My Go-To Breakfast Bowl

Inspired by the new 'trend' of acai and smoothie bowls, I'm currently making a much easier alternative for breakfast/lunch/snacks. Making a smoothie isn't too much hassle but using yogurt is just so much quicker. It's the perfect amount of sweetness and goodness in a bowl to give you energy in the morning or be tasty snack during the day. Because I suffer from IBS I often make a dairy-free version, which also makes it a great vegan lunch (note: if you have any kind of digestive troubles or syndrome, I can't recommend kiwis enough!) If anyone takes a 'raw til 4' approach then this fits the bill perfectly. And most importantly: it certainly brightens up your day if your meals are pretty!

What I use:
Dairy-free cherry yogurt
1 kiwi
A handful of blueberries
A cupful of muesli
A mixture of pumpkin, sesame, linseed and sunflower seeds

Of course you can mix it up and use different fruits and flavours to make your own! Let me know if you make smoothie/yogurt bowls, or any kind of healthy breakfasts because I would love some new things to try. Til next time xo

How I Work Out & Do Yoga At Home

I am a firm believer in the power of working out at home. I don't mind going to the gym, but it's never going to be the most pleasant place. At home, you have control of your environment and what you're doing. I've put together a collection of videos I follow at home, as well as yoga tutorials I've learnt from and tips I have for home workouts.

Getting a good environment is key. I like to light a candle. I always make sure I have a cup of lemon water with me (hot or cold, I drink it all day every day after eradicating coffee from my diet, read about the benefits here!) The key is that you have control to encourage yourself to work out. Just try to make an environment that feels open and good to be in. However, I worked out in a tiny uni hall room for a year: whilst not the most nicest space, it's what you make of it.

For equipment, all I use is two 1/2kg weights (I love the slim ones seen below, not sure where these exact ones are from but you can get similar at John Lewis), a yoga/exercise mat and some yoga blocks. Obviously, you can increase the weights or work without them. I'm not saying don't be ambitious, but small weights have great impact if you're using them with great workouts.

An exercise mat is essential (they're pretty inexpensive), but yoga blocks are optional. If you working up flexibility in a position then they're really helpful (they're essentially an extension.) Yoga By Cadence has good post that talks you through them.

I have used the XHIT and POPSUGAR Victoria Secret Workout videos for a good few years now. I can't recommend them enough. Without going to the gym, I honestly think I could have got my body to where it is now on just home workout videos along with weight work. There's no excuse for not trying them out! You need the smallest space in your bedroom and absolutely no equipment. Plus they're free! They're short but helllll do they make you work.

Usually I do a around three ten minute circuits, break for fifteen and then do yoga. You should by no means stick to this pattern though. Yoga is meant to be a state of mindfulness: if the only thing you have on your mind after working out is a shower and a corpse-like position on the floor, then maybe save yoga for night time or alternate days. I do yoga most mornings, then as a cool down to a workout.

Please note: I don't work out to lose weight. Instead, I work out to tone up and keep healthy. However, the workouts I've linked below are going to still help you if you want to lose weight, especially the POPSUGAR one.

Working Out:
POPSUGAR 10 Minute Circuit
XHIT Victoria's Secret Butt Workout
XHIT Victoria's Secret Ab Workout
Fitness Blender Tank Top Arms Workout

Yoga:
My Spotify Yoga Playlist
Madeleine Shaw Yoga For Beginners
Yoga With Adriene
Yoga isn't something I like to 'follow' as such: not many people do. Watch some videos, read up on some poses and just give it a go in a quiet environment.

I hope this was helpful. Til next time xo

Green Super Smoothie

I really do believe that getting fruit smoothies in to your diet is going to reduce the dull, tired appearance your skin can take on in the winter months. I've recently been using this recipe for a Spinach, apple and pineapple one which is as green as it is good. 

Trust me, this smoothie doesn't taste gross and grassy. Any smoothie containing a large amount of sweet fruits is really going to cancel out any salad flavour. You could alternatively use kale for this recipe too.

This recipe is quite a cheap one. Spinach and apples are inexpensive, and while you can use pineapple chunks, today I've just used juice. If you've got fruit that's looking a bit past its best then a smoothie is a perfect destination for it. If you're feeling super lazy, buying packaged fruit (of the more exotic kind) is also an option.

Cut the ingredients into small pieces, add a squeeze of lemon juice, some water/ice and blend.

Ta da!

Smoothies make a great breakfast alternative or just to take on the go. I'm the sort of person who needs sugar by about 11 am so I know that if I have a smoothie I'm not going to be tempted to snack in a bad way. This is a great way to get a load of goodness into your diet with minimal effort. 

Pour it out into bottles, refrigerate and enjoy! Does anyone have any tasty smoothie combos? Comment below!