Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts

Monday, 30 October 2017

Recipe: Homemade healthy muesli

I posted a picture on Instagram of a jar of homemade muesli and asked you if you wanted a recipe for it; turns out you did. SO here we go...a nutty, nourishing, sugar-free, wheat-free muesli that doesn't taste of dust!




Ingredients:

600g oats
200g mixed nuts
100g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g pumpkin seeds
100g raisins
100g dried cranberries
100g dried ready-to-eat apricots, chopped

Feel free to: change the types of dried fruit or seeds used according to your preference, and add some spices (cinnamon, nutmeg etc.) if you like a bit of extra warmth.

Method:
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C
  2. Spread the oats, nuts and seeds on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes – making sure the oats don’t burn, but are slightly golden.
  3. Take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool
  4. Once the mixture is cooled, mix together with the dried fruit and store in a glass jar or other airtight container
  5. To serve – add milk or yoghurt and some fresh fruit if you like.

How do you like to start your day? What recipes would you like to see next?

How to get in touch:

Thursday, 5 October 2017

Comfort Food: Lamb Tagine recipe

In my September In Review video I mentioned that I have been loving making (and eating) lamb tagines. I have written up my recipe - please see below. My apologies for the lack of photos - the many times I have made the tagine, the ravenous hordes have descended before I have had the chance to take nice photos...



This recipe serves four or five hungry people.

Ingredients:

1kg lamb neck fillet
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
a few strands of saffron
2 small cinnamon sticks
1 lemon, unwaxed
500g of passata
150g dried apricots
125g dried pitted dates and/or sultanas
1 pint of lamb stock, or the water the lemon was boiled in
50g shelled pistachios
50g flaked almonds


Method:

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 150C (for fan-assisted ovens)

2.     Boil the lemon in a saucepan of water for 20 minutes, remove carefully and dice up the whole lemon while removing the seeds. Put the diced up lemon in a dish to use later. You will also want to retain the water it was boiled in for later...

3.     Dice the lamb neck and fry in a large oven-proof (and lidded) casserole dish over a very hot heat. Once the meat has browned, remove it from the casserole dish and set aside.

4.     In the same casserole dish you browned the lamb in, add the onion and garlic with some oil and start to sweat this down.

5.     Once the onion and garlic have started to soften, add all the spices (except the cinnamon stick and saffron) and stir over the heat to release the flavour.

6.     Add the lamb back in after a few minutes and stir the meat into the onion and spice mix, so that everything is thoroughly coated.

7.     You will now want to add your chosen liquid and also the passata. If your chosen liquid is lamb stock, then add the few strands of saffron to the stock before you pour over the meat. If you prefer, you can simply use the leftover lemon-y water from Step 2 and add the saffron to this. Stir!

8.     Add in the cinnamon stick, all the fruit (including the lemon) and the nuts and turn up the heat until the liquid is at a simmer, and let it bubble for a few minutes on the hob.

9.     Once the mix has bubbled away nicely for a few minutes, put the lid on the casserole dish and pop it in the oven for between 2 and 2.5 hours.


10.  Serve with a scattering of fresh coriander, rice, couscous or a green salad and watch the tagine magically disappear.

Let me know if you make this recipe - did you change anything? Are there any other recipes you make that are great comfort food meals?

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life 
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co...
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Saturday, 15 April 2017

Top Health Apps and Trackers



“I have been and still am a seeker, but I have ceased to question stars and books; I have begun to listen to the teaching my blood whispers to me.” – Herman Hesse

March In Review video

Apps:

C25K

Runkeeper

Strava

Sworkit

Breathing Zone (on iTunes) 

Breathing Zone (on Android)

Headspace

Period Tracker (on Android)

Period Tracker (on iTunes)

Lifesum

Other useful wellbeing videos from Life In Recovery:

Nutrition

Sleep

Getting active after being bedbound

Gym workouts


Do you use health trackers or apps? Technophobe or tech-lover? What are some of your favourites?


How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life

Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/

Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Friday, 24 March 2017

Simply Cook: Thai Red Prawn Curry - REVIEW

I was recently emailed to ask if I wanted to try out a Simply Cook recipe box*. Having never heard of them - I checked out their website and was quickly intrigued with the nifty concept; a box of spices and flavours featuring four recipes, posted through your letterbox to make quick, tasty and healthy meals.


So, a couple of weeks ago came the familiar sound of the letterbox going, and among the usual bills and leaflets was a slim box carrying the precious ingredients for my next week's dinners.

In each box you get four recipe cards, and four containers of the spices you need to make each one. All you have to do is buy the fresh ingredients, follow the simple step-by-step guide whilst cooking and then voila - eat!
Four spice boxes: Malay Laksa, BBQ Tandoori, Bokkeumbap, Thai Red Prawn Curry
The recipe card and shopping list
I decided to cook the Thai Red Prawn Curry - I followed the steps exactly, although I added a load of extra vegetables and cooked rice noodles, instead of plain rice (my small act of rebellion). I think this just shows that the recipe is very versatile and allows you to tweak it. I love a lot of vegetables, and the only drawback, or negative thing I have to say about the recipe is that I felt the recipe lacked vegetables. But this was easily rectified, by adding some tenderstem broccoli and green beans to the dish.

Three spice pots
Overall, the dish turned out to be delicious. A tangy, flavoursome and more-ish meal - that had a good hit of heat. It was also even more yummy the next day, reheated. I found it to be the perfect balance of creaminess with a punch of chilli - the ideal feast on a cool night while curled up in front of the TV, or shared with friends over a few drinks. It's comfort food at its best!


If you want a quick, tasty and crowd-pleasing meal (they really do only take 15-20 minutes to make from scratch) then Simply Cook have provided me with a discounted trial box for only £3 to offer to you - click here to get this awesome deal - your taste-buds will thank you!

Have you ever tried a recipe kit box? What were your experiences like? 


How to get in touch:



*DISCLAIMER:
Simply Cook kindly sent me a box to try, free of charge, and they have provided an affiliate link for you to use for your first box, at a discounted rate. However, the opinions above are all my own, nor was the box sent with any proviso that I would write a review (favourable or otherwise). 

Friday, 5 August 2016

Anniversary - three years on from hospital...

So...it's 5th August and that means *drum roll* it's time for another emotional/personal post marking my (this time) THREE year anniversary after being discharged from hospital.

I will start this post with the same preface as the last two years "I have just written a 'status update' on my personal Facebook page to my friends and it occurred to me that I also want to say thank you to all of YOU. So I'm going to paste in what I wrote word-for-word on here. 
This isn't something I thought I would ever feel comfortable doing. I try to keep Life In Recovery and my personal life reasonably separate. Not because I am ashamed of the blog but because I think it works better if I don't use this as a platform to air my private life and that I use my past and present experiences in a constructive way to help others who may be struggling. That won't be changing.Keeping this blog, creating videos and posting little (or a lotta) bits on Twitter has been an absolutely wonderful experience. I hope to continue the work I have only just started and love interacting and discovering all of you 'out there.' This is why I felt it was relevant to post the message I sent to my friends and family to you all as well."

For the full effect (and for the new readers amongst you) you can read my first year anniversary post here and my second here.




Here we go:

"WARNING – another of my soppy anniversary posts (read: essays). Today is August 5th, and marks three years since I was discharged from hospital.
This year the anniversary feels quite a different beast to the last two years. It crept up on me, for a start. I completely forgot about it until I was on my way into work yesterday and panicked that I’d somehow missed it. Personally, I think this is a great sign; a sign that I am starting to feel more space between me and the years I spent unwell. A ‘healthy’ space. A space that means I feel I am not completely defined by a decade-plus of illness. A space that feels good.

This past year has been another roller-coaster of a ride. Yes, I still have to be careful. Yes, I’m still finding my way. No, I won’t forget what happened or pretend it didn’t. No, I won’t take things for granted. This year there have been tears and triumphs. Things to grieve over, and things to rejoice about. Things I have done for the first time, and things I have done for the last. There have been people I have said goodbye to, and many people I have met for the first time. We have worked, we have played, we have studied and we have lived. For all these things and so many more, I am grateful.

On this day, three years ago I woke with the knowledge that a new and exciting chapter of life was just beginning. Three years later, I woke up this morning with the same knowledge.

Sitting here typing this (fairly un-edited stream of consciousness) with tears running down my face – I am completely at a loss to express how much I (still) feel about the last few years and the time I was unwell. I have so many of you to thank. So many of you who helped me reach where I am today. So many who are helping me discover just how incredible and exhilarating life can be.

A year of milestones, surprises, new beginnings, goodbyes, change, love, laughter, tears, family, new and old friends. A year of growing, learning and maturing. A year you have all been part of. And for that I am very lucky.

I will quote my post from last year, “To the friends and family who have seen up close the changes these past couple of years have brought and who've been there with a solid shoulder, a helping hand, a beaming smile or a thumbs up - thank you”.

Life. Is. Good."

What anniversaries do you mark? Are you a fan of reflecting on milestones or key moments of your life?

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life

Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/

Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life


Saturday, 6 February 2016

Wellbeing Basics: My Guest Series for The Olive Fox

Just a little post announcing some exciting news - I'm writing a Wellbeing Basics series for online magazine The Olive Fox.

I was sent an email by the lovely duo Suzy and Beth, that are The Olive Fox, asking if I wanted to write monthly for their online magazine and I (of course) said yes!


I came up with the idea of writing a Basics series for their Wellbeing section. In it I will address all the 'basics' - sleeping, eating, breathing, exercising, laughing, relaxing, crying, loving (and that's just for starters)! Article by article, month by month, I will write a piece covering each 'basic' to help you create a stable, balanced and holistic lifestyle.

The first in the series is all about sleep and can be found here.

Do you have any ideas for other posts that cover the basics of life? Write a comment below or use the links and let me know - I'd love to hear what you consider a life essential...

How to get in touch:

Thursday, 31 December 2015

Reflections - things I learned from 2015

For the second of my 'Goodbye 2015; Hello 2016' blog posts I am writing a list of some of the things I learned in 2015.
Again, I feel like it's a good way to reflect on the past year and maybe one or two of these things might chime a bell with you.

  • Sometimes I can't see what's right in front of me
  • Sometimes I don't want to see what's right in front of me
  • I can procrastinate like a boss
  • I can't use phrases like "like a boss"
  • First impressions can be very right
  • First impressions can be very wrong
  • How to use a semi-colon properly; life-changing
  • Being kind to yourself is hard
  • I always pack too much stuff
  • I'd rather regret something I did than regret something I didn't do
  • If it feels wrong it probably is 
  • Decent haircuts in London don't have to cost the earth 
  • Those little blue ticks on WhatsApp are the best thing
  • Those little blue ticks on WhatsApp are the worst thing
  • Trust your gut
  • Forgiving others is easier than forgiving yourself 
  • If you really want to spend time with someone you will - and if someone really wants to spend time with you they will
  • If you're unsure about something just wait 
  • Waterproof eyeliner/mascara ain't always so waterproof
  • Just because you feel negatively about yourself doesn't mean it's true - or that other people feel the same about you 
  • Wait until lasagne is cold before portioning it up for the freezer or things get very messy
  • Even when you feel like your whole world is imploding you can still keep going (and it's probably not your "whole" world)
  • Things do get better 
  • Pacing is not overrated 
  • I'm still recovering 
  • Work and studies can get you through tough times
  • Friends and family can get you through tough times
  • YOU can get yourself through tough times 
  • If you can't trust yourself you can't expect others to
  • Don't say one thing and do another 
  • Be consistent and congruent 
  • Honesty is the best policy - especially with yourself 
  • Listen to your body
  • It's okay to ask for help 
  • Don't see everything as a battle
  • It's okay to feel like you don't know what you're doing
  • However much you plan you will never be able to outwit fate/The Gods/time/death/accidents/illness/anything and everything else
  • Happiness feels amazing
  • I can surprise myself just as much as others can surprise me
  • Life is an incredible, surprising, wonderful thing 
What did 2015 teach you?


How to get in touch:

Wednesday, 30 December 2015

Reflections - Some of my favourites of 2015

I was wondering what might be a fitting way to mark the close of 2015 and the start of 2016 here on the blog...
I decided that the best and most positive way was to create two posts; one listing some of my (slightly random and more blog-friendly) favourite things/events of the year and another post talking about the things I've learned from this year. It's a nice way to reflect on the past year and take stock of what has been a mammoth of a year.
So, without further ado, and in the immortal words of Julie Andrews - these are a few of my favourite things (from 2015).

  • Family and friends - they have to go top of this list! 
  • Freckles
  • The plethora of Agatha Christie whodunnits on Radio Four Extra to mark 125 years since the great authoress was born
  • Sharing recipes with friends - always love to try new and exciting foods, although there's no pre-requisite for the food to be either new or exciting
  • Spelling
  • The countryside
  • Netflix - oh so many hours indulging my love of trash TV and rewatching classics like The Thick Of It
  • The word "Yes"
  • The word "No"
  • Talking all night
  • Sleeping all night
  • Getting a job that I love 
  • Walking
  • Holidays (especially if they come with a surprise room upgrade and are a decade overdue)
  • Writing essays and taking exams - not always my favourite thing to do, but worth an honourable mention as I spent so much of the first part of 2015 doing them!
  • Realising I have more than one shoulder to cry on
  • Discovering the band Chvrches: going to see them live and getting tickets for their special gig next year at the RAH
  • London
  • A Summer of watching cricket and drinking beer
  • Finding pilpel and their amazing falafel 
  • Robing rooms and court rooms
  • Dancing (with or without shoes)
  • Being surprised by my new love of watching the Tour de France
  • Puns
  • Theatre-going 
  • Tea - all day erryday
  • Celebrating whenever and wherever you can
...and so much more! 

What are some of your favourite things of 2015? 

How to get in touch:

Sunday, 8 February 2015

My contribution to the Self-Love Series

A little while ago, I wrote a quick blog post signposting you all to the simply splendid Suzy's website so that you could read the wonderful series she is curating on self love. If you didn't read the post I wrote explaining all about the series and why it's inspiring and positive then now is your chance! (http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/useful-siteslinks-self-love-series.html)



I mentioned that I was also contributing a piece to the series and I'm pleased to say that it's now 'live' on her website here. I'd love for you all to hop on over there to read it.

Please do take a look at the series' archives here. There are some wonderful articles: all about finding health and happiness. There'll also be more self-love posts popping up like little rays of sunshine this winter on Suzy's blog so make sure you check them out!

How to get in touch:


YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_LifeBlog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Saturday, 10 January 2015

Useful Sites/Links - Self-Love Series

I'm very excited to talk to you briefly about a Self-Love Series set-up and hosted by (the really, very awesome and lovely) Suzy of Eeep! I'm a blogger.

You can hear what prompted Suzy to start this fabulous series here.

This is an idea that I have, myself, thought about doing but I've never actually had the gumption to do it! So, I was thrilled when Suzy asked if I would like to contribute a piece to the Self-Love Series. I feel the series dove-tails with and compliments very nicely the aims of Life In Recovery. I'm excited to be part of something so proactive, positive and filled with a sense of community.


As Suzy herself says: "The overall aim is for this series to create an ongoing community of people who can support each other towards feeling happier and positive in ourselves because everyone knows it’s hard to do things on your own. We’re not talking crazy diets, we’re not talking dramatic personality changes, we’re talking small steps towards a bigger goal. I want you to be part of what I hope is going to be an awesome self-love community. So, who’s in?!"

(Well me, definitely!)

There are going to be posts on Suzy's site popping up throughout January and February. Look out for mine on Friday 6th February...But until then, check out the archive page here on Suzy's site for all the incredible content from some amazingly talented bloggers that might help to boost your self-esteem, channel positivity and generally find a happier (and ultimately) healthier way of life.

How to get in touch:

YouTube - http://t.co/CGZBkZnWU2
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Recovering_Life
Blog - http://yourlifeinrecovery.blogspot.co.uk/
Email - yourlifeinrecovery@gmail.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Recovering.Life

Saturday, 5 July 2014

Bitchy women: crescendo in catty culture

Near where I live there’s a very nice organic, home-made, yoga lifestyle sort of café. In essence it should be the kind of place I’d be naturally drawn to and want to frequent. 
However, I don’t. 
In fact when I pass it, as I do almost daily, I scuttle by and try to ignore its siren call. Why? Is the coffee awful? Or are the owners rude? Is it dirty/smelly/noisy? No. 
The issue isn’t with the café itself it’s with the people who choose to eat and drink there. It’s a yummy-mummy hangout which is fine in itself but the problem is that all these women seem to talk about is how, "Mrs F looked rough this morning", "Miss B is having trouble with the boyfriend" or that, "Mr and Mrs T are struggling financially". You can’t escape the conversations, however hard you try not to hear them. 

The first time I visited the café I very nearly walked over to the circle of gossiping women to point out that maybe their ‘friend’ was having so much trouble because, instead of trying to be there for her, they were choosing to spend their time ripping her life to pieces instead. The phrase “With friends like these, who needs enemies” hits the nail on the head.




I have stood on tube platforms, been in a queue or looked up from chatting with friends and received one of those up-and-down looks from another woman where you’re made to feel about as small and welcome as a cockroach. The American’s call it giving someone the ‘stink eye.’ This sums it up nicely. It’s hugely rude, disrespectful and hurtful to be judged purely on the way you look or just because you happen to be a fellow woman who might be competition.
However, it’s not just us as individuals who seem to enjoy bitching and sniping about other women; the media adds fuel to the already blazing fire by publishing articles that pit one woman against another. 
Did so-and-so wear it better? Is what’s-her-face the new ‘it’ girl? Ms X dethrones Ms Z as the new princess of pop/queen of our hearts/fashionista/media darling. 
It’s a human version of cock fighting. 
Yet instead of realising how barbaric, demeaning and destructive this trend for setting women against each other is we, as a society and a sex, are in the thick of the crowd egging the fight on!


I’m not asking that all women should link arms and walk off into the sunset together; that’s not realistic. We will have our differences and disagreements - that’s part of being individuals. All I ask is that we stop perpetuating a hate and vitriol-filled society where we seem to take pleasure from other people’s pain. Where we revel and crow over our neighbour’s failings and misfortunes. 

My wish is that we can accept other, respect choices, support our friends in rough times and not judge a book by its cover. My wish is that we can enjoy each others successes, not view people as a threat, or someone to 'take down' and that we can be confident enough in ourselves to build up and boost those around us.

Someone once said “When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself”. 

Do you feel the same way (as a man or as a woman)? Have you been on the receiving end of one of those 'stink eyes'? Do you feel that the media pit women against each other one minute and then berate the women who do "compete"?

Thursday, 16 January 2014

Offally good? Braised lamb hearts recipe

This isn't the usual type of recipe I would normally publish however the result of this off-the-cuff recipe was really very delicious (if I can say so myself.)
I'm not one to be squeamish - gutting fish, filleting meat etc. doesn't bother me however the thought of eating a heart made me feel rather uneasy. It's certainly not something I would usually choose to cook let alone dine on myself. But someone I love has a fondness for all things offal and so to please them, I have gradually been working my way up to tackling a meal made with heart by cooking the more minor(?) organs first.
Hearts are actually a really sensible choice for the meat portion of your main meal. The heart is an incredibly lean part of an animal as it is doing so much work so you won't be eating lots of unhealthy fat when cooking this or any other heart-based dish. It is also one of the most inexpensive cuts available. You only need one heart per person (hmm, that doesn't sound quite right but you get my meaning) the cost of which is between 30p and 50p. So you can feed a family of four for under £2. I would highly recommend trying out this recipe as it's not only tasty but wholesome for your bank account and body too.
The finished meal.
 
Ingredients: (serves 2)
 
For the stuffed hearts:
  • 2 lamb hearts
  • 1 slice of good quality brown bread
  • Handful of fresh parsley 
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 onion, peeled and sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1 free-range egg
For the braising liquid:
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced finely
  • 2 celery sticks, sliced finely
  • 2 onions, peeled and sliced finely
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 2 tsp. tomato puree
  • 2 leeks, finely sliced
  • Lump of unsalted butter
  • Sprinkling of flour
  • Splash of red wine
  • 1 litre of good quality chicken stock
Method:
 
  1. Sear the lamb hearts for a few minutes in a casserole dish on the hob until brown all over and then set aside on a dish to cool.
  2. In the same casserole dish you used to sear the hearts fry an onion and the three cloves of garlic until softened and starting to brown. Keep the casserole dish (plus the meat and onion scrapings) until later for the braising liquid.
  3. To create the stuffing for the hearts tear up the bread and place into a blender. Blend until it creates a breadcrumb texture with no big lumps.
  4. Add the softened onion and garlic mixture along with the parsley and thyme to the blender and blitz until a fine consistency.
  5. Mix in the egg and stuff the hearts with the mixture. If you have any leftover stuffing form it into balls and place to the side.
  6. To make a good base for the braising liquid add the carrot, celery, onion, leeks and garlic to the casserole dish and fry gently until they are starting to soften.
  7. Melt some butter in the pan and then add a sprinkling of flour and stir thoroughly. Add some tomato puree and ensure all the vegetables are fully coated before adding the chicken stock to the pan.
  8. Allow the liquid to come to the boil then turn down the temperature to simmering point and add a splash of red wine.
  9. Place the stuffed hearts and any leftover stuffing balls into the liquid and simmer on a low heat for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
 
 
 

Sunday, 5 January 2014

Are making New Year's Resolutions the healthiest way to start your year?

I didn't want the first week of 2014 to pass without writing something about people's fixations for making New Year's Resolutions every year. Don't mistake me in thinking that I'm a cynical and pessimistic kind of person, New Year's Resolutions are a great way to embrace the new year with a list of the things you really want to achieve, work on, experience etc. However, when did it become socially unacceptable to not make resolutions? 

At the beginning of every year the inevitable question is asked by others "So what are your New Year's Resolutions this year?" and the general consensus if your answer is "I'm actually not making any resolutions this year" is that you either aren't ambitious, steadfast, future-thinking or motivated enough or you are depressed about the new year. These may be partly true or all true, you may be dreading the year ahead or you may not want to or feel the need to change anything in your life. On the other hand your aims for the coming year may not be as clear and concrete in your mind as in others. You may just have a general idea of where you would like to be in your life. Just because you haven't sat down and plotted out this next year doesn't mean you don't have hopes and dreams of the future. It doesn't mean that you are blindly entering 2014 with no direction. It doesn't mean that you are accepting that you can't get better/be better/feel better. It doesn't mean part of you has thrown in the towel or is apathetic about life. And it doesn't make you any worse than other people who have made New Year's Resolutions.

Another point that comes to mind when thinking about New Year's Resolutions involves the words 'pressure' and 'fail.' Does it really help people live happy and fulfilling lives for there to be so much pressure surrounding keeping New Year's Resolutions? Being branded or branding yourself as a failure if you don't manage to attain all your resolutions for the year is such a negative cycle to get into. Doing a quick search online for statistics in relation to New Year's Resolutions there are numerous articles and lots of research into how many people achieve all the goals they set themselves at the beginning of the year. A study in 2007 at Bristol University found that 88% (out of the 3000 involved) did not keep their resolutions, other statistics suggest as little as 8% of people who make resolutions actually succeed in their target. Articles giving advice on being successful in achieving them are generally titled along the lines of 'Why New Year's Resolutions fail. Here's how not to fail yours.' and 'Only ...% of people succeed in their New Year's goals. Our advice on how to be one of them.' The articles may be fantastic and may contain lots of useful tips and advice on keeping to your goals but it does create a sense that there's an 'us' and a 'them' scenario. Of the people who make resolutions there becomes two groups, those who 'fail' and those who 'succeed.'

I think a more healthy way of approaching New Year's Resolutions is to keep any ideas achievable and more general. For example instead of saying that you would like to run this year's London Marathon in under 6 hours why not make it that you would like to just run more. Or instead of setting a target to cut out dairy, wheat and sugar from your diet you could make it a little more flexible by cutting down on them by not buying cakes or cheese with your usual shopping or just eliminating one of them as a more manageable goal. I think the most important thing to do is to not think that it's the be-all and end-all to set and achieve New Year's Resolutions. A few little targets are a great thing to keep in mind throughout the year as a motivational tool but not as a way to beat yourself up or make yourself feel like an underachiever or failure. In conclusion, if you're going to make New Year's Resolutions this year then try to make them more realistic and attainable. Having someone who knows what it is you want to achieve can be a helpful thing or doing something as a joint resolution can be a more fun and fulfilling pursuit than going solo.

Whatever your wishes and goals for 2014 I hope that it's a wonderful year for you all.

Thursday, 12 December 2013

A Healthy Start to the Day - Breakfast Granola/Muesli Recipe

I adapted this recipe by merging a few different ones I found online at a time when I needed a muesli-like breakfast whilst knowing that I’m not a fan of normal mueslis and this is what I came up with. This recipe is great if you want to try out an easy recipe at home that doesn’t require too much time and energy spent on it. This cereal is healthy, sustaining and delicious and ingredients can be swapped if you have a particular aversion to any of them or a hankering for something else. This granola is also great for mid-afternoon snacks instead of crisps or biscuits.

My very delicious morning bowl of cereal!
Ingredients

  • 2 tbsps. rapeseed oil
  • 125ml agave syrup
  • 2 tsps. vanilla extract
  • 300g porridge oats
  • 50g sunflower seeds
  • 4 tbsp. sesame seeds
  • 50g pumpkin seeds
  • 100g flaked almonds
  • 100g dried berries (as sugar and preservative free as possible)
  • 50g desiccated coconut

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 150 C if you have a fan oven or 160 C if you don’t.
  2. Mix the oil, agave syrup and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, omitting the dried fruit and coconut, and mix together well making sure that the mixture is fully coated in the syrup etc.
  3. Tip the granola onto two baking sheets (this is important so that the cereal mix can get nice and brown and crunchy) and spread evenly.
  4. Bake for 15 mins, then mix in the coconut and dried fruit, and bake for 10-15 mins more.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.

This mixture should last well for up to a month. It is yummy with milk or natural bio live yoghurt and can be mixed with fresh fruit for extra flavour and benefits.