Discovering Yoga

Namaste everyone.

Things have been pretty hectic lately - I've just moved to a new place in London, and I'm beginning a new full time job at the end of the month, which means I can start saving for travelling!!

All this has left me stressed and feeling very unlike my usual self. I suffer with depression and to be honest, it's been getting to me. I forget that it's literally an imbalance in my head, not just me being moody. It's difficult, and I get really hard on myself. So I search for a solution, and I found yoga.

I've tried yoga before of course, and it's beautiful. But I never practice regularly.

It was beautifully sunny outside, probably the last real day of summer, and I still felt strange. Armed with 4 yoga magazines, I stepped outside, completely naked, and did something I never really do. Sat down on the grass and closed my eyes. I listened to all the noise around me, the cars, birds, the occasional plane. I felt the grass between my fingers (and bum cheeks). I was so present in this moment, and it felt amazing.

Slowly, I began to hold some yoga poses from the magazines I had placed in front of me. They were moderately challenging; I could hold most of them, but not for too long. This yoga session felt different though. It wasn't just exercise or stretching, but a real spiritual experience ,that somehow calmed me thoroughly. I felt peaceful.

Since that yoga session a few days ago, my chakras feel more realigned. I feel that I am behaving better in myself and managing my own though cycles better. All thanks to yoga.

I will definitely be doing it more. The joy and peace I get is second to only meditation. If only the rest of the world could slow down a little more, maybe we'd all feel more peace.

Namaste.

I'm PUBLISHED!

Vegan Life magazine is one of my absolute favourite mags, and I was privileged enough to do an internship there a few weeks back. Anyway as you can see, they have published one of my articles that I wrote for them!

It's my first piece of published work, and I am so pleased with how it's turned out. I love the team at Vegan Life - they're all so kind, and my experience with them was nothing but amazing.

Dreams can come true guys!!!

Nature’s Secrets to Looking Young

Want to discover the fountain of youth without spending money on surgery or expensive moisturisers? Look and feel better with these age-defying health tips.

Beauty comes from within. Eating the right foods can make all the difference when it comes to winning the fight against aging. This means eating a diet rich in variety: green leafy vegetables, nuts, plenty of fruit and complex carbohydrates. The vitamin C in fruit and veg is a great antioxidant for skin, while the fatty acids in nuts and avocados replenish collagen. Eating right boosts your immune system, resulting in glossy hair, strong nails, and less wrinkles. Taking vitamin supplements can be beneficial for those who struggle to get all the nutrients that the body requires through food alone.

Drinking water is tantamount to having healthy skin. Not only will it give you more energy, flush out toxins and reduce fatigue, it also replenishes skin cells, keeping them hydrated. The body is around 60% water, and serves a number of vital functions. These include lubricating joints, flushing waste, repairing cells, and regulating body temperature.

Exercise promotes blood flow, resulting in better circulation and glowing skin. Along with the amazing benefits like weight loss and overall improved health, working out helps you sleep better, improves moods, and helps keep you looking your best.

Getting 7 – 8 hours’ sleep a night helps your cells to repair. Lack of sleep not only makes us physically tired, but it also affects our skin, resulting in dark circles and puffiness, paleness and bloodshot eyes. Lack of sleep causes your skins PH levels to drop, creating redness, a lack of moisture, and even triggers acne breakouts.

Eliminate or cut down on bad habits such as smoking and drinking. Enjoying a few glasses of wine at the weekend is fine – but excessive regular drinking could lead to skin problems such as rosacea, bags, burst capillaries and acne. Smoking is arguably one of the worst habits, depriving the cells of oxygen and inducing premature aging. It narrows the blood vessels, reducing blood supply and depleting your skin’s elasticity, contributing to loss of collagen.

Cut out (processed) sugar. You’ve probably heard this before, but sugar is the cocaine of the food industry. Not only is it addictive and can lead to weight gain, it also causes your insulin levels to spike. Sugar causes inflammation, which produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin; two essentials your skin needs to avoid wrinkles. This inflammation also increases the effects of acne and rosacea. Try consuming natural sugars such as fruit, and if you do crave chocolate, reach for the dark stuff. Not only does it lower risk of heart disease, it also contains antioxidants.

Quitting dairy is beneficial for your body and skin. Approximately 75% of people are lactose intolerant (*8). The cow’s milk that we drink contains a lot of hormones, both artificial as well as naturally occurring from the pregnant cow it was milked from. These hormones can aggravate acne, as the skin’s glands produce more oil.

Unfortunately there is no remedy to turning back the clock, but with a healthy lifestyle and a positive outlook, anyone can look and feel younger, regardless of age.

No, I am not just a 'vegan'

Labels. They're for clothes, not humans.

I don't reject the label 'vegan', because I love what it stands for. But similarly I don't like being defined as simply that. It creates an image of who I am without any other knowledge of me.

Being a vegan is difficult. I don't just mean it's hard finding vegan food at a restaurant or whatever, in fact that's pretty easy now I'm used to it. What's difficult is hearing people in your life tell you that they think veganism is stupid, or have them question you, often in a derogatory way, asking what you eat, asking if you miss bacon etc. I'm often the subject of jokes, all meant lightheartedly I think, but nonetheless, not something I want.

Vegans are often put into a generic category: hippies who like to moan at meat eaters. This is not true. I cook my omnivore friends bacon. I even touch it with my vegan fingers. I ate meat before, but I wont eat it again. That doesn't mean I think everyone should become a vegan.

I am a vegan because I want to be. It's best for my personal health, because I have extensively researched it and ensured that I am eating the right nutrients etc. I choose to be vegan because I love animals and I don't want to eat them. Now tell me why I deserve to be interrogated for my personal choices when they don't affect anyone else?

I get it. There are the silly vegans who moan about everything and live in a bubble. That's not the majority. There's good and bad everybody, some are more upfront and passionate. Some are also too preachy which I don't agree with. I am just a normal person (well, the normal bit is debatable) who eats a lot of great food and tries to not hurt people or animals. I don't ever preach or moan to others about their eating habits. So why are they doing it to me?

Please, next time you take the piss out of vegans, or ask a vegan where they get their protein, remember that vegans are just people who eat a vegan diet. Not another breed of human. If you don't want a 'vegan' to discuss your eating habits or ask you why you eat meat, then please mind your own business and don't ask me if I miss steak. (I don't, ftr).

The philosophical vegan...

My heart was thumping. Each heartbeat echoed in my ears. My chest had gotten so tight, each breath I drew inward seemed to get trapped in my throat. I could see my heart almost beating out of my chest, and nothing could calm it. 

I didn't know at the time, but I was having a mild panic attack. 

I'm recovering from depression. A long, deep depression, which started many years ago. It flares up occasionally, but this time it stayed. I turned to pills, despite loathing the dependence. But now I'm getting better, with only laughter as my medicine.

I knew it would be a difficult journey, with troubles along the way. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, as they say.

But no matter how long you stay in the light, the darkness always comes. 

I had just finished work. The sun was fierce in the late sky.

My phone rang. 

My Mum was crying.

My Dad was very, very ill. 

But pain has many faces.

The tears soon came. Violently. Harshly.

My heart felt like it was about to implode inside me.

You can't pray for the pain to disappear, but you can pray for the strength to get through it.

I guess I always knew a day like this would come, and though I'd never be prepared, surely this was the worst timing? I'd just come off medication for depression - surely I can't handle this?

Everything happens for a reason. 

Everything is temporary; pain, life, time. Holding on to anything too tight only hurts more once it's gone.

Wasting time hating the universe for dealing me this hand in life will not make it any better. The only thing I can do is move forward, accept the past and focus on the now. It's the only way to stay happy. I need to be strong for my family and myself, and I believe I can do this by remaining as balanced as possible and focusing on positivity.

We control our own happiness.

Have a positive day! Namaste xoxo 

London life = the best life

The air tastes sweeter in my favourite places. Summer tastes like the dewdrops on grass in my garden, but London still somehow tastes free. Despite the grey, the pollution, the swirls of graffiti like tattoos across the buildings, London sets me free.

Pangs of excitement surge through me as I weave through Waterloo station, sipping my soy cappuccino through a satisfied smile. I have been here before. I have walked through London many times. Stations, landmarks, tourist areas, all the way through the multi-coloured flags of Soho, past the golds and reds in Chinatown, bumping into tourists as I meander along the river. 

The familiar Starbucks on every corner, like a beacon of energy reminding me to prolong sleep as long as possible - London is awake, and I should be too. 

A weather proof city that looks as beautiful in autumnal sunsets as it does during the vicious December wind. Even the naked trees with their clawed branches greet me. 

I read 'if you're tired of London, you're tired of life'. 

Maybe the answer to being tired isn't always sleep. Instead of closing your eyes, try opening them a bit more, let them really see what's in front of you. I think that's the reason why I love London so much. You can't not see it. 

This multicoloured, multicultural, beautifully hideous city feels like home, because it will accommodate you, whoever you are. Maybe that's why we all love it so much. 

The curse of technology... and the juice that fixes it!

Happy July everyone!

Things have been manic and stressful for me in the past few weeks.

Firstly my laptop was broken so I sent it off to get repaired, which made a significant dent in my already struggling bank account. But what choice do I have? I need the laptop to write; it's my tool.

Then my Dad became ill, got rushed to hospital etc. He's a little better now but it's still worrying.

I've been neglecting my health and not working out as much as I normally do, which has resulted in me feeling quite stuck!

So what now? Well, I decided that a nice cleanse/detox would be best for me. I'm not talking about only drinking lemonade for three days or anything silly. I mean eating only raw vegan for three days (no bread or processed foods), eliminating coffee and alcohol, and drinking lots of green tea! I think it will really help my body to heal from all the stress.

So, day 1. I've had a lemon and ginger tea, and a juice with kale, banana, coconut water, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, some omega seeds and a little bit of agave nectar. Delicious and bursting with nutrients.

I'm sitting down and sorting out the thousands of things that I need to do today, here's hoping I get it all finished!!

More exciting blog posts to come soon... watch this space...

xoxo