Matcha, cranberry, sea-salt bark (posh choccy gifts)

'Tis the season to be jolly and eat fancy chocs so here's a really easy 'recipe'. I say that in inverted commas because it's more a case of melting some chocolate and doing some fancy swirling and then decorating. BUT it means you can create your bark in any flavour you like and make it look really pretty. It's such a lovely gift and means you can also get creative with your wrapping.

I made these in less than 30 minutes and it certainly beats Thorntons of Hotel Chocolat for Secret Santa gifts.

Ingredients:

200g bar of dark choc
85g bar of white choc
1 tsp matcha green tea powder
40g dried cranberries
50g flaked coconut
Pinch of sea salt

Method:

Using two bain-marie (a saucepan of simmering water with a heat-proof bowl inside), melt the white chocolate in one bowl and the dark chocolate in another. When melted, add the matcha tea powder to the white chocolate and stir well (I used a mini whisk to avoid any powdery clumps). Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper on a large chopping board or baking tray (that will fit in your fridge) and pour the dark chocolate into a thinnish layer (if you want to make the bark more chunky then keep it around 0.5cm thick). Then pour the white (now green) chocolate on top and using a tooth pick or sharp knife make pretty swirls. Sprinkle the cranberries, coconut and sea salt on top and then refrigerate for an hour or so until hard.
When set, break up into shards or squares. Wrap in clear gift wrap and decorate with anything seasonal!

You can use any type of chocolate and any flavours. Next up for me is orange zest and crystallised ginger, and then maybe a peanut butter white choc swirl!

A day in the life on a Pilates retreat!

This year will be the fifth year that I'll be returning to the beautiful island of Mallorca to run my Pilates and nutrition retreats. Each time I come back I fall in love a little more with the island. As a teenager I’d had family holidays to the Balearics but it wasn’t until I returned for my first retreat to Deia with Bloom Retreats that I truly appreciated how special a place it really is. 

Deia, now famous for being the location for filming of the Night Manager is a stunning artists’ village, a world away from hectic city life. Everyone notices this special, tranquility almost immediately. 

What does a typical day involve? 

8.30am

Wake up and have a cuppa and a snack (yes we serve real tea and real coffee - I'm a big advocate of balance and enjoyment so there are no strict rules on what you can and can’t have on our retreats!). 

8.45am

Make our way to our beautiful Pilates spot outside by the pool or in the holistic garden. The temperature is usually perfect at this time in the morning and we do our Pilates class listening to the sounds of cockerels, donkeys and cicadas. 

The first Pilates class of the day is a chance to energise, stretch and get ready for the day - whether that is a day of lounging by the pool or a day hiking in the nearby mountain range. Either way, you take it at your own pace. 

10am 

After class we’ve all worked up an appetite so we go straight to brunch, which has been prepared by the amazing Monika.  This typically consists of local fruit, goats cheese, avocado, grilled tomatoes, my homemade granola and a selection of local breads. 

11am 

There are optional activities during the day - one of my favourites being a walk over the mountains to a gorgeous port called Soller. We stop for fresh orange juice on the way at a stunning rest point and once we get to Soller we have a picnic on the beach (or some people prefer to choose some local tapas). 

3pm 

In the afternoon those who want to can hire paddle boards in the sheltered bay of Soller - it’s the perfect place to try paddle boarding for those who haven't before.

Once we get home at around 6 everyone is usually pretty exhausted so we have a gentle stretch and relax before another delicious dinner cooked by our incredible professional holistic chef Nicola (www.nourishbynicola.com) 

Ruth’s retreats in Deia runs will be from the 18th - 24th May (6 nights) and the 1st - 7th October (6 nights).  Prices start at £875 for a shared room. For more information please visit www.ruthtongue.com or email ruth@ruthtongue.com

Pumpkin pie smoothie bowl

As you can see from previous blog posts I'm a little obsessed with pumpkin pie - I think it's the mix of the spicy, creamy and sweet that gets all my taste buds tingling.

Now obviously we can't have pumpkin pie for breakfast (well, not every day anyway) so as I had some Libby's pumpkin cans in my cupboard I thought I'd experiment with a pumpkin pie smoothie bowl. And it was so good. And quick. It's definitely going to be the bridge between my summer smoothies and wintery porridge bowls.

Ingredients:

100g tinned pumpkin (1/4 of a can)
300ml almond milk (or any other milk of choice)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
sprinkling of ground ginger
a drop of vanilla essence
1 tbsp chia seeds (this makes it nice and thick and more smoothie bowl than smoothie)
1/4 scoop of chocolate protein powder (I just used this for the sweetener but you could use 1/2 tsp of stevia or add more protein powder for a bigger protein boost)
Cacao nibs and dessicated coconut to sprinkle on top

Blitz all the ingredients in a nutri-bullet or high powered blender for around 30 seconds.

Pilates in the Wilderness

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be invited back to teach Pilates at Wilderness festival and what a weekend it was!

Outfit by LuLu Lemon

I'd been up-graded to the big top and pitched as a 'master class' so nerves were a little higher than usual - especially when I arrived and saw that both classes were sold out. But once I got into the beautiful Sanctuary yurt where I'd be teaching I knew that it was going to be FUN!

Friday afternoon's class was an energising core strengthener to get everyone ready for the weekend but by the Saturday's class I focused more on those stretches needed when you've been sleeping in a tent for two nights (lots of spine twists and neck releases!).

My favourite part of teaching was seeing such a range of people - from mums and daughters, to couples, to hen do's and people just turning up for a lie down!

Other highlights from the weekend were a SUP yoga class with Rosie Markwick on the lake, a Rocket yoga class with the brilliant Marcus Veda and of course loads of dancing with my girls. Oh and how could I forget? The salted caramel espresso martini from the Lavazza tent was to die for.

Glitter courtesy of the Mermaid Cave

Outfit courtesy of Jilla Active

Recovery time with sis

Worst part of camping - glamping next year!

Raw vegan cacao tart

Ingredients:

For the base

200g almonds

5 medjool dates (destoned)

150ml coconut oil (melted)

50g dessicated coconut

For the topping

250g unsalted cashew nuts

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 cup agave syrup

150ml coconut oil

50ml water

Method:

Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for an hour. You can use them unsoaked but it gives a much smoother texture if you can soak them first. 

In the meantime make the base. Blitz the almonds in a high powered food processor and then add the dates, coconut oil and dessicated coconut. Blend until well combined. 

Press into a non-stick springform cake tin and put in the freezer while you make the topping. 

When the cashews have finished soaking, drain and rinse and then put in your food processor with the rest of the topping ingredients. Blitz until really smooth. NB if you're still left with a grainy texture you can finish off in a Nutri Bullet or Nutri Ninja to get a really creamy consistency. 

Pour the mixture over the base and put in the fridge to cool for at least an hour or until ready to serve.

Running your 1st marathon? My tips for the final countdown

The butterflies and paranoia may be starting to set in - and if you live in SE London like me, the sight of the marathon barriers being set out is enough to spark off a mixture of excitement, apprehension and perhaps feeling a little bit sick.  But do not panic.

Here are my top tips for making sure you not only get round but also enjoy your big day (yes, it is a little like wedding prep, or so I've heard).

1. Sleep like a bear. 
This is the week to sleep like you've never slept before.
Cancel any late night social things, leave work on time and tell your other half to sleep in the spare room (ok that might be a bit extreme but you get my jist). Starting a marathon sleep deprived is like starting it carb-depleted or drunk. Sleep will help you to keep your immunity and energy high and any last minute nerves at bay.

2. Carb load from Thursday 
Contrary to popular belief you don't need to be eating three pizzas washed down with cookie dough ice cream every night this week. But it is important to up your carbs from Thursday onwards. Choose simple easy to digest carbs like pasta, rice, bread and other cereals. Avoid high fat, spicy, high fibre or high protein foods (particularly the day before and day of the race). This means not too much fruit, veg, nuts and whole grains, not too much meat and not too much full fat dairy or junk food. You'll thank me for it when you're not looking for a portaloo at mile 4!

3. Prep your kit and practice in it
It still baffles me how many bleeding nipples you see on marathon day. Cheap vests plus running and sweat  = chafing! The same goes for short shorts, new running belts, and fancy dress.
Make sure you've done at least one medium to long run in your kit and if not then apply vaseline everywhere (and I mean everywhere!)

4. Don't try anything new on race day
It may sound obvious but I still have people asking me 'what should I eat on Sunday before I run?' My answer at this point will always be 'whatever you've eaten before your last long training runs'. Now is definitely not the time to try porridge if you're a toast person, or bagels if you're a cereal person. The same goes for energy gels, lucozade and sports bars. If you've not been using energy gels up until now and decide to experiment with them on Sunday you'll be heading straight for the loos.

5. Drink but listen to your body - pay attention to this bit, it's pretty important!

There will be water every mile and Lucozade stations every five miles, but this does not mean you need to drink at every station. Listen to your body and drink regularly but don't over-do it. A good rule of thumb is to have 500ml (a typical sized water bottle) of liquid every hour. If you're using lucozades or other isotonic sports drinks (gatorade etc) this could be a Lucozade every hour, or a sports gel plus 500ml of water. You do NOT need 500ml of Lucozade PLUS 500ml of water every hour. This could lead to over dilution of the body which is actually more dangerous than dehydration.
Plan your drinks schedule (it may sound OCD but it's got me through three marathons mentally and physically). So plan at which mile or minute you're going to have your sports drink or energy gel plus water and stick to it. If it's really warm and you're sweating more than usual you'll need a little more liquid and if it's really cool and you're sweating less you'll need a little less.
Often the temptation if it's hot and you're over-heating is to drink drink drink, yes you need to stay hydrate but it's important to cool off - so make use of the showers en route and choose any side of the road in the shade whenever possible.

6. Wear suncream. Really. 

Especially on your lips. That is all.

7. Layer up. 

It always takes a while to get out of Greenwich Park (up to 45 minutes sometimes!) and you'll probably be a bit nervous and it's early. So wear layers that you don't mind throwing away once you start running. Black bags, old t-shirts and tracky bums.

8. Get your name printed on your t-shirt

Sounds obvious but it makes such a difference when you're struggling to hear someone/10 000 people cheering your name! You can get it printed at the Marathon expo if you haven't already.

9. Know where your friends and family will be

If you've got people coming to watch you don't tell them to go to Tower Bridge or the Mall as the chances are they'll miss you and you'll miss them. Quieter spots where you'll be more likely to see each other are Deptford (just past Greenwich at about mile 7), Rotherhithe (boring as.. and you'll need the support) and Miles 21-23 along the Embankment (this is where you'll need the support the most).

10. Resist the headphones

If you've trained with music you might think you couldn't possibly run without your playlist but try to resist - the crowds in London are the best in the world (not biased at all!), you've got bands, DJs, all-day drinkers, AND you'll probably get chatting to your fellow runners (singletons, it beats Tinder for meeting people ;-)).

WHEN YOU'VE MADE IT (sorry for all the shouty caps, but it's REALLY very exciting). 

11. You've just run 26.2 miles (the point two miles is crucial) and you just want to collapse on the finish line - but try not to stop too abruptly. Your poor heart has been pumping and working like a machine for the past four plus hours (2.5 if you're Mo) and it needs to unwind slowly. Keep walking for a little while as this will give your heart and rest of your muscles time to recover without going into shock.

12. Drink, eat, drink and eat

Now is the time to enjoy pretty much whatever food you like - you've earnt it. Even if you're feeling a bit nauseous which is likely have something to eat as soon as you can. Make sure you've packed something you know you'll like in your kit bag - the chances are after all the gels, lucozades and jelly babies you'll be craving something savoury and won't want to see another packet of haribo for a while.

13. Book a massage. 

If you can book in for a sports massage the night of or the day after the race. This will help to reduce inflammation and boost recovery.

14.  Rest up. 

Some experts suggest resting one day for every mile you run in the marathon, so 26 days of no hard running or racing! Use this time as a chance to take some gentle exercise like swimming or gentle yoga or Pilates - or simply put your feet up for a week or so.

And finally enjoy every moment - the whole of London is with you and rooting for you. x

Why Rojo needed that banana mid-match!

It was no laughing matter according to Jose Mourinho, but many people were surprised and slightly amused to see Manchester Utd defender Marcos Rojo asking for a banana mid-second half during last week's 1-0 win against Russian side Rostov.

The naturally healthy choice? 

But I agree with Mourinho that fuelling the body efficiently during a physically and mentally intense 90 minutes is not a laughing matter - in fact, it's essential. Not only for staving off muscular cramps, but also for keeping energy, focus and concentration high, as well as ensuring recovery is optimum in time for the next big match (less than 72 hours later in this case).



Banana vs energy drink  

Perhaps it would've been less strange to see Rojo swigging on a bottle of Lucozade sport 75 minutes in - but is a banana the healthier and more effective fuel? Let's take a look...

	Banana	500ml Lucozade Sport
Calories (energy)	100 approx	140
Sugars	14.4 (3.5 tsp)	18g (4.5 tsp)
Fibre	3.1g	0g
Protein	1.3g	0g
Sodium	1mg	250mg
Potassium	358mg	0g

So the main differences are the fibre content (a banana has three times the fibre of Lucozade) and the potassium and sodium content. 

Potassium and sodium are both needed for keeping electrolytes balance in the body - and when we sweat, we lose both potassium and sodium. Imbalances in electrolytes can lead to muscular cramps, fatigue, light headedness, poor concentration and in more severe cases vomiting and diarrhoea. 

When exercising, particularly for any length of time it's not enough simply to replace fluid - salts are needed too to keep the electrolytes in the body in balance. 

Timing is key

Cramps

As we can see in the table, bananas are a good source of potassium - which may help to prevent muscular cramps, and also a source of carbohydrate. So far so good. But how long does it take for the potassium in the banana to get into the bloodstream? 

Unfortunately, the science says that it takes 30-60 minutes for the potassium from a banana to raise blood levels, and even with two bananas, this increase is marginal - so the chances are, if you have a banana 75 minutes into a match it would be too late in the game (literally) for benefits to be seen. 

As a half-time snack however, it may just be early enough to prevent cramps towards the end of a match, although as the rise in potassium is slight, these effects will still be minimal. 

Energy

We know that muscles only store enough energy to fuel around 60 minutes of intense exercise, so any time after 60minutes, footballers need to top up with something containing sugar. 

However, different types of sugars are absorbed and used at different speeds - fruit sugar (fructose) is used more slowly than glucose or sucrose, meaning it'll take longer to notice effects on energy. 

As a banana only has around 14g of sugar and almost half of this sugar is fructose, this won't have a huge effect on energy levels. In addition to this, the fibre in the banana also slows the release of the sugar into the blood and may also cause gastric discomfort. 

Uh-oh, so Rojo's 'healthy' choice of the banana is now looking less and less like the optimum choice for this athlete at this stage in the game. 

All in the mind

But there is hope! The psychological effect of having an energy 'booster' can also be significant. We know from studies using placebos that this can have a big impact on performance. And as a bonus - Rojo may also benefit from better tooth health by choosing the fruit over the sports drink (perhaps not top of his priorities but given that 4/10 premier league footballers have ongoing tooth decay, and a huge 8/10 have gum disease it's a concern). 

Recovery

Although the banana may not lead to huge benefits in energy, may not reduce muscle cramps at this late stage, and may even cause gastric upset due to the fibre content, the saving grace may come by way of the effect on recovery. We know that the less depleted the body is of carbohydrate during exercise, the quicker the muscle recovery, the higher the stores of carbohydrate for the next exercise session, and the smaller the effects on the immune system that intense exercise will have - all of which are crucial during packed premier league schedules. 

The verdict

The banana is better than nothing but probably is too little too late at 75 minutes. A better choice would be a sports drink at half time, topped up throughout the second half. And a high carb plus protein drink or snack immediately post-match. 

Chickpea-free hummus!

So this recipe was one of those lucky mistakes that I often make when experimenting in the kitchen! I was trying to make a tahini dressing for an aubergine salad bowl but when I didn't add enough lemon juice and water I came up with this AMAZINGly creamy hummus-like dip. I honestly couldn't get enough of it. I fear I now may have it every day for the next two weeks until I OD.

It's so simple and quick to make and you can make a big batch and keep in the fridge for a few days (yeh right ;-)).

Creamy as anything

Ingredients: Serves 1-2

2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed puree)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves of roast or marinated garlic (I used Cypressa chilli Sicilian style) - if using raw, use 1/2 clove
Splash of olive oil (I used the chilli oil from the jar of garlic)
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional!)
1 tbsp miso paste
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup of hot water (more if you want to make it more of a salad dressing vs a dip)

Method:

Blitz everything in your food processor/blender until smooth!

Golden latte - for all your aches and pains!

Lots of you will have heard me raving about the benefits of turmeric recently - from reducing tooth ache, helping with joint inflammation and even helping with depression.
But aside from eating tons of curries, it can be tricky to get turmeric in your diet. So why not try this delicious alternative to your cappucino? As this drink doesn't contain caffeine, it's a perfect pre-bed calmer.

Ingredients:

1/2 inch fresh turmeric, peeled (or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric though the flavour won't be as mellow)
Pinch of black pepper (helps with the absorption of turmeric)
1 tsp coconut oil
200ml your favourite milk (I like almond or oat)
Sprinkle of cinnamon, nutmeg or any other spices you like
1 tsp honey or other sweetener

Method:

In a blender, blitz the turmeric, spices and milk until smooth. In a small pan, heat the coconut oil and add the milk mixture. Warm over a gentle heat and then serve with a tsp of honey or sweeten to taste.

Retreat recipes - vegan energy balls

There's no need to fork out on expensive healthy vegan snacks when you can whip some up in minutes. The best bit about these nutritious protein balls is that you can substitute any of the ingredients for whatever you find in your cupboard or supermarket (within reason of course). One of our attendees suggested adding rum to the cacao balls, not a bad shout!

We made ours using the amazing Vitamix  but you can use any high powered food processor or blender.

Most of these will keep in the fridge for around a week, or can be frozen.





Simple apricot coconut balls

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of soft dried apricots (or if using the harder ones, soak in a little boiling water for around an hour before to plump up!)

½ cup desiccated coconut

An additional ¼ cup of desiccated coconut

Juice of 1/2 a lemon (optional)

Blend the apricots and 1/2 cup of coconut in a food processor, until they are combined and smooth in texture. You may need to add a little extra water.

Place the additional ¼ cup of coconut onto a tray or large plate.

Roll the apricot mixture into balls (about a heaped teaspoon per ball). Place the balls onto the tray where you put the additional coconut. Roll the balls until they’re all covered in coconut. Serve straight away or place the apricot balls into an air tight container and refrigerate.


Lime and matcha bites 

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted cashews

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

Juice and zest of 2 limes

2 tablespoons syrup (malt, honey, coconut)

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (optional)


Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Roll into small balls and place on aluminium foil on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until set and keep refrigerated until ready to eat. You can roll in extra desiccated coconut to finish.

Apple pie bites

Ingredients

1 cup pecans or walnuts

1 cup dried unsweetened apple rings (or 2 fresh apples, decored and quartered)

¾ cup pitted dates

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

pinch of himalayan salt

1/2 tsp ginger


If using fresh apple, blitz in the food processor and place between a few sheets of kitchen roll to absorb the excess moisture. Break the nuts down in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Roll into balls. Refrigerate.

Raw cacao coffee truffles

Ingredients

1 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 15 whole dates)

½ cup almonds or other nuts

¼ cup raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder if you can’t find raw)

2 tablespoons ground coffee

1 tablespoon chia seeds or other seeds (optional)

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla essence


Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are in very small pieces and the mixture holds together when squeezed. Using wet hands, form into twelve 1-inch balls.