Why It’s Ok To Have A Bad Day + How To Boost Yourself Back Up

Written by

“Happiness is not the absence of problems; it’s the ability to deal with them…”

Having a bad day? Don’t stress, we are humans after all. Without bad days, how are we expected to appreciate the good ones? We all face struggles and difficult times… but hey, they will pass. In fact, you will grow from these experiences and appreciate the better days.

To stop you reaching for the family size bar of chocolate in order to drown your sorrows (which we know you will instantly regret!), we have come up with five things you can do to banish the blues and see that there really is a light at the end of every tunnel.

Practice yoga

Yoga gives us that feel good factor, helping us to generate a positive state of mind. It works wonders on our circulation, leaving us feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and gets our endorphins (feel good hormones) flowing. The aim of yoga practice is to resolve internal tensions and bring out inner happiness. Plus the focus on your breath will help rid of stress and anxiety, leaving you positively glowing!

Take a long hot bath

Unwind at the end of a long, hard day with a warming bath. Did you know that taking a bath raises our body temperature and heart rate, which in turn means we perspire and release toxins from our body?

We love adding a few drops of lavender oil to ease our muscles. We also love Epsom salts in our bath to draw impurities from our body and replenish our cells with magnesium. This is a sure-fire way to guarantee a deep nights sleep.

Spend time with your loved ones

Studies show that we are happiest when we are spending quality time with our nearest and dearest. Social engagement is the most efficient way to rein in that stress or sadness. So, instead of heading home to wallow in your own self-pity, organize a drink with a friend or even hang out with your mumma. Try to talk your problems over with them, as after all, a problem shared is half a problem!

Practice gratitude

I’m sure the last thing you want to hear when you are having a bad day is to practice gratitude. Yet, this one is something we must practice. Gratitude immediately puts our situations into perspective. Turning negative feelings and thoughts into positive ones can do us a load of good. We all have bad days, but try to think what you can learn from the experience – you are stronger for it! Give yourself a pat on the back and keep you head up! Tomorrow is a new day…

Meditate

Taking a few minutes a day to practice meditation is the perfect way to dispel any negative thoughts that niggle away at us. Learning to create self-awareness will open our brains up to a realm of positive thinking. We take the journey of self-love very seriously over here at Hip & Healthy, because once you start to love and accept yourself just the way you are, the more you will start thinking positively.

Words by Flora Crichton

MORE: Dalton Wong’s Day On A Plate

 

If You Only Do One Thing This Week… Celebrate Real Super Foods!

Written by

Lets not get too carried away by splashing our hard earned cash on pricey green powders and exotic grains. We want to bring your attention to celebrating real super foods, from broccoli to salmon to chickpeas. These are incredibly nutritious, and won’t make such a big dent in your wallet!

B for Broccoli

Broccoli is bursting with benefits. It contains a special combination of three phytonutrients; Glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiian, and glucobrassicin, which work perfectly as a trio to support the body’s detoxification process. Of all the cruciferous veggies to choose from, this super green veggie is packed with the most vitamin C and the highest levels of powerful antioxidants.

Tip: steam your broccoli to retain the goodness that would otherwise escape into the water in which you boil it. We would also recommend broccoli in a soup as this jazzes it up a bit. We love Madeleine Shaw’s delicious Detox Coconut and Broccoli Soup…

S for Salmon

We all need a good dose of oily fish, and tucking into a salmon fillet does just the trick. If you want the freshest and most vibrant of fillets, opt for Wild Alaskan salmon as it is bursting with nutrients and contains the least contaminants. Packed with Omega 3 fatty acids and protein to keep you fuller for longer, it also boasts a variety of vitamins; vitamin A, D, B6, B and E to be precise. Cook in coconut oil for a beautiful depth of flavour and a double dose of essential fatty acids.

B for blueberries

Tasty, sweet and bursting with flavour, these little miracles contain disease fighting phytochemicals, soluble fibre and flavonoids. They are anti-inflammatory, with the highest antioxidant content of most fruits and veggies, to protect our bodies from damage by free radicals. They are also low in sugar and have beneficial effects on our insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism… let’s dig in!

We love popping them into our morning smoothies with some almond milk and nut butter. Topping our porridge with them is also another one of our faves.

L for lentils

Low in cals and high in nutritional value, the humble lentil contains impressively high levels of protein compared to other legumes and nuts. Their high fibre and protein content balances out blood sugar levels and keeps hunger, and those dreaded cravings, at bay.

For those of you with hectic lifestyles, prepare them on the weekend and fill your lunch boxes with them throughout the week. They will readily absorb a variety of flavours that you pair them with – so make sure to chuck in some yummy spices. We love to tuck into yellow lentil and coconut curry or lentil dahl – both make for a hearty bowl of comforting yumminess.

C for chickpeas

If you aren’t too keen on chickpeas by themselves, fear not…the mighty and creamy humous is brimming with these little peas. We get through way too much of it! However, thanks to its high dietary fibre content, which acts as a bulking agent in our digestive system, chickpeas are associated with weight loss and increased feelings of satiety. Significantly high in fibre, which lowers our cholesterol level and in turn lowers our risk of heart disease, chickpeas have a fantastic ability to move things along our digestive track so we can retain regularity.

Tip: bake chickpeas in olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper for 30 mins for a delicious filling snack or to scatter over your salads.

Words by Flora Crichton

MORE: Meet The Face Of Healthy Baking

How To Avoid Burnout

Written by

There is nothing like that feeling at the end of a workout, when you’ve smashed your session, your adrenalin is pumping and you’re flying high on endorphins. But it’s easy for that feeling to become addictive and all of a sudden your training regime has crept up to 7 times a week or more, giving your body no time at all to repair and recover.

If that’s the case, then it is time to re-assess your goals and routine; too much exercise + too little recovery = the burnout zone. Simple as. Any exercise programme requires a balance between overload and recovery and if the overload stimulus exceeds the body’s ability to adapt to it this can result in over-training and the risk of full-on burnout in both the body and mind.

Burn-out can appear in many forms including being prone to illness, injury, physical and mental exhaustion, having problems concentrating and sleeping, losing your sex drive, irritability and sensitivity from hormonal disruptions notably excess cortisol in the body resulting from overtraining, hitting a training plateau, lack of motivation and boredom.

So the ‘no pain no gain’ mentality stops right here. Rest is in the program of a hip and healthy life and there are some easy steps you can take to avoid burnout and keep your workouts on the up.

  1. Don’t take on too much too soon

Initial gains are a brilliant motivator to spur you on to a full-on commitment to a healthy, active lifestyle. However, be mindful that you aren’t taking on too much too soon or overloading your body by too much as this can quite easily lead to burnout and even abandoning your programme altogether. Making gradual gains over time and having both short, mid and long-term goals ensure you are continually progressing in a way that is realistic, sustainable and motivating.

  1. Have a rest day and listen to your body

The best advice I have ever been given is to listen to your body. In fact, giving your body a break from exercise is essential to your fitness journey and progression so your muscles have the time they need to fully repair and prepare. Of course there are those workouts when you have made brilliant gains, pushing yourself beyond your usual point of maximum resistance. However, if you have been training hard, your muscles feel sore and your body feels tired, give it a rest. After all, it probably deserves it. One rest day is not going to lose all your gains and neglecting recovery may even lead to regression in your performance. During exercise the body undergoes intense stress. Exercise stimulates the breakdown, repair and growth of muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones to build a more resilient and stronger body and therefore the repair and growth period during this process is just as important as the training itself. The time your body needs to effectively recover is usually determined by the volume and type of exercise you have been doing, your current fitness level and other influencing factors such as quality of sleep and diet.

  1. Refuel your body in the right way

80% of the way your body looks, feels and performs is down to optimum nutrition. Refuelling properly post-workout with the necessary protein, carbohydrate, sugar, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and hydration are key to maximising the impact your workout has had on the body. Supplements are also beneficial; taking amino acids, magnesium and creatine (the chemical compound stored and made in the body as creatine phosphate which makes up the body’s energy currency ATP) all help to speed up recovery and build muscle.

  1. Take active recovery

To promote recovery in your muscles, light activity on rest days will help loosen them up and make them feel better, encouraging blood flow to those sore areas. Active recovery includes light exercise like walking, light swimming or riding a bike, which can also enhance mental recovery and relaxation. Dynamic and passive stretching will also aid muscle repair and increase your flexibility, which, over time will enhance your performance by increasing your range of motion.

Performing a cool down at the end of every exercise session is a form of active recovery. This will help to prevent muscle soreness post-workout, speed up the removal of lactic acid from the muscles and decrease the time it takes for overall recovery.

  1. Get some good quality sleep

Sleep is crucial to how we perform both in daily life and when we are exercising. During sleep, our brains recharge and growth hormone is naturally released to aid muscle regeneration and replacement of aging and dead cells. Alongside this, protein synthesis occurs, using the high quality food we have eaten during the day to more efficiently build muscle. Ensuring that you get 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night will promote these processes as well as general wellbeing. Without sufficient sleep, recovery is compromised.

  1. Cut down your workouts

If you suspect that you might be nearing the over-training mark but really can’t stop yourself from exercising there are still strategies that you can employ to reduce stress on the body. Increasing the rest periods between exercises, reducing the length of your sessions, adjusting from high impact to low impact activities, reducing the heart-rate work level and decreasing the resistance and complexity of exercises are all ways you can reduce your workout and therefore the effects it has on the body.

  1. Switch up your routine and intensity to keep it interesting

Cross-training by integrating a range of activity and types of exercise into your training will not only prevent you from getting bored of the same routine, but will keep your body guessing and improve its performance as it will never have a chance to adapt to one type of training.

Varying the intensity when you workout will also help to avoid overtraining and work the muscles in different ways for added benefit. For instance, it isn’t realistic or good for your body long-term to push to your max in every training session. Try mixing up your HIT training with lower intensity steady state training (which should last between 30-60 minutes) such as jogging as well as a variety of resistance training across endurance, hypertrophy and strength sessions.

  1. Keep a balance

Being good 80-90 % of the time is a great way to ensure that you maintain your health and fitness goals. Allowing yourself a cheat meal or a couple of glasses of wine a week boosts the metabolism and helps to obtain consistent results long-term. Being sociable, spending time with friends, enjoying new experiences and going to events are important ways that you can maintain a healthy life balance and promote your inner happiness. Don’t let your training govern your life – let it simply be a brilliant part of it.

Words by Sophie Heywood

Twitter: @Sheywoods

Instagram: @Sheywood90s

MORE: Recipe – Peach & Avocado Porridge 

Our Top 5 Favourite Healthy Delivery Services in London

Written by

Lacking in time and energy but wanting a deliciously nutritious meal? These super speedy healthy food delivery services have you sorted – now even the most frazzled of us can be sure we will be eating well.

  1. Chelsea Kitchen

With vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free diets all catered for, Chelsea Kitchen’s nutritious meals really can be suited to everyone. Simply order online, choose when you’d like to receive the delivery, and then enjoy! There’s a huge array of dishes on offer, from supergreen salads to gluten-free pizzas and chocolate quinoa tarts, plus with Honestly Healthy’s Natasha Corrett and fitness foodie Lorraine Pascale amongst the team of chefs who will be prepping your meals, you can be sure you’ll be enjoying good quality, tasty food that’s amazing for your body too.

  1. Lunch Bxd

Delivered sustainably by bicycle straight to your desk, Lunch Bxd was created with a mission to prove that salads can be healthy, filling and delicious! Using only local, seasonal produce and 100% recyclable packaging, you can be satisfied that you’ll be saving the planet with every bite you take. All options are brimming with vibrant veggies, nourishing grains, fresh herbs, dressings or dips and topped with crunchy, seedy, nutty goodness – looking for an extra does of protein? Not to worry, there’s also the option to add grilled meat or fish to your box, as well as a wholesome snack of choice if you wish.

  1. Pure Package

Fans of Pure Package’s scientifically backed healthy eating plans include Denise Van Outen, Lily Cole and Hugh Jackman, and we’re not surprised judging by the look of their delicious menu choices – dairy-free dark Belgian chocolate mousse anyone? Tailored to your individual needs and goals, choose from a variety of menus, including Detox, Weight Loss, DNA and Skin & Ageing. Pure’s meals will help you break any unhealthy habits whilst inspiring new food combinations and reminding you of healthy, balanced portions – and there’s no need to worry about a single meal, your daily quota of food will be left on your doorstep at 6am each day in a temperature-controlled bag.

  1. Pollen & Grace

Delicious, nutritionally designed food, prepared with love and delivered straight to your door, nourish both body and mind with Pollen & Graces choice of gluten, dairy and refined sugar free food. No need to worry about missing out, the boxes can be personalised to any dietary need or preference. Their philosophy is based around ditching the diet and instead loving your body from the inside out, and everything on the menu sounds divine! Think sweet potato hummus, beetroot quinoa, maple roasted carrots and root vegetable frittatas – definitely wins our seal of approval!

  1. SpiceBox

For all those spice lovers out there, Spice Box provides a healthy and meat-free takeaway option for those of you who are vegan or simply health conscious. Upping our veggie intake is something we all try to achieve, and these vegan curries will do just the trick! Each box costs £8, containing between 350-550 calories, which for an Indian curry is pretty impressive. Order between 6.30pm and 9pm, and deliveries will come straight to your door. The menu is ever changing but there is a choice of two meals per day; a lighter and a heavier option.

We love the sound of their Hungry Spice box; a spinach, squash and chickpea coconut curry, with basmati rice, a zingy Indian salad, home made pickles, date and tamarind chutney, tofu raita, roasted cashews and crispy onions to top it all off… sounds pretty mouthwatering! If you are avoiding carbs or after something lighter, opt for their skinny spice box which contains delicious spicy cauliflower rice instead – yum!

Words by Meryn Turner 

MORE: How To Detox Your Home + Beauty Cabinet 

 

Why Every Girl Should Have Her Own Fitness Instagram Account

Written by

Molly, aka @progresspure started her personal fitness journey after being inspired by transformation pictures of girls across Instagram. Less than a year later, the 20 year old History student has managed to connect with over 65 thousand people, building personal relationships and life long friendships along the way. After undergoing her own physical and psychological transformation and discovering what really worked to achieve results, Molly has recently published her own 12 week strength training ‘Curve Guide’. Focusing on compound exercises, interval training and macros the guide is ensured to build lean muscle, lose fat and create a feminine curve by shaping your glutes, thighs, waist and shoulders. Encouraging girls to see fitness in a positive and empowering light as they step up to the rack.

I decided to open up an account in March 2015 after being madly inspired by ‘transformation’ pictures of girls my age who had plucked up the courage to get a pair of Nikes on, slip into their lycra and change their life for the better.

Prior to this I had tried countless times to stick to ‘clean eating’, ‘only fruits’, ‘no carbs past 5’, (basically a million different diets which promised a smokin’ hot bod by the end of it) but I constantly kept failing. I had tried my whole teenage life to bring around my health and fitness habits, I always wanted to be that girl who ENJOYED the gym (did they exist?!) and who actually liked eating red peppers, broccoli and… oh okay throw in some quinoa! I usually had these momentous epiphanies that the healthy way was the only way after ordering a Dominos and tub of cookie dough. Without having anyone to disappoint but myself, I failed every time at managing to incorporate the fitness lifestyle into my own.

After a bikini holiday in March 2015 it dawned on me how near Summer was and I became aware once again, that I would either have to change something about my lifestyle or continue feeling ashamed and disappointed in my unmotivated mentality towards health and fitness.

I’ve never been overweight or looked ‘bad’ but it was never about the way I looked, but more so the way I felt about myself and how that was reflected by my body. Everyone should love their body, no matter what shape or size. For me, I was never going to love my body if I didn’t respect my body, and the way for me to respect myself is to work hard. Let’s say you’ve got an exam, and you know the exam is coming up so you revise extra hard, harder than you could have imagined and you ace that test. That proud feeling of being able to wear your success on your sleeve is how I see fitness. Your body is a reflection of your goals, ambitions and determinations. And in March 2015 whenever I looked at my body I felt demotivated and disappointed at all the times I had given up along the way. What I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t matter how you look, whether you have those rock hard abs, love handles, big booty or legs up to Mount Everest, if you don’t love yourself it doesn’t matter who else does.

After creating a fitness account and experiencing all the ups and downs I can safely say that getting an account is one hell of a motivator for 3 reasons:

  1. Friendships
  2. Positive Pressure
  3. Criticism

The number one beneficiary I am most grateful to Instagram for is the support I received and the friendships I’ve made (yes, real friends! Not those cyber fake friendships). I recommend going to your ‘real girl’ inspo pages, those girls who tell it like it is, who enjoy their cheat meals, rock those messy buns, aren’t afraid to sweat and who are well, basically badass. Check out who comments on their pictures as they are usually awesome girls who have also started a fitness account and are looking for more people to connect with in order to inspire and motivate. Get talking to girls who are on your wavelength and find out what they do to stay motivated, what are their tips and tricks and how could it benefit you?

I promise you these key relationships I made at the start of my account is the thing which kept me dedicated in the beginning, and trust me when I say that the first 6 weeks are the hardest. These connections and bonds formed with other people are one of the most positively unique friendships you can make. Solely because you have both become friends in order to encourage and motivate one another on their journey. Instagram helps you feel like you are in a team and that you’ve got people rooting for you to be a better version of yourself, so the journey changes from a lonely one to a shared experience with women just like you.

This leads me onto my next point, pressure. Because of these friendships you want to see each other succeed, if your insta friends are getting into their workouts then it motivates the hell outta you to get to the gym! When you first start your fitness journey, the beginning is definitely the most challenging period because that’s when you’re really transitioning your life from a dominos and ice cream one (well, for me anyway) to a kick ass/ ‘go-getter’ one. So scrolling through your fitness account and seeing all your main girls posts about getting in their workouts makes you realise that hey, people all around the world are doing this fitness thing. They’re not complaining or giving in and so why should I? This positive pressure, as I like to call it, is the key factor in bringing about success; you don’t want to let down those people who are counting on you, and its actually pretty fun posting a picture on Instagram but it’s even better when you can attach a positive caption with it, telling people about your workout which you conquered. It didn’t happen if nobody saw it right? I know this isn’t exactly logical but psychologically, if you can tell peeps you’ve worked hard and then get praised for it – it makes getting sweaty all the worth while.

My last point is criticism, which I struggled with a bit at the beginning. When I started my account I made sure to not put my name anywhere, I even used a different email address just in case someone could find me. The point is, if you create an account people will find it, I don’t know how or why, I think we have cookies to blame (or thank), but either way it will get uncovered.

Unfortunately for me the first people who found my account were people I wasn’t friends with so I had to endure some pretty embarrassing mocking. On the outside looking in people criticised me for only having about 300 followers, cheesy captions, embarrassing hashtags and of course, ‘before’ photos all over my account. I was humiliated at the time but it forced me to address something incredibly important, I had to make the decision of whether I let people’s criticisms get to me and delete the account, or I not give a damn about other people and their judgements and get on with my life. Even though this was a tough decision, I’m sitting here thanking cookies for embarrassing me. It was a decision which I now make sure to live my life by, to truly not let anyone else’s judgements effect my own life choices. Without becoming Kelly Clarke here, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and I believe you’ve got to have some fire and determination in you to pursue a fitness lifestyle on social media.

60 thousand followers later, my own workout guide and incredible new founded friendships, I’m happy I chose to ignore the haters. Okay, yes it was originally embarrassing when someone found my account, but you have to address the question as to why that is and why has society (especially British culture) made us feel like we’re doing something wrong if we demonstrate an ambitious attitude to change our mental outlook and therefore physical appearance for the better. One reason why I love Instagram is because it is very clearly giving a platform to normal women and helping us visualize fitness as an empowering tool. No longer do I associate the gym with excessive cardio, hungry workouts and calorie burning. But rather as a therapeutic space where I can sculpt my body and watch myself grow physically and mentally. And I have Instagram to thank for this, all those motivational posts and inspiring captions DO something to you. You might not think it at the time, but if you’re scrolling through these positive messages at least 5 times a day (yes I am addicted to my phone, woops, did I mention there are side effects?) then along the line you’re going to start feeling that there actually is a very real and positive way to live a fitness lifestyle and that once dreamed of image of the girl who loves the gym is actually you.

Words by Molly Teshuva

Follow Molly on instagram: @progresspure

MORE: How To Boost Your Instagram Following 

 

Malaysian Tofu & Carrot Noodle Laksa With Flaked Almonds

Written by

If you’re yet to order yourself a recipe box bursting with plant-based goodness from the guys at Mindful Chef, now’s the time. Offering up an array of recipe boxes, each featuring a healthy assortment of fresh and seasonal ingredients pre-measured and prepared alongside handy recipe cards which guarantee your meal from box to table in just 25 minutes – it’s safe to say, we are obsessed. To tantalise your tastebuds and get you as excited about Mindful Chef as we are, for the next few weeks we’ll be bringing you a few of our favourite recipes from their Plant Based boxes. First up – a moorish Malaysian Tofu & Carrot Noodle Laksa With Flaked Almonds…

Ingredients

  • 150g firm tofu (soya)
  • 1⁄2 fresh lemongrass stalk 1 garlic clove
  • 2cm fresh ginger
  • 50g tenderstem broccoli 140g carrot
  • 100ml coconut milk
  • 1⁄2 vegetable stock cube (celery)
  • 1⁄4 tsp tamarind paste
  • 1⁄2 red chilli
  • 5g flaked almonds (nuts)

Already in your kitchen

  • Sea salt & black pepper Coconut oil / olive oil

Macros

P: 17g / C: 30g / F: 30g

Recipe for one person, double ingredients for two

Method

1) Trim the ends of the lemongrass and finely chop. Peel
and finely chop the ginger and garlic and finely slice the chilli (remove the seeds for less heat). Trim the ends of the tenderstem and cut into 1 inch pieces.

2) Peel the carrot and trim the root end. Prepare the carrot noodles using your julienne peeler and slice the carrot into long thin strips (or use a spiralizer if you have one). Drain and rinse the tofu in cold water, and cut into 2cm cubes.

3) In a dry frying pan, toast the flaked almonds for 2-3 mins until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

4) In the same frying pan, heat 1 tsp oil and fry the tofu for 10 mins, season with sea salt and black pepper.

5) Meanwhile, boil a kettle. Dissolve the vegetable stock cube in 100ml boiling water.

6) Heat a medium-sized pan with 1 tsp oil. Add the lemongrass, ginger and garlic and fry for 2 mins, then add the tenderstem and fry for a further 3 mins. Then add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, tamarind paste and carrot noodles. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 mins. Then stir the tofu into the laksa soup.

7) Spoon the laksa soup into a warm bowl and scatter over the toasted flaked almonds and the sliced red chilli.

We recommend washing all our organic fruit and vegetables before use.

To order a Mindful Chef box or find out more click here.

MORE: Warm Superfood Bowl Recipe

The Four Steps To Following Your Intuition

Written by

We’ve all experienced it, the ‘hunch’ or ‘gut feeling’ that propels us in a direction we may have never historically chosen, only to lead us somewhat seamlessly to the decision or outcome we were hoping for. Whilst intuition can sometimes be hard to channel, we’ve all got one. How well it works simply comes down to how open you are to receive its guidance. Read on for how you can awaken or strengthen your own intuitive side…

Identity and release your core beliefs: Whether we like it or not, our core beliefs, often formed in early childhood, remain with us throughout our lives, continuing to be shaped by circumstances, our environment, our interactions and all that’s in between. When it comes to enlivening our intuitive sides, we must let go of our externally developed perceptions of ourselves and the world around us, for our higher selves to be able to shine through and lead us in the direction we are meant to go. Whilst it’s not always easy, letting go of preconceived notions of how things should be is the first step to opening yourself up to the beauty of intuitive thinking. More on this below.

Listen to your body: Think your mind and body don’t communicate on all levels? Think again. Whilst we are all well aware that if we are sick or in pain, our bodies make it very clear to our minds, did you ever consider the opposite – our minds communicating through our body? Apparent on both sides of the emotional spectrum, we’re sure you know all too well the feeling of excitement that can be felt so strongly in your stomach, but also the feelings of heartbreak or sadness that can be felt deep within your heart. By working on really feeling into your emotions and pinpointing where they develop, you are taking the second crucial step in awakening your intuitive power within.

Be open and willing: When you’ve identified and let go of your core beliefs and tuned into the wisdom of your body, it’s time to let your intuitive knowing take the reigns. For this to occur, it’s important that you stay open-minded and willing to hear and recognize your intuitions signs and signals. Whilst being a critical thinker is great, if tuning into your intuitive side is what you seek, practice shutting this off during times of intuitive pursuits. By doing so, you may just find it easier to tap into that inner power without the internal conflict that critical thinking can elicit.

Trust in yourself: Whilst rational thinking is sometimes required in the decision making process, for those evaluations that elicit a ‘gut feeling’ reaction, it’s important to honour the fact that your body may be trying to tell you something, to push you in a direction you may not have otherwise chosen to take. Like with anything, it’s not always possible to predict the outcome of any given situation, but trusting in yourself to make a decision that you wholeheartedly feel is the right one when that ‘gut feeling’ hits will help to strengthen your intuitive muscle and pull you in the direction you’re meant to go.

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: How To Find Your Inner Boxer 

 

If You Do One Thing This Week, Set Goals, Feel Awesome!

Written by

No matter how big or small, it’s never too late to set goals and achieve them! This week, we’ve rounded up our top 10 tips to help you get organized, get inspired and get goal-setting!

  1. Define your goal: What is it that you wish to achieve? This can be anything from a workout you’d love to try, to a job you’d like to acquire.
  1. Be realistic when you set goals: Whilst we’re all about dreaming big, sometimes a big goal requires achieving lots of little goals before it’s able to become a reality. Make sure to always take the process into account.
  1. Embrace the process: As mentioned above, reaching a goal can be a long (albeit satisfying) process, that like anything in life worth having, requires a journey to get to. Whilst it’s easy to get carried away in thinking you’ll only be truly satisfied once you reach your destination, there is a lot of happiness and beauty to be found in the journey too – embrace it.
  1. Surround yourself with like-minded people: When you’re trying to achieve a goal there’s nothing better than surrounding yourself with people who understand what you’re hoping to achieve, or even better, people who have achieved what you have your mind set on – the ultimate motivation!
  1. Track your progress: If you’ve attempted to set goals and achieve them before, you’ll know that sometimes it can be hard to notice the small changes that occur along the way, those which can often be the most encouraging! With this in mind, one of the best things you can do to keep tabs on how you’re progressing is to make sure you track your progress. A surefire way to stay motivated and inspired throughout your goal-getting journey, choose the most suitable form of tracking for whichever your goal may be and enjoy recording your journey!
  1. Learn from the slip-ups: Let’s face it, when it comes to changing behaviours slip-ups are inevitable, but they don’t have to be a setback! Change your mindset to perceive slip-ups as a valuable learning tool to help you get back on board more motivated and eager to succeed than ever! Whatever you do don’t wait for the next day, or even Monday to start over. Take a moment to breathe, reconnect and get back on board immediately.
  1. Practise the art of positive thinking: If you’re not familiar with the art of manifestation, get acquainted. One of our favourite modes of self-encouragement (and just a little bit magic), manifestation comprises of visualizing yourself having achieved your end goal. Try doing this every morning when you wake up and every evening before you go to sleep, and remember: what you think, you become.
  1. Don’t look back: Whilst at times it may feel like you’re going nowhere, like all your hard work is not paying off and that maybe you’re not even worthy of achieving the goal you’ve set out for yourself, it’s time to revisit your self-love letter. Hip & Healthies NEVER give up, and just by reading this you have made a pledge to yourself not to! So stay positive, embrace the challenge and know that we believe in you 100%! Happy goal-getting!

Words by Zsa Zsa Vella

MORE: Best Brunch Spots In London

 

The Best Vegan Burgers Recipe… ever!

Written by

These butternut squash & black bean burgers with avocado cream, rainbow slaw & homemade spelt bun are not only one of the tastiest recipes on Hip and Healthy, but also one of the easiest. The flavour is only enhanced by Swartz herbs and spices and you’ll find that even those who are not vegan will love the deliciousness of these tasty “burgers”.

Makes 4 x burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash, roasted

1.5 cups of black beans  (1 tin)

1/2 cup sweet corn

1 red onions, diced

1 cup gluten-free oats, ground briefly to breadcrumb consistency

2 tsp Swartz cumin

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground Swartz oregano

1 tsp Swartz chili powder

Method:

Preheat your oven to 190ºC. Peal and chop the squash into small cubes, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and cook for 35-40 minutes, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, rinse and drain your beans and place them into a large mixing bowl. With a masher (surely there is a better word for this! No? We will stick with masher then – we presume you know what we mean), mash until roughly half the mixture becomes a paste and put to one side. Then, in a frying pan, add the onions and cook until caramelised. Place in mixing bowl with the spices and sweet corn.

Once the squash is done, mash well before adding to the other ingredients that are in the mixing bowl including the Schwartz spices, mix well. Add the oats to bind and continue to stir. Shape into 8 large patties and place in the fridge to cool.

To cook, heat up a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the burgers for 3 minutes on each side, place on a baking tray and cook at 190ºC for a further 10-15 minutes until crisp.

Serve with one or all of our favourite sides: colourful slaw, avocado cream, spelt bun.

Avocado cream

Ingredients:

1 avocado

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method:

Add to a bowl, mash (lots of mashing) well to combine

Colourful Slaw

Ingredients: 

4 small Beetroot bulbs

4 carrots

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup cranberries

juice 1/2 a lemon

Peal & grate the vegetables. Combine with lemon juice, pumpkin seeds and cranberries.

oregano_2012

promo logo

This post is in association with Schwartz

FITSPIRATION – Zanna Van Dijk

Written by

Leading personal trainer, 1/3rd of the infamous Girl Gains and self-made instagram star, Zanna Van Dijk is this month’s FITSPIRATION. Passionate about encouraging women to find empowerment through working out, positivity and a balanced lifestyle, this month we caught up with Zanna to chat all things health and fitness…

What does a typical day look like for you?

It varies every single day. Most mornings I will have personal training clients. Then I will train myself. What happens from then on is a mystery! I could be on a shoot, filming a video, writing a blog post, planning an event or having meetings… or many other things! I love the diversity of my job.

What inspired you to start lifting?

What inspired me was actually online fitspiration accounts on Instagram! I would see girls with amazing bodies lifting weights and I thought… oh that’s how they do it! I was clueless at first and I was completely self-taught. It took me a long time to get to grips with it but now it’s my favourite form of training.

What advice would you give to other girls who want to start lifting?

Just do it! I know it’s scary but it’s worth it. It’s an incredible way to transform your body and mind. My top tip is to go with a friend, it makes it much less intimidating and you can bounce exercise ideas off each other. I have a whole video on my YouTube channel which is a beginners guide to lifting weights packed full of loads more ideas, check it out!

What is your favourite exercise and why?

I have two:

Pull ups: because they make me feel like an absolute badass! They’re so satisfying and challenging at the same time.

Bulgarian split squats: there is nothing more effective to build the booty.

What do you enjoy most about being a fitness blogger?

The chance to meet so many new people and work with such exciting brands. I am a people person, and the social element of blogging is so fun for me! I also find it mind blowing that big brands know who I am and want to work with me. It makes me so excited and slightly overwhelmed!

Do you have a particular role model in the health/fitness world?

Yes, Claire who is the owner of a gym called Transition Zone in SW London. She is just an incredible woman. She owns her own gym, has a family and basically is smashing life. She works damn hard and it’s paying off. Plus she is so lovely and down to earth.

Do you ever have ‘bad’ days, and if so how do you get back on track?

Yes of course, I think everyone does. If I have a day of more “flexible” eating (aka eating anything and everything), then the next day I just focus on getting in foods that nourish my body i.e. fruit, veggies, sweet potato, fish, eggs, lean meats, etc. I never make myself feel guilty and I never restrict myself. I just realise that in order to feel at my best I need to fuel myself well and train hard!

What is your go-to meal and favourite ingredient?

I am not going to lie… I am a fan of a simple stirfry. I just shove loads of veggies in a pan with some meat, rice and spices… 5 minutes later I have a nutritionally balanced delicious meal with minimal mess or effort. My ultimate favourite ingredient is spice mixes or herbs as they make everything more flavourful.

Name 3 beauty products you can’t live without…

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum – amazing for dry skin

REN glycolactic radiance renewal mask – amazing for dull skin/exfoliation

Water!! – to hydrate the skin

How do you de-stress after a busy day?

Many ways. My favourite is by watching YouTube videos, drinking a cup of tea and zoning out while listening to others talk about fitness, fashion, beauty, news, etc on the internet. I also enjoy a good colouring book (no judgement!) as well as a bath when I have time to take one.

Do you have a favourite quote or piece of advice?

“If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely” – Roald Dahl

I think that the power of being positive and happy is incredible. You can brighten so many people’s days by just smiling. If you think good thoughts, good things will happen. This quote just speaks to me.

What do you aspire to do next career-wise?

So many things. My activewear collection has recently come out which is super exciting! I hope to continue to build my blogging career and my personal training business, and to keep on loving my job and loving life.

If you could workout in anything from Hip & Healthy, what would it be?

Can I say everything!? I love the Lucas Hugh Ice Breaker pieces so much!

Interview by Meryn Turner

MORE: The Best Detoxifying Workouts

Sarah Wilson’s Sugar Free Easy Food Swaps

Written by

On a quest to ditch the sugar but don’t know where to begin? Swap these not-so-healthy sugar-heavy products for the following I Quit Sugar approved alternatives…

Swap champagne for… wine

Swap soft drink for… kombucha

Swap French fries for… baked sweet potato

Swap balsamic vinegar for… apple cider, rice or white/red wine vinegar

Swap sweet chilli sauce for… fresh chilli or harissa paste

Swap margarine for… butter or avocado

Swap pre-made salad dressing for… lemon, olive oil and sea salt

Swap dessert at a restaurant for… a cheese platter

Sarah’s new book Simpilicious featuring 306 simple and delicious recipes to get us all cooking is out now!

MORE: Rising Strong – How To Embrace Failure

Mothers Day – Last Minute Gift Guide

Written by

Mothers day is just around the corner and it’s not too late to show just how much you love her, by indulging her with one of these lovely gifts. There’s nothing like a bit of spoiling to make your mama feel special; here are some suggestions for that perfect Mothers Day gift…

Neom’s Real Luxury Scented Candle (3 Wicks)
By handing over this calming candle, you give the gift of relaxation. Created to instil calm and banish stress, it’s the perfect gift to transform the way she feels with soothing lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood.

Hip & Healthy Box
Our very own Be Well Box, which we created in collaboration with Liberties of London, to help you feel fantastic in both body and mind. Containing a beautiful selection of products, from a deeply nourishing facial repair mask, to a soothing scented candle, to a super light weight tank top for any healthy or yummy mummy out there!

Jo Malone Vitamin E hand treatment
This deliciously rich and truly nourishing hand cream is packed full of Vitamin E to leave hands soft and supple. It is sweetly scented with pomelo and cassis, leaving a delicate scent. A perfectly luxe Mothers Day gift!

Raw Halo choccie boxes
Does your mama have a sweet tooth? These luxury organic chocolate boxes are the perfect way to treat her. Boxes come in 76% dark, milk and vegan chocolate, so fear not, if you prefer to stick with a healthier option, Raw Halo have you got back. Guilt-free and made with a whole lotta love, these pretty chocolate boxes are a must buy!

Talbot Avenue – Magoa Grey Long Sleeved Top
The perfect gift for any yogi mummy – this super luxurious long sleeved top from Aussie brand Talbot Avenue is sure to make her feel special! From her pilates mat to brunch with her friends, she won’t have to worry about feeling comfortable and looking stylish!

words by Flora Crichton