Although I don’t have much time for reading these days, I do like to have a book with me on the tube or when I am on holiday. Usually, I aim to read one book at a time because it is hard for me to focus, while my husband will be reading a few different books at a time. Somehow, I have found myself with a little pile, so I thought I would share what I is on my nightstand and Kindle:
Your Holistically Hot Transformation– Written by fellow IIN alum, Marissa Vicario, this book is s fun read if you are looking to get your eating back on track. She offers simple but effective tips while telling you her story and what habits she has overcome. It is designed to be read one chapter at a time, after which you go off and implement the tips suggested by Marissa. It is a really fun read and great for a little boost.
The Diet Myth– KCL lecturer Dr. Tim Spector gave a lecture about how microbes are more unique than finger prints to each individual’s gut. These microbes are best suited to process different types of foods and that is one of the reasons why one diet regime doesn’t work on everyone. You can even send his lab a sample of your stool to find out which microbes your gut possesses.
Like The Wind Magazine issue #9- When it arrived in the post, I was so excited to see I could color in the cover. How cool is that? LTW is about art, running, and everything in between. Published quarterly, articles are submitted by the running community and amazingly illustrated. You can order back issues or check out these stockists.
Natural Born Heroes- I was lucky enough to meet Chris McDougall last year at a ‘lecture’ about this book. I say ‘lecture’ because Chris has unfortunately lost his voice. Even without a voice, his energy and passion for running and storytelling radiated throughout the crowded running shop. This book looks into English residents of Crete who would literally run messages from camp to camp during World War II, creating a running style form similar to parkour.
I am eager to finish these as I have some awesome books being sent to me in the post:
I am always looking for new books, both fiction and non-fiction. Please comment below if you think I should read your favorite.
Please note this post contains affiliate links, which add no cost to the purchaser but does help to maintain this site. Also, I was provided with ‘Your Holistically Hot Transformation’ and LTW but all opinions are honest and my own, as always.
Although I don’t have much time for reading these days, I do like to have a book with me on the tube or when I am on holiday. Usually, I aim to read one book at a time because it is hard for me to focus, while my husband will be reading a few different books at a time. Somehow, I have found myself with a little pile, so I thought I would share what I is on my nightstand and Kindle:
Your Holistically Hot Transformation– Written by fellow IIN alum, Marissa Vicario, this book is s fun read if you are looking to get your eating back on track. She offers simple but effective tips while telling you her story and what habits she has overcome. It is designed to be read one chapter at a time, after which you go off and implement the tips suggested by Marissa. It is a really fun read and great for a little boost.
The Diet Myth– KCL lecturer Dr. Tim Spector gave a lecture about how microbes are more unique than finger prints to each individual’s gut. These microbes are best suited to process different types of foods and that is one of the reasons why one diet regime doesn’t work on everyone. You can even send his lab a sample of your stool to find out which microbes your gut possesses.
Like The Wind Magazine issue #9- When it arrived in the post, I was so excited to see I could color in the cover. How cool is that? LTW is about art, running, and everything in between. Published quarterly, articles are submitted by the running community and amazingly illustrated. You can order back issues or check out these stockists.
Natural Born Heroes- I was lucky enough to meet Chris McDougall last year at a ‘lecture’ about this book. I say ‘lecture’ because Chris has unfortunately lost his voice. Even without a voice, his energy and passion for running and storytelling radiated throughout the crowded running shop. This book looks into English residents of Crete who would literally run messages from camp to camp during World War II, creating a running style form similar to parkour.
I am eager to finish these as I have some awesome books being sent to me in the post:
I am always looking for new books, both fiction and non-fiction. Please comment below if you think I should read your favorite.
Please note this post contains affiliate links, which add no cost to the purchaser but does help to maintain this site. Also, I was provided with ‘Your Holistically Hot Transformation’ and LTW but all opinions are honest and my own, as always.
My experience with yoga is infrequent. I only make it to a class when there is a special offer or a unique workshop on for runners. For a few weeks last year, I made it to the class offered at work but my days are so full on right now, I barely have time to eat lunch. Which is all the more reason I should be going to yoga!
The lovely folks at Fierce Grace Yoga invited me over for a class to experience what they have to offer. With six studios throughout the city, it was easy to find one that fit into my commute (the Old Street location, just a short walk north of the station). They also have lots of classes offered throughout the day, making it even more accessible to fit around anyone’s schedule. I chose the Fierce Grace signature class and hoped it wouldn’t be above my level.
Note how red my face is.
Busy timetable at Old Street
The few times I have tried hot yoga, I found it wasn’t for me. I couldn’t breathe and it irritated my skin allergy. At Fierce Grace Yoga, I loved being enveloped by the warmth of the studio. I did start to struggle to breathe a bit after about 60 minutes, but I think that might have been more due to fatigue. I was quickly making my way through my water bottle and completely soaked with sweat. The instructor encouraged us to take breaks as needed and I did just that towards the end of class. Who doesn’t love a little Child’s Pose?
Some of the moves during class were too advanced for me, but I just grabbed a block to help me find a better position. Most of the attendees seemed capable of completing all the sequences which was very impressive!
Fierce Grace yoga is perfect for those who enjoy hot yoga (obviously) and those looking to get leaner and stronger. It would also be good for people training for events in hotter climates, such as Marathon de Sables. They are also very reasonable in price/class, considering the length of the classes. I would recommend bringing your own mat and at least two towels (one for class and one for a shower) although you are able to rent both at the studio. Also, there are lockers in the studio for your valuable but the womens’ changing room only has shelves and coat hooks.
By the time I got home, I needed more water STAT. Luckily I had a bottle of the new For Goodness Shakes coconut protein water. They had invited me along to a special HIIT class where I was able to learn more about the water and, of course, fit in some exercise. Normally I don’t like coconut water, but I did like this stuff. Each bottle contains 20g of whey protein, which, according to Claire Baseley, registered nutritionist, is more than enough for a cardio session, such as spinning or aerobics. Consuming protein during a workout allows the muscles to start repairing immediately. It helps for those long sessions too, which my 90 minute yoga session was for me (I should have packed the protein water!). If you are taking part in a resistance set, you will need more protein for your recovery because the muscles are damaged by lifting weights.
For Goodness Shakes coconut water =delish!
Whey protein is very digestible and rapidly dissolves in water, making it super absorbent into your body. If you are not allergic to milk, definitely give it a try. However, if you are slightly intolerant to milk products, you will need to try a little bit first.
I spotted For Goodness Shakes protein water in Asda, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to find when you are out and about. The flavour is refreshing and light as a post-workout treat after a workout in the summer (as opposed to a milk-based protein shake). Plus, it is only 86 calories per bottle, has zero sugar and zero fat. Score!
How do you re-hydrate after a hot yoga class? Let me know in the comments below!
Big thanks to Fierce Grace and For Goodness Shakes for allowing me to try their products. All opinions are honest and my own.
Heart rate monitoring is thought to be another tool athletes can use to tailor their training to their individual needs. Depending on your session goals, the program design will be to get the heart to beat at a certain rate. In order to monitor this, you will need to wear a heart rate monitor (HRM). My Zone recently released the MZ-3, which is a Bluetooth chest strap that works with an app in your phone that gives you real time feedback and logs your session info for future reference.
The HMR charges with a USB plug and the Bluetooth capability turns on when you are wearing the device. In order to prolong battery life, it is recommended to keep the transmitter detached from the strap when not in use so you need to be careful to keep the transmitter and chest strap in the same place so they are not lost. I had to wet the connector bit before wearing in order for my heart beat to be connected (I can assure you I am alive) which is often the case with HRMs. The app then displays your heart rate continuously throughout your session to help you stay on target. Usually, I prefer a wrist HRM, but I wore the strap below my sports bra on my chest and wasn’t bothered by it during my run or indoor cycling classes.
My heart rate profile during my trail marathon
Wearing the strap on your chest (rather than wrist) captures your heart rate more accurately which will in turn help you make a more informed decision about effort levels during a training session. I keep my phone out of sight when I exercise, so I downloaded my workouts after I got home from the gym. To do this, you need to put the strap on and sync via Bluetooth to the app. The app keeps a training log for you and has a social aspect that allows you to link with friends. Another fab feature is a food log, which I have yet to try.
All the cool features of the app
If your gym uses My Zone equipment, you can earn Bounts (www.bounts.it) points too (my referral code mmillin1695). Unfortunately, you cannot sync My Zone to Bounts as an individual.
The MZ-3 is a small piece of kit that you can keep in your gym bag in expedite your results in the gym. Your heartbeat tells you a lot about your body’s reaction to a workout so use the MZ-3 to take note and help you monitor your progress.
If you are interested in receiving a free MZ-3, contact Health Rewards about their amazing insurance plans and quote PTMollie for more info. Health Rewards offer you a free activity tracker (from selected list) when you sign up, which also earns you additional benefits with each healthy action you take, such as free cinema tickets, Starbucks, discounts on travel and more.
I was given this product to try out. All opinions are honest and my own.
A photo posted by Mollie, the Happiness PT (@ptmollie) on
Freya lingerie brand has recently added an activewear line to its offerings. Smartly, they chose to use fabric treated with Polygiene for their designs, which helps prevent bacteria (and therefore odour) build up after repeated gym sessions without washing in between. You can read my other suggestions on how to avoid stinky gym kit at your desk here on H2 Life Blog.
To put these Polygiene-treated shorts to the tests, I wore them for over 5 hours of running and indoor cycling without washing. After each use (and then drying on a hanger or floor), my husband gave them the sniff test. Only this last time did he start to notice something, and as he pointed out, he had to put his nose right against the fabric. What a brave soul! I was really surprised because they were really sweaty after each of my workouts. i thought there would have been some indication before then.
Overall, I am very pleased with how the Polygiene treatment helped delay the onset of smell to these shorts. It helps save me time from doing laundry and save energy/water from less loads. My husband is happy too as he feels is he constantly washing gym kit while his collared shirts require fewer washes if he layers properly. Less washing also helps your clothes last longer, as the washing machine can be a bit rough on fabrics.
Yes, a dryer uses a lot of energy, but boy do I miss having one!
The only thing I would suggest is that Freya start using Polygiene fabrics for their sport bras too. It would make me feel more confident knowing I am not going to smell after wearing my sport bra for a second time without washing (come on- you know you do it too!) or that if I douse myself with water on a hot day, I won’t smell horrible.
What tips do you have to avoid your gym kit from smelling? Thanks to Polygiene for gifting me these shorts to try out. All opinions are honest and my own.
One of the fun bits about being a blogger is trying out products before a big marketing launch. Samples might come to me from goody bags, via other bloggers who are not a good fit for the brand, or from the brand finding me on social media. I will only share products that fit in with health and happiness (along with my skin allergy) so here are a few I recently tried and think you should too:
Lean Greens– The health benefits of algae and other superfoods are all over the news lately. Lean Greens takes veg and makes it into a handy portable drink. The smell is very similar to my Energy Bits but it tastes good (remember to swallow Energy Bits rather than chew). The first ingredient listed for Lean Green is malodextrin (aka sugar, which probably helps with the taste) but I don’t know how much sugar there is per serving. I use it as a meal replacement on the Tube if I am running late for work. All you need is a protein shaker and water. And the Lean Greens of course!
Sass Intimate lotion– I finally was able to try the lotion after a bikini wax (not that I needed one as Florida was too cold and rainy to swim). I used the Sportive Recovery Serum and Perfect Skin Concentrate lotions to help prevent ingrown hairs and to reduce irritation after running and shaving. Neither irritated my skin (which is sensitive due to allergies). I did not try any of these internally (nor will I). Nature knows best when it comes to lady bits. If you regularly wax and exercise, you would really benefit by trying Sass out on your thighs on bikini line.
The Protein Works Bircher Breakfast– Very easy to use if you can plan ahead. Simply add water, milk, or nut milk to this pot and leave for a few hours. I added milk and left in the fridge overnight. It was a very fast and filling breakfast. A small spoon is included in the container too. I wish the pot itself wasn’t plastic but I don’t think cardboard would last overnight with the added liquid. Super handy for camping, early training sessions and life on the go.
Goodies from The Protein Works
The Protein Works Diet Protein Truffles– OMG. I think the flavour of the mint chocolate truffles is delicious. My husband doesn’t have as big a sweet tooth as I do and said it was pretty good for a protein snack. The size is perfect and with 10.7g of protein, it is pretty filling. I can’t wait to try the other flavours.
Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 soap– What amazing smells! I washed my hair and body with the hemp lavender scent after my marathon. It lathered well but left my hair feeling a little dry. Usually I use conditioner and leave in conditioner, so it felt very different to me. It gave my hair great body though.
Dr. Bronner’s 18 in 1 soap
Supergrain Protein Pot- Similar to the Bircher Breakfast, this superfood pot simply requires hot water. The nutritious ingredients include white hemp, ancient grains, and sunflower protein. It was ready in only a few minutes and tasted like warm brownie mix. It is lactose- and dairy- free too.
Green People quinoa and calendula shower gel– Another great goody bag find! The smell is subtle, yet refreshing and it feels soft when applied to my hands and skin. The winter wind along with frequent hand washing makes my skin so dry this time of year. This shower gel is a nice treat.
What are you favourite finds lately that makes living healthy and happy a bit easier?
All of these items were sent to me as samples in return for a review. All opinions are honest and my own. What can I say? I love to eat!
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Although I don’t have much time for reading these days, I do like to have a book with me on the tube or when I am on holiday. Usually, I aim to read one book at a time because it is hard for me to focus, while my husband will be reading a few different books at a time. Somehow, I have found myself with a little pile, so I thought I would share what I is on my nightstand and Kindle:
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