by Mollie Millington | Jul 5, 2020 | exercise, quickie
The workout below lists the total number of reps you need to do for each exercise. You can mix and match the exercise and order based on how you feel. Having a piece of paper handy to write down your reps per movement may help you keep track. If you want to combine exercises (such as squat, then overhead press) feel free. Just be sure to listen to your body. Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
100 jumping jacks/star jumps ** start with this exercise as a warm up please **
100 push ups/press ups
100 crunches
100 toe touches (the ab exercise)
100 walking lunges
100 squats
100 calf raises (on a low step if possible)
100 box jumps (or step ups as a lower impact option)
100 overhead presses (you can use weights, bottles of water, cans of soup, etc)
50 frontal raises with arms (you can use weights, bottles of water, cans of soup, etc)
50 lateral raises with arms (you can use weights, bottles of water, cans of soup, etc)
= 1000 total reps
Terrific job!
by Mollie Millington | Jul 1, 2020 | product review, recipe
When you buy your groceries, do you consider the environmental impacts of what you put in your trolley? One of the reasons my husband stopped eating meat was because of the environmental impacts. It takes a lot of water and petrol to produce beef (in addition to the methane release). I was a vegetarian until I was about 33, when I tried the Whole30 to quit sugar and reduce inflammation due to lactose and wheat consumption (haha, yeah right). Prior to this, not having meat in the house wasn’t a problem, but now I eat meat on a daily basis. I figured I have 30 years of vegetarian credit built up and I rarely eat beef nowadays. I am always keen though to try out new protein products, especially if they taste like chocolate.
A friend of mine, who I met in Jordan during the Wadi Rum Ultra, recently introduced me to BioBug. It is 100% Acheta domestica grasshoppers that are ground up into a powder. Produced in Indonesia, Biobug claims to the much more sustainable when compared against beef production:
- Cricket production use 95x less land than beef production
- Cricket powder provides 69g protein/100g vs 40g/100g premium beef
- Crickets use 2000x less water to provide the same yield of protein
- Crickets emit 375x less green house gasses (so do they fart?)
But how does it taste?
James and I both tried adding Biobug to our breakfast. James shook some into his overnight oats while I added 5g to 40g porridge and 10g chia seeds with hot water. It tasted a bit dry and earthy for me, so I added a sprinkle of cinnamon, which helped improve the taste. James adds approximately twice as much (double dash he says) maple syrup to his overnight oats than normal when he adds Biobug to mask the earthy taste (he tends to prefer savoury tastes while I like sweet). I also wanted to try baking with it, so I turned to my favourite banana bread recipe and replaced 25% of the flour with Biobug, as the company suggests. I also added a bit more cinnamon and vanilla extract to keep the bread sweet.
Better Homes and Gardens banana bread with Biobug
1/3 cup Biobug cricket powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 bananas (I freeze brown bananas to used in banana bread. You need to thaw first)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Grease bottom and sides of a loaf pan and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
- Mix Biobug, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Combine egg, bananas, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and lemon juice together.
- Fold in dry ingredients. You can also add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, or fresh blueberries if you want to jazz up your bread a bit.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan and cook for 50-55 minutes. I usually start with 30 minutes and test with a cake tester (long metal stick as a toothpick substitute). If the top starts to brown before the cake is baked, you can put foil on the top.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before flipping out of the pan.
For this experiment, I split the batter to make two mini-loaves in case the end result wasn’t great. To one of the loaves, I added in 1/4 cup chocolate chips. We found the bread was darker than usual and it tasted very similar to the original recipe. It was just as moist (I was worried the cricket powder would dry out the batter) and even without chocolate chips was good (guess which loaf we finished first). I think the vanilla extract might not be necessary so have made that optional above. Next, I am going to make Snickerdoodle cookies with Biobug as those cookies have lots of spices which will also mask the Biobug earthy taste.
If you have any other recipe suggestions for which I should try adding Biobug (basically anything with flour), please leave a comment below and let me know.
Please excuse my horrible photos. We were mid-DIY project in the kitchen. Turns out, that is not the best time to take photos for your blog!
by Mollie Millington | Jun 28, 2020 | exercise, quickie
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
You are going to need exercise sliders or an old towel of rag for today’s set.
Warm up – 1 min marching in place, 1 min squats, 1 min jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Mountain climbers with sliders (slide toes in and out)
1 min- Forearm plank with toes on sliders. Slide feet together and apart while holding the plank if you can.
1 min- Bicycle ab exercise – Lay on back and bring opposite elbow to opposite knee. Extend other leg. Keep shoulder blades off of the ground. Go for good form rather than speed.
30 sec- Left side plank, either on the palm of your hand or forearm
30 sec- Right side plank, either on the palm of your hand or forearm
1 min- Superman – Lay on tummy with arms extended. Lift all limbs slightly off the ground. Hold for two counts. Then bring limbs back to the ground.
1 min- Kneel on the ground with your hands on the sliders. Perform a “rolling” abs exercise by placing hands on the sliders just in front of your knees. Then slide hands out in front of you and slide them back again. You may need to limit your range of motion depending on your current strength level.
1 min- On a smooth floor, get into a push/press up position with a towel, rag, old t-shirt, etc under your feet. Walk on your hands from one end of the room to the other, dragging your feet.
Well done!
This post contains an affiliate link which costs the buyer nothing additional but helps cover the cost of running this site.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 24, 2020 | product review, sleep
Sleep is something I always need more of. Getting a puppy at the start of lockdown has meant that my sleep the last few months has been of poor quality. Many people are also telling me they haven’t been also to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night as of late. If we acknowledge the puppy is my main issue with lack of sleep, other factors could include stress due to the pandemic, warmer weather (at least in London, the weather during lockdown has been unusually sunny and dry), and most recently, longer days which makes my bedroom stay bright as I tuck myself into bed.
Back in 2017, I made a list of ideas to help with clean sleeping. I still do a few of these things, including wearing eye mask (see last point above), using an electric blanket on cold nights, and listening to my Thinking Slimmer recordings.* Desperate for sleep, yet unable to get rid of the dog, I have tried a few new tactics over the lat two months in an effort to fall asleep faster and remain asleep rather than waking every few hours. The first thing I did was to invest in a weighted blanket. As a child, I used to sleep with ten or more blankets on my bed. I remember missing the literal weight on me when I went off to university and only having one duvet. When I was researching which one to buy, Mela Comfort was the #1 pick for the Telegraph but sadly the adult singles were sold out (I guess many people were also trying to achieve better sleep during this time). I have been really happy with the one I ended up purchasing by Snug as a Bug. It weighs seven kilograms and on warm evenings, it does make me a little bit too hot to sleep. Although it is best to have a blanket that covers your entire bed, my husband is always much warmer than me when he sleeps, so I went with a single (but he still senses it and it tends to pull the duvet towards me). It has definitely made a difference to me as I now fall asleep faster. Amazon is now showing bamboo weighted blankets in my feed, saying these help keep you cool. I don’t know if that is true or not though (or what makes it heavy).
A new rouinte I have been trying is having a glass of milk before bed. Sleep Milk* is a nutritious bedtime drink made with whole Jersey milk (which has 20% more protein in than other milk), honey and valerian – the natural herb that’s proven to help you relax and sleep. You simply drink it hot or cold 30 minutes before bed as part of your bedtime routine. Chocolate milk is one of my favourites so how could I resist? I have enjoy trying both the vanilla and chocolate flavors before bed with much success (If only the puppy didn’t wake me up at 4am.). Their website has a load of tips on how to sleep better too if you are looking to learn more.
Wild Nutrition’s ashwaganda root supplement capsules* were included in the FourFive CBD immunity box. Ashwaganga relieves stress, helps with recovery from fitness fatigue, and supports improved immunity. I have been taking these alongside my vitamin D3 supplements every morning for the last three weeks. Unfortunately, my life is so up and down lately, I cannot tell you how much of an effect the root has had on me (the reviews on Amazon are quite positive though). When I have finished the bottle, I will update this post with my final thoughts.
Reactive Plus CBD drops* worked for me last year and I plan on starting to take them again once I have finished the root capsules to systematically check what works for me and what doesn’t. When I used the CBD drops last autumn, I also started using This Works pillow spray and I fell asleep almost instantly. I even got my fitness mojo back at the time (maybe because I felt more rested?). I was working out four to five times a week and feeling great. Not sure if I should credit the CBD or the sleep spray for the change but I was very happy about it. I stopped both in January and here we are. After I get through my first bottle of CBD, I will try the pillow spray again.
Part of my bedtime routine is reading before bed. I try to put the phone away and switch off for a while before lights out. Which brings me to the last tip I want to share, which is (I can’t remember where I saw this) to enjoy fiction before you go to sleep rather than non-fiction. This makes total sense to me as I would often lay awake after the lights go out, ruminating over what I had learned. Plus sometimes the reading would influence my dreams, so it was a nice surprise when Jamie from Outlander would make an appearance.
Ironically, I was supposed to share these tips last week. However, Maple has been up in the middle of each night for an hour (we think due to teething pains). Here she is, fast asleep, during the day! If you have any tips on how to sleep better at night (or how to get your puppy to sleep), please leave a comment below.
*This product was given to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Please note this post included affiliate links, which cost the buyer nothing extra and help cover the costs of running this blog.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 21, 2020 | exercise, quickie
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. to go for QUALITY over quantity. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Run/Jog (at any pace suitable for your fitness level) until you start to break a little sweat, usually 3-4 minutes
1 min – Start in a downward dog then transition into a push up plank position. Slowly lower yourself down to ground over a count of 5. Repeat.
1 min – Hold a forearm plank while pushing one heel into air with little pulses for 30 seconds. Then switch legs for the last 30 seconds.
1 min – Lay on tummy with arms extended over head. Lift arms and legs up off ground slightly and “swim” by moving arms and legs up and down. Count to 8 as you swim. Rest with limbs on ground for 2 counts. Repeat.
1 min – Flip on to your back. Place feet on ground so knees are bent. Lean knees to left side and perform crunches, which will target the side obliques.
1 min – Switch knees to right side and perform crunches.
1 min – Still laying on your back with your feet on the ground, elevate your hips in the air creating a straight line from shoulders to knees. Straighten your right leg in to the air, while keeping your thighs level with each other. Perform slight pulses of slightly raising your hips by squeezing your bum and pushing left heel into ground for 30 seconds. Then hold (while squeezing bum) for 30 seconds.
1 min – Repeat above with left leg in the air.
1 min – In push up plank position, bring right knee to outer right elbow. Return right foot to starting place. Reach right arm up to sky, creating a temporary side plank. Return to starting position. Perform same 2 movements on the left side. Repeat.
Let me know if there are any exercises you would like to see featured in the quickie workout. Good luck with this week’s routine!
by Mollie Millington | Jun 14, 2020 | exercise, quickie
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Remember to please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Go for QUALITY over quantity. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm Up – 1 min stationary squats, 1 min walking lunges, 1 min high knee jog
1 min- Push/press ups (from easiest to hardest) either against the wall, counter, on your knees, or on your toes
1 min- Mountain climbers
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Prisoner squats – stand with hands behind your head, feet hip width apart. Squat and then jump up out of squat, keeping hands behind your head. Repeat.
1 min- Jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Reverse lunges (step backwards to lunge rather than forwards)
1 min- Push/press ups (from easiest to hardest) either against the wall, counter, on your knees, or on your toes
1 min- Forearm plank – Remember to keep shoulders above elbows and tummy tight. To increase difficulty, touch wall in front of you with alternating hands while keeping hips still.
Well done! Can you do it again?
by Mollie Millington | Jun 10, 2020 | books
Lockdown seems to be easing in many parts of world. You can now leave your home, although probably in a mask and not for too long. Many of us are still working from home and may have the kids out of school too. I have tried to provide ways to stay busy during this unprecedented time, with April’s self-isolation challenge and May’s musicals and baking bingo games (how are these going, by the way?). This month’s amusement I have been planning since April, asking friends and family for recommendations. While still a work in progress, I thought I had better share it now so you can get started. Remember, any of these challenges you can start at any time. They are meant to give you purpose and some structure in case you are loosing track of what day of the week it is because you are stuck at home.
June is a reading challenge. I have once again created bingo game cards for you to use in case you want to play against friends or family. Tick off a square for a category of book you have read during lockdown. I have been amazed at how much additional reading I have completed, when normally my time to read is on the Tube when commuting. The bit that is a work in progress is a spreadsheet with reading recommendations (Please note that any link to Amazon is an affiliate link to help cover the costs of running this site but cost you nothing additional.). I will continue to populate the spreadsheet with additional suggestions (leave your’s in a comment below) and Amazon USA links. Or, you can download the Kindle app for free on any smart device and enjoy e-books to save on space and paper. If you go this route, look into the Kindle Unlimited program, which costs me £7.99/month but I can ‘rent’ up to 10 items at a time (not just books, magazines too) and get discounts on purchasing some titles. If you prefer ‘real’ books, I encourage you to order books from Hive books as it supports independent book shops rather than Amazon (I linked to Amazon for the reviews if you want to learn more about a selection).
There are 24 categories, including Anti-Racism/Social Justice. I am in an incredible fortunate position to have a platform to use my voice to help raise awareness and promote education about the struggles of racism that so many people in the world experience on a daily basis. Supporting #BlackLivesMatter is important if we want the world to be one day be a fair and just place. Currently, I am educating myself by reading Why I’m No Longer Speaking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. In the past, I have read Black Like Me and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. There is a lot of black history in the UK that I need to Iearn more about too. I encourage you to do the same about the area where you grew up and then a bit further out. Empathy and kindness are two traits that I value highly in people and aim to emanate. While I will never fully understand or experience the same thoughts and feelings as the people of colour around me, I can make a big effort to learn, to listen, to speak up, and to support them.
I also encourage you to register to vote, no matter where in the world you live, and to ensure your family, friends, and colleagues do the same. If you live in the USA, please register here and start to research your choices for a presidential candidate. If you call the UK home, you can register to vote here.
Hopefully this challenge will inspire you to learn more about new topics, pick up a book you have never heard of, and find joy in unplugging from the world.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 7, 2020 | exercise, quickie
This workout is more advanced (with influences from plyometrics) and higher impact that some of the other quickies I have shared so far. If you are new to exercise, I suggest trying a different workout to start.
You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min jumping jacks/star jumps, 1 min speed skater jumps, 1 min of high knee jumps
1 min- Standing on left foot with slight bend in the knee, thrust right knee up and then bring right foot down to lightly tap the ground with toes (don’t transfer any weight to your right foot). Repeat with speed for entire minute. Swing arms too.
1 min- Standing on right foot with slight bend in the knee, thrust left knee up and then bring left foot down to lightly tap the ground with toes (don’t transfer any weight to your left foot). Repeat with speed for entire minute. Swing arms too.
1 min- Prisoner squats with 180 degree turn. Perform squat with hands behind your head (this engages your core more) and as you come up jump and turn 180 degrees so you face the opposite direction. Be careful to spot or go at a slower pace to avoid getting dizzy.
1 min- Plyometric lunges- Stand with right leg in front and left leg back. Bring left knee almost to ground for a lunge and as you come up jump and switch leg positions. Repeat to keep lunging and switching legs.
1 min- Lateral hops- place a small object on the ground (shoe, cone, book- something that won’t move). Hop with both feet over the object from left to right and back right to left.
1 min- Burpees
1 min- Run in place with high knees
Awesome work! Do it again if you think you can handle it.
by Mollie Millington | Jun 3, 2020 | giveaway, health, product review
Wellness and immunity are two things that are very important to me, probably because my immune system isn’t great. I always seem to be at the doctor for one thing or another. I had pneumonia when I was a child, a really bad case of the chicken pox too (while my brother had one spot and felt fine) and then had glandular fever (mono) in grad school followed by a blood clot (partially due to genetic predisposition). The simple things to keep a body healthy, such as not smoking or doing illegal drugs, are something I have been able to embrace for my entire life. Obtaining good quality sleep and keeping stress levels low are something I have always struggled with. I am a light sleeper and tend to over-commit, so those two things alone probably knock some of my natural immunity. I shared my top immunity tips with the Thinking Slimmer gang back in March and thought you might find them useful too. Hopefully these are accessible enough that you can start to incorporate them into your daily life.
Add colour to every meal with an additional serving of fruit or vegetables. These natural foods have a range for vitamins and minerals that your body needs to obtain from food. The additional serving might be a side salad with dinner; sliced carrots and bell peppers as a snack; something added to a recipe, such as frozen peas; fruit with yogurt for dessert. Remember, you want five servings a day with varying colours. When in doubt, go for the veg!
Keep a moody diary to look for patterns with sleep, daily routine, exercise, and stress levels. These will all interact with each other, in good and bad ways. Remember you want to keep stress low and sleep at least eight hours. If you are not hitting eight hours, try adding an additional 30 minutes every two weeks and see if you feel more energised.
If you get hungry, have a glass of water and keep hands busy (give yourself a manicure, wash the dishes, or put away the laundry). Eight glasses or two litres of water a day is optimal. Hunger pains can sometimes mean you are dehydrated though. To avoid succumbing to every twinge, drink your water and see if you can distract your mind from food for about 15 minutes. If you are still hungry after that, have a snack.
Take a multivitamin with vitamin D3. This is really important if you are a picky eater or limit different food groups to have a multivitamin to ensure your essential nutritional needs are met. In addition, levels of vitamin D3 in Covid-19 patients seems to influence severity of symptoms.
Exercise more. It will help relieve stress, strengthen your cardiovascular system, make you physically stronger, and can give you an energy boost. Read more at the US National Library of Medicine if you need additional info, although it seems that the exact mechanism is unclear. Here is a peer-reviewed study on the topic which cites how new technology will help us figure out the “how.”
Try FourFiveCBD Immunity Box. Ok this is a little cheeky to suggest, but FourFive CBD sent me one of their limited edition boxes to try out (and I have one to giveaway too). It contains the following:
What did I think of everything? I am really enjoying the CBD effervescent tablets on the hot days we have been having as of late. Pulsin products I have had before but not this flavor bar. It was a perfect way to refuel after a home workout. Finally, I have been taking two of the Ashwagandha plus capsules every day. I hadn’t heard of this root before, but the handy flyer that comes with the box explains the benefits of each product. Ashwagandha is supposed to reduce anxiety, lower cortisol levels, and aid in muscle recovery. These are all the things I need in my life right now. I have only been taking it for two weeks and am trying to monitor myself for changes.
Things I still need to try: Vitamin D is something I was already taking so once I finish the bottle I have, I will start taking the nutrigold capsules. The cacao will be used for baking this weekend as I have brownies on my brain as of late. The biotic and vitamin C I will start taking later as I wanted to try the Ashwagandha on its own first.
Are you ready to try all of these for yourself? Head over to my Instagram to enter to win a box for yourself. As I have to ship it to you, the giveaway is limited to those with a UK postal address. Contest closes 12 June 2020 at midnight. Winner will be contacted via direct message on Instagram. Good luck!
One more thing- with every purchase of the box, FourFive CBD donates £5 to Compassion London. So, if you don’t win, your purchase will make a difference to those less fortunate. Very cool indeed.
Thanks to FourFive CBD for the complimentary product. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | May 31, 2020 | exercise, fitness, quickie
Last summer, we visited some friends in Philadelphia. I was in the middle of a run streak, so I took the opportunity to run up the ‘Rocky steps.’ Boxing is a wonderful way to stay fit and I am taking some inspiration for today’s workout. You can use a kitchen timer to keep track of your intervals. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me.
Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min walk/jog in place, 1 min star jumps/jumping jacks, 1 min speed bag bouncing left and right
1 min- Quick left knee thrusts with left toes tapping ground very lightly (not putting any weight on left foot)
1 min- Quick right knee thrusts with right toes tapping ground very lightly (not putting any weight on right foot)
2 min- Boxing combination with left foot slightly forward of right (for those right-handed). Jab (left), cross (right), jab (left), punch to the right 2x as you take 2 side steps to the right, left hook (keep elbow at 90 degrees) *you will need some space for this one*
1 min- Front kick alternating legs by bringing knee up and then flicking out foot (carefully so as to not hyperextend your knee). Arms start up above your head and go down by your sides each time you kick.
2 min- Boxing combination- Right upper cut, left upper cut, duck (low squat), cross (right), jab (left), cross (right), duck (squat), right elbow (elbow at 90 degrees, bring elbow away from body in front of the chest.
1 min- Jump rope (either with a rope or pretend)
1 min- Squat jumps
1min- Bicycle crunches
Hope this has your heart pumping and your body sweating. Feel free to run up some steps and shout “Adrian!”
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