Happy Wednesday everyone, you ready for another WIAW?

I started my day in the usual way with a mug of warm water and lemon juice then I headed out for my run. As I did my half marathon at the weekend I decided to take it easy and have a recovery run. I did 6.4 miles in 59.25 with an average pace of 9.17. It was a pleasant run but even though the sun was shining it there was a freezing wind! When I got home I did my abs and core exercises then made a giant smoothie for breakfast:

This was delicious! I blended up some kale, cos lettuce, 1/2 avocado, nectarine, frozen strawberries, coconut water, vanilla sun warrior protein powder, spirulina, barley grass powder, maca and the usual gums for thickness. I topped it with goji berries, coconut, pistachios and a little granola. I decided to wear a nice yellow top to match the sunny weather:

Yellow camisole: Old Navy, Black cardigan: M&S, necklace: H&M, gold crown earrings: Accessorize

For lunch I had some wonderful sweet cantaloupe melon followed by a big bowl of my gorgeous Smokey Spicy Black Eye Bean Soup and a couple of Ryvita pumpkin and oat crackers:

 

I was in meetings all afternoon but managed to snack on a peppermint stick Luna bar:

For dinner I had defrosted one of my sweet potato falafel burgers which I baked in the oven and served on top of a big salad of rocket, summer lettuce, cucumber, sugar snaps and red onion alongside some sweet chilli hummus watered down into a sauce:

This was so delicious, the sweet potato falafel burger tasted wonderful and the hummus was lush! I haven’t had shop bought hummus in ages as I’ve been making my own so this was a great change. Dessert was some raw banana goji cake from the freezer:

This was made from sesame seeds, almonds, banana, goji berries and dried cherries, yum!

I was very excited and chuffed to come home to this:

My race pack for the Great North 10K! This is only my second race so I still get really excited about these things!

I’ve also been invited by Alpro Soya to attend the Kendal Calling Festival! I’m a fan of Alpro products and was actually thinking about checking out a smaller festival this summer so I think it must be meant to be. Looking forward to finding out even more about Alpro and their products. I’ll post all the details soon!

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten today? Do you run races? Do you still get excited when you receive your race pack?

Hi everyone with any luck I should be welcoming you to Keeping Healthy Getting Stylish.com! The blog is still transitioning so you may still be on the blogspot site but over the next few days you should automatically be redirected to the new .com address!

I decided to change the ‘slim’ to ‘healthy’ as I felt that slim wasn’t the right word any longer and that healthy better reflects my ethos and what the blog is all about. I also wanted to make the move to my own domain. I’ve added some new pages to the right hand side of the blog to give links to posts on recipes, healthy eating, fashion, workouts, home style etc as well as links to key posts in my About page – please check them out and let me know what you think!

I’ve had a busy but fun weekend, Saturday started with a tasty breakfast, chocolate mesquite porridge with pear and hazelnuts:

I used 1/2 cup of scottish oats, 1 tbsp of oat bran, 1 tbsp of chia seeds, 1/2 cup of kara coconut milk, 1 cup water and cooked on the stove adding raw cacao, mesquite, sweet freedom, 2 chopped pears, hazelnut butter and hazelnuts.

We had a short trip to Newcastle to pick up a couple of things. Here’s a quick outfit of the day:

 Trench: Debenhams, denim dress: Mango, tan leather belt: Topshop, floral tights: Accessorize, tan boots: ASOS, tan bag: Dune, diamante anchor necklace: Accessorize

While we were out we enjoyed a cuppa at one of our favourite little cafes. I had a delicious chai soy latte:

I also stocked up on fresh produce from the market including these unusual round courgettes…

…and this massive jar of organic smooth peanut butter (only ingredients peanuts and salt):

Can’t wait to be making oats in a jar in that!

Lunch was a slice of toasted quinoa amaranth bread with marmite accompanied by 2 chopped carrots, a chopped russet apple and cherries:

Mid afternoon I made a fab green juice from Crazy, Sexy Diet: Make juice not war:

This included 1 pear, cabbage, celery, cucumber, romaine lettuce, broccoli and ginger. I felt alive after drinking that!

Dinner was inspired by a recipe in the brilliant Super Natural Cooking, Wheat Berry Salad with Citrus Dressing. I topped some baby spinach with cooked wheat grains mixed with parsley and a citrus dressing made with orange juice, cool oil and apple cider vinegar, then topped with toasted pine nuts and organic feta:

I have to say I loved these wheat grains, so chewy and tasty. The dressing was also really good, I’ll have to use it on other salads too. Dessert was some booja booja truffles:

Heavenly as always. I also snacked on a few unpictured apples.

This morning I fuelled up with a blood orange and two sweet and chewy neglect dates before heading out on my run:

I used my Garmin for the first time, it was excellent! I did 6.18 miles in 1 hour, average pace 9.45. I was happy enough with that pace as it gives me a good baseline to work up from. After the run I hit the gym for 30 minutes of constant rate cardio while catching up with some magazines.

Breakfast was just the most fabulous smoothie in a bowl! It included: cabbage, frozen banana, 2 small nectarines, frozen mixed berries, scoop of peanut chocolate swirl spirutein protein powder, coconut water, kara coconut milk, spirulina, maca, matcha green tea, ground flax, raw cacao and xanthan gum. I topped it with a spoonful of my new peanut butter, grape nuts cereal, gojis and flaked almonds:

I had this bowl plus about another half a bowl full. It was amazing, so full of goodness!

Lunch was a bowl of Spicy Black Eye Bean Soup followed by grapes:

I also made myself another green juice mid afternoon, I’m just addicted to these at the moment, wish I had more time to make them during the week.

Dinner was one of my round courgettes stuffed with some of my Veggie Loaf and baked in the oven. I served it with steamed swede mashed with some sweet white miso and almond milk plus steamed kale with shoyu:

Dessert was one of my sinless chocolate brownies from the freezer topped with coconut flour paste ‘icing’:

This was so good! The chocolate and coconut together was delicious.

Hope you don’t mind this photo packed post! I’ve been having fun this weekend playing with my new camera. I think my photos are looking ok but unfortunately even the best camera can’t make good pics using the flash, can’t wait for the longer summer days so I can photograph in daylight!

What do you think of the new blog name and do you like the photographs?

I’m off to relax for the rest of the evening before the busy week ahead. Hope you’ve all had a great weekend!

Yey its Friday! I am now all officially registered on my Diet and Nutrition Advisor course and my camera and Garmin have been delivered so I’m buzzing!

Thursday morning I did 5 minutes cardio (jumping jacks, bum kicks etc) followed by a 20 minute Yoga for Runners podcast then some core and abs work. Breakfast was fantastic! I made up some porridge using 1/4 cup of oats, 2 tablespoons of oat bran and 1 1/2 cups of water on the stove. I then added 1 heaped tablespoon of my Viva Pure Chia Super food porridge mix and another tablespoon of my vanilla hemp protein powder. I also added some sweet freedom sweetener. I topped it with fresh blueberries, some of my tofu yoghurt, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and goji berries. I also had a maple walnut coffee with kara coconut milk:

Such a good breakfast, I love oaty yoghurty layer ups! I was very impressed with the chia porridge super food mix. I actually think its designed to be made into a porridge in itself but I really liked the taste it added to my oaty porridge – plus it will last longer being used this way!

Lunch was a bowl of heaven, i.e. the yummiest soup I’ve made in a while:

Pea, Broccoli and Pesto Soup (inspired by Nigella Lawson recipe, makes 4 portions)

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped into florets
• Hot veg stock or bouillon powder and hot water (I use marigold vegan vegetable bouillon whenever I make soup)
• 450g of frozen peas
• Half a small jar of basil pesto (I used la sacla organic vegetarian pesto)

Begin by gently frying the onion in a little oil until transparent. Add the broccoli and cover with hot vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Add the peas and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend the soup until smooth using a hand blender or regular blender. Add the pesto and either blend again or stir well.

This soup is the bomb! So simple and easy to make and really full of flavour. You could make a vegan version using vegan pesto if desired. It also freezes very well too.

I also had a kiwi and nectarine:

Mid afternoon I snacked on a dried apricot, dried fig and some brazil nuts and pistachios:

Last night we went out to see KT Tunstall play a gig in Newcastle. Before we went I had a quick dinner of a herbed socca wrap (usual socca recipe but with added chopped fresh basil and parsley) filled with roasted beets, carrot and broccoli and some organic feta. I also had raw carrot, cucumber and an apple and pear:

The wrap was delish! I loved the herbs in there, so tasty.

The gig was brilliant, I have a huge girl crush on KT Tunstall! Here’s a quick OOTD hastily shot in the loos at Cafe Nero ;-)

Jacket: H&M, floral jacket: River Island, grey vest top: Topshop, scarf: Dorothy Perkins, jeans: Next, Bag: H&M, cocktail ring: Topshop

This morning I had a big bowl of Dorset Cereal Tasty Toasted Spelt Muesli with blackberries and kara coconut milk. I also had a butterscotch coffee with sweet freedom:

Lunch was some of my super tasty Spicy Black Eye Bean Soup followed by plums and kiwi:

Mid afternoon I decided to treat myself to a 9 bar:

I haven’t had one of these in ages, so good!

I then hit the gym for my strength and HIIT workout. It was a bit of a half arsed workout to be honest, I did do mostly all I’d planned to but I know I could have put more effort in! I did my usual 5 minute treadmill run warm up followed by my usual full body strength workout and 30 minutes of HIITs on the cross trainer, step machine and bike.

Dinner was inspired by the Rainbow and Super food salads recipes in Leon: Ingredients and Recipes:

I mixed roasted broccoli, carrot and beetroot with some red cabbage, quinoa, alfalfa sprouts and feta then added some fresh chopped parsley, viva pure spicy pumpkin seeds and a quick squeeze of lemon juice. This was so so good! I loved this salad, so full of goodness and taste.

Dessert was double chocolate coconut protein ice cream! I blended up a scoop of chocolate sun warrior, tablespoon of raw cacao, tablespoon of coconut flour, kara coconut milk, ice cubes and xanthan and guar gums then topped with coconut and cacao nibs:

Awesome!

I really enjoyed the gig last night. James is a huge music fan so we like going to see live music when we can. Are you a fan of live music? What was the last gig you went to?

So happy its the weekend! I have another fun one planned including a trip to town so I can stock up on fruit and veggies at the market, catch up with the family and my gorgeous nephews, play with my new camera and Garmin, finish reading Crazy, Sexy, Diet (which I just can’t put down) and a run!

I also may be making an attempt to change up the blog a bit and move over to a new domain so if you visit and things look a little funky please bear with me.

Hope you have all had a great week and have a fab weekend planned! I’m off to play with my new toys, catch you later x

I’m currently blogging during my lunch break at work, these couple of days have been crazy busy as I had a late night meeting last night, another tonight and then I have my last yoga class on Thursday evening. This doesn’t leave much time for being creative with my eats so I tend to fall back on good old favourites!

Yesterdays breakfast was a delicious green smoothie containing 3 big savoy cabbage leaves with stalk removed, a frozen banana, frozen mango chunks, a scoop of vanilla sun warrior, maca powder, ground flax and nut mix, tablespoon of peanut butter, xanthan and guar gums and almond milk. I topped my bowl with some muesli. This was lovely and sweet, I think the almond milk goes so well with all the other ingredients.

Lunch was some basil tofu with brown rice, carrot, cucumber, red pepper and spinach mixed with a little green tomato chutney and a couple of chopped kiwi on the side.

Mid afternoon snackies were carrot and green pepper with red pepper hummus – this combo never gets old!

Before leaving the office for my meeting I had a bowl of my Spicy black eye bean soup which was utterly delicious and just hit the spot!

By the time I got home I only wanted something small so I made up a bowl of chopped plums and apple with some Bear Apple Crumble Granola and almond milk. I quite like being able to have this kind of thing for dinner sometimes!

Todays eats are going to be very similar! I’ve also managed to fit in my usual planned workouts – my Davina DVD yesterday morning working my legs and upper body and my treadmill run at the gym this morning (1.6 miles on tread then 10 minutes of HIITs on step machine followed by another 1.6 miles on tread followed by abs and core exercises). I was at Sainsbury's for it opening at 8am this morning after being at the gym – running around a freezing cold supermarket with my hair slapped under a head band trying to find lemon and ginger tea and russet apples was not much fun, but I try and fit in as much as possible when these busy times are upon me instead of letting my healthier habits fall by the way side.

I know you probably already do these things yourselves anyway but I find these little tips really helpful when I simply start running out of time:

My tips for keeping up healthy habits when things get crazy

• Have a freezer full of home prepared curries, soups and stews – this just makes it easier to grab something from the freezer, pop in a lunch box and let defrost then have at work for lunch or dinner.
• Schedule your time according to your priorities – Over these few crazy days, although I can’t be bothered I’ve made keeping to my exercise schedule and eating healthy priorities – this means I have got up early to fit some exercise in and have spent time earlier in the week chopping veggies for my lunch but it has been worth it – I know how crap I’d feel if I missed working out or had to try and find something to eat at work – especially when I probably wouldn’t have time to go further than the Greggs across the street!
• Make up multiple portions and store in the fridge – For the tofu salad above I had made up a big portion of cooked brown rice at the weekend, then I just added chopped veggies and tofu to make up two lunches to keep me going. Brown rice will probably feature in tomorrows lunch too as there’s still plenty left in the fridge.
• If all else fails then go for healthier pre prepared foods – my faves are fresh soups like Covent Garden, Innocent Veg Pots and the salad bar at my local supermarket. They do the most amazing Moroccan chickpea salad!

What are your tips for sticking to healthier habits when things get crazy?

Hi everyone, hope your having a good week! This week is a pretty crazy one for me, yesterday I worked from home while we got our new carpet fitted in the bedroom. As we are in a little one bed flat this has meant that the whole place has been turned upside down! We also headed to Ikea last night and bought a new bed and mattress, it gets delivered tomorrow and I can’t wait!

Here’s a few images that I’m using for bedroom decor inspiration:

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I really love the mix of different patterns and bright colours in each of these pics. See my Tumblr page for more inspiration!

As I said in Sunday’s post, I’m experiencing some IT band / sore knee issues right now. I’m trying very hard not to panic, the Great North Run is less than a month away and when I had this injury last year it took me a month to get running again. I don’t think its that bad this time but I’m still giving running a miss for a couple of days although I may try a short treadmill run tomorrow. 

Yesterday morning instead of my usual 5k treadmill run I did 1 hour of cardio on the gym machines including the cross trainer, step machine, bike and rowing machine. I did 2 minutes medium intensity : 1 minute high intensity intervals. I finished up with my abs and core including my first ever 3 minute plank! My knee was fine apart from a bit of a twinge while on the cross trainer.

Breakfast yesterday was a delicious bowl of sweet fresh strawberries covered in some chocolate chia pudding (1 tbsp of chia seeds, 2 tbsp of viva pure chia porridge mix, 1 scoop of chocolate sun warrior and water):

For lunch I raided the freezer and had a bowl of my spicy black eye bean soup along with some raw juice pulp crackers:

It was nice to have soup for a change!

As I was working from home while the carpet got fitted I thought I’d make use of the blender and have a green smoothie as a snack:

Spinach, frozen banana, soy milk, ice, stevia, maca, spirulina, msm crystals topped with coconut and freeze dried berries. This was such a great filling snack, it felt like a nice treat being able to have a smoothie!

As this week is shaping up to be a bit hectic I decided to take some of my own advice and make up a huge bean and veggie mix that I could use in several meals to save time:

I mixed a tin of soya beans, frozen edamame, carrot, cucumber, radish, spring onion, red pepper, parsley and coriander in a big bowl and popped it in the fridge. For dinner I’ve eaten it with some wholegrain rice pilaf from a microwavable pouch alongside steamed rainbow chard and broccoli with shoyu:

This was delicious, but unfortunately I’m worried that something in it made me poorly. Last night I spent several hours throwing up! Not fun :-( Luckily this morning I felt much better. I had a big bowl of peanut butter puffins, chopped apple, a spoonful of smooth peanut butter and some soy milk for breakfast:

It felt good to get something back on my stomach. As I only had that bean and veggie mix prepped for lunch, I decided to risk it and eat it again. I had a big portion on top of some greens with my damson and balsamic dressing:

Luckily it didn’t make me poorly so I risked another portion with the rice again for dinner. I have to say it really did save me a lot of time having that prepped, all I’ve needed to do is wash and chop greens to go with it!

I also managed to fit in my gym session and body pump tonight, thankfully this Luna Bar gave me enough energy to get through the workout!

I really liked this flavour, although I couldn’t taste many macadamias.

Tonight for dessert I had the usual post body pump bowl of protein ice cream:

1 scoop of smore’s spirutein, water, ice, stevia and some chocolate sauce made with cocoa powder, water and agave. Perfect!

When it comes to home decor do you prefer the minimal look or do you like a lot of print and pattern? I have quite eclectic taste, I love to mix and match prints and patterns and different styles. I can’t wait until the whole room is finished, just curtains, bedding and accessories to get now :-)

Please check out blog sponsor Cat’s awesome giveaway over at Knitting, Running Eating – such a fab set of prizes, especially the teapigs, nakd goodies and hand knitted coasters!

See you tomorrow for What I ate Wednesday!