Quick Energy Balls.

FullSizeRender-5We’re always on a quest to try and lead a healthy but balanced lifestyle. We try our best to interpret this during our retreats. We believe that everything in balance is ok, which is why we always greet our guests with a healthy cake or treat when they arrive on one of our weekends. Its a nice way to let people know that they are in for a healthy but relaxed weekend.

There’s a lot of variations on these energy balls at the moment. They’re a great boost mid morning or afternoon, packed with protein and other good stuff but taste delicious. So if you’re vulnerable to the mid morning/afternoon slump then get making a batch of these to sit at your desk for when hunger strikes.

We’re a little obsessed with the new Jamie Oliver ‘Superfoods’ book at the moment, tons of healthy stuff in there and these energy balls don’t disappoint. We especially love the turmeric kick in there (turmeric being great for us as its anti inflammatory and packed with anti-oxidents). Try them out and make substitutions for anything you like/don’t like or simple just have lying around your cupboards. (See ours)

ENERGY BALLS RECIPE :

  • 70g of pumpkin seeds
  • 20g puffed rice or puffed quinoa
  • 50g whole almonds (we used any nuts we had lying around)
  • 80g Medjool dates (we used dried figs)
  • 1cm piece of fresh turmeric or 1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 heaped teaspoon of quality cocoa powder (we used raw cacao)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon manuka honey
  • 1 orange

METHOD :

Blitz the nuts, seeds, puffed rice or quinoa in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the dates, spices and cocoa and blitz again.

Add the honey, orange and vanilla, scraping the sides until the mixture starts to form a ball in the food processor.

With wet hands roll into little balls and the roll the balls in either blitz seeds or raw cacao.

They’ll keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

ENJOY! x

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Excited about herbs…

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We’re getting a little excited.

Now if you erase the recent gale force winds from your mind, there is definitely a little hint of Spring in the air, don’t you think? A little bit of blossom on the trees, a few daffs popping up here and there and if the above pics are anything to go by then we’d say we’re on the home straight..yay! Our surroundings are starting to gently change colour at this time of year and spring into life with brilliant fresh green everywhere. And it got us thinking a little green fingered and especially about the wonderful world of herbs.

Herbs and essential oils have been used for centuries for health benefits, and we thought we’d share some of our favourite uses for them but really we’re just scratching the surface. Enjoy exploring!

ALTHOUGH HERBS AND OILS ARE ALL NATURAL YOU SHOULD USE WITH CAUTION ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE PREGNANT OR ON OTHER MEDICATION. CONSULT YOUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USING.

On our retreats essential oils are used in abundance to create the right mood and vibe for classes, relaxation and massage. We burn them in oil burners, sprinkle them on our guests pillows and add to our home made products in our goodie bags. There are so many different ways to use herbs and oils, here’s a few of our favs….

For getting a better nights kip. Lavender is known for its super calming and relaxing properties. Its can help to relieve stress and anxiety. We like to add some drops of the essential oil to our bath and pillow but you could also fill an eye bag with some dried lavender and pop it on for a nice deep sleep.

For cleaning and sanitizing your home. Tea tree oil is not only great for your skin it offers antibacterial, antiseptic and anti fungal properties which makes it great for cleaning! Add a few drops with some water for a home made spray disinfectant.

For easing anxiety and when you’re feeling blue. Recent clinical and laboratory research has determined that chamomile is not only relaxing, but it can significantly decrease anxiety and even fight depression. We like to drink this in a tea and you could even try growing it from seed in your garden or balcony.  http://www.herbexpert.co.uk/growingchamomile.html

For an all round super health boost. Pick young nettle leaves (yes the ones that can be found on your garden!) before they flower, add to a cafetière and pour over boiling water. Allow to infuse and drink. Nettles are known for so many amazing health benefits but to lists a few – rid the body of toxins, ease digestion, ease arthritis and muscles aches, helps ezema, asthma and hay fever! Some more things to do with your nettles.

 

 

 

 

Homemade honey and lemon face mask.

Morning! A gorgeous and CHILLY morning here in London. I so almost made it out for a run this morning but when the weather is nippy like this every bone in my body is saying, get warm, have tea, eat stew. So this morning I LISTENED. The weather can have such a big impact on our mood after all we are part of nature and as humans this is the time of year to hunker down, retreat and store our energy, so if you’re feeling a little affected by the weather and the general time of year then know that this is NORMAL! Hence why we love retreating in January so much.

On today’s post – with just 3 DAYS TO GO until our retreat this weekend we are well and truly getting organised! We’re off to the lovely Brooklands Barn in Arundel, West Sussex. This venue is the perfect antidote to this cold weather its filled with cosy snugs lit by open fires, a heated swimming pool, and a newly installed log cabin sauna which you can indulge in between massages, walking, Pilates, knitting and relaxation.

If you’ve joined us on a weekend retreat before then you’ll know well of our signature goodie bags. Which I have to say we pride ourselves on. We put a lot of effort into  making sure our guest feel loved and have everything they need to truly TUNEOUT. Without giving too much a way, this year amongst lots of other things we’ve made some homemade face masks. There’s tons of different recipes out there but we loved this one for its truly indulgent feel and smell! Good enough to eat quite literally. And you can feel smug in the knowledge that there’s absolutely no nasties in there and if you’re working towards living a life of less stress then that counts for what you put on and in your body, right down to your beauty products and household cleaners.

So here’s the recipe and some of the amazing benefits to your skin (always try a patch test first)

honeyandlemonmask

Honey and Lemon face mask

(Makes 1 portion)

  • 1 tablespoon of organic honey – moisturising, calming, antibacterial, full of anti-oxidants
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar – used for ex-foliating and the removal of dead skin
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon – can plump the skin and make you look younger
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon – acts a natural skin peel, brightens the skin
  • 1 tablespoon of organic almond oil- helps remove dark circles and extra moisturising

Mix and indulge (hopefully in a steaming hit bath!)

Ready. Set. Craft.

leaves

Autumn is in full swing and isn’t she beautiful!! The combination of sunny weather and gorgeous colours of the trees are getting us right in the mood for Autumn. And in preparation for our Urban Day retreat in Walthamstow, we’ve been  been getting our craft on and making some samples of the macrame plant holders, which we will be making on the day…which I have to say are looking amazing dotted around my house now!!  I guess this would be a good point to mention why we add a crafting element to our weekend and day retreats. We feel that adding something fun and crafty, that gets you using your mind and body in a creative way is not only incredibly satisfying and useful  we think, it plays an important role in the tuning out process. Its completely optional on our weekends retreats, but its great fun if you do. You learn a new skill and take something home that can be gifted or kept as a memory in your home of your time with us. You never know, perhaps you’ll find a new passion along the way…

Onto today’s post. Did we hear someone mention Christmas?? Its true, its just around the corner and it got us thinking…GIFTS! Nothing beats a homemade gift. If you’re short on time then there’s loads of options that don’t take so long (scrubs, flavoured booze, fudge) and most of these are really cheap to make too! Much quicker and easier than that mad dash around the shops buying stuff for your loved ones that they don’t even like! So here’s our round up of our favourite homemade gifts for this year. Click for the links for how to make and yes family/friends you can expect these in your stockings this year!

So our top 10 homemade gifts to get cracking on with are…

terrariums1. HOMEMADE TERRARIUM

IMG_61972. PLANT HOLDERS.

finishedscrub3. HOMEMADE SUGAR SCRUB.

tye-dyesocks4. TYE DYE SOCKS.

b1d5da0a46a7f691e66e6eb4b21f122a5. CHOCOLATE SLABS.

bathfizzes6. BATH FIZZES.

4c7da117cca52cf21ee2aac4e3c5d0e07. FLAVOURED BOOZE.

lemon_curd_68499_16x98. LEMON CURD.

woolyhat9. KNITTED WOOLY HATS.

candles10. HOMEMADE CANDLES.

IMG_5033(Squeezing in a last one..) 11. FUDGE, TRUFFLES and OTHER TREATS!

Urban Day Retreats in London

This morning we wanted to share an exciting new side of TUNEOUT that we launched earlier this year. Every couple of months, when we’re not retreating somewhere in the countryside with you guys, we’re going to be running day and half day urban retreats based around London. We realise, for everyone its not always possible to give up the time and money to attend a full weekend retreat but its still super important to our health and well being to take that much needed ‘you time’ even more so when you live in this crazy old city called London! This is really cool for us as it allows us to indulge in all our passions (one of those being helping you to feel better!) The idea is you join us for either a few hours or the full day, we move, we make and we definitely relax. We add in loads of little tuneout treats throughout the day to make you feel extra special and you leave feeling pretty damn fine! No experience is required in either Pilates or craft, and EVERYONE is welcome, you just turn up, as with our retreats and let us guide you through the day. So first of all make sure you subscribe to hear about it first as spaces are limited, then you book yourself in and turn up. Easy peasy. You can find the details of our next one (in November) below, and really we hope to see you there for some good quality tuneout time….

Laura and Katherine x

move,make.mend

M O V E. M A K E. M E N D.

SUNDAY 8th NOVEMBER 2-5PM

Hosted by Laura Hogg & Katherine Pentecost

Venue : East of Eden Walthamstow. London E17

We’re heading back to the lovely East of Eden studio for a breezy autumn afternoon of Pilates, crafting and relaxation. You’ll get all the best bits of one of our weekend retreats squeezed into an afternoon.

Starting the afternoon with an energising and cleansing juice/smoothie, followed by a class designed to get you to MOVE around lots and allow the creative juices to flow. The class is suitable for all levels. Then after a little break it will be time to MAKE. We’ll be getting our craft on and this time making a super cool macrame plant holder. (Similar to the one below) with of course tea and cake (of the healthy variety) Then to finish, time to MEND. A deep relaxation, stretch and mini massages.

Nice yes? We hope to see you there…

To book contact tuneoutpilatesretreats@gmail.com or call 07817604846
Cost £35 per person including all teas/juice and craft material

macrame

Super Easy Homemade Scrub

finishedscrub

 

Hey, sorry this post’s a little late this week. Its been a busy one, brewing up new ideas for Tune Out Pilates Retreats and we’ve got some really great plans in the pipeline for next year. All will be revealed soon but if you’ve not joined our mailing list then you can subscribe here  and you’ll be first to know. Plus in other exciting news this week, our January retreat in Arundel is now fully booked. Wow, you organised people! We’re really chuffed and our May retreat is now open to book for anyone that’s missed out. Thanks so much…

Anyway onto today’s post. You only have to search ‘body scrub’ on Pinterest to see how popular this stuff is to make and that’s why we love it – its unbelievably easy, its inexpensive, plus you get total control of what goes in to your skin and body. These body scrubs make great gifts (everyone loves a bit of homemade right?) but of course they are lovely to treat yourself.  So here goes…

1. First choose your packaging. We tend to opt for the sturdy Ikea jars. They look great and don’t break the bank balance but you could also use any other tin, tub or glass jars you have lying around.sugarscrub

2. Choose your base oil. Choose skin friendly oils like coconut, jojoba or sweet almond (our favourite). You can play around with quantities but we usually use roughly equal parts of oil and exfoliator.

3. Choose your exfoliator. We love using plain sugar but you can also use demerara, sea salt, baking soda and even oatmeal! Mix both together in a large bowl. oils

 

4. Choose your scent. How do you want to feel? Relaxed? Energised?  Check out this comprehensive list of oil uses but a great combo is simply lavender and peppermint, relaxing yet refreshing.

5. Play around. Try adding raw honey, coffee grounds, dried herbs and zest, anything goes really!

Enjoy and if you do make some we’d love to here about them  @tuneoutpilates

x