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05/03/24

Celebrating all women!

International Women’s Day and Mothers Day all in one week. That calls for a newsletter that celebrates all women!

Whether you are a mother or not, have founded a company or not, celebrate today for simply being you; a beautiful woman, walking this earth, with so much to share and so much to feel.

I don’t know about you but does it seems like we are regularly made to feel that we need more of everything to be happy?

More time, more defined abs, more money, more clothes, more likes, more sleep, more plant powered supplements… (more…)

20/02/24

Dive in with Gilly McArthur

Have you met The Zest Life’s Lake District Swimming Leader Gilly McArthur? It’s time to dive in with her!

In this guest post Gilly talks about her love of spring as well as the challenges it brings, and shares her invaluable advice for getting the most out of cold water swimming…

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10/01/24

Five Minute Winter Salad

I am loving this Winter salad, that was honestly thrown together in five minutes and tastes fabulous. The colours are just to die for too! I find it can be hard at this time to eat healthily as I crave warmth and often seek it in food. Do you feel the same? But this salad is so comforting yet light, I feel it ticks all the boxes for a healthy eat and it contains over 11 plants!

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22/12/23

Discipline or Motivation, Which Comes First?

I don’t know about you but as the days got darker and shorter I have really struggled to find motivation to exercise and I love exercise! I have been observing the way the Winter has been effecting me, the slowing down, the less energy and I am actually surprised and how I have not reacted to this and forced myself to be a perpetual Summer. Instead I have found myself falling into the flow of Winter and enjoying it.
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13/12/23

Top 10 Winter Self Care Tips

The festive period can be a stressful, heavy time of year for many. So read on for Laura’s top tips for keeping the season light and bright.

One of my favourite winter past times is lighting the fire and taking the time to meditate or listening to a relaxation clip all wrapped up in a cosy blanket. I really have learnt to love the shorter Winter days where the energy of nature is just so still and peaceful. I love to marinade in that feeling and remember that these months too shall pass.

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08/11/23

Vegan Zesty Lemon and Poppy Seed Sponge

This unusual sponge cake recipe went down a storm with our retreat guests in September. It is flavoured with zesty lemon juice with the addition of poppy seeds to give a sweet earthy nutty crunch. Pefect for a special occasion or an everyday treat with a cuppa.

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07/11/23

Apple and Cinnamon Cake

This Apple and Cinnamon Cake recipe was used by our lovely retreat chef Aimee on our retreats this Autumn to create a cake that tastes as good as it looks! You can also make this cake with almond flour or gluten-free flour if you prefer.

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12/10/23

Why Retreat?

I often wonder why do we need to retreat? Why bother taking time out for yourself? Is it just a way to while away a few days or is it far more important than that? It always fascinates me how every year, by law, we have to have our cars MOT’d: if they’re not road worthy we find the money to fix them to get them back on the road. But when it comes to ourselves, we don’t have mandatory MOT’s (which by the way I think we should) and we often keep running ourselves into the ground without stopping… (more…)

10/10/23

Vegan Banana Peanut Butter Bread

Kelly uses apple cider vinager to give the cake a lovely soft moist texture, and includes cinnamon and nutmeg for a warming spicy twist to this classic vegan teabread. Another retreat favourite perfect for autumn!

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25/09/23

Vegan Chocolate Cake

We love Kelly’s chocolate cake. It is so rich and chocolatey with a squeeze of lemon for a citrus tang. Perfect with your favourite cuppa.

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