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city worker

Recipes

Breakfast: Healthy on the Go

Travelling for work can sometimes be tricky while trying to follow your lifestyle rules. I don’t know about you but a lot of breakfast places I go to is the usual death by carbs or rush by sugar.

Many of us do our best to lead a healthy lifestyle but succumb to the poor choices available in most commuter stations.

I have been doing a bit of research and about the most important meal of the day and have tracked down my favourite healthy breakfasts on the go from some well-known chains.

I have given a Lean Option and a Good carbs alternative.


 

fit'eggs spinach                  superseed supreme

ITSU: 

Yes, you read this right – our favourite sushi chain! Well ITSU has now brought out a breakfast range that is full of delicious and healthy breakfasts.

You can choose from Supreme Superseded: a delicious and hearty bowl of seedy jumbo oats sweetened with agave to the lean options of Fit Eggs: Poached eggs in miso soup with tofu and spinach. This one is low carb and great for those who are on a low carb on training day.

These can all be found in many train stations throughout the UK. Pair with a big bottle of water and an americano and that right there is the perfect start to the day.


 

PRET: 

Pret is a great stop for brekkie – once you see past all the carb-loaded sandwiches, baguette and every other white based wheat loaded item on their shelves.
They have a 5 -Grain Porridge which is vegan and gluten-free. This means for those of you who dairy intolerant or wheat intolerant you can enjoy this with no risks.

Apart from that it gets a bit more difficult for a standard breakfast with Pret as most of their products come in a brioche or croissant but you can pull together a lean option by grabbing an Egg and Spinach pot and one of their fruit pots.

Pair this with a green juice and an Americano. Breakfast of champions.


 

VIRGIN TRAINS: 

The fastest train! On here they do have some good gluten-free options – if you ask.

Travelling First Class: Ask for gluten-free alternatives when they take your order – if you do not ask you will not get

Travelling standard: There are gluten-free packs available in the shop on board.

There is also a hummus and crudite option and occasionally fruit. It is nothing special but if you are in a rush and do not have the time it is available. They also have soy milk too for dairy-free alternatives.


Vega Protein: 

If I am getting up really early in the morning for a long trip I will quite often bring a protein shake with me. The delicious Vega Essentials Proteins from Vega can be mixed with water on the go and is so tasty and delicious snack that keeps you fuller for longer.

It’s tasty and completely Organic and Clean. This company really makes sure they go beyond to make sure that everything in their Proteins is Organic, Natural and Delicious.

Check them out online or Instagram for more info.


Travelling 

for work shouldn’t have to make poor food choices and see the pounds creep on. Careful planning and a little extra time to research you can maintain all your goals without having to spend much money or be unsatisfied.


What are your favourite places to grab brekkie on the go! Share with me as I would like to check it out.


Want more stress-free lifestyle tips? Click here: Balance

Recipes

Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Cups

Another little stress-free treat from me to you. This delicious recipe was inspired by the incredible Joe Wicks from The Body Coach.

Its the perfect weekend indulgence that is full of protein and great after a hard slog in the gym.

Really simple to make and incredibly tasty.

Peanut Butter Cups


Ingredients:

Dates
Mixed Nuts
Protein Powder (I used That Protein)
Cacao Powder
Coconut Oil
Natural Peanut Butter
90% Dark Chocolate


Method:

Blitz all the ingredients except the peanut butter and chocolate in a food processor.

Heat your oven to 150c

Grab a cupcake tin and grease the bottoms

Spoon a nice dollop of all the mixture into each cup

Then add a nice layer of Peanut Butter

Place in oven for 10 minutes – then remove from oven

Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over the top

Voila – delicious and nutritious

Peanut Butter Cups


These Little Cups are Perfect to Take to Work!

If you store in an air-tight container in a cool dry place these should last a few days. Take them to work in Tupperware and enjoy a little treat when you need.


For More Stress-Free Nourishing Recipes Click Here: Nourish

Stress Free Style

Minty Mondays: Matching Heels and Sneaks

Spring is finally here and what better way to celebrate then freshening up your wardrobe with some pastel mint vibes.

Going to work 5 days a week you can get stuck in the same rotation of grey and black making you feel like winter is still in your wardrobe. Time to shake it up and bring some fresh colour into you repertoire. Adidas stan smiths have brought out a fresh new range of pastel sneakers ranging from frozen green to pastel pink. Intricate details and a cool finish these are an excellent addition to put a spring in your step and spring into your wardrobe.


Changing from sneakers to heels is made easy when you stick to the same colours as you know it will match.

My ASOS mint heels add a simple yet effective insert of colour into my black suit. If you are like me and your wardrobe is a mix of monochrome then brightening up for the seasons can be simply left to your accessories.


Matching your sneaks to your heels means you can dash about town to all your meetings, commute without damaging your knees, get in the car easily while placing your heels in your bag and transition from boardroom coffees to girls and cocktails without having to dash home to change.

Its all about using your precious time effectively and not feeling a pack horse every time you know you’re meeting friends after work.



We are busy ladies these days. Managing your time effectively so you can be the best #GIRLBOSS while also balancing out that time for social and relaxation.

Keep it fresh this spring and treat yourself to some matching heels and sneaks! Go on… you deserve it!

Balance

Using your Senses to relieve Stress: Clarified Designs

Life is full of stress. From the moment we wake up BOOM goes our alarm we are on edge throughout the day. If you live in a city you have to deal with noise, traffic, people, coffee, work, meetings, exercise, emails, telephone calls… the list goes on.

Finding daily ways to calm yourself to keep stress at bay is imperative to make sure you keep balanced. Having an internal toolkit to help you bring your levels back to Zen is key to remaining calm in all situations.

Your senses are key to calmness and clarity. Think about when you visit home and the smell of your mum – that relaxation it sends through you. When you taste that herb that takes you back to when you first tried it. The feeling of your favourite sweater soft against your skin. Your senses can transport you to a place of calm and it is this technique that I want to share with you today.


 

I recently received my beautiful blend from Clarified Designs. An elixir of essential oils in a beautiful necklace to help balance me out. The smell is divine and provides the reminder to take a few minutes in stressful times to stop and effectively smell the flowers.

I wanted to find out more about this wonderful company so I got in contact with their founders to find out more about this inspiring idea.


When was Clarified Designs Founded?

Clarified Designs was founded in our (Rachel and Francesca) joint household in Brisbane August 2015

What was the inspiration behind its creation?

Rachel first introduced me (Francesca) to essential oils in 2014 when we met.

It was about September 2015, where I started becoming more aware of the spiritual and magical properties of the oils while reading at work. (Francesca)

I came home to Rachel explaining how the vibration of oils worked just like crystals, except we could interact with them on a different level (smell) which made them so much more present and permeating to me. I told her how wonderful it would be to wear the oils all day! She had tiny little bottles in her room which she had bought at a craft store a few weeks ago because she thought they were cute!

Coincidence or alignment?

From there the idea was born, we started wearing necklaces and all our friends and family around us wanted to wear them as well!


What attracted you to essential oils?

For both of us it is definitely the luxury of smelling such a potent plant oil. I felt instantly better when I smelt the right oils, and I think on a soul level, I always knew how magical they were.

Essential oils are such a gentle and instantaneous way to soothe your soul, mind and emotions, let alone all their physical benefits as well


Which oil is your favourite?

Francesca: Rose, because I feel she is the queen of all essential oils. She balances a woman’s entire reproductive system, soothes her heart, and instils her with passion, love, patience and elegance.

Rachel: Geranium, because it is extremely balancing and smells floral and herbaceous at the same time.

Internally it calms me down and allows me to embrace everything with positivity.


How important are essential oils for young women in stressful jobs? 

We would say that essential oils have a lot to bring women in stressful jobs.

Not only can they calm the central nervous system, they can help a young woman come to understand her true nature, desires and life purpose.

They will fuel her fire, increase drive, motivation and desire to attain fulfilment.


What blend would you recommend for those trying to balance work stress and life stress?

We could recommend our Shakti blend
This is designed to balance all energies in our body.

Including masculine/feminine energies, hormonal system, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies. The Shakti blend calls on the divine masculine and feminine to achieve balance within the body. If you are feeling stagnant or lacking direction the vibrational qualities of the oils in this blend will attract inspiration, movement and energy to you. This blend will help your body listen to its own truth, for without balance we are unable to live to our full potential.

The blend includes the Certified Organic Oils of Atlas Cedarwood, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Geranium and Clary Sage.

It has an incredibly refreshing scent likened to the natural scents of the forest and the earth. Balance yourself with this blend to achieve holistic equilibrium.


 

What advice would you give to people new to essential oils?

First of all it would be to follow your nose.

Head into a trusted aromatherapy company and let your nose lead you to your very first essential oil or blend.

Next step would be to read about how that oil and blend affects you to see if it correlates with what you need in your life.

Letting your intuition guide you to oils can be an amazing experience.

Essential oils are an excellent and non-invasive way of treating physical symptoms, altering your mood and lifting your spirits.


Head on over to their Clarified Designs for any questions you may have about their blends. They now ship across the world so you can order your own personalised blend to bring some balance into your day to day lives.

I keep mine loose around my neck in order that I can bring it out and Zen whenever the weight of the world gets too much. Cute, simple and effective.

 

Explore/ Stress Free Style

After work Blow Dry with Brooks+Brooks

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Its Friday!
Finally…something to make you smile. Its the weekend. Its the night of the week when you can let your hair down (or blow-dryed into the perfect up do) and dance the night away.


You can touch up your make up in the work bathrooms but giving your hair a refresh is sometimes difficult. This is where the perfect salon to quickly give you the once over is the answer.

Based in Holborn Brooks+Brooks is the golden ticket.

They transformed my locks from drab to fab!

b11   hair

I was met by Kayleigh at the door who sat me down to go through my options. I was tired from a long day at work and welcomed a sit down and relax. Offered a coffee and a lil brownie to start my day was starting to get a little better.

We chatted about options, hair colour, hair condition and face shapes. Kayleigh suggested a couple of styles…

Heading out for cocktails and a banquet dinner we opted for a half up do.


Kayleigh was ab8 little camera shy so she stayed hidden

Hair Washed
Best Massage
Hair Treated
Hair Heated

and we were ready to get started!


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First she tied knots to make an edgy braid. Playful yet tamed.

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Then mermaid curls.

Kayleigh used a wand to create such magical waves. They set perfectly with the in salon products and lasted hours.

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Th finished style was in incredible. I had been transformed from the dreary end of work look to freshly made for a night with the girls.

Glamorous, Stylish and Chic: Brooks+Brooks Hairdressing is a must check out.

To book your appointment head to: enquiries@brooksandbrooks.co.uk

or call +442074058111


Explore/ Stress Free Style

Big and Voluminous Hair: Tabitha James Kraan


“Hair thrives when it is Nurtured by Nature”
Wise words from Tabitha James Kraan the creator and passion behind the Organic and Sustainable Haircare range.


Bad Hair Day!

We all have busy lives running from gym to work to friends to parties! Last thing we need is a bad hair day!

Those hair days where all the volume is gone and but the ends are fluffy!
We get in from work and we want to head straight out but the lifeless mop on our heads is holding us back!
Not to mention that luck lustre smell from everything you have picked up throughout the day!

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Hmmm “what about dry shampoo”
With most dry shampoo you will end up looking like you have dandruff or if you go for the “brown” one…dirty!

Well let me introduce to Tabitha James Kraan Dry shampoo and Hair Perfume

dry-shampoo-dark-and-fair-hair

These beautiful products are completely Organic and Sustainable and SMELL ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!

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I picked up the full set from her website including the hair cleanser, conditioner, hair oil, hair perfume and dry shampoo.
When the products arrived I quickly set out to use these products…


I parted my hair and gently sprinkled the dry shampoo along my parting and roots

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I waited 30 seconds for the powder to do its power! Then blow-dryed my hair on a cool setting from side to side.

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(insert instant volume pose)

The RESULTS were AMAZING!

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Big, Bold, Luscious and full of Life.

I gave a couple of little spritz’s of the hair perfume and I was ready to go!


So many products on the market are full of nasty chemicals which seep into our blood-stream. The also get into the water and pollute the environment. Many products also strip all the natural oils from your hair which can result in nasty side effects such as dandruff, dry and frizzy hair or greasy hair. Tabitha’s product range is one of the purest, cleanest, most organic hair products possible that work in harmony with the hair and the scalp. Hair that is treated to the Tabitha James Kraan formula has natural shine and lustre, vibrant colour, smells amazing and stays looking good for days.


What you put on your body is as important as what you put in your body.

Making small changes to make sure your products are clean, environmentally friendly, organic and kind to your skin really make a holistic impact.

Wellbeing is about nourishing inside and out.

Make those small changes so you can look and feel fabulous

(and smell insane!)
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Check out Tabitha’s full range at http://www.tabithajameskraan.com/ or visit her salon in the heart of the Cotwolds for the full treat!

Balance/ Recipes

Q&A with Pollen + Grace

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Making lunches can be so difficult when you are trying to eat healthy. Sometimes you open your lunch box and you have a bit of kale and quinoa looking up at you and you start to feel slightly depressed…
Well let me introduce you to Pollen + Grace this beautiful little company that serves gluten free, dairy free and free from refined sugar beautiful lunches to keep our stomachs happy and full of flavour.
I wanted to find out more about this wonderful company so I met with Steph the founder to have a Q&A
1) How was Pollen + Grace born – where did the idea come from?
Pollen + Grace came foremost from a love and passion for cooking healthy, delicious food but secondly from the frustration of never being able to find a healthy, free from lunch option when working in London and having to prepare lunch each night. 
2) What makes you passionate about Pollen + Grace, did you start by eating that way and became a passion…?
Pollen + Grace was such a huge risk to take, but it was something I(Steph) had to do as I felt it was what I was meant to do. I started eating this way due to gluten and dairy intolerances, then learnt how exciting it was to make delicious options that actually made you feel good. 
3) Who was your first customer?
Our first customer was the brand events office, but our first customer who found us without being a friend was Amanda Cauldwell – she would order 3 lunches a day from us, one for her lunch then two for dinner (one for her and one for her daughter)!
4) Where was your first pop up?
The Old Street pop up has actually been our first, but we definitely plan on doing more now!
5) Where are you based – how big is your team?
Our kitchen/office is based in clapham junction and we have a full time team of 6 now – 3 office and 3 kitchen!
6) What is your favourite product?
This one’s easy, definitely our paleo banana bread, it’s delicious!
7) If you could give people one piece of health advice – what would it be?
Focus on eating delicious wholesome food that makes you feel great, but learn that it’s also about balance – if you want the ice cream, eat the ice cream! 
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If you have a bit of time at lunchtime and you are near Old Street Station you must pop on down and meet the lovely Steph and try out her delicious food.
If not check out their beautiful website over at Pollen + Grace
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