Month: March 2018

Chocolate cornflake cakes

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An Easter classic, these can be made in no time at all and are great to made with kids! They’re also vegan and gluten free, if need be, so perfect little treats even for family dietary requirements! They can be made with most breakfast cereals, but work best with cornflakes, rice crispies or bran flakes. I use mesa sunrise, a gluten free cereal that I love. Top with mini eggs to make them super Easter-y.

Ingredients:

  • 50g coconut oil
  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 1tbsp syrup (I use coconut nectar)
  • 1tbsp cacao powder
  • 100g cornflakes (or other cereal)

Method:

  • Place the cupcake moulds in a cupcake tray, or another dish if you don’t have one.
  • Put the coconut oil, broken up dark chocolate and syrup in a bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring every 30s until it is all melted.
  • Once melted, pour in the cereal and mix until all the cereal is coated.
  • Spoon into the cupcake cases and pour over any remaining melted chocolate mixture when done, then top with whatever you’d like (I went for silver and chocolate balls).
  • Place in the fridge to set.

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FAQs on Instagram DM

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These are some of the most commonly asked questions on my Instagram and YouTube. I try to reply to everyone who messages me, but it may be quicker to find the answers in the content I have already produced. Enjoy!

 

Where do you work/what do you do/how can I get into it?

Edit: I now work as a social media consultant, freelance writer and as a blogger 🙂 Left this up in case you would like to go into science comms! It’s an amazing job and I would recommend it to anyone.

I work in science media and PR – in short I act as a go-between between scientists/doctors and journalists, to make sure the journalists understand any important research coming out, and to make sure that exciting new research is getting into the press. I absolutely love my job – I think it’s so important that the public understands scientific and media research, and it empowers people to make their own decisions about how they want to live their lives.

I am currently working at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which works on women’s health globally, but especially in the UK. I run their twitter account and do a bunch of other stuff too, to do with communicating Obs and Gynae research and news to the general public.

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy (science communications could be to do with anything from environment to medicine to engineering), then I would really recommend getting some work experience, including writing about relevant topics for your student or local newspaper and maybe starting a blog on your favourite topic, if you enjoy writing. Show how keen you are – I did months of unpaid work experience just because I loved it and wanted to show that. I would also recommend joining ABSW and STEMPRA to hear about job opportunities and get the chance to talk to people who have the job you want to get 🙂

 

What are your favourite activewear brands?

I’m not sponsored by any particular brand at the moment, but I love sharing other brands that I use. I have two vlogs on my favourite activewear – for everyday and winter running.

In terms of shoes, I wear a combination of different running shoes. Everyone is different, so I am reluctant to recommend shoes for others, but my favourites are Asics Gel nimbus 20, Adidas Ultraboost, Hoka One One Clifton 6 and for trails Columbia Caldorado II.

If you’re looking for new trainers, give this vlog with my coach a watch before buying and remember, everyone is unique!

 

Are you vegan?

No, not technically. However, I find labels unhelpful – I would call myself ‘plant-based’ if I had to label how I eat. I have been pescetarian since I was 4. I gave up fish in 2017 for environmental reasons (I studied marine and conservation Biology at uni and couldn’t really ignore what I had just learned). Shortly after that I also cut down significantly on dairy and cut out eggs totally. Now I eat a totally plant-based diet, but since I occasionally wear leather I don’t call myself vegan. In my eyes, every small step someone makes to make better decisions is a step in the right direction.

I share a lot of vegan food on my Instagram and my YouTube to show people that there are a lot of vegan options out there, even if you don’t associate with being vegan, or even vegetarian. Read my blog post on the topic here.

 

How can I cure my injury?

I get asked everyday about resolving injuries, especially those from running. I am not a physio, so can’t provide advice except my personal experience of ITBS. If you have niggles, you may find this vlog with my physio helpful, or this blog post on shin splints. Nothing beats visiting a physio though, so if your niggles continue, please do speak to a professional.

 

Do you have a YouTube?

YES! I finally have YouTube after around two years of deliberation. Check it out, watch and subscribe – enjoy!

Check out my twitter, instagram and blog too.

 

How do I lose weight/tone up/look like you?

I’m not a dietitian or a personal trainer, so I don’t like to give out personalised advice. I couldn’t anyway, since I know nothing about your diet, activity levels, metabolism or anything else. My Instagram aims to help you find enjoyment in living a healthy lifestyle – I am not going to give someone a personalised plan to ‘lose weight’.

I look like I do through a combination of working out in a way that I enjoy, eating a diet that I enjoy and genetics. Even if you followed everything I do to the letter, chances are we’d still end up looking pretty different.

 

How often do you workout/how do you train?

I’ve also got plenty of vlogs on my YouTube on my workout split (which changes according to my goals). However, please read above for what I think about copying workouts and expecting the same results – that’s not how it works sadly.

I always like to incorporate a mix of resistance training, HIIT and cardio into each week, whether that’s though boxing, running, weights, physio, classes or anything else. I think everyone should have a baseline fitness in strength training and cardio for all round health and fitness and to avoid injuries.

 

What are your favourite podcasts?

I have a vlog and blog post on my favourite podcasts. These need updating a little but are a great place to start! I love running with podcasts 🙂

 

Can you promote my product?

If you’d like to collaborate, please contact my agent at hannah@wmodel.eu.

 

I hope that helps answer your questions! Follow and DM me on instagram or twitter to find out more 🙂

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Eight tips to supercharge your workout

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It can sometimes be easy to fall into a routine of heading to the gym a few times a week and pottering around, without really getting much out of it. Implementing a few of these simple steps can really help increase the amount you get out of your workout, helping you to start seeing progress and enjoy your workouts again!

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Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

  1. Get a good playlist

Music has been shown both to improve performance and enjoyment during sport, both of which are important if you’re looking for consistency in progress! You’ll be surprised what you can achieve when you stick on a good playlist – anecdotally I have achieved many of my best runs when listening to a playlist where the music matches the cadence of my stride. Spotify has a cool smart playlist that allows you to put in your tempo (of cycyling or running) and plays you music that matches that beat. If you’re looking for an extra boost, this could be worth a shot!

 

2. Sleep properly

We all know deep down how important sleep is for pretty much everything in everyday life, and yet it’s often the first thing to go when we are busy or stressed. Being well rested improves reaction times, reduces injury rates and fatigue, increases power and reduces mental errors – vital especially if you play a sport. Getting a good night’s rest can also increase your motivation to workout, which is something we all struggle with from time to time!

 

3. Mix up your sessions

Boredom can totally annihilate even the best intentions. If the gym (or wherever you workout) doesn’t inspire you, then why would you put yourself through it? I try to mix up my workouts daily, so I never get bored, and also work different parts of the body. I do cardio and HIIT for my heart, weights for strength and bone density and everything else just for fun. Mix it up!

 

4. Eat 2h before

You don’t want to head to the gym on a full stomach. When your body is still digesting food, it uses blood that could otherwise be used to carry oxygen to your muscles. Equally though, if you don’t eat and start a workout hungry this can leave you feeling lethargic and weaker than usual. Whilst this can be used as a training technique, it’s not recommended if you’re looking to get the most out of your workout! Check out what to eat pre and post workout.

 

5. Warm up properly

This one is SO easy to overlook. When we’re a little short on time, the warm-up can seem like an unnecessary waste. However, if you’re looking to get personal bests (whether that’s in cardio or weights) and hoping to not get injured, then warming up is essential. It prepares the muscles and joints for work, meaning that whatever you’re workout, you’re likely to do it better. Try warming up with dynamic movements and cooling down with static stretches, rather than the other way around.

 

6. Have a plan

There’s nothing worse than going into the gym and having no idea what to do, whether that’s because you’re new to it or because you haven’t organised your workout days. I have fallen into the trap of telling myself that I’m just going to ‘workout’ but not saying how, and then half-heartedly doing a million things until the 45 minute workout is over. Now I try to write down what I’m going to do in the gym, or set up a circuit so I don’t have to think about what I’m doing next. This also makes your workouts much more efficient, meaning you can go in, smash a workout and get out in record time!

 

7. Hydrate

“Water regulates your body temperature and lubricates your joints. It helps transport nutrients to give you energy and keep you healthy. If you’re not hydrated, your body can’t perform at its highest level. You may feel tired, have muscle cramps, dizziness, or other serious symptoms.” – from Family Doctor. Water is needed for your body to produce energy, and if you’re dehydrated it literally can’t produce as much. To keep hydrated try to always have a reusable water bottle on you, and take sips throughout the day. When you exercise you lose water in the form of sweat and simply through breathing, so make sure to continually sip on water during and after your sessions. If you feel tired, you may just be dehydrated!

 

8. Dress appropriately

Have you ever seen someone attempting a run in totally inappropriate footwear or an un-supportive bra and think to yourself ‘WHY’. Turning up to the gym wearing non sports clothing is shooting yourself in the foot if you’re looking for progress. Girls, please invest in a well-fitted sports bra. Once the ligaments keeping your boobs perky are damaged (your Cooper’s ligaments), they’re damaged for life, and you’ll have saggy boobs by the time you’re 30. This is important even for small breasted women, so don’t think you’re exempt! Also if you’ve ever tried running properly without a good bra, you’ll know how uncomfortable this is – just spend the money on a good bra and be done with it. Having leggings/trackies that don’t fall down is also important, and a pet peeve of mine is having men unable to complete a set without having to pull up their trousers. The idea is to not be distracted from your workout at the gym, and having decent clothes is step one in achieving this.

For more tips head to my instagram and twitter!

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Setting up a good playlist can do wonders for your workout

Flapjack

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I didn’t know what to call this recipe because ‘flapjack’ doesn’t really do it justice. It’s reduced sugar (because I find syrupy flapjacks almost unbearable) and vegan, and also is more nutrient dense than ‘normal’ flapjacks, thanks to the addition of prunes and seeds and the use of unrefined sugar rather than golden syrup. It’s slightly crumblier than most flapjack recipes but I’m working to fix this. Either way, it tastes bloody good!

Let me know if you make it and I can share on my instagram.

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Ingredients:

  • 250g oats
  • 3tbsp linseeds/seeds of choice
  • 1 heaped tbsp flour of choice
  • 100g vegan butter (I used vegan Flora for this)
  • 25ml oil
  • 50g dark brown demerara/muscovado sugar
  • 3tbsp honey/syrup
  • 5-8 prunes, chopped
  • 1 heaped tbsp peanut/almond butter

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade
  2. Put the oats, flour and linseeds in a large mixing bowl
  3. In a saucepan, heat the butter and oil until melted
  4. Add the honey and sugar and mix in the peanut butter. You may need to remove some of the lumps
  5. Add the chopped prunes and mix, before pouring into the mixing bowl with the oats
  6. Place in a small dish lined with baking parchment and pack down hard (I do this with the back of a metal spoon)
  7. Cook for 30 minutes until browning at the edges
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Perfect with a nice cup of coffee

Miso quinoa buddha bowl

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This recipe is the perfect dinner for two, including carbs, plenty of veg and protein. Double or quadruple the recipe and you have some great lunches throughout the week, as this tastes just as good cold. These flavours taste amazing together but equally, if you have leftovers lying around just chuck them in – that’s the amazing thing about grain bowls.

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SUCH YUM

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1 pakchoi
  • 250g cooked quinoa (approx 80g uncooked)
  • 150g cabbage
  • 1/2 large avocado
  • 1/2 block tofu or tempeh
  • Paprika
  • Chilli powder

Dressing

  • 5tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1tbsp soya sauce
  • 1tsp miso paste
  • 1tsp ginger paste/lazy ginger

Method:

  1. Head the oven to 60 degrees (to keep the ingredients warm)
  2. Start by cooking the chickpeas. Pour a drizzle of sesame oil in a non stick pan and add the drained chickpeas
  3. Sprinkle on the spices and toss. Cook until browning (about 5 minutes)
  4. Pour into a bowl and keep warm in the oven (at 60 degrees)
  5. Quarter the pak choi lengthways and place in the frying pan with more sesame oil
  6. Cook for around 3 minutes on each side, until browned and soft. Place in the oven to keep warm.
  7. Dice the cabbage and cook in the frying pan with a dash of sesame oil
  8. While the cabbage is cooking, cook the quinoa. If it is the ready-cooked quinoa this should take just a few minutes
  9. Fry the tofu/tempeh in a pan whilst the cabbage and quinoa is cooking
  10. Dice the avocado half
  11. Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients with a fork
  12. Make up the buddha bowls by placing in all the ingredients into 2 bowls/plates and pour on the dressing

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Oat milk

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This oat milk recipe was found by my boyfriend and developed by me, so it is very personalised to my tastes. It is amazing in coffee but would also work well with breakfast cereal – why not try it with my granola? Save the oat mixture left over at the end to eat for breakfast – it tastes just like overnight oats and is wonderfully creamy 🙂

If you’d like a less creamy oat milk, simply increase the amount of water you add to the blender. Similarly, if you’d like more of a cream texture, just decrease the amount of water. Enjoy!

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Makes around 600-700ml oat milk

Ingredients:

  • 200g Oats
  • Water
  • Optional: Vanilla essence/sweetener to taste (dates work well if you soak and blend them with the oats)

Method:

  1. Soak the oats in excess water (totally cover them and add some extra)
  2. Leave for 20 minutes to soak
  3. Drain through a sieve and rinse with cold water
  4. Place the oats in a blender with about 300ml water*
  5. Blend until for about 4 minutes on full power
  6. Strain through a sieve into a jug (it may help to move it around with a spoon to get most of the liquid out)
  7. Pour into a glass bottle and store in the fridge (lasts for around 5 days).

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My week in workouts

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I get asked all the time how much I workout, where I workout, what I do and how I fit it all in with work, so here’s a blog post about my week in workouts! I always do my best to workout at least 4 times in a week but sometimes life gets in the way and I just want to say that that’s OK (reading that sentence I should probably quit fitness and just become a poet rn). But in all seriousness, just because this is how I workout, it doesn’t mean this is how you also have to workout! Everyone has different commitments and preferences and I am super lucky to live near central London, so have so many classes available nearby if I want to go, which I am well aware a lot of people don’t have. However, a lot of the workout styles I do are replicable in the gym, so no need to pay for classes if you don’t want to!

 

I workout as often as I feel my body enjoys – I used to push myself excessively, which led to exhaustion, a lack of energy for everything else I do and plenty of injuries. Because of that, if I’m not feeling a workout I won’t do it, or will opt for a low intensity workout or stretch instead. I would definitely advise listening to your body. Working to a schedule doesn’t work if you run yourself into the ground and can’t continue! I work full time and often my schedule changes last minute – I workout intuitively and that’s what works best for me 🙂

 

These three weeks are typical – there’s an ebb and flow of what I’m able to manage in a week. The first week was a heavier than I usually do, the second week was perfect, and the third week a little less than I hoped, but that’s because I was busy.

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Week 1:

Monday
No workout (screw ‘never miss a Monday’)

Tuesday
5pm: Gym workout (glutes day – a short but heavy workout after 2 rest days). 45 mins, all high intensity.

Wednesday
5pm: Xen-do martial arts (a v sweaty HIIT workout). 60 mins, including 10 mins stretching.

Thursday
7:45am: Strength and conditioning at BXR (low intensity but lots of resistance band and some kettlebell/dumbbell work). 50 mins, including band work and conditioning stretches.

Friday
6pm: THE GAMES at KXU (strongman/crossfit style workout – very heavy, low cardio). 50 mins, including 10 mins warm-up.

Saturday
10am: Xen-do martial arts. 60 mins.

Sunday
11am: Filming (and doing) a strength-based workout (medium-heavy weights but relatively high reps). 60 mins, probably about 40 minutes of high intensity work.
4pm: A running shoot (not really a workout but a lot of time on my feet!). 3h.

 

Week 2:

Monday
Rest day!

Tuesday
6:15pm: Strength and conditioning at BXR. 50 mins.

Wednesday
8pm: A 1mile (1600m) race. 6 mins.

Thursday
7:45am: Strength and conditioning at BXR. 50 mins.
6:30pm: Yoga. 45 mins.

Friday
5pm: Gym workout (running and abs). 40 mins, all high intensity.

Saturday
9am – 5pm: Running shoot (again, I was on my feet all day but wouldn’t count this as a workout)

Sunday
10am: Boxing workout at BXR. 50 mins.

 

Week 3:

Monday
5pm: Xen-do martial arts. 60 mins.

Tuesday
6:15pm: Nok-out class at KXU (running, circuits and boxing – all cardio and HIIT). 50 mins, including 10 mins stretching.

Wednesday
Rest day

Thursday
Morning – climbing all morning. 3h.
Afternoon – yoga, strength and conditioning and acroyoga. 2h.

Friday
Rest day

Saturday
Rest day

Sunday
2pm: Gym workout (heavy glutes day). 50 mins, including 15 minute incline walk as warmup.

 

Best workout classes in London

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Since two years ago I’ve been somewhat addicted to travelling around London trying new workout classes. Between that and events hosted by various studios, I’ve tried by fair share of fitness classes in London! People often ask what I would recommend for when they visit London so I’ve decided to do a post about it.

In no particular order, these are my favourite classes in London. Of course, what I like and what you might like might be totally different, but recommendations are always useful to get you started in a new city 🙂

 

Barry’s bootcamp

Say what you like about Barry’s, but it’ll always be a class that I love. Granted, I don’t think I could do it everyday, but the combination of endorphin-raising running and strength-building weights, it’s the perfect workout for me. In short, it alternates between treadmill runs and floor workouts, giving you rest from the treadmills whilst you’re working out on the floor, and rest from the floor when you’re on the treadmills. It was one of the first classes I ever did, and never fails to make me feel accomplished. With studios popping up around London (Shoreditch, Euston, Notting Hill and Victoria), there’ll likely be one that’s easy to get to (the Notting Hill is my favourite!).

Barry’s Bootcamp website. (£20 per class)

 

Power of Boxing

This class is hugely underrated, potentially because it’s not smart and swanky like the other gyms. Don’t expect showers and hairdryers. Instead expect a bloody good workout with unpretentious people who love working out. The structure of the class includes floor circuits, punch-bag work and then pad-work in the boxing ring, which no other class I’ve found successfully does. It’s exhausting – expect to be dripping by the end – but leaves you feeling amazing. Every. Single. Time. PoB also works with a local charity to help reintegrate offenders into the community, which I think is amazing. This class is also super affordable, so if you’re not looking to splash out, this is the one for you 🙂

Power of Boxing Website (£12.50 per class)

 

KXU – The Games

This is a relatively recent addition to my list of favourite classes. Think Crossfit/strongman but in swanky gym. But don’t be fooled by the beauty of KXU – this class will KILL you. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who’s relatively fit/strong already and wants a challenge! Unlike a lot of the classes in London, this one makes no attempts at telling girls to ‘lift light’ – the heavier the better! This studio is almost worth visiting purely for the aesthetics too J Would recommend if you want to lift heavy and then enjoy a (somewhat overpriced) shake in one of the most beautiful locations you’ll find in London.

KXU website (£24 per class)

 

BXR – Strength and Conditioning

Another favourite for different reasons to the others. BXR is a boxing gym endorsed by Anthony Joshua. It’s based near Baker Street, which makes it pretty accessibly from most central locations. I put this in the mix because of both the class and location – it’s really smart inside, and contains the nicest changing rooms of any gym I’ve ever been to. The strength and conditioning class is one that focuses on form and strengthening the body in a way most classes don’t. There’s a lot of foam-rolling and resistance band work, which I feel a lot of classes avoid because they don’t burn as many calories as other classes. However, for longevity and injury prevention, there’s nothing like a good S&C class, so I would definitely recommend this to compliment your other training.

BXR website (from £30 for 3 introductory sessions).

 

I hope this helps you try some new workouts and find what works for you! We’re all different and what is amazing for someone often doesn’t work for the next person. Give these a go (there are often introductory deals) and let me know what you think! 🙂