Beach running

When I was on holiday recently, I decided to have a go at running.... on the sand.

I hated it. It was hard and slippy and I couldn't understand why people love it so much.

That was before I had another go on Sunday with Matt.

We went for a weekend away at Filey, East Coast and we stayed in a beautiful house on the cliffs overlooking the beach and sea.

The best holiday village ever

My mum has a caravan a couple of miles down the road so we decided to run to see her. (Did I mention we left the car there the night before during 10th wedding anniversary celebrations involving alcohol).

And do you know, I couldn't have enjoyed it more. The sand was wet, I think that was the key to it. It was more solid but gentle on our joints. It was easy to run on, much better than concrete and the view was spectacular. The sea air really made me feel healthy and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Even the part where we thought we might get stuck (the tide wasn't very far out).

Not the most flattering photo but evidence that I did it

All in all, as Matt and I share a love of fitness we completely relished in it and it just added to our lovely weekend break together. I think next time we will go further and do it because we want to - not because we have to, which was initially  the case.

It wasn't a long run, only a couple of miles but I couldn't have enjoyed it more. Running with Matt, along the beach, next to the sea. And to top it off, the sun was blaring down. Completely enjoyable. I highly recommend it to any runner.

Just don't do it on loose sand in 30 degree heat, that is miserable! Lesson learned. British beaches are the place to run.

Beautiful

A hair-raising revelation

What a ridiculous flick

As I have previously written, I have had some real trouble with my hair these past two years.

It started falling out and became very thin. But, after some extensive research I managed to get back on track by lowering my stress levels and eating quality food which is good for hair health. The right nutrients are also key, particularly vitamin C, protein and iron.

I still feel it is a bit thin at the ends and can look straggly. I recently chopped it all off and it looked thicker, fuller and healthier. However, it just wasn't me, so I am currently in the middle of that process that most girls have been through of growing my hair out. It is at that mid stage where it just looks terrible and a really awkward length. It sits on my shoulders funny and flicks out and as it is thinner at the bottom, it just looks ratty.

So, upon my research reading the many hundreds of articles on healthy eating, nutrition etc... I stumbled across some editorial on hair. It was very interesting, it suggested that those with thin hair should CONDITION BEFORE THEY SHAMPOO.

Now, everyone has been taught to shampoo and then condition it just seems natural to us. But, who is to say that is how it should be done? Who made the rules and said it had to be that way?

Looking healthy and natural 

This article suggested that people with thinner hair condition then shampoo but if you have thick hair keep to the norm or condition before and after the shampooing process.

I have thin hair but a lot of it so it has never looked as though it was lacking until now. So I thought, what do I have to lose? Why not try it.

And I am glad I did. Instantly my hair was looking better. It didn't look dull anymore, in fact it had a new kind of gleam, a very natural looking one and it just looked healthier. It wasn't as frizzy and had less fly-aways and it felt as soft as silk. Even the knots seemed to disappear. It was a real revelation.
  
So, I continued with the pattern for a week and seven days down the line I don't think I will ever go back to shampooing first. I urge anyone with thinner hair to give it a try, maybe even those with thick hair, who is to say it won't work for you?

A hair affair

Help me! I'm going bald! Okay that might be a little over dramatic but for someone who has always had nice, thick hair, thinning hair is a catastrophe.
It had been coming out either in clumps or one strand after another.
I know hair does fall out and some people have hair that comes out more than others but this is noticeably worse than usual.
My sister is also a hairdresser and told me it did feel and look thinner.
I am a big champion of natural hair. Often you see me walking around with wet hair as I like to let it dry itself and it is rare it is brushed.
I have to admit, I have felt a little more stressed than usual.
Both work and play have been hectic so I cannot help but think it must be the cause.
I am an emotional eater so I have eaten a lot of comfort food lately. I'm sure that has not helped either.
So what do I do?
Upon my research I found that the three key nutrients for healthy hair are vitamin C, protein and iron.
Vitamin C is great for looking after your follicles and scalp oils, iron helps oxygen circulate through the strands and you hair is made up of 97% protein so the more you eat the more it reinforces it.
So what foods have these essentials in?
Unfortunately for me, most of the foods I found that were key to maintaining your mane, I eat virtually every day anyway.
These were:

Fish/poultry - Salmon is the best as it is high in omega 3 fatty acids as well as a lot of protein. These fats help grow hair and regulate scalp oils.

Greek yogurt - Again high in protein low in fat and sugar. It is regularly my choice in breakfast. You can pair it with so much as I do. Often I will stir in some vanilla extract or honey and add nuts. Sometimes I would get a bag of frozen forest fruits out because the liquid that comes off them really is delicious on the yogurt.

Walnuts - Another food high in omega 3 and funnily enough they are also great on the yogurt to double up my hair growing abilities. Or you can just grab a handful as a snack. I have to admit, alone I don't really like walnuts but as an ingredient in something they are brilliant. I do make a delicious apple and walnut salad which is great both in summer and winter. I will upload the recipe for that the next time I make it.

Sweet potatoes - Ohh god do I love these golden vegetables. Quick fact, they are not actually a part of the potato family. The antioxidant properties in the beta carotene turns in to vitamin A which helps all the cells in your body function. Also they help keep your scalp healthy. I absolutely love making sweet potato wedges. They only take half an hour, keep the skin on for extra fiber and texture. Coat in a little olive or coconut oil, keep it simple with salt and pepper or spice it up with cajun seasoning, you really can't go wrong and it is a great accompaniment to salmon.

Spinach - Virtually all my meals contain spinach, whether it is scrambled egg for breakfast, salad for lunch or cooked, again with salmon and sweet potatoes for a super food splurge. It is high in iron and we have already learned why that is key. And to make it a bit more special it is also high in vitamin C and beta carotene.

Finally eggs - My go to meal. Morning, noon or night. You cannot go wrong with eggs. Super high in protein with some iron in there too. I literally have eggs all the time. After a heavy evening work out it is great for a fast, filling meal. I often make a big omelette and throw in anything I have around, mushrooms, spinach and tomato is a favourite. Sometimes I make a cheesy omelette for more healthy fats, protein and calcium or you can make it meaty by adding ham, chicken or any kind of fish. Smoked salmon is a personal favourite - particularly around pay day!

So what can I do? I don't know I will just keep trying to eat well and see how it goes. I will eat even more of these staple foods and hope for the best.