Fierce Medicine by Forrest Yoga's Founder

Last week I had a bit of a yoga book haul, finally getting my hands on the nigh-on essential Yoga Anatomy alongside Kino MacGregor's the Power of Ashtanga and Ana Forrest's Fierce Medicine. Fierce Medicine was published in 2011, but it really caught my eye recently. Unlike Yoga Anatomy, which is very much a factual textbook, Fierce Medicine is partly autobiographical, taking you through Ana's life in her journey towards founding Forrest Yoga, alongside yoga tips and short sequences.

Forrest yoga has become a global form of yoga with a large following. It is described as a powerful form of yoga with an emphasis on emotional and external healing. Whilst influenced by traditional healing practices and has certain spiritual connotations (Ana refers to the "Great Spirits", with religion or faith being ambiguous), Forrest Yoga has been designed with the modern yogi in mind, helping to heal addictions and modern ailments in a way that appeals to a wide audience. Ana's life's work is to "heal the loop of people", referring to a Native American way of thinking. I have associated the style with practitioners of all ages usually able to perform strong physical asanas.

Whilst any international yoga teacher is likely to have an interesting story, I was not prepared for the wild, transformative journey that Ana had been on. From a childhood of alcohol, smoking and drugs, Ana became a yoga teacher at the tender age of 18, which enabled her to find sobriety. It wasn't plain sailing from there unsurprisingly, but over the intervening years Ana travelled as she studied yoga and healing, largely influenced and taught by Native American groups.

The starkness of Ana's younger years, followed by the richness of her life really took my breath away. Far from gaining a few qualifications and then opening up a new studio (not that that is easy, either) Ana has really grafted and grown to become an experienced, intuitive teacher with a unique insight. I found myself totally hooked, and the book cover to cover on my train journeys to and from London last week. The yoga sections are focused on postures to help with specific ailments of target areas, which I found to be in useful bitesized amounts, especially as I was keen to read more of Ana's story as the book went on. There's also a couple of sections that are based around meditation or really getting into your own head, but I've left these book marked as I felt they needed a more private and safe space than a busy train carriage.

Until now, I hadn't really considered practicing Forrest Yoga, but now I would be really keen to have a go. I kept wanting to come back to the book for the first few days after reading it, as if there would be more stories to captivate me. This book is as much a telling of a story as it is an explanation to the concepts and philosophies behind a powerful form of movement and connectivity. Read it if you want to lose yourself for a while in the honesty of someone else's life, but leave if you want a more straight forward yoga book with many series of postures. Ana does talk about her spiritual, or other worldly experiences, so do pick up the book with an open mind (or pinch of salt, depending on your scepticism and personal beliefs). There's little I can fault the book with, hooked by it as I was. Reading about how Forrest Yoga came into being whilst listening to Nahko and Medicine for the People totally transported me far, far away from the stretch of railway I was travelling along. It changed my way of thinking, enlivened my passion for yoga and, for a moment, took me into another world, and I couldn't ask for more than that.

Hot Yoga | A First Experience and Beginner Tips

I know I am so late to the band with this one, but last week I finally tried hot yoga for the first time! The 37 degree class hasn't quite reached York yet, and I'm not quite sure if practicing my downward dog when in Turkey counted. A while ago, I came across yoga teacher Adam Husler and really liked his ethos and style. By pure coincidence, he also happens to be Tash of Dance Flow Lift's yoga teacher and so Tash and I arranged to meet when I arrived in London and go to one of his classes at Yoga Haven, a popular group of hot yoga studios.

Photo: Eva Katalin Kondoros

First up, it was really nice to meet and chat with Tash, who is one of the loveliest people. It's funny, how with social media and blogging you can "know" someone for two years and not have actually met in the flesh. We arrived in good time, which gave me a chance to say hello to Adam and get myself settled in the hot studio. I was a little nervous, being just in a yoga bra and leggings next to lots of well-practiced and toned hot yoga students. My abs are still a work in progress, but I was at least relieved that my clothing behaved!

I did find the class hard, although it was a tough one. Adam really is a great teacher and I moved and worked my body in ways I hadn't practiced in yoga before. Being a newbie (and someone who's had more than her fair share of heatstroke over the years) I took plenty of water breaks. The practice was made up from flowing sections and vinyasas, with a little strength and balance work thrown in. Laying down in Shavasana at the end was so satisfying as I really felt like I had challenged myself. Having a scented muslim cloth gentle applied to my forehead during the final resting pose really sealed in the practice and honestly, I'd return just for that even if I hadn't loved the class as I did.

Maui Hot Yoga

Water before, during, and after, food after!
As practicing yoga in a hot space will cause water loss, it is very important to be fully hydrated (without needing to have bathroom breaks!) before you begin. Sipping water throughout the class is essential to keeping you cool, but won't hydrate you much, so make sure you've had plenty of water before and after the class. Avoid food though, because a full stomach can make you feel queasy as the digestive system shuts down during exercise. Have a little fruit or a smoothie if you really need beforehand, but otherwise save fuelling up until later.

Bring two towels (at least)
Unless you have an ultra-grippy mat, like the Liforme or Suga mat, you'll definitely need a grippy towel on top. You can buy some very pretty ones that are just for yoga (I like these and these) and take up limited kit bag space. Alongside this, you'll want a towel to wipe off sweat throughout the class, and for the shower later. One on it's own probably won't cut it!

Pace yourself
When you're used to flowing through 90 minutes of Vinyasa without any trouble, it can be a little disconcerting to find yourself feeling impossibly tired just by stretching out into Warrior II. Accept that practicing hot yoga is more strenuous and don't be afraid to sit back in child's pose or on your back when you need it.

Embrace the increased flexibility... carefully
The temperature rise allows your muscles to stretch more, meaning that your flexibility increases more quickly as you attend sessions. Don't force yourself too much though, as you can risk over exerting your muscles. Just let your body move and you'll likely be pleasantly surprised without risking injury.

REVIEW | Voltaire Vegan Restaurant

I don't get much of a chance to do reviews of restaurants and shops on here, and not being in a large city it feels as though any review would be a little niche. However, with the opening of a new vegan restaurant in my university town of Bangor, I felt as though this definitely needed sharing! You're likely to visit Bangor, situated right up on the North Wales coast if you're off to climb Snowdon, or are en route to cross over to Ireland from Holyhead. I have to be honest and say until now, Bangor is pretty poor on places to eat. During the day, there's the famous Blue Sky cafe, which really is amazing, but at night time you would have been better off going to Caernarfon or Beaumaris down the road. Step in Voltaire, the first vegan restaurant to open in Bangor. Having opened just two weeks ago, I was keen to try it out and headed over with Jess for a girl's lunchtime date.

Voltaire-named for the French philosopher and early supporter of vegetarianism -is located just by the pier in a quirky, bright old building. The front room feels cosy and cafe-like, but there's also a skylight-lit room behind and private function space. Although officially a restaurant, you can go in for coffee and cake, and Voltaire offers a lighter lunchtime menu as well as a range of starter dishes and tapas, so you feel catered for whatever your situation. Whilst Voltaire is not a health food restaurant -the owner, Rachael wants to dispel the notion that veganism can't be indulgent -there are lots of nourishing, healthy options. I opted for the superfood salad, made with quinoa and pomegranate. The quinoa part of the meal was served on the side of a fresh, leafy salad (pictured above), rather than all mixed together as a cohesive dish. Still, it was tasty and a perfect lunchtime portion size. Jess tried vegan cheese on a jacket potato for the first time and was pretty impressed. Main meals come in at roughly £10, which is very reasonable, but the lower price of the lunch menu was also appreciated. There was also a deal on the tapas if I remember, making a mix-and-match meal be very easy to build up.

Wanting a thorough review, Jess and I decided we just HAD to have dessert (ha!). I had a nutty vegan brownie and Jess a fudge chocolate cake with vegan icing, both with soy ice cream. I usually tend to avoid soy because of all the associated environmental and health impacts, but will have it in small or occasional amounts, and in this case I'm so glad that I did because it was heavenly! Creamy, and ever so slightly nutty in flavour, the ice cream went beautifully with the warm, dense brownie. There is also an option for oat cream, which sounded very fast. All the cakes are baked for Voltaire by a local lady, and hats off to her. I'm looking forward to sampling her ginger cake, recommended by Rachael.

Voltaire is still very much in it's infancy, with Rachael and the team holding back on really pushing the marketing until they find their feet, which seems sensible. I'd like to see the menu changing on a regular basis to keep things fresh, with perhaps a little more confidence and flair in some of the salads, whilst maintaining the simple comforts already offered. With vegan nachos and beer-battered cauliflower, I'll definitely be keen to try more of the current menu as well. I am very much looking forward to watching Voltaire grow, with evening events or supper clubs and an engaging website top of my list of things to see.

You can find Voltaire on Facebook, where updates and photos are often posted up.

Rumble with Sweaty Betty and 1Rebel

Boxing has caused a storm this year (as predicted here!)  and we have only just finished January. Specifically, high intensity workouts that utilise the work required to pump out kicks and punches, alongside the fat burning benefits of circuits and agility training. The ubiquitous workout has evolved to include skipping punchbag or partner training, followed by lots of core work. Possibly the most popular studio to get punching at is 1Rebel, London's boutique studio that offers pay as-you-go classes in boxing, cycling and circuit/treadmill formats. The Rumble class fuses shadow boxing (air punches) with martial arts. Personally, I am really keen to train at the studios myself, but with London visits short and much less frequent than I'd like, it isn't that easy.

So, I was pretty stoked when I received an email from Sweaty Betty a few weeks ago announcing the launch of their new Rumble-based Get Fit 4 Free campaign, in collaboration with 1Rebel. I always seem to end up blogging about the Get Fit 4 Free campaigns but it's because I have almost always been really impressed with them. And I have to say, I think this is my favourite yet.

The thirty minute class is broken into short segments, allowing you to really focus and push yourself. The first time around, I was mindful of disturbing sleeping housemates, but even without putting my all into the jumps and between-punch bouncing, I was still sweating. Mila Lazar, who ran the session, made use of a punch bag, whilst her partner coach, Daniel, demonstrated how to take the class using air punches, with holding onto light weights recommended. By the way, if you need another incentive to try boxing, just look at Mila's arms! #Goals

The sections were split into warm up, punching, mixed martial arts (MMA), and plenty of cardiovascular work, all rounded off by a final session of push ups and ab work. The punch work was pretty simple with just straight jab and cross punches and wasn't too intense. That being said, having to repeat punches on one side rather than switching right to left really fired up all of my arm muscles and got them aching. I liked the MMA section as it included some new techniques for me such as elbow strikes. There's plenty of kicking involved too, which is always satisfying, especially with a punch bag! The cardio session is the longest by a fair bit, but the boxing-style work and constant changes kept this part both relevant and interesting. I did struggle with some of the leg work as Mila was stood sideways on to the camera, although I probably would have managed better had I focused on Daniel's work more.

What I really like about this video is that it could be done at the gym, where you may have access to a punch bag, as well as at home. I would recommend having at least one go at home first to have an idea of the moves involved, so that you don't miss part of a sequence if you can't see the video clearly (extra win if you have wireless headphones and get to watch and listen without getting tangled). I've jotted down some of the MMA sequences, which I had a go at when next at the gym.

As a thirty minute class, this is perfect short workout to do if you are short of time, or to tag onto another twenty or thirty minute training session to maximise gym time. I teamed the Rumble class with a twenty minute run out in the elements to get a good start to a Sunday, which felt about right.

In all, I am really impressed with this workout. You need absolutely no equipment (but light dumbells or a couple of tins of beans will really have you feeling the burn!) and will still build strength and definition in the upper body, whilst burning some calories. Perfect for the gym-shy, boxing-curious, or anyone wanting to add something extra to their routine.  Oh, and the playlist is epic -fancy sharing it with us Sweaty Betty? Get ready to rumble.

Liked this? See my article on Huffington Post to see how women's fitness has changed thanks to superhuman-style televised programs.

Paleo Snacking with Wild Thing

The 4pm slump can be one of the greatest challenges to anyone embarking upon a healthier lifestyle. When the blood sugar levels drop, it can be really difficult to ignore the lure of unhealthy snacks that provide a quick fix. In an ideal world, we would only crave nuts and carrot sticks, or alternatively have a selection of homemade energy balls and treats to turn to. Unfortunately, crudités don't always cut it, and life can get in the way of the making of homemade creations. Luckily, a whole market based around innocent snacking has arisen, saving us from the vending machine temptation.

A new brand that has landed on the shelves on Planet Organic is Wild Thing paleo bars. What caught my eye is that these bars are also organic and vegan. Tick tick. Wild Thing bars, which don't look dissimilar to the popular Nakd bars, aren't specifically a post-workout protein bar, but instead contain a moderate protein content (around 5g), which makes them the perfect light snack. The bars are made with as few ingredients as possible, and the processing time is just 30 minutes before the bar is packaged up.

With a walk in the snow last week, I chucked a couple of bars in my rucksack and cracked them out midway along. Of all the bars, the chocolate and almond bar tastes most like a standard date and nut based bar: simple and tasty. Hands down, my favourite bar was coconut and chia. There was just the perfect amount of coconut flavour, balanced out by blended cashew nuts. Also included in the mix are a berry flavour and the subtle-tasting mixed seeds. Calorifically, each bar clocks in between 100-140 cal, with the seed based bars topping the scale. With up to 12g of sugar per 30g bar, you don't want to be having too many, but for the size this is just enough to perk you up. On top of this, most of the sugar comes from dates, which have a GI of 42, compared to 65 for caster sugar.

Wild Thing bars are a great snack that come with no hidden nasties, making them a really good light snack. Whether or not Wild Thing's push towards a paleo clientele will be enough to make the bars stand out from competitors, is a question, but I personally was really pleased with these slim snacks. Currently available from selected retailers including Planet Organic and Amazon, you will need to plan ahead to buy these bars. However, I look forward to seeing Wild Thing make it's way into more shops, as I would definitely pick up another coconut and chia packet or two!

The Microbiome Solution

Today I have the pleasure of sharing a really informative book with you all; The Microbiome Solution by gastroenterologist Robynne Chutkan M.D. For those of you interested in nutrition, the effects of antibiotics or the role of bacteria to overall health, this is an essential read. Published in the UK as of last week, The Microbiome Solution explores common symptoms and causes of unhealthy gut biomes. It's interesting just how many everyday medications and foods can have an impact upon your internal systems. After explaining the causes and results of a poor microbiome, Chutkan introduces an "eat clean, live dirty" lifestyle plan that promotes growth of "good" bacteria and overall health.

Chutkan goes into quite a lot of depth, so you may wish to dip in and out or head only to the sections relevant to you. Luckily, by being split into four sections, this is easily done. The first section provides a brief introduction to what exactly the gut bacteria is. If, like me, you come from a science-based background, some of this is fairly basic, but provides a good all-round information to bring everyone up to speed. Part two is the largest section by a significant amount. Here, we look at the causes of bodily complaints related to the digestive system. As this section moves from problem to problem, with a variety of issue that have similar causes, parts did start to sound a little repetitive -a patient came in with poor digestion or repeated cases of infection, Chutkan advised them to come off their antibiotics or stomach acid medication and eat a low sugar, gluten free diet. The patient would then start to see a recovery. Part of the reason for this repetitiveness is, no doubt, because many cases follow similar patterns. Still, it may be worth skimming over the sections less relevant to you if you are reading the book to solve a specific problem. The section is highly comprehensive, and I liked how symptoms, causes or names of bacteria (good and bad) frequently appeared in text boxes, enabling the reader to make an easy summary of any especially relevant information.

In the next section Chutkan breaks down how to adopt a lifestyle that should help to prevent and go part of the way to cure any of these ailments. She breaks this down in to simple steps giving a range of options to take, useful as not all the tips are to everyone's taste -showers every other days or less will challenge a few social expectations! There are lots of suggestions that are easy to follow though, such as using homemade cleaning products and natural soap, eating pre- and probiotic foods, limiting medication except where necessary and more. This chapter focusing on the theme of "rewinding" ourselves, which I think is a really great concept.

Lastly, Chutkan teamed up with Elise Museles of Kale and Chocolate to create a section dedicated to recipes. The Eat Clean, Live Dirty lifestyle revolves around a blend of vegan and paleo diets. The option of eating meat is offered, with some great recipes for meat dishes included, but there is a strong emphasis towards eating more plant based dishes, with dairy and gluten being largely excluded. Although this section doesn't contain images, I still found that lots of recipes caught my eye, including coconut milk kefir, which is a plant based version of the latest probiotic superfood doing the rounds at the moment.

If you have had digestive problems, or have an interest in holistic (and western!) nutrition, I would really recommend giving this book a read. It is a purely factual book, but the anecdotes throughout helped to break up the text. Thanks to clear headings and sections, it is easy to skim through the book if needed. I can't comment on the recipes as of yet, but they look promising as it stands!

The Microbiome Solution is now available in the UK, published by Scribe and selling for RRP £14.99, or for £5.62-£11.84 on Amazon.

Fitness Trackers for Yoga

When it comes to monitoring health and fitness, a certain amount of guesswork tends to be involved. As we are all unique, suggested class calorie burn values can be arbitrary at best, and when it comes to assessing the benefits of workouts done by yourself, results can become even more unclear still. On top of that, the rest of our day obviously hugely impacts on our overall wellbeing. Does your lunchtime workout really make up for your desk-based work, when compared to someone without a gym membership, but works outdoors? Fitness watches can be a great way to track this. Ranging from the humble pedometer to ultra high-tech watches with in built GPS, there is a tracker for pretty well every person.

I gave the Fitbit Charge HR a try, and set about seeing if it was sensitive enough to track my yoga practice. I was immediately struck by the range of functions that the Charge HR offered. With an in built heart rate monitor and the ability to work out my running total calorie burn, I could see how hard I was working when on the mat. This heart rate monitor was an added advantage, as I don’t think yoga would have been picked up on a more traditional fitness watch. It isn’t perfect of course, with the stretching poses not being noted, or the benefits of strength-building asanas. However, compared to what I have heard from other watches, the Fitbit was still picking up much more detail from my practice.

A big part of fitness –one that is often missed –is sleep. How easy is it on an evening to realise that you have long since missed the eight-hour window, and that the morning alarm is ticking ever closer? A clever feature of the Charge HR is that it can actually monitor your sleep. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it is fascinating to look at how well I have slept, and even how long it takes to fall asleep. It does make you more aware of your sleep, and I have found myself dashing back home in the evening to hit my sleep target! So long as the Bluetooth on your phone is on, the Fitbit also has a silent alarm system that uses vibration rather than sound. It is much gentler way to be woken up, or can be used as a subtle reminder in the middle of your day.

Most of your stats –steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned and heart rate –can be read live on the watch itself, but the phone app is where all the data is stored, with milestones and weekly updates being emailed to you. It is a really good way to take a wider look at your progress. I was surprised at just how much distance I walked each day! My favourite thing to do was to look at my heart rate change –how did a series of sun salutations affect it compared to climbing the steps to get up the hill to my house?

Whilst I wouldn’t necessarily say that a fitness watch is as much as an essential for a yogi as it is for, say, a runner, but it was still highly informative, and the additional features of the Fitbit Charge HR made the watch a great all-rounder, useful from the yoga mat and gym to daily life.

                       

Disclaimer: This post is in collaboration with Argos, who sent me a Fitbit Charge HR to test. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

New Product | The Healthy Body Kit

I hope that you all had a great Christmas and have fully recovered from any food babies or other festive indulgences! To help you get back on your feet, I am pleased to announce the launch of The Healthy Body Kit, a new monthly subscription box aimed at keeping you at your fit and healthy best. It combines organic skincare, health and fitness supplements to keep you feeling great, inside and out.  The box contains around five sample, or full sized products, along with discount codes for if you wish to purchase the products that you have tried. So far, this follows the same format that you may be familiar from other subscription boxes, so no nasty surprises! However, The Healthy Body Kit is much more tailored towards fitness and wellbeing, making it ideal for anyone who likes to get their sweat on!

I have filmed an unboxing-style video to give you a first look at what the latest box looks like. If you would like reviews of each of the products, comment below, or keep an eye out on The Healthy Body Kit website for my reviews as I post them!

To see the video on my YouTube channel, click here, and don't forget to like and subscribe! For a quick glance, here are the products in this month's box:

Love Your Blender - Super Berry

Buff Bake - Chocolate Chip Protein Peanut Butter

The Chia Co - Chia Shots

Healthspan Elite - Performance Greens

Terre Verdi - Facial Oil

I hope that you enjoyed my latest video. Please comment and let me know what you thought and what you'd like to see!

Disclaimer: In collaboration with The Healthy Body Kit. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Review: The Yoga Collective

More and more of us are getting hooked on yoga, which is an really great thing. Unfortunately, due to studio costs, or class availability, keeping your practice up can be hard, especially when your home practice hasn't developed. There are some really great YouTube videos and tutorials out there (check out Jayne Becca's channel for some great vinyasa flows!). But it can be tricky to delve through all through videos, especially when you don't know who is properly qualified.

Luckily, there are a few great subscription services out there. One of them is The Yoga Collective, a website designed so as to feel as though the yoga studio is being brought to you. The Yoga Collective has an in-house group of yoga teachers, each with a different expertise and specialism. With HD videos in student-filled classes, the experience is really authentic, almost like being in a real class. All classes are filmed in The Yoga Collective's own Venice Beach studio, giving the videos a really consistent theme. You can search classes by difficulty, teacher, class length, yoga style or body focus. This has been really useful, and have found myself coming back to a couple of teachers and particular classes.

Whilst there isn't the variety or sheer amount of videos as other websites such as Grokker, the library is expanding, and with the Yoga Collective, you know that you will be getting consistently high quality videos. One perk, is that I haven't had any slow, or even crashing videos as I have experienced   on other sites -a total nightmare when trying to follow a yoga flow!  With the exception of a section of recipes, The Yoga Collective is completely focussed on yoga -again, meaning less variety, but better focus.

The actual cost of The Yoga Collective varies as to whether you subscribe monthly or yearly. A monthly cost works out at about £7.90, and the annual subscription is slightly cheaper, equating to £7.13 per month. Based on this, I would recommend paying monthly rather than the full £86 for the whole year. With some individual classes costing upwards of £5, even £10, this subscription works out as pretty reasonable.

If you really want to improve your home practice, or get more classes in without spending over the odds, I would really recommend giving a subscription service like the Yoga Collective a try! Have you tried The Yoga Collective or similar?

Living Matcha Tea (and Matcha Latte Recipe!)

Today I am sharing with you an exciting new brand, Living Matcha, that I hope you'll love! Matcha tea is becoming really popular as a source of caffeine and antioxidants. With half a teaspoon of Living Matcha powder having the nutritional benefit of 15 cups of health-foodie fave green tea. Part of this is due to the fact that you consume the tea leaf in matcha tea, rather than just an infusion of it. The balance of caffeine and relaxing L-Theanine creates an energising beverage without the crash associated with other caffeinated drinks. Another benefit of matcha is that it boosts metabolism, making it popular with those looking to loose weight and build muscle mass. Matcha has been used for centuries or even longer in Buddhist monasteries, as it has been shown to increase focus and so aid in meditation. With all these benefits attributed to such a small dose of a food, matcha can be thought of as a superfood. By superfood, I mean a highly nutrient-dense food that can be used to support nutrition, rather than, say, a particularly nutritious vegetable or berry.

So, onto Matcha Living itself. Matcha Living sources their shade-grown matcha green tea from Kagoshima, where matcha has been grown for generations. Matcha is grown in the shade to promote chlorophyll and L-Theanine growth, and it is this that separates it from ordinary varieties of green tea. Living Matcha promises to make it's product 100% organic, raw and pure.

I am quite picky about my green tea, as many varieties can be horribly bitter. Good-quality green tea should have an almost creamy texture. Living Matcha had quite a strong, grassy smell, and I was preparing myself for quite a harsh flavour when I first tried it (I had wheatgrass on the mind..!). However, I was really taken by surprise. Despite being worth so many cups of green tea, the matcha had a surprisingly delicate flavour. It is recommended to use a small electric whisk to mix the tea in, but at a pinch slowly adding water and stirring quickly should work as well.

I tried my first matcha latte with Living Matcha as well. I couldn't get hold of my normal almond milk, so used hemp, which I have been surprised to find that I really like! To make, add a half teaspoon of matcha to a cup or latte glass. Heat milk of your choice to around 70'C, which is an optimum temperature for frothing up milk without scalding it. Use a small electric whisk to thicken the milk, and pour into your glass, mixing the tea and milk as you do. Drink immediately! I did find the combination of green tea and milk odd, but it is a lovely alternative to traditional matcha tea, particularly when on coffee dates with friends so that you don't feel left out!

Living Matcha is sold in 30g pots, which are kept completely airtight with a ring pull (such as on other tinned goods). I think half a teaspoon works out as a gram or even less, so the 30g pot should last deceptively long. I don't really tend to notice an energy boost when drinking coffee (one of the reasons that I rarely drink it) but I am sure that I did feel more alert after drinking it. I love how pure Living Matcha is, as I felt confident that all the nutrients from the matcha were complete and that I was getting maximum benefit from the tea. For me, superfoods aren't about noticing immediate result, but looking after my body long term. I have only been taking matcha for a few days so can't really comment on if there has been an effect on me, but so far I am feeling really positive.

I am really pleased with the ethos of Living Matcha, and have found it to be a delicious product. Living Matcha has been set up by just two people, Ed Allistone and Russell Smith, so it is a real, small, independent business. For me, it is a no brainer. If you love tea, healthy living, or supporting artisan businesses, then Living Matcha is a brand to try.

Living Matcha is available to buy for £25.00 here.

S'well Bottles

Here on Green+Aquamarine, I like to talk about plastic a lot. Specifically, getting rid of plastic waste.  So today I am really excited to talk to you about S'well, an eco-friendly, insulated, fashionable water bottle.

The Brand

S'well was set up five years ago by Sarah Kauss, after she grew tired of drinking warm water on hot days from single-use plastic bottles. The problem with multi-use plastic bottles is that they do eventually deteriorate, and even BPA-free plastic contains compounds similar to BPA, which can also be bad for you health. Glass is dangerous if broken, and aluminium leaves a metallic taste in the mouth. So, S'well turned to stainless steel, which has non of these issues.

The double-walled insulation makes the bottles able to keep hot drinks hot for 12 hours, and cold drinks cool for a staggering 24. Considering that most conventional flasks have a 6-8 hour insulation period, this is certainly impressive. As I will be going on holiday next week, this was the key reason that I bought this bottle, as warm water is just disgusting! The design also promises to be leak-free, even when dealing with steam from hot liquids.

One of S'well's greatest aims is to bring plastic bottles out of the landfill and oceans. It is estimated that 200 billion plastic bottles end up in landfill, globally, each year. It is a pretty shocking statistic, but with S'well becoming an increasingly successful brand in the US and worldwide, hopefully this number will start to decrease!

Another thing that I really like about S'well is that the brand has a strong charitable ethos, working with Water Aid, U.S Fund for UNICEF and American Forests. It is a real pleasure to see brands ticking all the boxes on providing a desirable product that is sustainable and ethical.


The Review

I picked up my bottle from Hip & Healthy in the gorgeous Santorini print. It arrived speedily, beautifully wrapped with a note from the Hip and Healthy team, and the bottle itself came in a secure box. It is, by a long way, the most expensive bottle that I have seen, but with it's high-tech design and superb credentials, I can certainly see why. The 500ml bottle feels sturdy, and I appreciated the slight indentions on the lid, presumably to give wet hands a little extra grip. I haven't noticed any aftertaste so far, so I am really pleased with that. With so much choice in design and size (250ml-750ml bottles are available), S'well has really thought about their customer, making a product that is as suitable on the office-to-gym run as it is for summertime picnics. I think a lower price would make it a more accessible product, but only if it could be done without negatively impacting S'well's core values and charitable work.

S'well bottles are available in the UK for £29.95 at Hip & Healthy. In the US, the whole range is available on S'well's website. Psst! Until the end of the month Hip & Healthy are giving a sachet of Pip & Nut nut butter for every purchase, so get your skates on!

Getting my Protein Fix with MyProtein

I have to say, I am fairly new to the protein and supplement scene. As someone with an interest in fitness, getting my protein in is definitely important to me, but I have mainly been getting this from dietary sources, and have potentially not been meeting my daily requirements. So, when MyProtein offered to send me a few products to try and review, I was definitely interested! I thought I would share some ways to get extra protein into your day.

I always look towards plant based sources where possible, so I was pleased to find a mix of pea, hemp and rice protein powder together and, moreover, in a chocolate flavour. Whey protein powders get all the interesting flavours so this was pretty exciting. Although I am used to less than sweet taste of pea protein, MyProtein also sells flavdrops, which a perfect for those of you new to vegan powders. The flavdrops are very concentrated and just smell amazing. For a filling protein shake, blend a 30g scoop of protein with almond milk, a banana and some toffee flavdrops if desired. The mini protein shakers from MyProtein are the perfect size for one portion to take on the go with you.

I love, love pancakes for breakfast! (who doesn't?!). MyProtein's pancake mix uses whey protein and golden syrup flavouring, making it perfect for after a morning workout. Stuart and I enjoyed a lazy Sunday brunch of fruit and honey-topped pancakes and it kept me going for absolutely hours. It reminded me of the Betty Crocker pancake mix that I used to use whenever it we had pancakes, needing only liquid adding to it, and then being good to go. Super easy. If you prefer making pancakes from scratch, then adding a scoop of protein powder to your preferred pancake recipe may be more up your street.

For protein on the go, MyProtein has created the surprising snack of protein-rich bread sticks. Rich in olive oil, these little morsel's are 30% protein and are just perfect with sun-dried tomato flavoured hummus. They are great to pop in your desk or bag for when you need a little something to keep you going. I had some alongside strawberries from a pick your own farm in the middle of a bike ride. It was a perfect way to refuel and get ready for the next ten miles of cycling! Warning: you'll need scissors to get in to the bag if you don't want to tear it in two whilst on a picnic!

You can see the whole range of MyProtein's women's fitness range here. How to you get your protein intake each day, or do you focus on other aspects of nutrition?

Disclaimer: I was sent a selection of MyProtein products for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Deliciously Ella

I think many, if not all, of us health bloggers can view Ella Woodward, of Deliciously Ella, as the epitome of blogging success. She has changed her lifestyle to radically improve her own health, and inspired many others to do the same, all whilst keeping a positive, grounded attitude and producing lots of yummy food.

Those of you on Instagram may have noticed me sharing a few images of Deliciously Ella creations that I had made myself. Now, I am the first to admit that I am far too inclined to buy or lust after lots of recipe books, but then barely use any of the recipes, if any. However, Ella's book is just stuffed full of recipe's that I wanted to try, and I found myself often trying two or three a day.

As far as I am aware, most of the recipes in the book can also be found on the blog, but here they are even easier to find, with a few extra tit bits and anecdotes thrown in. What is different is that Ella goes into a lot of detail on how diet has changed her health, which ingredients and cooking methods to use, and recommendations on how to take up Ella's lifestyle yourself.

So far, I have been pretty pleased with everything that I have tried so far, and can't wait to have a crack at the sweet potato brownies. I am particularly taken by the tahini-based dressing used frequently in recipes, even though I am not keen on it on it's own. The dressing typically involves mixing the tahini with lemon, or honey and oil. It makes the best stir fry dressing! I would also recommend trying the lentil bolognese, which is the perfect healthy comfort food.

Although I initially borrowed the Deliciously Ella book, I am really considering purchasing it myself because it was such an enjoyable read. I will say that some of the ingredients are a little on the expensive side -I have plain pitted dates instead of medjool and a friend of mine used marmite and water as part of the dressing ingredients to avoid a more pricy item. However, there is a lot of flexibility around ingredients, and so long as you have some kind of food processor to get you started you will be able to access most of the recipes without too much bother.... I will need to get myself a food processor of my own by the end of summer!

If you are looking to eat cleanly, and naturally then Ella's book really is an excellent, whether as a starting point or to add some new ideas to an existing repertoire.

Rituals for Living Dreambook

Today, I am sharing the Rituals for Living Dreambook. Who else here is forever hunting for the perfect diary/planner/organiser? I feel like there are always a few pages of dead space that aren't relevant to your needs, whilst another needs don't even have a section in your organiser. The Rituals for Living Dreambook is a start-up concept for the ultimate planner and diary, perfect for organising multiple projects or aspects of your life, focusing plans, and storing all your ideas. As a student, blogger and fitness girl keeping all aspects organised is top priority for me, and I know that many of you are even busier! Currently, I use a filofax and two notebooks to balance things, which works for me at the moment, but amalgamating the lot would streamline me an awful lot.

Started by Briana and Peter Borten,The Dreambook is split into multiple sections and is so much more than just a diary. There are five sections; connect, dream, craft, ritualise and plan. Working through these sections allows you to first, identify core values, to realise your potential, expand on realising plans before finally planning out your projects, dreams, and future. Sounds pretty impressive, right?

The dream book has a few question and answer sections, which requires you to sit down and get your creative juices flowing. I find putting my thoughts to pen and paper incredibly useful for visualising ideas, remembering plans and feeling like things have solidified. Some of the questions are the kind I actively sought out a few years ago, when making subject choices in school and wanting to have something tell me where it was I needed to go, and what choices to make. There's even a good old brainstorming session included.

What I like about the planner at the back, is that you get to write in your own dates, so there's no wasted paper. If you have a busy week, you can cover more than one of the generously sized dates without affecting the rest of the diary. It can hardly be missed that this book is absolutely gorgeous as well; it is something to be proud of having on your desk or in your work bag.

The Dreambook is still in it's start-up stage and is getting really close to it's goal funding that is needed for the Dreambook to launch. If you're interested in supporting the start up and getting your hands on a copy when the book launches, head over to the Rituals for Living Dreambook start-up campaign to find out more!

Disclaimer: Post in association with the Rituals for Living Dreambook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.