Hiking in the Peak District & Clearing the Cobwebs!

The concept of a bank holiday must have been generated by a woman. Only a woman would have the foresight and knowledge to know that every now and then us humans require an extra day after Saturday and Sunday to catch up on life, slot in some extra rest and generally clear the cobwebs. The boy and I, on whim decided to hire a car and get away for a portion of the August Bank Holiday, which in the UK falls at the end of the month and not at the start of the month, like in Ireland.

The Peak District, literally only an hour or so from Manchester was our chosen destination. As we decided to head there on a whim, accommodation was scarce. So scare that we ended up booking a hotel outside of the Peak District, but we didn't mind. We had a car for the weekend and knew we'd spend most of our time outdoors taking in some fresh air. I recently had been worrying alot about work. There were heavy deadlines looming and I needed to get away from it, even if it was only for 24 hours. I just needed space to clear my head and what better way to do then with a 10 mile, mostly up hill, hike!

It was a well known route that the boy discovered online and being in a 'up for anything' kind of mood, we packed the car, turned on the sat nav and made our way to the Peak District to our hiking starting spot. When we arrived and despite wearing gym gear, we felt like amateurs. We were surrounded by outdoor professionals. People and families geared up in the best of hiking boots, jackets and waterproofs, while the boy and I looked like we were heading to a spin class. We laughed it off and made our way to the starting point. The funny was, the boy was going to wear jeans until I told him to change!

Within 20 minutes we were on our way and also on a very, very steep hill. The boy, clearly fitter than me found it easy, while I and my thunder thighs worked hard through every single step. Despite recently loosing a stone, eatting clean 80 percent of the time and loosing a jean size, my dire fitness levels were evident. I was nearly passed out by a 70 year old man! A very friendly and lovely 70 year old man, but a 70 year old none the less.

After about an hour of huffing and puffing, we reached the first summit. I didn't die along the way, I didn't give up and despite shouting at each other, the boy and I didn't break up along the way. It was a mini success to reach the top and the worries of work were becoming a distant memory.

The views were pretty incredible and we took a little time to rest, top up the water levels and chat to others who had reached the top. The 70 year old I previously mentioned arrived a short time later and was joined by his son. Chatting away, he told us that he meets his son once a year for a long weekend and it always results in a hike and a couple of pints. What a lovely idea!

After our short break, we continued on. There was a brief period where the terrain was level or downhill which was a nice relief for my poor legs and the steepness which followed afterwards, while tough, was no where near as tough as the initial climb. The scenery continued to be breathtaking and refreshing and when we reached our second summit, we choose it as the spot to eat and share our homemade packed lunch. A ham salad sandwich never tasted so good!

Fed and watered and ready for more exercise, we started the final aspect of the hike. Now mostly downhill (I was delighted) we met lots of families, couples, energetic dogs and individuals along the way, all of whom were making the most of the bank holiday weekend and making the most of the fact that the weather forecast said rain would hold off until 4pm. Despite feeling a little sore, overall I felt awesome. The hike did what I hoped it would do. It removed worries, cleared concerns and put things into perspective. It felt more than good to get fresh air into the lungs and get the heart pumping. 

The closer we got to the end of the walk, the more we talked about what we would do when we got there. Chats about eating, shopping or even sleeping and taking a nap cropped up, but really what we needed was a lovely little treat. On our arrival into a little village, we found the first pub and hey presto, we were satisfied. A gin and tonic and beer never tasted so good.

Eating Clean - Healthy, Wholesome Breakfasts

Breakfast can be a chore for many. I know this to be true having woken many a morning in the past and skipped this important meal. However over the last number of years, I've slowly come around to the idea that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and have made the daily effort to make something every morning.

Prior to my clean eating regime, Monday to Friday, breakfast would normally consist of tea and wholemeal toast. Dripping with butter and sometimes jam too, this quick fix covered me until 11am when another snack and cup of tea was needed to fuel me to lunchtime. Weekend breakfast saw me put in a tad more effort and often you might find me frying up a few eggs, perhaps even a sausage or two. I took great pride in my weekend breakfasts, viewing it as a treat to kick start my two days off.

Breakfast in the last six months has been shaken up quite a bit and the energy difference I've noticed, I've had to share with you. I've moved away from the greasy toast and tea pick me up and worked hard to consume more slow energy release foods. Foods which not only contribute to a longer feeling of fullness but contribute to my overall well-being also. Today, breakfast looks more like the following:

- A berry packed smoothie (recipe of which you can find here).

- Eggs fried in coconut oil, placed on a bed of spinach and a slice of butter free wholemeal toast.

- A thick bowl of porridge made with almond milk and topped with goji berries.

- Dry scrambled eggs with a side of bacon. (No milk is used when scrambling the eggs)

- A bowl of chopped fruit with a few drizzles of natural yoghurt.

- Two ingredient pancakes, topped with raw honey and strawberries. 

 

As I'm planning my meals more and more, each evening I find myself thinking "What will I eat tomorrow" and getting excited about what I'm going to cook and eat. I have found great satisfaction in preparing all of my meals from scratch and knowing what ingredients it took to make each meal. No added sugars, no preservatives, no ingredients that I cannot pronounce. Eating clean ensures that my meals are wholesome.

As mentioned before, eating clean has contributed to weight loss, brighter skin and stronger nails but it's also contributed to a more positive mood. A feeling of optimism combined with a more positive attitude fills my days which in turns gives me the energy to get up in the morning. Slowly but surely I'm moving from a grumpy morning person to a 'get up and seize the day' person. More of that please!

Stocking up the Larder - Whole Food Haul

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm nearly 14 days into my recent clean eating-athon and there's no sign of me slowing down just yet. It must be the sunny weather and bright mornings which are helping me in having more of a pep to my step, a cheery disposition and the sheer willpower and commitment that is required when you opt to eat clean, consume only whole foods and vote to make all of your meals from scratch. I am freaking loving it! At the end of my first week, there was six pounds less of me. SIX whole pounds less of me!! I've never had results like that in my life. Just goes to show what you can achieve when you put your mind to something and get your junk off the couch.

I am consuming more fruits and veg then ever before easily surpassing the recommended daily amount of five per day. Easily. There are days when I've consumed close to 10, but when you are eating them with every meal, it's easy to do and now it feels normal. Its wonderful. I'm full of energy and the three o clock slump seems to be a thing of the past. I'm yawing less through out the day if not at all and my skin and nails are radiant and strong. In fact, I've never seen my nails in such good shape. Prior to this they had ridges, were weak and would break easily. Clean eating is the business and its been less than two weeks!

Clean eating also requires lots of preparation, research and a bit of moo-lah to start off with. There are many out there who will attest that living this lifestyle can be expensive and yes, some investment in some items is required. Coconut oil for example  (used instead of olive oil in cooking) can be pricey at up to £20 for a (rather large) jar, but if you shop around you might find a two for one deal like I did in Holland and Barrett . However, it lasts months and months so you ultimately you get alot of bang for your buck.

Back in January I did my first whole foods shop and now nearly seven months later I'm running low or completely out of some basic items, so a trip to the awesome 8th Day Veg on Oxford Road was a must earlier this week. Maybe it's a sign of old age, but whole foods and health shops really excite me these days. I love popping in to the likes of 8th Day Veg or Holland and Barrett and having a snoop, plus it's really difficult to just buy one item. My recent whole foods haul was of course, no different. I definitely spent less than my first initial shop, but tried (really tried) to limit myself to just buying the items I needed and not just lusted after!

This time round I spent about £22 and bought the following:
- Red Split Lentils - Used in soups and healthy curries, this mega bag will last me months!
- Wholewheat Pasta - Again, another mega bag for some pasta dishes and salads.
- Almond Milk - My smoothie staple, used instead of dairy and delish with porrige too!
- Milled Chia Seeds - Something I've been wanting to get my mits on for ages - added to smoothies
- Almond Butter - Mmmm, I love this stuff! Perfect with apple slices or on a ricecake
- Organic Jam - Contains zero preservatives. Zero!
- Organic Tomato Puree - To make those pasta dishes even more clean
- Organic Thai Curry Paste - More clean eating = more cooking = more experimenting in the kitchen
- Organic Herbs - Rosemary and Paprika. I used the Rosemary last night and it was the most fragrant I have ever smelled and tasted. The difference compared to regular / non-organic Rosemary blue my fragile clean mind!

£22 is quite alot to spend on such a small amount of products, but these items are to build my larder of clean ingredients. They are key in the foundation of many meals and so, go the distance and for me, are worth the investment. I'm hoping to share some of the clean snacks and meals I've been creating.

Do let me know in the comments if this would be something you would be interested in.

 

Clean Eating with a little help from Instagram

Over the last number of months I've dabbled in the clean eating lifestyle and pretty much jumped on and off the Paleo diet bandwagon. For those of you unfamiliar with eating clean or the Paleo diet, I'll explain further. The diet is said to be derived from our ancestors and those undertaking the diet are required to only eat whole foods. Foods which have been taken from the ground such as vegetables or those which walk, swim or fly. Think beef, fish and duck. Essentially, the food our ancestors would have hunted. (Mind you, I have seen a pretty good Ted Talk that states our cavemen ancestors didn't have access to alot of the foods that the Paleo diet lists!)

Paleo requires that you eliminate processed food completely. If it comes in a packet, it's not a whole or clean food. It also asks that you eliminate diary, so no cheese, yoghurt or milk and suggests removing grains and beans, so goodbye lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans. In their place, almond milk, coconut flour and lots and lots of eggs as well as fresh fruit, wholesome vegetables and where possible grass fed and organic meats. I have found that when I focus on a Paleo lifestyle the benefits are fantastic. Within a week I feel less bloated, my stomach is flatter, clothes fit better and the muffin top reduces. Combined with exercise and I'm on to a winner. 

Keeping on top of a Paleo diet, welllllll like all things it requires a big dollop of cream free motivation and willpower and I'm a big fan of all the tools a gal can get her hands on in order to keep that motivation going strong. Enter Instagram, my favourite photography app. A wash with fitness (or #fitspo) posts and inspiration, a quick search and you can find all the six packs and cellulite free thigh muscles you ever wanted. While interesting to look at (the men are anyways!), for me I'm more of a fan of all the fab Paleo meals that other Paleo lovers share. Sometimes when I feel my diet is a little limited, exciting ways to create meals can really lift me and I love finding the next best delicious smoothie to try out for breakfast.

With that, sometime back I created my own Instagram healthy eating account (HealthyRainbow) in which I share the Paleo meals I've created. It's a simple tool which I enjoying doing and for some crazy reason makes me want to eat better. When I see all the lovely clean meals I've made, it makes me step away from the processed stuff a little more and when I find another meal to find out, I'm straight to the kitchen whipping out the coconut oil and almond flour. It might inspire you a little and perhaps we can motivate each other to look after selves that little bit more.

Share your Instagram account below - I've love to follow you!