Learn to Love Your Body with the Selfridges EveryBODY Campaign*

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

"As the wellness movement continues to influence how we depict, treat and talk about our bodies, we are seeking to explore the joy, strength and beauty of individuals united in motion. Whether the sight of a clean-eating hashtag makes your toes curl or your morning just isn’t complete without a sprinkling of chia seeds – Selfridges invite you to celebrate the beauty of difference through our EVERYBODY campaign.

LOVE YOUR INDIVIDUALITY. REVEL IN THE CROWD."

Selfridges recent campaign and series of events (their biggest ever) focus on embracing healthy living, positive body image, a celebration of individuality... a campaign focused on changing our perception of beauty encouraging us to embrace the body we are in, to fight female objectification, to be proud of our strength not our sexuality.

The Selfridges body studio focuses on learning to love and be proud of our bodies no matter what shape and size they manifest... offering a huge product range from lingerie encouraging indulgence in ourselves, to swimwear and fitness wear, to comfortable sleepwear for that all important 'down time'. In light of the Selfridges EveryBODY campaign I decided to list my own little ways to help practice self love and be proud of our bodies.:

001. Acceptance vs. Perfection - No body (and no bodies body) is perfect. Accepting that your body has flaws is the first step in finding peace with your body so strive for acceptance not perfection... embrace the parts of your body that you love instead of focusing on the parts you hate.

002. Indulge - 'your body hears everything your mind says', so be K I N D. Treat yourself: splurge on some of Selfridges perfectly fitting and luxurious lingerie, allow yourself to spend a bit of time finding those perfectly flattering gym leggings, invest in some silky soft pyjamas. Indulge your body, you deserve it.

003. Go olympian - Be proud of your body for its strength, its endurance, its speed, power, athleticism. Switch your focus from what your body looks like and turn your attention to what your body can DO. Ramp up the intensity in your workouts, push yourself harder than ever before, compete with no one but yourself and most importantly be proud of your results.

The EveryBODY Event Weekend:

The event weekend I attended involved a plank off hosted by Sweaty Betty (where my 5 minute effort placed me third place), a class run by Barrecore, bootcamps, and a number of different 'detoxifying', gluten free, superfood stands offering protein filled snacks and refreshing drinks. 

Personally, I love the new Selfridges campaign. I think it's finally time we ditched the concept of a 'perfect' body and instead focused on our health and raising a new generation of women who are proud of the bodies they have.

Reduce Stress: Organise Your Mind

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

 Spring is well and truly upon us, which means it's time for a big spring clean. I am one of those people that has colour coded to-do lists and can't start revising until I've spent a small fortune on pretty gel pens, highlighters and stickers in Paperchase first... However, we can all be guilty (myself included) of spending hours ensuring that the space our body occupies is organised and somewhere we feel comfortable, yet completely neglect to do the same for the space our mind occupies. Remember you can never escape from your mind, so it's time to work on organising that space too and making it a place that you are happy to occupy.

A little history: When I was 16 I started to suffer badly with stress. I struggled to find the right work-life balance; juggling revising for all my different subjects whilst still maintaing far more extra curricular activities than I could possibly manage to squeeze in to my already hectic life. I'd like to say that as I got older I got better with managing my commitments, but if anything my tendency to over commit myself only got worse as I began university, and by this time last year my ability to take on far more than I can handle turned out to be one of my greatest downfalls. If you've read some of my recent blog posts, such as this one, I touched on why I felt it was important to give myself a few months off... and in these past few weeks I've realised that although I will probably always be the type of person to throw myself head first into far too many commitments, what I have got better at is organising my mind in order to deal with all these different deadlines at once. Below are the little tips that I have learnt along the way that have helped to reduce stress and calm my mind.

1. Be clear on your priorities - working towards someone else's goal is never going to be as rewarding as working towards something that you want to achieve for yourself. It is an incredibly difficult thing to do, but try and separate yourself from what other people want you to achieve, and focus on what you would be happy with personally. Goals you set for yourself can be as big or small as you wish, but you will never feel pride or a sense of accomplishment if you haven't set out to realise these ambitions for your own benefit. When life takes over you need to know which of your commitments is the most important to your health and your wellbeing. Prioritising these commitments will help you to organise your mind when they all pile up at once.

2. Set realistic goals - Whatever it is you are working towards completing; be it revision, coursework deadlines, fitness goals etc., if you want the results to last then there is no quick fix... these are usually very long processes. You aren't going to learn a whole years worth of work in one night, you aren't going to undo 10 years of unhealthy living in 12 weeks. The start of the journey will inevitably be the hardest, and when you are a long way from reaching your ultimate aim it can be hard to stay on track and motivate yourself to keep moving in the right direction, especially when you feel you are no closer to achieving anything than when you started. Setting yourself quick fix unrealistic targets will only lead to negativity when you fail to complete them. Instead, set realistic goals to be completed in a comfortable and attainable time frame, giving yourself rewards if you manage to achieve them ahead of schedule. 

3. Bad days happen - and when they do, you need to pick yourself up and move forwards. We all need time off every now and again, and that is OK. No one is expecting you to be on your top form 24/7. The way I deal with this? I use my Happiness Planner (pictured below), and every night it guides me through a series of questions and allows me to focus on the positives, not the negatives. It's important to listen to your own body and mind... give yourself a day off when you need it and wake up tomorrow with a positive mind set that today you will get back on track. Every day is a new one, so don't dwell on the failures from the day before. 

Remember, stress is not what happens to us, it is a response to what happens to us and response is something we can control. It's not your workload that's breaking you down, it's the way you've chosen to carry it. Learning to adjust that load is what makes all the difference. Worrying about workload or deadlines or exams will not make them go away, but it will stop you from appreciating the good things. Time is yours to do what you wish, and remember there is always time to chase your dreams.

Happy Coeliac Awareness Week!

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

A little over two years ago I was told that it would greatly benefit my health if I cut gluten out of my diet. My first reaction was confusion... how could I have survived 20 years of wheat eating yet now be told I could never eat a single piece of bread, bowl of pasta, slice of cake again?! It made no sense to me, so stupidly, I went and ate a malteaser. A single malteaser. And within seconds was doubled over in pain. And since then I have never again *intentionally* consumed wheat or gluten... I say intentionally as there has been the odd gluten-related slip up, needless to say each one resulting in an early night, hot water bottle, a belly that could rival a 5-month-pregnant woman and some seriously painful tummy cramps. OK, these symptoms may not seem like the end of the world, but trust me, this adverse effect towards gluten is far from pleasant (I'm deliberately leaving out the gory details because no one wants to be reading those at this time on a Tuesday evening), and most importantly, since cutting gluten from my diet I feel so much healthier. So what may seem like a huge sacrifice is actually a small price to pay for feeling fit, happy and healthy.

It is actually incredibly common to, like me, be completely unaware of an allergy or intolerance to types of gluten such as wheat. I had become so used to the symptoms of my intolerance that I didn't realise how ill I felt every single day until cutting it out. In fact it is estimated that a shocking 76% of suffers go undiagnosed. Therefore, as it is National Coeliac Week I decided to write a little blog post on my Gluten Free experience to help raise a bit of awareness about wheat free living.

001. Being New to Gluten Free
I think it's safe to say I spent about five hours food shopping during the week following my diagnosis. I went everywhere that was in easy driving distance of my house: Tesco, Morrisons, Co-op, a Sainsbury's Local, an M&S food. I searched high and low for the 'Free From' products and spent a small fortune trying out a number of different brands and products. Although this was a huge pain at the beginning (and definitely wasn't student food shopping budget friendly), I very quickly got to grips with which brands I preferred and it wasn't long until I was able to complete my food shop just as easily as usual. Yes, the first time I ate a gluten free digestive it tasted like a dog biscuit, and some pizza bases have a texture suspiciously similar to that of corrugated cardboard but hey, trial and error right?!

002. Naturally Gluten Free is Always Better
The above brings me nicely onto point number two... I quickly learnt that there really are so many foods that are naturally gluten free, meaning you can avoid some of these questionable supermarket alternatives. I quickly replaced starchy gluten filled carbs with not only naturally gluten free alternatives, but much healthier alternatives too. I discovered sweet potato, quinoa and beans and realised that gluten free doesn't actually have to mean tasteless and boring food! Suddenly this horrible gluten-less tunnel was seeming a lot less dark.

003. Have a Positive Attitude
When I was diagnosed I went home and cried. All I could think about was everything that I used to enjoy and now could no longer ever taste again. I would sit in restaurants and wish that I could order anything off the menu instead of narrowing it down to things I could actually safely eat and then picking from a small and less than appetising selection. Food can become a chore, social situations become awkward as you don't want to be the one to cause a scene in a restaurant by rearranging the whole menu to find something suitable. But it really does help to try and ignore all these negatives and focus on the positives too. Remember how much healthier you now feel, remember that there are still so many nutritious and healthy foods available to you and most importantly remember not to feel awkward because your diagnosis isn't your fault!

Below I have linked some of my Gluten Free recipes for you to try:
Berry and chocolate refined sugar free protein bites
Protein oat breakfast bars
'Nakd' cocoa cookie bites

Tips for Mental Wellbeing with Vivid Matcha Green Tea*

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

"A mind with focus and energy can achieve anything. While others obsess with physical health we promote the importance of mental wellbeing, clarity and focus." - James Shillcock, Founder of Vivid.

Matcha Green Tea is the 'it' drink of the moment. 2015 had coconut water, 2014 was the year of the juice cleanse, and 2016 is rapidly shaping up to be Matcha Green Tea's turn to take to the podium, and rightly so. If you follow me on instagram (@amyelizabeth_blog) or snapchat (@amyylyons), then you will be well aware of my green tea obsession... hot, cold, in smoothies, by the bucket full... I consume that much I wouldn't be surprised if you cut me and I bled green tea. In simple terms, matcha is basically like the superhero version of green tea. As opposed to regular green tea, where a tea bag is stewed in water, matcha is high grade green tea leaves that have been ground into a powder and mixed directly with water, meaning you are actually consuming the entire green tea leaf, allowing you to fully digest all of the nutritional value and health benefits.

Along with the many health benefits of green tea (I won't bore you, I'm sure you've heard them all before), there is solid evidence to support the idea that it helps with energy levels, clarity of thought and stress reduction, all contributing to a healthy mental wellbeing. Society is becoming increasingly fast paced, people are working longer hours, struggling to eat nutritious food and are constantly looking for an energy 'quick fix', unfortunately usually in the shape of a sugary chocolate bar or self proclaimed 'energy drink' such as Gatorade or Red Bull. The beauty of matcha green tea is it can provide the same energy lift without all the nasty artificial ingredients!

As Vivid's mission statement is all about promoting mental wellbeing, I decided to compile my own little list of ways to help focus your mind and become healthy not just on a physical level, but mentally too:

001. Take time away from technology - find something you can do where you literally have no temptation to touch your phone, tablet, laptop etc. For me, I like to go and sit in the sauna at the gym. I lock my phone away in my locker and become completely disconnected- no one can contact me even if they want to. Sitting there gives me time to think and collect my thoughts. In fact the majority of my blog post ideas are thought up either in the sauna or in the bath (another fantastic place to disconnect from technology for a while).

002. Make your bed somewhere you want to spend time - I love sleep. The best part of my day is when I crawl into bed at night time... Unfortunately, me and my bed seem to have a love-hate relationship. I love being there, but my body doesn't really like sleeping there. Or anywhere. Sometimes I wonder how I manage to actually function everyday off the lack of sleep I seem to acquire. However, if you make your bed as comfortable as it can possibly be, even when sleep is a struggle, at least your body can enjoy some form of relaxation. For me, this comes in the form of fairy lights, candles and lots of comfy cushions and blankets. I always have a book and my diary in my bedside table, and try to reach for these at 2A.M. when sleep has escaped me.

003. Make your mind clock off at the same time as your body - Whenever I am finished working for the day I get straight into my dressing gown or pyjamas, to try and teach my brain to make the mental association that now it is officially 'down time'. Putting loose and comfortable clothes on can go a long way to helping your mind feel much more relaxed, as feeling physically comfortable and at ease will help your mind to feel the same.

004. Remove negativity - Whether it comes from negative people in your life or from your own mind, negativity is not an ingredient for a healthy and mentally fulfilling life. The less you respond to negative people and situations the more peaceful your life will become. Surround yourself with people that are only going to lift you higher- a negative mind will never lead to a positive life.

Oh and Stan gives it his seal of approval too! 

Elemis Biotec Skin Energising Day Cream

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

I am an incredibly active person: I have an intensive fitness regime and as much as possible try to stick to a healthy and natural diet; I limit refined sugar and try my best to eat foods that are solely made from natural ingredients. Why? Because I want to nourish my body and maintain an active lifestyle that will energise my body and help me to feel as healthy as possible. That's why the Elemis Biotec Skin Energising Day Cream is the perfect product to match all these feelings externally; consisting of two phases to firstly intensively hydrate and nourish the skin and secondly kick start the skin's natural bio-electricity. In simple terms the day cream energises your skin cells leaving your skin healthy and revitalised in the same way all that lovely fresh food helps your body to feel the same.

For years Elemis has been my go to skin care brand, I must own near enough twenty different products from the brand and use them religiously day and night. However, if I'm heading to the gym in the morning I don't have the time to use a number of different products, and therefore wanted to try a more lightweight formula to help my skin feel energised and glowing whilst I was working out. 

The Elemis Biotec Skin Energising Day Cream uses three key ingredients to help maintain optimum skin functionality:
001. Trio of Acids - 'Encourages essential enzymatic functions and boosts the flow of electrons.'
002. Encapsulated Zinc and Copper - 'Both minerals facilitate enzymatic processes relating to cell energy including stimulation of cell growth and DNA replication'
003. Electrolytes - 'To encourage optimum cell health and vitality'

The day cream itself couldn't be easier to apply: use two fingers to push down both sides of the pump releasing both products. Blend these together on the back of your hand before applying to your face and neck area. 

The product slides like silk and leaves my skin feeling nourished and smoother than any other skincare product I have ever tried. The intense hydration properties of the day cream leave your skin practically glowing, meaning I can confidently enter the gym with a completely make up free face and feel fresh and clean and the product really does 'switch your skin back on' as Elemis claim.

I would rate this product a 9.5/10, and TBH it would have been a solid 10 if it wasn't for the slightly hefty price tag of £75. However, price aside the product lives up to every expectation and I will definitely continue to invest and may even break the bank to buy the Night Cream to match.

Let me know your thoughts below!

Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free Protein Bites!

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

You may have noticed that over recent weeks I have fallen in love with making my own raw, gluten free and refined sugar free treats!

These bars were completely improvised as I went along (so bear with me slightly on the recipe), however for a complete on the spot invention they actually turned out a pretty great success (ignoring the absolute bomb site that I managed to make of my mums kitchen in the process... oh and forgetting when I nearly chopped my finger off on my nutribullet blade)... but near amputation related injuries aside they tasted pretty darn good.

(Recipe makes approximately 16 bites)

Base Ingredients:
100g pitted dates
1 tablespoon coconut oil
30g protein (I use Protein World Slender Blend unflavoured)
1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons of Chia Bia chia and blueberry mix (can be substituted for normal chia seeds)
2 tablespoons almond butter

'Biscuit' layer ingredients:
50g almond flour
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1.5 tablespoons almond butter
30g oats
10g protein

Topping ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil
50g pitted dates
1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
frozen berries

Method:
001. Make each layer individually by mixing all ingredients in a food processor or nutribullet
002. Once the base has been made press into a loaf tin or small baking tray, ensuring it fills every corner
003. Add the crumble middle layer and press down once more
004. Spread the topping over the top
005. Place in the freezer for two hours to set
006. Cut and serve :)

Highly Commended for Best Lifestyle Blog in the 2016 UK Blog Awards

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

Back on 7th February 2014 I sat on my bed in Manchester and wrote my first ever blog post, a beauty review that received little to no hits. I started a blog that I was (at the time) ashamed of, and told no one of it's existence for six months, worried that people would criticise my writing and quite frankly I thought everyone would find the whole concept of my blog stupid. I was afraid to feel like an embarrassment. Fast forward to Friday night and somehow there I was, two years of hard work and five national blog award shortlists later, stood in a gorgeous ballroom in London while a photographer took my photo. Why? Because Amy Elizabeth had not only been shortlisted from 2000 entries and 78000 votes but was actually awarded Highly Commended for the Best Lifestyle Blog in the UK?!? Just wow.

The first thing I have to say is thank you. When I was sat on that bed two years ago I never in a million years dreamed that I would ever achieve anything close to what I have achieved today. I guess the moral of that story is don't be afraid of having people laugh at your dreams, criticise your work or tell you you can't succeed. Success isn't a bi-product of luck, success is a bi-product of hard work and don't let any one tell you otherwise. My blog now has nearly 13,000 followers across all platforms and I am scarily close to 400,000 blog views. The fact that I can't even comprehend what 13,000 people would look like is pretty overwhelming in itself. So to each and every person who has ever read, commented, followed or visited my blog or any of my social media platforms; Thank you. And I really truly mean it.

Being awarded Highly Commended really means so much to me. I have poured my heart and soul into my blog and to have this effort recognised on a national level is the most incredible feeling in the world. But more than my certificate, more than my blog stats or page views, what touches me the most are the stories, emails and comments from readers who I have directly influenced through my blog. If even one of those page views has positively inspired someone, helped someone seek comfort or even made someone smile then I have done my job.

This year the headline sponsor was Odeon, along with category sponsors Debenhams, BMW and Bupa just to name a few. The theme of the night was storytelling, and the venue was decorated beautifully by Event Trees in the style of the BFG. Dream jars were hung in trees and fairylights lit Ivy covered walls, creating the most magical venue for such a magical event. I loved every single minute of Friday night, it was without a doubt one of the best nights of my life. Thank you once again for all your support, here's to the future... I wonder what the next two years have in store.

SIGNATUREEEEEEEEE.png

WIN! A pair of tickets to the #OMYogaShow in Manchester!*

photo Screen Shot 2016-05-07 at 11.57.47_zpspfkbekkh.png

The OM Yoga Show is coming to Manchester next month, and I have teamed up with them to give away two pairs of tickets to the show! 

'The OM Yoga Show is the perfect introduction to the ancient Indian practice of yoga, renowned for relaxing the body and de-stressing the mind: the perfect counter to today’s modern world. Visitors come to the OM Yoga Show to immerse themselves in a truly yogic atmosphere for the whole weekend. Free open classes provide the opportunity to be inspired by leading teachers; the chance to try something new, or revisit an old favourite. For those looking for a slightly more intense experience, workshops will take place throughout the three days, during which teachers will lead longer sessions. There will be over 100 exhibitors attending, who will be on hand to provide a fantastic range of yoga accessories, clothing, jewellery, super food, retreats and much more.'

To win? All you need to do is complete the entry form below! Good luck!