Eating like a queen

So, after eating a large quantity of sugary foods (yes I have slipped back again) I decided to crank out two of my top healthy dinners.

Minted pesto courgette spaghetti and crunchy Greek style salad with chickpeas.

The salad is great for a lunch or accompanied by some form of protein for tea.

Crunchy Greek salad

Courgette spaghetti 

I have also been told I should do more food blogs and upload my recipes more so I will.

My main aim is to create healthy, fast and tasty food and I personally think these two are up there with my favorite recipes.

They are crisp, yummy and very quick to make. They are both refreshing in their own way too.

They are filling and keep me going for hours.
Try them yourself by checking out my Recipes for success page

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.

Autumn attire

Looking outside the sun was blaring, the sky was clear and it was a crisp autumn day.
The attraction to get outside and run was captivating me.
So I put on my usual three quarter leggings and vest top. With the nights being so dark now, Saturday mornings are the best time to get out for a long run.
But, as I found pretty much as soon as I opened the door, the weather was deceptful.
What do you wear at this time of year?
Last week it looked bleak and cold so I put on my running jumper and felt like I was dying from heat stroke.
This week I thought my arms and fingers would fall off from frost bite.
It is that awkward time of year. Visually, it is amazing to run in this weather but physically, I just cannot seem to get it right.
Covering my body up makes me feel too hot but as soon as I show some skin it is brutal.
What do you wear at this time of year?
When I covered up I wore long leggings and a running jumper, when I tried again I had three quarters and a t-shirt.
How about long sleeves and short leggings or long leggings and short sleeves? I tried that today at my local Park Run (which was fantastic btw - i'll fill you in lower down).
I wore three quarter leggings and a sweat resistant running jumper and it seemed to be the key.
Don't get me wrong I still got a sweat on, but who doesn't when running, especially at a faster than normal pace.
But I felt neither freezing or boiling. I think I found the balance.
I give it one or two more weeks and it may be time to start wrapping up head to toe, winter has come thick and fast. The dark nights mean running is limited for a small woman like myself.
So I will get out and appreciate the crisp fresh surroundings while I can.
Before the heavy down pours literally rain on my parade.

Park Run
I have really started to love this weekly event. I have run on it a couple of times and volunteered there now. If I run alone I always run 10k or a minimum of five miles, By no stretch of the imagination am I a long distance runner but as someone who tends to run well over 5k (the distance of Park Run), the shorter course is actually more challenging for me.
It takes me about 2.5k to get comfortable running but by the time I have settled into the rhythm I know that I am almost finished. So I have to push to run as fast as possible for my final lap so I can get a good PB. The shorter distances are more about speed for me. I always want to push.
Today, I got a place near to the front and did not let myself plod along at my long distance pace.
I said my aim was to get into the top 50 and run it in 25 minutes. I thought it might take a little longer to get there, however today I proved it is possible sooner rather than later.
I came 68/177 so I am getting closer and I did it in 25.09. And the only way is up!

A running stitch'uation

Out on the open road, looking forward to running a new route in Villamoura, Portugal.
It was set up to be a delightful run. It ended up being one of the worst runs I have ever had - at first anyway.
Off I went, slightly uphill at first, but I was enjoying it.
I love the challenge uphill presents because most runs are flat, but this one was bearable.
Usually it takes me around 15 minutes to get into a run and four miles before I am really comfortable. About 10 minutes into it I got a stitch, something I have never had whilst running before.
And my god was it painful. I am one of those who refuses to stop while on a run, I feel like a failure if I do.
I have even run through severe bouts of sickness. Doubled over, holding back the vomit, I have still carried on.
I did try to push through it but it stopped me in my tracks. My legs could have carried on and my mind was good to go but the pain in my side was excruciating. I was putting pressure on it in an attempt to compress the pain.
Who knew something as simple as a stitch which we all suffered as kids, could really be so painful.
It hurt enough to combat my stubborn nature.
As it was my first "stitch up" since becoming a jogger and with it coming after running only a short distance, I felt I had to get to the bottom of it.
It was around two and half hours since I had eaten, however it could have been the food I ate.
I had sushi for lunch, a chocolate pastry for dessert and shop bought granola for breakfast.
The combination of high sodium and high sugar foods must have had something to do with it.
It got me thinking about my diet in general. It has not been up to scratch lately and it made me feel guilty.
A bad diet can only lead to bad running. So it is time for a change. A 10 day detox and clean eating from now on. I am determined to eventually quit sugar but as we all know it is extremely addictive. It is also in everything! So it may take a while but it is something I am willing to be patient with.
On a more positive note. I was feeling rather disappointed about stopping due to the stitch and had resolved to take the shorter route home. But as I pushed through the pain barrier I started to feel better. Before long I felt stronger again. I ended up doing a much longer route then I initially thought.
So what began as a bit of a disastrous run turned into a successful, enjoyable jog.
Bur the moral of this story is bad diet = bad running.  

Park run problems

I did a park run for the first time yesterday.
As someone who regularly runs five to eight miles - five easily - I saw it as an opportunity to work on my pb (personal best).
Needless to say, my PB was the last thing on my mind.
Park Run UK is a weekly event staged in towns and cities all over the UK where runners of all abilities can join together and run, walk or jog 5k around local beauty spots.
I know what my body can do and how I can push it. I also know it takes me about 15 minutes to settle into a run and get into my stride. So I don't know why I was surprised with my speed and that it felt tough. By the time I had warmed up I was already half way round and had the mentality of just wanting to finish.
I did it in 27 minutes 58 seconds. Slower than the previous 5k race I did which was around 25 minutes.
I came 94th out of 300+ so it could have been worse for my first go while I got to grips with the mechanics of the race.

A detailed results table

Battling through the start line dodging all the slower runners was a nightmare for me. My patience is thin which is one of the reasons I love running alone - another obstacle I faced during the run.
Ducking and diving around other runners also proved difficult, I felt I had to over take a lot which uses extra energy that I like to save on just going forward. 
Next time I will try to start nearer the front.
The results table updates online automatically every week helping you work out your PB. I know I can do better and would have loved to but now it gives me something to work towards.
Next week I have been roped into volunteering so I will have to wait until the week after but that gives me two weeks to train. And train I will. I want to get under 25 minutes.
I am realistic I know that it is unlikely I will go from 28 minutes to 25 straight away so if I get under 27 I will be happy.
I do love having a goal.

Quitting sugar

So I really want to quit sugar completely.
I have come a long way since I started this blog a year ago. I have lost around a stone and I do not binge to the same extent. I can even just have one biscuit (occasionally) and not go back for more.
I have done a lot of research and a lot of reading. The one thing I have learnt is that sugar really is our enemy.
So I bought Sarah Wilson's book I Quit Sugar. It comes with an eight week program to help you quit. I cannot put it down, it is so helpful and full of great tips and recipes.
I'm no saint so I know it is going to take me a long time until I reach the point where I can detox for eight weeks. But I have had a reasonably good start. I thought I would go slow to begin with and cut down.
Now, surprisingly by thinking this way, last week I did not touch any sugary food except for an apple a day. My skin had been getting really bad lately which had been bringing me down but by Thursday I could see a slight difference.

What more motivation do you need?

I was recovering from a pretty bad cold so I did not have the energy to stick to my usual exercise routine - I did keep up with it just not as strenuously as normal.

By Friday I was beaming because I had done so well to resist temptation.
But one thing I have learnt about sugar, it is everywhere, which means if you're not prepared for just how many things it is in, life and sugar will get in your way.
So I visited my family in Yorkshire and once again monster mum got to me with her delicious baking.

I might have also ended up at a cake-away. But look at it, who could resist while you're still a sugar addict?!

So I failed the week. However, I did not want to punish myself too badly as I had said I could take it easy to start with so I think I did pretty well.... I just wish it hadn't been for the last three days.

Jumping in at the deep end

I have not been swimming for a long time. Life just got in the way - as it does.
So when I got back in the pool it was like I fell in love all over again.
I personally enjoy swimming first thing on a morning. It is refreshing and really wakes me up.
I was surprised at how easily I just got back into the swing of it.
A mile every Tuesday morning really does help me with virtually everything.
It clears my head and relaxes me. When I'm having a tough time with work, as I have been lately, it is great for de-stressing. It also helps improve my running by regulating my breathing pattern as well as strengthening my entire body.

Not the most flattering photo but I spent most of my holiday in Cyprus in the water. I'm at my happiest in the blue stuff.

I hope I don't ever have to miss so many weeks of swimming again because I almost forgot how much I loved it.
I recommend it to all fitness fanatics. It helps improve your cardio and nurtures your muscles helping to reduce the risk of injury.
Gliding through the water on a morning is so therapeutic. I wake up extra early so I can get in as soon as the pool opens and for the first five minutes it is just me and the water and it is so peaceful.
Just writing this is making me want to take the plunge again.