Festivals are finished, summer holidays seem like a distant memory and you can betcha the great British sun has gone AWOL for good. This leads us to one conclusion.. winter's coming.
Ahhh detox month, it’s time to try and reverse the effects of all that partying, take back those tequilas and burn off the burgers, cause Christmas is fast approaching and we’re gonna need to get our beer bods in check. We put a couple of London's exercise and healthy brunch spots to the test one saturday afternoon...
FLOWING BODY PILATES | STOKE NEWINGTON
First up on the agenda to health and inner peace was a ‘Flowing Pilates’ class. Yes it may sound calm and relaxing, but this 60-minute class was anything BUT from what we endured. Let’s start of with a little pre-warning – ladies, pedicures are a MUST before you even step anywhere near Charles, our instructor for the day. And did we mention that if you don’t appreciate a gentle toe touch or foot grab here and there then this is probably not the class for you, hand-on-foot action is inevitable throughout. With just 6 reformer machines the class is pretty intimate, the space is minimal but the atmosphere makes up for it with chilled music and a calming vibe. We are informed that phones are banned for the 60 minutes, shock horror!! Charles wants everyone to get in touch with their body and how it moves, without any distractions or beeps in earshot. But if you think you get to lie back, chill and slide up and down your board all morning before calling it a day and heading of for your skinny, extra hot, decaf, chai latte then BOY you’d be mistaken. There was everything from squats to ab crunches and inner thigh workouts using a Pilates ring (we hadn’t heard of this before either and please don’t be fooled by its simple exterior). Fast forward 60 minutes later and we were a couple of sweaty, shaking messes who resembled bambi on ice when attacking the stairs on the way out.
Next up we clearly needed to replenish after the severe sweat issues drained us of all bodily fluids. Lovage is the perfect spot to grab a healthy on-the-go lunch and did we mention the babe behind the counter, Ailish who if you ask for, is more than happy to let you know her recommendations of the day. With a huge selection of salads, smoothies and sweet treats we we’re spoilt for choice. Obviously we had to taste-test the sickliest option on offer– The Cacao Shaker and alongside this gave the colourful ‘Red Ruby’ juice a go, boasting to be perfect for ‘post exercise, immunity boosting, alkalising, digestive and blood purifying’ we clearly came out glowing ;) We also grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading off, picking between 4 salads proved too hard for us as they all looked so colourful and fresh so we opted for a mix of all 4 - Broccoli & nut salad– mmmm say no more.
Finally we stumbled across Beany Green for yet again, some more food. I think we may have just found our favourite brunch spot in London here, and that is a pretty bold statement. Stepping into broadgate circle we soaked up the sounds of a live band and sat back in a couple of deckchairs sippin’ on our iced almond lattes whilst browsing the huaaaage menu of mouth-watering (and healthy) options on offer. This Aussie brunch café has options for all, from their infamous broccoli bread to Homemade Granola & fresh fruit. We literally had to peel ourselves away from the cake stand when on our way out.. Rocky Roads we will be back for you!!!
