Take yoga outside

By Rebecca Almond

With much of the country seeing temperatures soar to dizzying heights, sweating it out at the gym might not be top priority. But that’s not to say your exercise regime needs to fall completely by the wayside – there are plenty of enjoyable ways to get fit outdoors (and top up your tan while you’re at it).

Yoga is one of the most portable forms of exercise. ‘You can roll out your mat almost anywhere,’ says yoga instructor Leslie Saglio, ‘in the park, on the beach, in your garden…’ The sky is, quite literally, the limit, as I discover while in downward facing dog 80ft above London’s business district.

Wellness community SERENE Social is hosting a summer series of vinyasa flow classes in the private garden of rooftop restaurant Coq d’Argent. The concept is simple – women of all yoga abilities are invited to take their asanas (postures) to new heights while enjoying breathtaking views of the city – the Shard, the Gherkin and St Paul’s Cathedral are all on the horizon. ‘Practicing yoga above the hustle and bustle helps to change your perspective of the city,’ says SERENE co-founder Millana Snow. 

It’s not just London that’s getting high on rooftop yoga – classes are popping up all over the UK (search spogo.co.uk). But if you can’t find a class in your local area, or prefer to keep your feet on the ground, Leslie recommends trying these three poses outdoors:

1.     Mountain pose

Standing tall, feet together and firmly on the ground, stretch your arms up towards the sky, then bring them slowly down by your sides. Close your eyes and feel the elements against your skin.

2.     Tree pose

Standing on your left leg, slowly draw your right foot up to rest on your ankle, calf or inner thigh. Stretch both arms up towards the sky and hold. Repeat on the other leg.

3.     Downward facing dog

From a plank position, lift your hips and push them up and back, arms and legs extended. Drop your head to look back through your legs. Your shape should resemble an upside-down letter ‘V’.

SERENE Social Rise Up Rooftop Yoga classes are held every Thursday 8–9am at Coq d’Argent, London, until the end of September. To book, visit serenesocial.com.

For more get-fit inspiration, pick up a copy of August’s Healthy Food Guide, out this Friday.

My take on a tasty new trend…

Chocolate and raspberry energy balls

By Emily Morgan

Another day, another celebrity food craze. And, yay, this one turns out to be super-tasty and nutritious. Edible energy balls are all the rage with model Daisy Lowe, TV star Millie Mackintosh, and health-food fan Gwyneth, et al. The HFG team was already smitten with ready-made, protein-packed Bounce balls, so I set about devising a tasty home-made version, taking inspiration from Snog (the frozen yogurt kind!). 

I based my recipe around dates and pecan nuts. Dates for energy, as they’re 70% carbohydrate, mostly in the form of natural fruit sugar. They’re also a good source of minerals, namely potassium, which may help to control high blood pressure, and copper, which boosts the immune system. Pecans are a source of fibre, and also contain lots of other essential vitamins and minerals, including potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium, vitamin E and several B vitamins.

The prep bit

To make 24 balls, you will need: 300g pecans, 120g pitted medjool dates (about 12), 4tbsp maple syrup, ½tsp vanilla extract, 50g cocoa powder, 24 fresh raspberries.

Per ball (based on making 24)

113kcal

1.7g protein

9.2g fat

1g saturates

6.2g carbs

5.6g sugar

1.5g fibre

0.1g salt

15mg calcium

0.6mg iron

LOW CAL, LOW SALT, VEG, GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE

How I made them

Place the pecans into a food processor, then blend until they form a fine, breadcrumb-like consistency. Add the dates, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cocoa powder, then blend again, until a sticky, dough-like mixture is formed. This takes 1-2 min. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into small circular balls. Place on a tray lined with clingfilm. Press your finger into the middle to make a small dent in each one, then place a raspberry in each hole. Chill for a couple of hours before serving with a fresh raspberry.

How did I rate this?

It was difficult to stop myself eating the mixture as I was shaping the balls – they’re very moreish! They’re a great alternative to chocolate bars, cakes, cookies and brownies and the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. Unlike many sweet treats, they’re packed with fibre, antioxidants and vitamins, so will keep you fuller for longer. They make a great snack before or after an exercise class or workout, too.

The tool kit

Simple, as no cooking is required, you just need a good food processor.

New energy-saving pans

By Melanie Leyshon

Q What do you get if you pair a leading kitchenware specialist with an Oxford University rocket scientist?

A Ovens in space, pouches of gastrofood for astronauts? Forget the fanciful, there’s a much more practical outcome: a set of breakthrough energy-saving pans. And that means saving time and money, too…

Lakeland, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year, took up an idea for the world’s first set of energy-saving pans that was brought to them four years ago by Dr Thomas Povey. As a professor of engineering at the University of Oxford, he usually does research into cooling systems for next-generation jet engines. He used his knowledge of heat distribution to work with a team of masters students to create the breakthrough range.

What’s new? It’s the finned sides of the new Flare with Fin-X technology range of pans that save time and money. They absorb the heat from gas hobs more effectively, so it isn’t lost around the sides. This saves 40% in energy costs when you cook on a gas hob (and two-thirds of us do), compared with using a conventional pan. It can also be used on ceramic, halogen and ring hobs.

What are they like? They’re made from cast aluminium that’s much lighter than cast iron. The even heat distribution around the pans makes it faster to heat up so food cooks more quickly – saving you time and money. If you’re cooking pots of pasta every week, you’ll have the water at a rolling boil before you can say al dente.

What the company says Lakeland’s buying director Matthew Canwell says, ‘While customers are looking for good value, that doesn’t mean they want cheap products that won’t last. Our customers see the value in investing in quality cooking equipment that will last for years to come.’

Accolades The Flare pans are already award winners. The Worshipful Company of Engineers gave them an engineering innovation award for being ‘the most outstanding engineering innovation that delivers demonstrable benefit to the environment’. They’ve also won a Design Council award.

Where to buy them Flare pans are available exclusively from Lakeland (lakeland.co.uk) from the middle of August and cost from £49.99 for a frying pan. For more information, visit flare.co.uk.

How to make courgetti

By Hannah Sherwood

Struggling to get your five-a-day? Try this nifty way of using cheap, cheerful and seasonal courgettes in place of pasta or noodles…

Shops and allotments are filled with courgettes in July and August. They’re delicious eaten raw, grilled or stuffed – but why not take their versatility to new heights? In round two of my quest for vegetable alternatives to starchy carbs, I’m turning courgettes into ‘spaghetti’ – or as food fashionistas call it, courgetti. Yes, you read that right – this new cool plate filler on the block is delicious served with Italian dishes, or with Asian stir-fries.

Nutrition wise, the figures stack up: a 100g serving of courgetti provides 1.2g fibre, 360mg potassium, 52mcg folate, 100mcg vitamin A and 21mg vitamin C – all for just 18 calories. Courgettes also contain two antioxidants – lutein and zeaxanthin – that help to keep the eyes healthy and protect against age-related macular degeneration, which can cause blindness.

Here’s how I made my courgetti…

The prep bit

One trimmed medium courgette will serve one person. Using a julienne peeler, spiraliser or similar attachment for a mandoline, cut the courgette into strips. (If your knife skills are top-notch, you could cut the courgette into spaghetti style strips by hand.)

The cooking

The quickest and easiest way to cook courgetti is in a frying pan, over a medium-high heat, with a tiny splash of oil – I used garlic-infused rapeseed oil (courgettes contain a lot of water so you really don’t need to use much oil). At this point you can get creative and add herbs or spices depending on the dish you’re cooking. I tossed some crushed garlic and ground black pepper through my courgetti, to go with the spinach, bacon and reduced-fat crème fraîche sauce I served it with. 

How did I rate it?

It’s another delicious veggie alternative to carbs such as pasta or noodles, and is particularly good during the summer as it’s much lighter than pasta.

Tool kit

You need a julienne peeler or spiraliser to get the best courgetti – Amazon and eBay sell them quite cheaply, and Lakeland will be selling one online later this year.