I’ve left this ‘Christmas gift list’ post very late in the day, but not by accident; December will have been a seasonally indulgent month for many of us, and the last thing you want think about whilst you’re toasting with a flute of delicious bubbly is a ‘healthy reboot’. However, now is the time to snap up those last-minute healthy gifts, ready to help loved ones re-focus on the New Year reforms – and there are still 3 very productive shopping days left to do it! Click MORE to check out the 14 essential goodies on my FitnessOnToast wish list from my wander around London’s iconic Harrods 🙂
Posts tagged 'tea'
THE GREAT TEA REVOLUTION !!!
If you’ve wandered along your supermarket’s ‘Tea aisle’ over the past 3 years, you’ll have noticed a massive multiplication in the breadth and depth of choice in ‘herbal’ options. I love the concept of spicing up hydration, but where there was once just ‘mint’, there are now 20 varieties of mint and dozens of brands. If you search ‘Tea’ on Tesco.com, it retrieves 879 products (!!!). As a consumer that’s pretty overwhelming, and the flavour innovations can be incomprehensible;’Maharaja Chai Oolong, Rooibos and Acai‘ could taste of absolutely anything – perhaps chicken, for all I know!?! One brand that cuts through the lingo and has always offered me straightforward names, with ingredients of which I can taste the freshness & quality, is Pukka. This herbal tea brand was started a full 12 years ago, long before the ‘tea revolution’ began, so I tracked down one of the co-founders, Sebastian Pole, and blasted a few questions his way about what they do, and why they do it… read MORE to find out what he said 😀 x
THE IMPORTANCE OF CHEATING !!!
“Dear Clean Diet; I’ve cheated on you, and I’m not in any way apologetic”. On Sunday, I was invited to a delicious ‘fashion-themed’ tea at London’s Berkeley Hotel, and I happily accepted, fully aware that it would contain very empty calories… But I have a theory that eating clean all of the time, forever, is actually quite boring, antisocial, and unrealistic – in short, cutting out fun is no way to live life! (more…)
WHEN SANTA HITS THE GYM! (MY XMAS ‘FITNESS GIFT’ WISHLIST)
Dear Santa, I’ve been really healthy (almost) all year and I intend to be next year as well; after a festive wander through Harrods, here are my 18 top fitness gift ideas that’ll certainly help keep me on track through 2014; including some clothes, trainers, workout equipment, healthy food & drink and other gym knick-knacks. The sort of thing any fitness freak like me would love to open in just a fortnight’s time! 😉 Faya x (more…)
GOING GREEN !!!
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Since I gave up coffee last year, Green Tea has become my caffeinated new-best-friend! I probably drink 2 cups a day, on average – it warms me up, has plenty of flavour (especially with a sprinkle of cinnamon) and most importantly gives me that extra boost to keep me going throughout the day! I wouldn’t recommend drinking much more than that though, as too much caffeine can increase blood pressure, cause you to shake, induce headaches as well as stain the teeth – so perhaps don’t start your day with a triple shot of green tea!
This ancient wonder-brew has its origins in China and has been consumed (and used medicinally) for thousands of years. It’s said to have several health benefits including potentially lowering the risk of developing heart disease and certain types of cancer as well as lowering cholesterol. However, for me, the main plus is that green tea contains not only caffeine to wake me up (!), but also plant extracts called polyphenols which have been shown to stimulate thermogenesis and fat oxidation, & therefore increase metabolic rate. That’s short-hand for ‘burn more calories, quicker’.
This green tea that I had earlier today weighs in at a featherweight 1 calorie/200ml, with no saturated fat, no sodium, no cholesterol etc. and only 0.2g of total carbs! So it’s a pretty safe pick me up, whilst simulating the sensation of being full, and ultimately hydrating! So instead of starting your day with a vanilla latte (c. 250 calories, 12g sugar and too much fat) make it a far healthier caffeine choice!
Drink up 🙂 Faya x
(P.s. If you’re wondering why black tea isn’t as healthy as green tea, it’s down to the production process. Making black tea involves fermentation, however green tea skips this part and therefore retains maximum polyphenols and antioxidants!)