I had so many courgettes growing this year, and as always so many have gone to waste! I spent ages looking for yummy new ways to eat them, both sweet and savoury! I came across a recipe and changed it around to suit myself. Yes, it's still delicious. These are my Blueberry, Banana and Courgette Muffins. So simple to make and full of hidden fruit and vegetables, making them great for fussy children!

Treat Yourself Tuesday: Raspberry Bakewell Cake

It's a well known fact I love food. I love experimenting with healthy foods and also treating myself to more indulgent goodies too. When I made this cake and tasted how wonderful it was I couldn't help but take a few photos for my blog here. I present to you a wonderful Raspberry Bakewell Cake, that is so moist and is delicious with a tea or coffee any time of day...

Stress and Your Body

No-one avoids stress in life, but stress can affect people in many different ways. Sometimes the smallest things can throw someone overboard, while others are completely unaffected by pressure. This is all generally down to personality and a person's ability to withstand stress and work under pressure. Stress is a horrible thing no matter why or how it is effecting you.

Overall stress has many effects on our bodies, over a short term this is usually harmless, but constant or chronic stress can have huge repercussions on the body and a person's health.

Stress can cause headaches, difficulty sleeping and a feeling of anxiety, worry and depression. This is due to the fluctuating hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) in the brain during stress. If the stress is short lived the hormones soon balance, while long term stress causes failure for the central nervous system to return to normal. Stress increases blood circulation, raising blood pressure and constricting blood vessels, over long periods of time, stress can increase the risk of hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and raise the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. In the digestive system, stress causes excess glucose production in the liver, the body can find coping with the excess sugar difficult, placing the person under risk of Type 2 Diabetes. It can also disrupt the way in which food moves through the body, so stress is often linked with constipation and diarrhea, since the 'fight or flight' hormone levels are elavated. Over long periods of time, stress can affect the immune system, as excess hormone production compromises it, leaving a person more susceptible to the flu and other viral infections.

Stress can be triggered by many aspects of our lives and no-one is immune to it, however after reading up on the many repercussions of stress I think it is important to notes the link between stress and health, which goes much deeper than affecting only our mental health.

There are many way to reduce stress and it's so important to find what works for yourself.

Some great ideas are:
Having a bath
Going for a walk, cycle or exercise in general
Reading
Meditation
Having a cup of tea
Listening to music
Taking time for yourself

There are so many way to relax and de-stress, and everyone is different. It's important to gain perspective to how your worries weigh into your life, and remember the things you worry about are usually not even worth over thinking.

Almond-Coated Chicken Stir Fry

Colourful food is my favourite. Anything with lots of vegetables and plenty of colour in my eyes is the epitome of healthy and nutritious. When  I'm in college during the week I generally base my meals around vegetables (because I absolutely LOVE them), and while many people are living off Pot Noodles and Microwavable Rice, I'm just making another one of my made-up on the spot recipes. I do plan on sharing some more of my savoury recipes here once I have perfected them! But for now, here's one which has been inspired by one of the GREATEST Chinese dishes I have ever had while over in Spain on my holidays last year. The chinese restaurant was the best one I have ever been in, it served free watermelon after the meal and made the most delicious jug of Sangria. (Very multicultural haha). It was like no Chinese Restaurant I have seen here at home.  

Here is my recipe for my Almond Coated Chicken Stir Fry.

The Month Of May

May has been a GREAT month... I've finished exams, we've had pretty good weather & I've been super productive! May marked the start of summer for me. I was determined to get a job, work hard and get lots done. I have even had loads of time for walks (which are way more fun when it's sunny).