that’s why IIFYM appeals to me. I'm definitely not an expert, so don't take all of this as gospel, just what I've understood from everything I've read. And I know I'll never stick to it religiously - I just love food to much, but by trying to keep to it, I know it will help.

I’m also not saying it’s for everyone, or that it's better than other theories around health, fitness and training, but I know it is probably good for me. And that's what this stuff is all about. It’s about finding the best for you to help make the best you that you can possibly be. I know I haven’t been doing that, so I’m gonna try a little bit harder. Starting with this post. :-)

See you in a few months and we’ll see how I got on…. Big thanks to Amy for letting me add my two pennyworth to her fabulous blog.

An honest review:Huel nutrional powder

2015-08-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

I've had a taste of the future, and it's NOT good.

Ooh, I love a good review! Firstly can I just say, it's not that it tastes bad, I just for some reason thought it would be like a protein shake with a mild flavour. It wasn't.
It was a wheetabixy breakfast drink.

As alway's my opinion cannot be bought, I get given the products for free, I can then decide to write an article for you if I wish, I think someone out there will want to know about the new products on the market and this one is very new! So I'll do the quick summary, my personal opinions on the product and then my overall thoughts.

Quick summary:
It's a drinkable food with all the nutrient you need in your day (if you drink the full four shakes), they're quick and easy to prepare and are fine to drink, not too sweet, not too thick and filling they're a normal range of 2000 calories and pretty affordable considering it's a full weeks meals.

My personal opinion:

The price is fine for all your meals cooked and worked out for you.
The flavour is fine, it's mild enough and sweet enough to be like a breakfast shake.
The texture isn't great, it's drying and somewhat grainy.
The idea of it? just puts me off.

SOYLENT GREEN.

Oh, wow. Sorry, that kind of just came out nowhere...

but really, it does put me off a bit, the fact that food will become 'too much work' and that a shake will be all that you need. I'm a fitness junkie, for me food is essential and I think for everyone It should be essential, there'll be an upcoming article from me about my food and nutrition on eatwithellen, ellen's blog.

Overall thoughts
What I want to say about this product is that; whilst it tastes nice it doesn't really fit in anywhere, to anyone's lives I should say..If you're elderly or incapable (or willing) to cook, then by all means go out and buy this product.Health should be about putting yourself first and making the best choices for you, so if this is best for you and your health then do it, if not then don't sacrifice a 15 minute meal for a shake. Yes, it is fast and easy to prepare, but so are eggs on toast and they're much cheaper! I really wanted ot be positive about this (see my video) I try my hardest to smile about it!
If you're into the newest trends go out and buy this drink, if you're a normal human being who likes solid foods, eat solid foods!!

What do you think about liquid food?

____________________________________________

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The new channel is Food and Fitness!

Oh and of course, if you liked our review or recipe, then why not like us on facebook too?

What does caffeine really do to body?

2015-08-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

This one is a tough cookie, every year it seems to change. Is it bad for your heart, is it good?

A large study of 25,000 adults from South Korea has found that people who drink between three and five cups of coffee per day were less likely to have the first signs of coronary heart disease.
The medical leader of this experiment said " Guallar said that this study cannot show a direct cause-and-effect relationship between coffee and reduced calcium in the arteries, but noted that the association between these factors is very strong."

Circulatory and Respiratory Systems (that's your blood stream and breathing)
Caffeine reaches its most intense levels in your bloodstream within an hour or two,
it can make your blood pressure go up for a short time. In most people, there is no long-term effect on blood pressure.

How does caffeine affect endurance?

When you exercise, your body uses glycogen (sugar),but after it has all gone from your body after those long workouts, your body can feel tired, or 'hollow' as I always feel after my workouts. Caffeine slows down the sugar breaking system that happens in the body and convinces the body to use fat stores as fuel.

For this reason, sports that deplete a lot of this sugar, such as cardio and HIIT workouts, really benefit from caffeine consumption.Conversely, caffeine provides no tangible benefits for strength and power activities, such as weight-lifting.

So, yes! Caffeine does have a performance-enhancing effect for some athletes,but.. be careful how you use it! The effects of caffeine can vary for individuals.

How does caffeine affect hydration?

We’ve all heard the warning that caffeine has a diuretic effect and dehydrates you. However, research shows that this widely-held assumption is actually not true unless you consume a large amount of caffeine, like huge amounts, 6-8 cups a day! I like my coffee but i'm not that thirsty!
Anything less then that, the water you take on through the coffee its self is enough to replenish the fluids lost.

Not getting those all important Zzz's?
For some people, caffeine can have a Huge effect on sleep, even if they consume it many hours before laying down in the hay. It varys for each person but in a nut shell it's advised that if you have a problem with sleeping cutting down and avoiding caffeine is one way to help you sleep.

There's a great body map that can give you an overall guideline of what it does to your certain types of your body.

Samantha Heller is a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "If you do not drink coffee, there is no reason to start drinking it," she said. "If you do, the sweet spot seems to be in the three- to five-cup range -- these are 8-ounce cups, not the 32-ounce jugs of coffee we are used to seeing," Heller said.

And what you put in the coffee makes a difference.. Whipped cream, syrups, coffee creamers with partially hydrogenated oils, cream, artificial sweeteners or too much sugar can knock the health benefits of coffee out of the window.

So enjoy your joe, but cut back on the naughty bits!

My Latest Video is:

Oh and of course, if you liked the article or recipe, then why not like us on Facebook too?

*Alot of content has been collected from gov.uk and medical websites to create the most up-to date information for you, whilst I have tried my best to create orgional content, some (for reasearch purposes) has been taken from sites.

I still miss you | A true story.

2015-08-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

Firstly, can I say, this is the first personal post I've written on here in about a year and a half and It feels so good to be writing passionately again. It's not at all health and fitness related, unless you count expressing your feelings as a form of health? No?..well, moving on..

So, friday night and I was in one of those moods again (Drama!) sorry.

So I wrote a little poem out of upset, and then the description, i'm such a depressive, I'm sorry if this puts you in a raw mood,It's really not a very good poem either, but I could barely see..tears everywhere.. seriously. It was awful, normally I'm in the shower so I can just cry it out.

I go through these moods..where I get really upset with myself and think about the past. I always get stuck and I think of one person... to me? She was so much more than I had thought at the time..

Maybe the time has strengthened the weak image of our friendship in my mind? Maybe she doesn't think of me as a friend..but she was to me.. she was awesome, the best & I was a dreadful friend, selfish and posessive the whole way through, but especially to the end, I was young, yes, but hindsight's a bitch isn't it?

(See below the poem for an understanding of what it all means, hidden messages and all that.)

______

To, You

So I'm sitting here, wondering if you think about me..
Knowing that I just can't stop thinking about you (trust me I've tried).
It mostly comes on when I'm on long distant drives, or If can't sleep ..
It's gotten less frequent over time, but really? I still think of you.

You're the only girl I've ever loved,
You were my teacher & sister,

-The picture is of me five years ago, which is why I look different,
it seemed wrong to use an image of anything else

I still miss you.
You were my best friend and my sense,
I still miss you.
We were so similar and so different,
all wrapped up in a teen mess.

I think about you,
Did you go to college?
I recently saw the snaps,
Did you pass your degree?
I wanted to be there for you,
How's you sister?
I saw that she looks just like you.

Do you remember the green dresses?
I still want you there...
It worries me most,you know?
being without you on my big day.
I only ever wanted you,
You'd be standing by my side.

I may have been dumb and immature but I always needed you,
I lost my way, I still miss you.
I think about our time together,
I never thought we were unbreakable..
I just didn't think we would break.
I was so scared after you left me, after I left you.

You probably didn't think of me,
I mean, I try not to think of you..
It hurts like I lost a piece of me,
like seven years of my life.

I've wanted to reach out to you,
but did you ever miss me?

From, Me.
____________________________________________________

I wrote this because, I was upset.. I thought it'd help my emotions..it didn't it made me worse..tears everywhere..realising I must be the worst person in the world for someone to just give up on me.

Here're the details:

I can't help but get upset over the thought that she hasn't been there through my experiences, when I needed someone to cry on... because I made mistakes, mistakes that she would've said "I told you!".
So to make myself feel better, I write and alot of the time it's about her, mostly I disguise it as anger or as a love story but I rarely, If ever publish it. It's why I started this blog in the first place, so I could put those angry/hurt feelings into one place.. maybe she's seen it? I just don't know...and I'm the kind of person who reads the last page of a book first, I just have to know.

But, alas, I just couldn't stop searching for her, Shall I set the scene abit more?

Have you guys watched the film bridesmaids?
It's about a two best friends, one is enganged and they all go out to celebrate, the main character meets the brides newest friend, who is rich and way more impressive and..she panics, she worries she's losing her friend so everything she does she does to win her best friend over and prove that she's the better friend.. it obviously backfires. Well, that's what happened to me.

I don't want to go into details as it's in the past, but an arguement came about with this other friend and instead of being the bigger person and moving past it, I retreated and with drew, obviously my best friend didn't really understand why at the time (she was moving) so I think it all just wen't wrong really quickly, tensions were high already and my withdrawing at the end of our final year just didn't go well..

Either way,
I found her recently on Instagram and for the past few months I've had to stop myself from messaging her, from even looking her up or stalking her. I've not done that, let's get that clear.
She wanted her space and I've obliged whole heartedly, I just get these moments where

I need to know she's ok.

I disguised the poem as a love poem because friendship is love, it's a strong bond that people have, there's a few lines in it that explain, we had made plans to be eachothers bridesmaids.. I think that's the thing that upsets me most.
When ever I get to my anniversary I worry that I'll be getting married soon and there won't be a surprise of her on my hen night, I've had so many thoughts that my partner will ring her up and ask her to attend the wedding..what if she doesn't know? What if he doesn't ask her?
She was such an important part of my life and for 10 years I've imagined her being my bridesmaid, It would be wrong if she wasn't there.

My new friends have told me not to be so stupid and leave her be but I can't, I just want to let her know..
that I'm sorry for not standing up for myself and for expecting her to do it for me,I'm sorry that I let an argument with someone else get in the way of our friendship,I only ever wanted to say sorry and thank you.

If I had known then how much it would have changed me I wouldn't have let my stubbornness get in the way, I've always wanted to prove that I'm right.. always, but she was leaving and I panicked.

-----------------------

Now, if this post hasn't completely ruined your day, or your opinion of me as a writer, guide or blogger..

Then I'd really appreciate a like or comment, even a story of someone you lost, someone you never had? It's good to share & I'd love to read them.

I also made a YouTube account for foodie tips and reviews: My latest is..

An Honest Review: Multipower Protein, All flavours!

2015-08-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

In early July I was contacted by the Multipower company, asking if I'd like to do a review, I jumped at the chance..mostly because I love a good freebie (who doesn't?) but also because my powder supply was running a bit low, that being said I was more than pleased with the supply they gave me.

One week after contact the product arrived, in a massive box, I almost told the courier it couldn't be it, it was too big to be my parcel! I was expecting a few hundred grams of powder to test out, they gave me 2KG..and tonnes of other seductive goodies..I'll go through them a little later.

Inside my review box:

Once initial guilty happiness had subsided I put my official 'review' head on, I won't let people buy my positive reviews with goodies (as much as it helps) I like to be completely honest with the company and have no qualms with telling them straight if I don't like something, yep, I've done it before with fabletics and with another powder coming up for review in a few weeks..

That being said, the 2KG powder (£36.99 as a normal price) was coffee and toffee flavour, not what I would expect of a protein powder, I've seen them before but it's nothing I'd buy personally.

However, I was pleasantly surprised, the powder mixed in easily and was smooth and creamy tasting (much like the other flavours I found out).

The coffee flavour was mild and the toffee was more prominent which made the flavour much more tolerable than initially expected, still too sweet for my liking but as far as having this as a shake every day I'm happy to keep drinking it!
Perhaps even buy it again when it runs out, it's definitely dessert like in flavour.

The powder:
In terms of nutrition it's definitely not the 'healthiest' flavoured whey come with added sugar (No sh..shoes sherlock) so of course that means they'll be 'less' good for you, they're still amazing though,

Now, onto the goodies..Firstly there are two different shakes, one 'raspberry blueberry' and one 'orange and mango' I got two of each.. you can guess which one I offered out to my brother.. Orange and mango, "Go on, it's orange and mango it's going to be my least favourite, take it..you'll be doing me a favour" Boy was I wrong. I was so sure it'd taste nasty I didn't even pap it by itself..

The orange and mango is so fresh and sweet and perfect as a 'smoothie' you wouldn't at all guess it was a protein shake, I wish I'd saved both bottles and OH yes, you can bet on it that I'll be buying more of these in future.

The raspberry blueberry..not so much. It was like a watery yoghurt that dried the mouth out, raspberry flavour was nowhere to be found it was just strong fake blueberry taste, not happy with that flavour, but then again i'm not a yoghurt lover really.

Taster Sachet's
Secondly in my goodie bag were these tasters, I had two of each flavour, very kind of them really considering I thought I was just getting a few hundred of one flavour. These tasters are 15g in weight

So, There was (drum roll please);
Banana and mango
Worst first, get them out of the way, I'm not saying this one is bad but it's like they've put a lightweight in with the heavy weight champions, only slightly banana and a hint of mango (not that that's bad..) just not 'knock my socks off bend me over' good.

Rich Chocolate
Not to be confused with a tall dark and handsome gentlement..but just as satisfying, this one stays with the creamy-smooth theme and pulls it off very well, just enough chocolate to pass off as sweet but still feels healthy.

Strawberry Splash
This one is again that fake strawberry taste but it's creamy and really gets away with the fake taste, do you remember those puddings that you add milk to and whisk and they get thick?
-Angel delight!
It's like that flavour, very tasty!

French vanilla
I saved this one specifically till last, if you've read this far down the article then you deserve to be rewarded. This, is by far the best protein powder I have tasted, reviewed.. had the pleasure of digesting! No, seriously. It's like the Beyonce' of protein shakes, smooth sweet (but not over powering) and just beautiful.
Go out and get a sample or tester or steal some* if you don't believe me.

Overview of the product:
The flavours are all amazing, did I mention french vannila?. They blend effortlessly
All in all, I'm really happy with the company, the products and the correspondence between us. They've been a delight to work with. The protein they have in their product is slightly higher to those on the market which leads me to believe that's the reason i didn't get sent any 'unflavoured' but in all honesty?
Theres no more added sugar then in any other protein shakes, they taste amazing and they're a great price (I've looked it up). After I emailed the lovely PR person back, to explain how lovely the flavours were I asked for a discount code. They graciously replied and gave me that.. and one to share with you!!
Oh and also, I got a bag too. Ha!

*don't actually steal, stealing is wrong :)

CreativeFitness25

25% off (discount applied to RRP)

Min spend: £20

Just a quick plug for my other platform, I had a video out today creative Dark Chocolate and Cranberry crunch cakes, have a look!

Oh and of course, if you liked our review or recipe, then why not like us on facebook too?

**Links included, no follow, no sponsors! The product was gifted as a review item not as payment:)

Mix up your routeen: A selection of workouts & youtube channels you must have on your list!

2015-08-05T08:00:00.000+01:00

If you have me on twitter, you'll know I'm an avid collector of new workouts, whether it be from new dvds or youtube videos... or just mixing up my own routeen..

Did you know that the body has muscle memory?

If you repeat similar workouts the body has less and less progress over a long period over time.
Meaning.. you should update your and mix up your routine every few days, which is why body builders workout specific parts of the body on different days.

Here are my new favourites:
Firstly, I do have a full playlist for each category, just click the titles, but these are my favourites of each.
I do these on a regular basis in between my Insanity workouts,
well let's get into my routine first;

Sundays I do a 5-10 mile jog and do an ab and arm workout, eating carbohydrates.
Mondays I usually do a full body low-intensity workout (Kickboxing or insanity core cardio and balance), Eating Paleo
Tuesdays I usually do an insanity recovery or a strength workout (Kim K's butt workout, Intense abs included), Eating Paleo
Wednesdays I do a 5-10 mile jog and eat Paleo.
Thursdays I go hard and do a max insanity workout (plyometrics, interval training or cardio conditioning), Eating carbohydrates
Fridays I usually do a full body low intesity workout (Kickboxing or insanity core cardio and balance), Eating Paleo
Saturdays I do another insanity recovery or a strength workout, Eating Carbohydrates.

Full body workout:

On my non-insanity non-jog days I take it easy (somewhat)..
By working up a sweat and working out all of those muscles, for me this felt very leg based, I like to mix it up with extra arms and abs videos.

By Fitness Blender.

Abdominal workout:

Exactly what it say's on the tin.
This is the most intense ab routine I have ever done, after 8 minutes I was shaking, after 15 I have to stop! Whilst the presenter stays calm and cool I'm sweating and shaking.

It really targets the low abdominals and gives you a full stretch throughout your core, I do this at least once a week and can feel it for a few days after.

By Psyche Truth

Lower Body workouts:

The title says Kim Kardashian, don't be fooled this isn't as simple as you'd expect! Just like the intense ab workout, this one leaves you shaking on the warm up! I do a lot of glute building, because ..well, you know. This one is by far the best glute building workout I have, it's easily a must-have workout.
By XHIT Daily

I'll keep you updated on any new workouts I find.. keep yourself updated with my playlists and my channels on twitter and youtube!

Oh and of course, if you liked the list and playlists, then why not like us on facebook too?

Super healthy Lunches: Avacado and and pork quesadillas and tips for using up your leftovers!

2015-07-29T08:00:00.000+01:00

~My super duper avocado and pork quesadias, delicious!

These are my carb-fuelled go-to, I know I'm paleo, but on Saturdays and Wednesdays I fuel up with carbohydrates for my hardcore workouts... you know, to sculpt my body ;) Ha!
Oh and also, if you love my guides (you best do!) I also have an Instructables account now too ;)
Don't you all get high and mighty about carbs, remember, we need them for long burning energy and carbs can also behealthy, as long as you fill it with veggies and healthy fats, introducing...the quesadillas!

These are great way to use up your left overs and since A.O are doing a bloggers competition running until the end of this I thought, "Booyar why not share my left-overs recipes?" it's perfect as they're in-line with the site's healthy eating, two birds one stone!

Avacado and Sliced Pork Quesadillas recipe
Fill 'er up:

2 tortilla wraps (Paleo are available)
Half an avocado
Quarter of a carrot (shredded)
Half of a red onion
1 Thick slice of pork or 4 thin slices of ham.
1 cup of mixed peppers
Quarter of a cup of shredded cheese (for the non-paleo option)
Optional; Chilli Chicken, Sausage

Depending on your individual diets the recipe can change accordingly (see alternative recipes) these wraps can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, including as many ingredients as you want.

At this time I'm in love with avocados so of course I included them and I honestly think it'd be rubbish with o out the avocado.

So, onto the recipe..
The idea is to layer up your wrap, spread a thin layer of your avacado onto the Base wrap leave a 1cm edge to your wrap..a slightly smaller one if you can. This is where I put Chilli on the avacado, then topped with red onion and grated carrot, then top with grilled peppers and gorgeous sliced Hamd sprinkle your cheese around the edge of the wrap so when it cooks it will seal itself locking in all the goodness..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the Filling |Serves 2 |197 calories Per Serving
2 tortilla wraps (Paleo are available) |Half of a red onion

1 cup of mixed peppers |1 cup of mixed peppers
Half an avocado |Quarter of a cup of shredded cheese ( non-paleo option)
Quarter of a carrot (shredded) |1 Thick slice of pork or 4 thin slices of ham.

Great with a side salad ~ Salsa ~ Vegetable Crisps ~ Stuffed with Shredded pork/ Spiced Chicken ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heat up your ring pan, dry. Slide your Base layer into the pan and top with your second wrap, put it on a on a high heat and cook for two minutes.

After two minutes place a larger plate onto of the wraps and flip it over.
Place it back in the pan and press the edges down so the cheese melts and the quesadilla is encased.

After cooking leave for 2 minutes to cool slightly.

Serve warm with a side salad and salsa!

This post is promoting using up your left overs, so dive into your fridge and use up those left over dinners, lunches and salad mixes, no holds bared here!

Handy tips for storing your left overs:

When cutting up your peppers, if there's too much for you, cut them up, bag them and freeze them! They defrost perfectly and will stay fresh and reduce food waste!
Water based vegetables like courgettes can be cut up and frozen, but store them in smaller batches (they often freeze in a clump otherwise)
Avocados can be stored in an air tight container for 6 days in the fridge, so don't worry about not using it all!
Save your Sunday veg; On a Sunday when you're all sitting down to nap after the marathon of food that's just been fed to you, why not store the left over veg (excl peas) and use them to make a soup or stew?
If you're keen on your veg, why not make more on a weekend and store them in smaller portioned containers for this week, this encourages you to eat healthier,saves cooking time and will prompt you to save up your leftovers as you're in the habbit of doing so already.

Oh and of course, if you liked our recipe, then why not like us on facebook too?

**Links included, no sponsors! :)
*As per regulation all calorie estimates are within 10%

The Waste-less Journey has been created by AO.com

Obstacle Course Runs: A guide

2015-07-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

As I'm away doing jury duty I'm leaving the blog in the more than capable hands of Rhian, a fellow health and fitness blogger who is just as passionate about making health and fitness accessible to everyone as I am. I'll be back by the 27th!

Obstacle course run.

Guest post by : Rhian Westbury
Find her blog and follow @rswstbry
Obstacle course runs have become increasingly popular over the last few years, and prior to that you would just find a bunch of guys trying to tough parading around in camouflage. But now obstacle course runs are all the rage, and just as popular with us girls too. Obstacle course runs are so popular as it allows people the chance to push themselves a bit further, plus apart from being a kid when else is it appropriate or possible to climb monkey bars, crawl through mud or clamber up a climbing wall?

In a lot of cases you can do the events as team challenges which can be even more fun. After doing my first obstacle course run back in March I have been bit by the bug as it’s such a good feeling when you complete it.

Here are some of the best one’s out there to try:

Gauntlet Games
If other obstacle courses seem a bit intense for you then maybe Gauntlet Games is one for you. The fun obstacle course will let you run 5 or 10km passing through zones manned by Gladiators (remember the TV show? Yes like that!). You’ll need to dodge paint guns, run across muddy bogs, balance on beams and escape down a giant slippery slide. The races take place in Cardiff, Brighton, Central London and Hertfordshire and are sure to leave you laughing at the end as you and your friends tackle the challenges.

Tough Mudder
Tough Mudder is one of the daddies of obstacle courses and is said to defeat 22% of all competitors. The race takes place across a few locations in the UK and is set over 20km so it’s a long one and said to be one of the hardest. Some of the obstacles include a four metre drop from a slippery plank into freezing cold water, ‘electroshock therapy’ where live electrical wires dangle above you and the ‘arctic enema’ which is a dumpster full of ice water which you have to swim across, duck under wodden planks and climb out before you freeze.

This race isn’t one for the faint hearted and certainly not one to try as a beginner/ first race.

Spartan Race Spartan are becoming super popular with over 60 races held last year, and more being added all the time. The best thing about Spartan is that there are three levels depending one extreme you’re feeling.
The sprint is 5-8 km and covers 20-23 obstacles. the super is 13-16km and covers 24-29 obstacles while the beast covers 19-22km and 30-35 obstacles. Unlike a lot of other courses you can’t skip an obstacle without having to pay a stiff penalty which is usually in form of 10-30 burpees.
Plus if you’re really competitive then there is a UK leader board where athletes are ranked by the number of points you’ve earned. The sprint is a great one to begin your obstacle course runs! Nuclear Rush Nuclear offers both 6km and 12km races and harder ‘onslaught’ and ‘nutters’ races for more elite entrance. During this obstacle court run you can look forward to plenty of surprises including zip wires, monkey bars, water slides and an ice pit. Sound like fun? Course it does!

X Runner

One of the originals X Runner is another mud run, and you can choose from either the 5km or 10km trail so it’s not quite as intense as some of the other runs you can do.

They pride themselves in being unlike your average cross country run or obstacle course run and state they are “the ultimate adult adventure playground and mud run”.

There are inclined walls, water tunnels, rope climbs, water slides and you’ll need to run across fire. What more could you want?!

Remember, if you like this article, like us on facebook

and ofcourse pop over to Rhian's blog and twitter :)

Rhubarb and walnut crumble. ~Paleo friendly (Ve,P,V)

2015-07-11T08:00:00.000+01:00

~My rhubarb and walnut crumble, delicious!

You can be traditional in a non traditional way :)

If you follow my blog semi-regularly you'll know by now that I spend most of my time researching new dieting tips and diet plans so I can give the best advice to you on which may help individuals wishing to lose weight (see here)... and you'll also know that I've since become completely hooked on the Paleo lifestyle...

I call it that because it doesn't feel restrictive, it feels sensible, that being said I wanted to share some more (healthy recipes) that go along side the diet plan. So, buckle your seat belts, you're in for a sweet ride.

Rhubarb and Walnut Crumble recipe

For the Rhubarb base

5 Large stalks of Rhubarb
4tbsp of Brown sugar
1tbsp of honey

For the Crumble

20g of walnuts
5g of desiccated coconut
2tbsp of almond flour (optional)

To start; You will need to chop and prepare your rhubarb, this may require washing and chopping leaves off! I chopped my rhubarb into 1" lengths and put them in a large sauce pan, half filling it with cold water.

Bring the water up to the boil rotating the rhubarb, once the water has boiled the rhubarb will cook very quickly, so stay with it and do not stir it at this stage, it breaks up very quickly and becomes mushy!

Once the rhubarb is soft to the touch, bring it out of the pan, leaving the rhubarb juices behind, lay them in a deep pie dish, drizzle over the tbsp of honey and sift over 2tbsp of the brown sugar.

Now, back to those juices, noone likes a soggy and runny rhubarb crumble, so we're going to turn it into a thicker consistency! Pop your remaining sugar into the liquid and bring it back up to the boil, stiring in the sugar that has settled to the bottom. Once there, bring it down to a simmer and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes (or until 1/3 of the water has evaporated).

Pour the liquid gold, oh I mean rhubarb juices.. into the pie dish with your rhubarb, leave to cool.

Whilst your delicious desert is cooling slightly you can bring out your nutty toppings, put them all into a bowl or blender and crush until a crumbly texture is desired, the coconut is chewy so it really brings the walnuts together.

Sprinkle your crumble over the base and bake until warm (you could microwave it), but I like the tradition of oven baking it

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For the Rhubarb base | For the Crumble |Serves 8

5 Large stalks of Rhubarb | 20g of walnuts |Low Fat ~ Low GI ~ Paleo

4tbsp of Brown sugar |5g of desiccated coconut |Per Portion ~
1tbsp of honey |2tbsp of almond flour (optional)
Great with Icecream ~ Fruit ~ Honey ~ Yoghurt (non Paleo) ~ Tapioca custard ~

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I know I'm paleo and supposed to be good about my sweet treats but I snook abit of traditional crumble over the top of mine (can't help myself).. but, If you haven't already have a look at 'Paleo explained' my first week of Paleo Meals and my Paleo review too!

Oh and of course, if you liked our recipes, then why not like us on facebook too?

**Links included, no sponsors! :)

The Ice cream store (P,Ve)

2015-07-04T08:00:00.001+01:00

I've amassed an amazing collection of Ice cream recipes for you, except non of them include ice cream. Whoa whoa whoa, don't click off just yet, they're still thick, creamy and decadent desserts and I get to eat them guilt-free every day, and so can you!

*The banana flavours are Dairy free, Paleo, Gluten free and low sugar.
*The yoghurt flavours are ofcourse, not dairy free, or Paleo, but they're protein enriched, low sugar, low fat and great as an easier alternative to banana-base.
*Tapioca flavours are paleo,dairy free and gluten free but are really hard to intensify flavours so I've included more sugar in these!

Here are my 10 favourite flavours, there are so many combinations, they're really endless..

Banana-base Ice cream flavours:

The thick smooth textured banana base really holds on to the flavours, strong or weak, and the textures are perfect as a replacement for ice-cream. They are made with banana but you wouldn't know! The healthy recipes are mixed with all sorts of varieties of fruits, flavourings and decadent textures.

Blueberry Blitz:

A mature and fruity flavour, not sweet or over powering, just a subtle hint of blueberry is all that's needed.
Half a punnet of blueberries straight into the blender along with the frozen bananas, blitz until smooth (or chunky, your preference) then throw in a few whole blueberrys, mix and serve, or store!
In this sized jar I used four large bananas and a half punnet of blueberries.

Walnut Crunch:

A thick smooth-textured almond Ice cream with soaked almond-flavoured walnut layers that add a perfect crunch!

I didn't want to add this one originally, as I wanted this post to be focused on healthy ice cream flavours.. but then I thought to myself..This is a healthy option. If you buy an alcoholic ice cream they're cream based and full of fat!
This is a low-fat decided grown up ice cream and my personal favourite!

The Full Guide for Walnut Crunch*

Strawberry swirl:
A classic take on childhood ice cream, with fresh strawberries in the ice cream and spiralled throughout it, every bit is sweet strawberry goodness! It's so light and healthy you could top it with some naughty treats.

I added a small handful of strawberries ( 4 large) to the banana base made up of four medium bananas and saved a handful for the swirl, Layer by layer I repeated base and swirl until the jar it was completely full of goodness.
I then ran a skewer through it to mix it up a bit. capped with the original jar lid.
By far my favourite flavour, since it's so natural and fruity it tastes like a real strawberry ice-cream.

*Lemon Fizz:
A new spin on a lemon sorbet, It opens your taste buds and cleanse your pallet, along with tasting amazing! I usually eat this by itself as the flavours are so subtle it's almost cheesecake-esque perfect as a yoghurt flavour too!
I grated one full lemon and saved the juice of half of it, added this to the banana base normally 4 large bananas makes enough for four people, easy, simple elegant.If you want to really fizz it up, add a few teaspoons of lemonade (2-3)

Yoghurt-Base flavours
The tangier yoghurt based Ice cream recipes, perfect for iced smoothies too!

Depending on the thickness of your yoghurt the recipes can be completely different, I make home-made yoghurt and strain it until it is thick like cream cheese, those are the ones I use for Ice-cream, other yoghurts I use for smoothies!

I generally use the same flavours as banana-base, however there are some that are even better as yoghurt-base flavours, generally non-water based flavourings e.g nuts and dried fruits as the water crystallises and changes the texture :)

Lemon swirl:
Similar in texture to the banana base but it forms more crystallised, A new spin on a lemon sorbet, It opens your taste buds and cleanse your pallet, along with tasting amazing! I usually eat this by itself as the flavours are so subtle it's almost cheesecake-esque perfect as a yoghurt flavour too!

I grated one full lemon and saved the juice of half of it, added this to the banana base, easy, simple elegant.

Strawberry swirl:
A classic take on childhood ice cream, with fresh strawberries in the ice cream and spiralled throughout it, every bit is sweet strawberry goodness! It's so light and healthy you could top it with some naughty treats.

Summer fruits:
A tapico based summer fruit pot, in my opinion these would be best served in ice lolly shapes, as they're too intense to eat as a pot-based ice cream.
Why not try a few and let us know which were your favourite?

Remember, If you like the recipes, like us! :)