Breakfast eating

                                                    I have essentially the same thing everyday.
....................................................but i love it. Morning's are only complete with muesli, banana and blueberries.

                                           Straight from the garden!

SUNSHINE and pavlova

London finally felt a big wave of summer yesterday and is still feeling it today. At last we had one of those glorious english summer days of bright blue skies and sweltering heat. I spent the day at a work summer party picnic in Richmond park and it was a perfect day. We lounged in the sun; eating, drinking and playing silly games. My food highlight was the trio of deserts of which i sampled all and slightly regretfully had seconds...but i couldn't not go back when it was that good! Chocolate moose is a perfect accompaniment to pavlova don't you know....

Anyway last week was over indulgent in so many ways, (i also had a 16 course meal on Wednesday night at an Italian restaurant in Richmond, let me just repeat that, 16 COURSES!!) Twas amazing but I can genuinely say i have never consumed that much food and wine in one sitting. However all good things must come to an end and this week I am turning over a new health leaf. I am planning to be dedicated to the health and get a lot of running in. I am preparing myself to brave the heat for  run in a minute, just a short one mind as it is reaching 30+degrees out there...this will be a test of my stamina, i think my stamina may fail...wish me luck.

'Strong is the new skinny'

I read the above quote in some sort of celeb interview a few days ago, I cant remember whose words it was but I keep thinking of it and feeling good. After an unhealthily obsessive phase of enviously looking at pictures of Alexa Chung's bones or Keira Knightly's jutting shoulder blades I have finally realised that this is not a good look and not something I should be aspiring to. I always knew that of course this wasn't healthy and not how my body naturally wanted to be; I could never be one of those willowey girls without an ounce of fat...well not unless I promptly stopped eating and carried out a miserable existence that this would bring... But I am sidetracking from my point here and there is one. Since I've started on this half marathon running challenge business i've completely changed my mind about all that super skinny malarky and I feel so much better.

 I've never felt or looked as strong, fit and healthy as I do now and am oddly enjoying the challenge i've set myself. (well that isn't while i'm actually running up a hill dripping with sweat, at that point i'm feeling quite cross about the whole thing, its more once i'm home feeling smug and eating lunch that I feel good...) And I've been thinking that if I am expecting my body to do this and avoid injury or illness then I need to give it what it needs and nourish it and help it to recover and be stronger. One cant cut carbs and then bash out 7 miles and expect not to die, thats all i'm saying. On that note I completed a personal best today of 7.5 miles and somewhat hilly miles at that. It was hard but i'm pleased I did it.

On foodie matters I am making spicy beany burgers for dinner tonight, will keep you updated on how they turn out, have been planning them and thinking about them for a large portion of the day...

Trashy tv addiction

In recent months I've found myself watching THE MOST trashy reality tv going and really enjoying it, to the fairly shameful point that I set myself the task of watching 'The Hills' all seasons beginning to end online. It all started with a playful obsession with 'the only way is essex', moving onto 'made in chelsea' and then when I noticed the original american reality shows being replayed I thought why not? Not forgetting all the Kardashian related shows I often find myself watching... EEK Im not sure this is that healthy for my brain cells, but I love it soo much!

Is it OK to secretly love all this and still be considered an intelligent human being? Im not sure, but i'm not quite ready to give it all up yet...and think it is fine as long as I do other things to...i'm just trying to reassure  my melting mind...

In running news I completed a 7.3 mile run this morning, which was hard but worth all the sweat and pain. Found a new route, got slightly lost but was refreshing to have a bit of a change of scenery. Made a delish Greek-style omelette for lunch, which I happily wolfed down, feeling a bit smug and a bit sore. Have been taking pictures of the pretty food i've been eating so need to work out how to blog that too...

ps. I am so happy about how cheap summer fruit is right now.

Banana oateyness

In a quest to find a healthy mid afternoon energy bar snackamijig I've baked up some oatey banana things.
Here is the recipe;
3/4 of a cup of porridge oats
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
2 mashed bananas
1tsp honey
1tsp peanut butter (A BIG TEASPOON)
Couple of spoons of natural yoghurt (until its a thickish but moist consistency
handful of raisins

Mixed it all up and put in a dish and bake until its a brown on top and looks yummy, leave to cool and cut up into bar shapes. They are really yummy and you wouldn't even know that they are super healthy.

On another health note, I was wandering around a health type food shop yesterday, and brought some ground flaxseed mix to have on my cereal, not sure why but I keep reading about it and thought why not? I very nearly brought almond or rice milk but then was like why? I love milk and don't have any problems with it so why down-grade to the pretend stuff ...

More treacle than forest gump

I managed to complete my longest run, on this increasing by about half a mile each week plan so ran 6.7miles and nearly died/threw up/fainted. It just wasnt one of my forest gump days of semi-effortles running, it was one of those incredibly painful icantdothis running through treacle days. But I did it (just) horayy. I think my problems arose from a combination of running before id had breakfast so was pretty much going on empty (did this as I didnt have time to digest food otherwise..) massive mistake! it was always really quite hot and muggy and  my energy levels were slumpyy. Lets hope for a better run next time as have offically signed up for a half marathon in sept.

Anyway on another note, a food note, have just cooked up 3 yummy looking vegetarian indian dishes for a feast tonight with friends. My flat is smelling spicy and yummy, am hungry already. I need to start blogging pictures of my food, these dishes look incredibly colourful and lush.

Ohh and quickly, I've discovered the she-devil of pilates in the form of 'pop pilates' on youtube. Tis amazing but PAINFUL, shes incredible but so mean!

June time

OOhh has been a while since my last post..have been on a semi holiday from my life. Went to North Norfolk for a few days camping, whilst lovely it has also heightened my appreciation for beds. But we did have fairly glorious weather, bar one afternoon and evening spent playing boogle tournaments on my phone in the confines of the tent while it poured with rain for hours...and breaking the un-written laws of camping about not cooking inside a tent. But the beaches were beautiful and had some lovely coastal walks.

Enjoyed big eats of pub lunches, fish and chips on the beach, cooked breakfasts and ice creams for a solid few days. Feeling the need to get a bit of health back into my life now. Making a salmon and veg Vietnamese type stir fry with some brown rice tonight and have tried to be a bit virtuous today with a 6mile run AND some pilates. In fact im quite starving now so may start cooking...