IM BACK!

Okay so I took a longer break that originally planned but I am super excited to get my teeth back into blogging and sharing my own journey based around, healthy eating, fitness, and lifestyle.

Where have I been hiding?!

This past year has been really full on due to it being my last year of my degree and therefore I wanted to put all my head strength into achieving my original goal I set at the beginning of my degree and that was to achieve a first-class degree. All the head strength paid off and I have now gained a shiny new qualification; A First Glass degree in Graphic Design.

I could not be happier with the outcome of my 3 years hard work and I cannot wait to get back into my blogging journey and make StudentVsFitness a frequent blogging platform, continuing to follow my own journey to a healthier lifestyle and a fitter future.

The future of StudentVsFitness

So now I am a graduate and no longer a student I thought about changing the name of my blog but I then thought the whole reason I started this blog was to encourage other students how to eat healthy on a budget, give tips on how to help the dreaded hangover with natural nutrients and how to stay active during tough times with exam stress and coursework deadlines. So I have decided to keep the name the same and continue my blogging journey through the eyes if a student/recent graduate.

I am SO excited to get back into blogging and sharing my experiences through my blog and hopefully starting to network with other similar bloggers to me and work together to inspire other students to take their own journey to a living a healthier lifestyle and working towards a fitter future (all within a student budget!)

Product Review - STAUDT Knee-Cuff

So I was asked by Somnishop to try out and review one of the health products that they sell and I thought it was a perfect opportunity because using a knee cuff would really help my knees to recuperate  after exercise and the hockey training that I do as I often have alot of aches in my knee joints as they are the joint that holds the most physical weight of your body during running on the pitch or at the gym.

Size?

The sizing given is pretty accurate and the material is stretchy, its based on measuring your thigh a hands width above you knee to get the right size for you. I chose a medium and it fitted perfectly. 

Appearance? 

The design of the cuffs are simple and practical, with just the brand logo on the front, this isn’t an issue as this product is best and advised to be worn at night during the sleeping period when you are most still, to get the full use of the smart materials massaging your joints therefore appearance is not as important at practical use of the product. 

How it worked for me? 

The cuff kept my knee joints warm after I had done  2 hours’ worth of exercise during the day, I put them on before I went to bed, the ventilation was very good and did not make it uncomfortable or too warm to wear. The materials used are soft and stretchy and therefore are comfortable against the skin and do not restrict any movement in your legs during the night.

Comfort? 

The materials used to create the products are super soft which is good because wearing them at night it will need to be as comfortable as possible. The smart material used to create the cuffs aid ventilation through the night ensuring that your skin under the cuff has a non-sweaty sleep. The sponge material create a soft bed like state for the knee to rest on in the cuff.

Ease of use? 

Very easy to use you just slide on the leg and pull up to the knee and fasten to your own preferred tightness using the Velcro straps,

Does it achieve its purpose?

So far in my opinion I do believe the knee cuff helps to aid and prevent aches after sport, its comfortable to wear and has definitely had a positive impact on my knees  in the short term however I will carry on using it for the long term and do an updated opinion of the knee cuff in a couple of months when my hockey season has started and I will be using the product more often to prevent knee aches and swelling after the training and matches.

I highly reccomend this product to anyone that does vigorous sport exercises and experiences aches in their joints after sport, the customer service is also super friendly and cooperative to any questions or requirements you have. 

They have all the product listings they sell on there Amazon page 

Or you can find out more about their products or about the company at: 

www.staudt.at

www.somnisleep.com

Wearing my logo?!

Recently I got approached by College Custom and was asked if I would like to get my logo printed on a piece of clothing. Who wouldn't want to wear their own logo?!

College Custom are a company based in Brighton that personalises sports wear, clothing garments and accessories mainly for schools, colleges and universities. They are the sister company of LeaversHoodies.com.

They gave a such a professional and enthusiastic service I loved it! I was contacted the whole way through the process from the designing to the delivery. I would definitely go back to College Custom for any personalised clothing I want in the future!

I chose the hoodie in amongst the numerous other options on the website (there were loads to chose from!) due to being practical to wear during my training at hockey and wearing it to and from the gym. 

My hoodie arrived within a week of it being made and I had no problems at all in receiving the hoodie. It usually takes about 2 weeks from payment to delivery because all garments are made to the highest quality. As soon as it arrived I ripped the parcel open, I was super excited to try it on and my first impressions were very positive. The inside is like a fleecy material which is so warm and cosy and the fit is slightly baggy which I love in hoodies because it makes it easier to move when doing sports in my case.

At first I did think there was a hole in front hand pocket but then realised and was totally amazed because I had never had this little contraption in a hoodie, but it was a little incision in the hoodie to thread your headphones up the inside of your hoodie so the wire doesn't get in your way on the outside of the hoodie! I know, I was just as amazed...brilliant! 

I would definitely recommend using the College Custom service because the customer service I received was so exceptional and the garments are such a high quality. 

Go check out College Custom and Leavers Hoodies for more information and to check out their super cool range of garments to choose from! 

www.collegecustom.com

www.leavershoodies.com

Missing: Motivation!

So recently in my world of health and fitness there hasn't been a lot of fitness (boo you Shannon). In the past few weeks I have lost a lot of motivation to get my bum to the gym and sweat my ass into shape. I keep using excuses like " oh I have too much uni work to fit the gym in as well" or "ill go tomorrow and work even harder" (which 99% of the time doesn't happen either).

I don't really know why I have lost the motivation, I think maybe at the beginning the academic year when uni started again I got too caught up in the 'partying' and drinking which made me lose all motivations to keep up with my health and fitness.

I'm definitely making more of an effort to get back into the swing on things now though, I'm starting to bring back the realisation of how much I enjoy going to the gym and how much better it makes me feel after a work out. I'm still not 100% of where I want to be in terms of my body shape either, so now its all go, back to the fitness focus and keep on with my journey to living a healthier lifestyle and a fitter future. 

P.s I know I have bits of negativity in my posts here and there but this is mainly used as my diary of my journey which I can look back on to see my ups and downs and how I overcame different milestones, I wont be negative all the time because I'm not a fan of negativity but everyone goes through spells of it! ANYWAY....

I am super excited for the next few blog posts to come and to keep on with my journey!

Review: Aloe Vera Refresh!

So I got contacted by Satellite PR and asked if I wanted to try out the ‘Grace Aloe Refresh’ drinks and I was super excited to get involved!

A little bit of background about the drink…

Grace are a Caribbean food based company that have expanded to countries such as Canada, United States and the UK. They produce Caribbean based foods and drinks to allow everyone across the world to experience the taste of the Caribbean.

I received two flavours of the Aloe Vera Refresh drink. The original and a strawberry flavoured version. I totally fell in love with the drinks, in my honest opinion I prefer the original flavour of the drinks because I think the strawberry flavoured drink tasted a little bit artificial but that’s my own opinion.

So let me explain…

.

Taste?

The taste is hard to explain in words, it is a very sweet drink but not over powering due to the soothing texture. It not a ‘stodgy’ drink it has the same consistency of water.

One of the main features that plays a big part in the drink is the small segments of Aloe Vera pulp in the liquid. (So if you don’t like drinks with bits in, maybe this one isn’t for you) The only way I could think to describe the texture and consistency is it tastes like the drink has small juice vesicles in it. You know what I mean, the tiny segments within an orange segment full of the juice, it’s like that texture, but Aloe Vera pulp instead of orange juice vesicles. Basically there are soft bits of pulp in the drink. It can take a bit of getting used to the taste and consistency but I loved it from the get go.

I tried the drinks that contain 50% less sugar than the normal Grace Aloe Vera drinks which doesn’t affect the taste at all as I tired both of them and both the normal aloe drink and the 50% less sugar taste the same in my opinion.

Each bottle is 500ml and claims that there is 96 calories per bottle. The contents contains 30% Aloe Vera pulp and juice. On the bottle it says that the drink has ‘more than 100% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C per bottle’ BONUS! I have heard many people gaining health benefits from drinking Aloe Vera drinks, which is true as it helps towards making the immune system function properly and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue. (All of this in a bottle?! Winning)

My samples of the drink didn’t last long enough (because I couldn’t stop drinking them!) for me to fully experiment with looking at changes and benefits of my own body over a period of drinking the Aloe Vera drinks but I will definitely be buying and drinking more of the drinks because I have fallen in love with them.

I recommend this drink for everyone to try! I would try it two or three times before you make a decision because the taste can grow on you and no be put off by the slight 'yucky' look of the drink in a glass, taste it! It makes you feel super refreshed and I know how cliché that sounds but its true, the pulp really helps to boost the energetic sweet flavour of the drink.

You can find out more about Grace Products on their website! http://www.gracefoods.com/

Note: I received the drinks free of charge to try out and review in my honest opinion on my blog. All images and opinions are my own.

Little Update!

4/5 months slightly over due but I have finally organised myself into a routine to get back into what I do best and that is blogging! The past 4/5 months have been super full on with uni and a ton of other stuff which I know is no excuse to have such a long ‘break’ from blogging.

Now work load is starting to calm down with at uni I will have a lot more time to focus on the content of my blog and improving my communications with my audience.

In the essence of health and fitness, I plucked up the courage to join Coventry Uni Hockey Club and couldn’t be happier with the pals I have gained as well as being part of a team of crazy and ever so slightly alcoholic girls. Training every Monday helps to keep on top of my fitness as well as going to the gym throughout the week. I am glad I have kept to an active regime and not just packed it in since moving back to uni.

On the other hand I am not being as strict as I was over the summer with my diet. I am a lot more lenient with what I eat, not in the sense of stuffing my face with shitty foods but after spending the months from April 2015 to September 2015 with no carbohydrates or very little, I have reintroduced certain carbohydrates into my diet these include; whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread and the usual sweet potato that I love, I had to do this due to training for hockey and playing matches, I needed to re think my diet for energy levels in sport.

I still go to the gym when I can each week which is usually 2-3 times because it helps a lot with letting out stress from uni work as well as keeping the weight I have worked hard to lose, off.

I have a whole list of blog posts that I want to write each week to keep my blog active for my audience and keep my motivations going on my own journey to improving and maintaining my health and fitness. 

3 Lunch/Dinner Ideas For A Student On A Budget!

Tomato Lentil Pasta

Tin of green lentils - 60p

Italian Passata - 70p

Whole wheat Pasta - £1.20

=£2.50

1. Boil the pasta in a sauce pan of water until soft.
2. Drain the lentils from the water in the tin and cook in a saucepan for 5 minutes.
3. Add the passata to the lentils and leave to simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat.
4. Serve together whilst still hot.

Tortilla Pizza

Wholemeal Tortilla Wrap - £1.00 (pack)

2 Tomato - 65p (pack)

Italian Passata - 70p

Spinach - £1.00

Mozzarella - 50p

=£3.85

1. Chop up one tomato and blend in a food blender, transfer the blended tomato mixture into a saucepan and simmer on a low heat with one table spoon of passata. (if you don't have a food blender, chop the tomato up small and bring to a simmer, take a fork and break it down into a paste type mix)
2. Once the tomato mixture has thickened on a low simmer, spread onto tortilla wrap.
3. Add the toppings you wish onto the top and put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.

Fish Pie

Sweet Potato - £1.50 (pack)

Red onion - 80p (3 pack)

Tinned Tuna in spring water - £1.00

=£3.30

1. Peel, cube, boil then mash the sweet potato.
2. Cut the onion to your choice of size.
3. Drain the spring water from the tuna and mix the chopped onion with the tuna.
4. Layer in an oven proof dish with the mashed sweet potato spread on top.
5. You can add any toppings like grated cheese or herbs to add more flavour.
6. Chuck it in the oven ( not literally) for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

 

 

(All the ingredients I used and bought were based on prices at the supermarket Sainsbury's)

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