FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Deliciously Ella's Sweet Potato Brownies

This week I have converted to clean eating. If you read my latest Operation Bridal Bod (here), you will see my body is in need of a food overhaul. I have actually been well behaved. Very good in fact! Planning my meals in advance has helped hugely and to aid my habit of sweet cravings, I opted to make Deliciously Ella's Sweet Potato Brownies, which are vegan and free from processed sugar. Thumbs up!

These brownies are super-duper easy to make and take so scrummy - guilt free yumminess!

INGREDIENTS (to make 10 brownies)

2 sweet potatoes

80g ground almonds

100g spelt flour (Ella suggests rice flour but all I had was spelt which works just as well)

Two handfuls of dates

4 tbsps cacoa powder

3 tablespoons of honey (Ella suggest maple syrup but, again, I didn't have this so opted for honey)

1. Chop the sweet potatoes into chunks and cook in the oven set to 180 degrees. Bake until soft and squidgy.

2. Once cooked through, blend with the dates. Then in a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cacoa powder and ground almonds.

3. Mix the sweet potato and dates with the dry mixture, adding in the honey to allow it all to bind together. 

4. Place into a brownie baking dish (or like I have used here - loaf tins) and bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes. Once cooked, place on a cooling rack before serving with a nice cup of tea.

How easy can you get!? It took me around 40 minutes to prepare once the sweet potato was cooked. The cacoa powder relieves the sweet tooth but the mixture alone is very rich so a little slice is all you need to feel satisfied. 

What other clean eating recipes would you suggest? I'm definitely on the hunt for more.

Lipstick Runner. 

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Post exercise breakfast

My most important meal of the day is breakfast and I think that goes for pretty much all runners. I have a few friends who can easily skip this meal, which leaves me baffled. By the time I arrive at the office from my cycling commute, I'm so hungry and I can't wait to get to my desk to eat my bowl of porridge (or cereal in the warmer months).

At the weekends, I tend to carry out my bigger training sessions, such as longer runs and bike rides. Aiming to head out early(ish) morning, by the time I get home around 10.30/11am, all I can think about is food. This is where I make a bit more effort and make a breakfast that is fulfilling, rewarding and a great source of energy to refuel my body after a tough workout. 

Poached eggs on toast

This is my savoury go-to that is packed full of protein and is a nice toasty warm meal that goes down super well after a cold winters run. 

Now, I must admit I am crap at poaching eggs. We have those rubbery round moulds that we crack the egg into and then float on water to poach. I'm very good at over boiling the water which then floods the moulds and gets the eggs all soggy. So, I normally opt for this breakfast when my fiancé is home - he's a pro at making the perfect poached egg!

I tend to have two eggs with two slices of spelt toast. I then season with salt and pepper and a generous amount of tomato ketchup (the important finishing touch). The humble egg has a rich nutritional value. The whites of an egg hold a valuable amount of protein, as well as zinc and iron. They also are low calorie and low cholesterol. These benefits are a great source of fuel to re-energise tired muscles and I do definitely feel perkier after this full and satisfying dish.

Banana & cinnamon pancakes

OK - this is more of a 'treat' breakfast. When I know I have been good in the week leading up to the weekend and I have had a particularly tough session, I opt for this super sweet brekkie. By all means, these aren't pancakes lathered in chocolate sauce, sugar and ice cream. I do take into account some nutritional value.

First of all, I make the batter myself which is made using spelt flour. As you know by now spelt is the only way forward for me as I find it lighter and far easier to digest. I also add in a sprinkle of cinnamon which carries health benefits such as aiding colds and controlling blood sugar levels. It gives the batter a sweet kick and is an instant seasoning.

The mix makes around six pancakes so I tend to make this when I have someone to share with. When the pancake is made, I fill it with banana and drizzle a small amount of honey before rolling it up to eat. High in fibre and potassium, bananas are a common source of energy post exercise. They help aid muscle cramps and sustain blood sugar levels. 

Fruit, granola and yoghurt 

More a choice of breakfast during the summer months, mixing fruit and granola with low fat yoghurt is a extremely quick dish to whip up and is surprisingly very filling.

When I make this, I chop and prepare an apple, banana, clementine and grapes. This I will then mix with a low-sugar shop bought granola (although sometimes I do make my own which you find the recipe for HERE). Finally, the finishing touch is normally with Onken Fat Free Strawberry Yoghurt. This particular option carries less calories than its competitors. Here in this picture though, I have chosen a natural greek yoghurt. 

I am a total fruit bat and I find myself eating this almost every weekend during Summer. It's incredibly refreshing and curbs any sweet craving that may develop later in the day, which is an added bonus!

These three are definitely my top breakfast picks. Like I said, these are what I prepare after heavier/intense training sessions where I can feel my body has worked at maximum effort and is in need of some hearty refuelling!

What are your favourite post exercise meals?

Lipstick Runner. 

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Home-Made Spelt Birthday Cake

This weekend it was my fiancé's birthday and I decided to make a spelt based birthday cake for him! For regular readers of my blog, you probably know by now that I make everything that is flour based with spelt flour as a wheat free option and this cake turned out super scrummy! I opted for a chocolate loaf cake as it made a handy size for just the two of us. I could tell if I made a huge Victoria sponge, we would be eating it for days!

INGREDIENTS

For loaf:

175g unsalted butter, melted

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

140g white spelt flour

85g ground almonds

0.5 tsp of baking powder

100ml semi-skimmed milk

4 tbsp cocoa powder

100g milk chocolate, grated

150g Nestle Smarties

2 packs of Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers

For frosting:

250g icing sugar

75g butter

Splash of milk

Hot Chocolate powder to flavour 

1. Set your oven to 160 degrees (fan oven) or Gas Mark 3. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

2. Whisk together the melted butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add in the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder, milk & cocoa powder and mix together until fully blended.

4. Add in the grated chocolate and once fully mixed together, pour into the loaf tin.

5. Bake for one hour, checking regularly past 45 minutes. Use a skewer to check the centre is cooked.

6. Whilst the loaf is cooling, start to make the hot chocolate frosting. Pour into a bowl the icing sugar and butter (softened or melted) and mix thoroughly until whipped together. Then add a few spoonfuls of hot chocolate powder (I opted for Cadbury's Wispa) and add until you reach your desired flavour.

7. Once the loaf is cooled, using a palette knife smear the icing sugar around the sides of the loaf. This will be the glue to add the Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers. These will form the chocolate biscuit 'wall'.

8. Next, smear the reminder of the frosting over the top of the cake and apply the Nestle Smarties all over to finish!

This cake is extremely chocolately and the dense form of the loaf means a small slice is plenty, which in turn makes the treat guilt free (well in my eyes anyway!).


Lipstick Runner.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Home-Made Spelt Smartie Cookies

Ever baked cookies and found they are not the soft, chewy type you crave? Many of times I have baked cookies that have come out of the oven borderline biscuit with just a snap to break it and a very crunchy texture.

Now though, I feel I have nailed the perfect cookie and this one is wheat free! For this recipe I have opted to use white spelt flour which does not alter the taste or texture of the cookie at all. With about 15 minutes prep time and a bake time of roughly 10 minutes, this is a super snappy recipe that can be whipped up in no time at all. 

INGREDIENTS

135g Unsalted Butter

80g Caster Sugar

80g Light Brown Sugar

1 Egg

0.5 tsp Vanilla Essence

190g White Spelt Flour

0.5 tsp salt

0.5 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

150g Nestle Smarties

Grease and line two baking trays with baking parchment.

The recipe itself is so simple I don't really need to list step-by-step instructions. Firstly, cream together the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy (opt to use an electric whisk). Secondly, add the egg with vanilla essence and stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon. 

Next, sieve in the spelt flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Fold in all the ingredients together until a gooey raw cookie mixture has formed. Then, add the colour and pour in the Smarties!

Once all the ingredients are mixed together, spoon tablespoon sized amounts onto the two baking trays. 

When placing the cookies in the oven, make sure you make a note of the time. Whilst traditional cookie recipes recommend around 15 minutes to bake, to get that all important chewy effect you need to remove the cookies from the oven as soon as they have a slight brown finish to them. At five minutes, check the cookies and then at 10 check again. This is when mine had achieved a light brown finish and I decided to remove from the oven at this point.

Leave on the trays to cool for 10 minutes before transferring them onto a cooling rack.

Once cooled, make a brew and put your feet up with a sweet afternoon treat. Careful though. Once you have one you want the whole batch!

Lipstick Runner.

OPERATION BRIDAL BOD: Week 4

Since my post on weight gain and getting body fit for my wedding, I thought I would give an update on my progress. 

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will see this new adventure started off pretty good in week one. I had conveniently booked time off work and found myself filling the days running, cycling and pursuing core workouts. It was brilliant! By week two, it was a completely different story as I was unfortunately struck down really poorly with flu (Training Update: Fighting Flu).

The last week however, I have been back out running and training is in full swing again. Knowing that I also have a huge challenge to face June 2015 with Blenheim Palace Triathlon (for more info see HERE) will be a great focus for Operation Bridal Bod. 

Anyway, visually seeing the results is what matters right? This is the first time I have monitored my body through pictures and I must say it really does motivate you especially when you SEE the results. Below is an overview of pictures from me at week one to where I am now.

As you can, the results are small but a great start! My stomach definitely feels and I think looks firmer and I think the combination of running, cycling and swimming is helping to strengthen my core. I can also see from the side that my stomach dips in and isn't so 'rounded' so to speak. I also think my arms look slightly thinner in the above pictures which makes me VERY happy!

From the back, I don't look much different. It's clear to see this is the part of my body where fat settles and gets comfy. I'm going to have to look into blitzing my lower back and sides where it tends to be stored and I think my Nike Training Club app is going to come in handy here, not to mention my weekly HIIT sessions.

In terms of diet, I haven't really changed much. I must admit during the flu, I was barely eating which will have definitely contributed to the change in my body. But during the time I have had an appetite I have kept to normal breakfasts and dinners but have changed my lunches to soups. A simple tin of Heinz tomato or mushroom soup followed by a Muller Fruit Corner is what I have followed and it does seem to fill me up surprisingly!

Despite eating the same foods, I have changed one thing and that is avoiding wheat. Not one slice of bread has brushed my lips and anything that I have had that is normally bread based, I have opted for spelt flour options. This form of flour tastes just the same normal flour and it is much lighter on the tummy. Below are a couple of 'spelt based' meal I have been having.

(Mozzarella, spinach and tomato spelt based pizza)

(Fajitas with Quorn Chicken Pieces and spelt wraps)

(banoffee ice cream spelt waffles from The Waffle House, St Albans)

Now I have managed to kick start the body make-over, my focus now is to well, stay focussed! I am one to fall off the band wagon very easily and so I need to keep up these results. You never know, at the next update I might have some abs to show off (*in her dreams*).

Lipstick Runner.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Home-Made Blackberry Muffins

Today I went blackberry picking. It was great! After heading out on a bike ride yesterday through the Essex countryside I found loads of hot spots with bramble bushes brimming with ready to pick blackberries! I couldn't avoid this so I ventured out the next day, Tupperware in tow to get me some blackberries!

Two hours later, I got me a few:

After realising that I did in fact have around five kilos of blackberries, I had to get using them before they turn into a mouldy pulpy mess in the fridge. So first up was blackberry muffins. The reason being is that I am currently staying at my future in-laws and after rifling through their kitchen cupboards, I managed to collate all the ingredients I needed for these. 

I got the recipe off Tesco's website funnily enough. I never knew they had recipes on there but this one seemed simple and straightforward so I got to it straight away. The ingredients I used were:

75g Unsalted Butter

75g Caster Sugar

200ml Semi-Skimmed Milk

250g Self-Raising Flour

1 Egg

1 tsp Baking Powder

0.5 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 punnet of blackberries (roughly 500g)

1. Firstly, I lined a cupcake tin with cases and then creamed together the sugar and butter. Normally at home, I would use an electric whisk but I couldn't find one of these so I used a hand held whisk and got my biceps hard at work! I will admit I didn't get it light and fluffy (my arms were killing!) but I made sure it was all whipped up. 

2. Next, in a separate bowl I whisked together the milk and egg before gradually adding this to the sugar/butter mixture. This makes it very liquidated so make sure you whisk all the ingredients together thoroughly.

3.  I then added in the flour (which I didn't sieve) and again, I did this bit by bit, folding the flour into the mixture each time until it was thick and gloopy.

4. Final step is to add the blackberries. The recipe advises to mash them up slightly so some are whole and some are mushy. Once these are stirred into the flour mixture, evenly decant into muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees (gas mark 6).

Here's how they turned out - not bad for a last minute bake off! Mary Berry would be pleased (I hope). 

For the full recipe please visit Tesco's Real Food website HERE. 

Lipstick Runner. 

OPERATION BRIDAL BOD!

I'm getting married in 10 months. 10!? Last time I checked I was newly engaged and had 18 months until my big day. 

So after realising that time is going very fast, I need to get planning and part of my plans is to get a bridal bod! Don't shake your head and assume I mean living off celery sticks and hopping on a PowerPlate at every possible moment until I am ultra skinny. I also don't mean trying every fad diet in the book or signing onto Lighter Life (saying that - you guys know how much I love VB6!). I'm talking about getting a lean, mean athletic physique.

There are athletes I aspire to for this dream body. Those that are slim, but strong. I really admire women who don't have this obsession with being 'thin'. A few years back, I was one that fell under the spell of being 'skinny'. In my second year of University, I lost a lot of weight. I had broken up with someone and was also working ridiculously long hours at a local pub. The combination of this with my studies saw me drop to 7st 12lbs. I lived off apples, Slim Fast cereal bars and bowls of peas. I really don't joke.

I remember shopping in TopShop and slipping into a pair of size 8 thick demin slim leg jeans and feeling high from this achievement. But, at the same time, I felt awful. I was constantly tired, calorie obsessed and quite frankly, not much fun. My grades also started slipping and I knew that things weren't right.

I then started dating a guy. I guess love picks you up as my attitude towards food changed. We would cook together and I remember the first meal he made me was spag bowl (romantic ha!) and I ate it all. I also vividly recall a time where he came round one evening with a family size bar of Dairy Milk and I cried as I felt guilty for eating it. Slightly baffled by my attitude towards food, he told me to grow up and just eat a slab of chocolate - so what if it's bad for you!

This guy is the man I am marrying and I couldn't be happier. Except that now I am looking at my body and thinking that I could put some effort into 'fine tuning' it into a body I feel proud of. We are in a very comfortable relationship and he loves me no matter what but I still want to walk down that aisle and be in the best shape of my life! Not the 7st 12lb shape that I once was but definitely not the 9st 5lb self I am now!

(I couldn't find a decent picture of the thin me but this gives an idea. Here I am in 2009 on the left and right is me today, June 2014)

I need to find the in-between. I really liked a post I read on Challenge Sophie - Fit Not Thin. Sophie's feelings and mine are totally mutual and reading this post really put into perspective that I actually have a great figure. I have limbs that are all fully functioning, I have no disfigurements and I certainly am not fat. But I am a woman and one of the typical types that obsessives over her appearance despite looking perfectly normal. So, keeping in mind that what I have is great, I am now going to work to make it greater and that I think, isn't at all a bad thing.

So, Operation Bridal Bod is me trying to achieve a strong, athletic figure and one that will look smokin' in a wedding dress! There are women athletes who I think look incredible and they are definitely people I aspire to look like. I've even stuck my head on their own bodies and made myself a 'perfect figure' comparison checker. What do you think?

(L-R: the always enviable Jessica Ennis Hill next to the strength and power of my favourite athlete, Jodie Stimpson)

(L-R: rowers Helen Glover & Heather Stanning, sprinter Jodie Williams)

These women are real women to me. Those that have used their natural body shape to their advantage. For example, Jodie Stimpson has sculpted her broad physique into a triathlon power house and Helen Glover has used her upper body strength to her advantage to become a Olympic Gold medallist rower. 

Now looking at my body, I am curvy but in a muscular/fat way. I don't think it's that bad front on but from the side and from behind, the lack of toning and sculpting is clear to see. What gets to me is that when I look at this body, I don't see a runner. I see someone who's had one too many cupcakes but managing to hold back a hugely expanding waistline through some form of exercise. At 5"3, I am also carrying all my weight on a rather short frame, so weight gain is easily noticeable. 

Focussing on my legs, my sprinting past is evident. Nicknamed 'thunder thighs', I will never have trim pins. But I can have strong legs and this is better than fat legs. My main goal is to cut the wobbly bit in the upper inside of my thighs as this does get me down. I also know this is a very hard area to blitz fat so I will need to ensure I incorporate specific exercises to sculpt this area of my legs more. Legs 11 here I come!

My stomach is well, rather mehhh. It's not amazing but it's not horrific either. When looking at it, you can see that there is shape and definition potential and that it is more the lower part of my belly that needs working on. I also tend to carry fat on my lower back, which does really bug me so targeting this area of my body will really help to add more of a leaner shape to my midriff. 

Boobs are boobs. They aren't the size of peanuts but not melons either so I am actually more than happy to keep them the way they are. TICK! Arms however - they need to shrink badly. I loathe looking back at pictures where I am shot from the side and my upper arm flab is the most striking part of the image. This feature of my body is genetic so I'm not expecting miracles but if I can definitely tone up my arms even a teenie tiny bit, I'll be happy. 

I feel like I have waffled on a bit here but it's been nice to write down my feelings on body image. Posting these pictures online was something I was a little indecisive on doing. But it is my reality check, that anyone in the world can now see so having these live on the web will be my motivation and reminder on the journey to gaining my ideal bridal bod. Plus, it's a special occasion and I get to wear a pretty dress and who doesn't want to look their best when walking down the aisle?

Keep up to date on my fitness and weight loss journey through my social channels (listed on the right side bar). I'll also post here on my updates and how I am reaching my goal. 

Lipstick Runner.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Home-Made Granola

My first recipe on the blog and one of my faves! This step by step to make home-made granola is super easy and will provide you with a ton of the stuff so it's great to take to work for breakfasts.

Granola is one of my favourites. I'm not a fan of hot breakfasts - I much prefer a good serving of this with mixed berries and yoghurt. Mmm yum!

Here's what you need to buy and do...

INGREDIENTS

450g porridge oats

120g sunflower seeds

100g light brown sugar

250g almonds

300g raisins

1tsp salt

175g apple sauce

120g golden syrup

4 tbsps honey

2 tbsps sunflower oil

1. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Set the oven to 170 degrees (fan oven setting).

2. Add porridge oats, sunflower seeds, light brown sugar, almonds and salt together in a large baking bowl.

3. Measure and add to another bowl/jug the apple sauce, golden syrup, honey and sunflower oil.

4. Add this to the dry mixture and mix well.

5. Spread mixture onto the two baking trays.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, turning the mixture halfway through.

7. When cooked and golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool. Once it has chilled, add in the raisins.

8. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Sounds easy? Well it is. This took me hardly anytime to prepare and cook and I have managed to see it last me all week for work with lots spare. Here's how I munch it on the go:

(home-made granola with Yeo Valley strawberry yoghurt)

Lipstick Runner.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: VB6

I don’t eat meat. Not to object from animals not having the right to live but merely because I don’t really like it. I never have. When I was a child I’d pick at chicken and Billy Bear luncheon meat (hands up if you would eat the ears, eyes, mouth first and then the face?) but that was about it. I became a vegetarian in my teens then tried meat again in my first year at University before slipping back into being a non-meat eater a year later.

I do however eat fish. I love fish – especially salmon, tuna steak and swordfish. I feel healthy when eating it and it is a key source of iron and Omega 3, which are vital nutrients that play an important role in my training.

Last year, I felt a bit podge. Not fat but definitely a bit heavier than normal and with my best friends wedding fast approaching where I needed to fit into a rather tight bridesmaid dress, I opted to try out VB6 for six weeks.

I’d read about VB6 (Vegan Before 6) in the late Zest magazine and then found it was featured in all sorts of women’s titles so it was obviously becoming the latest diet craze. It’s written by American food critic, Mark Bittman, who after learning he had developed diabetic and heart disease symptoms, founded the VB6 method for effective weight loss.

Mark was advised to become a vegan by his doctors and as a successful food journalist, this must have been a hard thing to hear. So, he decided to adopt a part-time vegan lifestyle by following all the rules during the day and then by 6pm, switching off and enjoying what he wanted in the evening.

I LOVED the idea of this. I could be healthy and strict at work and then go out after 6pm and indulge in evening meals out with friends, or hearty homemade dinners with my boyfriend. Also, being a non-meat eater, this sounded like an easy ride. So, I purchased Mark’s book, gave myself six weeks and got stuck in.

I’m not one to follow recipes in books. I am a skim reader so I read about Mark’s story and consumed all the scary facts about food (if you want to learn the harsh reality of some foods– you should also read Skinny Bitch) and then wrote up my own straightforward plan. This consisted of the following:

Breakfast: Oatibix with soya milk OR home-made granola with soya yoghurt

Lunch: Carrot sticks, cucumber and radishes with red pepper hommous

Snacks: fruit, fruit and more fruit OR nuts

This I found really easy to adapt to, as I like all of the above. It was also easy to prepare for work and cost effective. At 6pm, whilst I was craving vegetarian lasagne smothered in cheese, I did try to restrain from ‘binging on crap’ to put it bluntly. I made sure I ate a source of carb, whether it’d be salmon with new potatoes or quorn based spicy fajitas. I also made sure I treated myself to curb sweet cravings so hot chocolates or Angel Delight were normally my options.

By the time the six weeks was up, I must say I did feel amazing. I felt lighter, detoxed and definitely more energetic. My skin also was incredible – not a blemish in sight! More importantly, I fitted in my bridesmaid dress and felt bloody fantastic in it!

This program WORKS and that is coming from someone that can barely last a week on diets (I didn’t even get through two days on 5:2 which I attempted to support my Mother). I find VB6 a safe, healthy and manageable weight loss option. I didn’t actually lose a huge amount of weight (only 4lbs if I remember) but it was enough to get that zip up on the dress. I reckon if I had chosen to continue and make VB6 a full time eating plan, it would definitely be a successful weight loss journey.

At this present time, I feel like I have slipped back into my 'podge mode'. I recently took part in Insane Terrain and was snapped by the events photographer on the course. I did have a good gawp at myself in these pictures yesterday and did wince slightly at the rounded tum that has recently formed.  After also coming back from a short 5K run this evening, I even felt heavier and well, a tad sluggish.

I’m stocky and muscular but that’s my natural shape so nothing I can do about that. Despite this though, I know I can ensure this is maintained in the best way possible and that, for me, has to be through VB6. With my own wedding a year away, I may as well start as I should mean to go on - just in case the dreaded jammed zip happens with my own wedding dress!

Best go munch on a carrot then.

Purchase VB6 HERE.

Lipstick Runner.

FUEL FOR THOUGHT: Vitamins, Vitamins, Vitamins

‘My name is Sarah and I am a Vitamin Junkie.’

Since I was a child I have grown up taking a vitamin every day. From the Super Ted multi vitamins for kids (do you remember these!?) to Zinc & Omega 3 during my studies to where I am now with three variants I take each day, without fail.

Opinions on vitamins are split quite evenly I think. There are those that turn their noses up to a Cod Liver capsule in favour for regular fish dishes and then there are those, like me, who think vitamins are an important part of long term nutrition.

The importance of vitamins has been highlighted since the Ancient Egyptians. Those smarty-pants knew their stuff when it came to medicine and they found that feeding liver to someone would cure ‘night blindness’ (this is where your eyes don’t adapt to darkness) which was linked to a deficiency in Vitamin A. The knowledge of vitamins grew from there when, for example, in the 1700’s a Scottish surgeon discovered that citrus prevented scurvy. Today however, there are whole hosts of capsules, drinks and powders that offer supplements to prevent various symptoms.

As a runner, I feel vitamins are necessary especially as a non-meat eater. To ensure I remain in tip top condition health wise and steer clear of coughs, colds and general illnesses, I take three supplements a day:

(L-R Holland & Barrett Skin, Hair & Nails; Holland & Barrett ABC Plus Muli-Vitamins; Seven Seas Cod Liver Oil)

Multi-Vitamins

One tablet packed full of essential vitamins from all letters of the alphabet. I love a good multi-vitamin and they are cheap to buy and easily accessible from supermarkets, drug stores and health shops. I take Holland & Barrett ABC Plus (£7.25 or 120 tablets) as after analysing the list of vitamins, it covers everything including iron, magnesium and zinc. Make sure you check the list of vitamins on the back of the pack as brands do differ. I was taking a Boots own supplement for months and realised it didn’t contain iron and so that is when I switched to ABC Plus.

Cod Liver Oil

I have been taking this for yonks! I always remember when I was a little girl my Dad each morning had a spoon of Cod Liver Oil and after trying it in liquid form (which by the way is foul!), I will definitely be sticking to capsules. Cod Liver Oil contains Omega 3, which is such an important nutrient as it helps the body keep a steady metabolism, strengthens bones and reduces the impact of cognitive ageing.

This supplement is particularly crucial for me as osteoporosis is rife in my family and I definitely want to avoid it in later life.  As I don’t tend to eat too much fish, Cod Liver Oil capsules are a fantastic way for me to get all the goodness I need and also keep my bones strong. That and also tonnes of Petite Filous but don’t worry, I eat a lot of fromage frais too.

Skin Hair & Nails

Another favourite of mine and probably the reason why I need my hair trimmed so often! Skin, Hair & Nails tablets are probably in a lot of women’s cabinets and rightly so - I’m blessed to have spot free skin and I do think these tablets contribute majorly to that.

They are quite pricey (120 capsules of Holland & Barrett Skin, Hair & Nails is £18) but if you are looking for ways to rid blemishes, strengthen hair and prevent weak nails these are worth trying. I cannot remember the last time I broke a nail and my hair grows so fast, if I didn’t cut it, I could quite easily take up a role in a Rapunzel panto.

What to look out for...

If you are thinking of taking more than one vitamin, I strongly suggest you analyse the vitamins each capsule contains. This is so you can identify what you could possibly be taking too much of. For example, high consumption of iron can cause side effects (along the lines of constipation cough cough) and as a runner, I keep myself alert to my intake in vitamins to ensure I avoid any health mishaps during my training.

If you are partial to a supplement or two, I’d definitely suggest the above. Or, if you feel you need a boost in some shape or form, head to your nearest pharmacy as I bet there is a vitamin to fix it!


Lipstick Runner.