Nike Discount

Exercise is an expensive hobby; you spend a small fortune on gym clothes that you are expecting to fall off you after 6 months.

Little things like EXTRA SALE DISCOUNT can be a life saver.

So here you go, for all my lovely readers have a further 10% off the Nike Sale.

Visit this link and take an extra 10% off the already discounted clothing using this code: 

DUNK10 

(It's valid from the 3rd-12th October)

Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Chocolate Truffle Recipe (It Rhymes)

So if like me you're drooling over The Great British Bake Off, wondering if your diet will ever allow you to eat cake again; well look no further.

In fact i've taken it a step beyond cake: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Chocolate Truffles - Perfect for you Paleo people. I'm sorry to those of you who want cake but this recipe relates directly to my 'Why You SHOULD Eat Chocolate' post, i'm basically giving you another excuse to eat chocolate. (Plus eating truffles increases your social class). 

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces of Dark Chocolate (70% or higher)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 120ml of coconut milk (I use Koko Milk) 
• Drop of vanilla extract
• For the topping : 
• Cocoa powder and/or Shredded Coconut

Method:

1. Chop up the chocolate into pieces and place them in a bowl with the coconut oil - Set this aside. 
2. Heat the coconut milk on the hob in a saucepan on a medium heat. Remove it from the heat when it begins to simmer.
3. Pour the hot coconut milk into the coconut oil & chocolate bowl and slowly mix the ingredients together.
4. Finally add in the vanilla extract and continue to slowly stir. 
5. Pour the mixture into a sealable bowl/tub/container and leave it in the fridge until set (around 4-5 hours).

This is when it all gets a little bit fiddly, you need to get your fingers into the mix and form it into little balls - Be quick or the mixture will melt in your fingers. 

Roll the balls in a topping of your choice, I went for cocoa powder and shredded coconut. Once you've coated the balls in your favourite (healthy) topping, pop them back into the fridge for an hour.

And in the words of Nicole Scherzinger, here you have some LITTLE COCO DUSTED BALLS OF DELICIOUSNESS.

Why You SHOULD Eat Chocolate

(You can thank me later for this).

'Cocoa seeds are a super fruit'

E.G. CHOCOLATE IS A SUPER FRUIT 

*Inserts Dancing Emoticon*

...No i'm not lying, this isn't a farfetched fitness myth, i'm not feeding you a fake fantasy to keep you gripped. This is real life, the researchers at the Chemistry Central Journal don't lie, they probably don't share our life goal of consuming 10,000 calories a day whilst maintaining the body of a Goddess. They are more interested in boring things like 'Why Humans exist'... Anyway off them and back onto us... CHOCOLATE IS A SUPER FRUIT and here is why:

'The cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called Flavonoids' (Lol what?)... Flavonoids are antioxidants found in chocolate. This doesn't mean you'll find 'Flavonoids' on the ingredients list,  you need to look for 'Cocoa Solids' - The higher the percentage of Cocoa Solids = The higher the Flavonoids, therefore the better the bar is for your health. For example: 

This bar contains 'Cocoa Solids 85% minimum' e.g high in Flavonoids. The sad truth is that milk chocolate contains low cocoa solids and therefore low flavonoids :( ...Alas we cannot let this defeat us, chocolate is chocolate, especially if you're dieting, you can't be picky, you need your fix and it tastes better than salad.

Further reasons why dark chocolate is healthy:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers Cholesterol 
• Lowers the risk of Cardiovascular Disease 
• Dark chocolate may protect your skin against the sun
• Increases metabolism 

(All these facts are supported by studies which you can find anywhere online). The main proven fact is the 3rd point, that cocoa can lower the risk of Cardiovascular Disease...This doesn't however mean that you should OD on Dark Chocolate; as well as having an array of health benefits it needs to be consumed in a controlled manner, have a couple of pieces a few times a week.

OH and don't worry about the fat in dark chocolate, the fat comes from cocoa butter which is made up of acids, one in particular called 'stearic acid' - An acid which actually has a neutral affect on cholesterol, it doesn't raise cholesterol and it doesn't lower it either, WIN-WIN.

One last point - Not all dark chocolates are healthy, avoid any containing the labels, 'Processed with Alkali' - This means it has a lot less Flavonoids due to the processing procedure.... Oh and another point, the higher the percentage the more the bitter the chocolate, if the taste is too much for you then spread the choc' with a slither of honey or coconut oil and it'll make it a touch sweeter. 

*Drools* 

Freshers Week made healthy-ish

Freshers Week - The week that will either make you or break you. Freshers Week teaches you who you are as a person. It gives you life skills that you won't learn anywhere else. Freshers Week is THE greatest week of your life. 

For some of you reading this, this may be your first ever Freshers Week, and if it is then GOOD LUCK and do not hold back. The rest of you probably fall into one of two different categories, there's the people who are running back to Freshers Week, they can't let go, this is exactly what they live for. And then there's the others, the ones with the voices in the back of their heads telling them that they shouldn't, it isn't healthy and they might actually die this time... Ignore that voice, I'm about to make your journey to Freshers a little bit easier.

HEALTHY ALCOHOL, 2 of my favourite words put together- It almost sounds angelic. 

For those of you thinking that this post might actually be a bit obsessive, a bit OTT healthy, well what about this:

1 Glass (8oz) of Long Island Iced Tea = Just short of 800 calories :-( 

...If you're about to embark on your Freshers Week journey, then this menu may help your body (That's if you aren't drinking each option x10).

Healthy Drinks Menu

Gin and Diet Tonic (60 Cals) :

• 1 Part Gin 
• 2 Parts Diet Tonic
• Squeeze of Lime Juice
• Small handful of fruit - Perfect for those of you who want a sweet kick (and for those of you who have forgotten about your 5 a day).

Low-Cal Fruit Mojito (105 Cals) :

• Glass of ice
• 12 Mint Leaves
• Generous Squirt of Lime Juice
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Honey 
• 1 Part Light Rum
• 1/4 Cup of Your Favourite Fruit; Strawberry/Blueberries/Mango- whatever you fancy. 
• Finish with sparking water.

Beck's Premier Light (64 Cals) :

• 64 calories at 3.8% - You can't go wrong with this low-calorie beer, the taste isn't dissimilar from your average beer and the alcohol percentage is reasonably high. Brave the banter of ordering a light beer and laugh at them later (when they are fat).

Anything with Vodka (on average 50 Cals a shot) :

• Vodka Cranberry
• Vodka Diet Coke
• Vodka Lime and Soda
• If you are feeling healthy (and boring) why not go for the lowest calorie drink option - Vodka and Tonic.

Sweet Alcohol White Wine (114-147 Cals a glass) :

• Turns out that sweet wines (Moscato/Chenin Blanc etc) are actually lower calorie than dry wines, so if you're inclined to a cheeky glass of vino on a night out and you have a sweet tooth then look no further! Tragically the less alcohol the wine contains, the less calories, so if you're looking for a healthy night out stick with the lesser percentages (waaaaaa).

Granted, the term 'healthy' is used very loosely in the 'Healthy Drinks Menu', but they're as healthy as you'll get for alcohol... Plus if you keep to the Healthy Drinks Menu then it's one less thing you'll regret in the morning. 

P.S for a hangover cure, see my previous post on Nuun tablets. 

You know it's winter when...

Can we talk about the time I went on a fitness trip and returned with an illness; I'm pretty convinced that it's my body punishing me for going on a wet, health and fitness 'holiday'. Either that or it's my body giving into the cold weather (If any of my friends/family are reading this, if you want to help me survive these treacherous few months then i'm going to need a new winter wardrobe).

*Weeps in self pity*

I genuinely feel like i've been eaten, spat out and then somewhere along the line a hedgehog's been put into my throat...Yes, i've got a cold and as a result i'm O.D'in on vitamins and Vicks... because that is what we've been taught to do right?!.. "Plenty of Vitamin C when you're feeling groggy" (Groggy - Great word). 

WELL GUESS WHAT... According to the Internet, Vitamin C curing the common cold is a MYTH. Our childhoods were a LIE. Many a study now tells us that Vitamin C does naff all for sniffles and sneezes (See here too). 

This is the kind of situation that makes me doubt my whole life.

...I'm sorry to have launched this information on you, you've probably bought many-a-pack of effervescent vitamin C tablets as well as chewable tablets that tastes like grit that you eat anyway thinking that they will revive you. However, it's not all bad news, vitamin C may not cure the common cold but it does have many other health benefits, so don't throw them all in the bin just yet!

One thing that you should definitely buy when you're feeling slightly deathly is the Vicks First Defence Nasal Spray - Like a dream this little tube makes you feel revitalised, (minus the absolutely revolting back drip of poison you get in your throat after squirting it up your nose), this little thing works miracles. 

No more excuses for not going to the gym. Squirt that bad boy up your nose and you'll feel ready to tackle the treadmill. Oh, and having a bad cold gives you an excuse to have a warm winter dinner...Which then means you might need to work a bit harder on that treadmill...Oh, this is a vicious cycle.

Health and Fitness Getaway

Before I begin this post, can I be the first to point out that Centre Parcs is definitely not a  tropical forest hidden underneath a huge dome. It isn't remotely indoors, it's a British forest which absolutely does not contain any tropical springs, none.

I'm glad we've managed to clear that one up, you know, just in case anyone actually turns up to Centre Parcs with that expectation in their minds.... 

So yeah, anyway, I went to Centre Parcs this week for the first time and it wasn't exactly what I had anticipated. It turns out that it's a huge forest, full of hills, full of cabins, full of bikes, full of kids -Seriously do not go if you're a fan of peace and quiet, there's literally more children than trees.

After my initial shock (what the hell is this place) I decided to embrace Centre Parcs for what it really is - Wet English Woods... I put on my coat and stepped into the (non-dome-covered) forest, I hired a bike and set off on my crazy week. I'm not going to bore with further details about Centre Parcs, i'm going to give you the basic DL. If you're looking to go on a fitness break that doesn't involve trawling over mountains and getting lost in the middle of the Lakes then this is the place for you. It's a village of health activities, ranging from yoga to paint balling to aerial adventures (trekking in the trees). There's a little bit of something for everyone.

With all this said, i'm not sure if i'd go back. The problem with Centre Parcs is that it doesn't feel like a fitness and health getaway, it feels like a week of fun and games and comfort food. After a morning of laser combat (running around trees in the rain with a heavy gun, ducking, hiding and shooting) you don't feel like going home and eating a healthy meal. You want to go home and eat scones and sit in front of the fire, you definitely don't want to spend your time preparing a gluten-free sugar-free muffin... At home a gluten-free muffin is exciting, it tastes so naughty when it's not. But at Centre Parcs, after running through the cold woods, screaming like a child with a gun, you don't care if your muffin's healthy or not, you inherit the mind of a child and you'd happily eat a packet of sugar for breakfast.

HOWEVER- Centre Parcs is THE perfect balance of fitness and good food. If you want to have a break which involves eating anything you want without feeling awful about it, then this is the place for you.

(^Do not be fooled by the blue sky - I'm in England, we have blue sky and torrential downpours within the same hour - The focus is on the mass amounts of bicycles).

The greatest people you will ever meet, and the worst, beware of The Plastics. (Gym Edition)

I've been at my gym for over a month now and i'm still not over the 'new gym feeling'. It's like an instant paranoia that you get when you join a gym, you think that everybody's looking at you and that you're doing something wrong. Last week I managed to convince myself that I was in the Men's changing rooms?!!? 

After running out of the changing rooms and then running back in (once I'd seen the female sign) I decided that things needed to change. I went into the gym and looked around and realised something... Every gym is the same, it has the same people and the same cliques:

...You've got your:

Sted Heads - 90% of them have a bald head, 10% are wearing a cap. According to their vest's they're all members of 'Gold's Gym.' If you can't see them you can hear them, like pigs, grunting. If they aren't in the weights area then they're flexing in the mirror. Avoid. 

Unfriendly Gym Hotties - Their gym routines revolve around the treadmill and the free weight's area. They'll run for an hour (without sweating) and then effortlessly throw themselves around the exercise ball, (That silver ball that you've fallen over a couple of times and wondered what the hell it is - your mum probably has one that she doesn't use). Even whilst running and doing press-ups they still find the time to stare at you and judge you. Don't look at them. 

Girls Who Eat Their Feelings - The bigger ladies in the gym. The ones you look at and think 'Go on girls,' then you realise that they're drinking a litre of lemonade whilst walking on an incline. They go home and eat two dinners to congratulate themselves for going to the gym... They hate you for not being obese. They are your motivation to keep going. 

Girls Who Don't Eat Anything - Usually the ones sprinting on the machines, they constantly look down, seeing how many calories they've burnt. You look at them and think, 'What are you even doing here.' They are the faces you'll remember, because they are always there, every day. You want to tell them to go home/you kind of want to ask them what their secret is. Don't do it.  

The Desperate Wannabe's - They've always got a piece of paper in their hand and their iPod in. The paper consists of weights and exercises that they've spent all night researching on bodybuilder.com. They start their sessions off with a Facebook status, 'Off to the gym BOOM #traindirty.' If you don't know this person, then you are this person- Don't be this person. 

The Plastics - They're all members of a secret shop which you find out about after you've had a boob job, the 'extra-tight-low-cut-gym-wear' shop. They have a face of makeup and hair extensions in. They float around the weights area, they're not there to lose weight, as they are already know it's easier to get surgery... They are there to hunt men, they slow motion jog and pout on the cross-trainers, their boobs are bigger than the gym balls, their bums are rounder than the dumbbells. Beware of the plastics. 

Once you've recognised who these people are it's easy to find your place, don’t be scared, you are in the ‘Greatest People You’ll Ever Meet’ category… I’ve officially taken Mean Girls too far.