Healthy choccie bites

I had the Sunday chocolate munchies and (luckily) didn't have a huge bar of Dairy Milk in the cupboard. So instead I rustled up these delicious and virtuous snacks - in less than 5 minutes. Craving satisfied!

Ingredients: Makes 10-12

 6-8 pitted dates, chopped
2 tbsp raw cacao powder (less if you like less of a chocolate hit)
2 tbsp ground almond
2 tbsp mixed seeds
1 tbsp shredded coconut
Sprinkle of himalayan salt
Sprinkle of chilli flakes (optional)

Pop all of the ingredients in a food processor, blitz&roll into balls.  Refrigerate and then enjoy!


#raw #cleaneating #noaddedsugar #dairyfree #glutenfree #vegan

Retreat recipes

As requested here are a couple of the recipes from my one-day retreat in Mougins with the lovely Noona Ayres of www.revitalize.fr

Watch out for more collaborations coming soon!

Chilled pea and mint soup - Makes around 8 servings
500g frozen petis pois
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
3-4 spring onions, sliced
1 litre vegetable stock
handful of fresh mint
Juice of half a lemon
3/4 cucumber (peeled and chopped) - optional but gives it a lovely refreshing flavour
Black pepper

Lightly saute the garlic and spring onions in the oil/butter for around 5 minutes until softened. Then add the peas and allow to defrost, stirring regularly. Add the stock, lemon juice and cucumber if using and cook for around 10-12 minutes over a low heat. Leave to cool and stir in the fresh mint. Blend well until very smooth. Chill and serve.

Quinoa, feta and watermelon salad
Allow around 50g dry weight quinoa per person
1/4- 1/2 watermelon depending on number of servings required
Vegetable stock
1 packet of feta
Fresh mint or parsley
Lemon juice
Toasted pumpkin seeds

Cook quinoa in vegetable stock for around 10-12 minutes. Leave to cool, draining any excess liquid. Cut watermelon into chunks and remover as many seeds as possible. Cut feta into small chunks. Mix quinoa, watermelon, feta and mint and add lemon juice to taste. Drizzle with a little olive oil or oil of choice. and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds. Easy as pie.

We did it! Paris Marathon 2014 done.

4hrs 25 minutes and a lot of pain but we did it!

PLEASE stop me if I decide to sign up for another one (in the next year at least!). Not that I didn't love the experience, but you do forget quite what a commitment, stress and physical strain it is - it's not until it's all over and you feel the huge weight lifted from your shoulders that you realise quite what a big impact it has on you, mentally and physically.

If you're running the London marathon next weekend here are a few final tips that I was reminded of this weekend:

1. Try your FULL kit on way in advance - I only got to try my charity vest on the night before the race and realised that it was HUGE so had to customise it using safety pins to prevent chafing. Not the sort of stress you need the night before.

2. Know exactly what time and where you're starting from/where bag drops are etc so you don't have to walk extra miles on the day.

3. Don't always trust to weather forecast - be prepared for all weather. We were forecast for rain and had hot sunshine - pack sunscreen and stuff to keep you dry in case you have to wait in the rain at the start.

4. Keeping cool saved me during the race - the fireman's hoses (oi oi) and the buckets of water were a god send. Make use of the water sprinklers around the course, even if you don't feel that hot it will help to reduce your body temperature and stop you overheating.

5. Have some back up supplies with your supporters in case you lose gels/need extra - Jo's gels fell out en route so having our support team with extra at mile 8 was essential.

6. As always, with the water stations don't panic and go to the first table! You'll just get caught up in a crowd of runners and probably bump into at least one other runner - run to the end of the table where it's much calmer!

7. If you're struggling, don't panic - slow your pace, stop and walk for a few hundred metres and remind yourself that every run has ups and downs.

8. If you're not going to a record time, speak to other runners - it's a great way to make the miles pass and you'll meet all sorts of people (!!).

9. Don't panic if you don't see your supporters where they said they'd be! It doesn't always go to plan on their marathon day either - and the last thing you need is to be stressing about where they're going to be.

10. Pack some really warm and comfy clothes to put on as soon as you've finished - there's nothing nicer than putting on your favourite hoody and some warm trackies when you've finished. 

Quinoa and bulgur tabbouleh

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in the Times magazine - thank you the Times! It was a hit a my recent Pilates and yoga retreat, and is a piece of cake to make. Learning to love vegan!

Ingredients:(makes about 8 servings)
225g mixed quinoa and bulghur wheat (dry weight) or use one or the other
1/2 reduced salt vegetable stock cube
400ml boiling water
large handful fresh parsley
large handful fresh mint
3 spring onions, finely chopped
50g dried cranberries (or raisins)
2 medium carrots, grated or shredded
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Dressing:
Juice of one lemon
50ml sesame or olive oil
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper
1. Rinse quinoa and then place in large pan, cover with boiling water and add veg stock cube. Reduce to low heat, cover and cook for around 12-15 minutes, until tender (adding more water if needed).
2. Make dressing by mixing oil, honey, lemon and seasoning.
3. Add remaining ingredients to quinoa and pour over dressing. Ta da!

Why running will never be glamorous

Girls, what you are about to read is not intended to put you off running - in fact it's meant to do the opposite. To make you feel confident that you're not on your own in being, let's face it, un-ladylike, un-'hot' and sometimes downright minging when you're running.

But it's OK.

We don't need to be ladylike, or glamorous, or 'hot' all the time, or even some of the time.

Guaranteed she's not just run 15 miles

We're normal and there are other more important things in life - like not dying at the age of fifty from a stroke, or getting depression, or having a giant fatty liver.

Here's why running will never be glamorous (and it's OK):

1. The kit - unless you're planning a quick 20 minutes around the block you won't be able to run without some sort of lycra/polyester/non-sweat ensemble. Typically capri pants or leggings make my legs look like sausages, sports bras tend to make me look like a 12yr old boy, or Madonna - neither being a great look, and add a 'reflective' neon waterproof to a fuscia face and it's game over in the style stakes.

2. Phlegm - yes, phlegm as in snot. Now I HATE spitting with a passion, but sometimes and just sometimes hacking it back and getting it out of your system (mouth or nostrils being optimal outlets) is the only option. NB. Try to save this for when there are no fellow runners or pedestrians in near vicinity. And you need to really go for it - half hearted efforts can lead to mortifying consequences (speaking from experience) ;-)

 

How we actually look when we run

3. Sweat - apparently some people believe that women 'perspire' not sweat. Well yes maybe if you're strolling along the prom, but not if you're seriously training. There's a reason French women don't run.
My favourite type of sweat is that white stuff that coats your face so not only are you red, stinking and knackered but you also have a nice white crust on your boat, mmm lovely. 

4. The runner's 'GI disturbances' - Paula Radcliffe. Enough said.

5. The runner's screw face - I usually put this on when someone decides to 'beep' me from a car (I'm not running to be beeped or hollered at. Just ignoring me and letting me get on with it is absolutely fine).

6. The drinking/swallowing gels whilst running thing - again, no glamorous way to do it, dribbles, splutters all part of the challenge.

7. Runner's feet - blistered, swollen, sometimes with black toenails. If you want to be looking good in flip flops I'd recommend being a winter runner.

8. Chafing - luckily we don't tend to get the nipple chafing (ouch) that's often seen on men wearing white polyester vests tops during a marathon. But there is all sorts of unexpected chafing that can appear.  Note to self, don't plan any major skin exposure in the week or two after a long run (unless of course you've 'vassed' up).

9. Runner's acne - yep you train for a marathon and suddenly you have the skin of a teenager.

But hey.

Remember, it's OK.

We don't run to look glamorous do we? 

What do you do when you NEED a chocolate hit? Make a 3 minute cake.

You know what it's like, you've had dinner and you just really really fancy something sweet. Well this happened to me tonight and I had nothing in my cupboards, or did I?

Raw cocoa powder, ground almonds, eggs, honey - hang on a minute...I feel a microwave mug cake coming on. I had not suspected it would turn out this well though! AND it seriously took me less than 5 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp raw cocoa powder
2 tbsp ground almonds
1 egg
1 tbsp honey (or rice syrup)
1 tbsp fromage blanc/thick natural yogurt
2 tbsp milk (if you're dairy free you could swap the yogurt and milk for soya cream or coconut cream)

Mix all the ingredients in a mug (don't worry if there are a few lumps). Microwave on full power for 1min 40 secs - this keeps it nice and gooey!

The bad thing about microwave cakes is that they don't keep - so you just have to eat it all in one go. Enjoy.

If it makes me run further...

Beetroot juice has been shown to increase stamina in athletes so I'm going to try it out (with an added anti-inflammatory boost of ginger). Try this beetroot and ginger shot every day and see if it boosts your performance.

Ingredients:
One large raw beetroot
1/2 inch ginger, peeled
Squeeze of lemon

Juice the beetroot and ginger and then add a splash of water and lemon juice. Stir and enjoy!

A shot of stamina