Roasted Autumn Veg, Quinoa, Humus & Honey Lemon Dressing

Its that time of year. The leaves are going burnt ocre and red and the woolly jumpers are coming out of hiding. We’re all loving focusing on our #environment pillar, going on windy walks and secretly wishing that soon we might see a little snow.

It’s at times like these we feel connected to the seasons and our bodies crave new types of food. Interestingly we had a Strength Temple Board meeting today and amongst celebrating the growth of our amazing community we decided to lunch on some seasonal root vegetables with an inspired dressing using local raw honey.

We posted a story about this to our Instagram profile and immediately had many requests for the full recipe, so here it is... 

Ingredients:

These quantities will make enough to feed 4 people with a healthy appetite :-)

For the roasted Vegetables

1 Butternut Squash
1 Sweet Potato
3 Red Onions
Brussels Sprouts
7 Cloves Garlic (leave skin on) 

Home Made Hummus

1 tin Chickpeas (or you can soak dried peas overnight)
Lemon Juice
Garlic
Malden Salt
Good Olive Oil

For the Dressing

Fresh Lemon Juice
Good Olive Oil
Chilli Oil
Malden Salt
Wholegrain Mustard
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Local Raw Runny Honey

Additional

Quinoa

Method:

Chop your veg into bite sized pieces and leave the garlic cloves with their skins on (after they've been roasted you can squeeze unctuous sticky garlic paste out of them.) Throw them into an oven proof dish and drizzle with olive oil and chilli oil. Add a dusting of salt and pepper and cover with silver foil then pop them into the oven preheated to 180 degrees C/  350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Whilst that’s cooking blend all your humus ingredients together and set aside in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Next add 2 tablespoons of good olive oil to an old clean jar along with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard, 2 teaspoons of honey, salt and pepper. Shake together vigorously to emulsify and set aside.

After the vegetables have had 30 minutes under the foil remove from the oven, take off the foil and mix them together. Then place them back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they get a little colour. 

Whilst you are waiting, wash a portion of quinoa in cold water and rinse. Cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil in a sauce pan until it sprouts and is done. Drain and set aside. 

When everything is ready, place some roasted veg in your favourite bowl, sprinkle some quinoa on top and add a large spoon of hummus in the middle. Then drizzle your dressing over the top and serve!

Let us know what you think. We love to get feedback.

Local treasures - Find Food Heroes on your Doorstep

Have you ever proactively looked into your local producers and made the effort to visit them and ask about what they are doing?

With so much food made for convenience and profit, it's all too easy to forget the pleasure in food and use it as fuel instead of a delicious vehicle to meet new people, learn about your environment and make new friends.

We take a break from a very busy schedule to check in with a local food hero producing some incredible Great British Cheese and remind ourselves to get back in touch with our heritage and all the pleasures this brings.

It’s been a busy December at The Strength Temple. Richie has been working his ass off in London hosting a number of programs with Core Collective and at The Foundry, and I’ve been working on advancing my PT qualifications here in the heart of England and running around in what feels like organised chaos!

Whilst all of this is happening we’ve both been focusing on balance and maintaining our commitment to "walk our talk." We are constantly checking in with ourselves to ensure we are hitting our 7 Pillar goals, even when we may sometimes forget to chill down and assess where we are and how we are feeling.

One of The Strength Temple's 7 Pillars focuses on Environment.  It’s all too easy for those on a fitness and wellness journey to drill down into excercise and nutrition, and forget a whole load of other important areas.  Your environment is one of them.

When we talk about your Environment pillar we should explain a few definitions.  Many people say “oh yeh, that’s all about being green and saving the planet right?”  Well, yes it is to an extent, but that’s not really the main thrust of the subject as far as your Strength Temple is concerned.  The Environment pillar is centred around a number of diverse areas:

• Your immediate environment and surroundings and their impact on your state

• Seeking out Powerful and Vibrant new environments to feed your psyche

• Exercising in Nature and why it’s better for you than an indoor gym

• Creating a calm, empowering and structured place of work

• Creating a tranquil home

• Gardens and how they feed us emotionally and physically

• Temperatures and how to get balance in hot and cold

• Light and it’s importance for wellbeing

• Optimising your rest and sleep habits

• Our responsibility to the environment and the legacy we leave the next generations

• Seeking our local producers for food and drink

• Use of Colours in your environment

• Art and it’s influence on the soul

• The importance of scent and it’s relation to anchors, moods and how you feel

• Decluttering and philosophies concerning order

• Music and it’s impact on your states

AND SO MUCH MORE!

I’ve recently found my self becoming more aware of the local businesses around me, how they are really raising the bar with regards to their offerings and how they are interacting with their customers.  I’m not sure if it’s partly down to the power of social media that I’m discovering more treasures in my locality, or simply that I’m just becoming more aware as I move along my Temple journey, but I though it worth articulating a recent experience to encourage you all to  do a little searching yourselves.

We all know that it’s best to buy local.  It’s much better for the environment for a start, with the number of food miles much lower, influencing the carbon impact on our planet.  It’s amazing really when I look in my local supermarket and see tons of food shipped from far flung places with literally thousands of food miles associated. I’m very fortunate to live in the countryside and am surrounded by local small producers with some incredible offerings.

In addition to the carbon impact on our shopping habits is the impact on our immediate communities of buying local and supporting local small businesses. With globalisation many small producers are being forced out of business and it’s having a dramatic effect on our food as well as our culture.

Droves of people are now taking the weekly trip to the “Supermarket” instead of visiting local shops and getting to know their neighbours. There is a wonderful sense of community in our village and I am most certainly willing to spend a little more money to buy a quality locally produced product that is having a low impact on my carbon footprint as well as supporting a local business. Frankly it makes me feel as good as the food tastes!

Which brings me onto the inspiration for this blog; cheese. We have a farmer's market where I live that displays incredible locally produced products on the last Sunday of every month. I always look forward to it as it’s a great place to see the whole community come together as well as a brilliant opportunity to get inspiration for my diet. I also enjoy chatting with the various producers and hearing how passionate they are about what they are creating, how they make / grow it all and what their ideas are for the future of their businesses.

Once such company is the Leicestershire Hand Made Cheese Company. They make three cheeses of differing characteristics namely Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Bosworth Field and Battlefield Blue. I discovered this wonderful cheese at the Farmer's Market and was so taken with it I literally couldn’t wait until the end of the month, and the next Farmer’s Market to get my fix, so went to the farm to visit them.

To my surprise I realised that they have converted an old barn on their farm into a beautiful cafe which sits next to their cheese shop, open every Friday and Saturday.  My daughter and I were on our way back from dropping off a load of gifts to friends and family for Christmas and we dropped in for a cuppa and what turned out to be the most amazing cheese toastie I’ve ever had!

I also picked up a few litres of the most incredible raw milk, fresh from their grass fed cows.  Raw milk is full of probiotics and tastes delicious.  It's not available in some countries and it’s production is regulated differently depending on where you are, but I’ve done my research and am very happy to drink it - I suggest you do the same before you try it.  Regular milk is pasteurised (raised to a certain temperature to kill and bacteria), where raw milk is not.  There are various schools of thought that it has a beneficial effect on skin and also allergy susceptibility. Here in the UK there are strict processes and licenses required to be a producer of Raw milk and I’m very happy to drink it. As I said - do your own research.

So the point of this article is to remind everyone to become more aware of your local environment. Start mindfully seeking out local producers and give them a try.  Plan a few little adventures with your family, friends and loved ones and go visit them. Talk to them and find out about how they produce their food, what drives them and start spreading the word. You’ll be pleased to know most welcome your interest and you’ll learn about your local history, meet new friends and discover new experiences and places to go.

If you want to check out the Leicestershire Cheese Company, you can find them here.  If you live in the UK maybe plan a visit.  I promise you won’t be disappointed!

In the mean time check it’s a timely reminder from us to check in with your Environment pillar and see if you have balance and don’t forget to….

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

Avocado & Poached Egg on Toast Masterclass

Yo!  Good morning!  I'm feeling awesome.  Why - because I've just found a taste sensation that's taken my Avo and Eggs to the next level.

There's no denying it.  Avocado and Poached Eggs are a poster child for the wellness industry at the moment.  It's such a great combo of protein, healthy fats and nutrients that it's genuinely a massive winner and tastes amazing to boot.  It leaves me feeling satisfied till lunch - it's one of my go to breakfasts.

However, not all Avo and Eggs are the same.  I've been searching and trying various different combos recently and feel moved to write to you all and tell you about this morning's masterpiece as it was a flavour bomb that needs to be tried by everyone!

So enough with the build up.  There's only a few extras in here that make the difference between something that's good and AMAZING and it literally only takes an extra 2-3 minutes to make than your regular / relatively boring looking habit!  Here's the recipe....

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 Ripe Hall Avocado
1 Ripe Plumb Tomato
1 Red Chilli (of your favourite heat variety)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley
Pomegranite Vinegar
Malden Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Small Ciabatta cut in half and toasted
2 or 4 Free Range Super Fresh Eggs (Hen or Duck)

Method:

Cut your Ciabatta in half and pop in the toaster.

Cut the Avocado in half and spoon out the flesh into a bowl.  Make sure you scrape ALL of the really dark green stuff out as well - that's where the magic is.  Then chop up your Plum Tomato into small cubes and add to the avo.  Chop the chilli (as much as you like to get your heat right) into tiny dice and add.  Add 2 teaspoons of Pomegranate Vinegar, a pinch of Malden Salt and a good grind of black pepper then mix.  I personally like a chunky smash to maintain some of the texture of the Avo.  Have a taste, check seasoning etc and set to one side; the vinegar will prevent your avocado going brown.

Next poach your eggs to the desired consistency.  I like a runny yolk, so mine get just over 3 minutes in boiling water.

The build is super simple.  Start with your piece of Ciabatta toast.  Spoon some of the Avo mix onto the toast and press a little well into the middle to take the egg.  Add your egg and then finish with some Flat Leaf Parsley, some extra slices of chilli (if the mood takes you), a drizzle of your favourite oil (I used local rapeseed oil) and a grind of Hawaiian Black Sea Salt.

BOOM!  The parsley, chilli and pomegranate vinegar make this an absolute winner.  Try it out and let us know how you get on.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Inspired Super Porridge!

Here’s the thing.  We passionately believe that the times of missing out on treats and delicious food and snacks because you choose a healthy diet are gone.  There are so many ways to get ultra good tasting nutrition using fresh, local, organic, real food ingredients that there’s really no excuse once you’ve handled your bad habits.  This recipe is a perfect example.  Yeh so it’s a bit more calorific than some cardboard cracker with low fat cottage cheese and a watercress leaf, but if you’re enjoying some good excercise as part of your #movement pillar there’s really no need to get all unnecessary about it.  Live a little!

This recipe is inspired by the flavours of peanut butter and jelly on toast.  My old habit?  White bread (basically processed high GI cake full of preservatives) toasted with some sort of spread that’s an excuse for butter with a load of Peanut butter and cheap jam (jelly for our American friends) on top.  The peanut butter would have been any old brand which was about 95% peanuts (with some added sugar, stabilisers & emulsifiers).  The jam was basically a shed load of processed sugar with colourings, flavourings and a little fruit (from concentrate) thrown in as a gesture!

So what am I doing now?   Well I’ve found the Meridian brand of Peanut butter.  It’s super tasty and it’s ingredients list is just the way we like it - 100% organic peanuts - nothing else!  They also do some great other varieties as well like Almond and Cashew Butter (we’re not endorsed my Meridian by the way, we just think their stuff is great.)  Anyway - which ever brand of nut butter you choose make it organic and check the ingredients for hidden nasties 😃

As far as Jam is concerned, well I just don’t bother with any processing for this recipe and get the flavours from fresh fruit.

So enough spouting on about all that stuff, let’s get to the recipe.  This is my way of kick starting my day after I’ve done my fasted HIIT workout at 6am.  I’m feeling alive and awake and I’ve worked hard and showered so enjoy it even more.

Ingredients:

Organic Porridge Oats
Organic milk and coconut or almond milk (basically which ever is your favourite or preferred milk)
Malden Sea Salt Flakes
1 desert spoon of Peanut, Cashew, Almond or preferred nut butter
Half desert spoon of extra virgin coconut oil (the best you can find)
1 teaspoon of local honey (just spikes a little sweetness - optional)

Fresh fruit Salad
You can top with any fruit, but for the jam vibe i’ve gone with:
Strawberries
Ginger
Lemon Juice
Red Grapes
Green Grapes
Cherries
Conference Pear

Additional Toppings
Chia Seeds
Bee Pollen
Pistachio Nuts

Method:

Make your porridge.  I use the oats with half and half regular milk and half coconut milk.  When it’s done add a pinch of Malden Sea salt flakes, the coconut oil, nut butter and honey and stir it all to your desired consistency by adding more milk if you need to.  By the way, this is a great spring / summer breakfast or treat if the weather is warm by serving it cooled.

I like to serve my porridge on a plate instead of a bowl.  It tends to cool it down to just the right temperature so I can eat it straight away without a load of blowing and waiting if I’m on a schedule.

After you have your nutty porridge ready it’s time to add the toppings.

To make the fruit salad above (I do this in advance usually the night before), I start with the cherries.  I use a knife to slice the cherries open like i would an avocado and remove the stone, so I’m left with 2 beautiful half cherries.  This takes a little patience, but it’s part of the ritual for me of eating beautiful fresh food and I love it.

By the way, when it comes to fruit salad, it’s worth making a batch of the stuff as it’s a great go to snack attack muncher to keep in the fridge as well as a really good way of getting some of your fruits in for the day.

Next I cut my grapes in half and add them in with some thin flat strips of ginger.  I don’t eat the ginger in the dish, but adding it to my batch of fruit salad imparts some of the ginger vibe into the whole medley and gives it a special something that’s always missing when I forget to do it.  I slice my strawberries too and throw them in.  Finally i dice up some conference pear.  The grainy texture of a perfectly ripe pear in this combination is great with the other ingredients and they taste amazing.  To finish I put in a good squeeze of lemon juice from half a fresh lemon and pop the lid on, give it a good shake and keep it in the fridge.

So when it comes to add the toping it’s as easy as grabbing your fruit salad snack attack box from the fridge, putting a nice pile of loveliness onto your porridge and then finishing with a sprinkle of bee pollen, chia seeds and pistachios.

The taste is amazing.  The peanut butter still has a slightly sticky vibe and if you don’t stir it in too much you get the odd lump as a surprise.  The fruits go so well with the whole thing and the occasional salty crunch from a pistachio just makes it perfect.

If you make this, post a picture to us on social media.  We love to get feedback from our community.  If you change the fruits and find something amazing let us know.

We hope you enjoy making this super kick starter and wish you love in your quest for a better and more nutritious you.

Above all though, don’t forget to…..

#respectyourtemple
 

Thai "Temple" Green Curry

OK folks - this is becoming my signature dish.  Everyone loves it.  You can modify it very slightly to make it Vegan (just leave out fish sauce and chicken), but my personal favourite is with chicken.

It’s also the most awesome way to get your greens.  A lot of people associate eating greens as a healthy chore that isn’t particularly pleasurable.  I’m here to tell you that I don’t care what your relatioship with greens is like, in blind taste tests EVERYONE likes this recipe - even my young children!  If you only make one of our recipes it has to be this one.  It’s incredible!

It might not be super authentic (whatever that is), but it’s my version of a Thai Green Curry.  I will back up my conviction with the fact that I have been to Thailand and lived with a Thai family in Bangkok for a short period of time.  I sampled all sorts of amazing dishes and this is my adaption of the green curry.

Enough already out the waxing lyrical on it, and let’s get to it!

Ingredients & Method:

Enough for 4 (with a portion or two to save for later - it’s great as a quick snack from the freezer).  Preparation time 10 minutes. Cooking time 1.5 hours.  Actual time in the kitchen approximately 20 minutes.

For frying:
Coconut oil (extra virgin)

For the green Curry Paste:
3 large bunches fresh corriander
2 large bunches fresh basil
5 birds eye green chilli (or enough for your desired heat)
two thumb sized pieces of ginger (skin on)
4 sticks of lemon grass
8 cloves of garlic
4 Kafir Lime Leaves
12 fat spring onions (wash them and use the lot - especially green bits)
thumb sized piece of Galangal
3 teaspoons of Coconut Blossom / Palm Sugar

To add to make sauce:
2 tins coconut milk

To finish:
1 Roast Free Range Chicken
Seasoning (salt, pepper, fish sauce)
Bag of spinach
French green beans
(Basically your favourite greens - any will do.  Other ideas are Kale, Rocket, Watercress)

Method:
Put your chicken into the oven to roast.  I usually do mine for about 1.5 hours at 190 degrees. Meanwhile….

Here’s where your blender comes into action again.  Place all of the ingredients for the curry paste into your blender and blend to a paste.  Don’t blend to a super smooth smoothie consistency, but do blend well.  It should look like the greenest paste you’ve ever seen 😃

Heat some coconut oil in your favourite frying pan and add the paste.  It will probably make your eyes water a little (especially if you like hot and spicy and have added extra chilli) so be careful and turn on the extractor fan if you have  one.  Cook the paste for about 5 - 10 minutes.  It will lose some of its moisture and go a dark green colour.  When you get to this stage you know it’s ready for the neXt stage.

At this point add the coconut milk.  Stir the whole thing together and you have your green curry sauce.  Add some fish sauce (about 2 table spoons) and some pepper.  This just needs to be simmered gently for about 10 minutes to allow all the flavours to get to know each other.  Have a taste to check seasoning and add some extra salt to taste if needed.

When your chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  Then pull the chicken from the bones and reserve the bones to make stock (not required for this recipe, but we never waste our chicken bones.  See why here.)

Add the chicken to the curry sauce along with your greens.  Cook the whole thing through until the greens are tender (probably about 5 minutes) and then check seasoning before serving with sticky rice, or just on its own.

Let us know how it makes you feel and what you think!

#respectyourtemple

Rich Davis

Salad Vibes

One of the habits that we've all got into at The Strength Temple is around making extra food.

If we’re making a yummy roasted vegetable dish, a pasta bombshell or some Eastern inspired rice, we make an extra 2 portions for the fridge.  That way if we’re short on time, but need something big on flavour, it’s quick to prepare something awesome without reaching for the danger zone snacks.  You know the ones; pastry, chocolate, crisps YUK!

All you need to do is start with some fresh salad ingredients and then throw in your choice or leftovers for an amazing energy hit that's full of great nutrition.

We’re not sure what to throw into this salad, but it’s guaranteed to make you feel fabulous!

Try this little bad boy combo….

• rocket leaves • spinach • mint • spring onion • sun-dried tomato • avocado • cherry tomato • chilli • blue cheese (not for the diary-free crew) • sunflower seeds • S E A S O N E D with olive oil & balsamic glaze to taste. 🍃YUM!
 

Nutrition Jargon Decoded - Did you know you’re made from Star Dust?

Nutrition is one of the pillars of your Strength Temple and we want to give you some insight into why we recommend that you provide your body with the best fuel possible.

We’ve all been gifted with an incredible machine.  It’s taken billions of years to evolve.  It self heals, it protects, it can think and reason.  It’s also made from star dust!  Yep - that’s right.  If you go right back to the essence of where the elements in your body come from they are only formed in the furnace of stars.

If you treat it correctly you will have something that money simply can’t buy.  It doesn't matter how rich you are financially.  You can not "buy" health and wellness; it takes study and commitment to a set of healthy habits.  Once you crack the secrets to motivating yourself and enter the positive reinforcement of results producing more action, you’re hooked and just get better and better, fitter and healthier, having fun along the way.  If you invest in your body by paying attention to the #7Pillars of your Strength Temple you will realise an amazing, energy rich life!

Today we’re going to talk a little about Nutrition.  It’s a complex subject and our intention is to give you some context for the various buzz words thrown at you via the media and books.  We won’t go into a great deal of detail here and if you find that you are drawn to the subject and would like more information there are a myriad of books and websites that deal with the subject, many of which are available via our bookshop.

Your nutrition comes from nutrients which are delivered to your body via your digestive system through your food and drinks.  You can also absorb some through your skin, but for now let’s concentrate on the more conventional route.

Your body is a massive organisation of incredibly small components called cells which have different structures and functions.  Nutrients are essential building blocks for your cellular growth, repair and functioning.  They provide you with all the energy you need to live life to the max and support your immune system in fighting off any bugs coming your way.

Nutrients are classified in a number of ways.  For the sake of this article we will be using some of the mainstream Western classifications.

The main nutrients are Macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats) and Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals).  Fibre and Water are also essential and none of our nutrients work in isolation as they all depend on each other!

Macronutrients:

Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats are Macronutrients.  Carbs and Fats provide energy to the body and Proteins provide the building blocks for cell growth and are part of our repair process.  You may also have heard of enzymes.  Our enzymes are proteins and support many of the processes in our body as we break down more complex nutrients into their component parts.

Micronutrients:

Vitamins and Minerals are our Micronutrients.  Our Macronutrients rely on these elements to release the energy within them in a form which is useful to our bodies.

Minerals are inorganic compounds and come from rocks and ores and enter the food chain via the soil.  We get our minerals through the plants that we eat as well as through meat from animals that have eaten plants.  Examples of minerals are Iron (found in blood) Calcium (found in teeth and bones) and Potassium (vital in regulation of our bodies water balance).

Vitamins are organic substances and have many important functions.  Vitamins are involved in the function of enzymes as well as playing important roles in controlling our hormonal activity.  Hormones are our chemical messengers that regulate certain functions in the body.  Our bodies can make small amounts of Vitamin D and K, but other vitamins need to come from our diets.

So when you hear people talking about “paying attention to your macros” or marketeers pushing Micronutrients you now have some context.

The important thing with regards to Nutrition is to achieve a balance.  As with everything we teach, balance is the key to a sustainably fulfilling life.  We have several articles in our #7Pillars program which deals with achieving balance in your nutrition. (Note our #7Pillars program is due for release Summer 2016.)

We like to give you something to do with every insight.  Your nutrition is so important.  That’s why it has it’s own pillar in your Strength Temple.  You will have probably heard this before, but it’s so important it’s worth mentioning again and it’s definitely worth you chasing this goal today!

One thing that many people still fail to do in modern society is get a sufficient supply of fruits and vegetables.  So do yourself a favour today and treat your super body to some lovely nutrition.  Go and buy yourself a load of organic produce and make a beautiful fruit medley and a bowl of roasted vegetables.  Here is a recipe for our Strength Temple Vegetable Roast Up to get you started.

The Strength Temple Vegetable Roast Up!

We hope that this article has helped you decode the jargon. You now know your Macros from your Micros, and your Vitamins from your Minerals.  You know the importance of Proteins and you’ve heard about what Enzymes do too.  Oh - and you’ve found out that you are an amazing result of billions of years of evolution and are ultimately made from star dust.  How cool is that!

#RespectYourTemple

Dragon Fruit #PurplePower

Dragon Fruit

So here's a short article on the power of the Dragon Fruit: where it's from, how to prepare it, how we like to eat it and why you should add it to your Strength Temple #Nutrition pillar.

Our founder Director, Richie Norton, has been in Malaysia recently training some racing drivers on the GP2 scene.  It’s been challenging keeping on top of clean eating with many of the dishes available deep fried, but we love the purple vibe of the Dragon Fruit which is plentiful in that part of the world!

The Dragon fruit is indigenous to Central America, but also grown in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand and Vietnam.  They have links to the cactus family and you get to the flesh by slicing the buds in half with a sharp knife.  The skin is quite soft in the ripe fruit.  Inside you await your surprise!  The flesh can range from white through to the deep purple (featured in our picture from Richie’s travels in Kuala Lumur.)

Simply scoop out the flesh with a spoon and add it to any of your usual fruit dishes.  When we find them in the supermarkets in the UK we love to cube them small and eat them with porridge.  Adds amazing colour if you get the purple ones and makes an AWESOME #PurpleSmoothie.
They taste a little like a cross between kiwi and pear.  Despite the vibrant colours the taste is quite mild and not at all citrus really as you might expect.  The small black seeds are edible and provide a pleasant crunch to the experience as well as acting as a mild laxative keeping you regular.

Dragon Fruits are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, polyunsaturated (good) fats, Omega 3 and 6, B vitamins, Iron, Calcium, Protein and Carotine.  At approximately 60 calories a go they are one of our “go to” foods and we hope you enjoy them too!

With love

#RespectYourTemple
 

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

More Plants, less Pants & Green Smoothies

The Vitamins and Minerals in Green Vegetables are imperative for so many metabolic functions within the body that whenever a client asks me for weight loss advice, I will always increase their greens. Especially leafy greens. It makes a difference to their body composition, energy levels, complexion ... the list goes on.

However...

I wasn't always a vegetable eating, pantless saint.

I used to really struggle to get the veggies down. Most of the time it would be all about Protein and Starchy Carbs, oh and avocado ... that's green right? (FYI Avocado is green in colour but isn't classified a vegetable. It's actually a single seeded berry, so no it doesn't count towards your green intake; but still eat them, they are awesome).

When I realised that I really needed to get more greens i, I started eating more salad (clever move right?). I still didn't get the same joy out of a salad as I did out of Pizza. However, what I did start to realise was that after eating a salad I felt amazing. I felt light in my tummy. I felt nourished, refuelled and energised. I obviously didn't get the same feeling after eating pizza, no matter how much I enjoyed the process of eating it; it was never worth the feeling of bloat and heaviness that followed. 

I have since then grown to love veggies as much as pizza. So much so, I actually feel it when I've haven't hit my greens target. When that happens, I make one of these;

More Plants - Less Pants Smoothie

1 x big handful kale

1 x big handful of baby spinach

1 x small handful frozen mango

1 x small handful fresh mint leaves

1 x half cucumber

1 x half kiwi fruit

1 x Glass unsweetened almond milk

sprinkle of cinnamon.

Blend.

Take pants off.

Consume.

Enjoy.

x

Shona.

#respectyourtemple

Spicy Coconut Rice with Poached Eggs

OK so it’s a real quick recipe today.  I’ve just knocked this up for breakfast and it was absolutely amazing.  I’m planning on doing a pretty intense workout this morning and needed some carbs to get me in the mood!

The rice base is an excellent ingredient to use in many dishes, so I've made a little extra here to save for later and have with some fish.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of Celery
1 large carrot
1 green pepper
1 baby leak
3 spring onions
1 large clove of garlic
coconut oil
4 eggs (2 per person)
wild rice (as much as you would cook for 2)
1 tin Coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly ground chilli powder
Watercress
Freshly cooked beetroot
Salt, Pepper, Fish Sauce (optional)

Open your tin of coconut milk and pour into a saucepan.  Add your wild rice and start to simmer.  Whilst this is cooking….

Take your celery, carrots, green pepper, leak, spring onions and garlic and cut into very small cubes.  If you haven’t done this before it’s quickest if you cut them into strips them take the knife across them to get your cubes.

Heat some coconut oil in a large pan and gently sweat off the vegetables with the teaspoon of chilli powder.

By this time the rice will have been been cooking for about 10 minutes and will have reduced in volume a little as the rice absorbs the coconut milk.  Add this rice and milk mix to the vegetables and stir.  If you're using fish sauce, add about a table spoon at this time.  If not then season with salt as you usually would.

Leave this on the heat until the rice is cooked.  It’s a little bit like a risotto, but because I used wild rice, there is less starch so it’s not as sticky as you’d usually expect with a risotto.

When the rice is nearly ready (it will take about 20 minutes if using wild rice) get some water on the build and poach your eggs.

To serve place the rice on a plate and top with some fresh watercress.  Add the eggs in the middle and then place a quartered cooked beetroot around the edges.

Hey presto!  A delicious breakfast that will keep you going all morning.

Enjoy!

#respectyourtemple

Clean and Green - Kickstart with Chlorella

So we're staying on our green theme with this article today.  We’re doing this because IT’s SO IMPORTANT and we want you to live a long, healthy and energy abundant life!

Phytonutrients give foods their colours, flavours and aromas and include substances like carotenoids and flavonoids.  These essential building blocks of life are linked to prevention of certain diseases including cancer.  We explore this area with an article below from our wonderful contributor Elizabeth McQuillan.

Chlorella is a great addition to any smoothie and adds super green colour

A visit to the local health shop leaves those of us without qualifications in herbology or supplement-ology pretty lost. Potions, tinctures, capsules and tablets – that are presumably meant to be good for us in one way or another – vie for position on the groaning shelves.

Most recently I had noticed an upsurge in the selection of green pondweed products. Chlorella seems to be flying off the shelves, and I did wonder what the heck the stuff actually does. The Japanese have known about the benefits for years, and actually cultivate their freshwater weed.

Algae are eukaryotes, with the contents of their cells parcelled into membrane shrink-wrapped organelles. The green slime acts as an effective powerhouse; capturing energy from sunlight during photosynthesis and reproducing at a phenomenal rate.

Chlorella is a slimy “superfood”.

Discovered in the 1950s by a Japanese scientist, chlorella growth factor (CGF) is an extract of the green freshwater alga, chlorella. Its cells divide themselves into four every 20 to 24 hours, and it is thought that the substance that allows this rapid expansion is CGF, which is produced during photosynthesis and makes up just 3 – 5% of the alga.

Significantly, CGF is believed to contain high levels of the nucleic acids RNA and DNA (our genetic fingerprints). The significance here is that as you age, your production of RNA and DNA slows down, and this growth factor is thought to kick-start the body’s ability for cell renewal. We can consume RNA and DNA in a range of foods, but chlorella is by far one of the richest supplies of the nutrient, containing 17 times more RNA than sardines.

Japanese scientists in the 1960s carried out tests that also suggested CGF may promote the tissue repair. After giving schoolchildren two grams of chlorella on a regular basis, after 112 days they discovered the children had grown faster and gained more weight than others who were not taking the algae. Since the same substances and processes that accelerate growth in children are thought to also promote the repair of tissue damage in adults, the scientists concluded that CGF has the ability to stimulate the body’s healing processes.

Chlorella can help to heal specific conditions of cellular breakdown such as ulcers, promote healing and repair in injury and illness, as well as boosting the good bacteria in the gut.

You can pick Chlorella up in various forms (tablets and powder) from health food shops.  Amazon UK supply a number of products as well and our UK readers and get them via the links below.

Elizabeth McQuillan

#respectyourtemple

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£21.99

£11.99

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 ;-)
 

Anchors & Healthy Chocolate Thick Shakes!

Interview with Shona Vertue on Anchors and her Thick Choc Shake for health!

TST “So Shona.  Great to have you with us today.  We want to explore anchors and how they may affect our eating on a subconscious level.  Tell us about some of your food memories from when you were at school."

Shona "Well, when I was little, one of my favourite things to do with my Dad was to have a Chocolate thick shake from Macdonald's. I became really attached to this Thick Shake because it reminded me of the time I would spend with Dad. It was comfort food."

TST “Ok, so that’s a perfect example of how we can create anchors which associate a particular thing with a feeling.  Over time this can mean that we crave that thing when we need to go to that same feeling.  Do you still drink them?"

Shona “Well I gave up MacDonalds some time ago, and I have to say it’s the only thing I really missed.  I guess it’s because of the thoughts of the great times I had with my father.  I think I was searching for comfort, but I found that replacing it with something better for me hit all the Anchors and kept me healthier and feeling better."

TST “OK cool!  So you effectively used the anchor that you’d already developed, but replaced the old habit with an empowering new one?"

Shona “Yes, that’s right.  I invented my own recipe for a thick chocolate milkshake and I have to say I actually prefer it to the old one so it’s a massive step forwards.  I still get the lovely smooth chocolate hit and feelings of comfort, but also some great fuel for my body which doesn’t have the crash effect of the old version packed with processed sugars."

TST “Thank you Shona.  So it’s a great lesson for all of us.  When you crave a certain food, just stop to think for a moment why that might be happening.  What feelings are you craving?  Try and find another “vehicle” to satisfy your needs.  This can be a food, but it can also be a number of other activities or things.  Maybe even a nice glass of filtered water to replace a bad habit.  Perhaps go for a walk in the fresh air.  Or invent your own healthier version like Shona did!

Here’s Shona’s recipe for her Healthy Thick Chocolate Shake.  We’ve tried it and it comes highly recommended.  As usual go organic with all your ingredients and enjoy!"

MacShona's Thick Superfood Shake

1/2 - 1 Avocado (depending on size)

1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder

1 ripe Banana

1 cup rice or oat milk (maybe more if you like a more runny consistency)

1 teaspoon Manuka Honey (If you like it a little sweeter try adding a couple of dates as well)

3-5 Ice Cubes

Sprinkle of Bee Pollen

Place everything in a good quality blender and hey presto!  MacShona’s thick Superfood Shake.

Shona Vertue xx

#respectyourtemple

Are you throwing away your Avocado Seeds?

Vitamix Blended Avocado Seeds

So here's the thing.  We love Avocados at The Strength Temple and eat them regularly.  As well as tasting amazing (especially when sprinkled with a few soft flakes of Malden Sea Salt) they are so nutritious for you.  For example, did you know that the best part of the avocado flesh is the stuff just under the skin?  Yep - that's right, the really green stuff that you might miss if you don't scrape those skins out properly.  Don't leave this "green gold" behind or you are missing a trick.

The secret though is that people are throwing away the most nutritious parts - the "pit" or "seed".  The key is in knowing how to prepare them.

What we like to do is save a few up and let them dry out a little on the window sill.  After a day or so, pop them into a quality blender (we use a Vitamix or Sage Blender, and won’t be held responsible for breaking inferior blenders with this method!) and blend to a crumb.  The picture inset is of some Avocado seed crumb that has oxidised after blending (like an apple might go brown after cutting.)  You can prevent this by squeezing some lemon juice over the crumb or just savour the rusty redness!

The resulting product has a nutty taste and we like to use it as a topping for porridge or salads and as a lovely addition at the end of the cooking process in a curry.

If you are interested in some in-depth science behind the nutritious aspects of the humble Avocado check out this article from The Worlds Healthiest Foods or surf over to our friend Darin Olien’s website "Superlife" for some more learning!

Oh - and don’t forget to come back and leave a comment for us below on how you like to use your new ingredient.

#RespectYourTemple

Protein Banana Loaf

Let's face it, we're not quite there yet.  Finding health food cafes with gluten free & sugar free treats is not an easy task for most of us & certainly not cost effective once you do find them….

Get your baking hat on, get the kids involved, make it fun & make you're own tasty creations.  Personally I find it significantly more satisfying; you know what's gone in it & tastes better when you make it yourself!

This Banana loaf is great as a slice with your breakfast smoothie or after a workout when you’re body is craving some nutrition love.

Recipe:

1 cup coconut milk • 1/2 cup protein powder • 2 ripe bananas • 1/2 cup egg whites or 2 eggs • 3 tbsp coconut flour • 1 tbsp vanilla extract • 3 tbsp coconut flakes • 3-4 medjool dates (depending on your sweet tooth) • hand full of smashed walnuts • 1/2 tsp baking powder.

Directions : blend together • pour in loaf tin (greased with coconut oil) • sprinkle shaved almonds on top • bake 180c for 45-60mns (until browned)

Can't wait for the coffee run!

#respectyourtemple

Chia Pudding & Removing bad habits

As you know our Director Richie Norton has been on the road recently training some exciting new drivers in Abu Dhabi looking to enter the world of F1.  Getting hold of some of the ingredients we usually take for granted was a real challenge and it’s brought home to us the amazing access we have to Superfoods in the UK.

Bio Science and investigations into natural superfoods is teaching us so much, but we still see so many ignoring the facts and continuing to poison their bodies with junk.   We understand it's not easy breaking habits.  To get started you can simply be open to a healthier set of choices that look amazing and are absolutely delicious.

We've been duped by advertisers pushing that massive greasy pizzas or cupcakes towering with frosting make us feel good when they absolutely DO NOT!  When you get on the track to eating cleaner and really listening to your body after you’ve eaten junk you’ll get it. We promise!  By the way; we love this ad.  We are not endorsing Weightwatchers and don’t necessarily agree with their philosophy, but we do LOVE THIS AD.  My son studied it in his media classes and came home excited to tell me all about it.  It’s extremely powerful.  Watch it and see if it highlights the fact that what we all do is purely habitual.  The great news is that once we realise this we can change it :-)

So how do we move forwards?  Well it’s a gradual thing.  We need to create an empowering alternative to make it easier to win this game of improvement.  Make better choices when you're shopping and play around with some new superfood creations.  Start to learn how to cook clean (there’s plenty of inspiration here on this website) & get your kids involved. They are the future after all.

We deal extensively with replacing bad habits with new empowering ones as part of our programs.  There are also loads of tips here in the website to keep you motivated and on the right track.

So let's start with a beautiful superfood - Chia seeds.  You can use them to sprinkle on all sorts of dishes.  They are relatively tasteless, so you can go savoury or sweet.  They are a great source of soluble fibre and extremely nutritious:

28 grams (1oz) of chia seeds contains:  11 grams of fibre, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat (5 of which are Omega 3), Calcium 18% RDA, Manganese 30% RDA, Magnesium 30% RDA, Phosphorous 27% RDA.  They also contain Zinc, B3 (Niacin), Potassium, B1 (Thiamine) and B2.

Recipe:

Chia pudding.

Method:

Get yourself a big jar and cover the bottom with a tablespoon of chia seeds (available in all health food shops or via Amazon UK in the link at the bottom of this article).  Then you can try either of these methods or make some up yourself.

The awesome looking purple one at the top of this article is Chia with coconut water, blueberries & some fresh mint leaves.  Just add the blueberries and mint to the chia in the jar and top up with the coconut water.  Give them a good stir and pop the lid on.  In time they will exude their halo of goodness and fill up the jar - it's magic and simple!

The one we used to top our porridge is Chia with coconut water, sunflower seeds and goji berries.  Use the same method.

Soaking them brings them to life releasing all the nutrient benefits.  A jar should last you all week.

Try adding a spoon full to your smoothies, use it to top your porridge, eat it with some fresh yogurt or simply eat it from the jar.  It packs a nutritious punch & they keep for up to 2 weeks if refrigerated.  The featured picture is Organic Porridge topped with Banana, Kiwi, Chia Pudding (the goji and sunflower one), bee pollen and a flavour bomb of passion fruit in the middle!  It’s currently in my tummy and has fuelled the writing of this article :-)

If you like what we’re talking about and want to make sure you don’t miss anything you can subscribe to our newsletter here.

#respectyourtemple

Sevenhills Wholefoods Raw Chia Seeds 2kg Buy on Amazon

Zen Valley Big Goji Berries 1KG, 250gx4 packs, Free from Preservative&Sulfite Buy on Amazon

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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Vegetable Roast Up!

Colourful roasted vibes right here!

It’s so easy, trust me on this one.  Get some vegetable love into your body with this super tasty Roasted Vegetable Dish.

Ingredients:

Kale, sweet potato wedges, parsnip chunks, capsicum strips, whole garlic cloves, coconut oil, rosemary, malden salt, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice.

Method:

So simple you can do it blind folded (be careful of the sharp knives of course).  Pre-heat oven to 220 degrees C, chop up your roasted goodies, throw in an ovenproof bowl (exclude kale at this stage), add coconut oil, add your seasoning.   Massage the coconut oil into the veg so it’s all covered and then pop them into the oven.

After about 15 minutes take them out and give them a shake to move the brown bits around and baste in their own juices.

Kale goes in at the end with 5 mins to go; leave until it browns up and goes super crispy.  After 20-30mins ish they will be ready.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice for extra ZING!

#respectyourtemple

Breakfast Porridge Jars

Breakfast on the move!

We would usually recommend you get up 30 minutes earlier and enjoy a steady and un-rushed breakfast experience, but we’re also realists and know that some of you like to fly about like a pinball.  If you can’t beat em, join em!

The fact is that eating breakfast is so important and if you can’t manage to make some time in the morning to have a proper feed, we’re going to encourage you to get your nutrition in one way or another.

This is a great breakfast hack and doesn’t take any time to make.  For those of you that get up, get in the shower and get out, you can do this the night before and leave it in the fridge.  Just don’t forget to take it with you.  Perhaps leave your keys with it 😉

Breakfast Porridge Jars

Make your porridge which takes a few minutes in the microwave - there’s no excuse!  We like organic gluten free, steel cut porridge oats.  Make it just how you like it, but if you are leaving it in the fridge overnight, make it slightly thinner as it will thicken up as it gets cold and the oats swell.

Put your porridge in an old Coconut Oil jar, or similar and top with your favourite toppings.  Breakfasts like this are an ideal time to get your nut and seed intake on board as well as a great opportunity to smash some fresh fruit into your body.  We’ve gone for berries here, but you can go with what’s in your fruit bowl.  Strawberries and mango is another top choice of ours.  Sprinkle your favourite seeds (chia, poppy, sunflower, pumpkin etc), muesli or trail mix on the top and pop the lid on.

Oh - and don’t forget to take a spoon 😃 

#respectyourtemple