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Avocado and Pomegranate Tabbouleh | Recipes

Avocado and Pomegranate Tabbouleh

It’s Sunday and you’re planning your lunches for the week ahead!

The buzz words in your head are CLEAN LEAN PROTEIN GOOD FATS LOW CARB VEGAN

and then your mind goes blank…

Well here is a perfect little dish that you can make ahead of time and will last up to 3 days in the fridge! It is easily transported in Tupperware and just tastes better and better…

Ingredients:

80g quinoa – read packet instructions on how to make nice and fluffy.

6 tomatoes, diced into small chunks

1/2 cucumber

5 large handfuls of roughly chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

1 handful of chopped fresh mint

1 large ripe Hass avocado

2 tablespoons of toasted flaked almonds

Pomegranate seeds (you can buy these at most supermarkets pre-seeded if you need) If you can’t find pomegranates sultanas can be used as a substitute

2 large handfuls of leaves such as watercress, spinach and rocket

Dressing

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 grated garlic clove

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons of good quality honey

Sea salt and Black Pepper

Method

Drain and rinse the quinoa well – make sure there are no bubbly bits in the water as these are the natural saponins which are not good for digestion. Cook according to packet instructions, usually 15 minutes, then drain and set aside to cool. Run a fork through it to lightly fluff up the quinoa

Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a jam jar (if you have one) and shake or grab a glass and whisk with a fork

Chop the tomatoes and cucumber – remove the seeded bit of the cucumber as this can make the salad go quite wet. If you cut the cucumber in half then half again lengthways – grab a spoon and run it down from top to bottom you will find the seeds will pull out quite easily.

Combine the warm quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber and herbs with the dressing.

At this point, if you wish to save for lunches this week – leave to cool till cold. Then seal in Tupperware and keep in the fridge (see more info below)

Make a gorgeous bed of salad, place the tabbouleh on top, and add chopped avocado and pomegranate

Dry fry the flaked almonds few minutes on a medium heat until toasted and scatter over the tabbouleh.

Serve warm or cold

Transport

Keep the tabbouleh in the fridge

On the day of lunch: chop the avocado and place in a container with a squeeze of lemon/lime on top (this will stop from going brown) and place pomegranate.

Grab some toasted almonds (you can buy them pre-toasted) and sprinkle on top – just before eating for extra crunch

Place salad leaves on top in order to keep them fresh

Nutrition

Quinoa is full of protein

Avocado is a great healthy fat

and the rest is made up of beautiful skin nourishing herbs, fruit and veggies

Delicious, Nutritious and Perfect for anyone on the run!

For More Stress-Free Nourishing Recipes Click Here: Nourish

Stress Free Style

Summer In The City: White Hot!

Anyone else feeling the heat!

This Summer has blessed us with perfect weather. Radiant sunshine, fresh green parks and the calling of BBQ’s in the evenings easing us out of working days.

Style choices start to become easier as simple cotton dresses and breathable shirts start to make up the basis of every outfit.

Whether at work or play – finding your style for Summer in the City is always made easier when you have a wardrobe staple to take you from work to play.

White Hot

Nothing brings a breath of fresh coolness to any look than a clean white jumpsuit and I have found the perfect one at Topshop. This Embroidered Bardot Jumpsuit has become my go to. Gliding me from work to play with the simple change of an accessory.

No-one wants to be carrying around anything more than their handbag in this weather, which is why I have chosen to share my simple tips to style for any occasion. Take the stress out of your day and make it easy from work to play.

Here are my simple hacks to take your from work to play:

Style For Work:

Pair this Bardot broderie jumpsuit with a heeled sandal, breathable shirt and colour-pop clutch.

A pair of oversize glasses will add a hint of glam.

Style For Play:

Dress down with a trainer: any colour can work as you have the purity of the white. With a clean fresh tee and the right shades, this will be the perfect pairing. If it gets chilly bring your favourite vintage denim jacket to pull over your shoulders.

Style For Evening:

A heeled wedge or a spicy stiletto and a leather jacket will take this jumpsuit from day to date.

A flash of red lipstick and a small flick of eyeliner and you can stroll into the evening oozing with chic and style.

Style For Festival:

Look chic and fresh – even in the mud!

Nothing says chic like a beautiful Bardot paired with your muddy wellies. A floral headdress and the classic festival shades – marry together that summery festival vibe.

Be it Wilderness, Tomorrowland, Obanjan or Bestival – you always have to be prepared for the #BritishSummer

This Bardot Playsuit makes the perfect addition to a capsule wardrobe as it is so versatile to suit every need your Summer throws at you!

Eat Pizza and still look like a Victoria Secret Model?

One of those days when only a big slice of cheesy pizza will let go the pressure of the RatRace?
Then you remembered that this weeks goal was to lose half your body weight and look like a Victoria Secret Model?

Well check out this little recipe to hit both goals in a tasty delicious slice.

Gluten Free Pizza

Pizza – one of the best exports from Italy. Comforting, tasty and the ultimate indulgence – there is never a dull moment with Pizza involved. Unfortunately I am allergic to wheat which kind of puts a dent in my pizza escapades until I discovered this tasty recipe. Its perfect if you’re making it for flatmates or boyfriends who may be a little bit adverse to the healthy way of life. All round belly pleaser.

Simple and easy to make after a long day in the office. You can let go of the stresses of the day while tucking into some comfort food. Bring the flavours of Italia right to your home.

Ingredients

Base:

2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded light mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toppings:

1/4 cup tomato sauce/ paste
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil
Chilli flakes
Spinach
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 220c

Find a pizza slate or a baking tray and line with parchment paper

Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft.

Remove from the microwave and let cool.

Strain through a dish cloth by putting all the mixture inside a clean cloth and squeezing out the excess water

Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.

Using your hands roll into the amount you need for base and then put the ball in the middle and push out mixture until you make a circle

Bake for 12-15mins or until golden

Remove from oven and add your toppings – this is where you can freelance from vegetarian to meat pizzas

Cook for a further 10 mins or until the cheese has that perfect glow and brown shade

And there you go – low carb – delicious treat for you when you fancy a little naughtiness.

You can package it up for work the next day and serve with a side salad or save it for about 2-3 days in an air tight container in the fridge.

As it contains no nasties and all fresh ingredients its best not to leave it too long.

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BOXING: Work Out like Gigi Hadid

GIGI HADID

Right…who hasn’t heard of Gigi Hadid? The beautiful blonde with legs up to the heavens who turns her middle finger up to those who fat shame!

This gorgeous goddess – daughter of Yolanda Foster – is the focus for this blog post.

One of the things that is inspiring about Gigi is that she is not your average model. She walks high end fashion runways and is a Victoria’s Secret Model yet she sports a curvy lean physique with strong thighs.

Hell Yes – a real woman!

This world is full of images that lead us to believe that our shape isn’t good enough. Unrealistic images are pumped into our day to day lives. It is refreshing to see someone strong bold and well relatively normal – storm the top runways.

So I dug a little deeper and looked into what this young lady is doing to look so gorgeous yet remain lean and strong

The answer: BOXING!!!

Boxing as a sport requires a high level of athletic prowess: strength, speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, endurance, nerve, and power, just to name several required attributes.

Gigi trains with a boxer to burn through calories, shed excess fat, and remain agile which all leads to her lean physique.

Boxing can be off-putting as it is deemed a male sport – but this empowering exercise really can attribute to some serious body changes!

Here are some reasons why you should try out boxing

Total-Body Strength

All that punching, kicking, and jumping requires a surprising amount of strength. Think about it – most professional heavy bags weigh at least 100 pounds. During a boxing workout, you may punch or kick a bag hundreds of times, requiring your upper body, lower body, and core to engage as you make contact with the bag.

Cardio

You hear it all the time: You need to do cardio to protect yourself from heart disease, burn calories, and lose or maintain your weight. But “doing cardio” doesn’t have to mean hopping on a treadmill to log your required minutes – how boring is that?

The whole point of cardio is to place a moderate amount of stress on your heart and lungs so that they’re challenged enough to make beneficial physiologic adaptations to support the higher level of physical activity. As long as you keep your heart rate up during your workout, there’s no reason you can’t punch, kick, and jump your way to a healthy heart at your local boxing gym.

Body Composition

Boxing is great for improving body composition – and some might say it’s great for weight loss. The technique means you are pushing your body burning up to 13 calories a minute!

Less Stress

Almost any form of moderate to intense physical activity can decrease stress. Exercise increases endorphins, boosts mood, works as a form of meditation, and improves sleep, all of which help reduce stress.

Boxing is a great outlet for stress! You can literally fight your way out of the stress zone!

It’s a win win situation!

Be inspired by the strong women in this world and learn from their tricks. If she can do it so can you.

Go and find your nearest boxing centre or get into the gym find those gloves and get practising!

Speaking of BOX – ing… I am very excited to open my new FITTY London box!

Packed to the brim with Healthy Goodies to start February the right way!

From Spiralizers, to coconut oil to delicious superfoods to sprinkle on my breakfast. This perfect little box never ceases to surprise me. So chic and beautiful – its really does give you that monthly buzz to keep on track!

Delivered to my door every month (along with my Vogue) its like my birthday happens every month!

Happy February!

Check out Fitty London here

Recipes

Neat Protein: Tasty, Vegan, Delicious and Nutritious

January 2016 has landed and the recurring conversation I am hearing around the office is which Health Plan people are joining. From Joe Wicks The Body Coach, Clean and Lean, That Sugar Diet to a whole host of plans that are swimming about there – people are really pulling their socks up to knock off that winter bulge.

However, when reading through the plans I hear people shriek!

THEY WANT ME TO ADD PROTEIN SHAKES!

Many of the plans contain protein shakes!

“Hang on a second isn’t that the stuff that body builders drink to make you bulky!”

No ladies it is not. Protein shakes help support you in enabling your body to build lean muscle when doing exercise and following a high protein diet plan.

Lean muscle is what makes you less wobbly and helps you work toward a bikini body with less jiggle and more wiggle.

Genetically we are not built to be body builders..so do not fret adding a protein shake to your diet will not end up with you waking up like Arnie!

So back to the protein shakes. The market is saturated with protein shakes that are FULL OF CRAP! Excuse my language but some contain all sorts of chemicals, sugars, artificial god knows what and taste like a chemical s**t storm.

I usually like to stay close to the Vegan Proteins as I find they are easier on the stomach and not full of animal whey (milk basically) so if you are trying to cut out dairy are better for you.

Let me introduce: Neat Nutrition Whey Protein

This little taster packet was delivered in my gorgeous Fitty London Blake Box

I had been to the gym after dinner and had a little itch for something before hitting the bed to keep my muscles going so I thought “why not”.

I AM NOT KIDDING YOU WHEN I TELL YOU THIS TASTED LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A MCFLURRY AND DAIRY QUEEN FOR 130KCAL!

My Protein Shake Recipe

I had the Vanilla flavour (always my favourite as you can mix it with anything and the flavour suits) and I opened the sachet and emptied into my blender .

I added 250ml of Alpro Coconut Milk (20kcal per 100ml)

Then a massive hand full of ice

Finally a tsp of Vanilla Essence

and BLITZED!

It made two portions which I shared with my Boyfriend and we were gobsmacked how good it tasted. So gobsmacked I think I whatsapp’d my friends the world over to share the news!

So if you are starting on a health plan this January and need to add some extra protein I would really recommend trying out this brand.

If you are worried about not liking it and spending £34 – why not try one of the FittyLDN boxes so you can receive a variety of other health goods and try out the protein?

Please comment below if you try this! I want to hear what you think and also share any recipes!

START THIS 2016 AS YOU MEAN TO GO ON: STRONG, LEAN AND FULL OF PROTEIN!

This post is in collaboration with fittyldn but all opinions and recipes are my own.

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Exercises to Slim for Office Christmas Party!

Christmas party season is well and truly in the throws! Drinks here, meals there and the after party.

So what is the trick to get ready for that little black dress?

Here are my tricks to slim down for the slinky black dress.

80/20

It is all about nutrition to beat the bloat. Cut out white carbs, sugar, alcohol (unless at the party), reduce salt and UP THOSE VEGGIES.

The above can lead to that little bulge that pops out in the lower stomach… the dreaded bloat. By upping your veggies and reducing the list above you can wiggle straight into your dress and feel as confident as ever

8 minute abs

This video is my go to! You get results in days and you can really feel it working. 8 minutes before your morning shower is nothing! So get crunching

Eat more protein

Protein fills you up and doesn’t make you bloat. Make sure you don’t go hungry: load up with eggs in the morning, salad and protein at lunch and in the evening keep on track with lots of veggies and more protein.

Eating Out

Tis the season to be jolly after all. When eating out with friends make wise choices. You can’t really go wrong with asian especially Japanese. Stay away from sugar loaded cocktails and stick to champagne and prosecco.

If you do drink a little too much…don’t succumb to the late night munch – drink a pint of water and get yourself to bed

HIIT

If you really want to look super strong, trim and lean – get those hiit sessions in. 3 times a week will really make the difference.

The Body Coach is my favourite. He is such an inspiration and really nice guy – so get in the know!

Sleep

Sleep, sleep and sleep as much as possible. When you’re properly rested you make better decisions. It also helps with recovery for muscle building and keeping your stress levels down.

If in doubt – go and have a nap

Wishing you all the fun in this festive period

Recipes

Clean Eating Salads for BBQ and Lunch Box – Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

The Summer is finally here… well kind of… but the sun is trying its hardest!

BBQ season and Salad season is prominent and finding those wonderful and tasty dishes to brighten up your lunch box when you are sat in class and your office!

(that’s me 😀 )

I have put together a collection of the salads I throw together when I have friends or family to visit. They are tasty, clean, delicious and even better the next day! This means you have lots to dip into to pair with your protein choices.

I have separated each dish to show ingredients, ease and whether you can transport it around…

So lets begin!

Quinoa, Pomegranate and Feta Salad

Ease: Medium
Transport: Tupperware
Goes with: Protein or Veggies
Storage: Fridge 2-4 days

Ingredients:

Quinoa (a bag)
Garlic (2-3 pieces)
Olive oil (glug)
Feta (half a packet)
Spinach (two hand fulls)
Pomegranate (a small pot or one whole pomegranate)
Red Onion (1 small onion)
Basil to garnish

Method:

Wash the quinoa thoroughly – this is very important as it is covered in saponins and some people are allergic to these and it changes the flavour – when rinsed a light foam will come off it. Once rinsed place in hot water with about a 1:3 Quinoa to Water ratio. At this point for extra flavour you can add a stock cube to the mix.

While the quinoa is cooking… chop the red onion into small squares, the garlic into small chunks and feta into sizeable pieces. When the quinoa is cooked – add the garlic and half of the red onion and a glug of olive oil. The heat from the quinoa should absorb the flavour of the garlic while slightly cooking it. Add half of the feta and stir through in a figure of 8. Again, this should allow the quinoa to take in the flavour and slightly melt the cheese.

Set aside to cool down. Once cool – fluff with a fork. Then add spinach, rest of feta and sprinkle with pomegranate. I usually set aside a little feta and pomegranate for the topping. Add a little black pepper and a swirl of olive oil – garnish with some basil – eh voila! Done and ready to go. Gluten- Free, Beautiful and Down Right Delicious.

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Today’s London: Kingsman at MR PORTER

Hosted by MR PORTER, Monday night welcomed me to view the bespoke collection from Ms Arianne Phillips’ costume design for Kingsman: The Secret Service at No.11 Savile Row

Kingsmen: The Secret Service is out beginning of this year. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

So when I had the opportunity to view the Gentlemen’s closet featured in this movie – well I jumped at the chance

As we walked into the store we were greeted with champagne and canapés. We began to peruse the beautiful and eloquent designs.

Surrounded by dashing suits, detailed pocket squares and bespoke accessories the atmosphere was exquisite. Topped off by being in the mix of some of London’s best dressed men, I was in style heaven!

The impressively intricate Bremont watches sat perfectly amongst Cutler and Gross glasses and Smythson Leather notebook. A quote from the movie embossed on the leather front “Manners Maketh Man” reminds you how delightfully British this new film is.

The atmosphere was sophisticated, suave and debonair.

The champagne continued to pour as more and more of the exquisite yet eccentrically dressed men of London poured through the door. We received rounds of beautifully made canapés including monk fish, fillet of beef and wild mushroom as we perused the room.

By the end of the evening we had put together our list of our favourites from the wardrobe and left with the buzz of excitement to view the wardrobe in the up-coming film.

BLUE VELVET SMOKING JACKET WITH SILK-GROSGRAIN SHAWL-COLLAR

http://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens/kingsman/blue-velvet-smoking-jacket-with-silk-grosgrain-shawl-collar/481172

GEORGE CLEVERLEY LEATHER LACE-UP BOOTS

http://www.mrporter.com/en-gb/mens/kingsman/george-cleverley-leather-lace-up-boots/483071

DRAKE’S PATTERNED WOVEN-SILK TIE

http://www.mrporter.com/mens/kingsman/drake-s-patterned-woven-silk-tie-/495282

If you get an opportunity to visit – I would highly recommend. In the mean time visit MR PORTER to view the full range. http://www.mrporter.com/mens/designers/kingsman

Pictures taken from MR PORTER site and Nicolas Dagnall

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Today’s Manchester: To Juice or not to Juice…

I have been trying to work out ways while I am away in Manchester to getting my 7-a-day of veggies and fruit. Fruit is sometimes easier to do as apples and bananas go so well raw – however trying to get in the green stuff can sometimes be hard.

In my first week I stumbled across The Fruit Exchange in Manchester. Opening in 2012 it is an independent Juice Bar in the heart of Manchester which cater for Juices, Smoothies, lunches and also detox juice packages.

When you get inside the interior is beautifully decorated – invites you in to all their healthy goodness.

When ordering you can choose your size, which juice (or other item you would like) and then their helpful staff juice it there in front of you. Their menu caters for dietary requirements if you are dairy free and list everything very clearly so no nasties are too be seen.

For those with a sweet tooth they also do frozen yoghurt and an array of “healthy” whole food cookies on the counter if you need something a little more jazzy that day.

My favourite is one of the top Green Juices: Wake up Call!

This consists of Spinach, Lime, Cucumber, Apple & Celery – a perfect wake up to a cold morning in Manchester. It is delicious, nutritious and has three veggies in to get those 7-a-day into your diet.

Would recommend a visit health family! x

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Today’s London – #RMBACARNIVAL Red bull and Notting Hill Carnival

It has been that time of the year when Carnival descends on the streets of West London bringing to life the streets with the beats, colours and tomfoolery of Carnival.

As a relative newbee to London this event is somewhat of a blend of absolute fear and entertainment at the same time. This year I tried something new…

I went to Grime Day

Yes ladies and gents – I went to Notting Hill Carnival on a Monday! Having said that is was to the Red Bull VIP event #rmbacarnival – therefore could be considered cheating!

As we headed to the event on the edge of Portobello Road – the remains of the previous days revelry could be seen throughout the streets as the revelers came back for round 2. In pure British Pride – the rain did not hold back these folk and I was going to stay true to myself and make it through the downpour.

Outfit Choice: Hunters, Jeans and Leather Jacket

Yes I know – Wellies at NOTTING HILL! What a fashion plunder – going against the grain of every rude girl to grace grimey monday! Well do you know what – they were needed! It was recorded as the wettest day on record for a Bank Holiday in August – so please forgive for the fashion faux pas.

The Music: Grime, Beats and Basement Jaxx

From the second we set first under the West Gate the room was alive with heavy beats of jungle, drum n bass, garage and the grime that really gets you moving. Sounds of various MC’s and DJs with a side order of some Carnival style dancing set the atmosphere alive.

(a little bit of audience participation – these girls were awesome)

Finished off with the Incredible Basement Jaxx

The Atmosphere: Free bar – all mixers were red bull – no tiredness in this joint

The bar men were having as much fun and provided added entertainment to the positive vibes of this wet Bank Holiday Monday.

Happy Carnival 2014

Recipes

Today’s Clean Meal – Frozen Buttons

Ahh we all have those days when we crave a sweet treat! When the sun is out and our appetite isn’t quite there. Well over the weekend a little advert came on with a guide to making Frozen Yoghurt Buttons – well I couldn’t resist

Ingredients:

Frozen Yoghurt (fruity flavours work best)

Strawberrys, blueberries or any other frui

Freezer!

You will need a baking tray and some parchment paper.

Once you have that choose which yoghurt you want and the fruit combo and make button sized shaped up the paper

Then select the fruit combos and place the fruit in the middle of the buttons. Leave some plain as these are wonderful to suck on 😀

Place in the freezer for about 15-20mins and voila – a tasty light and low calorie

Happy summer xxx

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Bombay Bicycle Club – Shoreditch House

Recipe for a perfect summer’s evening:

In a roof terrace, mix a couple of ice cold beers, with a dash on sunshine, sprinkle in a few synchronized swimmers, add a swimming pool and top with a Indie Rock band from Crouch End…

and VOILA – A beautiful moment in time is born with a beautiful set from the Bombay Bicycle Club…

Shoreditch house put on a wonderful show for its members by inviting us to a pool side show of the Bombay Bicycle Club. Sat among friends and other members sipping Ice Cold drinks by the poolside – Bombay Bicycle Club took to the stage.

Mixing guitar, synth, dancing and vocals that intertwined themselves between the last of the summer rays – people flocked to the poolside to dance, tap and clap to the set that ensued.

The tambourine was a shaking, people’s hand were clapping and my foot was tapping as the BBC took us through a set that eased you into the end of the weekend.

As the set drew to an end and our souls full of summer indie vibes the band invited out some special guests!

Welcome AQUABATIX LTD

The crowd went wild as the girls threw themselves in the air in pure synchronicity!

The splashes were high as the excitement grew!

Too add to all the show – the ladies had a little added extras as Jack Steadman stripped down to his smalls and dived in followed by a fully clothed Ed Nash

A great evening of ENTERTAINMENT!

Recipes

Juice Cleanse – Overview Day 2

6am Woke Up: I slept like a baby – really the best sleep I have had in a long time. I felt cosy, warm and naturally sleepy something which doesn’t come to me easily. Quite often I am a light sleeper and it takes me a while to get to bed. As I sat downstairs watching tv the night before my body was telling me its time for the land of nod…first 8 hours on a school night in a while!

6.45-7.45am Hot Yoga – The session was HOT again! The class was full and the poses and we were doing Yoga Flow which means not many breaks and vinyasa between each pose. I left 5 minutes before the end of the class as I was a tired and didn’t want to over exert myself

8.15 Shot of Ginger and Apple – Delicious and welcomed. The staff at yogahaven are so wonderful and warming that they really set me up for the day

9.30 Breakfast Smoothie: Glo Beet Smoothie: This is made of apple, carrot, beetroot, berries and flaxseed oil. This delicious smoothie (pictured) is one of my favourites – sweet and savoury and full of goodness. Flaxseed is a wonder food and is a great addition to the morning smoothie

Flaxseed oil also helps to:

Reduce the risk of cancer.
Aid in the growth of healthy hair and nails.
Promote healthy skin.
Reduce menopause symptoms.
Play a role in burning body fat.

1pm Brunch Juice: Parsnip Punch: This is made up of apple, pear, parsnip and lime. My colleague at work held up my brunch juice and I was starting to feel very weak. This juice was BROWN – looked foul but tasted wonderful. I let a couple of my colleagues try it as they couldn’t fathom that something so odd looking could be so nice.

3.30pm: Feeling the fuzz – losing concentration, lack of emotion and focus. I found myself feeling the need to smoke – which was weird as I haven’t been a smoker for your years. I am hoping that this may have been some toxicity making its way out of the body – otherwise I have no clue

4pm Lunch Juice: Green Goddess: Kale, cucumber, broccoli, basil, lime, apple and wheatgrass. This was delicious and again welcomed. The brunch and lunch smoothies really highlighted to me when I am most hungry and lack of concentration. From 2-4pm I really hit a wall – maybe I was meant to live in Spain and have a siesta! This was interesting as now I will focus on making sure I eat for energy in these times of day and be more pragmatic about getting up and having some water or going for a walk.

6.15pm – Electrolyte: Orange, Salt, Honey, Lemon and water – I went to meet my friends in Las Iguanas. I was met with the same interest, fascination, negativity and facts that come with most people when doing a juice cleanse. “they say its bad for you” “you haven’t eaten you have to eat” “what the hell are you drinking” “what do juice cleanses do” “So expensive for just juice why don’t you buy orange juice” but I know most of this is comes from knowing people too long that they want to tease with love. You must be strong when doing a juice as you will get people out of pure ignorance or jealousy try and bring you down

8.00pm SOS fruit: Pear: After carrying a big bag all day, working harder at work and long commute home I really felt I wanted my pear. It was juicy and took me a while to eat and filled me up. Delicious. I didn’t have my SOS the day before so I must have needed it.

9.00pm Dinner: Glo Beet Smoothie: This is made of apple, carrot, beetroot, berries and flaxseed oil – could barely drink it – wasn’t hungry – so drank half. I went upstairs and started getting ready for bed. 10pm I was in the land of nod

Day 2 – Was a lot harder than day 1. I was a bit tired, fuzzy and all over the place. I felt the detoxification was really coming. To challenge myself I put myself into situations where I would be tempted which helped me stay strong. I had to deal with more people on this day which was a struggle as sometimes my capacity to think properly was a bit a miss. By the end of the day though I was feeling great I felt proud of myself that I had stuck to something. I realised that my body doesn’t need the endless coffee, sugary crap and picking throughout the day. I lost a total of 2.5lbs and slept better than I have for years. I woke up on the third day wishing I could have done it for longer. Next time!

Thank you Glo! Really enjoyed it

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Today’s London – Oasis

Today is gonna be the day
That they’re gonna throw it back to you…

This week my friend Claire and I went to see an exhibition of rare photographs, artifacts and memorabilia of Oasis’ early years to mark the 20th anniversary of the band’s debut single ‘Supersonic’.

Titled Chasing the Sun: Oasis 1993–1997, the exhibition will opened at the the Londonewcastle Project Space in Shoreditch, London – the first exhibition of its kind dedicated directly to the band!

Curated by photographer Lawrence Watson, the exhibition documents many of the band’s now-legendary gigs, from Knebworth to Glastonbury to London’s 100 Club, as well as the creation of their albums ‘Definitely Maybe’, ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’ and ‘Be Here Now’. It featured previously unseen images from photographers Jill Furminovsky, Paul Slattery, Tom Sheehan, Kevin Cummins and Jamie Fry.

I’m sure you’ve heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt…

Hung from the walls were the bands guitars and music videos dancing around the white walls and we sneaked from room to room rolling around like hippies knee deep in mud in the Green Fields of Glasto!

Talking to the songbird yesterday
She flew me to a place not far away
She’s a little pilot in my mind
Singing songs of love to pass the time…

The exhibition is taking place to mark the reissue of the band’s 1994 debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’. They had a set which the exhibition had created in order for us all to re-live the albumn cover – I went straight back to my rock’n’roll days whereas Claire was poised at the ready (I think she may have done this before…)

Claire and I – delighted from reminiscent memories of Wonderwall and the golden years of Oasis – giggled from room to room as we photo-bombed the videos dreaming of witnessing the band re-unite or at least get on long enough to hold a series of gigs – we will hold off thinking they will be the Glastonbury headliner!

Ducking and weaving, dancing and singing – this small yet wonderful exhibition really captured the band in their best years – re-kindling our love and well…making sure we went home that evening and listened to the whole discography!

We took a 5 minute break from the British Rock sensation to slip into Shoreditch house to use the services and stock up on sweets — oh and of course a Photo Booth opportunity.

These little treats that London provide really do make me appreciate living in such a great city and proud to come from a country that created the reprobates that made up the one and only Oasis

Maybe youre the same as me, we’ll see things they’ll never see, you and I are gonna live forever…

Balance

Today’s London – Women and Whisky

Women and whiskey… you must be wondering what I mean? Well let me explain.

I was invited to a very special event last night hosted at The Soho Whisky Club an elegant members’ bar tucked above The Vintage House in the heart of London’s Soho. It has over 400 whiskies from around the world on offer, many of which are rare and no longer commercially available.

The night was an intimate whisky tasting for women lead by whisky expert and ‘spirit guide’, Zoe Toolan in the surrounds of the usually members-only club.

The tasting involved a brief introduction to whisky, followed by tasting six whiskies from a varied selection of single malt and blended whiskies, including: Chivas Regal 25; Ballantine’s 17; The Glenlivet 21; and Royal Salute 21.

The night’s theme was to embrace new research showing that women drink whisky and the host created nights, where whiskies are available to taste in an informal environment with other like-minded women.

At the beginning of the night we were welcomed in and greeted with beautiful canape’s – Carpaccio Beef, Beetroot and Feta and Smoked Salmon. My friend who came with me, Katherine, and I lined our stomach with a few of these tasters and made our way to our table. Whisky on an empty stomach was definitely a no no

The informal nature of the evening meant that we were on a table with two other girls, Fran and Katie, who joined us in our Whisky tasting experience. Fortunately we had picked our table well, as I noticed around the room there were a few ladies who knew a thing about Whisky (a subject I knew little about), as all of us were newbies to the world of Whisky – bar it being something we nicked from our parents drinks cabinets…

We started with a viewing of some adverts for Whisky, which clearly are aimed at men, to encourage us to think about Whisky marketing tactics. So far any woman who featured in these videos was either ridiculously sexy, male pleasing, creatures of the night or class A bitches. Zoe explained that many Whisky companies are missing this gap in the whisky market as up to a third of customers are women.

Next – the fun bit – the tasting!

First off – The Glass – Glencairn Glass – this little short and portley allows one to appreciate the colour of the whisky. Introduced in 2001 this little glass is now The Official Whisky Glass…

Whisky number 1: Chivas Regal 25 – soft, caramel on the eyes, a blend that was created in 1909 that boomed in New York pre prohibition. First Whisky down feeling like a pro – but yet to taste something different than just Whisky

Whisky number 2: Royal Salute 21 – Elegant, soft and quite exciting on the tongue – and this little beauty comes in a ruby flagon. I liked this one more than the first and started to notice the difference between the former and the latter. Not quite at the same standard as some of the ladies around the room who were picking up notes I was unaware were in whisky. The journey continues…

Whisky number 3: Long Morn 16 – Rich, warm and had an “umph” to it. As the tasting continued and the mood turned quite jovial and relaxed due to the ensuing tipsiness from the whisky – my note taking became minimal – therefore I apologise for 4,5,6

The next three whisky’s were paired with food – this little turn of events pricked my attention – as a huge fan of Cheese and Wine nights – a whisky night is quite a novel idea.

Whisky Number 4: Ballantine’s 17 served with a slice of juicy pineapple. At 55.5% the standard had been set for the next two whiskys. For those of you who are fans of the Hawaiian pizza – this one is for you.

Whisky Number 5: The Glenlivet 21 – served with salami and olives – match made in heaven. The smokiness of the whisky with the meat created a sneaky little foxtrot on the taste-buds as it made its way down

Whisky Number 6: This whisky – the Aberlour A’Bunadh coming in at 60.2% this little number was served with a chocolate cornflake biscuit treat – delicious – my favourite and ended up coming home with me!

A little giggly and filled with the spirits of the evening (both alcoholic and emotionally); Katherine and I sauntered off into Soho for dinner accompanied by our new fellow Whisky connoisseurs, Katie and Fran, to continue what turned out to be quite a wonderful evening

A thank you to the Soho Whisky House, Zoe and also my friends at Campbell-Bell for putting together such a perfect evening www.campbell-bell.com

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