A general rant...

We all have things that motivate and inspire us but making sure you are aspiring to be a better you is most important. 

I love Instagram and Snapchat for the amount of women I follow who have overcome amazing obstacles and who share valuable advice many of which I can relate to but majority of which I can’t. 

Yes I went to dance college and felt the pressures of being ‘skinny’ but however restricted my diets were in the past I’m happy to say I never had an eating disorder or felt depressed because I was living off egg whites and raw spinach. I also don’t have a desire to build my booty like some of the girls I follow although I find them very impressive!

My fitness goals are very simple - be fitter, stronger, happier and live longer. My nutrition goals are also very simple - I don’t measure or weigh food as I have an intelligent understanding of what my body needs and what I need to fuel it and also keep my soul happy. 

I love exercise but there are days when all I want is a yin yoga class and lie with my legs in the air for 10 minutes and there are days when all I want is to prop my feet on a pillow and my only exercise is the resistance of eating a whole packet of biscuits - some days I fail miserably. 

Balance is so important and although I’d love to tell you all I eat a completely clean diet and work out every day - that’s not the truth. And although Instagram can fool people into believing that the women they follow spend their life spinning from one studio to the next, taste testing juice bars 3 times a day and promoting activewear lines - they’re probably working reeeally hard on the side lines which we just don’t see. 

Big up the ladies and gents with goals that might not be the same as yours, encourage those who are documenting their progress on social media because it helps them stay on track. Celebrate peoples honesty when they have a cheat meal/day and send a virtual high five to the guys ‘n’ gals living on chicken and brown rice diets to get competition ready.

Find something to motivate you or someone to inspire you and see how you can use their achievements, set backs, goals, experiences to further your personal gains.

Don’t copy. Be the amazing, unique individual you are. 

Rant over.

xxx

Interview with Léa Barbier - Yoga Benefits Everyone

I've been practicing yoga for a few years now and recommend it to my clients, friends and family although quite often I'm met with skepticism and a pessimistic attitude towards this 10,000 year old practice. 

Since January I've been going to yoga on a Sunday evening taught by the lovely Léa Barbier. Her Level 1 class at 5.30pm at The Power Yoga Company is the perfect way to end the week and her soothing voice helps you get through those trikonasanas just a little bit easier!

And so I thought where I've previously failed, Léa might be able to give you all a better understanding of why you should all get your 'OM' on ;)

So Léa, tell us a bit about yourself...

I'm from Paris - born and raised. I've been in London for almost three years. It's flown by!

leasana.com

How did you get into yoga/how long have you been teaching?

I discovered yoga in Paris but really got into it when I moved to London. There are so many different studios and styles here. We're spoilt for choice! With practice, yoga becomes a safe place where you can completely switch off. It's addictive. When The Power Yoga Company, my local studio at the time, advertised their teacher training, I thought "well, why not?". I taught my first class in 2014 and quit my full time job shortly after. 

What are the benefits of practicing yoga?

There are so many! Yoga is a great way to escape and "zone out". With practice, you become stronger, calmer and more balanced - both mentally and physically. 

It's also a good complement to other sports. 

Yoga seems to be on the rise but what do you say to those who stereotype yoga as being "boring"?

Try it out! Not all styles of yoga are "just napping on a mat". 

Photo by Lily Bungay

Do you have a personal mantra that you use on and off the mat? 

"Show up and be there".  Yoga is incredibly grounding - again, both mentally and physically. It helps me be more present in everything that I do, on and off the mat. 

What is your advice for beginners?

First of all, you can't be "bad" at yoga. In the beginning, look around for visual cues and don't forget to breathe. Breathe, breathe, breathe. 

A lot of first timers bring friends for support. It makes it more fun! Yoga doesn't have to be so serious. 

Do you follow a specific diet/are you strict when if comes to your nutrition?

I find strict diets counter-productive. Food isn't the enemy. I eat my greens but I'm also French: I love bread and wine. As a general rule, I aim for balance. 

What's the most important lesson you've learnt? (In yoga and life)

Spend your money on experiences, not things. 

3 favourite moves for beginners...

Downward-facing dog: you can't escape it!

Plank: Core strength is key.

Savasana, or "the little nap at the end". 

Where can we catch you? 

I teach and practice at The Power Yoga Company and Union Station Yoga. During the week, when I'm not on the mat, you'll find me at Lululemon Europe head office, where I work as a localisation specialist. At the weekend, I'm often hanging out in Clapham Common or Brixton or boxing at Kobox (the yang to my yin). 

Portrait credited to Union Station Yoga

For more about Léa visit her website at leasana.com or on Instagram @leasana

xxx

Happy Monday :)

Maybe this day is not

One of your favourites, but

Never forget that every

Day you wake up is an

Amazing gift and it's up to

You to make it count

Your job may suck, you may hate waking up early, your commute may be stressful and you may spend the whole day wondering why Monday's even exist as they seem to bring no meaning and no satisfaction to your life. 

Monday's are and most likely always will be the majority of the populations least favourite day of the week but it doesn't have to be yours! If you think about how many Mondays you are going to have in your life time that is an awful lot of days spent being unhappy and unmotivated - and now there is a new day of the week 'Smonday'. This begins on a Sunday and grows as Monday approaches due to the anxiety you feel of starting a new working week. 

Let's face it, Monday's are never going to change - but you can!

Forget the papers piled up on your desk, the chores at home that still need to be done, the grocery shopping and meal prepping etc… Monday's are full of possibilities! They bring new energy and new positivity to the week ahead, they are the perfect day for starting afresh after an indulgent weekend, the perfect day for beginning new goals and starting new healthy habits. 

Of course you can spend the day wishing it was already Friday, hating the people around you who seem to be happy and wondering what they did to deserve a positive attitude on a Monday but in reality it only takes a quick decision on your part to decide whether you're going to make your Monday a day of misery and self-hate or a day of optimism and new discoveries. 

Change your Monday morning mantra from 'ssshhhhiiii*****'

to this...

'Nothing is holding me back, I know what I want and I'm going to get it' :)

Happy Monday Everyone!!! xxx

3 Top Tips to stay in 'Tip Top' shape this Winter!

Winter is here and with it getting colder and darker outside it can become difficult to keep up our usual fitness regimes. Still, there is no excuse to turn into a seasonal sloth and hibernate under a warm blanket till Spring - keep the winter blues at bay by using my three top tips to keep you in tip top shape… 

1. Stay motivated - easier said than done? Remind yourself of your goal or set yourself a new one for the festive period. This can be as simple as looking good for a xmas party or getting fit for a skiing holiday or working on that bikini bod for those lucky enough to get somewhere warm. Remind yourself how far you've come - you don't want to start right back at the beginning come January!

2. FitFam - what began as a hashtag now means so much more - find a friend who is reliable and who'll drag you out of bed the morning after a xmas party, push you through the wind and rain and who'll enjoy a bowl of well-earned chocolate proats afterwards :p You''ll be much more likely to stick to a fitness regime as you won't want to let them down.

3. Preparation - lay out your workout clothes the night before, buy yourself some thermals and pre-book classes so you're less likely to cancel. Make things easier for yourself by organising in advance and deciding when you can fit your workouts into your schedule so you don't have to miss out on any festivities. 

And most importantly be positive! It's a lifetime achievement if you can keep pushing yourself and challenging your body and mind. So don't let the chilly temperatures hold you back - remember where you started and keep working on where you want to be!

Buckwheat Soda Bread Recipe

This was my first attempt at making my own bread and a very successful one! It's a recipe a few people have asked me for so I thought I'd just share it on here for everyones enjoyment :)

Ingredients:

600g buckwheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 tbspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 tbspoon oil (I used rapeseed)

500ml milk (I used unsweetened almond)

2 tbspoons any gluten free flour - I used spelt flour as I'm not gluten intolerant

Method: Pre-heat over 180 degrees (fan) 

1. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum

2. Stir vinegar and oil into the milk

3. Add milk mix to the flour and knead

4. Dust a baking tray or loaf tin with flour and scatter some over the dough

5. Roll dough into a 25cm/10" cylinder and place on tray/tin

6. Bake in pre-heated oven for 75/85 mins

7. Remove from over and cool on wire rack - cover in a clean kitchen towel to keep the crust soft

This recipe can be suitable for coeliacs if using gluten free flour as there is no wheat or yeast. Don't let the name 'buckwheat' confuse you as it is not actually from the same family as wheat and not considered a grain or a cereal. 

Have fun baking and eating! xxx  

Come say Hi :)

So finally I am introducing a new blog for my website. Recently I've been writing blogs for other companies and have reignited an old passion for writing - and expressing my opinions! Of which I have many ;)

I get asked so many questions about nutrition and fitness on a daily basis and I would love to start sharing my research and findings with you. And I would love to hear from you too - topics you'd like to discuss, questions you want answered about 'myths' or fitness and nutrition trends, recipe ideas, where to eat out, which classes to get to and where to shop for the best activewear!

So don't be shy, come say hi and let's start getting down to the nitty gritty of all things fitness and nutrition related - or unrelated! 

Peace out xxx