Fitness on Toast

ACTIVE ESCAPE: POST RANCH INN

18/12/2016

Soaring 1200 feet above a gentle stretch of the sweeping North Pacific ocean lies the ultimate meeting of man and mountain. A steel skeleton is fused with the granite cliffs, clad with wood for organs and glass for skin; the Post Ranch Inn is this eponymous structure, and coincidentally the scene of an epic wellness escape on a recent trip to America. Many believe that it claims the most tranquil, unspoiled and awe-inspiring landscapes in the country, and whilst I’ve got quite a bit of the country still to explore, I can’t disagree yet. The Sunsets trump Santorini; the vista rivals the Amalfi coast, and the service is as attentive and well judged as any world class American institution can be. The whole place has an ecologically sustainable skew, and I had the most magical visit. This post is a little insight into a precious Californian treasure which, quite rightly, has earned the accolade of ‘best hotel in America’ from more sources than I can recall… (more…)

THE RAW POWER OF 3 !!!

06/12/2016

What is my book ’FIT IN 3’ all about, and why did I call it that anyway? It’s a fundamental realization I had over 10 years of working in the fitness industry, every day. This post will give you a little teaser of the power of 3; despite what the fitness industry would have you believe, there’s no magic formula, there need be no expensive products to buy into, no supplements, no starvation diets, and no demonisation. It is the ultimate in simplicity, inclusiveness, balance, mix and fun. It’s not a ‘system’, but it is knowledge, an entire approach, and the only book you’ll need to lead a realistic, sustainable healthy life. You can pre-order your copy right HERE and I’ve added some sneak-peak pages inside the book too, to give you a flavor of some of the delicious, Scandi-inspired healthy recipes!

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WIN YOUR OWN WESTIN WELLNESS WEEKEND !!!

02/12/2016

As part of my Wellbeing Ambassadorial duties for Westin Hotels & Resorts, I recently had the awesome opportunity to attend the opening of The Westin Hotel Hamburg, Germany. It’s a brand-new, architectural art-piece at the heart of the city’s cultural center, built literally on top of the Elbphilharmonie (the city’s world-class Concert Halls, opening Jan 11th 2017), it offers epic views over the city and has a 1.3 square kilometer wellness spa! The best news of all? COMPETITION TIME! Westin has teamed up with me to offer 1 lucky reader (+ partner) their very own Wellness Weekend Escape here! Click MORE to see how to enter…

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WATCH THIS!

27/11/2016

18 months has raced by since the very first Apple Watch appeared on hipster wrists the world over, and now Series 2 has hit the company’s long, wooden sales tables. I really loved that first version, and posted a super in-depth review of it HERE on a trip to the Maldives – which as an aside, remains the most breathtaking place I’ve ever been on this planet! Since that review was one of the most read articles I’ve ever published on this blog, today’s post is a timely addendum, bringing up-to-date my views on the latest iteration of this much-hyped techy timepiece. At the outset, I must declare that I have received no compensation from Apple for either this or the previous review; these are my authentic and impartial personal views, so please take them as such. The essence is that they’ve crammed a whole lot more essential kit into this version, and as a result, I’ve noticed the conversation shifting away from ‘ooh you have one of those?‘ to ‘ah, how are you using & customising yours?’ I think we’re on the cusp of getting to serious grips with the data on offer, so read MORE to get the full set of observations on my Apple Watch Series 2.0. (Pictures shot on Santa Monica beach)

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FESTIVE SCANDI SKYR DESSERT

19/11/2016

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Winter descended long ago, and memories of cooling summer desserts shimmer in the distant heat haze. Poetic interlude aside, my way of dealing with that is to meet it head-on and embrace the frost! So ahead of Christmas, here’s my seasonally-on-point, festive Scandinavian-inspired Skyr dessert recipe! It uses generous dollops of a thick, luxuriant Icelandic all-natural dairy product called Skyr, a delish fat-free version of which Lidl have just launched! They asked me to come up with a healthy dessert recipe to put it through its paces, and this one just created itself; it’s so quick and easy to make, but offers up a whole lot of satisfying flavor, whilst making use of just 4 key ingredients! The Scandi and festive touches are lent to this dish by way of the cinnamon, pecans, and cranberries which also add a delicious textural crunch-and-chew! Click MORE to get the full delicious recipe…

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BEHIND THE SCENES – HOW TO WRITE YOUR BOOK !!!

14/11/2016

Cards on the table; I wasn’t born an author, and despite these bloggish scribblings, the thought of writing a book hadn’t even occurred on a post-hypnotic, unconscious, or inebriated level! The journey to writing my book Fit In 3: The Scandi Plan [it’s out on dec 29th, it would mean the world if you pre-order a copy!] was a grueling marathon of soaring highs and gloomy lows, and certainly one of the most intense challenges of my life. I can confidently say that I’ve thrown everything at it, and left nothing on the table – the book is 100% of me! But if, like me, you’ve never seen this mysterious process from behind-the-scenes before, you might also have casually assumed that these tomes magically appear, fully-formed, on shop shelves one day, conjured by the book-fairy, never paying thought to the dozens of people’s time, attention, grind, detail, and professionalism that goes into it. But much like writing a blog [which to the reader, can look like one macaroon-punctuated holiday after the next, but requires relentless toil], a book is a gigantic effort employing dozens of world-class talents, all working to fold their very best work into this little, printed package on a shelf! This blog post lifts the lid on the whole hidden process, shows you exactly what I went through, and might give you some thoughts on how to go about your own book! If you’re curious, read on! If you doubt it, read on! If you hate it, perhaps read on anyway! And if you think it’s easy, think again ! Faya x (more…)

ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY

05/11/2016

Back in 2004, the world was different; there was no social media or Kim Kardashian, no cold press juices or barre classes, and hardly anyone read blogs because almost nobody wrote them! Another astonishing absence was ‘activewear’; but in that year, for the first time a high fashion designer, Stella McCartney, announced her pioneering partnership with adidas. The belief was that ‘fitness’ and ‘fashion’ were more closely related than the world realised, and the combination would uniquely incorporate adidas’ technological, functional know-how with Stella’s beautiful and feminine silhouettes. 12 years on, we take for granted that women want stylish and functional sportswear – a trend coloured heavily by these early innovators! Yet adidas by Stella McCartney has always maintained a unique edgy aesthetic, whilst being high quality, and wonderfully distinctive. To me, it’s the perfect of example of a genuine partnership creating something that’s way more than just the sum of its parts. In LA this week, I was one of the lucky few who had the opportunity to interview the designer after her spectacular SS17 show which took place in West Hollywood. Click MORE to read about Stella’s view on ‘health’, ‘wellness’, the show, and how she goes about the design process! (more…)

“SHOULD I CUT FOODS?”

24/10/2016

The world of health and fitness is awash with myths to debunk, and one of the most frequent email questions I receive is about cutting foods; the sender has usually read somewhere that fat / carbs / protein are bad, and have therefore decided to leave them behind. This post is my first attempt at debunking some of those myths! I would never recommend cutting out any of the 3 macros, but to add weight to my view, I’m enlisting the help of a renowned specialist and friend, Leo Pemberton a BDA-registered practising Dietitian based in London’s Harley Street. He has worked within 3 large NHS trusts, several corporate healthcare providers, and has powered out 3 marathons (!). He operates at the top of his field, and is the right person to help lend some clarity to a dangerously confused topic, about which there’s a vast swathe of misinformation on the internet. Let’s set the record straight! (more…)

DOUBLE BERRY + CHOCOLATE CREPES!

15/10/2016

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Last weekend I experienced tidal waves of cravings for some delicious crepes! A totally inexplicable impulse, but I had to do something about it! My solution [this recipe] takes practically no time at all (10 minutes), uses just 5 ingredients (all of which I already had in my cupboard) and requires no culinary finesse whatsoever! It’s a super quick, easy and affordable recipe which only relies on some staple ingredients, and yet which delivers an ultra satisfying punch of crepe textures and flavors! So today or tomorrow, why not treat yourself to something delicious too?! Click more to get the full recipe…

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COMPETITION: WIN A HELLY HANSEN BUNDLE!

07/10/2016

It’s been almost a year since I embarked upon my grand sailing adventure with Helly Hansen. In Scandinavia, they’re a home-grown super-cool brand, which generates the same patriotic affection as Burberry might here in the UK, so it’s been a bit of a dream partnership for me! Our journey led us from the tropical waters of Barbados to the blustery shores of Cowes where we smashed it to earn a massively unexpected medal position. To celebrate, we’ve put together a Winter Starter Pack of super technical clothing kit & accessories, which one super lucky reader will win! Click MORE to see what’s in the bundle (which is worth over £650!!), and how to enter!

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