Top tips to stay healthy

Why I am currently obsessed with eating healthy

You may have noticed that my posts have been changing slightly. I used to only really talk about Fashion (hence the name of the blog!), but the longer I write, the more I want to talk about what is going on in my life and things that are important to me.

Food is one of them. I have always had a love-hate relationship with food. This means that I love it, but it hates me. I will admit I don’t have a healthy relationship with food. I struggled for years as a teenager with bulimia and spent most of my adult life, either on a diet or thinking about dieting or generally obsessing about food and my body. My parents are very weight conscious and obsessive about healthy eating, so this is definitely where it stemmed from. Plus, I was a chubby child, which is possibly the most horrendous thing to be at school. There is nothing that can scar you like cruel children calling you names. My ex-husband was also very weight obsessed, or should I say obsessed about my weight, always being critical. When I was about 25 I went to WeightWatchers and I actually did it. I lost about 3 stone and was a teeny size 6-8. I still wasn’t happy with my weight and would constantly fret about food and what I was eating. I struggled to sustain the weight and jumped up to a 12. Now I am re married and happy with my hubby and of course Scarlett I am at a healthy size 10.

I am not going to lie, I am still obsessive about food. I am, without doubt no where near how I used to be, and I really do feel you develop confidence as you get older, but now I think about food and the impact of food on my body.

A few weeks ago my mum recommended a book called “deliciously Ella”. I often buy into the healthy eating books, but never actually cook any of them, well I started with one of the recipes and now I am hooked. I have been a gluten free Vegan for the past month and I really am enjoying it! I cannot recommend http://deliciouslyella.com/ enough. The reason I really like and I guess stuck to it is because it is simple. Don't get me wrong, you need to invest in a few key ingredients that you perhaps would not normally have in your cupboard, but after that there is plenty to go at. I started off by only following recipes, but now I've started experimenting a little.

Garlic mushroom, Kale, avocado and olives

This is one of my little creations. I simply threw loads of ingredients together and whayhey I have this beaut of  dish. I baked the kale in the oven for about 15 mins, it makes them really crispy and gives a strong flavour, mushrooms fried with olive oil and a tea spoon of ground garlic (fresh is perhaps better, I was being lazy), olives and half an avocado, to add a creamy texture. It  is super filling, nutritious and I think yummy. I do think healthy eating is about changing your what you like. I would never have dreamt how delicious this type of food could be, but I think my taste buds have changed and I have stopped craving sweet things as much. The first week or two I did like need something sweet and don't get me wrong I still love something sweet, but I don't feel that need that I used to.
If I do fancy something a little "naughty" I can, but it's not naughty!!! These sweet potato brownies are just the ticket. They are stolen straight out of Ella's cook book, and I thank you Ella for introducing me to these bad boys. They super gooey and super sweet, and only made from natural ingredients and no refined sugar. They are very more-ish, but just beware, even though they are a very healthy alternative, they are high in calories, so don't eat the whole batch! You can find the full recipe here

 I have recently also splashed out on a Nutribullet which I am literally obsessed with. The things that you can do with this is AMAZING! Don't get me wrong, it's not cheap, a bit of an investment at £100, but I can imagine that I will be using this year after year and unlike most blenders it is so easy to clean. It is the perfect solution to a working mummy who wants to stay healthy. I practically use this for every meal, it takes seconds and it is so easy to clean. I would recommend this to anyone!

So, can I feel the benefit? Without doubt. I have managed to get rid of that almost sick, sluggish feeling that I used to get in the afternoons, I feel stronger, my skin and hair are so much better and my stomach feels amazing, I often suffer with bloating, but that seems to be completely gone.

I really hope that I can keep up this healthy living, it is great when you start feeling extra energy and a lifted mood. I can't promise that I will be able to eat like this forever, but I sincerely hope that I can keep the enthusiasm I have now and most importantly teach Scarlett about healthy eating whilst she is still so young.