Vanilla + Peanut Butter Post-workout Protein Shake

Got miiiiilk? This little beauty is a firm favourite of mine at the moment; it's so creamy and thick it feels like a pudding, but the macronutrients of the ingredients make this an ideal post-workout shake.

To make this, you'll need:

1 ripe banana
1 scoop vanilla protein (I'm using Sunwarrior's vegan vanilla flavour at the mo)
1 tablespoon runny honey
Handful of ice
200ml unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon peanut butter (Meridian, Pip + Nut and Whole Earth are my preferred brands)

You know the score, chuck everything in a blender and whiz until smooth, then pour into an edgy, instagrammable glass / jar, and enjoy.

Protein and carbs are needed to aid muscle tissue growth and repair, and having protein with carbs after a workout is essential as when you're working hard, your body becomes starved of stored energy (glycogen) and usable energy (glucose). To compensate, with no more energy available for your muscles, your body secreted cortisol (the stress hormone), which essentially converts muscle tissue for protein into glucose - meaning you can actually lose muscle tissue.

More on that topic here, on the Body Building website, althougggh these guys do say that fruit isn't the best source of carbs here, and recommend something called waxy maize but, I love the taste of banana and it seems a little less processed.

Have a good one!

Creamy, Smokey Vegan Chilli

This smokey little number is perfect for BBQ season + would make a great side dish at a summer event. It's also a main attraction by its own right though, and, given our typically muddled summer season, is also ideal on its own on a cloudy day. Which is exactly what tonight is all about.

I've shared vegan chilli recipes before; the main difference here is the oaky, barbeque flavour from the chipotle paste.

To make this, you'll need:

Serves 4

1 tin kidney beans (drained)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin butter beans (drained)
1 tin black beans (drained)
1 heaped tablespoon tahini
1 table spoon chipotle paste
1 large red onion
1 red pepper
2 gloves garlic
Squeeze of tomato puree
Salt & pepper to season

One serving of this dish provides 17g protein, so perfect if you're looking for plant based protein sources. 

Finely chop your onion + garlic + fry off in some coconut oil until brown. Then add your red pepper and the beans, stirring so that nothing burns. Add in your chipotle paste and coat the beans. Next, pour over the tomatoes and puree, and turn the heat down low. Stir in your tahini and mix thoroughly. Let the chilli simmer for about 10 minutes (until the edges of the pan have started to go crispy (best bits!!)), and serve...

Tonight, I had mine with jalapenos and crumbled feta (not vegan I know), and I've also got it for lunch tomorrow with some chicken I barbequed (again, not vegan..). It would work well with a fresh spinach salad or quinoa, or a thick slice of bread to mop up all the sauce.

If you want any more vegan chilli recipes, I highly recommend Deliciously Ella's cannellini bean stew or her black and kidney bean chilli.

Naturally Beautiful - honey + avocado

I've never really been one for facemasks, not for any particular reason, it's just not something I'm that into. However, over the past few weeks with the hopeful snatches of summer we've seen, wanting to go makeup-free has been on my mind and I've turned my attention towards my skin which, admittedly, has been getting a little 'out of control' over the past month or so.

I tend to dismiss redness, blemishes and lumps on my skin during winter and blame it on the lack of sunlight, harsh weather conditions and (around the festive time), too much alcohol and rich food. I've been in denial recently about how bad it's got and only really shocked myself into realising this as I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the wing mirror coming back from circuits with no make up on the other day. I didn't recognise the skin as my own!

I've never really struggled with acne or bad skin, I had my fair share of spots as a teenager but nothing to comment on really. But now, as I see more and more of my friends go makeup free,
I get totally self-conscious at the thought of people I know seeing me with these huge red blotches, and a couple of times I've actually skipped going to the gym in the morning just so I don't have to parade my makeup free face! Other instances include slapping on the CC cream moments after waking at a friends house in a bid to harmonise my poor face.

I know, it's ridiculous.

I don't know what the driving force behind this sudden break out is - my bets would be stress, lack of sleep and water and potentially a reaction to having been a bit more 'lax' in my diet over the past few weeks - but I'm determined to sort it in time for summer!

So on Friday, I  tried out my very own homemade facemask and ohmygod what a revelation. No chemicals or shit ingredients, just two kitchen staples known for their skin enhancing qualities.

Ladies and gents, I give you... the avocado & honey mask.

You'll need:

• 1x avocado (ripe)
• 1x tablespoon runny honey

Naturally, the size of the avo will determine how much mask you make. I had baby avocados in and used a whole one. If you've got a normal, medium to large sized avocado I'd say it would make enough for two or three masks.

Simply mash it up (this is where it helps to be ripe; easier to mash), and drizzle over a tablespoon full of honey. Mix thoroughly.

Wash your hands, and get stuck in!

Leave on for 30 mins. Wash off with cool water and pat your face dry.

I can't believe I haven't been doing this regularly. My skin feels soo soft and silky afterwards, and looked really glowy. It definitely reduced redness and soreness too.

Why avocado + honey? 

When it comes to Vitamin E, avocado is on a pedestal and deemed as fantastic for the skin. So say, it can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles due to its antioxidant qualities, helping to protect the skin from free radicals. It's also high in oleic acid, which maintains moisture in the skin, and also helps to reduce inflammation.

Honey is thought to be naturally antibacterial, making it a good choice when trying to combat acne. It's moisturising and soothing (which explains the soft, silky feel) and great for giving skin a 'glowy' quality. I thought it would leave my skin feeling a bit sticky, but not at all.

I read up on this on the articles below, so if you're interested, check them out:

• http://www.sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/1017621/beauty-benefits-of-honey  
• http://healthiestfoods.co.uk/avocado-skin-benefits 
• http://www.beautyandtips.com/natural-skin-care-products-2/25-benefits-and-uses-of-avocado-for-skin-hair-health-and-beauty/ 
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/112833-benefits-honey-skin-care/

I did see a few recipes suggesting to use oats but I feel like this might be a bit too harsh on my skin at the moment...

If you have any homemade natural facemasks that you swear by please let me know on social media as I reeeally want to see if it helps my skin long term!

image credit: http://www.wimp.com/avocado-seeds-contain-a-surprising-amount-of-nutrition-for-something-weve-all-been-throwing-away/

#EatPastaRunFaster @ Vapiano, Manchester

On what would have been a very ordinary Monday evening (dash from work to the gym, sprint it out, dash home, cook, tidy, shower, watch some alright TV before sliding into bed...), I wound up in Vapiano for dinner as part of their #EatPastaRunFaster campaign.

The ethos behind it is to debunk the myth we've been bombarded with over the past few years that carbs are the devil and to show that you can (and should) enjoy carbs as part of a healthy, balanced diet, *especially* if you're training.

I've been upping my running game over the past few weeks, sneaking in two ten milers and a couple of shorter, speedier runs too (#bragger). Now the weather is getting nicer and the evenings are lighter it's much easier to slot running into my workout schedule, and I love it.

I find it such a powerful means of stress relief and I get a real sense of achievement when I've reached a new distance or found a new running route. I've also recently been listening to TED Talks rather than music on long distance runs; I find them really inspiring and 'wholesome' to listen to - you should give it a go!

Anyway. Carbs.

We started off with a tour of the restaurant and got to know how the place works. You're given a chip card, and once you've chosen what you fancy eating, head on over to one of the chef stations and they cook it in front of you.

We had a good choice for seating and chose a high table with an olive tree in the middle.

Despite it being Monday night, the place did start to fill up and there was a lovely, chilled vibe to the place (I imagine this is different on a Saturday lunchtime or if there's a gig on at the Arena, though!).

To start, we went for the Insalata Caprese and the Piatto Antipasti. Oh my god. The mozzarella in the salad took me straight back to a restaurant called Mimi e Coco in Rome; so creamy and perfect against the fruity tomatoes and tart balsamic. I could've eaten that three times over (despite the portion size being HUGE), it was that good. The antipasti was amazing too; a generous helping of grana padano, roast veg, chorizo, salami and Parma ham, as well as a delicious slice of bruschetta. It was the perfect amount and we were both very impressed.

For the main carb fest affair, James went for the calzone (ham, spicy sausage, mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella and chicken).

I went for gamberetti with a tomato and chilli sauce, and spelt spaghetti. Spelt is an ancient grain (a 'cousin' of wheat, if you will..) and so-say boasts more B-vitamins and iron than traditional pasta.

Dolci:

The campaign isn't called #EatCheesecakeGetLean, and we definitely didn't need pudding, but our lovely waiter highly recommended that we try their baked cheesecake (lemon and vanilla cheesecake, baked, served with a strawberry sauce). I also let slip that I was a salted caramel fan, and so out came the Cioccolata bianca (white chocolate and cream on a biscuit base with a salted caramel sauce and honeycomb). We also ended up with white chocolate icecream too, because, why not...

My favourite was the Cioccolata bianca, it was delicious.

I thought I wouldn't like the self-service element to the restaurant but I actually didn't mind it; in fact, it was nice to be able to choose your food at your own pace and I really did enjoy the fact that all the pasta is made fresh right in front of you.

Vapiano kindly treated me to dinner, however as ever, you know the drill, all opinions are very much my own.