Half Marathon Jitters

^I have a very bad case of it.

It's exactly two weeks tomorrow that I'll be trembling with anxiety about the mean feat that lays ahead of me (i.e. 13.1 miles of all-round body torture, to put it lightly! Haha, kidding. I hope). A gruelling slog with more than 25,000 fellow runners to accompany me (looking on the bright side, it'll make a nice change from always running solo!).



In times like these it's essential that I stay calm and plan ahead. Ok, so I haven't been upping the distance of my training runs per say, but I have been doing as much speed/interval training - combined with some treadmill hill intervals - as possible. I'm ever hopeful that this will provide an adequate amount of shock value to my body, in order for it to complete those 13.1 miles in a time deemed suitable for my runners'-ego.

Besides the niggling issue that is training, there are other, more fun things that I need to address. First of which being prerace nutrition; and second of which is my favourite part: HALF MARATHON ULTRA-MOTIVATING SOUNDTRACK! (Because let's face it, I will need all the motivation I can get)

Needless to say, there's a fine line when it comes to pre-race nutrition. Such a fine line that I'd be scurred to pop so much as a walnut in my mouth (repercussion: potentially too much insoluble fat. Drat). What makes things worse is the fact that there's so many contradictory advice articles on the web - coffee vs no coffee? Porridge vs low-fibre substitute? Fruit vs sports drink?!? Too much opposing advice, I CAN'T TAKE IT ALL IN DAMNIT! (and, calm...).



A pretty legit-looking article on Runners World suggests that between 1.5-1.8g carbs per pound of body weight should be consumed prior to a half marathon. I don't know how much I weigh exactly, but if I took a stab in the dark at 115lbs then that basically means that I should aim for between 172g - 207g carbs. Yes, that's right. The equivalent of a whole day's worth of carbs, all to be consumed before 9am! (the race starts at 9.30am or 10am, depending on which wave I'm in).

I eat porridge ever single morning, so effectively my body is used to this and thus it should be able to manage to digest it, despite the fact that it's considered a fairly fibre-dense meal. Sticking to what you know is probably the best option in this case. My usual combination of oats, almond milk, raisins, cinnamon and honey comes to approximately 82g carbs (according to the myfitnesspal app. Did I mention that I literally am in love with my new iPhone?). In accordance to the Runnersworld guidelines, I should be splitting my carb intake 6:3:1 at specific intervals in the run up to the race. So for me, my macros are as follows:

60% (consumed 3-4hrs prerace) = 103g - 124g carbs
30% (consumed 90 mins - 2hrs prerace) = 52g - 62g carbs
10% (consumed 30-60mins prerace) = 17g - 21g carbs

Doing calculations like these make me feel like I definitely have my shit together (oh sweet mathematic trickery, distracting me from the larger matter of the issue at hand).

Anyway, based on this little bit o' research, I think the best option for me is to stick to my porridge meal, consumed alongside a glass of fresh juice (toying between the idea of carrot, apple and ginger, or a new concoction that I'll need to practice making before the big day!) - that would be meal no.1. Next would be another glass of juice (beetroot for a nitrite boost), perhaps combined with something a little more sustaining. Finally, 30-60 mins prior to the race I think the good ol' banana will do juuust fine. Can't go wrong with a banana.



You might've noticed the running theme of coffee pictures in this post. Besides the fact I really like to take pictures of coffee (or, y'know, empty cups of coffee), it does sort of fit into this blog post - I didn't choose to put them in willy-nilly, people! Y'see, I have coffee on the brain as I'm seriously weighing up the idea of coffee vs no coffee prerace. I had planned to do a coffee fast (i.e. not drinking it at all from 10 days before the race. I know right, this is serious stuff we're talking about here), and then reintroducing it prior to the half-marathon, as I've read that caffeine works better as a stimulant after a (LONG!ish) break. However, now I'm a teeny bit worried that perhaps caffeine is indeed not the answer (I can't tell you how much I hope this is not the case. I drink coffee as an excuse prior to exercise; it's my prerequisite, and it is most definitely necessary, guys).

I plan to drink a lot more than I do now in the week leading up to the half, so that my body is properly hydrated throughout the run (and especially so to counteract the diuretic effect of the coffee that I'll most likely be consuming, despite those silly pre-warnings), plus plenty of sleep. My body clock is adjusting to early morning starts because of work, and I've been really feeling the effects of going to bed past-midnight over the past week or so. Not good, not good at all!

Another post will have to be dedicated on the pressing issue that is my half marathon playlist; clearly, I got a case of verbal diarrhoea discussing my prerace diet, and this has tailed off to be something of a brain-explosion. And in relation to my jitters, well...it's barely touched the sides on nipping those in the bud. In fact, it's probably done the opposite.

Anyone else doing their first half soon? Any advice for a fellow noob? Anything is welcome. Just please don't tell me not to drink coffee, ok? Deal.



^Aha, me after coffee. Ok, so I'll stop with the coffee hype now...

Bargain-osities

Hihi!

So taking on the narrative for possibly every other health and fitness freakaleak out there, Holland and Barrett is the place to BE right now with their penny sale afoot. Besides the fact that the penny sale only actually accounts for approximately 20% of the store's stock (I'm sure it applied to practically everything the last time it rolled around - le sigh), I did still manage to catch some barGAINS. Namely: coconut oil and spirulina powder (a pantry newbie, but a worldie according to the hype! £13.99 - or 1p, rather, when bought in conjunction with my £14.99 jar of coconut oil).



I've also taken a major shine to the pic'n'mix section of Holland and Barratt (these can only be found in the larger branches, unfortunately), as I've come to the conclusion that it's cheaper to buy certain goodies (i.e. goji berries - with which I've started a full-on love affair - and some more expensive nut varieties i.e. brazil nuts and cashews) in the tubs. With the small tubs priced at £2.99 and the larger ones at £4.99, it makes sense to fill them up to the brim and get more stash for your cash than if you were buying the little plastic packets that contain barely enough to last a day in our house!

While that turned into quite an essay for what would appear to be such a trivial issue, but I'm a firm believer in bulk-buying to save pennies, because ultimately it's quite a lot more expensive for us Fitspo's to survive and feed ourselves well without spending the earth; for example, the price of a multi-pack of crisps is around the equivalent cost of two peaches (or even just the one in some places!). Let's not even go down the fast-food burger vs salad route, because believe me, salads don't come cheap, anywhere! Ironic yes, but hey - it does pay off in the long run (health-wise), and at the end of the day what matters is that you're feeding your body with the nutrients that it thrives upon (aka no cheap shiz). Goji-licious.



I also hasten to add that I'm shaking things up in the hair department. Nope, this doesn't mean that I'm chopping off my mane any time soon. I have merely switched shampoo/conditioner to something hopefully less er, chemically-enhanced, which I hope will breathe new life into my somewhat lack-lustre locks. I invested in the Tara Smith range in M&S, which was a mere fraction of the price it would've been taking into account a) my staff discount, and b) the current deal for a free conditioner with every shampoo purchase (both 250ml bottles). Not bad, eh? This shampoo and conditioner contains naturally-derived ingredients, including soy protein (lubrication), pathenol (strengthening agent), bisabolol and aloe vera (scalp calmer). I'm not very good with anything hair/beauty related, but by the sounds of it, the Tara Smith collection seems a pretty worthwhile hair investment (plus, I initially found the range as recommended online by hair stylist Daniel Dyer at The Lady Magazine. Just in case you decided against trusting my personal instinct!).

I've only had a couple go's but so far so good; my hair feels soft and seriously stroke-able (note: must stop stroking hair in public, very likely that it looks weird), not to mention the pretty packaging (I'm a sucker for marketing). However, my hair does still lack the oomph factor, but that probably has something to do with the fact that I generally leave it to dry au naturelle. Perhaps I should start blow-drying like the hairdressers do, or maybe go to the hairdressers more often come to think about it...

I also picked up some Got2b hair styling oil, which contains argon oil - something that every beauty blogger seems to be going crazy for, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Was something of a steal at £2.80 from Boots (was £4.20). So here's hoping for a future of beautifully flowing tresses (!) (and no more split ends allowed plz). Anyone have any hair-friendly recommendations for moi?

Le Soleil Brille à France

My body is still very much in holiday-mode at the moment, following my aforementioned two-week stint in South-west France to visit my parents (and to sunbathe. A lot. Until I got a severe case of heat rash all over, that is). It was shocked back into exercise-mode on the day of our return (Monday) - legs day, no less! Needless to say, my legs are still feeling the burn of 55kg barbell squats (it certainly has been a while! Helloo DOMS :/).

A break from the humdrum that is life in England was all too necessary for me. It was a welcome pause from the stress/chaos, and the fact that my parents live in a barn in the middle of nowhere was ideal for that very reason! Just the occasional noises from the horses in the neighbouring disused garden, plus the faint echoes of the water machines from the surrounding corn fields - these were the only sources of sound pollution, and could hardly be categorised as 'disturbances'!

I would say I ate very well in France, without steering too far off course - plenty of fruit and veg, lots of salad, icy water (the fridge ice machine was truly a god send in that heat!), and the odd cheeky beverage or two. While I did control my diet to a certain extent, I didn't restrict myself in any way - so yes, the odd patisserie did sneak its way into my stomach, and I was very content with that. When in France, ey!?

Ultimately, though, I did keep it as clean as possible. Overloading my plate full of salad-y goodness was a daily occurrence, as was a morning wake-up call of fresh fruit salad - mmmm, mmm! And one very 'foodie' event that I just need to mention would be the 'geant omelette'. This is a yearly event that takes place alongside the usual weekly Sunday Bric-a-Brac (basically a French car boot sale, but with the additional goat/pig for sale along the usual tat that you'd find in a standard car boot sale. Mum was tempted by the goat).

The Geant Omelette event effectively involved a tractor being used as a kind of crane to transport a giant saucepan over a fire, followed by a load of large-bellied Frenchmen adding the ingredients to the pan one-by-one. Cue the largest 'knob' of butter I've ever seen, a humungous amount of mushrooms and bacon 'lardons', and - wait for it - 1800 eggs! Holy cow(/chicken), that was a looot of eggs - far too many to be eaten by the couple of hundred attendees present!

To say I was glad that our holiday fell in correspondence to the geant omelette would be an understatement! Sad as it may sound, I've been wanting to go again ever since I attended the event back in my mid-teen years - haha! There's just something I find so fascinating about a fiesta based upon the humble omelette, and being the massive omelette-fan that I am, it's probably no surprise really!

Even though the British forecast is somewhat dreary and 'cold' in comparison to the soleil du France, I have to admit that my body is thankful of it - heat rashes are the worst! Hey ho, life goes on - back to work I go tomorrow, and I have a blummin' half marathon to prepare for next month! So yeah, 5 weeks of intense training commences here I guess. My belly just got all nervous inside...

I'm on Bloglovin

I'm very late in the game on this one...but I am now on Bloglovin, after being peer pressured by many a blogger suggesting that Blogspot was on its death bed. Who knows if that was ever true or not. The internet is so confusing. Nevertheless, Bloglovin is pretty sweet - easy to join and use, and just a generally better way to follow all your favourite bloggers in one place.

If you also made the transition to Bloglovin, just click on the following link to keep up to date with my escapades, and I'll most likely do the same back! ----> Follow my blog with Bloglovin <----

Post soon to come on my recent holiday to France. Plenty of foodie pics to share, plus a few dodgy action shots of my run round the corn fields (photography courtesy of my Mum!)...and a surfing exclusive ;).

The Iced Coffee days

My (terribly amateur) animation

Ah, the nectarous* perks of the summer sun. Iced coffee is most definitely up there (along with carrot juice) on my list of top refreshments to see me through this impalpable British heat. According to the Independent, the coming month is all set to compete with 2003's heatwave of a summer (where temps reached a whopping 38c! Do not remember that!) - not that I'm complaining in the slightest! I think we deserve a semblance of real Summer weather, don't you? This is my absolute ideal temperature (I've always said I was supposed to be born Spanish/Mediterranean).

There's not a particular art form when it comes to making iced coffee. It's a fairly simple process; mix a teaspoon of coffee (and sweetener of choice if you so choose) with a very small amount of boiling water, then add one ice cube and mix for a few seconds, or until the ice cube begins to melt. I add a trickle of vanilla bean paste in here just to liven things up a bit (I know I know, living precarious)...

Add a few more ice cubes before pouring in your milk of choice. I created the GIF above simply to capture this last part of the process; there's something about the way the contrasting colours of the coffee and milk gradually mix together that makes me really, really happy. And judging by the amount of coffee-porn on Tumblr, I don't think it's just me being a massive weirdo on this one. It is an actual thing - trust me (see ici et ici).

The only downfall of iced coffee is that it's far too easy to just gulp down in one go, and thus you're always left with a few unmelted ice cubes at the end; at which point it just makes sense to go and make another, y'know, just to make use of the leftover ice. Therein lies the (my?) problem; a vicious cycle of iced coffee guzzling.

Summer? Je t'aime.



*Nectar·ous adj., of nec·tar n.; A sweet liquid secreted by flowers of various plants, consumed by pollinators, such as hummingbirds and insects, and gathered by bees for making honey || The drink of the gods (Greek/Roman mythology) || A delicious or invigorating drink.

Crazy for Carrot Juice

Another beautiful summer's day most definitely calls for another tall glass of carrot juice to freshen me up before work. I juiced up around 22 carrots (plus one apple thrown in for good measure) the other day, which gave me just over a litre of the orange 'golden juice of healing' (source)! Lovely stuff.



And now for the (not-so-gory) details - you knew they were coming! Carrots are mostly known for their betacarotene and vitamin A content, which namely plays a role in maintaining vision. But besides that, carrot juice is good for a whole host of reasons. It's a cleanser for the liver, which makes it an excellent detox drink (perfect for those who've been to one festival too many this summer!).

As carrots are deep soil root vegetables, this means that they're able to absorb a vast array of minerals, plus plentiful amounts of B vitamins and folates. And the most important benefit of juicing carrots (as opposed to cooking) is that the body is more able to metabolize nutrients into the body's cells, since uncooked vegetables retain their enzymes. Raw vegetables provide all the enzymes you need for optimum digestion and absorption, and are an excellent source for quick and natural carbs/sugars (needless to say, a great choice for a pre- or post- workout treat, without the added fibre that can upset a stomach when eaten prior to exercise).

Here's a breakdown of the nitty-gritty deets for the contents of 100ml carrot juice (source):

2.1 mg of beta-carotene and 350 micrograms of vitamin A
Up to 3 mg of vitamin C, which is necessary to maintain immunity
0.2 mg of vitamin PP, which has beneficial effects on metabolic processes in the body
0.01 mg of vitamin B1, required for proper function of the brain and nervous system
0.02 mg of vitamin B2, needed to maintain healthy metabolism and vision
0.3 mg of vitamin E for healthy cells and synthesis of hormones (several times greater than in beet juice)

If you're as big a fan of the humble (yet powerful) carrot juice as I am, then it's probably worthwhile investing in a decent juicer (mine is a Kenwood, and was around £50). It's probably worth it in the long run, seeing as it's so expensive to buy fresh juices out and about (£3.30 for 300ml at Wagamama, say what!), whereas you can make a whole week's worth of juice for just a couple of pounds worth of carrots. It definitely pays off after just a few weeks of juicing! (well, depending on how often you buy fresh juice, anyway).

One last thing (and perhaps the most apt for fuelling our superficial tendencies) is that the carotenoids (antioxidants) found in various fruit and vegetables (especially carrots) actually help to naturally improve skin tone and produce a healthy glow (as opposed to the sun-induced lobster effect). Read more here. And with that said, need I sing its praises any more?



Hope everyone's enjoying this glorious (and completely un-British) weather as much as I am! Happy sunbathing/juice drinking (and may your tan be truly flourishing!).

Life Outtakes

Hiya M&S scallops. Where've you been hiding all my life? (Tonight's dinner/pre-run meal, fried with spinach and a few wee potatoes)


Currently in my running shorts, ready and raring to go...but my stomach is not having any of it (found these babies in TKMaxx last Winter fyi).


Wednesday's protein smooti (1 banana, 100ml almond milk, 250ml water, 1 scoop chocolate protein. YUMMY in my tummy)


Shameless 'y so serious' facial posin' (eBay outtakes btw - ps. anyone wanna buy this strange yet wonderful looking garment I have on? Non?)

The Transformative Years

I toyed with the idea of this post for a while. I'm not a showy type of person, and having my photo taken is something that has always caused me the utmost anguish. But I was curious as to how my body shape has changed photographically throughout the years (or should I say the last two years). Obviously, I see my body on a daily basis so it's difficult for myself to notice any sort of physical change. All I know is that I've lost roughly 30lb since the end of Summer 2011 (which translates to 13.6kg), and I've gone down two dress sizes (from a 10 to a 6). Pretty drastic, huh?



The photo montage sort of speaks for itself, really. I don't want to go into too much detail for fear of sounding overly self-centred and egotistic; however, you can evidently notice the difference in muscle tone and body fat %. These photos were taken in the summer of each year. Goes to show how much a difference you can make if you persevere with a clean diet and regular exercise!

And for those wanting a little more background info...the first photo is taken just prior to my second year at university. I wasn't exercising much, I ate whatever I wanted, and was fairly happy in my body - though I knew there was room for improvement. I upped the exercise routine following this summer, and started to pay a little more attention to my diet choices.

By the time the middle photo was taken, I was a member of the gym, had finished university and had changed my diet slightly, eating less carbs (but still indulging from time to time). I think this is around the time when people (aka friends and family) started to notice a change in my shape.

Moving onto the final photo (taken just over a month ago), I'm quite a lot slimmer and have sort of 'leaned out' significantly. My muscles are more pronounced in my arms and legs, and my face is a lot less, er... round. I exercise on average 4 times a week, incorporating running, cycling (static) and strength training. I follow a semi-flexible gluten free diet (in other words, I eat gluten with caution), have cut out all types of refined food (i.e. sugar and fast-food, also known as evil energy-drainers), and rarely drink alcohol or soda drinks.

I don't see this as being an extreme measure at all - ultimately, my body runs better when fuelled with natural sources of energy/food, and whenever I do stray from the clean-eating path, my body lets me know. It's only when you've cut out the junk - and then attempt to eat it again on some random occasion - that you realise how it really affects your body for the worse. I feel like I know my body so much more now - I've finally recognised my food intolerances, and what formulae to follow in order to keep my body looking and feeling its very best.

Does anyone else have any body transformation pics to share? Any other opinions? Do let me know, I love hearing from you :).

Super Healthified Banana Bread

I told you I'd make a loaf of banana bread, didn't I? Well I didn't go back on my word...and here is the mouthwatering photographic evidence.



I've always been a sucker for my Mum's notorious banana cake. Needless to say, as with many other banana cake/bread recipes, it was misleadingly unhealthy (misleading because really, you'd expect a cake based around the humble banana to be somewhat healthy, wouldn't you?) -- packed with sugar, refined white flour, aaand... I don't remember what else. Probably a generous amount of butter/marg. But we don't want none of that!

So I guess you could say that this recipe acts as a kind of antidote or counterbalance to my Mum's banana cake recipe. Based upon this original recipe, I've adapted it very slightly to enhance its healthiness even more. You'd probably be pushed to find a healthier banana cake recipe, especially one that caters to both vegans (err...minus the honey) and those with gluten sensitivity. It sits just the right side of moist, has a gorgeous flavour and hits the sweet-tooth spot naturally (just bananas and 2 tablespoons of manuka honey to thank for that one). So yeah...delve in!



Ingredients:

200g spelt flour
2x 27g packets of quick-cook Quakers Oats
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
1t ground cinnamon
(Up to) 1t vanilla paste
4 medium sized bananas, ripe
50ml almond milk (unsweetened)
6T coconut oil
2T manuka honey
90g walnuts, 30g pumpkin seeds (add whatever nut/seed/dried fruit you prefer)

Pre-heat your oven to 350C or gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper (grease with a smidgen of coconut oil). That's the boring stuff out of the way. Now onto the mashing. Ahh yeah.



Get your ripened bananas and place (without skins!) in a (sizeable) bowl. Mash until they're nice n' squelchy. Meanwhile, melt your coconut oil in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. This shouldn't take too long. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool slightly. When it has cooled, add it to your banana mix and combine well; add all other wet ingredients (hello vanilla, almond milk and honey), and stir vigorously. Might as well get an arm workout in there, eh?

Now that your wet stuff is all sorted, sieve the spelt flour into a separate bowl. This took me a bloody long time because spelt flour seems to have quite a lot of large grainy pieces that just got in the way whilst sieving. I orginally wanted to use all 260g of the spelt flour (as the original recipe had suggested); however, by the 200g mark my arm was aching somewhat from holding the sieve for so long - alas, I reached out for my trusty oats to save the day. Quakers did the job juuust fine.

Add the baking powder and soda into the flour mixture, plus the teaspoon of cinnamon (vital! Cinnamon can do no wrong), and stir well before gradually adding the dry mix to the wet. Keep on top of the blending and 'folding' sitch (yep, I do know some baking lingo) until you've got yourself a lovely looking batter.

All that's left to do is to measure your nuts and add them to the final mixture. Spoon into your tin, and place into the oven for up to 50 minutes. When time's finally up, remove from the oven and leave to cool. In my case, I was knife-in-hand after about 5 minutes of removing mine from the oven (naughty, I know). But hey, who am I kidding - warm/hot banana cake is simply too good to pass up on, especially when it's lathered with a dollop of peanut butter (a new discovery, and a match made in heaven).

Does anyone have any banana bread recipes to rival mine? This one seems to be calling my name... protein banana bread? Don't mind if I do!

Three Favourite Things

Life lately has been a bit of a whirlwind of work, work... and yep, more work. With that said, summoning as much pleasure as possible from the little things has become all the more befitting for a lifestyle that reigns very little free time for myself. These such things never cease to disappoint when I'm looking for a quickie pick-me-up. Yes, these may very well be inanimate objects; even so, they remain the objects of my desires. Who needs humans anyway?

One: Wagamama's salads and fresh juices

So as of a couple of months ago, Wagamama is my favourite place ever to eat out. If you're looking for fresh food that's been prepared with much love and grace, and that remains on the right side of affordable, then Wagamama is the place to be. I'm hooked on their salads - I've tried all but one, in fact. On my last visit I went for the bean and glass noodle salad, which was just exquisite as far as salads go! And even if you don't like Japanese food per-say, you're bound to find something on the vast menu - even if it's just a carrot and ginger juice (my precious!). Just uh-mazing, serious.

Two: Giant tubs of 100% Peanut Butter (Meridian)

So yeah...this is a no-brainer. I can't believe I went for so long buying ridiculous 454g jars of Whole Earth peanut butter for £3.19 a pop (73p/100g), when there's the option to buy two 1kg tubs from Holland & Barrett for just £8.23 (on the buy one get one half price deal - that works out at 41p/100g). Who was I even kidding?! The PB in those baby-sized jars literally just evaporated, what with my boyfriend's love (not to mention my own) of consuming peanut butter by the tablespoon (multiple times a day). It must've been at least 3 weeks since purchasing these and we're still not even into our second tub! Bulk-buying is best, full stop. Plus this stuff is made from 100% peanuts, pure and simples. I believe Whole Earth's peanut content is around the 97% marker, and many other supermarket bought jars are as little as 68% cough-Tesco low fat peanut butter-cough (THIS IS JUST CRIMINAL, by the way! Low fat peanut butter?! The whole point of it is that it contains good fats! Not to mention the fact that they've added dried glucose syrup in place of this 'evil' fat. Honestly, whut thu fug is that all about?)

Three: Sparkling water (with a drop of lemon juice or other natural sweetener)


Gone are the days where I'm a prisoner of various flavoured squash drinks (usually Robinsons), and in are the days whereby sparkling water is my favourite thirst-quencher. Basically, up until very recently I was physically unable to drink just plain water. For my entire life, I've survived on drinking squash (sugar free, but certainly not aspartame free. And who knows what else) or flavoured water of any kind. Never just water alone! God forbid! (guys, I hate my former self). So yeah...sparkling water is just perfect for me as it feels like a treat - the bubbles certainly play a part in this psychological confusion - it's sugar free, and basically glorified water. I recall the school days of drinking Lucosade and Volvic flavoured waters on a day-to-day basis; my uni days also entailed almost daily cans of diet coke (I'll say for now that these really helped me get through laborious days and nights of sitting in front of a computer screen...but you probably won't believe me. Safe to say I no longer even believe myself). With a squeeze of fresh lemon, this is refreshment like no other. Best served chilled on a hot summer's day (which England is unlikely to see any time soon. Ugh this sorry excuse for a country).

And there we have it...three of my current edible/drinkable preferences. Doubtlessly there are plenty more I could add to the list, but that would make for pretty tedious reading. What are some of your favourite food or beverage choices du jour? Anyone else a Wagamama minion?! Hoping to make some sort of banana bread today - I've pinned a load of similar recipes onto my Pinterest board, so I need to filter through them and get my bake on today - seeing as it's my only day off this week! Gotta make the most of it! Have a great week all :).

Chocolate Coconut Crunch Cookies

The CCC cookie has all the appeal of the regular chocolate cookie, but with a subtle coconut flavour and a sweetness that isn't too overpowering. Plus...it has chunks of 90% chocolate stashed inside, and some walnuts chucked in at the last minute for good measure.



I won't go into the recipe too much because it speaks for itself and is easy as you liiike. Step one: Sieve 3 tablespoons of coconut flour and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder; mix together. Add around 150ml coconut milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, and blend all ingredients into a smooth paste. Next, add a teeny dash of sea salt, a few crushed walnuts and roughly chopped dark chocolate pieces (I used one 10g square altogether, and crushed it with my bare fingers). Bake on a greased baking tray for 25mins at 350/gas mark 4. Devour with a coffee. Repeat from step one when cookies have mysteriously disappeared within an hour.

Not bad...not bad at all. Pretty darn healthy too, bursting with heart-healthy fats from all directions. And now, I'm out of coconut flour...drat.

Recipes for lazy girls: Veggie Omelette

The Omelette: what better recipe is there to fill ones stomach to such a satisfactory level, all the while keeping things nicely tidy (note: bare minimum washing up, and even less surface cleaning - unless you manage to get egg juice everywhere. uh...) and super healthy? (the answer you're looking for is there are no better recipes out there. Let's get omelette-ing!).



So this I have aptly named my 'veggie pizza omelette' recipe. The nifty inclusion of oregano (recently appointed Favourite Herb Ever, by me) tricks you into thinking you're eating pizza - when actually, you're basically eating glorified eggs and veg, all mashed up together (not literally).

This is a suitable recipe for a) Lazy girls, and even more so for b) Lazy girls who've just been for a killer run and want some nosh quick-sharpish (a run in the rain, I hasten to add). Doesn't it look appealing? Well, let me tell you: it was.

Eggs are pretty cool, and especially so for runners; full with the nutrient choline (one large egg has 30% of your daily value, mostly in the yolk), they help to keep the joints free from inflammation. They're also packed with vitamin D, vitamins A and E, and are a great source of iron (iron creates haemoglobin, which transports oxygen to your muscles), zinc, and protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids (making them the most 'complete' source of protein available, knocking the chicken's pride for six. Oh wait...without the chicken we wouldn't have the egg in the first place. My bad).



Simply chop up your preferred choices of veg (I used mini sweetcorn cobs, mini tomatoes, plus frozen peas and sweetcorn and one boiled potato - however, feel free to jazz up your omelette in any which way you deem suitable! Spring onions, cucumber, broccoli, peppers...hey, anything goes. Go crazy!) and heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil on a frying pan over high-heat. Add your frozen veg first to allow them to soften slightly before chucking the rest in. Meanwhile, whisk your eggs (I used 3 large free-range eggs) and add to the pan after a few minutes, spreading the mixture evenly across the veg.

Add salt and pepper (plenty of black pepper, in my case) and herbs de preference - oregano, if you want to experience and taste that sososweet scent nostalgic of Italian pizzeria's (not that I've ever even been to a proper Italia pizzeria. But I can use my imagination in this case). Allow to cook for a few minutes before placing your pan onto a heated grill to cook the omelette from above. Your omelette should be good to go and smash down the oesophagus in a matter of minutes. The ultimate 10 minute meal for runners, or any athlete/human being; you gotta give credit to the humble egg/chicken.

When the Going gets Tough

...The tough gets going. Well, if you take some all-important time out to rest and recooperate, that is.



The importance of resting and just letting your body rest (and breathe... at a normal heart rate, for that matter) for a while is so paramount for anyone following a regular exercise programme. Without it, you'll eventually burn out and this will doubtlessly take its toll on your body and health (I don't really need to point this out, but this totally contradicts the reason of exercising in the first place!).

I've taken some time to chillax recently because I could just feel that my body was practically in protest against itself; the combination of continuous working days with minimal fuel (food and drink) to see my brain and body through, plus extra stress and wear-and-tear from general life and fully-blown emotional chaos meant that I fully owed myself a break from the rigour of exercising like a badman. Sometimes, you just have to accept that being lazy and eating good, nourishing food is what it's all about (which, y'know, can still mean healthy... let's not go too far off the beaten track here, I'm not for one minute saying a rest from exercise equates to endless pizza/McDonald's binges or anything like that).

Though admittedly, it hasn't been a long one exactly... (the last time I went for a run was last friday; following that day, I felt pretty awful for a good 3-4 days, and I finally feel back on track today). Even so, I feel so much better in myself and have fully geared myself up for a run tomorrow - I can't actually wait, sad as it may sound...

I have just 9 days until the 5km race in my hometown, which I haven't officially entered yet (you can enter on the day anyway) but I'm actually so excited for it! I dunno why really...partially because the start and finish is held at my old primary school (fond memories!)...plus, I really wanna win. Like, badly! I've never won a running race before; I think the closest I ever got was 3rd place in my school year's cross country. However, I am determined. Shame I'm starting my 'training' just 9 days before the race...hey ho, I can still dream of being numero uno, right? At least it's given me some incentive to pound the pavements tomorrow! Creating fitness goals like this are ultimately a fast-track way towards staying on track and exceeding your fitness expectations. One word; Motivation! It's all you really need.

In other, slightly less fitness-related news, my boyfriend has only gone and won us two VIP Circ du Soleil tickets for next month at London's o2 arena! Needless to say, we're super excited! We're gonna be in that little box, along with all the other VIPs (might even see some famous faces close by!). Pretty damn cool. In other other news, I bought these ASOS trousers, and am completely in lust with them. They are the comfiest things ever to wear, and at £24.50 they didn't break the bank, either. All in all, it's been a bloody chaotic week - horrific at times, a few lemons have been thrown, but it's turned out all well and fine. Basically, positive thinking = a survival necessity.

Fine dining/boozing in Vilnius

Myself and my boyfriend have just returned after a spending a food (well... šaltibarščiai, mainly), beer and family-filled week in his home city, Vilnius (Lithuania's capital city). Yet again, my obsession with the traditional cold beet soup returned in full force; two portions of the glorious pink stuff every day was the norm for me, much to my boyfriend's amusement!

A late discovery of our previous holiday there, our go-to for fast, delicious and fresh meals (plus the odd gigantic-sized cocktail or beer) was the trendy Carré bar and restaurant, positioned fairly centrally along the main street in town. Though I only ate šaltibarščiai there, my boyfriend went for a dish of grilled chicken with sweet potato and sundried tomatoes. I can confirm that it was top-notch (nosh?), and something akin to what we'd expect in a top-rated brasserie at home (doubtlessly at quadruple the price - this dish cost less than a fiver!).

For anyone who considers themselves a bit of a 'foodie', Vilnius should be considered at the top of your destinations list for the simple reason that its food is consistently brilliant - high quality ingredients, plates offering perfect combinations and an expansive selection all coming in at a fraction of the price you'd expect to pay in England (read: šaltibarščiai soup with a side plate full of sautéed potatoes generally ranges from £1 to £2. A freshly stone-baked 30cm pizza from Charlie's isn't a lot more than that, either.

So to say I enjoy the cuisine of Vilnius is an understatement! Tipples of choice ranged from freshly-squeezed carrot juice (sold in even the most obscure places, such as the indoor Aqua park we spent a day at) which cost from £1 each, to beer (Svyturys Baltas is just amazing, and less than £2 for a pint), or the whopping 800ml cocktails (as mentioned before) served in Carré. Most cocktails, including my mint mojito and 'jack in the beans' (ingredients of which remain a mystery) was around £4.25, whilst my boyfriend's hangover-inducing long island iced tea was 27 litas (around £6.75).

But enough of the details for now, moving swiftly on to the photographic evidence of our various gastronomic delights. And, on a side-note, I know for certain that If I lived in Vilnius, it would be seriously difficult for me to avoid eating (and drinking) out every day. Not to mention the potential damage to my waistline - following a healthy diet would be almost soul destroying due to the ease of eating out for the equivalent cost of purchasing your food from the supermarkets - and definitely not helped by the fact that pub snacks of deep-fried brown bread with melted cheese/mayo combo are available everywhere, complimenting a beer to perfection. Oh, Vilnius; how I miss thee already!


The soup of all soups, šaltibarščiai

A plateful of Lithuanian 'sashlik' (their equivalent to our BBQ food, bought from a street market stall)

Me avec icecream - kiwi and mango (spot the Sashlik!)

A typical pizza from Charlie's

JUICE!

My boyfriend, posing like the pro he is! (he practices)

Me with an alcoholic-style grin, and my Jack in the beans cocktail. Yum.

The Art of Homemade Granola

In the current climate of my life, early morning awakenings seem to be a common trend - alongside a diminishing timescale in which to get ready and leave the house by (all in the hope of getting to work on time). It's times like these that porridge just doesn't quite suffice; though it ticks all other criteria, there's no getting around the fact that it is somewhat time consuming to prepare in the morning (besides the issue that once it is cooked, you need to wait yet again for the damn stuff to cool! So not cool, porridge. Sort it out mate).

Fretting over, I found me a delicious way to satisfy my morning cravings for oats in a way that doesn't involve incessantly boiling them on the stove with innate precision). Well hello, good-ol' homemade nutty granola. Where have you been all my life?

There must surely be very few people who dislike granola. Though whilst supermarkets often have a huge variety of every kind of granola you could imagine, chances are that these oh-so appealing boxes of oat-y deliciousness are also full of unnecessary added sugars, and are likely to be made with not-so-good-for-you oils as 'stickeners' (Check the ingredients on the back of the box if you don't believe me!).

This - along with other factors, namely being the price tag - is why homemade granola is a hellalot better than your average pack of Jordan's (who apparently have 41% of the £13 million granola market. See what I mean about price now?!).

Making your homemade granola mix is simples, and you can easily adapt the following recipe to suit whatever nuts/seeds you prefer (or rather, whatever you have stocked up). It also fills the house with a gorgeous whiff reminiscent of breakfast time - the sweet warm scent of oats, nuts and honey is practically unbeatable (perhaps only just capped by the amazing smell that is banana bread in the oven. Oh, heaven's above!).



Ingredients (dry):

150g porridge oats
40g almonds
25g walnuts
25g cashews
2 tablespoons pistachios (can sub for seeds, i.e. sesame seeds or flax)
1 tablespoon ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)

Ingredients (wet & optional additions):

3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon manuka honey
a few drops almond extract (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 tablespoons dried fruit of choice (I chopped up 6 dried apricots)

Pre-heat the oven to 300C/gas mark 2 and line a baking tray in (suitably organised) preparation. Place your oats into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, place all of your nuts and crush slightly, until they're a suitable slap-dash mix of whole and somewhat crushed/chopped/battered nuts. Combine all dry ingredients and stir.

Meanwhile, melt your coconut oil over low heat before adding the honey. Once the coconut oil has liquified, remove from heat and add your optional almond extract and vanilla bean paste. Pour the mix into the dry ingredients, and stir well to incorporate every ingredient, until the oats/nuts are fully coated and a little sticky.

Spread your mix onto the baking tray and place in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Remove from heat, and leave to cool before adding your dried fruit (an option for those looking for sweetness to enhance and balance the nutty-oat-y flavour of the granola. Place in an air-tight container to keep your homemade batch fresh for around a few weeks (if you did it right, though, your granola shouldn't last even half that long. Trust in the power of homemade granola!).




And there we have it. This recipe was based on a post over at Iowa Girl Eats - my granola totally doesn't look a patch on hers, though admittedly I did reduce the amount of additional natural sweeteners that Kristin originally used.