Columbia Road Flower Market

Last Sunday, after 3 years living in London, I finally took myself on a trip to Columbia Road Flower Market.

The Sky Garden-A Photo Diary

If you are looking for the place to get some of the best views of London, then the Sky Garden will be right up your street.

'Gin' Ne Sais Quoi

If you follow me on Instagram (thank you) then you will have seen that I spent Saturday at The Ginstitute. It's located in one of my favourite areas in all of London, Notting Hill. Let me show you around.

Healthy Holidaying

A lot of us live for our holidays, those couple of weeks each year where we can just relax away from home and work, in the sunshine. Just because you take time off though, doesn't mean you need to take time off from your healthy lifestyle. I follow these few tips in order to stop myself from over indulging;

1-Keep Hydrated

Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Drinking water is important; it flushes out toxins, clears your skin, and fills you up so that you only eat when you are actually hungry. I'm not quite a gallon a day kind of girl but I do tend to get at least 2 litres in on an average day.

When away on hotter climates than our beloved UK it is more important than ever to keep hydrated. It helps your body regulate your temperature and if you drink enough it should prevent those holiday hangovers.

2-HIIT

High Intense Interval Training (HIIT) isn't just the most effective (in my humble opinion) form of exercise for fat loss, it's actually easy to fit in. On your balcony, in the hotel room, at the beach. You really don't need much space, or time. Most HIIT sessions last between 15 and 30 minutes...easy to fit in before breakfast so that you feel less guilty tucking into those pastries.

3-Low Carb

When I'm away I tend to stick to low carb foods, unless I've fitted in a HIIT. On holiday I usually find this easier to stick to than I do when I'm back at home. When the sun is shining the idea of a huge salad for lunch is actually amazing. Fresh seafood and veggies for dinner, yes please.

4-Less Cocktails

Wait, hear me out. I'm not saying I don't have any cocktails while I am on holiday. I love a frozen strawberry daiquiri as much as the next girl. However, I do, these days think of such drinks more like empty calories. Calories that could have been spent elsewhere, like on yummy food. So I do tend to stick to my beloved G&T whilst away. I have found, that for some reason when you are on holiday slimline (or diet) tonic doesn't seem to exist and have actually sometimes resorted to gin & soda (you get used to the taste) rather than have the full calorie version.

5-Guilt Free

You are on holiday after all, so if you do decide to miss a HIIT one day, have those carbs anyway or have a few too many Mai Tai...let it go. Enjoy yourself and get back on the bandwagon the next day. Just don't make it a whole week of guilt free craziness that you will only regret when you get home.

I'd love to hear about your tips to staying healthy when you're away...

Life on the Island of Ios

Ios is a delightful little island situated between the well known islands of Santorini and Naxos.