Sunday 9 July 2017

F45 TRAINING - REVIEW



Hello lovelies,
If you follow myself or any fitness related Instagram account, chances are you've seen posts about F45. I had done for months before I actually found myself trying it for the first time a few weeks ago.
I thought I would put together a little blog post explaining what this workout class is like, so you can know a little more before you give it a try!

F45 Training, or Functional 45 Training, is an Australian concept that has been exported to London, which combines 3 training element, popular HIIT (high intensity interval training), your classic circuit training and functional training all in a 45min class. The way F45 is set up is that there are 27 different workouts, some more cardio based and some more resistance based (though even the resistance workouts are very much cardio driven).

The sweat fest all plays out in a big room full of gym equipment, no mirrors and three screens at the front of the room. Each workout is super structured in a circuit kind of way where you do an exercise for a specific amount of time before moving to the next station. The screens at the front of the room show you how to do the exercise as well as giving you the amount of time you have left to do it and most importantly, how long your break is going to be. For me I love the timer, because it helps me push through those last few seconds when I'd really rather give up.

In terms of the exercises, they are usually pretty simple and get demonstrated by the trainers at the beginning of the class. There are always at least two trainers, who go around perfecting your form/helping during the workout as well as motivating you.

What I really love about F45 is that its SUPER sweaty, it's always different in terms of exercises and timing and there is an amazing team feeling. No one is judged, mainly because everyone is dying a little and has no time to worry about anyone else, because everyone is just trying to get enough oxygen in, in between exercises.

What I don't love is that even the strength days are still very cardio heavy, which is not everyones cup of tea. The timers/HIIT aspect, also means that even on strength days there is a sense of rushing through exercises, which really shouldn't be done with some heavy lifts.




All in all, I've loved switching up my training a little with F45 and I would highly recommend you try a class! Bring a friend for moral support & get ready to sweat your little heart out.

If you want to find a studio near you the easiest way its just to search their website:
F45 Training 

Price: 7days for £20 (BARGAIN) or otherwise £25 per class

Love,

Friday 26 May 2017

GUEST BLOGGER: FRESH SUMMER GARDEN SALAD


Today I got one of my favourite foodie chefs, Jin, to share a fresh summer recipe with us! If you want to see more of his delicious & easy recipes head to this instagram @jinlovesfood 

As summer is getting closer and closer, one of my favourite things to do is to go to the local famer’s market and take in all of the fresh veggies that are in season! This time of year, the vegetables are getting greener and greener. Some of my faves are local fresh asparagus (tender and sweet), fresh tomatoes on the vine (slightly sour but packed with flavour) and batches of watercress (full of vitamin and rich in iron).  I made this dish wanting to have a refreshing start to mark my post exam period – a healthy green vegetable salad. And here is how you make it.
ENJOY

Ingredients
For the salad
Avocado (1), Asparagus (150g), Salad Tomato (1), Egg (1), Watercress (200g), Sunflower Seeds (1 tbsp), Cumin (1 tsp) and some Csress (optional)
For the dressing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3 tbsp), Rice Wine Vinegar (1 tbsp), Egg Yolk (1), mustard powder (1 tsp) and a pitch of sugar (if needed)
and some seasonings (salt and pepper).


Methods

Preparing the salad:
1. Cut the Avocado and tomatoes into ideal shape. (here I used a sharp knife to thinly slice them and arrange them into flowers for presentation)
2. Use a peeler to get Asparagus Ribbons
3. Poach an egg, it is best to add some vinegar into the water to reach a better result;
4. Toast Sunflower Seeds and Cumin separately

For the dressing
1. Whisk up the egg yolk until pale and then add the vinegar into the yolk mixture
2. Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil gradually into the mixture to avoid splitting
3. Add mustard powder and a pitch of sugar (if needed), mix well
4. Lastly, season the dressing for your liking some seasonings (salt and pepper).

For the presentation
1. Make a base of your “Garden” by using the water cress and asparagus
2. Then top it with avocado and tomato flowers and poached egg
3.  For an extra earthy crunchy goodness, sprinkle your toasted cumin seeds and sunflower seeds.

4. For the finale, splash your salad dressing on top of it generously and liberally.

I hope you enjoy this refreshing dish, perfect for this hot bank holiday weekend! x Jin

Saturday 1 April 2017

I'M ALIVE!


Hello lovelies,
I know it's been nearly 2 months since I last posted a blog post on here, sorrryyyy.
Actually thinking back to when I wrote that last blog post feels a little weird and so so long ago.
I thought I would do a little quarter year update & reflection blog post because life has been one big rollercoaster ride for me the past 3 months. Things have changed so much since 1st of January 2017 when I was getting drunk with some of my best friends at a house party in south London.

The year started slow with a few hangovers with my travel buddies from Sri Lanka in town, followed by some exam studying days with the squad fuelled by REALLY good smashed avocado at Jimmy & the Bee (look it up!). We got through our exams, even the accounting one & rushed straight to the airport for a long weekend in gorgeous Copenhagen. It was the first little trip away with my London-Masters-Besties-Squad. We ate a lot of brunch, walked too much for Ashley's liking & lost and found Elyssa's phone all in one night.


Back in London I started to get into a routine of studying, working out & socialising until a text message broke my heart and threw everything off track. The weeks that followed were probably some of the hardest I've had in years. I lost my appetite & motivation, but gained so much too. It made me realise I had found incredible friends in London, who were willing to book last minute flights with me, cook for me, cry in bars with me, spend hours on the phone with me and pretend that nothing had happened with me.

And from there, the weeks that followed have easily become some of the best. I was able to celebrate my 23rd birthday with so many amazing people around me. I've been out dancing until the early morning. Eaten too many brunches (the limit does not exist). Discovered new corners of London. Had quiet nights in while playing the game of Whats-the-best-pickup-line-you-can-think-of. Enjoyed after work drinks without having to work (yet). I've had some awesome people walking into my life, and disappear again, while others have stuck around for now. And while I was doing all of that I've also finished the second term of my masters - 2 down, 1 to go!


It's been a busy 3 months, but I've loved every second of it even the really really shitty ones.
And now? Now I'm off to Oman for a few weeks with the family to do nothing, relax & get a tan before I hit the rush of London again. 

And what have you been up to?

Love,

Wednesday 8 February 2017

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS


Hello lovelies,
I know we are already one week into February but I thought I would still tell you about some of my current/January favourites. It's a bit of a random list with some foodie bits, some fitness stuff & some general life things.

First off are these gorgeous foiled prints.

They are by a girl who hand makes them and runs the instagram account @LovebyLuxe
I had stumbled across her account & saw all these gorgeous different prints she had made in the past and decided to get in touch with her. She makes personal designs so I just messaged her the quotes I wanted and she sent back a few designs. I gave her some feedback. And a few days later I had them in my hands. They are exactly what I had been looking for, so I've you're looking for something similar I could only recommend!

My next favourite is TEA! These two teas in particular.

Last time I was doing a big grocery shop I thought I would get some fun teas and these are the two I've been going back to again and again. I drink the salted caramel green tea in the morning and the camomile & spiced apple in the evenings. They are both so delicious if you are looking for some new teas - I recommend!

Next is Missfits Protein, of course!

If you've been following me on instagram you would know that I've been taking Missfits Lean Pea Protein since the new year. It's a vegan protein that comes in perfectly portioned sachets and is full of loads of goodness & none of the nasties. It's sweetened with stevia not some chemical sweetener, has green tea extract & B vitamins in it and tastes good! They do 4 flavours, but I'm not really a fan of their coffee flavour even though I seem to be the only person ever. If you are looking for a lean pea protein that actually tastes good, I highly recommend! Plus you can use my code 'debbie20' to get 20% off your order - BARGAIN. 

Next is my new phone cover & pop socket

In January, I finally got a new phone cover after mine had been falling apart for a few weeks. It's just a white marble cover I found on amazon. But I love it. I also got this tropical little pop socket which is so convenient. My friend Elyssa, has had one of these forever and I've been jealous of it for months, so I thought it was finally time to get one myself. It sticks onto your phone case and make it easier to hold your phone. No more dropping your phone on your face in bed (don't lie, you know what I'm talking about). I got my pop socket from popsockets.com. Easypeasyyyy.

Finally, my last little favourite is the Hawaiian Restaurant, Island Poké.

They are located in Soho & serve these really delicious bowl of goodness. You choose your base, fish and toppings so you can customise it to your taste. They have veggie options too, if you don't like fish. It basically tastes like a sushi bowl to me. So I'm not sure how Hawaiian this really is, but I'll take their word for it.

What have been some of your favourites?
Share them with me down below!
Sharing is caring, after all.
Love,

Wednesday 25 January 2017

TWO BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE IDEAS

Hello lovelies,
You know those morning when you would rather sleep 15 minutes longer so you run out of time to make breakfast? We've all been there!
What I like to do on those morning is throw together a breakfast smoothie.
It takes very little time to prepare & I feel like I can drink my breakfast faster than I can eat it. Plus if you are really organised you can even take it with you on your commute.
So here are 2 of my favourite breakfast smoothie recipes.

VERY BERRY BOOST
- 1 banana
- 1 cup mixed frozen berries
- Half a cup of oats
- 1 scoop of Mixed Berry Missfits protein
- Almond milk/Water

I love this one! I add in oats & protein so that it is more filling, I mean it's supposed to be breakfast after all.
I use the Missfits protein because it's plantbased (made from peas, not dairy), has extra vitamins & minerals in it (like vitamin B12 & zinc) as well as green tea extract. And because I like it so much of course I'm giving you the hookup. If you want to try Missfits for yourself you can get 20% off by using the code 'debbie20' - you're welcome!

GREEN GOODNESS
- 1 banana
- 1/4 avocado
- 1 pear
- Handful of baby spinach
- 1/2 cup of almond milk
- 1 cup of water
- some honey

This is my ultimate green smoothie. Some people are a little sceptical when it comes to drinking green smoothies, but trust me this one is sweet & creamy. The avocado gives it a creaminess that is delicious & all the fruit means you can't even tasted the spinach a little. Perfect way to eat your greens, drink them!

What are your ultimate breakfast smoothies?
Let me know down below!
Love,

Tuesday 10 January 2017

AFFORDABLE ACTIVEWEAR

Hello lovelies,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's that time of year again, where we all want to step up our fitness game, whether you're new to the gym life or just gladly fell off the bandwagon during the holiday season.
To help the motivation along we find ourselves buying new activewear, so I thought I would tell you about some of my favourite affordable activewear finds.

The first one that springs to mind, and the one I tell everyone about if FOREVER 21. They have redesigned their activewear and it all looks gorgeous and it's so cheap. The sports bras range between £5 and £15 pounds, while their leggings cost roughly £16. BARGAIN. And have I mentioned how cute the stuff is? (The sports bra I'm wearing in the cover picture is from them.)


My second fave is H&M. I feel like H&M had a phase were their activewear was nothing special, but they have also brought out some fresh new designs. From sports bras with cute strappy backs to sports luxe looking leggings. Their sports bras cost between £10 and £20 and their leggings cost an average of £20 too.


These are my two go-to when it comes to affordable activewear. Though as it's January, I've seen loads of other high street stores bring out new active wear too. Someone stop me. haha

Where do you like to buy your affordable activewear?

Love,

Monday 26 December 2016

BRING ON 2017!

Hello lovelies,
I hope you have had wonderful festive season with your family & loved ones.
I've been home with my family, I've eaten enough delicious food for four and have loved every bit of it.
Now there's only a few more days left of 2016 & I thought I would share a few things I am looking forward to doing a little more of in 2017.

Cooking
Since moving to London I have found myself cooking less, but I want to make an effort to undo this and actually start cooking more again. I want to try more recipes & hopefully share some of the successful ones with you too.

Me Time
I love people. I love spending time with people. But in 2017 I look forward to spending more time with myself. Without a screen & without being connected 24/7. I want to become more comfortable in my own company.

City Tripping
By now you all know I love travelling. But sometimes you don't even need to go that far to have the best adventures. In 2017 I want to go on more Europe City adventures. There are so many amazing European cities that are still on my hit list, so 2017 will be the time to make it happen.

Grabbing it 
I want to make sure I grab more opportunities in 2017. And make sure I am working hard to make  the most of the opportunities that come along throughout the year.

Caring Less
I want to care less about what people think. And particularly be less INFLUENCED by what people may or may not think. There are a number of things I didn't do or say in 2016, because I was worried about what others might think. So in 2017, I want to get over it.

So these are some of the things I am looking forward to doing in 2017!
What are some of yours?

Love,