FITNESS – Page 3

WOMEN’S FITNESS FEATURE !!!

Hugely excited and flattered to have been featured as the first blog in this month’s Women’s Fitness magazine, in their special feature on finding motivation online. It’s a journal that I regularly plunder for great tips and tricks on nutrition and workouts, and they always feature a pretty good fashion spread too, so to have been included in it is quite an honour indeed! Thanks guys x (Article below)

IN SEARCH OF INSPIRATION…

As a study in ‘fitness innovation’, I went to “the UK’s number one fitness, sport and nutrition exhibition”, Body Power Expo, at the Birmingham NEC. The place was vast, welcoming about 40,000 visitors a day; but when I was there it seemed they all came at once – it was absolutely rammed! Cue wall-to-wall stalls promoting old and new fitness products alike, supplements, training equipment, clothing and needless gadgets. Most of the people working there were half naked, oiled up and looked like they’d just come back from a 6month holiday in the Sahara. A few familiar faces were seen as well including WBFF Pro Fitness Model Shaun Stafford (pictured to my right, above), British Grand Prix Open Champion Shawn Rhoden, Mr Olympia James ‘Flex’ Lewis, and Ronnie Coleman. I went a bit shop-crazy and here are some of the inspiring goodies I brought back home, which are helping to flavour my fitness ethos at the moment!

Click HERE to see them in more detail:

1) “KoKo Dairy Free” Coconut Milk – it’s cholesterol-free, loaded with calcium, vitamins B and D, plus it boasts fat levels matching that of semi-skimmed milk, with a micro 27 calories per 100ml! But I intend to use it for cooking as most importantly, it doesn’t separate under heating – perfect! Other than that it’s freshly pressed from coconut milk (completely free of lactose, cow’s milk protein, soya & gluten). It tastes great and I might just add a few drops to my protein shakes – which normally only consist of water – for some (much needed) extra flavour!

2) “Purition” – an awesome new supplement company based in the UK who pride themselves on using exclusively natural ingredients – this is an ethos that really chimes with me, and complements the core message of ‘Fitness On Toast’. Some of their inputs are such healthy buzz-foods as chia seeds, flaxseed, almond meal, linseed etc. and their labelling is crystal clear. After sampling the range (a few times), I bought back a few 500g pouches of the ‘BODYPRO PROTEIN & FIBRE SUPER-SHAKE’ which is low-GI (manages sugar release through the day), gluten free (doesn’t bloat), is high in protein (42.3g per 100g), high in fibre (16.7g per 100g), high in BCAA’s (renders your protein more readily absorbed by the body during digestion), with no added sugar, no artificial flavouring or preservatives, GM-free, caffeine-free, and a naturally rich source of Omega 3. Finally, if I may say so myself, it’s very tasty – especially the pistachio flavour – yumm!

3) “PROMIXX Vortex Mixer“- No, not a piece of DJ kit, but a take-to-the-gym ‘protein shaker’ which has a battery-powered motor, and small plastic blades, so you don’t have to actually do the shaking! I’m not sure I necessarily need this or will in fact use it but at the time I thought its was great…

4) WALK energie – A Hungarian development on the trusty treadmill, I tried it out briefly and it’s definitely tough – the work involved in motorising the treadmill is all done by you! Rather than letting a motor get it moving for you, set it on a high incline (mimicking hiking), with regular squats thrown in just for some endurance-based fun!

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CHEAPER GYM CHIC

TRAINING TO SWIM

SNOW RUNNING

IN GRAZIA!

NAILED IT !!!

It was a gorgeous sunny Saturday in London and I had the pleasure of getting my very own unique nail art painted by the immensely talented Jenny Pasha of 10 Blank Canvases – winner of this year’s Cosmopolitan blog award for ‘best beauty blogger’, and who is currently working with Elegant Touch and Little Mix. I love her art, and ended up basing this entire training ‘look’ on her monochrome nails – a thin black windstop top, monochrome training leggings and black shoes – a look which is always super easy-to-pull-off, flattering, casual and fairly chic in my view! I just added a splash of neon pink for fun!

After a blustery HIIT session (high intensity interval training, as you might remember from my post’hiit me again’, here) on sunny Primrose Hill yesterday, this super lightweight Castelli Leggera jacket proved to be ideal – totally windproof, impossibly lightweight and still comfortably breathable – practically as if I wasn’t wearing anything at all, so to speak! The leggings are from Bershka – quite fun and comfy for running :). Post-run, we went for some yummy lunch at Lemonia for a little protein – grilled swordfish, seared tuna, boiled veggies and steamed spinach!

See more pics from the shoot HERE.

Wearing:
Nail Art: Jenny Pasha ( www.10blankcanvases.com )
Trousers: Bershka two-toned leggings,
Top: Sweaty Betty ‘Athlete Workout Vest’
Jacket: Castelli Leggera jacket
Trainers: Nike Free Run+

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ALCOHOL VS FITNESS

I SWIM SPORT RELIEF

GREEN TEA BENEFITS

WHY TO STRETCH

WHO YOU CALLING SWEATY, BETTY ?!?

Whilst we’re on the topic of fitness fashion, I am a big fan of the British acitve-wear brand, Sweaty Betty, and often find myself scooping-up entire training outfits there when I was just planning on an innocent browse. I’ve always been particularly taken by their ‘yoga’ range, because the clothes are so incredibly relaxed, the fit is flattering and the materials are usually super comfy – great for either lounging around or being active. Also, their ‘workout wear’ (which I’m wearing in these photos, shot for a Facebook banner) is very functional too, with summery, fun bright colours & prints that aren’t too garish to actually wear! Its a feminine-looking range of clothes, with technical materials that I think justifies their slightly premium price-point.

I know new outfits can encourage me to go to the gym if I’m lacking motivation to train; it’s not a catwalk but you are allowed to look and feel good at the gym, plus dedicated training gear can often be designed to enhance your performance (e.g. oxygenating / breathable / moisture-wicking fabrics etc.) – though that’s also just a good excuse to go shopping

See more about the Capri Pants, Top and Vest, (with extra pics) HERE…

PANTS: I’m wearing the ‘Adrenaline Ombre Run Capri‘ 3/4 pant. The underwater-inspired print is made of Polyester Polybutylene and is super-tight, stretchy, lightweight and pretty comfy. The only downside with this material is that it’s not completely opaque when stretched, which can get a bit risqué to say the least! so I recommend getting a larger size so the material doesn’t stretch too much becoming too ‘invisible’. Detailing includes reflectives at the knee for visibility, an elastic waistband and a functional back zip pocket.

TOP: The ‘Finish Line L/S Run Top‘ is long-sleeved with their trademark thumb-eyelets, figure-hugging, but comfortably breathable, with gorgeous scrunchy, girly details.

VEST: This is a pretty classic ‘Athletic workout Vest’ (in what they call ‘electric lime’), and the material is something called Meryl which has a soft feel to it. It’s lightweight, stretchy and I especially like the length of the top – it’s a bit longer so you can pull it down if you want to cover up a bit.

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IN LULULEMON

IN ZAGGORA

SWEATY BETTY SS14

IN VITAMIN A

IT’S IN THE BAG !!!

I was reading a certain fashion magazine the other day and came across a pretty mundane article entitled ‘what’s in your bag?’ – but reading it, some of the bizarre ‘essentials’ made me giggle including ‘air freshener’, ‘an iron’ a ‘mini screwdriver set’! It got me thinking however, so I decided to blog about ‘what’s in MY bag’. And these are genuinely things that I carry with me on a daily basis to help me live a healthier lifestyle – all fitness related, of course ?

Click MORE to read about the benefits of each item…

1) Water – c. 70% of the body is made up of water. I aim to drink at least 2l a day. 3 on a sunny day like this!

2) Apple – whenever I feel like something sweet I have my apple close at hand to help me stay clear of all chocolate. Apples are low in calories, a rich source of antioxidant compounds which repairs cells and tissue, plenty of vitamin C, heaps of dietary fibre, and only c. 80 calories per apple (!)

3) Nuts & seeds – A handful of these a day are a packed with dietary fibre + omega-3 fatty acids, plus lower cholesterol & stabilises blood sugar to give you sustained energy.

4) Multivitamin – It’s hard to get everything you need in a day and this little pill helps me along the way.

5) Fish oil – Essential fatty acids great for healthy looking skin, nails and hair. Essential fatty acids are also immune boosting, help regulate blood pressure and much more.

6) My Fitness Pal – I am a big fan of this and slightly obsessive too. I try to get all the essential vitamins and minerals naturally in a day. Any app which keeps you on track is good and fun as you can connect with friends and compete/motivate them using this ?

7) Work out log book – Don’t make the mistake in thinking ‘you’ll remember’ because one day you’ll show up in the gym and think to yourself…’what am I training today?’ / ‘how much weight did I use last time’? And the chances are your training will suffer because of it, when the intensity plateaus as you end up doing the same weight over and over, never pushing ahead, unsure what you did last time!

8) Heart rate monitor – How hard can you push and for how long? I love to check my heart rate and see how my anaerobic threshold and recovery improves over time. Any gadget that can educate and inform you of your progress is a great thing!

9) Music – I NEED music when I train! Having a great upbeat tune when I feel like I cannot do anymore can push me that extra rep!

10) Chewing gum – Another trick to keep me from giving in to my sweet tooth!

11) Alcohol Cleansing Hand-Gel – Gyms are not the cleanest of places and a lot of bacteria is spread through sweat so make sure to use this!

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BENEFITS OF SKIPPING

WHY TO STRETCH

FITNESS WISHLIST

COD + ASPARAGUS DISH

5 POINT PALM EXPLODING ABS TECHNIQUE !!!

Published for me by my friends over on TheDailyHiit about 2 hours ago is one of my most popular posts to date. It’s my latest Ab-crushing workout. No equipment required, just a body, some clothes, a nice park and some healthy determination!

See the full workout here, then go let your abs out to play ?

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LEG WORKOUT

SALMON LENTIL QUINOA

OFFICE SNACK TIPS

A TOUGH READ

WOMENS FITNESS ONLINE FEATURE …

Really flattered to have been featured in bright lights on the Women’s Fitness homepage. They are very complementary of the message that Fitness On Toast is all about; eating yourself fit, training yourself healthy, and dressing the part

Check it out at the following link:

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/fitness-tips/852/fitness-blogs-top-10-motivationgurus

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BACK WORKOUT

BLUEBERRY SHAKE

GIRLS, DO WEIGHTS!

EGG WHITE OMELETTE

TRAVELLING LIGHTER !!!

In a bid to make Fitness On Toast more practical / useful this holiday season, this is the first post in a line of travel-related fitness ideas which I’ll be posting over the coming months. The first part of the holiday can be the most difficult, as you relax and sink into ‘holiday indulgence mode’. Before even reaching your fabulous holiday destination, it’s not unusual to have eaten your body weight in tempting travel chocolates whilst waiting out a delay! Being stuck in an airport waiting – bored, hungry, tired and emotional – is no fun, and the odds seem impossibly stacked against you to stay healthy. It’s often the case of grabbing a quick bagel, bag of crisps and a soda. Junk foods, like air, can be found anywhere, anytime. But unlike air, they should be occasional treats and not meals of laziness. In the pic below (all of them shot in Paris, en route to the South of France on the TGV), I’m tucking into a healthy and exotic fruit salad – a travelling gift from FOT‘s friends at the fabulous Buddha Bar Hotel, teamed with a Starbucks tall Green Tea for a hydrating metabolism boost! If you can’t muster up the enthusiasm to make your own healthy travelling meal here are 8 tips & tricks to stay away from all the refined simple carbohydrates and filthy factory foods when you’re jetting off… Bon voyage

1. STOCK UP: Make sure to have a nutritious, sustaining breakfast/lunch/dinner before you even leave the house.
2. DRINK UP: Stay hydrated. Recirculated air-conditioned airplane air is draining, and when you’re already dehydrated you’ll feel even hungrier as your body recognises that it needs *something*!
3. PLAN AHEAD: Bring your own snacks – you control the content – think nuts, seeds, fruit, water – at least until you get to your detstination and can enjoy a proper meal!
4. CHEW SOMETHING: Chewing Gum is a sweet stimulation, to simulate sugar intake, and trick the brain into thinking its meal time. Not great on a totally empty stomach though, as it raises acid levels.
5. GO GREEN: Salads with some protein are a totally fair option if available, but be sure to check fat/salt content of things like the dressing – often a hidden calorie bomb!
6. SIZE MANAGEMENT: Watch your portions – nibbling little and often is better for the body’s natural metabolic pace.
7. MEET THE CHALLENGE: Being a bit hungry isn’t the end of the world and won’t kill you. Many swear that it raises mental alertness as you head into ‘forraging’ mode!
8. SLEEP IT OFF: Low in blood sugar? Feeling tired? Zzzz… far better than scoffing a packet of crisps and chocolate bar for the sake of it!

Click HERE for more to see the rest of the pics from sunny Paris

Wearing: H&M Jean Shorts, Zara white blazer, French Connection Heeled Trainers, Louis Vuitton Neverfull Azure bag, Louis Vuitton silk shawl, Dolce & Gabbana aviator sunglasses.

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HOTEL WORKOUT!

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SKINNY BITCH CLASS

FRUIT SALAD mk1

UNREAL MONREAL !!!

Living in Britain, Wimbledon is of course a bit of an annual ‘religious event’ for me. But successive summers have been spent puzzled, watching Roger Federer strut onto centre court in what I call ‘haute sportswear’ – hyper-tailored lines, luxurious fabrics, exquisite detailing – whilst his female counterparts have sported nothing genuinely worthy to challenge for the Style Grand-slam. Filter that down from superstardom to the drab reality of the high streets, and there is no hint of an elegant sport trend to be found on Oxford Street!

But dressing sporty, and dressing chic are no longer mutually exclusive; I realise now that you can dress for exercise *glamorously*, in the same way you might feel dressing for a night out. The revolution has started with tennis, which has been injected with a vital shot of sport-chic by Monreal London, a high-end apparel brand that you might remember I stumbled across at the Queens Club boutique during the Aegon Championships earlier this year (you can see that post here).

I did some further digging and checked out their collection. Above all else, Monreal seems to worship the beauty of the female form, with materials and shapes that flatter and gently exaggerate our ‘good curves’. And they don’t just fake a token gesture towards fashion – they’ve clearly dedicated every feature to the cause. Before realising they’re a relatively young brand (not a bad thing; read ‘nimble, adaptive, on-trend’), you presume luxury from the outset. The look and feel is expensive, tailored, feminine and conservative whilst still being a bit adventurous and expressive. As you can see from these pictures we shot around Monaco, tennis whites are the base, but I really love the sparing and geometric use of colours and textures to break up the monotone whites (more of Monreal’s dresses to follow in future posts…)

In a world where I want to be able to feel a bit elegant when my sweaty body doesn’t look it, I think Monreal sends the message that ‘it IS possible!’ And given that it’s so aspirational and glamorous, I think it might help motivate people to work that little bit harder, so they fit that little bit better into their stylish sportswear, rather than just lazily shopping the next size shorts from Asda for £5. It all helps to buy into the lifestyle choice that this blog is ALL about. Click More below to see all the pics from the shoot…

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IN MONREAL @ BYBLOS

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VEVIE LA REVOLUTION !!!

As I mentioned in this post a couple of weeks ago, sport and fashion continue to converge. I discovered the next leg of that trend in this Notting Hill-based sportswear brand called Vevie. The two key things that seem to be changing are 1) the use of luxurious fabrics and 2) the attention to super-cute detailing.

Where previously I had to rely on a megabrand like Nike or Adidas for a pair of utilitarian (i.e. plain & boring) rough nylon tracksuit trousers, I can now spoil myself with breathable, moisture wicking fabrics which look and feel like satin. As in these pictures – which I shot in the harbour at the breathtaking ‘Beaulieu sur mer‘ (just by Cap Ferrat, on the Cote D’Azur) – the form of these clothes is perfectly fitted and feels as light as a feather to wear. The light plays wonderfully off the silky material. Also the subtle rouching on the chest, wrists and legs, combined with the elegant silver zip detailing, means I could actually wear it all day long, both for training and NOT for training! It’s a look that’s smart enough to feel good about everywhere, and is cute enough to fit in almost anywhere.

I think there’s plenty more to come from this brand; they make swimwear and more traditional training wear too, with some very unique and quirky design motifs. I’m looking forward to posting some more of Vevie’s finest soon, but in the meantime, you can see all the pics from this shoot by clicking MORE below…

Faya x

I was wearing: Jacket: Brunswick Satin Ruche Jacket in black by Vevie, Top: Brunswick Satin Ruche Tie-side Top in black by Vevie, Leggings: Brunswick Satin Ruche Tight in black by Vevie, Headband: Missoni crochet-knit pink headband.

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MONREAL @ BYBLOS

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