26 grains

If you think porridge is boring, you obviously haven't been to 26 Grains. Having been meaning to check out this spot in Neal’s Yard in the heart of Covent Garden for ages, I finally made my way there for breakfast this morning and can truly say my perception of porrige will never be the same! 

The experience proved just how versatile a bowl of porridge could be, from sweet to savoury, it can be transformed into a lip-smackingly delicious bowl of nourishment, bursting with flavour and colour!

The cafe is a tiny space yet effortlessly stylish with wooden benches, communal tables and vibrant green plants dotted around. 

The concept is simple: 

1. Start by choosing a grain, such as oats, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, spelt, flaxseed and rye, cooked through a variety of nut milks od coconut milk. 

2. Add your spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom or ginger. 

3. Finish with a few natural toppings including nuts, fresh fruit, homemade compotes and granolas.

After a difficult decision, I opted for the "Nordic Spice" - coconut milk oats, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, seeds, raisins, grated apple, cacao crumble and maple syrup. The combination of flavours was utterly phenomenal plus the presentation was certainly "instagrammable"!

My friend chose the coconut brown rice and black tahini - coconut milk short grain brown rice, toasted coconut, cacao nibs, black tahini, date syrup and lime. Of course I had to taste hers too and it was equally scrumptious and gorgeous.

I definitely recommend this little treasure for both porridge-lovers and porridge-sceptics alike! 

The Mae Deli by Deliciously Ella

The highly-anticipated opening of The Mae Deli has finally arrived and the deli opened its doors in the heart of London's Marylebone earlier this week. For those of you who haven't heard of Ella Woodward (have you been hiding under a rock?), she is the Instagram sensation with 653,000 followers, the author of the number one best-selling book on Amazon this year as well as the successful blogger behind deliciouslyella.com. The name "The Mae Deli" is an acronym of Matthew (Ella's fiancé) and Ella.

As soon as I stepped foot inside the deli, I could sense the warm and welcoming atmosphere of this gorgeous and cozy setting. Both Matthew and Ella were present and I was fortunate enough to have a lovely chat with one of my all-time healthy inspirations!

The food is based on the Deliciously Ella philosophy, using natural ingredients free from wheat, dairy and refined sugar. The breakfast menu ranges from smashed avocado on rye toast, to healthy bowls of porridge, chia pudding, bircher muesli, açai bowl and coconut yoghurt, as well as a variety of toppings such as toasted seeds and coconut chips.

For lunch and dinner, the mix-and-match concept of Mae bowls allow you to choose from a selection of nourishing plant-based dishes, with options such as maple roasted sweet potatoes, pecan sprouts, miso and sesame glazed aubergine, lemon quinoa, edamame brown rice, pesto broad bean dip and turmeric cauliflower.

For dessert, there is an array of healthy sweet treats, including freshly baked pecan brownies, coconut truffles and power balls made from hemp, chia, flax, almonds, dates, cranberries, goji berries and cacao. I had a brownie and it tasted so incredibly indulgent! 

The fresh juices are all organic and cold-pressed to retain the nutrients and the smoothies are loaded with ingredients such as almond butter, hemp, cacao and oats, on top of fruits and veggies, to up the nutritional content and make them more filling. I had the Green Glow which had such a wonderful creamy texture and tasted delicious!

I also purchased a bag of the toasted coconut, maple and raisin granola, which I can't stop snacking on!

The Deli is located at 21 Seymour Place. Go and check it out - I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do!

What it's like to run a HALF-MARATHON

About six months ago, I signed up to participate in the London Royal Parks Half Marathon, which took place last Sunday. Due to my spontaneous personality, I usually jump at every opportunity that pops up in life (such as skydiving at the age of 14!) So of course, when I found out about the upcoming half-marathon in my hometown and the chance to do something as crazy as running 21km (13.1 miles), I decided to rise to the challenge!

The thing about a half-marathon is that it is not only physical fitness and stamina that is required to finish, but also a strong mind and lots of self-discipline. All the hours that I had put into training in the lead-up to the big day were worth it to feel the indescribably rewarding sense of achievement, pride and joy when I crossed the finish line. My initial goal had been just to finish the half marathon - run, walk, hop, dance or crawl! But I ended up running for the entire duration of the race, without slowing down to walk at all!


When I arrived at Hyde Park on the big day I stretched my legs, walked to the start-line, jogged on the spot to warm up, and then the race officially started! 
I was in awe at the unique ambience and sense of empowerment that laced the air, as I admired all the vibrant colours scattered throughout the streets and the countless cheers! I was moved and inspired by the positive vibes surrounding me within this stampede of runners.

The first mile was done and dusted faster than seemed possible, so completing another 12 miles definitely appeared attainable! The next mile felt slightly longer than the first, and from then on, my mind began conceiving a series of strange and entertaining thoughts to keep me occupied, such as: 

Free water!

Three miles done - only ten more to go!

The sooner I finish, the sooner I can eat some well-deserved left-over Oreo birthday cake sitting in my fridge at home...

Free Lucozade!

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other!


OMG cheerleaders!
More free water!

Keep shuffling up the hill

Running downhill never felt so good - thanks gravity!

Free Jelly Tots - I'll take two thanks!

I can probably run another marathon after that sugar rush!

My legs are crumbling, this was a bad idea

6 miles only? It must be marked wrong

8 miles - I feel invincible!

Free banana!

I've never sweat this much, not even in Bikram Yoga or Barry's Bootcamp!

10 miles already? Nearly there!

12 miles - I think I'm having a heart attack but pick up the pace - the faster I sprint the last mile the sooner I can eat something

600 metres to go!

My knees will give out at any moment

Just keep swimming! (from Finding Nemo)

200 metres left!

I can see the finish line!

Just a few more steps

Soooo close now

I made it!!


It goes without saying that my favourite part was experiencing that relief and elation at completing something so incredibly huge and challenging. There are so many reasons that I believe everyone should attempt such an endeavour at some point in their life - even if it is just a 5km fun-run! Do it to raise money for a worthy cause, do it for the challenge, do it to feel accomplished, do it to prove to yourself that you're stronger than you thought, or do it just because you enjoy running for fun! Personally, I wanted to fundraise for charity, whilst seeing if I could complete something that had previously seemed so unattainable, having been a regular runner for a few years.

Congratulations to anyone else who participated - I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did

Ethos Foods

Last week I checked out the new vegetarian restaurant that everyone has been raving about: Ethos Foods. With a prime location on Eastcastle Street near Oxford Circus, Ethos offers abundant displays of healthy, eclectic, meat-free dishes from around the globe. 

My favourite thing about Ethos is that you don’t have to choose between dishes on the menu as you can try a bit of everything (which I did!), since it’s a self-service buffet. The combination of flavours, colours and textures is remarkable - the foods range from vibrant salads based on lentils/quinoa/brown rice, to sweet potato wedges to giant bowls of guacamole, babaganoush and hummus. I particularly liked the "antioxidant dream salad"  with mango vinaigrette, the roast cauliflower with tahini dressing and cranberries, and the Moroccan tagine with chickpeas and apricots.

All of the desserts looked amazing and I couldn't decide between the gluten-free black bean brownie and the mini "peanut butter bombs" rolled in dessicated coconut - so I had both of course! Both were absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try the other desserts next time, such as pecan pie, cherry chocolate kugelhof, raw banana and coconut slice, and power puff energy balls.

I adored the décor which made the space feel bright and open, with white brick walls, sleek marble-topped tables, glass pendant lights and silver birch tree trunks from the floor to the ceiling in the middle of the room!

Ethos opens early in the day with a short breakfast menu (avocado on toast, granola, porridge, fruit salad) and then rolls on through to lunch and dinner. I think it’s a great spot for lunch (for all those shoppers that have worked up an appetite) as well as dinner - perfect if you've just finished work in town. Ethos operates on a Pay by Weight system so the pricing is flexible and my meal cost £10 for a plate piled high with delicious food. 

If you haven't already been, you should definitely check it out!

Daylesford

Daylesford Farmshop & Café is a beautifully decorated restaurant in the heart of Notting Hill. Almost all the fresh ingredients are organic and grown locally on the Daylesford farm in Gloucestershire.

The breakfast options include chia, goji berry and flaxseed Bircher muesli with natural yogurt and stewed fruits, or scrambled egg whites on sourdough toast with smoked salmon. There are several seasonal salads on offer, such as raw winter vegatables with avocado oil and cider vinegar, and raw green kale, butternut squach and spirulina crusted pumpkin seeds. The supper dishes range from the steamed lemon sole or Daylesford beef burger, to chilled raw cashew soup with spirulina, kale and pumpkin seed pesto.

To top everything off, their cold-pressed juices are to die for!

Cereal Killer Cafe

The opening of The Cereal Killer Cafe on Brick Lane has caused a lot of hype with a simple concept. It's menu consists of 120 different cereals from around the world, along with a choice of 20 toppings such as strawberries, marshmallows, walnuts and crumbled Oreo cookies. In addition, you can choose from 30 different varieties of milk, from almond milk to chocolate milk. 

The cool hipster setting in Shoreditch, East London, has a bubbly and fun atmosphere. Obsessed with all things cereal, this nostalgic cafe displays hundreds of pieces of merchandise and memorabilia all over the walls from the 80s and 90s and plays retro music to bring back childhood memories. From Cocoa Pebbles to Froot Loops, Cinnabon to Lucky Charms, the cereals come from a variety of countries including the United States, Mexico, Australia and South Korea. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even mix and match cereals into a single bowl. To top it all off, they are open until 10pm, so what better way to end your day than having breakfast for dinner?

If anyone out there loves cereal as much as I do, then you need to get down there ASAP!