How is another week over?!

The final week of Easter break has come to an end! :( Which means I have one more week of lectures, then exams start on the 18th of May (not including the anatomy spotter mock I have on Monday).... ready for a full blown panic now

I am at snake eating itself stress levels  

Oh dear, but everyone is in the same boat, the libraries at uni are full by 10am, which is an ungodly hour for most students (if I can get there for 9 however, I can have a whole room to myself for 20 minutes, no joke) 

This was the scene on Monday morning at 9.10.....

I've been slacking on the dinner photos, but I will try to remember! I did make a lovely curry the other night and plenty of salad bowls! (I will stop being a lazy bum and show photos soon!) 

Heres my roundup of the web for this week!

• We all want to shave a few seconds off our miles, here's a few tips to help! 
• Why women need to run! And be proud by how far we've come! 
• This is sad all round, I'm sure you've seen the photoshop of Blogilates star Cassey Ho, but if not, here it is 
• Interesting argument, not sure how I feel on every point, but definitely got me thinking - Why Feminists Should Reconsider Eating Meat 
• Best Coast's new album come out soon! And I'm seeing them in May after exams! So excited! Here's an interview with lead singer Bethany Cosentino in Vogue about the best vintage shopping in LA....jel on so many levels 
• Another running article, but from a vegan perspective! 
• Ok, this video really related to me, I have suffered with dermatillomania for as long as I can remember, but I didn't even know it was a thing until about 2 years ago, I just thought I was a freak. Kiera Rose's video was incredibly helpful in providing insight into a condition that many more people are affected by then we might think. 

What I've Been Eating

So for the last few days I've been doing a bit of experimenting with some recipies! Here is a roundup!

On Saturday, some medic friends and I went tried a vegetarian/vegan italian resturant in Holborn! (Amico Bio)  It was a lovely little restaurant and a great place to catchup with the girls after being away from each other over the Easter holiday 

I had the Pumpkin and Cinnamon Tagliatelle, and it was so lovely! It was interesting to try vegan fresh pasta (no eggs here!) 

Yum! This was my Sunday dinner, a warm quinoa and broccoli salad, recipe found here! 

My first venture into the land of vegan baking! I did it on 4/20 day... so when I posted it on Instagram....people may have taken it the wrong way (come on people, medical student!) 

I made these on Monday for pre-drinks before a night out! I am not a big chocolate fan, but this was really nice (if I say so myself!) and even my non-veggie/vegan friends said they were yummy (and not just yummy for vegans!) 

Heres the recipe! 

Here is my big salad, avocado ryvita and vanilla pudding cup. This is a pretty standard dinner for me. My salads tend to have a kale base, but everything else is pretty variable (what ever veggies I have around!) 

The Week that Was

Since nothing much happens on a day to day basis at the mo....(I would hate to bore you with stories of 6 hour library sessions) I have decided to select the highlights from my week, and compile them in one post.

I am planning on posting more soon (recipies, hacks, life stuff), lets just get these bloody exams out of the way....

I got a Zoodle maker! And I love it... more info and how I use it coming soon... at  the mo trying out some different recipes and finding out how I can best use it (with everything, they are so yummy!)

On Wednesday, I took the morning off to go to Borough Market in South London. 

The walk was lovely and the weather glorious! I was a little disappointed by the market though....I was able to get some lovely fresh veggies, but the stall I went to was expensive, and the lady working there a little bit disinterested.... Having said that, the veggies tasted devine so it definitely wasn't a wasted trip! 

I also experienced my first vegan cake! It was a super lush plum and cinnamon cake from The Free From Bakehouse. They specialise in dairy free and gluten free bakes, not all are vegan...but some are and I am so glad they are (only complaint was the size! not enough!) A highlight from the week! 

More of these kind of posts to come, and some recipes, I promise! I am still trying to find what works for me and how to cook/meal plan now I am cooking everything from scratch! Please bear with though! 

Here's a round out of some interesting things I found on the web this week though...(procrastination win) 

• Where are the women at festivals? Seems like it isn't just a problem in the UK 
• How beauty standards have evolved over time... (love these time lapse transformations) and I thought too much makeup was a modern problem! (I am guilty....) 
• Women earn less than men for the same job, women should pay less for the same product... at least that's what this shop aims to show 
• A group set up in Kabul to help young refugee girls to access education and learn skills, also teaches them how to skateboard, their stories are inspiring 
• How to have a plant based diet without busting the bank. Perfect for that miniscule student budget.... 

Week 1

It's been a week! A whole week, and I haven't knifed anyone for ice cream! (I did come pretty close yesterday on Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day when they didn't have any dairy-free sorbet...)

It has however been a lot easier than I thought it would be, so far.

To be fair, there has only been 3 other people in the flat using the kitchen (there is usually 10, and the kitchen can get a bit gross and not a very pleasant place to be, so the real test will be when everyone comes back after the break!) Also, I have had more time than I usually do to cook, as I haven't had lectures (and partying like a crazy fresher) to contend with.

Other people's responses to it has been pretty chilled as well, even my Mum is ok with it (she even asked me to cook for her over the summer, which I do anyway, but VEGAN COOKING!)

Here's a quick summary of my experience so far!

So much more chopping!
My veggie bowls and salads, as well as cooking everything from scratch has increased my cooking time. It has also shortened the life expectancy of all my fingers, but at the moment I don't mind the extra time commitment because it's a nice break from revision!

Erm....Digestion
I have been a little bit more *bloated* then usual, and have spent a lot more time on the toilet then before.....I'm going to be a doctor, no time for squeamishness, I've been shitting more.

I have read that this is normal, as my body is having to digest a different range of foods (not all the pot noodle and tins of soup I used to eat) and that this should pass in a few weeks..... yeah, not liking that so much

Energy and Focus 
Saying that though, I have noticed a big increase in my energy levels and ability to focus. My runs have been faster than normal and I have been able to sit for longer periods of time to study. However, I am also sleeping at least 7 hours a night, not going out (and therefor not drinking either), and generally not moving for large portions of the day. This might also have an influence on my energy levels, so again, the real test will be when term starts again (we still have another week of lectures before exams!!!)

So that's a week in, lets see how next week goes!

Revision highlight from Monday....don't mess with the cytotoxic lymphocyte!

Productive.... For a Monday - Big Grocery Shop

miles - 4.3
average pace - 9.23 minutes/mile

Another week into the Easter break, and my day was again spent in the library... (6 HOURS FML)

I need to see if they do timeshares, because I could be sitting on a goldmine right now! No, no, I kid....but really

I did a massive shop today, and was interested to see how much I would spend buying food for a vegan diet. I was concerned regarding the cost of going vegan, because I have been to Whole Foods and Planet Organic, and have been floored by the cost of vegan "substitute" products.

This is why I have tried to take a plant based, whole foods approach to being vegan. By this, I mean eating real food/plants and not basing my diet on a lot of processed soy products (not going to lie though, I do love  the chocolate soya pots).

Here's what I got, all for the very grand old price of....

 £23.25!!

Now, the real test is in how long all this lasts me, but I would say that was pretty good considering I had 4 very heavy bags to carry all the way home! 

For my dinner tonight, I made leek and potato soup (I am aware it is spring now, but I like soup ok) I modified this recipe slightly;

• used all vegetable stock, no almond milk 
• skipped the cognac (student budget, the only alcohol I have on hand is vodka...) 
• added white cabbage (as suggested)

my amazing chopping skills....will they let me be a doctor with only 3 fingers?

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Please excuse the state of the cooker, I live in a student flat, and that stain has been there all year... I would feel bad if it was removed now...

I served the soup with a big bowl of salad, ryvita, all followed by a dark chocolate soy pot (let me have my guilty pleasures,please! I did spend 6 hours in the library...) 

Not bad if I say so myself! Would definitely make the soup again, maybe in the winter like a normal human, but I'm a crazy animal and will do what I want! (the sad thing is that will be the closest thing I get to wild and crazy until after exams - and subsequent res-its) 

Sunday "Easy Revision"

Run - 6.8 miles
Average Pace - 9.13 minute/mile

I love Sundays, they might be my favorite day of the week. I also have been loving the weather in London at the moment, which always makes the day seem brighter/better!


Started the day with my usual porridge.... I eat the same thing every morning, I am a creature of habit as you will discover. (recipe will follow at some point). Followed by, an obscene amount of coffee with coconut milk (caffeine addiction)

Said caffeine and breakfast fueled my run, which was quite fast for me!

I went to church, had lunch and then spent the rest of the day revising.... Immune and Defence this afternoon and hopefully get some Fluids, Metabolism and Nutrition done this evening. (I used to have a thing called a life.....but then I became a medical student)

My church is in Covent Garden, so the walk there and back every Sunday makes the day (when it's not raining that is...) I also always block off my Sunday morning for chill time, and grounding myself for the week. It's the time when I can get in a longer run, and reconnect with world outside of the little medic/uni bubble I live in.

The real highlight of my day however, was, and always is food....girl got to eat!

I am a numpty however and forgot to get some photos of lunch, but the Creamy Cauliflower Soup I've been eating for the last 4 days (I have a big pot, and no idea of how measurements work) is divine, and I will post more on it later!

Dinner was left over roast vegetables (pepper, onion, and butternut squash), with kale, red cabbage, olives, and spiced quinoa and buckwheat!

I don't feel like I've been vegan long enough to describe any changes I've seen in myself/well being (its been 4 days since I have been fully vegan and a 2 weeks since I have been vegetarian). 

There will be a post on Wednesday about my first full weeks and the differences I've noticed, but you'll have to wait till then!  

Hi There!

So this is my first blog post on this site..... Hi! 

I have recently decided to go vegan after watching a documentary on Netflix (a very helpful tool in procrastination when I should have been revising!)

The documentary was called Vegucated, and as of posting, it is still available on Netflix. (If you don't have Netflix, and are a functional, productive member of society, heres a link the website) 

The film follows 3 meat eaters on a 6 week challenge, eating a vegan diet and learning about farming practises.  

I can't really do justice in words the suffering the animals in some of the clips show are made to endure. 

After I finished watching the film, the change for me was instant. (I had been vegetarian for 3 years previously, but had reverted to eating meat for the last 2 years) I cleared out my cupboards of all the meat products (not a lot granted, because ....student budget), as well as all the products containing whey (from milk), eggs, and any other dairy products. 

In this blog, I hope to document my experience of veganism as a medical student (short on time always), and as a runner (fueling runs and recovery). 

Some recipes and more daily stuff like groceries and cooking will follow, with some of my medical school junk as well! (because I live in a medic bubble with no shame and it takes over my life!) 

Some links to help with the transition (if you're interested) or for more general information;

•  The Vegan Society 
• Vegan.com 
• The No Meat Athlete  - great for the runners/fitness enthusiasts worried about their training and how to fuel a workout
• The Daily Vegan - A great all rounder with information on nutrition and animal welfare