Sun Rise Alarm Clock

Another day another post on to help combat Seasonal Effective Disorder or SAD.

I like to think the doctors who thought up the name worked tirelessly to make sure it fit such an apt abbreviation then did took themselves on a sun filled holiday in the name of research.

This time I am looking at the Lumie active 250 wake up light alarm clock which gradually brightens your room.

This simulates the sun rise to gently cox you from  dreams rather then being wrenched from them by a traditional alarm.

I was a bit worried that light alone would not wake me but I need not of feared with Lumie having the good sense to add a variety of alarms to chose from as well as a built in FM radio as a back up.

You can select a dawn chorus, ocean waves, back up beeper, rooster call and white noise.

 They all annoy me equally but they do the job in waking me up if the light fails to.

The Lumie also comes with a sunset feature with the lamp gradually dimmer the room, winding you down to help you drift off to sleep.

But it does it work?

During the summer it was absolutely amazing, I was waking up full of energy and feeling completely refreshed.

As for winter despite my best efforts SAD  set in and  the light hasn't really done anything for me.

It's still much nicer waking up in the light though. 

I am hopeful when my mood improves I will start seeing the benefits I had in the summer.

I really do love my Lumie I don't  love how annoying  it is to set up or change the alarms or settings.

 I am used to it now but still I find it a real chore to have to alter anything.

A mobile app would be superb if the makers could manage it. 

I am still in the habit of setting an  alarm on my phone so it linking the two would make for a more fluid experience.

I paid £69.99 on Amazon but there are cheaper and more expensive offerings offering you more features the more you pay. 

Click here if you want to check it out.

I chose the one I have because I wanted the 90 minute gradual sun rise/ sun set feature but do have a look about to see what is going to work best for you and your bank balance.

I would  recommend a sun rise alarm clock to anyone, not just those that are suffering from SAD, it's a much easier and lighter way to be woken up.

Duronic SAD Lamp

Following on from my post on Seasonal Effective Disorder I did say that I would do a write up for   my  Duronic SADV1 medically certified SAD light therapy box so here it is.

First I feel I need to into the difference between traditional lights and SAD lights.

  SAD lamps are much brighter than their traditional counter parts and they also give full spectrum light which mimics natural sunlight encouraging the production of the happy hormone serotonin and the sleep hormone melotonin.

This lamp is bright, it's not something I could use a nice little table lamp it is just like having your curtains open with the sun beaming in., the picture I took does not do it any sort of justice.

With the lamp being so bright I do find it a little uncomfortable to sit with it on.

 This is potentially due to the tension headaches I suffer and a sensitivity to light.

 Fun fact bright lights can make me sneeze until I adjust to them.

This doesn't mean that you won't be able to sit quite comfortably with yours on but I don't have your eyes so I can't give any guarantees.  

You only need to sit with your lamp for 30 minutes to an hour and can start to feel the benefits within a couple of minutes and is best used in the morning to give you a lovely little energy boost.

Using the lamp later in the day can impact your sleep making it harder to drift off.

"But do the lamps work " I hear you cry!

 Disappointingly the science is out on this with not 100% in agreement with it being effective in around 85% of diagnosed cases of SAD.

If you were looking for a miracle cure then light therapy might absolutely tick that box but then again it might not.

In my own personal experience I found my lamp does work when I use it, however I don't use it frequently enough.

I find it incredibly hard to get up in a morning in the winter so I wake up as late as possible.

 When I do claw my way out of bed  I am scrambling to  get ready for work, having a shower, possibly ironing my clothes etc  leaving me little time to sit in front my lamp and bask it's brilliant glow.

I think I will invest in a automatic timer for it to turn it's self on in the morning because light therapy does have a mark improvement on my mood and energy. 

For £69.99 I paid on Amazon I feel it really is a worth while investment  I only wish the lamp was smaller and came with a built in timer so I didn't have to turn it on manually.

Click here if you want to give it a look for yourself.

 There are a lot of lamps out there but I wasn't able to trial any before buying one and honestly I simply don't have the time or energy doing all that so there very well could the perfect lamp out there for me but I haven't come across it yet.

If you think you are suffering from SAD then please consult your doctor,.

 Light therapy is not often offered on the NHS so you might need to set a little bit of cash aside if you are wanting to explore this alternative to medication.

Sweet Potato Chunks

The hardest part of creating the body of your dreams is arguably the diet side of things and with that in mind I am always on the look out to find ways to make cooking easier.

When I spied that my local Asda had started selling pre- prepared sweet potato chunks my heat skipped a beat, well maybe not quite but I was pleased with my discovery.

When I am on the eat clean train sweet potatoes are a staple of my diet but with all the peeling and chopping it really puts me off.

After a long day at work the prospect of  slaving away in the kitchen doesn't really tickle my pickle and often pushes me into the warm embrace of something quicker and easier and if anyone has ever dated I am sure you will know those options are not always the best.

Yes I could meal prep for the week but I have two issues with this the first is that I am limited on space.

I know, I know you all  image that an infrequent blogger such as myself must be  living  it large in a palatial city apartment but I am sharing my fridge freezer with three other people so need to be considerate with the space.

The other reason is that I get bored.

My cupboards could be fully stocked I would still throw my hands up in the air and declare that I  have nothing to eat.

At £1.50 for a 700g bag  I think it's really good  value for money and  time saver with them ready to just slap in the oven or a boil in pan.

To make my sweet potatoes a bit more exciting I like to add rosemary and black pepper, both come with their own health benefits and add flavour  without pushing up the calories.

If you, like me are still waiting to marry a professional chef Asda's sweet potato chunks are a great option while you are waiting  for Gordon Ramsey to see sense and come knocking on your door.

SAD, Winter Blues

It's winter time hurrah!

Hot drinks, rich foods, Halloween  parties, Bonfire night,  Christmas, lights, gifts and New Year all these things should make the dark, long cold nights almost something to relish.

With oh so many wonderful things to get excited about how can you not get excited?

Well depression. 

I know what you are thinking, "oh well that's depressing" and yes, absolutely it is depressing and for anyone who is greeted by the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder every year this is not a time for excitement but dread.

I have never been formally diagnosed with SAD, I have discussed with doctors and they have told me that they are reluctant to label me as it would effect my employability and even had a mental health nurse tell that SAD doesn't exist.

My experience without a diagnosis is just that, my experience but I do feel it's a valid one.

Most winters I fall into a depression, particularity when we turn the clocks back and it can be absolutely debilitating making it almost impossible to accomplish day to day things like changing my clothes, having a shower or even wanting to be alive.

Typical symptoms include sleep problems, anxiety, panic attacks, over eating, lack of energy, concentration problems, irritability, lack of desire for intimacy, relationship problems and even hypomaina in the summer which before looking into this thought was solely the domain of bi polar.

Aside from panic attacks I tick everything on the list. 

Now  I have never been suicidal which I am eternally thankful for but wanted to look into suicide and winter, know for some light bed time reading.

Surprisingly suicide rates actually peak in late spring/ early summer which I found interesting as I was expecting them to be higher in winter , with SAD affecting 29% of the UK population  and the pressures and expectations of Christmas this was at least a small comfort in a strange sort of way.

"But what can I do about it"  I hear you plead!

There are a few things you can do to boost you mood which is pretty standard advice.

Exercise, get outside more and eat right anything that can boost your vitamin D shop go onto your shopping list like  cheese, eggs and mushrooms, perfect for an omelet.

Self care can have a big impact on how you feeling, having a shower, shave, changing your bedding anything you feel you can manage.

Now when I am depressed going to the toilet can be the crowning achievement of the day let along heading off for a brisk jog so what else can you do?

The easiest things for me are to supplement with vitamin D and open my curtains  when I am feeling up to it.

I have invested in a  sunrise alarm clock and an SAD lamp with admittedly a little expensive I find they really do help me.

 I would view them as a  necessity not a luxury to help you reconcile the price.

Of course there is also the prospect of going onto anti depressants but I consider those a last resort personally but everyone is different and go down the route is best for you.

I hope this post is helpful and I will be doing a write up for my SAD lamp and alarm clock, when I manage it will be dependant on how I am feeling. 

If you want to read a bit more on SAD the check out Dungarees and Donuts experiences with SAD by clicking here 

Vegan Ben and Jerry's

I am so glad that a big brand like Ben and Jerry's has thrown their hat into the Vegan ring.

The three options Ben and Jerry offer are the Peanut Butter and Cookies, Chunky Monkey and Fudge Brownie.


The more accessible vegan options are the much more likely they are to change their eating habits and if not for the animals then why not for your waistline?

Since the only one I have come across in shops is the Fudge Brownie my decision was an easy one to make.

The Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownie showing from Ben and Jerry's will save almost 200 calories if, like me you down a full tub the second ones opened, compared to the standard Brownie version.

Now this might not mean a lot but when you are wanting to spoil yourself yet keep your spare tire at bay then this might be an option to explore, certainly still calorific but it could of been worse and you might even save a baby cow or two.

With you needing to cut 500kcal a day to lose a pound a week if a tub of Ben and Jerry's is a regular fixture on your shopping list give the vegan version a go.

I can honestly say I could not tell a difference in taste or texture wise between either and believe me I researched it thoroughly.

The only thing I don't like about Vegan Ben and Jerry's , and it isn't anything to do with the product it's self but more the shops that sell it.

Where as the regular varieties are frequently on offer the vegan ones never seem to be and if you have read my previous posts you will know I am a sucker for a bargain.

I fully recommend the Vegan Ben and Jerry's I am just not so happy that it is never discounted.

Check out Ben and Jerry's full range by clicking here

Voss, glass water bottle

I am sure if you have been on social media or even a bar at all recently you will of come across the damage single use plastics are damaging the planet.

Beyond this plastics may have negative impacts on your health ranging from issues with your immune system, birth defects, hormone disruption from plastic that leeches out into your bottle, especially when plastics are heated such as plastic water bottle being left in the sun.

With all this in mind I have started using a Voss glass water bottle which kills two birds with one stone in that it will help protect the oceans and also hopefully help me dodge some health conditions in the future.

I did have concerns with using a glass water bottle, particularly in a gym environment but to be honest I have not had any issues.

Yes, OK I have to be a little more careful where I place my bottle when I do throwing weights about and I have to watch I don't glass myself in my award winning face when I am on the treadmill but than that it's absolutely ideal and even fits into the bottle holders on the cardio equipment.

I also think the water tastes better in a glass bottle, which I find most drinks do and with it being glass I feel more encouraged to take better care of it and remember to take it with me.

I do think the look of the bottle is much more appealing than most plastic ones and when I have used fruit tea bags almost makes it look like the worlds oddest aquarium.

The only real downsides I would say is that you need to invest in a bottle brush if you are wanting put anything more exciting in your bottle and i did find it difficult using in for a run, partly due to the fear of a self induced glassing by trying to drink and run sprints. 

The bottles are not badly priced , you can find them on amazon if you don't want to leave the house in search of them, try clicking the here

I had a stroke of good luck and actually found one in a cupboard when I moved into my new flat so it was that much easier for me to make the switch.

I really like my Voss water bottle,  make the switch from plastic to help further protect your health and the planet while you are at it.

Temple Donuts

I had been hearing rumours about a mysterious new coffee and vegan a quick trot from my house so I off I went searching for adventure and delicious treats

Imagine that, donuts with no animal products in them, would of thought it was possible?

Certainly not I  Crispy Creme, who are arguably the worlds most popular brand.

Tucked away on Kirkstall road you can smell the coffee well before you get inside, let that be your guide as I did find it a little tricky to find, but if you want it badly enough you will find it.

The first time I went there were people queueing out of the door and into the car park, this was a Sunday but I have gone during the week and been able to charge in, grab the donuts and get the funk out of there.

I really like the interior of Temple, I can certainly see why it seems to be a hipster haven with seating inside and out if you fancy taking a rest and truly appreciate your environment.  

I did however feel a little too awkward to take any pictures so you will have to pay them a visit or check out their instagram by clicking here .

Customer service wise, I was given what i asked for and that was about it, being from a customer service background I am probably a little picky but no major concerns.

"But are the donuts a like taste of baked perfection?" I hear you cry!

Well yes I would say that they.

I think they absolutely blow Crispy Creme out of the water, if given the choice I would pick Temple time and time again.

I found the donuts to be softer, lighter, bigger and much more generous with the fillings, the only downside would be the price.

For almost £20 you can get a box of 6 donuts but worth every penny and with the size of them you could comfortably cut them half and everyone would be satisfied.

In fact I did this with my team and everyone was amazed by the quality and were also surprised that  they are vegan, hopefully changing some attitudes on vegan alternatives in the process.

If I am honest I couldn't have a while one to myself  without feeling a wee bit sick, possibly not the best thing to write in a review but there it is

If you are on a budget sharing donuts is more than doable without either of you feeling hard done to.

Temple is certainly worth a look at if you can find them, I am hoping they look into Ubereats to get their vegan delights out to the whole city.

My last thoughts on this are that Temple are a prime example of a product is a higher quality than the main stream options that makes no use of animals to make it.

  Why are we still using animal by products when you can have something that is just as good if not better?  

I can get my head round eating a steak but then you find out they put fish in lilt it absolutely boggles my brain.

Clive's Pies

I first came across Clive's Pies at the Vegan Life Live event in London a couple of years back and didn't get the opportunity to try one at the time as proved to be so popular that they sold out.

Rude!

So you can imagine my delight then I spied a pie from Clive in my local Holland and Barrets.

Although our Clive has quite the range of flavours from Hungarian goulash to Mexican chilli, I decided to play it safe and go for a little mushroom and leek number.

Don't get me wrong I have full faith in Clive to deliver on his promise of a tasty pie but I likes what I likes and that is mushroom and leek and I haven't got the money to take any risks with my dinner plans.

I quite enjoyed my pie, usually when I dabble in foods that are vegan I usually think to myself
"this is good but it would be great with meat in it" and that did not spring to mind this time.

 This time I was completely content with having a vegan meal and didn't have the urge to rifle though the cupboards in search of chicken, green eggs or ham.

As the pastry goes it's very hard to judge it on it's own merits.

 I feel it was very good considering there is no gluten or butter as I don't have much room for comparison.

 I feel it a step or two behind dizzying quality of a Greg's steak slice but not at all bad

If you are interested in dear old Clive then please check out his website by clicking here or check out your local Holland and Barrets.

 Clive's talents don't stop at Pies either he also has a range of exquisite little tarts, gluten free brownies and the festive classic, the nut roast.

Burn calories and save some lives!

Oh have a drawn you in with the prospect of slimming down and getting to play super hero at the same time?

Well good, that was the plan.

I went and gave blood for the first time this week, I had gone to donate before now but I wild girl appeared and bit me the night before so I wasn't able to that time.

But what's all this about burning calories bit about? I hear you plead.

Well blood doesn't just appear from the void, your body has to use calories to make the stuff and if you donate a pint then you are buring 650kcal a time!

This is about the same as just over an hour of cardio, but this will differ from person to person with bigger people burning more when they exercise as it takes more energy to move a bigger body.

A typical recommendation for healthy weight lose is to reduce your calories by 500kcal a day to drop a pound in a week and you have just done that sat on your rump, reading this blog and, most importantly,  saving someone's life.

There are other benefits to giving blood as well, such as improving your overall cardio vascular health, you heart is going to have to work harder with a pint less blood available to carry oxygen.

Reduces your cancer risk by potentially removing excess iron from your system.

You get your blood tested for all manager of diseases such HIV and Hepatitis and let you know what your blood type is, which I have always been curious about my own but never pressed as I have a twin to harvest spare blood and organs from if the need arose.

You are saving a persons life, this could be anyone from a stranger, family, friend or even yourself if the worst happens!

There stipulations on if you can give blood, from travelling abroad, medications or drug use, your sexual preferences and those of your partner unless you are happy to abstain from certain activities for several months, if you sell sex or being bitten by a feral girl like I was.

There are more and you can find the full list by clicking here 

Men can give blood up 4 times a year and woman 3 so you are looking at a fair few calories and lives saved if you keep up with it. 

You can also just donate platelets, which you can do up to 24 times a year, I imagine this would burn fewer calories as the rest of the blood is returned to you but with the increased visits this would probably win out in the end.

There are some possibly side effects from giving blood such as nausea, weakness, feeling light headed/ dizzy and fainting however the staff will make sure you are alright and even feed you!

I actually felt sick for two days afterwards but I still managed to get to my first ever Yoga class the day after donating!

Please please please consider becoming a donor, you can call up on 0300 123 23 23 to book yourself in or check the website by clicking here

My first time doing Yoga at Pure Gym

I have been meaning to try out Yoga for years, I have never really felt following a youtube video without some first hand experience but that all changed this week.

The main reasons I haven't dipped my toe in until now is accessibility and price, regular yoga classes are more expensive than quite a few of the gyms in my area.

But why do you even want to do yoga? I hear you cry!

Well there a couple of reasons, my flexibility, balance and core workouts are all terrible, I just can't believe that anyone that says their favourite workout is core.

Luckily I happened upon a yoga class at my gym and even that had an additional charge of £4 but a lot more reasonable than what I have seen out and about .

 The money side of things isn't even the bit that tuned me off, I don't want to spend a chunk of money that I am not sure if I am going to enjoy, regardless of the potential benefits.

So I slipped on my Kapow Meggings, which were perfect for yoga, and my own branded vest and off I went, got to self promote where I can!

Now I thought of  ah some yoga that will be gentle, relaxing and will be perfect to recover from muscle soreness, oh how wrong I was.

The session was pretty fast paced, a brief instruction given for each pose, a demonstration ,  lots about breathing and variations to meet each person's ability and I as I rightly assumed it was just me as the only man among the women folk.

With my abysmal flexibility and muscle soreness I pretty much invented my own school of yoga there and then!

I began to feel the poses become easier as the session went on but still tough, I was necking water as if I was running a marathon and my wrists took some punishment from holding the poses.

The poses I found easiest were the ones that resemble my normal workouts, I never thought I would plead to do some more planks instead of going into the downward facing dog pose again!

The only real negative I would say is that due to gym set up you get all the noise from the gym which made it a struggle to hear Kerry, the instructor and to get into the zone however I am not sure what could be done about.

As much I felt like I was being punished for something i had done in a past life I will be going back next week as did really enjoy myself and left with a smile on my face, Kerry was great and understanding.

If you fancy coming down and are a member at Pure gym Kirkstall sessions take place at 7:30pm on Thursday, remember to bring your £4!

I will be writing a separate post going into detail about the benefits of yoga so be show to follow my twitter to keep an eye out for it.

My year of gym excuses

I went back to the gym, not necessarily shocking since this is supposed to be mainly a health and fitness blog but hey ho I clever blog name should really tell you that my fitness game isn't as strong as I would like it to be.

How have since I last went I hear you demand!

Well I am going to tell you, keep your Fitletics on!

The last time I went to the gym November and I had not been for awhile since before that and there a couple of reasons to why I fell out of fitspiration lifestyle which I believe can effect anyone so are worth me talking about on here, I have managed to throw on my amazing "Do you even leviosa" vest from  Chargrilled over my 13st bulk.

Work/ Life Balance 

If you believe that I am happily blogging full time, despite my infrequent posts, and making any sort of money from my blog then let you me tell you my humble reader I am yet to make a penny although I am looking to change that I move to a self hosted site but more about at the time.

I was and have been doing shift work and not a simple mix of shifts but going 4am starts to a 3pm start the next day then a day off and back onto a 6am start then back onto an evening shift.

Due to this upheaval and the physical nature of my work the last thing on my mind was strapping on my trainers and hitting the gym, going for a run or a even a home workout, especially  with the prospect of dealing muscle soreness while all ready being exhausted from the lack of quality sleep.

Toxic Relationships

Urgh, I am not going into too much detail here as I wouldn't say it was particularly fair but I will say I invested a lot of time and energy at the expense of my wants and needs. 

This is not wholly the other parties fault but they were pretty demanding and all consuming in regards to emotional support and time.

Living Situation 

The last place I was living turned into an absolute nightmare, one housemate would run up and down the stairs clapping, singing and even went and bought an air horn preventing me sleeping, remember the crazy shifts I was doing?

This housemate and one of the others would stand outside my room bad mouthing me and generally being unpleasant, stealing or throwing my things away, telling lies to the neighbours. 

This came to a head when one of the housemates decided to throw a party and they decided it would be hilarious to try and break down my door while threatening violence against me and coming into my work place to verbally abuse me as well.

My landlady took no action but things did improve once I phoned the police enough and I moved out.

Mental Health

I have touched upon  this in briefly in the past and I am going to keep it short and sweet hear as well, I suffer in the winter moods with low mood and in all fairness it has not been a massive issue for me for years, certainly there but manageable.

However this last winter fit like a truck, I believe that everything above contributed to how far I fell but I dragged myself out, moved house, cut ties with toxic influences and made changes in my work life all while I wasn't particularly keen on being here anymore, not suicidal but very non nonchalant about the prospect of dying.

The irony is exercise can be just as effective as anti depressants but when you can barely change your clothes the gym is a step too far.

The other aspect of my mental  that has made me more coy about going to the gym is my potential to take things to excess. 

My mind can go become very fixated on different things where I will do something to the point of it effecting my health and well being.

 An example when I decided I was ready to get exercising again I opted to start walking, which I did to the point I walked and walked and walked to the point my feet where my feet were blistered but I carried on regardless.

Self Image 

In regards to my self imagine a couple of years back I was very much into the gym and health eating and I became fixated on having fewer and fewer calories to the point my weight dropped to 9.5st which is under weight for a man of my size but the real issue for me was that I knew this but I still thought I looked fat!

I am not going as far to as I was suffering from Body Dismorphia as I never went to the doctors about it and have never received a diagnosis.

I know this post is much more personal than anything I have done before but I do feel that there is some validity in the post, people have genuine reasons where they can not get themselves up and active, we just have to help and support them until they are ready.

There are  excuses for why I have been absent from the gym and blogging to be honest,  onward and upwards so I  shall see what I can make of the rest of the year.

Foods to beat heat

Summer is here, hip hip hoary! You cry with glee

Well stop right there thank you every much.

If like me your landlord thought it was appropriate to put leatherette sofas in your flat you will of undoubtedly peel your hot and sticky self off them and certainly not been delighted at leaving a sweat print of your rum for all to see.

Also like me every food choice becomes an instant regret , why on earth I decided it was appropriate to have a Thai red curry and a chilli con carne on the same day is beyond me, I calling sun induced insanity.

Here is a little selection of foods to hopefully help you stay cool and hydrated! 

Snacking

Speaking of cool, you can't get much cooler than a cucumber and let's throw in a some carrots while we are at it

Cucumber has a water content of 96% and while carrots are lower at 87% both are great with hummus as light and refreshing nibble  on instead of your back of air provided by Walkers.

If you are feeling fruity give Water Melon ago, if you haven't guessed by the name it has the highest water content of all fruit and apparently can act as natural Viagra if you need a little perking up in the bedroom you cheeky thing you.

If you are simply not about the water melon life other high water fruits you could try are raspberries, blueberries and the Wimbledon favourite strawberries.

Drinking

 If you want something a little different try shlomping some fruit into a jug with water  to make your own fruit infused water, which is always  very instgramable and sure to impress all your friends and instafam.

Good  options to take the plunge are cucumber, water melon, orange, lemon, lime etc to be honest work with your personal tastes if it doesn't work out it's a lesson learnt.

If you are missing tea you can always slam some tea bags, I have had good experiences with fruit infused teas as well as standard green tea.

I found it best to to leave my batch overnight in the fridge.

 Cold brew coffees trendy right now so maybe give them a try, they tend to be sweeter and have more caffeine than hot coffee which might appeal to a non coffee drinker.

I did a little digging into the benefits of hot drinks on hot days and from what I can tell is that yes a hot drink will cool you down as long as the sweat your body produces can evaporate, this is the same principle behind eating hot and spicy foods.

 For me it's a no to all of that, I only really drink tea when I am cold or ill so the prospects of me opting for a hot drink makes me wince. 

Treat Yo Self

This part part might be a little heart breaking for some but here i go anyway.

Ice cream will make you warmer in the long run due to it's fat content, instead opt for ice pops, sorbet or if you are still screaming for ice cream give frozen yogurt or vegan alternatives a go for less calories and in my opinion tastes just as food as the full fat alternatives.

Freezing mousses is another cheap and low calorie option you could go for.

Alcohol wise avoid beers and change to gin, about half the calories less and you can make use of your fruit infused water.

When you drink blood comes closer to your skin making you feel much warmer but something like that is not going to stop me getting trashed.

Getting Salty

With you been as hydrated as merperson we can't leave this post without talking about salt, when you pee you lose salt and this is not good.

Your body does need a certain amount of salt to function properly, ever done the potato, water and salt experiment in school, well it's pretty much the same.

Your cells take in water by using salt to go where it is needed, most people do not have to worry about this as most food has salt added to it, how ever if you are exercising it might be worth packing an isotonic or hypertonic sports drink to replenish the salts you have sweat out.

If your diet is completely  virtuous  it might be worth looking at adding some soup or adding some sea salt to your daily chicken!

I hope this post has been helpful and I will try and get posting more frequent and may even get back on track to becoming a youtube star again, 3 subscribers and counting!

Smokin' Bar & Kitchen, Leeds

I was very kindly invited by the guys from Smokin' Bar & Kitchen in Leeds to review their new tapas menu and with me being a slave to my stomach I happily took them up on the chance.

Now real talk, I have actually been to this bar before, on new years eve, absolutely  blind drunk on their delicious cocktails!

"But where is the the Smokin' Bar and Kitchen", I hear you beg! 

Well if you hush your gums for just a seconds I will enlighten ye. 

The Smokin' Bar & Kitchen is on Parkrow, just up from the train station and if you don't do street names then right next to the Bierkiller will give you the best chance of finding them.

When I arrived, sober this time I might add I was really taken a back by how impressive the decor is, seemingly taking inspiration from the Great Gatsby with a subtle industrial look with exposed beams and lots of brass.

We were warmly welcomed by the bar staff member, Kelly and directed to a table.

Me and my companion for the evening settled in one of the funky pods and salivated over the cocktail menu, with me ordering a delicious strawberry and cream cocktail and my friend ordering a flaming zombie while we turned our attention to the main event, the tapas menu!

On the menu you are given the option to order 3 dishes for £15, 5 dishes for £20 and 7 dishes for £25 from a choice of 9 dishes in total.

We choice the following  5 dishes between us.

  Gambas pil pil 

 I am not the biggest fan of prawns but they tasted good, well as good as prawns can to someone who doesn't tend to eat them, I could taste the garlic but nothing from the chilli so if you are a prawn lover but worried about  the heat blasting your bits off don't worry your pretty little head about it.

Chroritzo Bravas

I absolutely adored the honey glazed potatoes and if given the option I would of had five bowls of them, that's not to say I didn't enjoy the other dishes these just really tickled my pickle. 

As the chrotizo it was there and you get a generous portion but in my eyes were completely over shadowed by the potatoes.

Creamy Mushrooms:

This is essentially a fancy mushroom sandwich and what a sandwich it is!

Served on a ciabatta the mushrooms and sauce were on another level from anything I have that is vegetarian, I would actually forgo a meat for the night if I had to chose, incredibly filling.

Filet Steak

Thankfully I didn't have to chose and I was able to enjoy this ever so tender, medium raw steak. Visually not great as the shallot sauce is an unfortunate colour but I can't not the quality of the meat, flavour or taste.

Parmesan Tacos

Another of the vegetarian options and really under welling for, with the promise of Parmesan and roast potatoes I could of possibly built this dish up more in my head than what could of been delivered. I can't say I really tasted much of the cheese. It was alright but definitely my least favourite on the menu.

Aside from the Tapas menu, Smokin' Bar have a great range of cocktails, which I may or may not of indulged in while I was sampling the menu, SPOILER ALERT, I most certainly did!

I enjoyed a Strawberries  and Cream cocktail which immediately transported me to Wimbledon, well into my living room in front of the TV with Wimbledon on anyway and for dessert I opted for the White Chocolate, served in a milk bottle and they even throw in a Kinder Beanu just to be extra.


Shout out to the staff that attended to me all night, Kelly and Heather, both absolute stars and I wish them all the best.

I wholly enjoy my night at Smokin' Bar Leeds and give it a big stomping seal of approval and can't wait to get the rest of the menu down my gullet.

  If you want a perv at the menu then click here and get yourself booked in

Graze snack box

Ok, well I am admittedly late to game with this one!

I think most people heard of the legendary Graze box, a magical figure appears once a week and deliveries a box of amazing snack foods and treats for your gluttonous pleasure.

First things first, I'm the realest and you get your first Graze box for free or at least discounted.

 This first hit from the Graze box lets you know that there are two kinds of people in the world, those who get a Graze box and those who don't and I know how I wish to continue my life.

I almost compare a Graze box to people with Sky TV when I was growing up, if someone had Sky they had pretty much made it in life in my eyes and the same goes to those regular Grazers.

If you decide to subscribe and a more opulent existence then you can decide on which box you would like, variety, light or protein how often your box of joy arrives, weekly or fortnightly.

I went for the variety box and a fortnightly delivery, yes I know I should of gone for protein box with this being a health and fitness blog but I have needs and feeling that protein alone just won't satiate.

If you have any dietary requirements or are just a plain, annoying picky eater you can opt out of certain ingredients like nuts or even spicy foods and highlight your favourites so you are more likely to receive them.

I received an alert to let me know they the box had been dispatched and the next day it was here, the box is designed to fit through your letter box which you don't need any form of direct human interact to get your mitts on your goodies.

Each snack comes with a little card with all the nutritious information and ingredients on it in case you wanted to see exactly what makes up each snack.

With the cost a Graze box being only £3.99 they are well worth the money and i you are going on holiday you can pause them until you get back and cancelling your box is just a quick click as well.

If you do move house make sure you do change your address, as my friends  benefited from the previous tenant not changing their details and feasted on Grazes for months as well as Sky Tv,

If you are some how reading this Natalie Reed, my friends thank you for your forgetful nature!

I completely, 100%, absolutely recommend  Graze boxes to anyone and everyone, it's like having someone send a gift each week, even though you are paying for it.

If you want to see how I got on with another box superscription service then check out the review I did for Muscle Crate, a gym supplement box, by clicking here

I actually got some codes sent with my box for a free box!

Promo code: PLK2CDWFB

Click the link here to hit up their website.

I am not sure how many people it will work for but it's worth a go for a taste of how the other half live.

Tabata Training: 4 minutes in hell

Hate cardio? Want to hate it even more?

Welcome to the wonderful world of tabata training, a type of High Intensity Interval Training that last only a mere 4 minutes but will give you the results you are yearning for much more effectively then you mincing about on the treadmill for an hour at a time.

Tabata training hails from Japan, discovered and named after, well you probably guess Dr Tabata!

Dr Tabata did a study on 2 groups of participants, one group doing moderate intensity exercise vs the second group who did high intensity training and the results spoke for themselves.

The first group showed an improvement in there aerobic performance, which benefits your cardio vascular system,  but nothing in their anaerobic, which benefits your muscles as you work without taking in enough oxygen to break down your lactic acid etc

The second group improved in both, with an impressive 28% in their anaerobic performance and a greater increase in aerobic performance than the first group. 

The fun doesn't stop there, you fat burning is going to be vastly increased  and your body will enter EPOC or Excess Post - Exercise Oxygen Consumption where your body goes wild trying to return you back to how you were before you decided to abuse yourself with some Tabata training.

This means calories expenditure, repairing muscles and replenishing energy doesn't just happen, calories are needed to sort your life out, with some cases doubling your metabolic rate and potentially lasting up 36 hours this is nothing to be sniffed at.

The average tabata training burns about 13.5 kcals a minute so with my quick maths that would be 54kcals from each 4 minute session.

 This might sound tiny but when you burn about 300 kcals in an hour on a treadmill and you are going to get greater results from 4 minutes of Tabata training overall while also boosting your testosterone much more and helping to build muscle rather than losing it 

Hopefully I have sold you on Tabata training now but I should probably actually tell you how to do it!

You go all out for 20 seconds and rest for the 10 seconds, rinse and repeat 8 times which should add up to 4 minutes in total including your rest periods.

You should also include a good warm up of all the muscles that you be using and a cool down.

I recommend going for exercise that hit a lot of muscles to maximise work like squats, press ups, mountain climbers, kettlebell training and my favourite, the rowing machine! 

Due to the intensity it is not recommended to attempt this on a treadmill as you would have to get off and on it as a high speed which as funny as it is to see someone shoot off a treadmill it is dangerous and should be avoided.

You will probably start off thinking that this is easy but by the end you will agree that Tabata training is 4 minutes of pure hell and if you don't then you are not working hard enough!

Lindahis Kvarg, Lactose Free Drink

I was trotting though my local Asda and came across a mysterious product, covered in an even more mysterious language.

It was labelled  simply as Lindahis Kvarg Drink and had some coloured silhouettes of some active looking people and at only a pound a bottle I thought it might be worth my time and energy.

With two flavours on offer I went wild and grabbed one of each, Himbeere and Vanille ( Raspberry and Vanilla ) and Pfirsich and Passionsfrucht (Peach and Passion fruit)

I better clear up the packaging first.

On one side you have all the details about the drink Swedish.
 I had to google this as my own mastery of the Swedish language is a little rusty, and on the other side you have the English translation for us numb skulls out there!

The drinks are made by Nestle and have introduced Lindahis Kvarg into the UK to meet our need for healthy option and with them being the Sweden's number one Quark product they very well could be onto a winner.

The selling point of Lindahis Kvarg is that it is a Quark based, high protein, low fat,  dairy based drink that is lactose free, perfect for those that are  intolerant to diary but still wanting to make some sweet, sweet gains!

Taste and texture wise it is essentially a yogurt drink.
 I can't say i was blown away by either of them of them, hey if you like yogurt drinks you are going to like these , I myself like my milk shaken not churned

Protein wise they do pack quite the punch at 23g per bottle which would be like downing two and a half eggs I know which I would chose if given the choice.

There actual yogurts in the range as well but my feeble local Asda does not currently stock them so you will have to make do with these for now.

Flavour wise I would go for the Raspberry and Vanilla, neither were unpleasant just didn't tickle my pickle!

If you have love these then you may very well love Skyr yogurts so check them out and boost my view count.

What's going on with my blog?!

Not updated my blog longer than I care to contemplate but I have gathered myself enough to fill in the my legion of loyal readers, all two of them,  what da funk is happening with my blog.

Basically my mental health has been all over the place, end of post, good night.

Mmmm maybe that isn't quite the detail you were after?

I have had periods of my life where I have suffered from depression and  from what my doctor has said this has very likely been the case all through my childhood to different degrees, over looked by everyone around me due to their own personal struggles but I like to put it down to being a middle child.

Recently my issues have been more evident and it appears that I most likely have more going on than being depressed, which in it's self is an awful affliction that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

 I am waiting on a proper assessment to  see what fruity kind of crazy I am on or if I am just rubbish at life.

The breaks  I have had from my blog have been because of all this, some days I am lucky to get out of bed or have a shower let alone get the creative juices flowing to  create an easily digestible, mildly humorous product review or blog. 

The worse thing about all this is I actually think that writing my blog kept me healthier, I was getting myself out and about, going to the gym, being careful with what I ate, well apart from that awkward couple of months that I starved myself down to 9 and a half stone but rough with the smooth.

I do very much intend to get back blogging again but it is going to take some time yet.

Hopefully this doesn't come across as an attention seeking, self indulgent mental health post that seem to crop up all too often to on the hunt for sympathy and all those delicious views and shares. 

If anyone is struggling with any aspect of mental health please get in touch with your doctor or contact MIND which is a mental health charity. 

There are people and resources there to help you, please make use of them.