Raise Your Snacking Bar With 9BAR & Amanda Byram
Okay now that we got Christmas out of the way let's get back to healthy eating and staying active and fit, shall we? One goes hand-in-hand with the other, so when the snacking brand 9BAR invited me to an event which involved a hula-hooping class, a healthy breakfast and last but not least - wellness tips from the gorgeous ex-model and now a TV presenter Amanda Byram, I slipped into my Nikes and was at First Option Studio in Shoreditch bright and early!
If you haven't tried hula-hooping before, it's about time you either grab one in a sports shop nearby and find some space in your flat or (much easier!) head to Hulafit With Shakira. Across all the means of getting a flat stomach, hula-hooping must be the most fun way to tone the tummy. Hoops are provided by Shakira (you can't imagine your hula-hooping teacher to have a cooler name, can you!) and all you need to do is dive in and start moving your hips.
As a result of regular hula hoop training, a flat stomach usually comes with improved coordination and muscle strength, and you burn around 7 kcal a minute, or over 200 kcal in 30 mins. In Shakira's class you will hula hoop it to the right, to the left, will attempt to squat while hooping and much more. Lots of laughing and smiling guaranteed!
Feeling like I've earned my healthy breakfast, after a hula-hooping session I joined the London fitfam in a gorgeous kitchen where Cafe Fleur in Wandsworth were serving mouthwatering breakfast plates including avocado and eggs (on toast or naked), pancakes and yogurt with granola. I opted for the multigrain bread with scrambled eggs and avocado and DELICIOUS cannot describe how good my breakfast was!
This delicious breakfast was a great introduction into a conversation about how nutrition is an important part of being fit and healthy led by 9BAR and Amanda Byram.
Amanda Byram, whom one may remember as a host on The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 and the co-host from Total Wipeout, is now known for her health and fitness tips and advocating. Advocating a balanced lifestyle and a healthy self-esteem to start with, Amanda shared some of the highlights of her journey to being healthy and happy which started not in a very happy place by being too self-aware and feeling the pressure of unrealistic expectations coming from the social media.
Having tried every kind of diet on the planet, Amanda came to realising that loving yourself and treating your body and mind well is what makes a real difference in the long term. Amanda pays attention to what food she's putting into her body and focusing on high quality ingredients and good fats.
When it comes to snacking Amanda says she does indeed have healthy snacks. She started with packing nuts and seeds to snack on during the day, moving on to 9BAR nutritious mixed seed energy bars that are convenient to carry around and eat on the go.
I'm personally very careful when it comes to 'healthy' snacks as they are often packed with sugar that for me discounts its 'healthy' value. Having read 9BAR food label and tried the bars myself I can see that they are truly made of natural ingredients - nuts and seeds, high in fibre and gluten-free. The bars are also full of protein and good fats keeping you fuller for longer making them a great pre-workout snack or a snack.
9BAR also has a Breakfast Boost range available in Almond & Raspberry, Apricot & Strawberry, Cashew and Cocoa and Peanut and Raisin flavours. I personally prefer eggs and avocado for breakfast instead of a snack bar however Cashew and Cocoa can easily become your naughty sweet snack in the afternoon. My favourite 9BAR bars are Original Lift series with Super Seeds Organic bar being my number one choice. You can see the full range at 9BAR website here.
Last but not least, stay tuned for further tips and advice on healthy living from Amanda Byram on my blog!
