Radiance - The Juice Cleanse Co.

 2 beetroot
 2 eggs room temperature
 1 tsp vanilla extract
 1/2 tsp almond extract
 1/3 cup maple syrup
 1/8 cup coconut oil melted
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 2 tbsp coconut flour
 1 cup almond flour
 1 tsp baking soda
 1/4 tsp salt
 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips for the top 

Getting outside and exercising can be really hard this time of year. Gone is the momentum of New Year's Resolutions and it’s still dark and cold out. The best advice we can give to maintain consistently with your exercise regimen is to find things that don't feel like exercise to you. 

In life we need to understand that there is no one size fits all. Just as there is no one optimal diet for all, there is also no one superior workout. Life is personal and since following my own likes and dislikes I have transformed my approach to exercise. 

I have had an ongoing struggle with exercise since I left school, I was a very active child with very dedicated (and organised) parents forever running me from ballet, to gymnastics to swimming. Fast forward to university where I was first introduced to the gym. I have had countless expensive gym memberships in the 10 years since and never managed a routine that resembled any kind of consistency. In fact, said membership, would frequently remain dormant for months at a time. The gym has, and probably always will, feel like the ultimate chore to me.

This past year has been the first time in my adult life that I can say that has changed and I actually look forward to exercise. 

Two things have shifted:

1. I stopped looking at exercise as punishment and deeming it as necessary in order to change my body. Instead I started using it as a tool for my mental and physical health and started relishing in how good movement actually feels!

2. Finding something that I love to do was a big game changer. I needed to find an activity that was a bit out of the box and perhaps a little unusual that I found fun. This took some trial and error and can feel uncomfortable but it is worth it. My favourite activity of the week is now my contemporary ballet class.

In finding something that doesn’t feel like a chore and that I actually look forward to, I have managed to exercise 3x a week for 6 months without any struggle or stress.  For me that looks like swimming on a Saturday, a dance class on a Tuesday and 90s yoga on a Friday. There are so many quirky and fun classes available to us now, that you are bound to find something that lights you up!

Do some research and see what you find. Where do your likes and dislikes take you? You don’t have to be doing regular HIIT training or running marathons to have a good relationship with fitness. Some of the classes we love are @silverlinings @moveyourframe @psycle and @barrecore.  Share with us your favourites and your new finds.  We'd love to hear how you get on.  

We are suckers for good quality organic, dark chocolate.  So whether you're showing yourself some love, gifting to that special someone or treating a treasured friend, here is our pick of some of the best around.  And as life is about balance, remember, there's no need for any guilt...

Montezuma's is one of our go-to brands for chocolate.  Interesting flavours and bold packaging. We love the look of these Lots of Love Dark Chocolate Jar of Hearts.  Delicious and in a reusable glass jar.  

Another of our all time favourite brands is Booja Booja.  These were the first vegan fine chocolates truffles we discovered, and they are still one of the best out there.  We love the variety of the Truffle Selection No.2.

Love Cocoa has beautiful packaging, delicious chocolate and a mission to disrupt the commercial chocolate industry.  They select the finest cacao beans, not purely for flavour but based on sustainability and social impact too.  They also have a 'buy one plant one tree' iniative and have planted over a million trees.  This really is one chocolate brand you can buy from knowing that it's doing good whilst tasting amazing.