Good Morning!

Sorry it's been a while since my last daily blog, I've just been needing to get back to my normal posts lately. I will still be doing a couple per week and keeping you updated on what I'm up to. I added some grated apple to my porridge this morning for an extra bit of texture and it was really nice! Will definitely do it more often. 

I've got another session with my trainer today. Not sure if he will let me do boxing with my shoulders still healing, but we will see. Got my thermogenic and pre-workout drink going! Just not both at the same time, too much caffeine for my little heart.

I was totally right, he didn't want to let me box until next week ( damnit!) so I asked him to take me through a new leg day program. My last one was from April! I think I just got comfortable making new circuits up and working on my squats. I enjoyed some of the stuff he showed me today, although I refused to do the jumps that he wanted because it just brings up bad memories from high school (we all know how that goes, right?) That kind put me in a weird mood, but I used that fierceness as energy to get me through a couple of circuits. Here's what I did:

Hip Thrusts 85kg max reps

Weighted Lunges 7kg 

Ab work

 Box step-ups x15 per leg

Reverse Lunges 5kg x16

Leg Pull-Backs 27kg x10

Crunches x 15

I made sure to stretch out properly and I also got the roller out to get my muscles to relax again. 

I treated myself to a protein smoothie from the cafe, which had extra nut butter in it so it was extra-delicious! 

We're at the mall for lunch today and I went for the vegan sandwich and an almond milk flat-white. Pretty basic, but there was some avocado in my sandwich so I was a happy girl.

Food shopping done for another week and I'm mostly excited about my snack options. I had a craving for corn cakes, so I bought these wholegrain ones for an afternoon pick-me-up. So many delicious topping ideas!
I also got my little sanity snack of mini salted caramel protein bars. These are incredible! I find sometimes after work, or even on my break, I can get super-hungry. To avoid me pigging out when I get home, I keep some of these mini bars in my bag ready for me to devour if I need to. Girls gotta eat!

I also picked up some fake tan, so that I can get rid of some of my horrible tan marks before a photo-shoot I'm going to for my blog next week. Because I run outside all the time, I have a really strange tan from what tank top I was wearing and only half of my legs. It's definitely time to even it out.

I decided that I wanted to start drinking detox smoothies more often, so I made one with apple, pear, cucumber, lemon, kale, spinach, ginger and topped with coconut water. Really good! I'm having half now and the other half tomorrow. 

R.I.P to my first ever gym bag. The last handle broke today when I went to pick it up and take it into the changing rooms. Kinda sad because it's such a good bag, but it had been hanging on for a while. Luckily I have a Peter Alexander one to swap it for!

Healthy afternoon snack! I'm just having some rice crackers with hummus, tuna, and avocado on top. Lots of protein and good fats to keep me going. Tastes amazing too!

I'm also catching up on the latest Mr Ben Brown vlog, because I can't miss a day. He's in New York at the moment which is pretty cool. Miss that place :(

Home from work and it's time for dinner. I did eat one of those salted caramel bars, but I'm still hungry. I just having one of my meal prep boxes with satay tofu, sweet-potato, brown rice/quinoa, and vegetables. I also heated up the last of my flat-breads that I made on Sunday with some hummus on top. So yummy!

 Still drinking lots of water! Because I've been upping my cardio, it's more important than ever for me to have good hydration habits.

What do I always watch when I don't feel like anything else? Chuck! I think this will always be my favorite TV series. Cheers me up every single time I've had a rough day.

Finishing off my night with a little healthy dessert. We had some leftover stewed tamarillos that I put with mango & turmeric coconut yogurt, chia seeds and some walnuts. You can't tell me that healthy foods aren't delicious, because this was so good!




Can't believe how close we are to the weekend! It's got quite cold here recently, but that just means I'm gonna have to spend more time in the kitchen cooking and baking this weekend :)

What's your favorite TV series that cheers you up?
Steph x.

Healthy Snack Recipe: Sweet & Salty Popcorn!

Hello Everyone! 

I bought a packet of organic popcorn the other week and it was so amazing that I need to know how to make it myself. I looked at the ingredients on the back and thought, I can recreate that! (and for a minor fraction of the price too.) 

I learned how to make my own popcorn from kernels by watching one of Jamie Oliver's YouTube videos, and it's honestly become one of my favorite snacks. It's super easy and a much cleaner alternative to bought packets. 

I used coconut sugar for the sweet part of this recipe, because it's a much cleaner alternative to processed/refined sugars and has a malty taste that I love. It's another level of delicious! Can't recommend it enough.

For one serving, you will need: 

1 heaped tablespoon of corn kernels 

1 teaspoon of coconut sugar 

A couple pinches of salt 

 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 

1 medium saucepan & it's lid 

A spoon to mix it all together. 

Place the kernels into the saucepan and cover with the lid. 

Set the element to a medium heat and wait for the popping to begin. It can take a few minutes to get going, so be patient. You'll see steam on the lid before long. And your kitchen will begin to smell like the movies!

Once all of the kernels have popped, remove the pan from the heat. 

Add the coconut oil and stir until it has melted and it coats your popcorn. Sprinkle both the sugar and salt on top and mix through well. 

Make sure to do a taste test (or two) to make sure you like the balance of the salt and sugar.

And enjoy your delicious, yet healthy, popcorn snack!

I really hope you like this recipe, I'm honestly obsessed with it at the moment. It's especially great when your having a Netflix marathon!


What recipes have you been loving lately?
Steph x.