October 2017

Posted on October 21, 2017

High protein quinoa porridge (vegan)

recipes

If you follow me on social media, then you would know that I was recently sent some products from Pulsin & Beond, an award-winning health conscious food brand that specialises in guilt-free snacks and protein powders.

As someone who’s spent the last couple of months using Pulsin Pea Protein powder, I was excited to try other products from this brand. But seeing that I was running out of protein powder in the house, I decided to get stuck into a recipe as soon as my parcel arrived!

This is the first thing I made using Pulsin Pea Protein, an unflavoured plant-based & heat stable powder. One scoop contains 8.0g of protein (nearly half as much protein as you need at every food sitting).

So without further ado, here is the long-awaited quinoa porridge recipe – Lord knows I shared enough snaps of this on my Insta story! 🙂

Ingredients:

3 spoonfuls cooked quinoa
2 scoops Pulsin Pea Protein
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla essence (optional)
Honey to sweeten (optional)

Directions

1. Place the cooked quinoa in a sieve and run under cold water.

2. Put rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a medium heat with water.

3. Once the quinoa starts to boil, add in dry ingredients.

4. Whisk until the the mixture thickens and add in desired sweetener(s).

5. Once the porridge has desired consistency, remove from heat.

6. Serve with desired toppings.

This recipe can be enjoyed hot or cold! You can add in some almond milk for added protein if you’d like. It is incredibly filling and will keep you fuelled for a good couple of hours! Let me know how you get on 🙂

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Posted on October 17, 2017

The Body Shop Amazonian Saviour Balm*

product review

For centuries, Amazonian communities have relied on potent natural ingredients to care for wounded and tattooed skin. These same natural oils are used to enrich our Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm

If you know me personally, then you would know that I don’t just use the hashtag girls with ink for the heck of it – although I wouldn’t put it past me if I did, seeing that I have a habit of exaggerating with my hashtags….

Nonetheless, that particular hashtag is one that I use with good reason; I have a tattoo on my ankle. I’ve had it for about ten years at this stage and like any tattoo, it has faded overtime. So when the opportunity to try The Body Shop Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm (€15.00) arose, I couldn’t turn it down.

This product has an oil-rich texture making it beneficial to use on more than just tatted skin. While it does a stellar job at reviving the appearance of tattoos, it also nourishes dry skin and is said to improve the appearance of skin marks.

The Body Shop Multi-Purpose Balm,€15.00

It is 100% vegetarian and only uses a total of nine natural-origin ingredients. Namely, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, citric acid from citrus, cera bellina wax, community trade beeswax, organic andiroba oil, candeia tree’s bisabolol and community trade organic babassu oil.

The combination of these nine ingredients creates a nourishing multi-tasking beauty balm. But much like any beauty product, application is key to ensuring you get the most out of the ingredients.

Here are three unique techniques developed by skincare specialist Dr. Christine Choi Kim, designed to target tattoos, skin marks and dry skin.

The infinity massage

To enhance the vibrancy of healed tattoos:

Polish tattoo with a gentle exfoliator
Apply balm to clean, dry fingertips and trace the figure eight onto tattoo
Repeat as often as needed
Use SPF to protect tattoo

The hashtag massage

To help reduce the appearance of skin marks:

Warm a small amount of the balm between clean, dry fingertips
Apply with consistent pressure to skin marks tracing the hashtag symbol
Finish using circular motions
Use plenty of SPF

The raindrops massage

To moisturise dry skin:

Apply the balm to hands, fingertips and cuticles
Warm a small amount between fingertips and lightly tap dry-skinned areas with a ‘pitter-patter’ raindrops motion
Finish with a light sweep over lips for extra conditioning

Massaing your skin is great for boosting circulation,bringing oxygen to the area and helping to remove toxins. It also warms the skin, which makes it easier for moisturising formulas to sink in

– Dr. Christine Choi Kim

The Body Shop Multi-Purpose Balm,€15.00

Have you got your paws on this Amazonian Saviour balm yet? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to tweet me @FilomenaKaguako 🙂

NOTE: €1.50 from every Amazonian Saviour Multi-Purpose Balm purchased will go towards building bio-bridges to help protect endangered species whilst enabling communities to live more sustainably. For more information, pop into The Body Shop or visit www.thebodyshop.ie

*This product was gifted to me, but all views remain my own

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Posted on October 10, 2017

Should you stay friends with an ex?

vlog

It takes a lot of strength to remain friends with an ex romantic partner, especially when the decision to break up was one-sided. Staying friends with an ex is a challenge that not everyone would be willing to take in situations like this. But what about when both parties decide it’s time to call it quits and the decision to break up was mutual?

I have a new video on my YouTube channel all about staying friends with past lovers.

Do you think it depends on the circumstances or should ex partners never stay friends? Would love your take on this so be sure to watch my full video! 🙂

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Posted on October 5, 2017

12 things my 40-year-old self would tell me now

Uncovered

They say hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I reckon foresight is even more useful

– Farrah Storr, Editor-in-Chief, Cosmopolitan

A little over a year ago I wrote a blog called 12 things I would tell my 20-year-old self. If you haven’t read it yet, please know that I was an absolute brat back then. Part of me cringes at the thought of it now because I feel that I’ve come such a long way to being the woman I am today and I think it is important for each of us to look back and remind ourselves of our progress and the ways in which our past experiences have helped us grow into the strong individuals we’ve become.

While I do feel that I have matured in the last seven years, I believe there is always room for improvement and as much as I’ve enjoyed my life to date, something in me is telling me that some of my best days are yet to come.

So today’s blog post is going to be about the things that I hope an older and wiser me – either reflecting on a rocking chair in a nursing home or exchanging kisses with a loving husband – would tell me now.

1. You will be someone’s queen the second you stop being daddy’s little princess.

2. Don’t let your pride get in the way of your friendships, you need people more than you think.

3. Every flaw on your body tells a story and you will grow to love them sooner than you think.

4. Positive affirmations will get you there quicker.

5. Some day you’ll lose the anxiety of not carrying a mirror with you everywhere you go.

6. You never grew those ‘child-bearing’ hips you’ve always longed for, but it didn’t make you infertile, did it?

7. Your small frame doesn’t make you any less of a woman. Women’s bodies come in many different forms and sizes.

8. PCOS won’t defne you.

9. You will let someone love you someday and that person will add to your happiness.

10. Allowing yourself to feel angry from time to time doesn’t make you that ‘angry black woman,’ never conceal those feelings.

11. Good on you for not following the crowd, even when the pressure was on. You stayed at home, you followed your dreams and look how much it’s paid off?

12. Dick isn’t everything.

Are there any things you hope an older and wiser you would advise you on now? If so, feel free to tweet me @FilomenaKaguako 🙂

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