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Hello all! I've started a new blog with an easier user interface.. or so I hope. Spinach and specs is aimed to be filled with delicious, healthy food, indulgent cakes, optometry related things, fashion and general life happenings! I hope you will follow me to the new site and enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing it. E x

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We love you, Yoghurt

I always thought yoghurt was a fattening treat and I never really trusted the 'fat-free' slogans. But I was wrong. Yoghurt is ( like Cauliflower) high in Calcium, a portion is one third of your daily intake! Why the sudden calcium obsession? Calcium inhibites the release of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone which tells the body to produce more stomach fat. Wobble. Who is this Cortisol guy? Get out of here! So basically, eating calcium aids weightloss and even more so, belly weight! It's also a great post sweat session snack, eaten within an hour of your workout the proteins in yoghurt, aid repair. While the carbohydrates replenish energy stocks in the muscles. Ka-Ching! Along with all the Vitamins and good bacteria, yoghurt is a great weekly shopping basket staple. 

Oh Amsterdam

Amsterdam, the city of indulgence! The city of beauty and culture! The city of so many, many bicycles! Amsterdam is known for tulips, history, clogs, pancakes, sex, red lights and coffee shops. Obviously no trip to the Dam would be complete without ticking all of these boxes, right? The first stop of our great European adventure. We flew in and as soon as we touched down I couldn't wait to get going. Shout out, The Hans Brinker Hotel which in my opinion is freaking awesome. So, if your looking for really shit accommodation check it out! We freshened up and went on the prowl for food. Unfortunately, most restaurants were very tourist orientated and served standard burgers and chips. (Chip portions are HUGE! Which may explain my bloated holiday belly. sigh)

Going for an Après dîner stop at a coffee shop is welcomed. If your a tourist its practically expected! I looked around and made eye contact with another traveller, we both cracked a smile of mutual happiness and sipped our coffees. Let me tell you, coffee in Amsterdam are awesome. There are so many different types, flavours and strengths. Most coffees are served the usual way, but there are some edible coffees too! If you like to enjoy the occasional Starbucks or Costa, then your gna have a good time. But hey I'm no connoisseur!

Chicken, Cauliflower Coconut Rice Recipe

Staying healthy on a student budget and more over student lifestyle can be extremely difficult. With most students gaining 10lbs on average in the first year. My god. The most important part of looking after yourself is preparation. If you have healthy options at hand it'll be easier to stay on track.

Buddha Original, Budapest. RR

The Buddha Original restaurants are situated in the centre, on the Pest side of the capital. A great place to stop off for a quick, hearty Thai dinner. A modern oriental restaurant with simplistic decor. After a hectic day of playing tourist, the chilled out vibe was more than welcomed! The clientele showed clearly that this restaurant appealed to all ages, although seemed targeted to the younger market.

Climbing Pen Y Fan

 

Pen Y Fan, for those who don't know, is the highest mountain peak in South Britain. At 886m above sea level, it is part of the Brecon Beacon mountain range. Fun facts over, story time begins. My travel buddy and I decided, summer really wasn't over just yet. With Cardiff currently hit with the final wave of an Indian summer, we decided to make the most of the weather and climb the summit. It was a rather flippant decision and as per, we were under prepared. A quick stop at the supermarket prior to our commute, we had snacks and liquids to fuel us ahead.