I got into Matcha last year after discovering Matcha Latte (made with almond or coconut milk). It made a refreshing change from peppermint tea when I wanted a warm drink that felt more indulgent than a herbal tea. Having given up caffeine 4 years ago I don’t miss the taste or the ritual of it (or the headaches I used to suffer) but I do sometimes miss the warmth of a creamy drink.

I know from first hand experience that losing weight can seem very tough.  It often feels like you’re doing everything right, yet still not getting the results you desire. I’ve found that you’re often preventing your own progress by following old, often misguided advice,

Here are the 15 most common mistakes people make when trying to lose weight. 

1. Only focusing on what the scales say 

It’s very common to feel like you’re not losing weight fast enough. We live in an I WANT IT NOW society and for most of us we want to see instant results.

I love what I do. One of my clients recently said to me "It's like I've been transformed, just like a butterfly, and am emerging into the light. I've grown wings and am about to fly. I feel so different and it's all thanks to you".  

I love a refined sugar free protein bar that is also gluten free and these are just one of my best inventions. Not only are they packed with protein and super foods but they are super tasty – they’ll keep for a week in an airtight container (if you’re lucky) – they never last that long in our house!

Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

½ cup quinoa flakes

½ cup gluten free oats ground into flour

 ½ cup Arbonne vanilla protein powder

A pinch pink Himalayan Salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

There’s nothing worse than buying a new dress which fit perfectly in the fitting room only to find that the first time you put it on your tummy is twice the size it was when you bought it and it now feels uncomfortable and pulls in all the wrong places.

Here’s my top tips for prepping your body to feel your best from the inside out thus minimising tummy bloat and ensuring you feel comfortable all day long.

1. Choose the right foods.

I’m a great one for saving ingredients then doing nothing with them so when I spotted 3 unripe bananas in the fruit bowl and I already had a freezer full of frozen banana pieces ready to make smoothies I thought I’d better use them up immediately or they’d be making compost in the wormery by next week.

Pancakes always give a breakfast the feeling of having a treat but now you can feel good about it too. Packed with energy, these chia and flaxseed super soulfood pancakes really pack a punch. They are filled with healthy omega 3, fibre and protein. It’s quite literally rocket fuel for a plantpowered diet.

Ingredients

For the flaxseed egg

3 tablespoons ground flaxseed

6 tablespoons filtered water

For the pancake

1 cup buckwheat flour

2 cups brown rice flour

2 ½ tablespoons potato flour/potato starch

I came back from 10 days of glorious sunshine in Italy to a wet and cold UK summer! Burr… where did the beautiful weather I left behind go too. I even lit the wood burner on Monday evening it was so chilly! I also returned home to a lavender hedge which is nearly over but for a few fresh flowers. Not wanting my lavender to go to waste I’ve been cooking up  some treats in the form of these luscious Lemon and Lavender protein balls. They are super easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Staying fit and healthy when I’m traveling is a must so I make sure I travel with essential nutrition and stretch as I go so I don’t arrive stiff and jaded.

Here are my favourite stretches which you can do at the airport, on the plane, in the arrivals hall and by the pool.

I just love a plant based smoothie for breakfast or lunch. They fill me up, satisfy my hunger for hours and are packed with plant based protein, vitamins, minerals and probiotics.