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 :).