Why I always carry a bottle of water with me

Why I always carry a bottle of water with me

Out for SUP’ing with my water on hand

If you take the Tube in London, you would have recently heard the announcement to always carry a bottle of water with you.  The summer weather, crowded carriages and longer days of sunlight can make for a recipe for disaster. People can faint or feel nauseous due to the overcrowding, heat, and lack of fresh air. And if the passenger is hungover (maybe just on a Friday morning?), more precious fluids have been lost.

Without water, we would die.  Our bodies are made up of approximately 50-70% water, depending on age, gender and body mass. We can go weeks without food but not even a few days without water.  Personally, I always carry a reusable water bottle with me to reduce my impact on the environment and I get get tap water for free just about anywhere I go (check out the TapWater app).

Did you know that pangs of hunger are sometimes a sign from your body that it is thirsty?  Rather than reach for a snack, try drinking a glass of water instead.   Another benefit of carrying a bottle is it makes it easier for me to track how much water I consume.  I aim for two bottles a day which is about 1.5L.   How much water do you drink a day, not counting tea of coffee?  Drinking water has many benefits, including glowing skin, better sports performance, and enabling regular bowel movements.  And of course, water doesn’t have any calories.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather eat more yummy food than waste my calories on a drink.

Some of  my Hydroflask collection and new lids

Right now, I am using the Hydroflask in mint as my go to bottle. Hydroflasks bottles are double-walled stainless steel in their construction, which means beverages can keep their temperature for a long time, either hot or cold.   The wide mouth means I can’t rush my sips though or else the water spills down my shirt.  Lucky for me, Hydroflask now has additional styles of lid for their bottles that enable you to drink on the go.  I love the insulated sports cap or flip lid for every day use and the straw lid (which comes with a straw for inside the bottle) is great for kids.  Soon, Hydroflask will have new colors, wine bottles, and silicone covers for the bottom of the bottles to protect from damage if you drop it (which I do all the time!) and prevent them from slipping.

Carrying a reusable water bottle also decreases your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of energy and resources to produce the plastic bottle.  And of course, less space in the landfill.

Which do you prefer- a reusable water bottle or a plastic one?


Ellis Brigham and Hydroflask kindly gave me these bottles and lids to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Why I always carry a bottle of water with me

Why I always carry a bottle of water with me

Out for SUP’ing with my water on hand

If you take the Tube in London, you would have recently heard the announcement to always carry a bottle of water with you.  The summer weather, crowded carriages and longer days of sunlight can make for a recipe for disaster. People can faint or feel nauseous due to the overcrowding, heat, and lack of fresh air. And if the passenger is hungover (maybe just on a Friday morning?), more precious fluids have been lost.

Without water, we would die.  Our bodies are made up of approximately 50-70% water, depending on age, gender and body mass. We can go weeks without food but not even a few days without water.  Personally, I always carry a reusable water bottle with me to reduce my impact on the environment and I get get tap water for free just about anywhere I go (check out the TapWater app).

Did you know that pangs of hunger are sometimes a sign from your body that it is thirsty?  Rather than reach for a snack, try drinking a glass of water instead.   Another benefit of carrying a bottle is it makes it easier for me to track how much water I consume.  I aim for two bottles a day which is about 1.5L.   How much water do you drink a day, not counting tea of coffee?  Drinking water has many benefits, including glowing skin, better sports performance, and enabling regular bowel movements.  And of course, water doesn’t have any calories.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather eat more yummy food than waste my calories on a drink.

Some of  my Hydroflask collection and new lids

Right now, I am using the Hydroflask in mint as my go to bottle. Hydroflasks bottles are double-walled stainless steel in their construction, which means beverages can keep their temperature for a long time, either hot or cold.   The wide mouth means I can’t rush my sips though or else the water spills down my shirt.  Lucky for me, Hydroflask now has additional styles of lid for their bottles that enable you to drink on the go.  I love the insulated sports cap or flip lid for every day use and the straw lid (which comes with a straw for inside the bottle) is great for kids.  Soon, Hydroflask will have new colors, wine bottles, and silicone covers for the bottom of the bottles to protect from damage if you drop it (which I do all the time!) and prevent them from slipping.

Carrying a reusable water bottle also decreases your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of energy and resources to produce the plastic bottle.  And of course, less space in the landfill.

Which do you prefer- a reusable water bottle or a plastic one?


Ellis Brigham and Hydroflask kindly gave me these bottles and lids to review. All opinions are honest and my own.

Snacks in hand

Snacks in hand

Blogging has it benefits.  I am often sent samples of new kinds of food to try, many of which are supposed to be good for you (as opposed to the cookies and ice cream I usually crave).  Here is what I have been snacking on over the last few weeks.  There is something for everyone!

Kind Snacks sent me a variety pack of several of their bars. Every flavour has been good so far. Most of the bars are a heathy assembly of nuts and seeds (some even have chocolate). I even had one in my goody bag after the Great Run Newham London 10K yesterday.  My favorite is peanut butter and dark chocolate.  They have been really handy to help wean me off my daily cookie at tea break.

So many to choose from

Ama-Vida has brought acai berries and Pitaya (dragon fruit) to your freezer.  These smoothie pouches can be keep in freezer for whenever you need a treat.  Simply defrost under hot water or overnight in the fridge as needed (just don’t keep in the fridge longer than one day because it turns to liquid).  The flavours are not naturally sweet, so add fresh or frozen fruit, granola, nuts or seeds to pimp your bowl to your taste. It is a great product to keep at work for breakfast el desko or as an afternoon snack on a hot day.

My smoothie bowl with granola and super seed mix.

Oomi noodles are a new high protein low carb noodle that is made from fish.  You can add the noodles to stir fry for a hot option or add them cold to your salad.  Unfortunately, my sample was at the post office overnight so I didn’t have a chance to try them yet.  When I do, I will update this post.  If you have tried Oomi noodles, let me know what you thought in the comments below.

Sorry for the stock photo
Snacks in hand

Snacks in hand

Blogging has it benefits.  I am often sent samples of new kinds of food to try, many of which are supposed to be good for you (as opposed to the cookies and ice cream I usually crave).  Here is what I have been snacking on over the last few weeks.  There is something for everyone!

Kind Snacks sent me a variety pack of several of their bars. Every flavour has been good so far. Most of the bars are a heathy assembly of nuts and seeds (some even have chocolate). I even had one in my goody bag after the Great Run Newham London 10K yesterday.  My favorite is peanut butter and dark chocolate.  They have been really handy to help wean me off my daily cookie at tea break.

So many to choose from

Ama-Vida has brought acai berries and Pitaya (dragon fruit) to your freezer.  These smoothie pouches can be keep in freezer for whenever you need a treat.  Simply defrost under hot water or overnight in the fridge as needed (just don’t keep in the fridge longer than one day because it turns to liquid).  The flavours are not naturally sweet, so add fresh or frozen fruit, granola, nuts or seeds to pimp your bowl to your taste. It is a great product to keep at work for breakfast el desko or as an afternoon snack on a hot day.

My smoothie bowl with granola and super seed mix.

Oomi noodles are a new high protein low carb noodle that is made from fish.  You can add the noodles to stir fry for a hot option or add them cold to your salad.  Unfortunately, my sample was at the post office overnight so I didn’t have a chance to try them yet.  When I do, I will update this post.  If you have tried Oomi noodles, let me know what you thought in the comments below.

Sorry for the stock photo
Winter is coming. Send help.

Winter is coming. Send help.

Let’s get right to it.  The days are shorter.  It actually is cold now.  And wet.  I assume you feel like I do this time of year and just wanted to stay under the duvet all day with the electric blanket on.  Here are six tips on how to stay out of hibernation.

Stay warm with merino wool baselayer and socksI discovered merino wool years ago and have never looked back.  Depending on how ‘heavy’ it is, it will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  It also has the unique ability to not smell because it absorbs moisture so well, meaning there isn’t an opportunity for bacteria to start growing on your skin.  I particularly like the socks for the winter because cotton holds on to the moisture (either from damp weather or sweat) which makes me cold.

Drink plenty of fluid– If you don’t carry a water bottle around with you, now is the time to get on board.  Hydro Flask is a vauum-insulated stainless steel bottle that keeps drinks warm or cold (they gave me one filled with ice and it lasted through the night!) so it is a perfect vessel no mater what time of year (or beverage choice). You should still be drinking plenty of water in the colder months, even though you are not sweating as much. Carrying a bottle is super-convenient and will help you measure how much you drink each day.

Note the beer flagon/growler size

See sunlight- I am still using my Lumie alarm clock which helps me wake up a bit more naturally when it is still dark outside.  I also have a Seasonal Affect Disorder lamp at work which helps the entire team during the dark months.  Another way to see more sunlight would be simply to head outside for a walk on your break or eat lunch outside on the sunny days.

Stay active with home workouts with JuliaIf you are anything like me, once I get home and sit down, I find it hard to get out the door again for a pint of milk, let alone the gym.  That is the brilliance behind Julia’s online gym.  I don’t need to rush about for a class schedule or to meet a personal trainer. Julia is my coach and available anytime I need her.  Join now for free and give it a try.  The workouts last 20-60 minutes making them very easy to slot into your day.  You can even do them at work as some don’t require equipment.  Julia is currently offering her Bronze level membership for FREE so you really have nothing to loose.

A photo posted by Mollie, the Happiness PT (@ptmollie) on

Cooking with colourful vegetables this time of year.  Have you tried ‘crack vegetables yet? Sure, fruits in the summer are great, but now is the time of year to dig in (see what I did there) to the root veg selection at your local grocer. Select as many different colours as possible, and heck, pick one you have never eaten before and live on the edge a bit.

Pick up an old hobby– You probably don’t feel like going out quite as much as you did the summertime.  You will need a new way to fill up your time  did you love to read as a child.? Or take ballroom dance lessons at uni?  Or did your grandmother teach you how to knit when you visited her during summer holidays?  Keeping the mind active and doing things you enjoy is just as important as being physically active.  You will meet new people as you take up your favourite pastime, rediscover a lost passion, and maybe even get a confidence boost if you find you still have a talent for it.  How cool would that be?

These are just a few tips and perhaps you may have heard them before.  Dd you act on them? Did you take control and make positive changes to feel better and stay fit?  One of my favourite quotes is ‘if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.’  Remember your goal is health and happiness, so take the first step today.  And of course, let me know how it goes.

Hydro Flask kindly gave me their bottle to try out.  All opinons are honest and my own.  This post also contains affiliate links.  These are at no additional cost to you, but help maintain the cost of running the blog and supporting my activewear purchases.

Winter is coming. Send help.

Winter is coming. Send help.

Let’s get right to it.  The days are shorter.  It actually is cold now.  And wet.  I assume you feel like I do this time of year and just wanted to stay under the duvet all day with the electric blanket on.  Here are six tips on how to stay out of hibernation.

Stay warm with merino wool baselayer and socksI discovered merino wool years ago and have never looked back.  Depending on how ‘heavy’ it is, it will keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  It also has the unique ability to not smell because it absorbs moisture so well, meaning there isn’t an opportunity for bacteria to start growing on your skin.  I particularly like the socks for the winter because cotton holds on to the moisture (either from damp weather or sweat) which makes me cold.

Drink plenty of fluid– If you don’t carry a water bottle around with you, now is the time to get on board.  Hydro Flask is a vauum-insulated stainless steel bottle that keeps drinks warm or cold (they gave me one filled with ice and it lasted through the night!) so it is a perfect vessel no mater what time of year (or beverage choice). You should still be drinking plenty of water in the colder months, even though you are not sweating as much. Carrying a bottle is super-convenient and will help you measure how much you drink each day.

Note the beer flagon/growler size

See sunlight- I am still using my Lumie alarm clock which helps me wake up a bit more naturally when it is still dark outside.  I also have a Seasonal Affect Disorder lamp at work which helps the entire team during the dark months.  Another way to see more sunlight would be simply to head outside for a walk on your break or eat lunch outside on the sunny days.

Stay active with home workouts with JuliaIf you are anything like me, once I get home and sit down, I find it hard to get out the door again for a pint of milk, let alone the gym.  That is the brilliance behind Julia’s online gym.  I don’t need to rush about for a class schedule or to meet a personal trainer. Julia is my coach and available anytime I need her.  Join now for free and give it a try.  The workouts last 20-60 minutes making them very easy to slot into your day.  You can even do them at work as some don’t require equipment.  Julia is currently offering her Bronze level membership for FREE so you really have nothing to loose.

A photo posted by Mollie, the Happiness PT (@ptmollie) on

Cooking with colourful vegetables this time of year.  Have you tried ‘crack vegetables yet? Sure, fruits in the summer are great, but now is the time of year to dig in (see what I did there) to the root veg selection at your local grocer. Select as many different colours as possible, and heck, pick one you have never eaten before and live on the edge a bit.

Pick up an old hobby– You probably don’t feel like going out quite as much as you did the summertime.  You will need a new way to fill up your time  did you love to read as a child.? Or take ballroom dance lessons at uni?  Or did your grandmother teach you how to knit when you visited her during summer holidays?  Keeping the mind active and doing things you enjoy is just as important as being physically active.  You will meet new people as you take up your favourite pastime, rediscover a lost passion, and maybe even get a confidence boost if you find you still have a talent for it.  How cool would that be?

These are just a few tips and perhaps you may have heard them before.  Dd you act on them? Did you take control and make positive changes to feel better and stay fit?  One of my favourite quotes is ‘if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.’  Remember your goal is health and happiness, so take the first step today.  And of course, let me know how it goes.

Hydro Flask kindly gave me their bottle to try out.  All opinons are honest and my own.  This post also contains affiliate links.  These are at no additional cost to you, but help maintain the cost of running the blog and supporting my activewear purchases.