Food Diary

As some of you might know I have been keeping a visual food diary on Instagram for the past couple of months. I felt like my diet was getting a bit out of hand what with holidays, lots of eating out & parties. After being inspired by lots of health & fitness accounts it seemed like a good way to keep track of exactly what I'm putting inside me & stay motivated.

I don't follow a diet I simply follow the 80:20 way of eating (80% clean wholesome food, 20% more indulgent 'treats') it works perfectly for me, my weight doesn't really fluctuate & it allows me to eat healthily without depriving myself of anything I really feel like having.

I try to eat as organically & 'clean' as possible, foods that are in their natural state & haven't been processed & pumped full of preservatives/ chemicals. 

I eat carbs (pasta, bread, potatoes etc.), dairy & meat which I know some people might not agree with in terms of an optimal healthy diet but it works for me. I have a very active lifestyle & love exercise so need the energy carbs provide, for me a low carb diet doesn't work & I just end up feeling starving & exhausted. On rest days I do opt for a balance higher in protein & veg than carbs. 

I also bake treats like cake & cookies from scratch so I have complete control of how naughty to make them, often adding in protein powder & substituting ingredients to make them a better everyday choice. 

So here is last weeks food diary round-up.

day 1. full fat cappuccino. 'naked avocado' sandwich from Pret.

 espresso with coconut oil & homemade banana bread. 

spelt angel hair spaghetti with brown shrimp, squid, homemade chilli pesto & lots of fresh corriander.

day 2. freshly squeezed lemon, apple & mint juice & espresso machiatto. 

salmon fillet with spinach sauteed in coconut oil, roasted aubergine & fresh tomatoes.

 frozen yoghurt with kiwi, raspberries & blueberries. 

fresh organic sushi (avocado nigri, softshell crab & avocado maki, salmon & avocado handroll & some spicy squid)

day 3. sliced apple with organic peanutbutter. salmon, mozzarella, tomato & watercress sandwich. 

full fat cappuccino. grilled chicken breast, new potatoes with olive oil & mint & tomato & avocado salad with basil.

 

day 4. warm water & lemon & wholefoods breakfast pot 

(full fat yoghurt, Lizi's good carb granola & apple & pear). big glass of Pimms. 

burrata, salad & Italian meat sharing platter. no added sugar banana & chocolate gelato.

day 5. avocado seasoned with chilli & lime & poached egg (didn't eat the toast). 

Coyo coconut milk ice cream with blueberries.

homemade protein banana bread. chicken breast with wholemeal pitta, guacamole, cucumber & vine tomatoes.

day 6. avocado, poached egg & bacon on wholemeal toast. grande iced white americano. 

chilli prawn linguine with coriander. a few chunks of dark chocolate with coconut.

day 7. organic full fat latte, protein cookie & cherries (all from Farmer's Market). 

roasted veg & spinach wholemeal sandwich.

Lebanese chicken wrap with salad. homemade protein banana bread.

NB. I don't take pictures of the water I drink (roughly 2 litres/ day).

At the end of August I'll be putting up progress photos of the impact keeping a food diary & being more aware of what I'm eating has had on me.

Harriet x

Festival Fashion

As we slip into August the festival season is well & truly underway, however many stores are beginning to filter out summery styles in favour of the new A/W lines. With a couple of festivals still lined up for the two of us this summer before we even start thinking about cold crisp mornings & chunky knit jumpers we have a few more summer purchases on the horizon! These are our ultimate festival  style picks that can currently be found in the shops.  

Look 1. Rain or Shine

Hat, Playsuit, Sunglasses, Wellies, Ring, Backpack

This denim playsuit with embellished shoulders is a great throw on item that makes for an effortless look & wont take up much room in your backpack. The utilitarian aspect looks great with a pair of classic wellies that will keep you safe from the rain & mud that most UK festivals are synonymous with. We paired it with a cool zebra print backpack to keep all your essentials in & a black porkpie hat that will be a lifesaver to disguise day 3 festival hair. Add a pair of sunglasses & pretty ring & you're good to go.

Look 2. Very Denim

Sunglasses, Denim Shirt, Ankle Boots, Shorts, Fringed Bag

We love this embellished denim shirt for slightly cooler festival days (currently a huge bargain in the sale). Paired with a pair of high waisted Levi cut offs & it makes a perfect double denim summer statement. Some tan ankle boots will break the darker colours up & be comfy enough to traipse around fields all day. The polarised aviators are everywhere this summer - they compliment the blues in the outfit perfectly. Finally this great fringed x body bag finishes off the laid back boho western look.

Look 3. Coralista

Scarf, Maxi Dress, Hat, Bracelet, Shoes, Bag

Probably the look that would be most suitable for a one day festival. This orange maxi dress & white fringe sandals look great together for a luxe hippy vibe. We offset the bold dress with a cool mint coloured x body which go really well together. A chic straw hat, delicate wrist bling & a boho scarf complete the look. Just be careful not to wear in the rain! 

Many of these items are found in the festival capsule collection put together by Very, a great place to pick up some festival chic items, with the added bonus that much of it is currently on sale. Link!

Very is the official partner of V festival so anyone going there on the 17 & 18th August will be able to shop the capsule collection at the festival itself.
We are entering this post into a competition to win some V festival tickets so wish us luck!

Harriet & Isobel x

Shower Essentials

Origins Modern Friction
My favourite exfoliator, guaranteed to remove any dead skin cells & leave me fresh faced without feeling like I've been rubbing sandpaper over my skin.
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle
An amazing hair mask that you can use as often as your normal conditioner without any build-up. This one is the frizz remedy formula & leaves my tresses suitably moisturised & repaired without being fluffy. Summer must have.
REN Neroli & Grapefruit Bodywash
My 2nd bottle of this fresh citrusy bodywash, it feels really light & summery on my skin & the bottle lasts ages. Being REN it obviously has no parabens or nasties which is an added bonus.
LUSH Fairtrade Honey Shampoo
Leaves my hair smelling like turkish delight, nice & cleansing- full review here!
L'Occitane Delicious Almond Soap
My favourite L'Occitane range, I can't get enough of the sweet almond smell. Technically a hand soap this is great for giving my whole body an exfoliating wash with all the moisturising properties of the cult almond oil!

Isobel x

June

I began the month that officially marks the start of summer  in Sardinia with friends.
I couldn't ask for a better start to summer!

Sardinia has the clearest blue sea water. So beautiful.

 I took a trip up to Camden with my friend Chris...

And this happened.

I fell in love with beach hair, my hair hasn't seen a hairdryer in weeks.

A lovely man met me with flowers after work.

I am obsessed with this drink! If you haven't tried it yet (& like coffee & coconuts)- get yourself down to Wholefoods!

I can't stop buying summer clothes. This was a little H&M haul that was decidedly festival themed, with Glastonbury kicking off this week it must be on my brain.

I decided to take my diet & lifestyle back to how I prefer it, active, working out & eating clean wholesome foods.

I've been on holiday mode ever since Sardinia, drinking more than I'm used to and pretty much eating whatever I want.

With this in mind this week I started a new Instagram account- @heathyliftrun which will be my visual food diary to help motivate me & keep me on track.

I actually love eating healthily, cooking my own food & of course how my body feels when I put good stuff in it.

One of my favourite meals so far.

For the past week I've been dreaming of my up-coming road trip to Devon with my friend Simona, where we will be embracing our hippy sides with a week of camping & surfing.

I literally can't wait to be in the waves. 

Get a tan & buy lots of beachy jewellery.

I hope you've had a wonderful month!

Harriet x

Easy Pasta the Healthy Way

Not so much a recipe, more of an idea on how to put a few simple fresh ingredients together for a quick healthy meal.

At the core of this meal are the ingredients for a 'Caprese' salad, one of the simplest Italian dishes & also one of my favourites. You can't beat some perfectly ripe tomatoes, creamy buffalo mozzarella & a handful of fresh fragrant basil.

Simply chop the tomatoes, mozzarella & basil up. Put some oil (I use coconut oil) in a pan and lightly fry a couple of crushed cloves of garlic for a few minutes. Meanwhile get some water boiling for the pasta, I chose to use wholewheat linguine but I also love this with spelt pasta & angel hair spaghetti. When the garlic is golden add the chopped tomatoes and cook on a very low heat until the pasta is ready.
To add some protein to this dish I included a couple of eggs which is just about the easiest thing to do. When the pasta has about 5 minutes cooking time remaining just pop your eggs into the simmering water. You'll be left with cooked pasta & perfectly boiled eggs still soft in the middle (just add them a bit later if you prefer a runny yolk).

Season your sauce with the chopped basil & any other herbs/ seasoning you like. I went for some chopped red chilli, cracked black pepper & a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the pasta to the pan your sauce was cooking in, add the chopped mozzarella & mix all the tomatoey cheesy goodness together. Peel and slice the boiled eggs & place on top of the pasta with some more fresh tomato & basil.
This will feed 2 people easily, 15mins total prep & cooking time & hardly any washing up. The perfect lazy meal to whip up without compromising nutrition!

Slow release carbs, veg, protein & good fats. A balanced colourful meal. If you give it a go or variation that suits you let me know on twitter/ instagram I'd love to see your pictures!

Harriet x

Sunday OOTD

Jumper: Gap

T-Shirt: Topshop

Scarf: Zara

Trousers: Miss Selfridge

Shoes: Nike via Size

Ring: Spitalfields Market

Nails: Ciate Caviar nails "Pearl" beads & "Cookies & Cream" Polish

This is my go-to comfy yet stylish outfit at the moment. The weather in old Blighty has been a bit miserable this week so baggy jumpers and lightweight scarves have been a must. I absolutely live in these leather look jeans from Miss Selfridge at the moment. They are really wearable and a bit more fancy than normal denim. Also feeling uber cool in my new(ish) all black Nike Air Max 90s. I like to think they add a bit of Hip-Hop into my otherwise quite plain outfit. The photo didn't come out too well but I tried out the Caviar nails by Ciate for the first time. I just did one nail on each hand with the beads quite understated and they're growing on me but be warned they do scare off children!  

Have a lovely evening!

Isobel x

Post-Holiday Skin & Haircare

A couple of weeks ago I spent 5 gloriously sunny days on a beach in Sardinia with friends. It was absolutely amazing, Sardinia is one of my favourite places in Europe & the little seaside town we keep going back to really has something a bit special about it.

Although I took good care of my skin and hair whilst subjecting it to the sun, sea & sand (SPF50 on my face, SPF30 on my body & heaps of Moroccan oil on my hair) by the time I landed back in London I was feeling rather sunkissed but dehydrated. My hair hard to tame at the best of times had descended into full on beachy waves that needed to be smoothed & straightened into submission for work the next day & my skin was feeling a bit sensitive dry & in need of some TLC.

These are the products I have been turning to to put the moisture back into my skin & hair and keep my tan lasting & looking fresh- no peeling in sight.

 Body & Face

Evian Brumisateur- I've been spraying this over my whole face & body after a shower before applying aftersun/ moisturiser. The fine mist is very cooling & calming and makes a nice addition to my summer skincare routine. This would have been lovely to take on holiday too but unfortunately it's way over the 100ml cabin allowance!
Piz Buin Aftersun- I love this aftersun and repurchase it every year. Light in texture it's moisturising, cooling and absorbs straight away. It smells fantastic and instantly makes me think of summer. It claims to be tan intensifying- I'm not entirely sure about this but it certainly keeps my tan lasting weeks after returning home & stops any peeling or flaking.
Clarins Aftersun Replenishing Moisture Care for Face and Décolleté- As expected from Clarins a lovely facial aftersun lotion that soothes and hydrates without being greasy.
Mama Mio OMega Body Oil- I have been applying this to any extra-dry areas on my body, usually my legs and arms. This oil has won lots of beauty awards and I can see why, the skin on my legs has never looked better, really even and ultra moisturised.

 Such a nice cooling moisturising combination for sunkissed skin.

Hair

Charles Worthington Rough & Tousled Salt Spray- After I've spent 30mins combing conditioner laboriously through my tresses and returning it to a calmer state I find myself missing the texture and perfect waves that come with salty beachy hair. My solution to this has been to spray a bit of this through just washed wet hair (after applying moroccan oil) and I get the best of both worlds non frizzy beach babe hair but healthier & hydrated with no unruly knots!
Phyto Phytojoba Intense Hydrating Shampoo- This is lovely, smells of coconuts and packs a serious hydrating punch.
Morrocanoil Oil Treatment- All time fave, I'm never without this. The only thing that stopped my hair becoming drier than the Sahara when after a few cocktails I joined in with the blondies & squeezed lemon juice over my hair. Sun + seawater + lemon juice does not make for happy hair!
Mark Hill Sunset Smoother Aftersun Conditioner- This was a last minute travel size purchase I picked up in the airport, I really like it & will probably repurchase. Super soft hair and no frizz. Not really any kind of scent which you might expect for a holiday designed product but really can't complain at the price it is!

I'll leave you with a few holiday snaps from Instagram. If you want to see more or stay updated with me or Izzy check us out @twoloveslondon 

Harriet x

An Evening at L'Occitane

Last Wednesday my Mum and I went to an event at L'Occitane on the King's Road. Tickets were £10 and it was a really fab evening. Sorry about rubbish iPhone photos, I did not go prepared! I've become a huge fan of L'Occitane recently but whilst I'd love to fill my cupboards with their delicious products I feel they are rather pricey. We were treated to champagne and canapes and invited to have a look around the products with 15% off on any purchases we made that night. 

There was also complimentary facials and hand massages which we were not going to miss out on despite the slightly hectic queues! The lovely lady who gave me a mini facial told me I had very dry skin (which I knew already) and recommended that I use a heavy night cream. I have to say not using night cream is probably on of my biggest beauty sins. I didn't realise the importance of this step in my skincare routine so I will definitely be more strict with myself from now on. The other little tip she gave me was to wet the cotton pads you're using to apply toner. Apparently this makes it less harsh - just had to share that one with you! 

But probably the best part of the evening was the goody bag (worth £45) that was given to us as we left! In the bag were lots of minis (not samples might I add!) inside a cute travel-sized case. Which included:

Radiance & Colour Care - Shampoo & Conditioner

Brightening Hand Care

Dry Skin Foot Cream

Precious Cream 

Amande Shower Oil

Brightening Cleansing Foam

Precious Eye Balm 

Jasmin & Bergamote Eau de Toilette

Verbena Soap

I can safely say I had a lovely evening thanks to L'Occitane and I'll definitely be looking out for more events like this.

Isobel x

Field Day OOTD

Miss Selfridge Jacket

Zara Scarf

Topshop Jumper

Zara Jeans

Office Boots

I went to Field Day Festival in Victoria Park on Saturday and thought I'd post my outfit for the day. I love these Zara jeans I bought recently, they are summery and fun. I normally opt for darker colours on my legs as my Mum tells me its slimming (you should always listen to your Mum) but I thought these were so cool I just couldn't resist. The scarf is also Zara and I literally haven't taken it off since I bought it. I feel a light, colourful scarf is a real staple for Summer (especially English summers!). 

Field Day is quite a small, intimate festival, we had a real blast. The line up was really good, lots of House Djs which took me back to my Uni days, I would seriously recommend it. 

Isobel x

Lazy Sunday Baking

I have had THE laziest Sunday known to man today, just doing a few bits & bobs and getting ready to start the first 5 day week after the long Easter weekend. So, I decided to do a little baking (nothing too strenuous of course) and happened across the easiest and most fool proof recipe for flapjacks. They are utterly delightful and won't create too much washing up either. The perfect activity for a relaxed Sunday and a little treat to go with your afternoon cuppa.

Ingredients

175g Butter

75g Soft Brown Sugar

75g Golden Syrup

250g Oats

100g Sultanas 

All you need to do is melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan over a low heat. Once melted mix in the oats and sultanas.
 

Spread the mixture into a greased, square baking tray and push down firmly. Place into a pre-heated (150-200 degrees) oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Once baked, leave to completely cool and then cut into rectangles. That's it! All that you need to do now is put your feet up and enjoy!

Thanks for reading, let me know if you give these a try!

Isobel x