Water Water Everywhere..... BUT are you Drinking Enough?

Much of our planet’s surface is made up of water; it makes up our oceans, rivers, the great expanses of ice in North and South Polar Regions, and it also makes up most of us.

For humans, water is the essential medium we require for our physiological systems to function well. In this aquatic medium important metabolic processes occur. Its presence ensures the shape of the individual cells that make up our tissues is maintained, that our blood can flow and that our endocrine (hormonal) and immune systems function well.

It is also a medium by which we lose heat to the environment in evaporating sweat, and how we get rid of waste products excreted in urine.

So for humans the problem is that it must therefore be replaced constantly. Without adequate hydration our physiology at all levels (cells, organs, systems) will be placed under strain and we will struggle. Most of us will cope with this over short periods but being hypo-hydrated (under-hydrated) may be a factor in ill health should this be allowed to continue.

However, even when armed with this knowledge the advice on what to drink can be confusing; how much should we drink and when, is it enough or too much?

The internet is awash with pages of information. For example; a recent search on Google with the string “hydration advice” revealed 664,000 hits!

With our bodies being made up of almost two thirds water we must be constantly replenishing this with fluids that we drink and foods that we consume (did you know, depending on your diet up to 20% of your fluid requirements comes in the form of the foods you eat).  With this in mind what should we be drinking and how much?

This last question depends on many factors such as a person’s age, the weather and any activity undertaken. If its hot or you are sweating from exercise obviously you’ll need to replace more. However there are some good “Rules of Thumb” from European recommendations.

Women need about 1.6L per day and men about 2L in addition to fluid each of us get from our diet.

Does it really matter what we drink or can we make better choices? Water is clearly the choice most of us would go for; it can replenish the fluids lost without adding calories.  However, other choices include fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies. The advantages here are that they will contain some of the other micronutrients we require in the form of vitamins, minerals and depending on what you put in them various other plant substances from the fruit or vegetable.

The downside is that they contain calories and if made with fruit much of this can be sugar related. They may also be fairly acidic and this acidity along with the hidden sugars potentially affect the health of your teeth.  Our advice; drink water for your hydration and treat yourself to orange juice or similar whilst being very aware of any added sugars - if you can't juice your own fresh fruit, always read the label!

What about if we exercise, do we need to drink to a regime in anticipation of becoming dehydrated, or should we be drinking to thirst, in other words allowing ad libitum intake? Are there any issues with fluid related physiological stress?

Well the simple answer is yes. Without going into a long in depth scientific review (that has already been done by Cotter et al). The simple fact is that physiological, central nervous system and ultimately overall physical function can be acutely impaired by either drinking too little or by drinking too much in the acute setting.

Very often it is either lack of availability of both water (and salt) or behaviours that are inappropriate (like an obsession with drinking lots of water during exercise) that are problematic. Somehow we must get the balance right particularly so that over longer periods a state of chronic dehydration which has been implicated in the development of kidney stones and kidney disease is avoided.

There is evidence to show that being mildly dehydrated can alter perceptions of tiredness and fatigue, but this is in controlled work whereas under normal free living situations, the body’s stimulation of the very powerful driver thirst would be enough to mitigate against this.

Hydration is a subject that has experienced much argument and debate in the scientific communities around the world, especially when exercise is involved and a massive industry has risen up around it.

What do we advocate at The Strength Temple?

Firstly, under most scenarios of life where access to water is easy, drinking when thirsty is probably preferable.  In fact the old Zen maxim “Eat when hungry and drink when thirsty” would see us well in most of what we do. But this does mean that you need to have your drink with you so you can consume it when you need it. Therefore get into a habit of having a bottle with you.

Nalgene Wide Mouth Bottle - Blue, 1 Litre

£12.32

Bottles that are BPA free are preferable. This means that contaminants from the plastic aren’t going to leach into the fluid in your bottle and therefore end up in your system. I personally use bottles by the US manufacturer Nalgene, because they are virtually indestructible and perfect for chucking in my kit bag, in my rucksack and I even have one for the office and one for the car. Once you have one you can kept it topped up and take it with you everywhere. You can buy them from Amazon and we've included a link via the picture here if you'd like to order some.

The second thing to do is to decide what it is you want to drink. Water is preferable to something stuffed full of sugar and artificial flavourings, acidifiers, sweeteners, preservatives and stuff that makes it fizzy. When in nature or evolution did we adapt to consume this stuff? We haven’t, and therefore we are probably better off without it. That is not to say you can’t have these things on occasion. Just don’t have them all of the time!

What about whether it is tap or bottled water, or something that has been filtered? Well I guess that depends on whereabouts you live in the world and the quality of the water that is delivered to your tap. It probably isn’t harmful to drink tap water in most western countries but it probably could be improved. Certainly filtering tap water or using RO systems will remove many salt and other impurities but you could end up in a situation where you have to add minerals back into your water.

BRITA Marella XL Water Filter Jug, 3.5 L - Blue

£12.70

If you take me for example, I live in an area where the tap water is exceptionally hard. Therefore, as a family we use a filter before using water to drink, make up other drinks or to go in the kettle to make our tea.

Water can come from different sources, each with their own qualities. For example: water that is collected from rain may taste very different from water from a well. The difference can be the minerals dissolved in the well water or pollutants collected from air as it falls through the air. River and stream water collects specific qualities depending on its journey, if water falls from height or passes through rapids it may become enlivened, but it can also pick up impurities on its journey.

Water from lakes and big rivers will pick up impurities from farming and manufacturing processes. Water is cleaned and often recycled it contains bacteria and chemicals. Modern processing cleans the water but to what degree is debatable (and of course this depends where in the world you are too). Modern treatment works add other agents to act as disinfectants. The most widely used is chlorine which is pretty effective and in some parts of the world sodium fluoride is also added for dental decay prevention. Mostly this makes water safe for human consumption, but I suspect it could be made better and taste nicer, this is where my house hold jug water filter comes in.

I can taste the difference and not only that I can see it too, there is less of a visible layer on top of my tea made with filtered water compared to when I make it without. I got into a habit of topping up my BPA free bottle and taking it with me when I go out the door for work in the morning. It sits on my desk beside my PC acting both as a reminder to drink and also so it is readily available to drink the moment I feel thirsty.

Get a bottle and make hydration part of your healthy body maintenance routine, and don't forget to.......

#RespectYourTemple

Dr Dan Roiz de Sa

Do you need a #TempleDay?

We’ve been discussing progress with goals and resolutions recently with a number of clients.  Sometimes a great start and bags of enthusiasm can fade.  It’s a good idea to revaluate your progress if any feelings of disappointment or setbacks come up to prevent you from straying from the path you've set yourself.  We want you to learn to dance in the rain ;-)

When we set goals we mainly do so because of how we think it will make us feel on achieving them as well as how we will feel during the process of attaining them.  Occasionally we might set some milestones or general expectations in our goals that we don’t achieve as quickly as expected.  Alternatively we might not experience the feelings that we expected on achieving the goal.  It’s during these minor setbacks that the real power of your will comes to action to ensure you don’t fall into the trap of becoming distracted or giving up and returning to old disempowering habits.

It’s a set of behaviours that’s also associated with an “all or nothing” type of thinking seen in some people.  So we've created the idea of a #TempleDay to get those of you who are waining back on track to being and feeling awesome during your journey through life!!
The concept of a #TempleDay is to decide that today, tomorrow or some fixed date in the future will be a dedicated day where you enjoy focusing on your Strength Temple by being mindful of your #7Pillars.  For those of you new to The Strength Temple or our 7 Pillars philosophy let’s recap!

The Strength Temple is our name for your overall being!  Not just your physical body, but your feelings of wellness, energy, joy and abundance.  It’s how well you give to yourself and others.  We achieve results in our Strength Temple through focus on what we call our 7 Pillars.  The 7 Pillars are Movement, Hydration, Flexibility, Mindfulness, Nutrition, Environment and Breath.  We provide programs to allow progression to mastery in each of these areas and this journey creates an incredible life and sense of being!

So if you ever feel like you’re losing your direction try just dedicating a single day, or even a shorter period of time, such as a morning, to focusing on your 7 Pillars.  Let’s consider this in the form of an example to give you an idea.

Jane had been really excited at the turn of the year and had completed the Strength Temple Goal Setting workshop and set some really awesome goals for the year ahead.  These had focused on feeling fitter and healthier by taking up a gym membership and setting some goals around running a half marathon in July.  She got off to a great start and had been eating cleaner and gradually building her miles running.

After a few weeks and a very enthusiastic start, Jane started to find some of her new habits were becoming more of a chore than a pleasure.  She found she was getting bored running on the treadmill and had reverted back to snacking on the wrong foods whilst at work.  Feeling disheartened she began to skip running sessions and by the end of January had pretty much reverted back to her old lifestyle.

If any of this sounds familiar to anyone - that’s cool.  Much of what we need to do when setting goals is change old habits and this can be challenging!  The key is to modify any feelings of setback and find ways to refocus and remind yourself why you wanted to progress on a path to a better you in the first place.

We advised Jane to be mindful of her self talk (that little voice in your head that can sometimes chatter negativity at you!) and to have a #TempleDay.  She picked the coming Saturday and arranged to do a number of things that would allow some focus on her #7Pillars and bring her back in alignment with what she was looking to achieve.

From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning we reminded her to take deep cleansing breaths and gently stretch as she reminded herself of the gifts already present in her life.  She focused on the fact that she was warm and in a comfortable bed.  She reminded herself of the support of her family and friends and remembered how fortunate she was to be holidaying this year in France.  After reflecting for a moment, she woke and immediately made her bed.  This is a great habit to set yourself up for a productive day and reflects a sense of order in your environment.

She then progressed downstairs and started her day with her usual coffee, but included some freshly filtered water to drink when she woke up to feed her hydration pillar.  She showered using her favourite organic products chosen for their aromatherapy actions and prepared for a long walk in the countryside with her dog.

Jane chose a route that she hadn’t tried before and took some friends along for the walk.  She made a conscious effort to be aware of the wonders of nature around her and went for her walk at sunrise to experience the wildlife she didn’t usually get to see.  She focused on listening to birdsong and ensured that she maintained positive breathing techniques.  The walk wasn’t rushed.  It was an exercise in living in the moment and enjoying the pure energy of being alive!

On the way home from her walk she visited her father for tea and to pick up some fresh, organic produce from his vegetable garden.  Kale, Cavalier Nero, Carrots and Leaks were in season and on returning home she made herself a delicious green smoothie to kick start her day and pay attention to her nutrition pillar.

We had coached Jane in balancing her lifestyle with some new hobbies and not making everything about nutrition and exercise.  Jane went shopping to purchase some new books on upholstery and did some eBay browsing purchasing an old armchair as her first project.

During the afternoon she prepared a meal for a dinner party in the evening prior to going for a run.  She decided to ditch the gym for the day and run in the local park.  It delivered some variety to her training and she did some research locally to find some other new routes to maintain variety in the future.

Her evening dinner party was very well received.  Jane made a number of dishes from our Strength Temple clean eating programs and she enjoyed sharing the love with her family and friends.

So that was Jane’s #TempleDay.  Yours might be very different!  They key is to do something that will address as many of your pillars as possible and to make it a day of sticking to your plans. 
Who knows, you might eventually decide to make every day a #TempleDay ;-)

In the mean time, we wish you courage in your journey.  Celebrate the great progress you are making and don’t forget life isn’t perfect.  If you get distracted, have a #TempleDay and get yourself back on track.

With love.

#respectyourtemple

Immune Boosting Eastern Soup

This soup has just gone down an absolute STORM on our social media platforms.  I guess it’s that time of year (in the UK) where we need this stuff to fight the bugs and fortify our bodies against the cold.

Having said that, this would be awesome in the summer served chilled from the fridge with some crushed ice mixed through as a type of gazpacho.  We’ll definitely be doing that in 6 months!  In the mean time, here’s a note from Richie Norton on this awesome concoction.  ENJOY!……..

 🤒🌿 After my little stint in the Middle East, the adjustment to the UK winter weather and germs being sneezed all over the place, I've somehow picked up a cough that won't shift (yes I'm human after all)! 🤒

If you've been feeling a bit under the weather or hoping to fight off the winter lurgy, I'd recommend you try some homemade veggie super soups like this green beast 🌿It’s full of antioxidants, vitamin C, E and fibre necessary for a healthy body.  It’s really simple to make. Go on - get your apron on and don’t hold back.

Ingredients:
 
• Rainbow chard (dietary fibre/fat free) • broccoli • spinach • carrots • ginger • bunch of coriander, basil • spring onion • clove of garlic • S&P (chilli if you fancy some heat and coconut cream to garnish.)

Method:

Heat through you vegetables in homemade stock.  It’s important that you don’t boil them to death and destroy many of the nutrients.  Just a gentle warm through is sufficient.  When it’s just right,  pop it all in a blender and take it to your desired consistency.  With some blending practice you can go from super smooth to slightly textured.  We sometimes split the soup into two batches, and blend some to super smooth and mix the rest in to leave some variety - it’s up to you and we’d encourage you to experiment.
 
This one got drizzed in coconut cream (naughty) as our final garnish!

Enjoy, let us know how you get on and don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple ;-)
 

Morning rituals to kickstart and detox

Some of you may already know about this magic morning potion, but either way you may need a reminder to kick off your day in the right way so you're ready for action.  It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but we highly recommend you give it a try!

Method:

Take a nice clean glass and fill with warm water.  If you use boiling water it will destroy many of the nutrients and if you use cold water it will take longer to hydrate you.  Trust me - warm water is like baby bear's porridge - just right!

Add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar.  Drink to hydrate and stimulate your body’s natural detox processes.

Here's a few reasons why you should try this...

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LEMON

• Boosts your immune system
• Flushes out unwanted materials
• Flushes out unwanted toxins
• Helps aid in weight loss
• Is a natural blood purifier
• Balances your pH level
• Helps relieve respiratory issues
• Helps aid in throat infections
• Decreases blemishes
• Decreases wrinkles
• Naturally energizes you
• Hydrating
• Alkaline in the body
• Aids digestion
• It even oxygenates the body so you feel revitalized and refreshed.
   

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

• Very rich in enzymes and potassium
• Helps clear up acne
• Helps relieve allergies
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lowers cholesterol
• Reduces inflammation
• Helps aid in weight loss by breaking down fat
• Balances pH level
• Helps relieve muscle pain from workouts
• Helps dissolve kidney stones
• Helps prevent sinus infection
• Helps prevent acid reflux
• Helps prevent arthritis
• Lowers levels of fatigue
• Aids digestion
• Helps control and prevent candida.

Give it a try.  If you can't find our favourite Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar you can buy at at Amazon in the UK via the link below.

#respectyourtemple

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Green Smoothie Quickie

Our founder, Richie Norton, is working in the Middle East at the moment. He’s been running a very heavy schedule working with some exciting new drivers and the changes in temperature from red hot track to ice cold air con have been playing havoc with his body.  He's been craving some greens goodness amongst the sweet treats available everywhere. We just got this message from him, so thought we’d share it with a picture from The Strength Temple kitchen in the UK with the amazing @shonavertue modelling these health promoting breakfast smoothies for us.

"Today was a right treat, managed to find some ingredients this morning, borrowed the chefs blender and showed the kitchen crew how to rustle up a brekky super smoothie #thestrengthtemple#style 👉🏽🌿spinach • mixed with a green apple • melon • cucumber & a coconut 🌴 bosh! 🙏🏼Looking forward to some home comforts...missing my bed & my kitchen. 

Happy Thursday!! 💚” Richie Norton

So start with some ice in your blender and get these incredible ingredients in there to start your day.  Add some coconut water or filtered water to get your desired consistency and enjoy 😃 Make a little extra and stash it in some recycled jam jars in the fridge to give you a hit of goodness later when you need it!

#respectyourtemple

Vegetable Stew - clean power through colour

So it’s a gorgeous crisp morning in the UK.  Our Brothers and Sisters in the US have just enjoyed Thanks Giving and some may be recovering from a feast or two!  It’s with this in mind that I want to share this simple, but tasty recipe for a vitality promoting lunch that will leave your insides feeling clean and fresh.

Vegetable stews are a staple in The Strength Temple Kitchen.  You can keep them really simple and just add a load of your favourite veg to some stock and simmer, or you can take a little more time and get everything to the right texture by getting your chopping game up to scratch!

They key to our favourite stews is to make sure your veg is all cooked to perfection.  Harder veg should be chopped thinner so it cooks in the same amount of time as softer veg, which should be left larger.

You can see from the insert picture that we’ve chopped our carrots quite thinly where as we have left the cherry tomatoes whole and kept our peppers and courgette (zucchini) slightly larger.  We also don’t like to over cook our veg to maintain it’s awesome texture, taste and nutrient content.

So try this little vegetable medly and let us know your favourite combinations in the comments section below.  We love feedback!

Ingredients:

Makes approximately 4 servings

4 potatoes, cubed (you can leave these out of you are on a low carb day)

2 carrots,  1 courgette (zucchini), 1 red onion, 1 leake, handful cherry tomatoes, 1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper, 4 garlic cloves,  pinch chill flakes (to your taste)

2 handfuls cavil nero or your favourite cabbage

2 litres of your favourite stock

Malden or Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper.  extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method:

Place 2 litres of stock in a large saucepan and boil your potatoes until they are about 10 minutes away from being done.  If you don’t want pungent garlic, gently fry it in some coconut oil before adding to the pot, add your vegetable medly and simmer for 7 minutes.  Right at the end add your cabbage, simmer for a further 3 minutes and season to your taste with salt and pepper.

Service in large bowls, drizzle with a dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, slurp away and try not to get it down your chin :-)

#respectyourtemple

Fluro power! Rainbow Chard

Spending time in Australia literally changed my life.  I met so many influential people and had so many adventures.  One of the most awesome things I encountered was a movement called “One Wave is all it Takes”.

OneWave is a non-profit surf community tackling funks like depression, anxiety and bipolar with a simple recipe; salt-water, surfing, good mates and Fluro Fridays.  They are some of the most awesome people that I’ve ever met and I regularly don my fluro gear (even in London) to raise awareness and spread their messages.  Yep - I get a few crazy looks, but I get more smiles and that’s what it’s all about!

Here’s an extract from their website www.onewaveisallittakes.com

It doesn't matter whether you're riding a wave for the first time or the hundredth time…you never forget the feeling of being on a wave, letting everything go and enjoying the moment. OneWave is all it takes... To free the funk. To give you hope.

OneWave holds weekly Fluro Friday sunrise sessions up and down the coast to raise awareness for mental health. We dress up in the brightest outfits possible and surf/swim/do yoga. Fluro makes people smile and it gets people asking important questions, which are normally avoided about mental health. Everyone is welcome and it is a free event.

Fluro Friday are started by everyday people in your community. We would LOVE to see the stigma reduced in your local community. Find your favourite beach and start your own.

So here’s a funky recipe with some cool Fluro colours that will smash a load of Vitamin C into you and protect you from those winter bugs!  I had this for breakfast and it literally turbo charged my morning!

It features one of my all time favourites: Rainbow Chard.  Not only does it look cool, but you can eat it raw so it’s great for pimping up your salads and virtually fat-free.  It’s an awesome source of dietary fibre and a wicked way to get your vitamins A, K, E, & C.  It’s also packed with iron and full of phytochemicals (good for health & healing).

Method:
Take 3 whole stems of chard • coconut water or filtered water • coconut flesh • whole kiwi • small hand full blackberries • fresh basil • hand full spinach • 2 frozen bananas • chia seeds • 1 tbsp flax seed • small chunk of ginger - BLEND!!!

Oh - and if you see some crazy dude in Fluro gear on his bike or in a coffee shop in London - it's just me flying the flag for my brothers and sisters at www.onewaveisallittakes.com 

#respectyourtemple
 

IMMUNE BUSTER! Carrot, Turmeric & Ginger Soup

Ok, so a new soup recipe for you to try.  Our Founder had his wisdom teeth out recently and retreated to Soups for a week.   He literally went soup mad and felt the need to share!

Soups are great all year round; a superfood full of antioxidants :-)

Perfect if you're short on time & want to cram loads of goodness into one bowl to pack a big healing punch!  The key is getting one that's not full of sugar & other junk.  We’re not being “soupist” but you really don’t want that in your body!

Make it yourself so you know exactly what's in it:

• 8-10 large carrots • 1 leek • 2 sticks celery • whole yellow pepper • 6 asparagus stems (lightly fried in butter) • 1 ltr fresh veggie stock or our special chicken stock • tbsp chunk of ginger • 1 - 2 shallots • 2 large cloves of garlic • tbsp coconut oil • pinch of cayenne pepper • palm full of coriander • Malden Salt & Pepper.

Gently fry the asparagus, ginger, leek, shallots and garlic in the coconut oil.  Then add the remaining ingredients.  Blitz them all up in your blender (add filtered water to preferred consistency). Depending on your blender, it might heat it for you, but if not pop the soup in a pan and heat through.  Garnish to make it pretty.

#respectyourtemple

Magic Potions - The secret to making your own nourishing stock

So it’s definitely that time of year.  Here at The Strength Temple HQ we had our first dusting of snow last night and it’s certainly getting colder.  Some people find they fall prey to a cold or flu around this time of year, and we want to make sure you do everything you can to stay healthy.

Your wellbeing starts with what you put into your body.  You might be craving sugars at this time of year, but don’t do it.  Processed sugars are food for bacteria and not a great idea!  They also cause your blood sugars to spike releasing insulin.  When this happens the amino acid tryptophan is converted to serotonin in our brain making us feel happier, thus perpetuating the cravings.  This is part of the reason that cramming sugary foods is a common habit during the winter months when daylight is less and some people start to be affected in varying degrees by SAD (seasonal effective disorder) sometimes known as the “winter blues”.

If you’re feeling in a bit of a funk, just recognise and acknowledge the feeling, check in with how you are talking to yourself internally and know that it will pass.   Make sure you take regular walks and runs in the fresh air.  When you're out, take time to bring yourself to the present moment.  Listen to your environment and focus on the birdsong - it's a wonderful thing.  If you think you’re not getting enough sun - perhaps take a vitamin D supplement.  Finally follow our ritual and start to make your own stock.  It really is very therapeutic.  Indulge yourself.

There’s something amazingly pleasurable about taking a load of ingredients that many people will just throw away and creating something absolutely delicious from it to raise your food to another level.  We love making stocks and watching them blipping on the stove is a magical thing and adds to the anticipation of what’s to come.

Our risottos, noodle soups, stews and sauces would all pale into insignificance if we didn’t take time to make great stock.  We never purchase a whole chicken without turning what’s left of the carcass into amazing stock and you should do the same!

As far as health promoting benefits are concerned there are many.  Some are based in science and some more mythical as stock has been made for thousands of years.  Home made stocks contain a load of minerals (magnesium, calcium, phosphorous etc) easily absorbed by your body.  They also contain broken down material from cartilage and tendons such as chondroitin and glucosamine.  Yep - that’s the stuff you spend money on in your joint supplements!  Finally don’t forget that it’s hydrating.  You just can’t go wrong.

Remember to experiment a little with your ingredients and you will gradually get a “feel” for what makes a great stock that’s exactly to your taste.

If you want to make vegetable stock, just leave out the meat.  It's that simple.  For fish stocks we will write a whole new recipe.  Stay tuned.

The only think we’d advise against as a rule are brassicas such as broccoli, cabbage, sprouts etc.  They are a bit smelly and don’t make great stock!

(If you want to go Eastern)
Include half a Star Anise
1 Clove
3 large pieces of Ginger
3 Stalks of Lemmon Grass
Handful of Coriander stalks
Chilli to taste

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken carcasses
2 Carrotts
1 Onion
2 sticks Celery
6 peppercorns
5 garlic cloves
Filtered Water

Place your chicken carcass (carcasses) into a large pot.

Note:  If you are using raw carcasses cover them with filtered water and bring them to the boil before adding the remaining ingredients.  As soon as they are boiling, discard the water and continue as below.  Raw Carcasses produce a lighter coloured stock with a slightly different flavour.  This process removes a bitter note from the stock and is often forgotten.  Also, ensure you maintain good hygiene if using raw carcasses, washing your hands and paying attention to your work surfaces.

Add the remaining ingredients roughly chopped.

Finally fill the pot with filtered water to just above the level of the contents and put on a high heat to bring to a boil.  When at boiling point, turn down the heat so the surface just “blips” with bubbles and allow to simmer for 1 hour.

Strain the resulting liquid into a suitable container and don’t forget this next step.  TASTE YOUR STOCK!  If it tastes at all watery, then place the liquid back on the stove and reduce it by boiling off some of the liquid.  Flavourful stock is what we are looking for.

Let the stock cool in a container before you cover it and store it in the fridge.  We keep our stocks for up to 4 days and if we think we won’t use them in time we freeze them.  Freezing stock as ice cubes is a great way to have handy amounts on hand to add to sauces.  If you have a dog and some left over stock give it to them for a treat.  They will absolutely LOVE YOU FOR IT!

Try using your stock in the following ways:

Drink a mug of warmed stock when you return from your windy walk :-)
Use it as the liquid to make your next risotto.
Use it as the liquid to make your next spicy rice.
Add it to your next casserole or stew.
Use it as the base for your next gravy.
Use it to make noodle soup.

Stay tuned for some of the recipes above as we add them.  If you'd like to make sure you don't miss them subscribe here and we'll send you loads of cool stuff.  ff you’re having a roast chicken today don’t throw the carcass away!

With love from The Strength Temple.

#respectyourtemple

Smoothie Strategies for Dips in Energy

We've all been there.  Hectic lifestyle, not had time to grab enough to eat, tempted by a quick fix of the wrong food that will crash us later.  Here's a great habit that will make sure you always have something to reach for to keep your fire burning.  Stack some smoothies in your fridge..

First thing you need to do is start saving your jam jars.  I have a whole stack of them.  My favourite ones are my used jars of extra virgin coconut oil and raw honey.  The lids fit really well and I can throw them through the dish washer to keep them sparkling. I use them for everything:  tea cups for my Yogi teas, leftover storage for the fridge (a used honey jar is the perfect size for a snack of risotto or just for keeping spare boiled eggs) and of course for keeping smoothies.

So make a little extra of your next smoothie and pop a couple of jars in the fridge for later.  You could give some to your friend in need of some smoothie love, your favourite client or just a stranger.  They will all thank you for it!

Secondly - when you make smoothies use frozen stuff to make them super cold.  You can of course use ice, but if you have bananas ripening, chop them up and pop them on a tray in the freezer.  When they have frozen (they won’t stick together so easily), store them in handy zip lock bags for use in smoothies later.  One of my favourite things to do is to hunt for wild food.  There tends to be a bit of a glut of blackberries in the summer in the UK, so I freeze them.  That way I’ve always got a stash of natures best ready to go in my berry smoothies.

The next area I think warrants attention is sweetness.  We all have differing tolerances to sugars and most of us like something a little sweet.  Th golden rule is look to get your sweetness from natural sugars.  We love dates in The Strength Temple kitchen as well as raw honey and ripe fruits.  NEVER add processed sugars to your smoothies.  It’s simply against the law!

So there’s a few to get you started.  Get blending :-)

Check out our smoothie recipes for inspiration and start stockpiling  your smoothies!  You can use the search bar at the top of our Welcome page.  Just type smoothie.

#respectyourtemple

Hydration

High water content food is always a good idea!  Rather than wash your cells in simple H20, get into the habit of eating foods with a high water content. Your body will reward you by making you feel awesome!

Hydration is just so important.  There are many articles out there written on the subject and here we just want to give you some cool life hacks to get you on the right track.  Maybe some stuff you've not heard before.

As well as working at The Strength Temple I'm an on call Firefighter, and sweating is a massive part of what we do!  We have pee charts at work in all the lavatory facilities to remind us how important it is to stay well hydrated.  So let me plant a few seeds in your mind that will hopefully grow into well watered super habits!

First thing is, don't flood yourself with water!  Too much water can create a situation called dilution hyponatraemia.   Drinking too much water basically causes a dilution of the sodium in your blood.  This effectively drowns your cells and makes them swell, so once again it is true - you CAN have too much of a good thing!

The good news is that it's quite difficult to drink that much and if you stay within health limits you will be fine and reap the massive benefits of good hydration.  On average about two litres of water a day will get you on track.  Here's a few of those new habits to get your teeth stuck into.

• Carry a water bottle.  I've just purchased one of the Brita ones with the straw so I get lovely filtered water for free from the tap.  Sip all day, don't binge on your water!
• Whilst I'm on the subject of filtered water - make it a habit.  I'm sure tap water's fine, but my dog will only drink filtered water or rain water.  When you consider how sensitive their sense of smell is when compared to ours I'd say there's got to be something in that!  If you can get it though, tap water is better than no water.  Drink your water!
• Eat foods that have a high water content.  Guess what - fruits are probably one the favourites, but vegetables are there too.  So you're getting water filtered by nature and all the goodness of fresh fruit and veg too :-)
• Drink Coconut water.  It tastes amazing with it's natural sugars and is a great source of Potassium.  Try and get the good stuff not from concentrate or even the young coconuts available now from companies like Cocoface in the UK www.cocoface.com.
• Make beautiful fragrant eastern inspired soups using home made stocks.  Check out our chicken stock recipe for inspiration.
• Drink a cup of water about 15 minutes before you eat.  This will prepare the route for digestion.  Try not to drink too much fluid whilst you are eating or immediately afterwards.  It is a source of that sloshing sound as the water sits on the chyme created during digestion.  Wait 15-30 minutes after eating before you start sipping again.  This shouldn't actually be a problem if you are well hydrated as you won't feel the need to drink.
• Try some of the new teas available.  Go caffeine free occasionally and perhaps a spot of raw honey if you need something sweet.

Let us know your hacks in the comments below and we'll add them.  Good luck with it and happy drinking!