I'M STILL ALIVE!

I just realised how long it's been since I've posted on this blog and I miss it and need to get started again!!!

WOW though - SOOO much has happened since July I don't even know where to start!

First of all and maybe most significant is that I actually completed my Certificate III and IV in Personal Training through the Australian Institute of Fitness so I am now a fully qualified trainer which is amazing! I've learnt so much through the course and it's not only developed my skills to help other people but it's given me such a good understanding of how to achieve your fitness related goals. 

Something else that happened that's probably the most amazing thing to happen to me is that I've gotten a job with Bondi Vixen!!! For those who aren't familiar with Bondi Vixe, it's an outdoor training group for women right on Bondi Beach run by the incredible Vix Erber, one of the greatest trainers in Australia! I will make a separate post all about it very soon!

Those are the two big things that have happened but other than those I've had lots of smaller achievements. I'm really into my weight training now and I have such a better understanding and confidence around the gym now. Now more getting intimidated by all the big guys in the gym - I'm right next to them now doing my own thing and it's awesome :)

Miss Bondi 2013 Finals

I was also lucky enough to compete in the Miss Bondi 2013 competition at the Beach Roach Hotel and I made it in the finals which was incredible! Such a fun experience and got some cool stuff out of it too ;)

Anyway, keep checking back for updates, I'll definitely be making the time to be updating hopefully more than ever now that my life is really taking off in an amazing direction!

Danni

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BodyScience Fuel Series Sports Drink

Hey everyone!

So I just thought I'd do a post on this product from BodyScience - it's a sports drink from their Fuel range that aims to maximise your performance while training or during endurance events. I got it for free at the Australia Fitness & Health expo and have been using it ever since.

I have the mixed berry flavour, but it also comes in lemon lime. I haven't tried lemon lime but the mixed berry definitely tastes really, really good! I'm someone who doesn't really like the taste of sports drinks like Powerade and Gatorade, but I really like the taste of this! It's got the perfect amount of sweetness, and you can always adjust the sweetness by adding more water to it if you really want to. But I think it's perfect as recommended (25g to 375mL water).

I always wondered if these kind of drinks actually worked and since I got it for free, I was keen to give it a shot as I really had nothing to lose. I can't speak for any other brands as I haven't tried them but I really genuinely feel like this drink gives you that boost that you need when you're going through a long, hard, intense training session! I've recently started taking some intense spin classes in prep for the half marathon while my tendinitis heals, and the times when I've come with only water compared to when I bring along the BSc Sports Drink and water, I genuinely do feel a difference in my performance. When I feel like my muscles are starting to get fatigued I just sip on this and continue drinking it throughout the session and I feel like it really just gives me the boost I need to keep on going and just reenergises and rehydrates me so that I maximise my training session. 

If you are looking for something to keep you going through tough sessions I really recommend this product! Not only does it taste great but it actually works, too! I'll definitely be carrying some on me when it comes time to race the half marathon, because with my injury interrupting my training I'm definitely going to need as much help as I can get. I'm also definitely going to pick up some of the BodyScience Fuel Energy Gels to try out as well because I've heard great things about them, too.

You can get the BodyScience Fuel Series Sports Drink at www.bodyscience.com.au for $12.50

Shoes!

Feet.

Feet are great. Feet are tiny little things that support our whole body. I think feet often go unappreciated but feet really are fantastic things! So fantastic things need fantastic care, included fantastic shoes.

Most of us have feet, but every bodies feet are different. The way we walk, the way we strike the floor, the way our foot rolls when we run - there are endless variations on how every bodies feet work. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to make sure you choose the RIGHT shoes for your feet!

Unfortunately, I have developed posterior tibial tendinitis - 9 weeks out of a half marathon. Not good. Basically it's a swelling/inflamation of the tendon that goes from the foot around the inner ankle and up to the calf, quite close to the achilles tendon. As a result, after walking (or running) for an extended amount of time I get a really bad pain in my ankle that stops me from walking any further. So I am now confined to the bike for my cardio exercise for the next 6 weeks. Just hoping that's enough to prepare me for the half marathon July 7. This injury is a result of the WRONG shoes.

Currently, I wear Nike Free 4.0 v2

I was all so keen to jump on the nike free bandwagon, because they look nice and they come in so many different fun colours. But the reality is, appearance is not what you should be basing your choice on.

I'm not at all saying that Nike Frees are bad in general, but they are bad for me. For some people, these would be their shoe, but someone's shoe is not EVERYONE's shoe. If you have Nike Frees and they're working for you then that's great! But unfortunately they've lead to more downsides than benefits in my personal experience.

So now I'm going back to Asics, which is what I always wore up until I got my Nikes. But even though I know Asics makes shoes that are good for my feet, they make A LOT of different shoes, so I'm going to a shoe fitting specialist to find the perfect fit for me. It may take more time, and your options may be limited, but at the end of the day, it's better to be injury-free with not the ideal colour choice than stylish but injured. But that's not too say that the right pair physically won't be the right pair aesthetically! You might just fall in love with the pair that fits right too! At the end of the day, it's wise to go get your fit tested properly by a sports shoe specialist if you want to benefit yourself. Not too mention you'll probably end up saving money even if they pair you buy are a little more expensive - there probably won't be any physio visits, and you won't have to buy a new pair to replace the pair that's damaged you!

So the bottom line is - don't follow the trends, do what's best for YOU!

Danni

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Getting Started

To me it seems like the hardest part of everyone's fitness journey is getting started. People struggle to find motivation or time to put their plans into action and they're filled with self-doubt which ultimately holds them back from what they really want to achieve. Far to often people are more focussed on what they have to give up rather than what they have to gain. What people need to realise is what there is to gain is SO MUCH MORE than what they may have to sacrifice.

The first step is saying "I can." "I can't" is the most hurtful phrase to yourself and your well being and you need to eliminate it from your vocabulary, because you really do have the ability to do anything. Just one year ago I wouldn't try run if I was being chased by a hungry tiger. It was like "oh, I wasn't born a good runner so I can't do it so I won't try." Now I'm entered in a half marathon and I'm running multiple times a week, distances that I'd never dreamed of doing before! If you want to run, run! Say that you "can" and you will! This isn't just about running, this is about everything - weight loss, muscle gain, fitness, any sport! Obviously not everyone's going to get to the Olympics, but you can achieve so much even if you're not the best in the world. That seems to be another thing stopping people, "If I can be really good, what's the point?" THERE'S ALWAYS A POINT! It's about achieving things for yourself! It's not about being the best version out of everyone, it's about being the best version of you.

In terms of motivating yourself, you need to stop thinking of living a healthy lifestyle as a chore and as what it really is - a lifestyle! Too often I think people think of exercise and healthy foods as these things that are just waiting to be done and have to be done and are not "enjoyable" but that's so far from the truth! They are enjoyable if you do them the right way! Eating healthy doesn't have to be plain lettuce - find some great recipes, instagram is full of inspiring foodies who post so many amazing food ideas. Find a way to exercise that you really enjoy and incorporate it into your daily routine! I guarantee that it'll become something you'll love to do and rather than making excuses for not having time, you'll be making excuses for why you have plenty of time to workout because it'll become something you love to do! 

Always remember as well to look at how far you've come, not how far you have to go! This is SO important!!! People focus way too much on the negatives and fail to give themselves recognition for what amazing things they have achieved! One thing always to remember - Slow progress is better than no progress! We live in a world where everything is so instant now, but some things will never have a magic quick fix and that's just something you'll have to remember and deal with if you want to achieve your dreams! 

Remember, that you have to want this for yourself. The want for this change needs to come from within you, not from anyone else, and that's what's going to motivate you the most. Make sure you always love yourself and your body, and always motivate you with positive energy! Surround yourself with other people who are living the kind of lifestyle you aspire to be living and surround yourself with people who will encourage and support you through all your decisions!

For me, I just woke up one morning and wanted change. I wanted to achieve things I'd never done before and I wanted to make a commitment to myself that I would follow through with this dream and make it a reality. Find that place within yourself and the rest should just follow easily!

Good luck!

Danni
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Raw Vegan Tacos

Hi again!

So sorry I haven't updated in more than a week - I've been super busy with uni work and trying to catch up on sleep haha

So a few days ago I decided to try out a raw vegan favourite - tacos! I was a bit unsure about if I would like them or not because it's quite nut-based and I haven't really liked nuts in the past before I was vegan but it seems my mind has changed and I've really started to like them which is awesome haha :)

For the Salsa and the Cashew "Sour Cream" I used this recipe:
http://86lemons.com/taco-fiesta-detox-week-2/

and for the taco "meat" I used this recipe:
http://www.therawtarian.com/raw-taco-meat-recipe

I used cos/romaine lettuce for the taco shell, and when I made it and put it all together it looked like this:

SO GOOD!

This was so yummy and surprisingly really filling, too! I made three and I only managed to eat two. It makes quite a lot so you'd probably have enough mix to make about 5 - 6 tacos which is great if you're cooking (or not cooking) for friends as well. I'm not sure how long the "meat" and "sour cream" keep for but I used it the day after as a dip and it was still fine so it doubles it's purpose too :)

I seriously recommend this recipe, it's so great and yummy and good for you, too!

See you next time!

Danni

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Run, Danni! Run!

Hey guys!

I've just been in a great mood the last 2 days even though I was in a crappy one before that haha!

This post isn't going to be about food at all but my running achievements! Yay!

RunKeeper app rocks

Yesterday I broke my record for distance and ran 11.8km! Such a good feeling to go beyond what you've done before. If you had told me a year ago that I was gonna run 11.8km I would have been like "Mate, I can't even make 11.8m" hahaha so I'm so proud of myself for actually getting out there and pushing myself and achieving these things! 
I think the number one tip I could give for running is find a route that you find really pretty! Nothing is more motivating than your surrounding for me. I run along the beaches, passing Bondi and Tamarama and it's so absolutely gorgeous! I'm so lucky to live where I do! But there are so many beautiful places around the world wherever you live so find a track that makes you feel awesome! Also, make an awesome running playlist on your iPod! Choose fast, upbeat songs to get you pumped! Also make sure to change around the playlist every now and again so you don't start associating those songs with 'running' because then they start to lose their effectiveness. Just choose whatever works for you - I love ABBA, Queen, Guns 'N' Roses, Lady GaGa, even My Chemical Romance, which most people think it's a pretty bizarre mix for a workout but it works for me and makes me happy!

Top: view of Bondi from the South
Bottom: Bondi's neighbour beach Tamarama

On top of this, I have something REALLY exciting - I've entered the Gold Coast Half Marathon in July (21km)! I'm SO excited and it's my first time running any race, let alone a half marathon! I'm so happy and so proud of myself for giving something like this a shot! I'm hoping to do it in 2:15 or less but we'll see - I'll be happy just to do it :) I've also got to get round signing up for the City2Surf in August which is 14km and that'll also be really fun but slightly less challenging haha :) I can't believe how far I've come mentally in the last year. I just have so much more belief in myself which is amazing and such a great feeling. I feel so inspired and motivated right now and I really hope that this is a place that everyone can get to in their lives because it feels fab!

I will make sure to keep updated with how I'm going and stuff :)

Danni

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Healthy Vegan Pancakes

Good morning! (or whatever time of the day you're reading this at)

Now I have to admit, because of this sudden change of weather in Sydney, the cold is making me want nothing more than something warm to eat, and of course there isn't exactly anything on the raw vegan menu that fits into that, so I've caved in a little and strayed off being raw for a couple of meals. This morning I made some lovely vegan pancakes and I'd love to share the recipe for anyone who might be interested... they're pretty healthy, too, so non-vegans might also want to use this recipe for a tasty morning treat!

Healthy Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup non-dairy milk of your choice
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar (or other natural sweetener of your choice)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl
2. Add wet ingredients and mix with electric mixer until combined. If the batter seems to have an overpowering taste of the baking powder, don't worry, it's normal and when you cook them it will disappear!
3. Cook them on a non-stick frying pan and flip when the face down side becomes golden. Make sure they cook all the way through
4. Serve with maple syrup, fruit, or whatever else you want to top it with and enjoy :)

...and there you go! totally simple and easy! I used sea salt just as a healthier alternative to table salt, and I also used low-fat soy milk however I would have preferred to have used almond milk but we didn't have any and I'm too lazy to go to the shop and get some... haha, and also I use extra virgin olive oil for the oil. Hope the recipe works out for you all and feel free to comment and let me know how it turned out for you!

Also, here's a pic of my banana raspberry coconut smoothie in my new jar, totally cute:

Hope you all have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!

Danni

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Update

Hey again!

Sorry I haven't updated in the past 2 days... been busy with uni work and stuff!

So what's been happening? Not much really! But the raw vegan diet is still going on track except I have to admit... I received a Lindt dark chocolate bunny (they're vegan) on easter and I did eat it... so that's obviously not raw haha, and today I had tahini and cucumber on wholemeal toast... which isn't raw either but it's not that bad, right? haha I'm just starting out, I'm allowed to warm up into it. Speaking of warm, today was bloody freezing which is why I went for the toast because I desperately wanted something warm to eat :( I'll have to find a way around that.

Today I received my Ball Mason jars in the mail! They're so great, can't wait to fill them up with yummy smoothies and raw things :) I already tested out one of my handle ones today but I forgot to take a picture (who the hell doesn't photograph everything they eat these days?!)... but anyway it was a yummy banana, frozen mixed berries and coconut water smoothie - perf!

I did however take a pic of the amazing smoothie creation I made yesterday... this is a MUST smoothie for everyone, vegans and carnivores alike:

Pour approx. 200mL of coconut water into whatever container you're making this in, and add a sprinkle of chia seeds and let that sit for a couple minutes to thicken up. Then add 2 frozen bananas and blend. Then add a handful of strawberries and blend again - done! and amazing! Tastes like an ice cream packed thickshake without the ice cream or any of the bad stuff! All natural, the way it should be!

I've been exercising pretty well these past few days, too. On Monday I went for a 20 minute tempo run, which is basically going 20 minutes as fast as you can without having to stop. I went alright and I hit a record pace so that was good! Yesterday (Tuesday) I did an awesome amount of exercise - hit the gym at 6:30am for about an hour and half doing mostly weights with a little cardio, and then I did an hour Zumba class at 7:30pm. I seriously recommend Zumba to EVERYONE! It's SO much fun it and it's actually really hard work! Make sure you find a class with a great, enthusiastic, energetic instructor so you can get the most out of your workout, but seriously get out there and do it - you won't regret it! It's the greatest thing that's happened to working out so far :P

Today was cold and I had lots of uni work to do so I was lazy and did nothing except eat haha... oops... but tomorrow morning I got a boxing class at 6:45am so I'm looking forward to that 'cause it's always pretty tough! Then I'll probably go for a 45 minute easy run, following my "RunKeeper" app half marathon plan to prepare for the Gold Coast half marathon in July which I'm super excited about!

Anyway that's all from me for now, talk soon!

Danni

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My First Raw Grocery Shop

Photo Credit: Instagram @lonijane

G'day!

Today I did my first grocery shop for my new raw vegan diet change. I find often the problem when people are looking to go raw (myself included) is what do I buy? Do I just go and buy one of everything in the fruit and veggie section? 

I'm going to share my my shopping list that I put together just looking at a bunch of recipe ideas and stuff. Since I'm 100% new to this it might need some additions/changes, but it's a starting point and I'm sure it can help out people feeling a bit lost or who need a point into the right direction :)

Fruits:

• Strawberries
• Blueberries (Fresh & Frozen)
• Bananas
• Apples
• Watermelon
• Avocados
• Lemons
• Young Coconuts
• Cherry Tomatos
• Raspberries (Frozen)
• Frozen Mixed Berries
• Goji Berries

Veggies

• Cucumbers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Fennel
• Red Cabbage
• A few different kinds of  sprouts
• Red Onions

Seeds & Nuts

• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Almonds
• Chia Seeds

Other:

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Coconut Water
• Coconut Yoghurt
• Maca Powder
• Green Powder
• Fresh Tahini (Ideally I would make my own but since I'm just starting out that will do)

This all adds up to about $100 for a weeks worth of food (not included the Maca and Green Powders which are quite pricey but will last for a while) so it's not too bad. This is just my start off list and as I see what I like and don't like I'll change it accordingly but I think I'm at a good starting point. 

I'm really looking forward to this change tomorrow. I just made some raw bircher muesli and put it in the fridge to soak overnight so I'm pretty excited to try it out with some fresh fruit for breaky tomorrow. Also, it's my first day of the SkinnyMe tea detox which is pretty exciting too! :)

Danni

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SkinnyMe Tea

Hey everyone,

So to compliment my new diet change to raw, I've also decided to try "SkinnyMe tea."

SkinnyMe tea is a 'teatox' (tea detox) that cleanses the body from the inside out and also aids weight-loss. It's a 14 day program (also available for 28 days) that consists of drinking their loose leaf tea mix once a day every morning, which is a stimulant, creating energy and promoting weight loss, as well as being an appetite suppressant. The second part of the teatox is the "Colon-cleanse" tea bags, which is drunk every second night right before bed. These tea-bags create a slight laxative effect to effectively remove toxins from the liver and colon, further aiding the detoxification process.

One quick flick through their instagram page (@skinnymetea) and you can see all the incredible transformations people have undergone with the help of this program. Take a look and follow them for inspiration.

I wanted to try out this teatox primarily for the detox benefits, however I'm also looking forward to seeing if it helps me in toning up a little more, as I wouldn't mind trading a kilo or two or fat for a kilo or two of muscle, but we'll see what happens. A lot of reviews noted how fresh and clean it made them feel so I thought it was worth giving it a try! I ended up purchasing the 28 day teatox (2 x 14 day packs) because it was on sale for $55 instead of $60 (14 day teatox pack $35).

Anyway once I start the teatox I will make sure to keep this blog updated with my progress and experience. Looking forward to it :)

For all information about SkinnyMe tea check out their website:
http://www.skinnymetea.com.au/
and check out all their other fantastic products too :)

Danni
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An Introduction

Hello to whoever may be reading this!

Let me start off with an introduction - My names is Danni, I'm 17 years old from Sydney, Australia, and I'm about to make the journey into raw veganism.

On February 15 2013 I made the switch to vegan. Though influenced predominantly by ethical reasons, I was also seeking to benefit my health. I previously made an attempt to be vegan in 2012, however gave up around 2 - 3 months in. This time, the time just felt right and I organised myself to stick with the change and enjoy it. 

Towards the end of 2012 I discovered a new found love for health and fitness. For the first time in my life I loved exercise and wanted to strive towards becoming better and better. I joined a gym and also went for runs, working out a total of 3 - 5 times a week. 

With the new year I began to fall in love with an active and healthy lifestyle even more, and now I'm really determined to push myself and create the best possible version of myself, and continuing to push my fitness level to a place it's never been before.

At 5'1 and approx. 49kg (give or take a kilo), my journey is not about weight loss. I've always been a petite build and haven't ever struggled with my weight. This is about how my body feels on the inside, which in turn will also reflect on the outside. 

This Sunday (March 31st 2013) will mark day 1 of raw veganism for me and I couldn't be more excited. It just feels so good to give your body food in the purest of form, and you can feel your body reward you for this through clearer skin, more energy, and just life. 

I wanted to start this blog to share my experiences and track my journey, as well as hopefully inspire other people to join in on this healthy lifestyle. I plan on posting recipes and food inspiration posts as well as tracking my body's progress in fitness and health.

I have big plans for the future, including either a half or full marathon in July, so I'm looking forward to updating this blog and looking at my progress in the future.

Danni

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