My So- called Superfoods

I am a believer in many things but I am not a believer in superfoods, and many medical professionals and nutritionists are coming out and debunking the myth of the superfood. These are foods which wellness bloggers tell us come from exotic lands far away, are unbelievably rich in nutrients, and are said to have miracle healing/weight loss/skin clearing powers. You’ll have heard by now that superfoods include kale, papaya, quinoa, chia seeds, tahini, goji berries, acai etc. And while I love these healthy foods, I don’t believe for one second they will turn you into a vision of pure health.

Now there are obviously certain nutrients which we need, and others which will make a big difference to our wellbeing, and particular foods which are especially dense in these nutrients. Just like the humble sweet potato, which contains 400% of your daily Vitamin A needs, along with Vitamin C and more, and happens to grow easily in hot climates; hence why certain programs in sub- Saharan Africa are introducing super orange (and super vitamin rich) sweet potatoes to help solve child malnutrition. Now, I would say this is a bit of a miracle. But calling kale a superfood in the hope your middle class self will be ‘super healthy’ or ‘super human’ is deluded and full of all kinds of unchecked privilege. 

So in defiance of wellness gurus' use of the term ‘superfood’ and in a bid to reclaim its meaning, I give you my very own superfoods.

Clipper’s snore and peace Tea…this beverage gets it’s ‘super’ status from its amazing ability to have you nodding off in a jiffy, even on the most restless, agitated nights. Don’t drink and drive, kids.

Cashew Nuts…picture this: you’ve just got home from work and you know dinner won’t be ready for at least half an hour, but you’re majorly hangry. Meet your super cool new best friends. A handful of nuts will have you feeling yourself again in no time. Almonds are just as super as they have the President’s seal of approval.

Dried Mango…if you’re always on the verge of giving in to offers of snickers left right and centre, look no further. Dried mango has the power to satisfy your sugar cravings, with its super natural sugars. It is the perfect snack for long journeys, and will make you feel superior to everyone else.

Dark chocolate…this super delicious treat makes you feel like a goddess of luxury and even more amazingly is dairy free, vitamin rich and good for concentration.

Canned coconut Milk…this hidden gem’s super power is the ability to make any old soup exciting; if it’s looking lacklustre, coconut milk will thicken it up, if you’ve gone overboard on the spice front, coconut milk will cool it down and refresh your poor senses.

Frozen berries…what is more super than the killer combo of cheap, healthy, and convenient? Frozen berries are perfect to add to a summer lemonade in place of ice cubes, mixed into your morning porridge, or cooked in a homemade crumble. 

Which foods are super to you?

Iced Coffee Recipe

I’ve only been a coffee lover for the last 6 months. I’m 22.

When I realised the errors of my ways I was genuinely saddened that I’d missed out on 21 and a half years of morning goodness. That being said, I tend to limit myself to one dose of caffeine a day in a bid to keep anxiety at bay.

Now just because it’s summer and I don’t fancy a hot bevvy in 25 degree heat, why should I deny myself my coffee rights? The good news is this recipe for iced coffee is outrageously simple, costs nothing if you already have coffee grounds, and perfect for a coffee on the go. Can be enjoyed come rain or shine (but best enjoyed on a warm, sunny day because I’m just happier then anyway). Once you have this recipe in your life, you’ll have no excuse to spend all of your pennies on Starbucks…

All you need is:

·         Coffee grounds

·         A sieve or coffee filter paper

·         Ice

1.    Firstly, place your usual amount of coffee into a mason jar (or, if you’re making a batch, double, triple etc as needed) and fill the mason jar about 2/3 full with cold water

2.    Place a lid on and leave for at least 12 hours (though overnight is best) in the fridge

3.    Once it’s out of the fridge you’ll want to give it a stir

4.    To remove any grit that might be undissolved, simply pour the mixture through either coffee filter paper if you’re feeling fancy or a fine sieve- I use a sieve and it works just fine

5.    Then throw in plenty of ice and add the milk of your choice- or go hard-core and enjoy it black.

Soon you’ll be laughing in Starbuck’s faces!

(This ace recipe is courtesy of the New York Times)

Weekend Treat

Banana bread is my favourite sweet treat to bake because I can convince myself it’s healthy. This one has 3 bananas in and no refined sugars, so it’s about as healthy as a cake is going to get. I use Jamie Oliver’s recipe because it’s the simplest I’ve come across; I could probably make it with my eyes closed at this point. If you want a little more indulgence I highly recommend smothering a slice with peanut butter or Nutella and thank me later…

All you need to make this light treat is

·         3 overripe bananas

·         2 tbspn apple juice

·         125g unsalted butter

·         2 large eggs

·         ½ tspn ground cinnamon

·         2 tbspn runny honey

1.    First you’ll need to preheat your oven to 180C and grease a loaf tin using either olive oil or butter, then lightly dust with flour.

2.    Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork in a mixing bowl until they’re an unsightly mix of smooth and lumpy. Then add apple juice and stir.

3.    In a separate bowl, cream the butter. (This is the trick bit which I think counts as a workout). The crack in and beat the eggs one at a time.

4.    Fold in the rest of the ingredients, being careful not to over mix

5.    Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and cook for around 40 minutes. Lick the bowl and spoon.

6.    Leave it to cool for 10 minutes then dive in!

Remember not to feel guilty after eating this weekend treat; each slice (probably) contains one of your five a day. For best results, enjoy with a cup of tea. 

Bodies

I tweeted a few days ago and it got a bit of love. The said tweet went as follows, “How about we don’t comment on each other’s bodies and/or what other people eat?” Please excuse the cocky tone but I was angry, okay? It came from being completely baffled as to why people- including close family members- feel the need to provide a running commentary on my diet and presumably the effect it is having on my body.

In this day and age, when we are all aware how dramatically a single comment can have on a person’s view of themselves, it makes me furious when people still make judgemental assumptions about each other’s diet and lifestyle. I recently read British Bake Off finalist Ruby Tandoh’s article in vice, entitles, "The unhealthy truth behind wellness and clean eating" which for me, hit the nail on the head. In the article she condemned the ‘wellness’ industry for essentially being an elitist industry which perpetuated fears of fat, and called for an end to value judgements in food. 

Any discussion in which one food or food group is worshipped and labelled ‘good’ while another is demonised and labelled ‘bad’ is inherently problematic and simply unhealthy. As a young woman I’ve grown up with these unhealthy messages, which encourage feelings of guilt, self-hatred and punishment. 

When I was 13 years old one of my music teachers literally called me ‘fat’. So when you ask me, “should you really be eating that?” as I tuck into a bar of dark chocolate, congratulations- I’ve limited my diet for days in order to convince myself I ‘deserve’ this treat. Or when you observe, “there are loads of carbs in there Annabelle” as I cook a vegetarian chilli with rice, think about how carbohydrates are an important food group in a balanced diet, and how miserable I have sometimes made myself by cutting them out completely due to feeling ashamed at my body’s need for them.

I would never dream of passing such judgement about another person’s diet, partly because I literally don’t know a single young woman who hasn’t struggled with body image and food. Also because food is fuel, I grant you. But it is also a source of so much pleasure, and when we place value judgements on it that pleasure turns into misery and shame at every single meal. That means every birthday meal, Sunday lunch, Christmas day, snack at work, every brunch with friends can induce dread. 

So next time you are about to comment on someone else’s meal, remember that you have no idea what kind of struggles are going on inside their head at that moment, but that I can almost guarantee they will be about food.

10 Loves #6

1.    Country runs…not loving the shin splints I now have though.

2.    Girl’s season 5 spotify playlist…I have been absolutely loving this fifth and penultimate season of Girls so far, in particular The Panic in Central Park which was a beautiful and touching episode centred around Marnie. Every episode surprises me. It’s worth catching up if you’re behind. The soundtrack to the season will get you in the mood!

3.    My dad’s record player & collection…he’s been hiding some absolute gems for years (along with some questionable musical choices).

4.    Raw. Vegan. Not gross…I’m neither vegan nor a raw- only eater, but there’s some healthy and delicious inspiration here for everyone.

5.    Garden Centres…I went to 3 in one week and decided middle aged people know how to live. They are great places to hang out; Rummaging through the plants could almost double as a jungle experience, and every garden centre seems to sell the tastiest cakes in the world. Get down to your local.

6.    Jonathan Groff's rooftop duet…New York. Spring. Rooftop. Love song...so much romance!

7.   Mindfulness: Plain and Simple…mindfulness is something I always seem to come back to albeit in many different forms. But after reading this book, this time I think I finally understand it. The only trouble is remembering to do a little every day.

8.    Bowls full of fruit for breakfast…pretending it’s summer since ’93.

9.    I didn’t include this in #5 because it was getting a bit Hamil- centric. But come on. Come. On.

10. Plant nanny…an app to monitor your hydration. Every time you drink a glass of water, you water the plant. It could be in my head but I feel like I’ve been reaping the rewards of drinking plenty of water; my skin is aglow! Just sayin’.

Do follow me on Instagram, where you can see the loves that didn't make it!

So I read this article: Blogs I've been loving lately

I am that friend who sends you a million links to articles I think you would like. Let’s face it, it’s kind of like extra homework, so for that I apologise. Girl Gang probs. So here are my current favourite blogs I like to push on people.

Lifestyle

IN A PAVILLION http://www.inapavilion.com/

BLUEBIRD http://bleubirdblog.com/

BETHANYELL http://bethanyell.com/

CIDER WITH ROSIE http://www.ciderwithrosie.com/

Beauty & Fashion

ESTEE LALONDE http://www.esteelalonde.com/

VIVIANNADOESMAKEUP http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/

INTO THE GLOSS http://intothegloss.com/

LAURA MAGGIE http://lauramaggie.com/

Food & Health

SUSTAIN THE GLOW http://sustaintheglow.com/

DELICIOUSLY ELLA http://deliciouslyella.com/

THE KITCHY KITCHEN http://www.thekitchykitchen.com/

 MINIMALIST BAKER http://minimalistbaker.com/ 

Other bits and bobs

POLITICO http://www.politico.com/

THE NEW YORKER  http://www.newyorker.com/

THE POOL https://www.the-pool.com/

For more inspiration be sure to follow me on pinterest (my home interiors board is seriously one of my proudest achievements) 

Sunday best: Breakfast

If you know me, you’ll know that I bloody love Sundays. I have done for as long as I can remember. Some of my favourite memories have taken place on Sundays. There’s something so special about waking up to a noticeably quieter world, being able to stop and appreciate the light streaming through the window, and listening to the birds sing. I cherish that Sundays have the magical power to slowly turn a quiet, plan free day into an adventure, in a way that no other weekday can.

I hereby dedicate this segment to all things Sunday! A kind of shrine, if you will, to the best the week has to offer. First up, breakfast.

My weekday breakfast has consisted of porridge and fruit for about 2 years now, so at the weekend I like to change things up a bit. I know, crazy. I give you,  peanut butter blueberry toast. It’s exactly what it says on the tin. If you’re not quite convinced by the name (I don’t blame you), perhaps the pic below will entice you?

It’s the easiest breakfast ever and kind of needs no explanation, so I’ll just go through the basics. This beauty consists of peanut butter on toast- I go for a relatively healthy chunky peanut butter by Whole Earth (£3.19 in all good supermarkets), but any nut butter will do- followed by a blueberry compote (I say a compote, but I literally just microwave some blueberries with a drop of water for a minute) and voilà, you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious start to the day. If you have a sweet tooth, why not add a drop of honey on top and smother it all together? Yum.

Told you it was easy! It takes 2 minutes max to prepare and is in the true spirit of Sundays- I can’t think of a better way to start your day of rest!

10 Loves #3

1.    Cookbooks…something I wanted for Christmas was cookery books, and it’s safe to say my family delivered. My favourites are A Modern Way to Cook which is full of simple, vegetarian recipes and The Kitchy Kitchen for the classics. Am I the only one who loves going through cook books and bookmarking my favourite recipes?

2.    Rosianna’s vlogmas…Rosianna was essentially my therapist for the month of December. Her videos were so insightful, creative and simple, covering issues from mental health to Hermione Granger. I thoroughly recommend watching them in the morning to get your brain going *but maybe skip the festive bits if you’re sad Christmas is over*

      3.   Madewell...I am obsessed. In awe. Itching to get to grips with their sale. Have no more words. Just love.

     4.   Netflix…did good. I was so impressed and in love with Aziz Ansari’s series Master of None, and heartbroken and enraged by Making a Murderer. Like, seriously. Wtf, Wisconsin’s criminal justice system?

     5.  Girls…both in the sense of ma girls, and the HBO show. My friends, Hannah’s friends and Lena herself basically got me through the month. BITCHES GET SHIT DONE.

      6.  Running…after an exercise hiatus, I am back in the game. There’s something about running that just makes me happy. Between the wind in my hair and the sun (sometimes) on my face, it makes me feel physically, and mentally strong. Win win.

  7.    Jaoquin Pheonix…no explanation required.

  8.    Yoga with Adrienne…this lady is amazing. Her youtube videos first got me into yoga, and she has a sequence for every occasion, ache, or pain. Sometimes she freaks me out because she knows how my body is feeling better than I do. It’s like she’s in the room. Her mantra, 'find what feels good' is universally appealing'.

9.    The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion…do yourself a favour and read this book, okay?

10. Holiday planning…because the prospect of the sun is all that gets us through January right? And I’m not gonna lie, the planning of the holiday is sometimes the best bit.