Health/ Food: Homemade Guacamole.

I really hope you guys don't mind these quick and easy recipes that I have been posting lately; in a bid to cut out down on the amount of processed crap in my diet, I have been turning to some of my old, clean favourites and I thought they might be good to share :)

 

Avocados are one of my favourite foods; I like throwing them in salads or having them mashed on wholemeal toast with a little salt & pepper and a poached egg on top, but I most of all I love whipping them up in to a super flavourful guacamole and treating myself to some Friday night nachos or having it with my lunch in a mexican-style chicken wrap with spinach, hot sauce and a little bit of low-fat cottage cheese.

 

The benefits of avocados, you ask? They are packed full of good, monounsaturated fats which are vital for healthy weight loss (believe it or not) and for maintaining your blood cholesterol levels for a healthy heart. They are also an excellent source of brain-boosting potassium, as well as being packed full of vitamins B, E and K which keep you looking and feeling young and beautiful.

You will need (serves 4):
- 2 large, ripe avocados
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 chilli pepper (more or less depending on how spicy you would like your guacamole to be)
- 1 lime
- Salt, pepper & fresh coriander to taste

Guacamole is super quick and easy to make and it beats the store-bought stuff by miles. Half the avocados and scoop out the flesh with a spoon before mashing it to your desired texture with the back of a fork (I prefer to leave a few lumps). Finely chop the onion, tomato, garlic and chilli and stir it in to the avocado before squeezing in the juice of one lime and finishing with a few sprigs of coriander and a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

 

You can cover your guacamole with cling film and leave it in the fridge for an hour to let all the ingredients mingle and enhance the flavours, otherwise guacamole is best eaten fresh since avocados have a tendency to brown rather quickly. However, if you want to make a batch to last you for the next couple of days, then the acidity of the lime juice should preserve the freshness for a little longer, as will keeping the stone from the avocado and placing it in the middle of your guacamole before using cling film.

 

Let me know if you try this! What are your favourite ways to eat avocados?

 

Frances x

Health/ Food: Clean and Healthy Chocolate Milkshake.

 

With the colder weather fast approaching (even though we do seem to have been blessed with an Indian summer at the moment), it's going to be easy to want to treat yourself to lots of rich, soul-warming foods (I'll admit that I may have already done a bit of damage to a box of Celebrations this past week!). Unfortunately, too many bitesize Bounty bars aren't very good for the skin, the waistline or our overall well-being, so I have resorted to turning to this old friend to satisfy my chocolate craving sweet tooth- A clean and healthy chocolate milkshake.

You will need (serves 2):
- 3 super ripe, frozen bananas
- 2 TBSP cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened, 100% cacao- I picked up this one at Holland & Barrett).
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any milk you prefer) to start with; you can add more if needed

Optional ingredients:
- 3 medjool dates
- 1 TBSP almond/peanut butter (Meridian is my favourite- it has no added nasties!)
- Porridge oats
- Chocolate or vanilla protein powder

The key to this recipe (apart from the cocoa powder, of course) is a perfectly ripe banana. Don't be afraid of those rather sad-looking, brown bananas that have been left unloved in the fruit bowl for a little too long- those are the best ones. These will add the sweetness and creaminess to your milkshake, and you'll want to cut them up and freeze them prior to throwing them in the blender for a nice, cold drink- Don't add ice to this recipe as it will result in a runny, watery milkshake- Not the dream.

After blending the three main ingredients in a food processor, it's up to you to modify your milkshake to your preferred taste. If it is still a little too bitter for your liking, medjool dates are a fantastic, completely natural way to sweeten it up a little (alternatively, you could add another 1/2 banana). If you are an almond butter fanatic like myself, then throw a spoonful in for a nutty taste. Also, if you want to enjoy this chocolatey treat for breakfast, adding some porridge oats to the mix is a great way to make it a little heartier, add fibre and keep you going all morning!

Whilst this recipe isn't always going to be low calorie depending on what ingredients you add (so don't think you should go drowning yourself in chocolate milkshakes!), it is a sweet-tooth satisfying, decadent beverage that is completely natural with no added refined sugars (did I mention that bananas will give you energy and cacao is packed with anti-oxidants?). Treat yourself- Your body will thank you for it ;)

Let me know if you try it! :)

Frances x

Health/ Food: Fruit-Infused Water.

With the UK finally being blessed with a bit of scorching hot sunshine, it's important to stay hydrated- However, it's easy to reach for fizzy drinks and sugary ice lollies to keep us cool instead of water, which, let's face it; it may be super good for us but a cold can of Sprite tastes so much better! That's why lately I have been experimenting with fruit-infused water; not only does it add a little bit of flavour to your water but it looks pretty AND you get all the benefits of drinking water plus a little detox from the fruit, too! 

Kilner Handled Glass Jars: £2.49 each from The Range

Striped Paper Straws: £2 from Tesco

To make these is simple but takes a little preparation... In a pitcher, place a few cubes of ice and then cover with any sliced fruit or herbs of your choice. Fill the jug with water, cover with cling film and then let the mixture sit in your fridge for at least six hours (I like to make mine in the evening and leave it overnight) to let the flavours infuse in to the water. When it comes to drinking, add more ice, give the mixture a good stir and then pour in to serving glasses and enjoy! Drinking jars and paper straws are optional, but I they look really cute and will impress your friends ;) Here are a few of the flavour combinations that I have been enjoying!

Strawberry, cucumber and mint.

This is like a spa treatment in beverage-form and is great for detoxing and staying refreshed on a hot, muggy day. For this I used a handful of strawberries (about ten), half a sliced cucumber and a couple of sprigs of fresh mint. If you want a more powerful flavour, muddle the strawberries and mint before adding the water. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice for an extra cleanse.

Peach, orange and raspberry.

This is perfect for people with a slightly sweeter tooth who really want to add a fruity kick to their water. To a pitcher of ice, I added the segments of a whole peeled orange, one sliced peach and a handful of raspberries. Again, muddle the fruits before adding water if you would like a stronger flavour.

Watermelon, coconut and lime.

This is my personal favourite and one that I am sipping on as I type this blog post! It is cheating a little bit as it uses coconut water; however, did you know that pure coconut water is dubbed as "nature's sports drink" and is used by athletes as a much healthier way to replace electrolytes and water that are lost through sweat during exercise, as it contains all the electrolytes that your body needs (A quick science lesson: correctly balanced electrolytes are what maintain adequate function of the nervous, cardiac, digestive and muscular systems and are better known as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.) without all the nasty additives and refined sugars that are found in drinks such as Lucozade and Gatorade? This makes this the perfect drink for people who enjoy their exercise, as the natural sugars will give you a burst of energy whilst the coconut water, as well as the water found in the watermelon, will keep you hydrated.

To make a pitcher, I used one whole small watermelon. I simply cut the flesh in to cubes and pureed it in a blender, before pouring the juice over ice (I prefer to discard the pulp at this point using a strainer, but feel free to throw that in there too!). Then, I topped up the pitcher with coconut water (I used Vita Coco) and squeezed in the juice of one lime. This one can be enjoyed right away!

The possibilities for fruit-infused water are endless! Here are a few other combinations that I am yet to try:

- Citrus: Orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime.

- Summer fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries/blackberries and apple

- Mango, orange and raspberry

-Watermelon and rosemary

- Honeydew melon and lime

Have you tried fruit-infused water? What is your favourite combination?

Frances x

Fitness: My Running Shoe Recommendations (Nike Free Run and Nike Flyknit Review).

Over the past few years I have learned the hard way how important it is to have the right footwear for your workouts. Running in converse has done no favours for my knees and shins, however, I used to insist on doing exercise in this poor choice of footwear as I hate, hate, hated the look of trainers and couldn't find a pair that I didn't think looked absolutely repulsive (I mean, we still want to look good in the gym, right?). Since then, I have not only learned that keeping the joints in my knees and ankles intact is far more important, but also that Nike makes some trainers that really don't look half bad. Actually, I adore the Nikes that I own, and I thought I would write a review on my two favourite styles for those of you who might be as clueless about fitness footwear as I was!

 

 

Nike Free Run+ 5.0: JD Sports, £80.00

 

My Nike Free Runs were the first pair of proper running shoes that I owned, and six months later, they're still going strong! As suggested by the name, Nike Frees are absolutely made for running and come in different styles based on how much support you require. With 3.0s, 4.0s and 5.0s to choose from, the higher the number, the more support and cushioning the shoe provides, so if you want a more barefoot feel whilst you're running, picking shoes in the 3.0 range is for you. However, to avoid any more damage to my joints I decided to go for maximum support and picked up the 5.0s which feature the Nike Dynamic Fit system which hugs your foot to enhance stability. Despite being the most supportive, they are still super lightweight which is the main selling point for all of the Nike Frees as they are ideal for an effortless run as you won't feel weighed down. I also think that Nike Free Runs are by far some of the nicest-looking trainers on the market and they typically retail around the £80-85 mark, which I think is reasonable for a durable pair of proper running shoes. JD Sports stocks Nike Free Runs in a huge range of colours for both men and women, which you can check out here.

 

 

 

Nike Flyknit Lunar One+: C/O JD Sports, £130.00*

More recently, I was introduced to the Nike Flyknits. Being an advocate of the Nike Frees, I was hesitant about trying a different style and nearly opted for another pair of 5.0s, but I am really glad I gave the Flyknits a chance. Once again reflective of their name, the Flyknits feature a "knitted" polyester upper which is nice and lightweight and stretches to allow movement and flexibility in your feet. The softer, less foot-hugging upper means they look a little chunkier than the more streamlined Nike Free Run 5.0s, but I still think that they are a pretty attractive shoe (well, as attractive as trainers can be). They also have a softer rubber sole which is heavenly to run on as it literally feels like you are walking on a bouncy surface. Retailing at around £130, they are significantly more expensive than the Nike Frees, but I would definitely recommend them to people who are more serious about running. You can shop the Flyknit range at JD Sports here.

 

Personally, I like to reserve my Nike Flyknits for days where I am running outdoors or doing a long-distance session on the treadmill as the thicker, bouncy sole is great for absorbing impact on hard surfaces (my knees are greatly appreciative), whilst using my Nike Frees for shorter treadmill sessions or for walks and weight training, as they provide stability in my feet whilst still feeling comfortable and lightweight.

 

I hope this little review and comparison post helps anybody who is just starting out and is looking for the ideal pair of trainers!

 

What are your favourite running shoes?

 *DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples. My opinion is still 100% honest and my own.

My Life Lately Part 2: Be More Dog, The Color Run and Life After Uni.

Time for another "My Life Lately" post! I've really enjoyed writing these, and I hope that you have enjoyed reading them. I tend to spend so much time thinking about the rubbish things in life that I forget how many exciting events have been taking up my time recently (you can read about my birthday and graduation here). One of those being O2's Be More Dog campaign, which I was honoured to be a part of. I'm sure you've seen the advert by now; the one with the cat chasing its tail and catching frisbees? If not, you can watch it here- It's my favourite advert ever. I was sent two mystery boxes; one that would allow me to take it easy like a cat, and one that would let me be more adventurous and channel my inner dog. I was only allowed to open one, and after much deliberation I decided that it was time to stray away from my cat lady ways (only for the weekend though!) and I opened the "dog" box. Inside was a little dog plushie with a tag around its neck stating that in two days time I would be going up in a Microlight plane! I was a little hesitant at first as it isn't something I would have picked to do myself, plus I'm not the biggest fan of flying, but I thought what the heck- It's an experience and that's what the campaign was all about, right?!

Anyway, I actually ended up really enjoying it. The flight took place at the West Lancashire Microlight School and I was taken for an hour-long flight towards Wales in their fixed-wing aircraft. My pilot, Carl, must have thought I was a complete weirdo taking photographs and Instagramming whilst sat beside him about 4,000ft up in the air, but hey- I'm a blogger, it's what we do.

The whole campaign was brilliant and started such a hype on Twitter- I have to thank O2 and the lovely Charlie from Newcast for letting me be a part of it. They were also kind enough to let me peek in to my Cat box afterwards too, which led to a night of watching Mean Girls and playing Connect Four whilst wrapped up in a snuggie!

Another thing that I was excited to take part in recently was The Color Run. Ever since I first heard about the Color Run in the USA I had been anticipating its arrival in the UK. I don't know what I found so appealing about the idea of getting coloured powder thrown at me but I did. Needless to say I must have been amongst the first to sign up after it was announced. It really was so much fun and I would recommend anybody to sign up for it next year- Even if you're not much of a runner, it isn't a timed race; there were plenty of people just strolling along with children and prams... What is important is that you have lots of colour-filled fun. I decided to challenge myself and ran the whole 5 kilometres. I have never considered myself a good long distance runner so I was proud to cross the finish line, covered in pink, blue and orange in 22 minutes and 38 seconds.

So, that is pretty much all the excitement that has been going on in my life recently. Of course, with this comes the boring "responsible" stuff too. Being a graduate now, it's time to start thinking about what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm currently seeking a job or an internship of some sort in fashion marketing, media planning or PR, but until the perfect opportunity arises I am concentrating on this beloved little blog of mine whilst enjoying life in between writing posts and attending events! I am actually in the process of building my own website (well- having other people do it for me as I am rubbish with that sort of thing- I just pose for the camera and do all the editing and writing), as, after a year and a half of blogging I think it's about time I move up on to having my own domain. Hopefully it will all be up and running in the next month or so... I'm super excited about it and will keep everybody posted! :)

Did you take part in Be More Dog or The Color Run?

*DISCLOSURE: This post contains sponsored content.

Lifestyle: Gym For The Win and My Workout Clothes.

As some of you may know (or maybe not, considering the amount of cake and meals out I blog about), I am quite the health and fitness nut. Money Supermarket kindly offered to reimburse a month of my gym membership for me to talk about whether I think the money is worth it as part of their Gym For The Win campaign. I gladly agreed as I can safely say that switching to a more active lifestyle is one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and I would encourage everybody to do the same.

I have been going to my local Pure Gym regularly for about four months now, and although I pay their special promotional price of just £10.99 a month, I would happily pay the full price of £18.99 as it is a decent gym with all the equipment you need (except for a swimming pool, so if swimming is your thing then it would probably be best to look elsewhere). But most importantly, I love the way that working out has affected me, both physically and mentally. Six months ago I had definitely hit a low point in my life, where my bed, my laptop and chocolate digestives had become my best friends. After waking up one morning feeling the same lethargic, depressed way I had felt for weeks on end, I decided it was time to make a change in my life and I decided to go down the healthy lifestyle route. As well as helping to burn off fat and tone up your muscles, exercise helps your body to produce endorphins which make you feel great. It has definitely helped me feel more confident and happy in my own skin, as well as giving me a better outlook on life.

Although a gym is not necessarily needed to have a healthy and active lifestyle, if you can afford to spend £15-30 a month on a gym membership, I would definitely recommend it. There is something about being in the gym that motivates me to get my workout done. I did start off by working out at home but I found that I was too easily distracted by the internet and the television. Plus, at the gym you have the benefit of having a wide range of equipment to use and members of staff on hand to help you out or answer any questions you may have regarding health and fitness. Give it a go- A lot of gyms these days offer rolling month contracts which means you can opt out at any time if you find that it isn't for you. If you would like to check out Money Supermarket's Gym For The Win campaign and maybe get involved, you can do so here.

I know that it can be difficult to motivate yourself to actually get up and start exercising, but one thing that I firmly believe is that if you feel good about yourself when you are working out, you definitely push yourself to go further. It's a little naughty, but on a few occasions where I have lost motivation I have gone out and purchased some nice new gym clothes to help get me back on track, so I thought I would show you what I wear to the gym as part of this post. There is no reason for your gym clothes not to reflect your personality just like your regular wardrobe, so bright colours and bold prints are the way forward for me. My favourite places to shop for gym wear are H&M and TK Maxx- both stock some lovely pieces for very affordable prices. You also can't go wrong by looking in Primark- I actually own a pair of leggings from their workout range which I really like, plus I always stock up on their super cheap shorts and vest tops.

 Sports bra and leggings: Kyodan via TK Maxx | Jacket: Primark | Trainers: Nike via JD Sports | Gloves: Nike via TK Maxx

Gold Sports Bra: H&M | Vest Top and Shorts: Primark | Base Layer Shorts (Purple): Nike via TK Maxx | Heart Rate Monitor Watch: Polar via Amazon

Do you/ have you had a gym membership?

*DISCLAIMER: Money Supermarket kindly reimbursed one month of my gym membership (£10.99) for this blog post. All opinions expressed are still 100% honest and my own.

The Colour Run- The Happiest 5K on the Planet.

[Image source]

The Colour Run is coming to the UK! 

For those of you who don't know what it is, The Colour Run, dubbed as "the happiest 5K on the planet", is a 5K race event that requires you to wear white at the beginning, and as you reach each kilometer you get a different colour of powdered paint thrown at you, so by the time you reach the finish line you should look like a rainbow! If you're still feeling a little clueless, check out the videos below.

The Colour Run is currently a big thing in the United States and Australia, and it was announced yesterday that this year it is coming right here to the UK! The Colour Run will be in London on July 14, 2013 and in Manchester on July 21, 2013- I will be for sure signing up for the Manchester event!

The good thing about The Colour Run is that it is only 5K (or 3.1 miles), so if you're new to running and don't fancy taking on a half marathon, this is perfect for you. It is also not actually a race- it is un-timed so you can go as fast or slow as you want to; you could run, walk, crawl or do roly polies all the way if you wish! The Colour Run is also open to people of any age- even children. I personally have never been a great long-distance runner; I'm a much better sprinter, so even this is a challenge for me at the moment and I'm looking forward to getting trained up for it!

The main intention of  The Colour Run is to promote good health and happiness, and to have a whole lot of fun whilst doing it. Registration opens for the UK events on May 10, 2013, and you can purchase your colour run pack which contains a white Colour Run t-shirt, your race number, a bag of colour and other goodies, and some of the proceeds will go to a local charity (full details and prices haven't been released for the UK events yet).

Are you going to be registering for The Color Run? At the moment I am going to be doing it alone :( so if you're in the same boat and will be attending the Manchester event let me know and we can run together! You can also register as teams, so maybe if enough people are interested, we could get a #fbloggers/#bbloggers team going?!

Visit The Color Run website and the UK Facebook page for more details and updates.

Review: Nike Trainers from Zalando + Fitness Posts?

Nike In-Season TR2 Running Trainers: C/O Zalando £55.00*

I class this blog as a fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, however, I often lack in the lifestyle department- I just have never really found anything exciting about my lifestyle worth blogging about! That being said, I recently embarked on a fitness journey- not to lose weight or anything- just, after a year or so of unfortunate events in my life that left me feeling a little lost, I decided it was time to pick myself up and do things that would make me feel good, and this is certainly one of them! I just wanted to ask my readers if they would be interested in reading posts to do with health and fitness? These might be recipes, sportswear posts, my regime, and general health and fitness tips that I have picked up. Do let me know!

I have also already created a secondary Instagram account (my personal one is @FrancesCassandra) where I have been posting pictures of my food and progress, if anybody is interested. If you would like to follow, my username is @FrancesCassandra_.

Anyway, on to what this post is really about. I thought a good way to start would be to show you the footwear I have been using, which was kindly sent to me by Zalando. I love it when fashion retailers stock sportswear; I feel that too many companies overlook it, but as well as stocking a full range of regular women's fashion, Zalando also has a whole section dedicated to sportswear from lots of well-known brands.

I am a bit of a trainer-phobe and have always thought that they look ugly, but I actually think Nike makes a lot of nicely designed trainers in some lovely colours. The purple-ness of these ones drew me in right away as it's my favourite colour haha! The Nike In-Season trainers are really lightweight and breathable, with a good layer of cushioning on the inside, making them perfect for running and training in the gym. Zalando has now become my go-to website for browsing at gym wear- I currently have my eye on ALL the Nike sports bras and shorts, and this sports bag to carry all my things in.

Have you checked out Zalando?

Don't forget to let me know if you would be interested in seeing some health/fitness/lifestyle posts from me!

*DISCLOSURE: PR sample.